The Importance of Using Safeties in the Squat and Bench Press | Zohar Yermiyahu

[stef]

​As someone who places a high value on safety in training, I often find myself repeatedly convincing people to use safety pins during their workouts, even those familiar with the Starting Strength method and barbell training. It seems so fundamentally obvious to me that taking basic safety precautions, especially when lifting heavy weights, should not be overlooked. Yet, it happens often enough that I feel the need to explain it over and over. In this article, I’ll make a strong case for using safeties in the bench press and the squat during every single session and explain how to do so easily.

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[wiseguy]

It never ceases to amaze me when I see people squat outside a rack.
Yermiyahu's essay deserves to be pinned to the front page of the Starting Strength site.

This slightly edited sentence, from the first paragraph, cannot be emphasized enough.
"It seems so fundamentally obvious to...[use] safeties in the bench press and the squat during every single session."

[Jacobrey5]

I also am blown away at how many people squat with no safety pins (or bench for that matter) - when I was doing crossfit, they used to teach people to bail on a back squat and I thought it was utterly terrifying. Once I saw that story of the guy who died in Indonesia, I would only front squat at the gym since they didn’t have any safety pins - needless to say, not at that gym anymore, I’m also completely confused and shocked when I see people squatting heavy with one “spotter” playing big spoon…. I also know a guy from the first cf gym I went to who tore both biceps after the guy he was spoon spotting dropped the barbell into his arms…. Can’t teach stupid I suppose

[Jason Donaldson]

I wholeheartedly agree on bench, for sure. I know Rip has talked about the fact that squatting with safeties does introduce additional risk of injuring the fingers, however, e.g. by getting them caught between the bar and the safeties. If I recall correctly, the way to avoid that and squat safely is to have two (or four) trusted and competent spotters for the squat, though, so without having two spotters, the safeties are definitely the way to go.

And that whole big spoon/little spoon single squat spotter method has been discussed here before, so that trash is obviously right out. If I had no safeties and only one spotter and had to squat, I'd far rather risk bailing out than risk that cuddly nonsense.

Speaking of dropping the bar, all associated ignominy and such aside, I'm wondering if one reason that advanced lifters are better able to get away with that has to do with them having the muscular development in their backs to keep the bar off of the spine itself on the rearward roll. Just curious...

[stef]

Speaking of dropping the bar, all associated ignominy and such aside, I'm wondering if one reason that advanced lifters are better able to get away with that has to do with them having the muscular development in their backs to keep the bar off of the spine itself on the rearward roll. Just curious...

Nah, your don't roll it down your back when you get out from under it. Dropping the bar is easy or impossible depending on your position, flexibility & quickness, and practice. It's super common with weightlifters because they get comfortable with this from the competitive lifts, plus often train the squat on a platform without power racks and are more likely to use a high bar squat. And of course, they're using equipment meant to be dropped. If you're around them, you'll notice a tendency to get rid of the bar when bar speed drops, way before they're actually stuck or out of position.

Overall, it's a really different situation than where someone who is strength training or powerlifting is operating.

[Jason Donaldson]

Nah, your don't roll it down your back when you get out from under it. Dropping the bar is easy or impossible depending on your position, flexibility & quickness, and practice. It's super common with weightlifters because they get comfortable with this from the competitive lifts, plus often train the squat on a platform without power racks and are more likely to use a high bar squat. And of course, they're using equipment meant to be dropped. If you're around them, you'll notice a tendency to get rid of the bar when bar speed drops, way before they're actually stuck or out of position.

Overall, it's a really different situation than where someone who is strength training or powerlifting is operating.

That makes sense. Thank you, ma'am.