Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below Buddy I work with has been going to to the same mom and pop gym for 15 years in upstate NY. He got their yesterday afternoon and no one around. He started lifting, then he went to use a machine in the next room and found a 19yr old kid who just signed up the day before was blue in the face with his throat pinned under the bar on the smith machine trying to put up a 225 bench. He didn't have the safeties in place. Found out they stopped life support this morning. Later it came out the lady who owns the gym left for a quick break.
Killed at the gym
- Thread starter mryar
- Start date
awshopskater14
New member
whats the name of the gym i live in upstate new york. in the syracuse area
The state police officer interviewing my buddy told him the kid had heart trouble and its possible he had a heart attack during the lift, but its probably more likely it was just too much. And of course with the smith machine the bar can't be rolled down your stomach if you're alone and have to bail.
He's fairly shaken up, he's got a long drive (~2 hours) from work to the gym and if he hadn't hit one traffic light, or got behind a slow driver he could have been there to save the kid. Lots of what if's I guess. Like ramnares said, I would expect a lawsuit from the family, either for her not being there or not showing him the safeties on some of the equipment. Not sure if she has people sign waivers in case they get hurt while alone.
He's fairly shaken up, he's got a long drive (~2 hours) from work to the gym and if he hadn't hit one traffic light, or got behind a slow driver he could have been there to save the kid. Lots of what if's I guess. Like ramnares said, I would expect a lawsuit from the family, either for her not being there or not showing him the safeties on some of the equipment. Not sure if she has people sign waivers in case they get hurt while alone.
yup this stuff happens more then you think. I actually had lunch with a doctor a week ago and I told him about how one time i lifted 225 very quick (i like to do 8-12 reps to warm up) and it flew out of my grasp and landed on my chest, then I pushed it forward and racked it. lucky for me it wasn't heavy weight and i was able to push it up and rack it and also that it happened to land right smack on my chest and not on my throat.
the doc told me that is common for the weight to fall on the neck and it will choke you to death very quickly. these types of things happen more then people think.
be careful out there. have a spotter or atleast someone in the room in case something goes wrong.. ya never know
the doc told me that is common for the weight to fall on the neck and it will choke you to death very quickly. these types of things happen more then people think.
be careful out there. have a spotter or atleast someone in the room in case something goes wrong.. ya never know
Achieve Fitness in Crown Point NY.
19 years old with heart problems? either he is incredibly obese or he has an existing heart ailment and shouldn't be weightlifting without a first aid kit close by.
kx250rider
New member
Very sad, and very unnecessary. It goes to show how important it is, to understand basic safety. At 19 I suppose I didn't have the common sense and wisdom I might hope to have now at 43, but how did this kid get in that position? And on a Smith? I don't get it. Safety catches not there, and couldn't twist the bar back into the hook holes somehow? Makes as much sense as getting killed in a car accident in a Volvo with the best air bags possible, because you were driving from a chair ontop of the car and steering through the sunroof. When you think about it, if you're not go to use the Smith machine as it was intended, it's probably safer to bench the old way and dump off the plates if you get in trouble. A Smith machine without the stops set, is nothing but a 500-lb version of an old-style mouse trap; but for humans. I don't know... Sounds like I'm blaming the kid, and maybe I am, but God rest. Let it be a lesson to the rest of us, and maybe the story will save someone else at least. Maybe the experience goes in the same category as when you hear about a teen who kills himself on a motorcycle at 175mph. So preventable.
Charles
Charles
Like Charles said, there's lots of blame to pass around on this one. The gym gets blamed for no one manning the floor to keep watch, we can't comment on anything else because maybe the kid was shown the different equipment and how to use it before. As sad as this is, the kid (bless him) also has to get some share of the blame because if the stops are available he should have set them before getting on the machine. If the stops aren't on the machine then I hope that gym has good insurance because they're going to get their pants sued off them. On the other hand, if it was a freak accident (like a heart attack) then that's just entirely tragic on its own.
I hear its pretty common around my state (vermont) and upstate NY for people to workout by themselves at a gym. We've got a couple of larger gyms that get packed, but there's quite a few mom and pops gyms out there where customers will develop a relationship with the owner, get a key, and go in and use the gym by themselves. The 6 guys that lift here at work all say they lift alone fairly often (either at home or an empty gym). They all had a story to tell about how they've had to dump the weight before.
