Use a spotter!

I can't even tell you how many times I've had to "rescue" somebody at the gym. Yes, weightlifting can be a dangerous sport. Just recently I had to rescue somebody at the gym, who was attempting to squat way more weight than he should have. Fortunately for him, I was watching out of the corner of my eye and was there just in time to keep him from folding in half under the 200+ that he had loaded onto that squat bar.

Not every exercise requires a spotter, that's a given. Most exercises can be done safely if proper technique is executed, and weight resistance is kept at safe numbers. More advanced exercises such as the bench press, military press, and power squat should not be done without a spotter at high resistance levels.

The key to long term success at the gym is safety, injury prevention, and of course, knowing your own strength. If this is your first time ever attempting a bench press, you probably shouldn't start at twice your body weight. Consult a trainer or experienced weightlifter for advice. The most important thing, of course, is to ask for a spotter. You'd be suprised, most guys at the gym are more than willing to help you out, even strangers. The worst they can say is no. I know that every time somebody asks me for a spot I help them out. I'm in no hurry to see somebody get an injury. If I ever need a spotter I'm not afraid to ask either.

Even professionals sometimes make mistakes. If you search the internet you will find a whole collection of videos of professional weightlifting accidents. While some are humorous, there is always the potential for very serious injury. There was a story on the news a few years ago about a man who died because he tried to bench press some unholy weight, without a spotter. He dropped the bar on his throat and died instantly.