Bench Press Tragedy

[Ryan Burnell]

A tragic reminder in Brisbane Australia of why a major emphasis is placed on all aspects of Bench Pressing at the Starting Strength Seminar

Ben Shaw, 15, dies in hospital after weightlifting accident at Pine Rivers PCYC gym - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[ChrisRozon]

Horrifying.

[Kevin.Imel]

So sad. And likely very preventable.

[Clintcase]

A tragic reminder in Brisbane Australia of why a major emphasis is placed on all aspects of Bench Pressing at the Starting Strength Seminar

Ben Shaw, 15, dies in hospital after weightlifting accident at Pine Rivers PCYC gym - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Very sad. I always remember this article Matt Reynolds wrote when I see these horrible events. Should be shared far and wide especially with young kids.

"Better yet, if you don’t have a power rack, just don’t bench press alone. You don’t need to bench that badly."

Barbell Safety

[JLB105]

There is a post up on the Facebook page about this with some serious ignorant insensitive comments along with it. Not sure how anyone could possible joke about a 15 year old dying.

[FatButWeak]

I believe this was a Smith machine accident.

[JLB105]

There is a post up on the Facebook page about this with some serious ignorant insensitive comments along with it. Not sure how anyone could possible joke about a 15 year old dying.

This post has now been deleted. How anyone could make fun of this is beyond me.

[Brodie Butland]

This post has now been deleted. How anyone could make fun of this is beyond me.

Because online communication, and especially anonymous online communication, brings out the most degenerate impulses in people already predisposed to being assholes.

[Brodie Butland]

A tragic reminder in Brisbane Australia of why a major emphasis is placed on all aspects of Bench Pressing at the Starting Strength Seminar

Ben Shaw, 15, dies in hospital after weightlifting accident at Pine Rivers PCYC gym - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

It's a good reminder to everyone...safety first. You never know what can go wrong. Your quad can suddenly tear even while doing a squat you've done many times before. Your rotator cuff can pop in the middle of a rep. You may suddenly get gassed or lightheaded for no particular reason.

Always bench with a competent spotter or in a tested and true rack. Always squat with safeties. Don't have a bunch of shit scattered around you when you're deadlifting, cleaning, or snatching. We can never eliminate risk from lifting, but that doesn't mean we should take unnecessary risks.

[OZ-USF-UFGator]

When my daughter started a LP this summer, she would never focus on bench. I told her several times that bench is by far, the most dangerous of all of the lifts she does and likely the most dangerous in the entire gym. One day, she was being a typical 13 year old and bench pressing. She went to failure and I let the bar go slowly back to her chest and grabbed it right before it made contact. She was horrified and upset. In the 3 months since, she is 10% focused on bench press and knows to use the squat rack when no one is around to spot her.