A gym-goer has used footage of himself working out to show his followers why he doesn't use weight clips when using the bench press without a spotter.
TikTok user Vaibhav Sharma regularly shares videos and photos of his workouts and muscle-building process with his followers online, as well as offering fitness tips for those looking to build up their own physique using weights.
In one recent clip, Sharma demonstrated what it's like to 'fail' during a set, which is when the person fails to complete the rep due to exhaustion or because the weight is too heavy.
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This happened for Sharma when he was attempting to lift what appeared to be 100kg in plates plus the weight of the bar, which is likely to have been around 25kg, while on the bench press.
In the clip, Sharma could be seen struggling to straighten his arms on the rep and ultimately bringing the bar back down to rest on his chest. He wasn't working with a spotter, so might have found himself stuck under the bar if it weren't for the fact he didn't use clips to hold the plates in place.
Rather than struggling to move the bar from his chest, he was able to tip the plates off the bar and dramatically decrease the weight he was trying to move, allowing him then to easily get up from the bench.
When he shared the video on TikTok, Sharma wrote: "this is why I never use clips when benching heavy alone."
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The TikToker received mixed responses after sharing his tip, with one person responding to say 'it feels like the weight is sliding off' whenever they workout with plates that haven't been clipped into place.
In response, Sharma admitted he knew what the poster meant but advised they had 'just got to hold and balance the bar'.
Another viewer responded to suggest people working out without a spotter should 'do a weight you can manage yourself or bail before you fail', though Sharma argued that 'sometimes you can fail a weight you’ve tried before'.
Personal trainer Lewis Fisher, of Truest Fitness, told LADbible that benching heavy weights without a spotter is 'dangerous', but explained that Sharma's system is a good solution if there is no other option.
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"Removing the clips will allow you to lower one end of the bar so the weights can come off and you can free yourself," they explained, supporting Sharma's actions in the clip.
So there you have it; if you're willing to try until you fail, just make sure you do it safely!
Emily Brown