Content Warning: The following video is NSFW.
This is why safety is so important at the gym. If you work out without using a spotter, accidents can and do happen. In this case, the accident was fatal. After dropping heavy weights on his chest, the unidentified man collapsed on the floor of the gym due to to chest trauma. Take a look at the video below:
This video may be disturbing, but it’s an important lesson for all of us. Safety comes first when you’re in the gym. Period. The injury isn’t brutal, bloody, or unusual — all that had to happen for this man’s life to end was a split second mistake. He dropped the weights and that was it.
Roughly half a million people a year are injured in gyms, and most of those injuries are avoidable if you take the proper precautions. In case you’re new to the gym or not sure how to use complicated equipment correctly (we’re not judging), here are some important general safety tips for gym-goers:
- Always warm-up first. If you warm-up before you work out, your body is more ready to take on athletic challenges. If you’re unprepared, it’s easier to make simple mistakes that can have huge consequences down the road. You decrease your risk of taking on more than you can handle and making a sudden mistake if you warm-up.
- Use a spotter if you’re working with heavy weights. Okay, so you maybe don’t need a spotter if you’re lifting, say, a 5 pound weight with one arm. But once you start to get up there and are pulling 150, 200 pounds, you should use a spotter every time. Every time, no matter how used to it you are. You never know when an accident will happen. That’s why they’re called accidents and not decisions.
- Be aware of your surroundings. People do all kinds of things in the gym. The last thing you want is to get kicked in the face by an out-of-control kick boxer or knocked off your bench because someone went too hard on the treadmill. Making sure you’re always present and aware of the other people in the room and what they’re doing is one way to minimize injury risk in the gym.
- Always use good form. Lifting a smaller amount of weight with excellent form is much better for your body in the long run than lifting heavier weights that you can barely hold, straining and damaging your back, knees, and whatever else. Poor form is the root cause of so many gym accidents that are sadly very avoidable. Poor form is a sign of ego — you’re over-extending yourself, pushing yourself beyond your limits in a negative way that is actually hindering your growth. Know your limits and push them, but do so responsibly. This means always using the right technique and stance when you’re weightlifting. If you feel like showboating and compromising your technique to put on more pounds, you could seriously injure yourself. Just ask the guy in the video. Oh wait, you can’t, he’s dead.
