At first you need to realize a spotter is not the person that lifts up weights for you, if you are not able to lift it by yourself, you most probably need to go lighter, a spotter’s role is only to assist the person training, to lift the weight into the correct position to prevent injury, should the lifter get tired and no longer be able to control the desired weight/s. You can push a lifter safely without having to sacrifice form, by using proper spotting techniques.
Here are some very good reasons to train with a spotter:
1. Safety always first – Especially when you are doing loading and cannot complete your last repetition, the spotter will be able to relieve you from the weight.
2. Confidence booster – Your spotter can assist you in giving you the confidence and trust you need to try out a new exercise, increasing the weight or doing that extra few reps.
3. All the motivation you will need – Having a training partner/spotter means you can cheer one another on, challenge each other which help quite a lot.
4. A spotter can help with improvement – They can assist you during your repetitions, to tell you whether you are doing an exercise incorrectly, or even when you are losing form during a lift (this way you will have proper technique all the time and avoid getting injured)
5. Placebo effect – Having a spotter gives that ability to increase the workload, even it means the spotter slightly touching the bar etc., thinking it is assisting you and will make the worlds difference.
6. Get all the attention – The spotter will always have to focus all of his/her attention on the lifter (yet again will lead to the safety of lifter being in the spotters hands).
7. Good to have good communication – It is the key. Even before you even start lifting =, you can discuss your goals for the session, repetition, sets, encouragements etc. This can be learned over a period of time with a regular spotting person (buddy).
8. Workouts can be more fun – Doing exercises alone are never fun, having a spotter or a training partner will spice your sessions up a bit, e.g. to take chances leading new exercise and switching routines.
9. You always have a spotter – No more awkward approaches in the gym, no more counting repetitions alone, or finding the motivation from now where.
10. Surrounded by people with the same healthy life approach – When you are being surrounded by people who are active themselves and eat well, the chances are good that you will do the same. There’s a good chance you're going to do the same.
It is very important to find a good enough spotter who you can rely on and learn to trust, it can either be a friend who likes training with you or a personal trainer. If you are using the same person to spot you, you will learn each other’s needs, this will allow you to know when to intervene or when to back down and let your training partner push through.
