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Stafon Johnson

Aren't there such a thing as a safety bar of some sort that would catch the weights in a case like this?

I hope the guy regains use of his voice without complications. It would suck to sound like that Gil Witely guy the rest of one's life.
 
Aren't there such a thing as a safety bar of some sort that would catch the weights in a case like this?

I hope the guy regains use of his voice without complications. It would suck to sound like that Gil Witely guy the rest of one's life.

Not on a standard bench.
 
That actually happened to me in High School. I was resting after a set and the dip**** spotting me was messing with the bar and rolled it off. Luckily I wasn't doing 280 lbs like Johnson was. Hopefully he makes a full recovery, he seems like a nice guy.
 
He was very lucky...according to the doctors, it was his strong neck/muscles that saved him from his spine getting crushed.

Supposedly as he was lifting, the bar just slipped out of his right hand....I don't think he had anything to do with the rack...he was in reps.

They said although he's on a feeding tube directly into his stomach, he should be able to eat again in a few weeks. They expect him to recover fully and even play football again. I wonder what his Mom will say about that!

He was raised by a very strict single Mom who would never allow piercings or tats and he still doesn't have a mark on him...except for his throat/neck. :huh:
 
No safety bar, but there should be spotters there unless it was just a relatively light weight that slipped.
 
I've seen that happen a bunch, only dropping it on chest. Scariest thing imaginable. Heres to a speedy recovery.
 
Even if there is a spotter you're not going to catch 280# if it quickly slips out of the dude's hand.
 
That actually happened to me in High School. I was resting after a set and the dip**** spotting me was messing with the bar and rolled it off. Luckily I wasn't doing 280 lbs like Johnson was. Hopefully he makes a full recovery, he seems like a nice guy.
Yeah, lucky for you that you only had a couple of five pound disks on the bar!
 
Even if there is a spotter you're not going to catch 280# if it quickly slips out of the dude's hand.
Fair enough but he might have slowed it where it wasnt just a dead drop on the guy. I dont know how they do it but we usually had two spotters for that kind of weight on both sides of the bench. Who cares, just glad he isnt dead or paralyzed. Actually 3 spotters we used, one behind, two on each side my bad.
 
[video=youtube;0T-IZ3RHUqY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T-IZ3RHUqY[/video]

I was looking for the one where the big long haired swedish guy snapped both achilles tendons during the snatch, but I couldn't find it. I guess a dislocated elbow will have to do...
 
YouTube - Janos Baranyai Horror Injury

I was looking for the one where the big long haired swedish guy snapped both achilles tendons during the snatch, but I couldn't find it. I guess a dislocated elbow will have to do...

The bench is not even close to the technical nature of the snatch. Anyone can learn to bench in 10 minutes...the snatch takes a lot more coordination and athletic skill to do properly. I used to snatch quite a bit and almost got to my bodyweight. Throwing 140+ lbs into the air in less than 1s and over your head requires more power than bench.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure Stafon was using the (moronic) thumbless grip on the bench. I've seen people drop it like this onto their chest. I've never seen anyone drop it wholeheartedly onto their chest with a thumb grip. It only requires a little bit of sweat or lateral motion to have the bar slip. Even when going for reps I've never seen the bar just totally collapse. The athlete is always exerting a force, even if it's just a little, to have it not just fall down. No spotter could spot 280# if the bar fell. No spotter. None. The spotter did, however, let them either (1) use a thumbless grip (2) let them go too far past their max.

The S&C for SC needs to be fired, imo, if he didn't (re-)teach them proper technique for the bench. The bar should only be above your head/neck for .1s while you move it from the rack (which should be BEHIND your head). Anyone that benches with their head under the rack is asking for problems. Let the bar fall on your chest and never put it in a position where it could fall on your neck. Proper technique should always be emphasized, even if you have to go down in weight. I know when you have guys bench the testosterone is high, but serious weight can cause serious, life-threatening injuries. That's why when I saw our lifting videos I cringed. We have serious technique issues on the clean and squats (which destroy the knee).

About a dozen to a half-dozen people DIE every year from the bench press because of this. Hopefully everyone will try and learn why it happens and how to avoid it now.
 
