5 Types of Spotters

All weight lifters at some time or another have used a spotter. I, for one, will only use when if I know the person. I am not one to just ask some random dude if he can assist me with a lift. My lifts and my body parts are just too important to me to put them in the hands of a complete stranger that probably doesnt know what they are doing anyway. You know what I am talking about. We have all been there. We have all had certain types of spotters that just give the assistant a bad name. Here are my top 5 spotters as I see it.

1. Grabby Hands - This is the guy that at the first sign of a struggle with the weight, he immediately grabs the weight and lifts it back onto the rack. I hate this. Only grab the weight if and when I tell you too. And when you do grab it, just offer light assistance until I yell the words "TAKE IT!".


2. Drippy - Nothing like getting ready to do a PR in bench only to have the guy spotting you drip his own sweat onto your face. Been there. Trust me. It's gross.


3. Gazer -  Gazer is too busy either watching himself in the mirror or watching every body else. Once he finally puts his focus back on your, the weight is already crushing your bones into little pieces.


4. Over Enthusiastic - The over enthusiastic spotter is the guy that is yelling at you from the moment you lift the weight to several minutes after completion.  His face is right next to yours and he is yelling things like "YOU GOT THIS!" and "THIS IS ALL YOUR BRO".  Upon completion, he is offering up a knuckle punch or doing an ass slap while telling you how easy that appeared.


5. Junker - Junker feels that the only way that he could possibly assist with the lift is if he has nearly straddled your head with his legs and that any upward gaze would be an unwelcoming site.

A proper spotter should ask the lifter if they need any assistance with the weight and how many reps they plan to achieve.  Hands should be at the ready but not touching the weights and if and when the lifter says they need assistance, only lightly touch the weight. Sometimes that is all a lifter needs to complete the rep. If at any point, the weight begins reversing direction, only then should you engage more assistance with the lift.

So there you have it.  That is my top 5 list of spotters. I am sure there are more out there and I would love to hear other user's accounts of spotting gone wrong.

Today’s Amusing Gym Antics

 

I was quite surprised today to see three guys doing bench presses in the walk in  squat rack.  They had the bar on the dead-lift mounts and they were lying on the ground on a mat. Six things really bothered me about these guys.

1. There are 4 bench press benches in this gym. 2 were not being used.


2. Two of the guys were personal trainers at the gym.


3. The weight they were using was very light and I didnt see anything special about the movement that warranted using this particular piece of equipment.


4. In between sets, they walked over the cable machine were they did incline cable flies. All three would go at the same time. This left the squat rack alone with their weight on it for about 4 minutes each time.


5. Two of the guys were wearing skin tight Under Armour shirts. I am a huge fan of Under Armour and wear quite a few of their products and even own a skin tight one. But I only wear it under other shirts and only when I really needs its moisture wicking ability. Skin tight Under Armour shirts should never be worn by themselves in my opinion.


6. One of the guys proceeded to ask me, immediately following my first set of dead-lifts, if I was almost done. I guess the two pieces of equipment they were already hogging weren't enough. When I did finish, he proceeded to put on 135lbs for squats and then screamed so loud while doing them, that the entire gym took notice. 135lbs.

Back to 24

Feels so good to be back at the gym that started my weight loss journey 6 years ago. I saw a lot of familiar faces that are still there from trainers to lifters. Time to get really serious if I want to compete in 5 months!

StrengthTime Gym Review

Last weekend, I was invited by owners Jason and Julie to try out their gym which is new to the Kansas City area. StrengthTime is located in Lenexa KS just off of K-7 and Woodland Road which is a nice 15 minute drive from my house. The day started out just like any other Saturday. I slept in and enjoyed my morning coffee but refrained from eating anything with substance. I practice the leangains approach to working out and almost always train in a fasted state. I had previously spoken to one of the owners regarding the gym and its ideal's so I knew that morning I was going to be getting an introduction to the concepts of the gym and then I would get a work out on their fitness machines.

Now fitness machines are not really my thing as they tend to be one size fits all and that size usually isn’t me. I tend to be able to lift close to the entire stack on most every machine I have ever tried and I figured these machines wouldn’t be much different. I was wrong. Upon first viewing, I could tell that the equipment StrengthTime uses isn't your typical run of the mill YMCA Precor machines but rather state of the art work out machines that can be moved and adjusted to fit any person perfectly; like a glove.

