A fitness coach shared a video showing him being saved by a female gymgoer after he became trapped under 240 lbs of weights during a bench press to warn about the risks of working out alone.
The coach, surnamed Yang, recently shared the footage of the accident that took place last winter at a fitness centre in Nanchang, in south-eastern China’s Jiangxi Province
CCTV footage shows Yang apparently testing his limits by bench pressing a 240-lbs barbell on his own, despite the exercise normally requiring a second person called a ‘spotter’ to stand by and make sure no accidents occur.
But apparently feeling extremely confident in himself, Yang only secured the barbell with clips and did not call for assistance.
In the video, he is seen lying down to practice and, at first, manages to carry out two sets of bench presses smoothly.
However, during the third set, he noticeably struggles. The barbell falls from mid-air, landing directly on his chest.
Coach Yang, pinned under the weight, immediately changes expression to a pained one.
He desperately tries to lift off the barbell but realises after a few attempts that it is nearly impossible.
With seemingly no other choice left, the coach then tilts the barbell, letting one end touch the ground to reduce the weight on him. Then, he tries to lift the other end to free himself.
But he still underestimated the weight of the barbell. After several attempts, he could not move the barbell, which Yang said left him feeling desperate.
Just when he was about to suffocate, a woman arrived in time to rescue him. She moves the barbell, allowing him to sit up and catch his breath.
Yang said that the situation was very dangerous at that time, adding: “I was almost suffocating.
“If it weren’t for her help, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
“I wanted to kneel down and thank her at that moment.”
He said he felt extremely fortunate to be saved by a quick-thinking fellow athlete.
Recently, he saw news about a 27-year-old man being crushed to death while bench pressing, so he decided to share the video as a warning.
He emphasized that it is impossible to sustain the weight when trapped, and there should always be a spotter present when bench pressing heavy weights.
