Spotting Dumbbell Bench Press Correctly — At the Weight

I constantly see athletes spot dumbbell bench presses incorrectly.

Most people want to spot a dumbbell bench press at the elbows. This is flawed for a few reasons:

• If the weights get dropped from the up position, they can hit your arm, chest or head. This is not good.

• If a lifter is using heavy weights, and a spotter is pushing up at the elbows, the lifter who collapses at the arm risks breaking his/her elbow or the spotter's toe if the weight falls.

When we spot a barbell bench press, we spot at the weight. Why would it be different for dumbbells?