Of all the ways to go.... very sad
Of all the ways to go.... very sad
miked8c
New member
In its own regard the Smith Machine is one stupid ass piece of equipment. The bar follows an unnatural path of motion by going in a perfectly straight line. Seriusly whos idea was it to attach an olympic bar to a metal track and call it a machine. I had to use one recently because the gym I was at lacked free oly bars, I did one set out of curiosity and opted for DBs for the remainder of two months I used that gym.
Having said that, you need to be pretty inexperienced to die lifting weights. However, someone who was inexperienced probably would not be putting up 225 lbs. on the bench unless they were so new to the lifting game that they didn't realize how much weight that really is(225 does not really look that heavy just sitting there on the bar). This is my conclusion, it was one of the first time this kid really lifted and he just threw on a weight that looked right and got under the smith machine, not realizing how it worked. Like 250rider said, once you get under that machine, lacking the safety stops, it is essentially an execution machine if the weight is too much to handle. Panic sets in and instead of trying to wedge yourself out from under it you try to push the weight harder, which obviously didn't work out for this kid.
Stupid ass machine, not the gym owners fault though.
Having said that, you need to be pretty inexperienced to die lifting weights. However, someone who was inexperienced probably would not be putting up 225 lbs. on the bench unless they were so new to the lifting game that they didn't realize how much weight that really is(225 does not really look that heavy just sitting there on the bar). This is my conclusion, it was one of the first time this kid really lifted and he just threw on a weight that looked right and got under the smith machine, not realizing how it worked. Like 250rider said, once you get under that machine, lacking the safety stops, it is essentially an execution machine if the weight is too much to handle. Panic sets in and instead of trying to wedge yourself out from under it you try to push the weight harder, which obviously didn't work out for this kid.
Stupid ass machine, not the gym owners fault though.
very sad...
this is why i work my core lifts, deads and squats...
when i miss a heavy bench i can just roll it down and sit up and stand with it...
That's very possible. My friend said the weight looked like a lot for this kid. I'll post the results of the autopsy when i hear. I'm not sure how much I should post but I guess i can edit it later, since the investigation is still ongoing. My buddy said he was probably just going to stop by the gym this afternoon on his way home, thinking the investigators might still be on scene. I talked to my buddy again and I was a little off on a couple of the details in my OP but here's the complete story. i'll edit if site thinks I shouldn't discuss this
The gym is in two rooms, one has the cardio (eliptical, bikes etc) the other has the weights and machines. The lady stepped out at 4pm to go to her house to get something. She says right about when the kid got there she left, not sure if she spoke to him or where they met but he went in to do his lifting. When my buddy got there at 4:10 he thought he was alone because he didn't hear anything and started warming up with cardio in the cardio room. A short bit later someone else came in to start lifting and found the kid, went over to him and by the time my buddy got there he had the bar off him. My friend said he had done the same exercise in that machine the day before using the safety catches.
ghettostudmuffin
New member
I just typed out a super long post and realized it would be better said in a condensed version.
If it was a heart attack I feel sorry for the kid and his parents loss.
If the kid got himself killed being a dumbass that's one less idiot on the planet.
If it was a heart attack I feel sorry for the kid and his parents loss.
If the kid got himself killed being a dumbass that's one less idiot on the planet.
either way it is still a sad story, a young guy gone too soon.
Tblock1
New member
Lol that "survival of the fittest" thing is great when it's not you or someone you love. Think of all the mistakes you made when you were younger. Imagine if this was you or your son. Just trying to give a different perspective
shibs
Stay frosty
that's pretty messed up.
the kid just joined the gym the day before, he was probably brand new to lifting.
how many people do you know who were automatically experts their first day? everyone's a dumbass when they first start something, especially something as intricate as weightlifting.
A bit uncalled for? probably... He is dead so in the least show some respect, fair enough if he couldnt think to start light and work up then he was being a bit silly either way it is tragic.
ghettostudmuffin
New member
Ya and everyone needs their hand held these days and everyone's a winner...
I don't disagree it's tragic for the kids parents and friends.
Doesn't make what I said any less true.
I don't disagree it's tragic for the kids parents and friends.
Doesn't make what I said any less true.
at 19 with no help and no idea of what he was doing I don't think some of you are being very fair.
