Ignoring Warning Signs

1. My usual corner at the gym was taken, so I had to find space in the main free-weights area, where people are coming and going.
2. It had been three weeks since I’d done shoulder presses, and I was still a little tired from concert weekend.
3. People kept breaking my line of sight as I warmed up, making it a little harder to concentrate and stay focused*.
4. The weight bar felt a little “off” but I ignored it and during the first set of dead lifts, it didn’t matter.
5. I don’t have a trainer or spotter.
6. As I lifted the bar into position for the shoulder press, one of the plates wobbled just enough to feel.
7. My concentration broke, and I didn’t lift perfectly evenly on the first through fourth reps. Then I caught myself and used proper form.
8. My lower right back hurt a little as I lowered the bar to the floor.

This was almost an accident chain. I should have a) stopped the lift as soon as I thought the bar was “off,” and checked it out, then used a different bar, or b) dropped to more reps with lighter weight, or c) taken a few moments to mentally regroup. Fortunately, I didn’t do any major damage, aside from having a very stiff and sore lower right back that evening. Given my sciatica and other things, I could have hurt myself very badly, since I was at max weight.

I suspect what’s happened is that someone was dropping the bar after each set, like power lifters do. The floor and the bar are not designed for that, but some of the guys insist that “it’s part of the exercise.” [Strokes her pet, Peeve]. That might have loosened the plate, and there’s not a visible screw or other fastener for me to check. I mentioned it to the staff on my way out, so someone can take a look at it.

In aviation we talk a lot about accident chains, and breaking the links with good judgement and knowing when to say, “No, we’re not going.” That applies to other things, like shoulder presses with personal maximum weight on the bar and no spotter.

*But still not as bad as the guy that brushed against me as I lifted. Again shoulder press. He was so into his phone that he had no, zero clue were he was or who was around. After he walked into one of the big iron guys, he was invited to either pay attention to the real world, or depart feet first (or head first, without the door being opened for him.)