The bench is not even close to the technical nature of the snatch. Anyone can learn to bench in 10 minutes...the snatch takes a lot more coordination and athletic skill to do properly. I used to snatch quite a bit and almost got to my bodyweight. Throwing 140+ lbs into the air in less than 1s and over your head requires more power than bench.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure Stafon was using the (moronic) thumbless grip on the bench. I've seen people drop it like this onto their chest. I've never seen anyone drop it wholeheartedly onto their chest with a thumb grip. It only requires a little bit of sweat or lateral motion to have the bar slip. Even when going for reps I've never seen the bar just totally collapse. The athlete is always exerting a force, even if it's just a little, to have it not just fall down. No spotter could spot 280# if the bar fell. No spotter. None. The spotter did, however, let them either (1) use a thumbless grip (2) let them go too far past their max.

The S&C for SC needs to be fired, imo, if he didn't (re-)teach them proper technique for the bench. The bar should only be above your head/neck for .1s while you move it from the rack (which should be BEHIND your head). Anyone that benches with their head under the rack is asking for problems. Let the bar fall on your chest and never put it in a position where it could fall on your neck. Proper technique should always be emphasized, even if you have to go down in weight. I know when you have guys bench the testosterone is high, but serious weight can cause serious, life-threatening injuries. That's why when I saw our lifting videos I cringed. We have serious technique issues on the clean and squats (which destroy the knee).

About a dozen to a half-dozen people DIE every year from the bench press because of this. Hopefully everyone will try and learn why it happens and how to avoid it now.

I see guys at the gym doing the thumbless grip. What is the point, anyway?
 
It had to have swayed back on him for his hand to slip. Personally I have never seen someone's hand slip off on bench. Ive seen people try to lift too much and drop it on their chest. On the other hand, ive never seen anybody brick their max because they farted and started laughing either lol. Stuff happens, im just glad he is ok, yes, the farter too lol.
 
I see guys at the gym doing the thumbless grip. What is the point, anyway?

It does NOTHING for you. You can only get stronger by pushing more weight. You can build more mass by doing more reps. A mix, when done correctly, will get you somewhere in the middle. It depends on your goals.

Some people claim that the thumbless grip works your grip. If you really want to increase your grip strength then do an Iron Mind grip or do lots of pullups, chinups, dips, deadlifts and/or rock climbing. The bench doesn't serve those muscles as well as other lifts. It's dumb. Don't do it. Ever.

EDIT: Clarification. If you are a competitive powerlifter then a thumbless grip will allow you to push more weight. The keyword being COMPETITIVE powerlifter. These guys spend more time in the gym than anyone else, even Oly lifters, and know how to spot it better. Even then the injury rate for them is higher than the thumbed version. If you aren't a competitive powerlifter (99.99999% of the guys there) then you should never do it.
 
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It does NOTHING for you. You can only get stronger by pushing more weight. You can build more mass by doing more reps. A mix, when done correctly, will get you somewhere in the middle. It depends on your goals.

Some people claim that the thumbless grip works your grip. If you really want to increase your grip strength then do an Iron Mind grip or do lots of pullups, chinups, dips, deadlifts and/or rock climbing. The bench doesn't serve those muscles as well as other lifts. It's dumb. Don't do it. Ever.

EDIT: Clarification. If you are a competitive powerlifter then a thumbless grip will allow you to push more weight. The keyword being COMPETITIVE powerlifter. These guys spend more time in the gym than anyone else, even Oly lifters, and know how to spot it better. Even then the injury rate for them is higher than the thumbed version. If you aren't a competitive powerlifter (99.99999% of the guys there) then you should never do it.

You should work for the Buffs
 
I was going to make a lude joke about "the snatch" but decided not to because there are ladies present. :lol:
 
Even if there is a spotter you're not going to catch 280# if it quickly slips out of the dude's hand.

The spotter was right there...the bar just slipped out of his right hand.

A horrible accident.

Yeah, a horrible accident, but even being right there, the spotter should have his hands ready to catch the bar and be paying close attention. This could have been avoided, if not entirely, "mostly."
 
I was going to make a lude joke about "the snatch" but decided not to because there are ladies present. :lol:


I dont think the ladies will mind a lude joke :lol:

a lewd joke might change things :smile2:
 
Yeah, a horrible accident, but even being right there, the spotter should have his hands ready to catch the bar and be paying close attention. This could have been avoided, if not entirely, "mostly."

I think it was "mostly" avoided...he lived and he will recover.
 
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