Proper spotting method for dumbbell pressing

[bigboy05]

Recently I had someone approach me after a workout to let me know I was spotting my wife wrong while she was doing dumbbell presses. This person stated that one should always spot at the wrist vs at the elbows when spotting someone doing a dumbbell press. I have heard this before but I strongly disagree. Thoughts? Preference?

 

[SouthernMuscle]

elbows

and is this someone you know? Who worries about someone elses workout?

 

[275bills]

I've never liked the feeling of being spotted on any db press.

If I was to spot someone it would definitely be by the elbows

 

[buck]

Cupping the elbow. I find that pressing on the wrist in the wrong area can feel like it weakens the grip.

 

[pupeye]

which ever way your wife prefers is the correct way.

if i'm being spotted... elbows all the way. Ive had people grab my wrists and its fucking weird to me. They might have a tendency to push my hands in throwing the weight off balance.

 

[Kaladryn]

Never grab the wrists, directly under the elbow is the correct position, you have to only provide upward force, never forward or back.

 

[pupeye]

I can see if the lifter is a beginner and they're form is off, you grab their wrists to guide them in the right bar path.

 

[Fa Seeshus]

If that person's point of failure involves the rotator cuff/shoulder stabilization I guess elbow spotting could be an issue. I was doing a heavy (for me) set of 4 with the 140lb dbs and no spot when the gym's "mr high intensity" grabbed under my elbows screaming I had three more. I tried to tell that I wanted to just drop them and when I couldn't my stabilizers gave ditching the dumbbell on my lateral thigh. Needless to say I told that guy if he ever touched me again there would be serious problems. So yeah, elbow spotting can have issues and unsolicited spotters can go f&$k themselves as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Bio]

Just passed the elbows on the back of the arm. That way you're pushing up. If you push on the elbow and the person is out of gas, the dumbbell can fall inward on the chest due to the way it's being pushed. The spotter always needs to be aware if the person benching needs to drop them and allow them to do so.

 

[greenpathy]

elbows...i had a guy grab my wrists before and believe me it sucked because he had to grab so hard to hold the weight it killed my grip.

 

[bigboy05]

When I spot on dumbbells I keep my hands at the elbows...barely touching if at all...mainly as a guide for depth. When the person reaches the bottom of the press, or close to 90 degrees, I give a light tap to cue them to start pressing. IMO spotting at the wrist can throw the lifter out of their groove/off balance if there were to be to much contact between lifter and spotter. Honestly though there comes a point when spotting on heavy dumbbells is pointless.

 

[alfresco]

Why a spot?

Just drop them on the floor like everybody does

You can blame the internet on that one. I have never seen so many
disrespectful people in the gym in my life. They watch all these so
called 'stars' on youtube training and then instead, of quietly,
thoughtfully, respectfully putting the weights back on the rack they
just drop them on the floor like all the big, tough boys do.

Really sad.

Does this belong in the pet peeve thread?

I remember once in the gym I am still a member at, watching a guy,
time after time, who was working out (flat db presses, light weight),
and who at the completion of each he would drop, thrown down or
drop the weights on the floor.

Well . . . finally I had had enough (and that takes a lot, a lot) and
I said to him, softly, when was alone as to not embarrass him, that
if he breaks one of these db's that I may want to use but am
unable to because it is broken, I would not be happy.

Notice I did say or ask him to stop doing something, I just quietly
shared my thoughts and left it at that. Well . . . this tough guy
went ballistic, total ape shit, called me very foul name in the book
(some I had not heard of before), followed me around the gym
ranting and raving about what an asshole I was, bla, bla, bla.
Essentially I just ignored him.

I kept doing my workout as best I could with this madman following
me around, yelling at me. I just never made eye contact with him
or responded in any way, shape, form or fashion. I really felt embar-
rassed for him, it was quite sad. Thankfully, he finally got tired of
badgering me and moved to something more important . . .
like curing cancer.

Funny thing is he still works out at the gym. We have never spoken
and he has never dropped a weight in the gym that I know of.

 

[UsmcOldSchoolMuscle]

I agree with both buck and Bio. First imo spotting by grabbing the wrists makes no sense, and I believe it best for the spotter to place there hands on the back of the arms as supporting from the elbowa can lead to an unnatural motion inward. It's much easier for the person pressing to retain a natural range of motion if the spotter assists by supporting the arms opposed to elbows. This has just been my experience.

 

[RDS]

I can see if the lifter is a beginner and they're form is off, you grab their wrists to guide them in the right bar path.

In my personal trainer days I sometimes had to do this when people were really untrained. Was only ever more elderly women, but it sometimes took them a few sessions to get the hang of moving the dumbbells in the right path, so a gentle hold of the wrist to guide them was a big help.

Would never spot someone who actually knew what they were doing that way, though. Elbows all the way.

 

[lookslikesausage]

FWIW...i believe the NASM teaches, or used to teach to spot by the wrists. I've always preferred elbows and have spotted most people that way as well but to each his own.

 

[airman]

Like others mentioned, if its a new person to the gym, I tend to spot by the forearm/wrist. Reason being is not to guide them, but mainly because I've seen people new to lifting working out, have no awareness of muscle fatigue. I've seen their muscles just simply give out, out of nowhere it seems, and instead of dropping them, they end up bending their arm and get a dumbbell smashed in their face. If my hands are on their forearm/wrist, I can prevent that.

For experienced guys, lifting heavy, I rarely even get asked to spot. Only maybe to help them to get the dumbbells up. Myself, never get a spot, but my gym's dumbbells only go up to 140s and I can easily kick them up (flat/incline, for shoulders not a chance lol) and just bring them down to my chest when I fail.

 

[LK3]

really i think it depends on the person you are spotting and the weight they are using.
spotting a woman using 25s is way different then spotting a guy with 100s.

in the case of the small weight it might be better to just correct the form where its fucked, women often seem to get a wobbly wrist doing presses. i find better then to grab the wrist hook your hands in under the bell not really grabbing it kind of wherre your thumbs are as a guide that way you only address the wobble but if they lose it you have it no issue.

with bigger weight generally the push needed is more helping with the press rather then to make stable.

to spot a newer person with big weight best you get a guy on each side! lol

 

[undertow333]

i hate that feeling of fake power.
and hes full of shit,
i dont treat you bros like that.

 

[undertow333]

i mean the original post too,

 

[TRENUP80]

elbows!! 100% when you spot at wrist it can cause an imbalance and cause the person to get injured. its just not sustainable at the wrists.... you have much more control at the elbow if the person pulls a muscle and loses control. next time that idiot to go take a hike. any good personal trainer will say elbows!!!!