What is "spotting"

Spot \Spot\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Spotting.]

1. To make visible marks upon with some foreign matter; to discolor in or with spots; to stain; to cover with spots or figures; as, to spot a garment; to spot paper.

2. To mark or note so as to insure recognition; to recognize; to detect; as, to spot a criminal. [Cant]

3. To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation; to asperse.

   My virgin life no spotted thoughts shall stain.
   --Sir P. Sidney.

   If ever I shall close these eyes but once, May I live spotted for my perjury.
   --Beau. & Fl.

   To spot timber, to cut or chip it, in preparation for hewing.

n. 1 A spotted pattern. 2 The act of spotting or sighting something. vb. (present participle of spot English)

1. n. a point located with respect to surface features of some region; "this is a nice place for a picnic" [syn: topographic point, place]

2. a short section or illustration (as between radio or tv programs or in a magazine) that is often used for advertising

3. a blemish made by dirt; "he had a smudge on his cheek" [syn: smudge, blot, daub, smear, smirch, slur]

4. a small contrasting part of something; "a bald spot"; "a leopard's spots"; "a patch of clouds"; "patches of thin ice"; "a fleck of red" [syn: speckle, dapple, patch, fleck, maculation]

5. a section of an entertainment that is assigned to a specific performer or performance; "they changed his spot on the program"

6. an outstanding characteristic; "his acting was one of the high points of the movie" [syn: point]

7. a business establishment for entertainment; "night spot"

8. a job in an organization; "he occupied a post in the treasury" [syn: position, post, berth, office, billet, place, situation]

9. a slight attack of illness; "he has a touch of rheumatism" [syn: touch]

10. a small quantity; "a spot of tea"; "a bit of paper" [syn: bit]

11. a mark on a playing card (shape depending on the suit) [syn: pip]

12. a lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer [syn: spotlight]

13. a playing card with a specified number of pips on it to indicate its value; "an eight spot"

14. an act that brings discredit to the person who does it; "he made a huge blot on his copybook" [syn: blot, smear, smirch, stain]

15. [also: spotting, spotted]

1. n. the act of spotting or staining something [syn: staining, maculation]

2. the act of detecting something; catching sight of something [syn: detection, catching, espial, spying]

1. v. catch sight of [syn: descry, espy, spy]

2. mar or impair with a flaw; "her face was blemished" [syn: blemish]

3. make a spot or mark onto; "The wine spotted the tablecloth" [syn: fleck, blob, blot]

4. become spotted; "This dress spots quickly"

5. mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition; "spot the areas that one should clearly identify"

6. [also: spotting, spotted]

See spot

Spotting may refer to:

Photography:

• Aircraft spotting
• Bus spotting
• Car spotting
• Train spotting

Pastimes:

• Spots (cannabis), a method of smoking cannabis

Physical activities:

• Spotting (climbing)
• Spotting (dance technique), a technique used by dancers to maintain control while executing turns
• Spotting (weight training)

Other:

• Artillery spotting or bombardment spotting, observing the result of artillery or shell fire and providing corrective targeting data to the firer
• Spotting (photography)
• Spotting (filmography), the process of determining the location of the musical score of a film
• Car spotting (disambiguation)
• Metrorrhagia, vaginal bleeding that is not synchronized with a menstrual period

Spotting in weight or resistance training, is the act of supporting another person during a particular exercise, with an emphasis on allowing the participant to lift or push more than they could normally do safely.

Correct spotting involves knowing when to intervene and assist with a lift, and encouraging a training partner to push beyond the point in which they would normally 'rack' the weight (return it to its stationary position).

Spotting is particularly prevalent when performing the bench press. Because of the risks of lifting a heavy weight in the supine position, a lifter will often ask for a spot unless he or she is completely confident that the lift will not be failed. While a spotter may prevent injury, a lifter may become too dependent on the spotter, and not realize the degree that the spotter is assisting them. This is sometimes jocularly referred to as the "two man bench press".

Another exercise in which spotters are recommended is the barbell squat. Squats should be spotted by two spotters, one at each end of the bar. In the event of a missed lift, each spotter hooks an elbow under the end of the bar, and takes the plates in both hands. Care must be taken to keep the assistance balanced and coordinated to avoid uneven deloading of the weight and possible torsion injury. If two spotters are unavailable, a single spotter can assist by taking some of the weight off the bar allowing the lifter to return the weight to the rack. Unlike other exercises this exercise does not present much of a chance for the spotters to assist the lifter, as the spotters only intercede in the event of a missed lift.

