ExRx.net

It was the kind of thing that scares you later -- when you think about what might have happened.

I was doing DB bench, 2nd set, after a strong first set. On the 2nd rep I had a sudden failure near the top -- well past the sticking point -- and dropped the dumbbell. Then I was all off balance and was trying to lower the other one and just dropped that too.

So it fell outside and tumbled away, not onto my chest or face.

This was 80# db's. I dropped to 70 and it went fine, then finished with 75's.

My trainer happened to be there, though it was not a training day with him and he said something like, "I don't think I've ever seen that happen." He's been in the game 30 years so that's saying something.

Don't really have a question here. Just "sharing" as it were.

THe last time I worked out with DB for bp, I was using 105lb db's and after the 2nd rep I was giving it my all to get it up. Once I got it up my right arm failed and I dropped it. Luckily it was like it happened in slow mo where I was able to think and guide it away from my chest/face.

that's a scary thing. I've actually dropped incline dumbell pressing because it was just getting too hard to get the damn things into position

Why not ask someone to pass them up to you?

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What if the Hokey Cokey really IS what it's all about?

power hooks.
that being said, I use dbs presing for higher rep work.
Failure comes on slowly

Was lifting at my old old gym. They sold to the YMCA. Kids stArted running all over the place. I had 115 and rolled back into position. I coud have dropped it or tore my shoulder to hell. I dropped and missed a kids foot by inches. I had told them two weeks before to stop the kids from coming to the weight room. I walked cancelling my membership on the way out. Scared the crap outta me.

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Thanks TimD.

That reminds me of the sudden failure problem that I get when doing pressing movements.

Funny thing - with pulling exercises, I can tell when I'm running out of steam. But more than a couple of times, the strength that I feel at the bottom of a pressing movement suddenly vanishes at the top. Someone once told me that the triceps were the problem - that the triceps are primarily fast twitch muscles that are prone to sudden failure. Sounds plausible,but I've never seen any study that backs that up.

Glad to hear that you weren't hurt.

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Thanks, TimD

I've never really liked that, I always find taking them off someone kinda awkward.

Besides, I'm a lone wolf. A solitary eagle.

A dude dropped a 20k dumbell on his face at my old gym. Big black eye and a smashed nose.

It's just one of those things I guess; lifting heavy stuff over your face is always going to be a bit risky

haha, I like that.

I'm the same. Even if I have training partners, I don't take a spot or help to get into the starting position. I've just always done it this way, from when I started training in my bedroom, then garage, then when I started training on my own in the gym. It's actually never felt like a problem. I done it when all I could bench was 12-14kg DB's and I do the same with 50kg DB's.

My biggest fear is what Hoose pointed out - basically destroying someone with a flying/bouncing 50KG DB. I'm certain there's some kind of scanner at the door of every gym that injects people with a dose of stupidity and takes their common sense as a deposit. It's unbelievable the stupid things I constantly see from fully grown, adult, independent men who have full time jobs, their own car, house, even kids, some even have their own business, and appear to do very well. Yet they come into the gym and describing them as "stupid" is practically a compliment.

Slight rant but, it's true. You would think seeing someone DB benching with a 50kg DB in either hand would you know, make you not want to practically tea-bag them so you can get prime mirror position for your EZ curls. You might want to stand back a little and maybe forfeit the mirror for just one set of your training life just encase one of those 50KG's goes wayward and smashes your lower leg.

My gym was re-arranged very stupidly and now the DB rack is in front of a mirror which is close to the bench press. So now you get people swarming around the rack infront of the mirror, crowding the bench press which is side on, and they have their back to it. All so they can do curls infront of the mirror. There is always plenty of space away from here. I've seen people walk into the end of the bar mid set. I now need to spot the bench press with one eye on the lifter and one eye on DB rack, to make sure no bumps into the bar mid set.

Before I worked in the gym I figured a smashed -insert body part- would pretty much serve the person right, basically being a painful lesson for them to learn. Like when I was 10 years old and tried to jump 15-ish foot out of a tree. Not my smartest move but the broken leg ensured that i've never attempted anything like that again. However now that I work there and have insurance etc, I have a slightly different opinion i.e the law seems to be on "Stupids" side.

KPj

p.s Try going for a 1 rep max on Turkish Get Ups. This can only be attempted if the gym is quiet. The DB literally can go anywhere. A clients recently failed attempt ended up with the DB bouncing out of the free weights area lol. There seems to be a skill involved in getting out of the way but I've not figured out how to teach it yet.

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Thanks TimD

Every time I do TGUs I build a little fence out of benches to keep people from walking too close to me. They do anyway. Push presses are another one. People walk right behind you when you've got this heavy bar in a semi controlled situation right over their head.

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

I almost killed some moron doing power snatches once. He walked right past the end of the bar, just as I started my pull ... a second later and he would have ate it (stopped myself just in time).

You're asking someone for a spot, you're not asking them to be your best friend.

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What if the Hokey Cokey really IS what it's all about?