@realwithdavid: Clips are there for a reason: they keep the plates from moving. If plates start sliding during a lift, the bar can suddenly become unbalanced. One side gets lighter, the other gets heavier, and that can turn a small mistake into a dangerous one very quickly. That’s why, especially when a bar is overhead, I want the plates locked in place. But clips are only one part of lifting safely. On exercises like squats and bench press, the rack itself has safety pins or safety arms for a reason too. Set them at the correct height and, if you fail a rep, they can catch the bar before it traps you. For benching alone, that’s a much better setup than relying on clips — or no clips — to save you. If there are no safeties and you’re benching alone, leaving the clips off can at least give you an escape option: tilt the bar and let the plates slide off. So yes, clips are a safety tool. But the real question is always: What happens if I fail this rep, and what is stopping the bar from hurting me?

David | Fat loss coach

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Sunday 20 September 2026 13:35:03 GMT