Any idea I had about stacking the weights and pumping out my 4 sets of 12,10,8, and 6 were quickly dissolved with the reintroduction of slow movement training by my trainer, Jacob. Being around fitness for years, I was familiar with the general concept and had even practiced it in its simplest form many years ago (slow movement on the last rep of each set) but I had never taken it to the extreme intensity that I was about to partake in.

For those unfamiliar with the concept of slow movement training, it is regarded as one of the most effective methods of resistance training to increase muscle mass and strength. In simplest terms, its essentially lifting and lowering a weight for x number of seconds in a slow controlled fashion with very minimal stopping. Obviously it's a bit more complicated than what I have explained here. I am definitely not an expert by any means. If you are interested in learning more, give one of the trainers at StrengthTime a call.

After Jacob’s introduction to the concepts of slow movement training, he took me into the weight room and over to my starting machine. A Leg Press of sorts. I was thinking at the time that I hoped he was prepared to be blown away by my awesomeness because my legs are massive and I can usually push some serious weight on this machine. I don't "recall" what weight he started at but I do remember it wasn’t anywhere near my personal best. I thought I would humor him and give it shot. What could it hurt? Well right out of the gate, I heaved the weight out in an explosive masculine manner. I may have even grunted. I could tell he was impressed. I mean he had to be impressed… right? Well, he may not have been but I surely was! “Ok” he said, "That was really good but now try it again but slower...slower....slower. Good, now bring the weight back at the same speed. OK, now without resting, do it again until I tell you to stop." Well after a few reps at that speed, he didn’t have to tell me to stop because I dropped the weights back into the starting position. I had finished that exercise and the smile on my face proved I was happy with my results. I don’t think he was as impressed with me as I was though. He said, "Next time, you push until you have nothing left in you, then you hold it, and then you release it." I knew he was right. I gave up on that last rep way to easily. I made a vow that I wouldn’t do that again...and I didn’t. He proceeded to take me through the rest of my workout routine that managed to hit every major part of my body. 30 minutes later and I was worn-out. I felt like I had just worked out harder than I had in a very long time.

After a few minutes of rest and gabbing I took off for my next appointment. But before I drove off, I sat in my car for a few minutes in such a state of pure exhilaration. I could not believe what had just happened. How could I feel like this in only 30 minutes and on machines!? It felt like I had used muscles that I didn’t even know I had!

So if you are like me and looking for a new challenge or someone just looking to get into shape and live a healthier lifestyle, give the trainers at StrengthTime a call. Trust me when I say you will be glad you did! (During their Grand Opening celebration, they are offering your first 3 workout sessions for FREE.) I would definitely take them up on that offer! You will not be disappointed.

(Disclaimer - I received no compensation for this review. I was just so impressed with the workout and staff that I wanted to spread the word.)

************************************

StrengthTime

Hours
By appointment, not limited to the hours listed:
Mon - Thur: 5am - 7pm
Fri - Sat: 5am - 6pm
Address
10084 Woodland Rd.
Lenexa, KS
Phone
913-428-TIME (8463)
Emailinfo-lenexa@strengthtime.com

Website
http://strengthtime.com/locations/strengthtime-lenexa.php

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lenexa-KS/StrengthTime-of-Lenexa/146666232022637?ref=ts

Gym Ettiquette

• You don't need to use 4 different machines at the same time. If someone wants to use one, don't give them the "How dare you interrupt my workout" look. Most gyms only have 1 or 2 pieces of a specific type of equipment…please share.


• Clean up After Yourself - I really hate it when people leave their power drink cups/cans all over the place. Most gyms have garbage cans. Please use them. Almost every gym I have ever been to has rules around carrying a towel with you to wipe up sweat yet I seem to be the only one that ever follows that. I know we all sweat but we don’t have to all share the same pool of sweat. Gyms are also starting to have cleaning supplies on hand just in case you "forgot" your towel. Please use them.


• Leave no trace - One of my biggest pet peeves is the guy/girl that has to leave all their weights on the machine. We know you are huge and can squat 600 pounds but I shouldn't have to be the one that removes it. It’s not my job and it also interrupts my flow at the gym. Please put all weight away when done. If you are physically unable to do so after working out, then maybe you should take it down a notch.


• Don't hog the treadmill - Many gyms have time limits on cardio machines during busy hours. There is a reason for that, and you should obey it.


• Cover up - I respect the confidence that allows some people to walk around the locker room naked. Know what else I respect? Seeing you wearing a towel after your shower to keep the locker room a comfortable place for everyone. You also dont need to stand in front of the one full length mirror admiring yourself for 20 minutes. Tuck in your shirt, comb your hair and walk away.