If heavy barbells scare you, youre not alone.
Fortunately, fails stop being scary once you learn what actually happens when you fail.
So lets walk through it.
The first important thing to know is that everybody fails lifts sometimes.
I like how Olympic weightlifters dont use the word failinstead, theyll talk about a miss.
Its not that youcouldntlift it, you justdidnt.
The other key thing to remember is that you wont suddenly lose all your strength.
Will everybody turn and look at you?
In some gyms, maybe.
If you are in a rack with safeties, simply set the bar down on the safeties.
(Pro tip: set them to an appropriate height before you roll squatting.
Thats what theyre for!)
If you dont have a rack, thats fine, so long as the area behind you is clear.
(Always ensure you have a safe way to fail before you begin.
No objects or people behind you if youre squatting without safeties!)
In this case, you just let go of the weight, and let it drop behind you.
It might roll down your back a bit.
Free massage, as my coach likes to say.
Bench press
This is one of the scarier lifts, because the bar is directly above you.
Thats why its good to do heavy bench presses with a spotter standing by.
What if you cant set up safeties and you didnt ask someone for a spot?
Thats poor planning, but you dont deserve to die.
Then sit up, with the bar on your lap.
(This is often called the roll of shame.)
Or, bench without clips on the ends of the weight.
As your arms give out, simply let one arm relax a bit more than the other.
The bar will angle downward on that side, dumping off the plates.
Hang on tight because without those weights it will seesaw back the other way.
This is the loudest and most embarrassing way to fail, but hey, at least youre not dead.
Check out somevideos of bench fail technique here.
If youre psyching yourself out about these, just start following Olympic weightlifters on Instagram.
If you cant finish your press, just set the bar down on the safeties.
Remember, you still have enough strength to have some control.
Whichever direction the bar starts to lean, just let it go.
It also helps to plan for a successful lift.
And as youre warming up, use each lift as a test for the next one.
