A gym-goer narrowly escaped a horrifying accident after a 320-pound barbell came crashing down on him during a bench press attempt gone wrong.
The frightening moment happened May 5 at a gym in Guangdong, China, and was captured on CCTV.
The man, wearing a black tank top, pink pants, and an orange weight belt, appeared to be attempting a heavy bench press with a 145-kilogram barbell, which is about 320 pounds.
But instead of hitting a new personal record, he suddenly found himself fighting to survive.
Video shows the man lying on the bench as he tries to push the heavy weight upward. At first, he appears to be in control, but then his strength begins to give out.
His arms start trembling. The barbell dips lower. Then it drops dangerously close to his chest.
Within seconds, the lift turns into a nightmare.
Unable to hold the weight any longer, the barbell begins pressing down toward his neck. His face turns red as he struggles under the crushing pressure.
With no spotter there to help him, the man has only one option: escape any way he can.
In a frantic move, he twists his body to the side, rolls onto his stomach, and kicks his legs as he wriggles out from beneath the massive barbell.
Somehow, he manages to slip free before the weight can pin him completely.
After escaping, the shaken man grabs at his neck, then stands bent over with his hands on his knees as he tries to process what just happened.
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Even more shocking, other people in the gym barely seemed to notice.
One man on the bench next to him continued working out while the lifter fought his way out from under the bar. Another person stayed seated nearby with earphones in, looking at his phone during the ordeal.
Thankfully, the man appeared to avoid serious injury.
The only obvious casualty was a drink cup that got kicked over during his desperate escape.
Still, the video is a chilling reminder of how quickly a heavy lift can turn dangerous, especially without a spotter or safety bars in place.
