Who is your spotter?

4 x 8 sets of Heavy Bench Press

This was the workout.  

The last thing the coach said after explaining the workout was “Spotters are mandatory!”

In the gym culture, we think nothing of asking for assistance, or a spot, when lifting weights.  Yet, in our professional world, we often do everything by ourselves and often go out of our way to avoid asking for help.  Why is that?

It got me thinking, what does a spotter do? What are the rules or what makes a good spotter?

A spotter is one who keeps watch.  In the gym, this means that they are watching you, keeping you safe during the lift. 

Roles of a Good Spotter

• Safety
• Confidence
• Present with you (during the lift)
• With you, but does not do the work (no bro reps, or yelling “its all you” as they “help” you lift)
• Helps you find your limits (where your growth occurs, i.e. add 5 more pounds next time, or let's take off 5 pounds next time)
• Celebrate with you (both the struggles and the wins)

When lifting without a spotter, I find I will go lighter, use a weight I know I can hit.  This is safe, yet growth does not occur in the safe zone.  Growth happens at the edges, near the unknowns (I should be able to do this weight for 8 reps, but I do not know). 

The good news is that spotters can assist you in the professional world as well.  When you ask for a coach, mentor, or guide, this is a powerful statement of Intent.  You are saying to yourself, I am wanting to grow, stretch my limits, try something I do not know ahead of time how it will work out.  This is an important part of your growth.  Being intentional!

 Roles of a Great Coach

• Safety – they can help you know when to push and when to pull back
• Confidence & Presence – they are there with you during your work
• With you, but you still do the work – if the coach is doing the work, then you are not growing, they are
• Celebrate with you – we do not stop and celebrate the wins that come from hard work.  Growth is not given to us, it has to be earned.  Remember this and celebrate the results of your hard work

Rest time is over, get back to the bar.  Time for your next lift!