Among all the mistakes made on the bench press, one mistake stands out as the worst by far. And it could cost you your life.
The Biggest Mistake
The worst mistake that any lifter can make on the bench press is using clamps to lock in the weight on the bar. Using clamps and getting pinned at the bottom of a failed bench press rep can, in fact, cost you your life.
What happens if you fail during a set of the bench press and you have clamps on the bar? If you fail, and the bar’s clamped, you might not get it off you before it’s too late. And if that bar rolls up towards your neck, you could get choked out like you were in a mixed martial arts fight. A loaded barbell on your neck is a terrible and painful way to go out. But it is completely possible to avoid it.
Why No Clamps = Life-Saver
From this point forward, don’t use any clamps when you bench press.
At least now, if you do get pinned at the bottom, you can tilt the barbell to the left and right to slide the plates off. This allows you a way to escape and a way to stay alive. DO NOT do the bench press with the clamps on. If you do fail during a rep, having clamps on the bar is a total disaster waiting to happen. When you do not have clamps on the barbell, you provide yourself a way out if things go south.
I don’t want to read about the tragic deaths of my iron brothers and sisters because of clamps on the bar. You’ve got to be smart about what you are doing in the gym!
Conclusion
Safety always comes first in the gym.
I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman
