Preferably, the bench you are using has some sort of platform for the spotter to stand on, but either way, you want to use an alternate grip when spotting on barbell exercises.

There’s been some back and forth about the technique for spotting in this situation. Just a few years ago, it was taught that a spotter should position him/herself at the elbows, to help guide the weight up if need be.

This may give you a bit more leverage, but the point of spotting is not to help the lifter. It is to make sure they don’t have some heavy ass weights falling on top of them.

Instead of the elbows, always spot dumbbell movements at the wrist.

There’s really no excuse not to have a spotter when performing a bench press, ever. According to the principle of progressive overload, you should be challenging yourself (within reason) to accomplish more as you go along.

This means that if the load is sufficient, then you need a spot, no question. If you can perform the lift with such ease as to not require a spot, you need to increase the load and then you need a spot. Otherwise there’s no reason to perform that specific lift; just use a machine.

Don’t end up like this guy..

The first three were mentioned earlier, and they apply to all movements performed while standing. What we’re interested in here are deadlifts, power cleans, and other pulling movements in which we are initially positioned above the barbell. This is where number 4 comes into play.

Essentially, it’s all about movement economy and mechanical advantage. There are a few things to think about here:

1. Line of pull: The shortest distance between to points is a straight line. We want to get from point a to point b as seamlessly as possible. Anything else would just be inefficient.
2. Center of gravity: As soon as you touch the bar, you’ve created a kinetic chain in which your center of gravity is now more or less determined by that bar’s position in space.
3. Base of support: Once you begin the lift, you are depending on a singular base of support, i.e. your footing.

It’s still debatable whether or not you should ever wear a belt. In his 2005 report, Professor of Spine Biomechanics, Stuart McGill, made these key points about weight belts:

• If you never injured your back, wearing a belt adds no safety.
• If you injure yourself while wearing a belt, the injury is more severe.
• To get the most out of weight belts, you must lift with bad technique.
• If you want to lift a few more pounds, wear a weight belt.

However, if you still feel the need for one, please take it off unless performing, or getting ready to perform, high-load structural exercises. Otherwise, you are incapacitating your core muscles, thus weakening an integral part of the kinetic chain.

I’m talking about the one who walks into the gym booted up like he’s ready for war: gloves, straps, belts, 3 different mixers, and a 5 lb tub of protein powder. And that’s just on “light” days.

Lifting gloves?..seriously?

Seriously, if you are a beginner or haven’t otherwise had extensive practice with the Valsalva maneuver, just don’t use it. Many bro-scientists will tell you it’s safe, and while it certainly works to stabilize the trunk and spine, calling it “safe” is a bit negligent. The acute internal side-effects are particularly worrisome, including:

• dizziness
• disorientation
• massive bp spikes
• blackouts

Structural exercises are those which load the spinal column and are usually multi-joint movements. Some obvious examples are the classic power exercises like clean and snatch, as well as squats and deadlifts.

All of these movements are extremely stressful on our vertebral column and the rest of our core. The advantage of the Valsalva maneuver in these cases, is that it creates rigidity in the abdominal cavities, thereby taking pressure off the vertebral discs and helping to maintain a flat back; it is like a natural weight belt. However, the Valsalva maneuver should be maintained for no more than a second or two.

Again, as long as you are breathing, that is a great place to start. Eventually you will internalize this breathing pattern and make it a natural part of the timing of your lift. But don’t rush or force it…just breath.

In general, though, individuals should inhale during the “down” phase of a lift, and exhaling during the “up” phase. The reason for this pattern goes back to that concept of pushing through your sticking point in a lift. Although I don’t believe there is any concrete science behind it, strength coaches have used this pattern for quite some time.

Here’s a short video about breathing technique, for good measure:
http://youtu.be/NKgdAOQWQRE