"Deb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:So, there I was flat benching 40 lb dumbbells this morning, my 8th and
final set of chest. I've done these weights for months, always bang
out 5-6 reps on the final set.
Rep 1, Rep 2, pushing upward for rep 3.....suddenly both my arms just
seemed to disappear....my hands stayed gripped around the weights, but
both of them fell straight downward onto my chest and crashed into both
breasts before I found my arms again and threw the weights off me onto
the floor.
I can't figure out what happened...but it was certainly scary and I
ended my workout right there. This has never happened to me before in
almost 20 years of working out. I'm sure I'll have some nasty bruises
tomorrow. I'm glad I wasn't benching alone with a barbell.
OK Deb, here comes the mandatory safety lecture.
It doesn't matter if you were using dumbells or a barbell. You need some
basic safety equipment. I have rigged up all kinds of things over the years.
40 lbs is fairly light and it would not take that much to stop it.
If you are using a barbell, then a power rack or step racks will work. If
you are using dumbells, you need something that attaches to the dumbells and
to something above you strong enough to catch the weights if necessary.
And it doesn't matter hao many years that you have worked out. I used to
workin insurance and used to study accident reports. It is amazing the
reports on tradespeople who have worked for twenty to thirty years without a
problem make one little mistake. Then BAM, they get it.
When working around machinery, basic safety protocol is to operate the
machine so if you suddenly black out, you don't fall into active part that
can harm you. It doesn't matter what you felt or perceived. If an injury
occurs, it usually comes out of nowhere.
This is what you do. Either find or build something that you can attach some
safety straps to. This can be anything. A rafter or ceiling joist. Some
other peice of equipment. A power rack. One thing I have built before was
just basic bench with a 2 X 4 frame around the benching area. Put a couple
eyebolts on top. Attach rope, webbing or whatever between the eyebolts and
the dumbells. You can just loop the rope or webbing around the dumbell.
That way if you lose it. it will just lightly touch the chest. The eyebolts
are wide enough, that if you drop it, the weights will go out to the sides.
It is not that hard to do. I have banged together something like this out of
old wood in just a few moments.
It doesn't matter what you have done in the past. Bench presses should
always be done with some kind of safety support. Even with dumbells.