I had a great high school coach to spend time with me and teach me proper weightlifting and safety... . this kid probably was laughed at when he went into the schools weight room and no one ever took a minute to give him advice.
I think everyone posting should make a pledge right now if they see a kid at the gym they will compliment them first, and then give them some small advice. that would mean a lot to them.
I had a great high school coach to spend time with me and teach me proper weightlifting and safety... . this kid probably was laughed at when he went into the schools weight room and no one ever took a minute to give him advice.
I think everyone posting should make a pledge right now if they see a kid at the gym they will compliment them first, and then give them some small advice. that would mean a lot to them.
axismundi
New member
I never set foot near a weight till 21... First thing I did was had a friend that had been training for neatly a decade and that was a trainer by profession go with me for two weeks and show me how to use every piece of equipment and spot me. It's just common sense to get help with an unfamiliar mechanical device, and sense to have help close when manipulating loads that are heavy though to kill/maim. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Yeah it's tragic he died, but the fault is only his for not having someone in the room with him. Even if the machine was in proper order and he'd been doing this 30 years, shit breaks. Never train alone. When straining your body even it could fail leaving you unable to summon help unless someone is there to notice.
Yeah it's tragic he died, but the fault is only his for not having someone in the room with him. Even if the machine was in proper order and he'd been doing this 30 years, shit breaks. Never train alone. When straining your body even it could fail leaving you unable to summon help unless someone is there to notice.
miked8c
New member
Really? Before you ever set foot into a weight room you had an old vet come and show you every piece of equipment and spot you for two weeks? Honestly, I applaud you, but no one else does that. They should, don't get me wrong, but that rarely happens. I think it should be noted that you were 21, thats pretty damn old to start lifting compared to the social norm of starting up around 16. I'm not trying to insult you at all by the way. You had more experience and understood the risks better than most KIDS who show up for they're first day of weight training.
Luckily my dad set me up with a personal trainer fairly early(14), a guy who made me go way too light. I think any ounce of muscle I gained during the two months with him was purely from puberty because he made lift next to no weight. However I learned gym etiquette from him, lessons that many kids my age still don't understand. Having said this, I can still remember having a 100 lbs. barbell, with plastic weights filled with compacted sand(thats what it felt like), sitting on my chest more than a few times. I was only 14 and had that been a smith machine I would have been royally screwed.
Ghetto, normally I would agree with the survival of the fittest perspective. About 95% of the time its the position I take on most issues like this. However, maybe I have a soft spot for rookies because I can't completely blame this kid for his actions. Very few people regard weight training as dangerous, expecially reckless teenagers(yes 19 is still a teenager). He had no idea about gym etiquette and I don't really think he should be held responsible for his actions. Hear me out, if I went to the gym and loaded up 405 on the smith machine, ignored the lack of safety spots, and then made an attempt and got my neck crushed in it would be 100% my fault. What about if a first time lifter did the same exact thing, can he really carry the same responsibility as someone who had been lifting his entire life.
Maybe it was a bad example, all I'm saying is maybe we shouldn't be too cynical.
markmark
New member
Lol that "survival of the fittest" thing is great when it's not you or someone you love. Think of all the mistakes you made when you were younger. Imagine if this was you or your son. Just trying to give a different perspective
+2... so true.
kx250rider
New member
I see it often; not just with weightlifting, but especially (ESPECIALLY!!!!!) on motorcycles. I've been riding both dirt and sport bikes for over 30 years, and I think I know what I'm doing... And I see 16-year-olds going 110mph between stopped traffic on Los Angeles freeways, and I remember when I was 16, and rode 110mph (NOT between lanes of stopped traffic, but on a twisty road in Malibu), just to see what it felt like. I remember the feeling of "It can't happen to ME", and God willing, I never had a tragedy from it. It's testosterone and adrenaline which cause this stuff, and we all go through it or went through it. I see these young guys at the track, doing things that WILL land them in the emergency room, and cause them to live on with a ton of hardware in their arms & legs.... WHY? Because they need to find their limits, and they don't understand the bigger picture yet.