Another exercise to utilize a spotter would be the triceps exercise Skull Crushers in which the lifter lowers an E-Z bar towards their head while lying flat on the bench. The spotter will be standing behind the individual and moving their hands approximately 6 inches below the bar so that they can catch it in the event of the lifter running out of energy.

Additionally, some people prefer to have a spotter present during the barbell military press or barbell push press (two very similar exercises). This exercise involves lifting a considerable amount of weight about the head. During this exercise the spotter will assist in “lifting off” the bar from the racked position. Then the spotter will keep his/her hands about 6 inches under the bar. This allows the spotter to assist when the lifter runs out of energy, but most importantly allows the spotter to catch the weight if the lifter cannot lift any more. A spotter may not be preferred, however, because the risk of injury is lower and it is easier to drop the weight on the ground if the lifter loses control of the barbell.

Spotting is a technique used in climbing, especially in bouldering, where the climbers are close to the ground and ropes are not typically used. The spotter stands below the climber, with arms raised or at the ready. If the climber falls, the spotter does not catch the climber, but redirects the climber's fall so that they land safely on a bouldering mat. At the very least the spotter ensures that the climber's head and back do not strike the ground directly. If the climber jumps down, the spotter can also help prevent stumbles and injuries on uneven ground. The spotter should stand with their fingers together (known as "using spoons") to avoid broken fingers.

A spotter should always be used for accident prevention. A climbing spotter will typically hold their arms up with hands in a supporting position for more or less vertical climbs. When the climber falls, the spotter's hands lightly hold the climber's hips or lower back, near the climber's center of gravity. This allows the spotter to help guide the climber's fall effectively, helping them keep their center of gravity over their feet. When on steeper, past vertical climbs, the spotter will hold their arms out in a cradling position. If the climber falls, the spotter supports the upper and middle back, helping the climber land on their feet.

A spotter may also be used to help accomplish new climbing moves. Often much of the energy in learning a new move is exerted in simply holding onto the rock. If a spotter puts even the slightest pressure on the climber's upper back or upward pressure on the hips during a move they will often give the climber the extra relief needed to learn the move. Once the move is learned, it can usually be practised and mastered without the extra help.

The term spotting originated in 1930, when a new gymnastics coach at the University of Illinois, Hartley Price, painted diameter white circles on the gymnasium walls, calling them "spots". Seeing the "spots", gymnasts were supposed to think safety and look for those who could assist them through one element or another.

In the production of photographic prints, spotting is a type of retouching concerned with correcting minor flaws in the finished print with specially made paints, dyes, pencils and pens.

White spots on gelatin-silver prints made from negatives are caused by dust adhering to the negative or paper during exposure. Prints from positive transparencies exhibit black marks.

White spots can be carefully darkened using a fine paintbrush and a dye of the appropriate colour. A small amount of dye, which should be very weak, is needed. The spot will darken as dye accumulates in the gelatin layer.

Black spots on gelatin-silver prints are caused by holes in the negative's emulsion. These can be removed by careful knifing of the gelatin layer.

For spotting work, always use a magnifying glass and a good light source.

A dancer spotting towards the viewer while performing Fouettés]] Spotting is a technique used by dancers during the execution of various dance turns. The goal of spotting is to attain a constant orientation of the dancer's head and eyes, to the extent possible, in order to enhance the dancer's control and prevent dizziness.

As a dancer turns, spotting is performed by rotating the body and head at different rates. While the body rotates smoothly at a relatively constant speed, the head periodically rotates much faster and then stops, so as to fix the dancer's gaze on a single location (the spotting point, or simply the spot). Dancers will sometimes focus on an actual visual spot if one is available (e.g., a light or other object), but if no suitable object is available they will attempt to end each head rotation in a consistent orientation. The spotting point may be another dancer, in which case the spot may move.

The term spotting is used in the motion-picture and video production industries to refer to the process of deciding where within a film the musical score and sound effects will be located, a process often referred to as "spotting for sound". Spotting takes place after the director "locks" the film, an act which signifies his or her decision that no more shot changes will be made to the piece. The results of spotting are "spotting sheets" which contain the time cues-- organized by scene, shot, and time code reference-- that will subsequently be useful to those artists contributing to the project's sound design. After being locked and spotted, the cut goes into postproduction.