Dumped!

Overhead Squat 3-3-3-3-3 reps

Rest, then:

5 min AMRAP

5 Burpees

20 Double unders

Post loads to comments.

In control.

Today I’ll be covering another aspect of my favorite topic: gym etiquette, specifically how to dump the barbell safely.  Being able to drop weights is a safety issue.  You can get hurt during a lift if you are also worried about not being able dump if you fail.  You may hold onto the weight too long, or try to catch it and brace it against your shoulders or legs causing injury.  Before I get into the how, let’s discuss the “necessary” dump versus the “unnecessary” one.  When pushed to complete failure, a successful ditch is necessary, dropping the bar every set with purpose and vigor to generate that “oh so satisfying” bounce, is not necessary, quite unsafe actually, and harmful to the equipment.  Now that I mention it, violent dropping of any weight is unnecessary, especially an EMPTY BAR!!!  The way to alert people of how strong you are is not by crashing barbells into the floor.  Capish?

If you think you might dump the bar, say on a heavy set of overhead squats, be aware of your surroundings.  This includes  the distance from your rack.

  Last thing you want is the bar bouncing off the rack and into your shins.

  Trust me.  Control is the key.  When dropping the bar, keep your hands on the barbell or dumbbell until it has passed the chest, guiding it down to the floor.  Try not to drop from the top and definitely do not toss the bar from overhead!  Bumper plates bounce and not always in a predictable way, stay with the bar until it has settled.  If your not used to this, spend a little time today practicing with light loads.