There's nothing anyone can say or do, to stop a kid from experimenting with his limits. All we can do is set a good example, and lay out the rules. That just doesn't always work, sadly. I have a 19-year-old nephew (wife's nephew actually), who spent 4 months in jail last year for racing his GSXR1000 up Hwy 14 at 145mph, and causing a CA Highway Patrol helicopter to have to get called in to chase him, and causing an accident trying to whip in & out of traffic as he was trying to get away and hide in a business district. He did it "because he thought he could, and the bike should have been fast enough". If he were my kid, I'd........ Well....... I don't know.
Charles
^^^ charles I don't think your comparison is the same.
your nephew was driving reckless and then trying to run from the police.. he was breaking atleast 2 laws and endangering others in the process.
this kid either had a heart attack while lifting or didn't know how to properly use the machine/how much weight he could lift.. he was breaking no laws.
not trying to nit pick just saying I think everyone on here is too harsh with this kid, as if he was doing something illegal. he was just trying to do what we all do several times a week.. workout.
but i get your point that kids think they are above the law. thats pretty normal, we've all done stuff as kids that we regretted cause of lack of experience.
in your nephews case spending 4 months in a filthy jail around other filthy people hopefully he learned his lesson. in this kids case he is dead and will never come back.
your nephew was driving reckless and then trying to run from the police.. he was breaking atleast 2 laws and endangering others in the process.
this kid either had a heart attack while lifting or didn't know how to properly use the machine/how much weight he could lift.. he was breaking no laws.
not trying to nit pick just saying I think everyone on here is too harsh with this kid, as if he was doing something illegal. he was just trying to do what we all do several times a week.. workout.
but i get your point that kids think they are above the law. thats pretty normal, we've all done stuff as kids that we regretted cause of lack of experience.
in your nephews case spending 4 months in a filthy jail around other filthy people hopefully he learned his lesson. in this kids case he is dead and will never come back.
ghettostudmuffin
New member
I guess I'm just a little jaded now days. A fellow lifter unless it's someone I admire or know, I feel nothing for if they get hurt or die.
I mean babies get their heads bashed in every day or starve to death and do I really care? No. If I lived there I'm sure I would, but I don't and I can't magically make myself feel anything for someone I don't know.
What happened to the kid is a tragedy, but killing yourself via smith machine takes talent. It's not so much the fact a 19 year old died lifting weights, but the exact machine and exercise that boggles my mind.
I mean babies get their heads bashed in every day or starve to death and do I really care? No. If I lived there I'm sure I would, but I don't and I can't magically make myself feel anything for someone I don't know.
What happened to the kid is a tragedy, but killing yourself via smith machine takes talent. It's not so much the fact a 19 year old died lifting weights, but the exact machine and exercise that boggles my mind.
the fact that the bar landed on his neck probably means either:
He was benching to his neck and so he had no idea of how to properly perform the exercise. In this case people could say it was partly his fault for not getting advice or for being cocky and putting too much weight on etc
Or he realised there was no one else around and so opted to use the smith for safety. Didnt realise the safeties were gone until it was too late. Then since he couldnt roll the bar off himself like you would on a regular bench he tryed to slide himself down the bench and get out from underneath it but the bar got trapped on his neck and he couldnt move it. So he stayed there struggling until he died...
the second option would be my guess as to how it happened.
He was benching to his neck and so he had no idea of how to properly perform the exercise. In this case people could say it was partly his fault for not getting advice or for being cocky and putting too much weight on etc
Or he realised there was no one else around and so opted to use the smith for safety. Didnt realise the safeties were gone until it was too late. Then since he couldnt roll the bar off himself like you would on a regular bench he tryed to slide himself down the bench and get out from underneath it but the bar got trapped on his neck and he couldnt move it. So he stayed there struggling until he died...
the second option would be my guess as to how it happened.
i get what you are saying. and this type of stuff happens ALL THE TIME. it just doesn't ever get reported cause gyms don't want it getting out.
kx250rider
New member
True; I should have come up with a better comparison... I was trying to illustrate the "it will never happen to me" attitude that some or most of us went through as teens... Certainly I wasn't meaning to say the kid broke laws.
Charles
SPEKTOR-AAA
New member
He was probably lifting it correctly. My guess is it was stuck on his sternum, he then decided the "quickest" way out would be to slide out from under it via sternum/neck/head route. The bar got stuck at his neck and at that position with no leverage and that much weight, there was no way for him to lift it enough to get his head under it. Add that to panic and now hes dead. RIP
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