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No Squat Rack?! What to do?!

Gladiola

New member
I must sadly admit I did Smith Machine squats on Monday. :(

I've been working out on occasion at a nearby University. This is an IVY LEAGUE school that just had their fitness center totally rebuilt - it's pretty sweet. Even has a rock climbing center.

But no squat rack in the free weight area! :mad: I'm working out there with a friend of mine (who really has been desperately in need of help) & I figured Smith squats were better than just not doing squats. I can't think of another way to get the bar onto his upper back safely!

He definitely is not strong enough, nor coordinated enough, to clean & press the bar up there. I also wouldn't want to risk for myself the required behind the neck press with that much weight in order to get the bar to my upper back. I also don't think a 'Good Morning' lifting the bar from a bench press rack would be wise either.

What else to do?????
 
u dont need a squat rack, you can use dumbells or just the bar, just have a spotter to grab the bar when you need a lift and when you finish.
 
Find the nearest Olympic Weightlifting center, and have someone teach you how to perform cleans. Then you can front squat until you puke.

www.usaweightlifting.org

Go to about

Go to LWC

You can also learn overhead squats, and how to do split squats with the bar held overhead in both the snatch and clean grips.

Jefferson squats involve you straddling the bar, with one hand in front of you and one in back of you, then standing erect with the bar. Although this more closely mimics the deadlift.

Hack squats were orginally performed like a deadlift with the bar being behind the back, instead of in front. There is far less back involvement in this manner.
 
Arioch said:
and have someone teach you how to perform cleans.
Arioch,

That is almost eerie - b/c I was going to have a friend (who also works out at that gym) teach me cleans anyway before I saw this post!!!! :) He is a rowing champion - his form always looks great. Nice to look at mmmm :p - oh wait, that's a little OT. :lmao:. But I want to learn cleans anway & he's going to show me. I honestly hadn't thought of front squats.

THANKS so much - your help is much appreciated as always.
 
Hey Glad -- just had a goofy thought (just got done reading a Tom Clancy book, so I have military & boot camp shit on my brain...) Climb on the guy's back and make him squat u! ;) (probably a little harder to hold form tho...)
 
You must find a way...

B True
 
spatterson said:
I would guess he's between 40-45.
When are you meeting with him, Glad?
Funny, my friend is 46. :) Hopefully pretty soon - within the next week. He just did the clean - no jerk. He said the movement was similar to rowing.

He doesn't train much upper body - he's got quite a nice amount of mass already & says that it just makes him off balance in his boat (he rows as a single). Lucky bastard!

Sassy - I like your idea, but highly doubt the dude could do it anwyay! - yeah, his form isn't so great on the Smith! :rolleyes: He's really lacking basic core strength - which I'm attributing to all his machine work (almost NO free weight work) + sitting in a chair all the time.
 
I don't have the biggest legs...and they pretty much suck at the moment, well my hammies do at least. BUT, It would be a cold day in hell to think of a gym without a SQUAT rack.:(

I feel your pain though, as mine only has 1. They had 3 and cut back to 1. I was pretty pissed.

Yep...try doing some Cleans and some deads...that should help out. AND, although the leg press is NO squat, it is still very effective...just change your feeting arrangement.

Now that i think about it...Can you really call a 'gym' a 'gym' if it doesn't have the mother of all lifts set-up? ...lol.

BMJ
 
MR. BMJ said:
Now that i think about it...Can you really call a 'gym' a 'gym' if it doesn't have the mother of all lifts set-up? ...lol.
Good point! They also don't have an assisted dip machine. :( I can't manage more than a few close grip pull-ups unassisted & can't do a wide grip one unassisted - so without that machine, I just CAN'T do that move there! My friend also isn't strong enough to spot & help lift me.
They only have ONE CABLE machine - & the pull up bar in the center is the only pull up bar. Lots of the guys do pull-ups - so all other activity on the one cable machine must cease while they do a set. What a pain.

A friend was saying, "It's a university, not a for-profit gym, what can you expect?" Good point - except it's a BRAND-NEW fitness center! Recently rebuilt & very nice. This is a large- major, Ivy-League school. They built a rock-climbing wall! Goodness & they couldn't purchase a squat rack?
Fortunately I'm only there 1X per week to help out my friend.
 
Funny how all the die-hard Olympic lifters are getting old. Or maybe not so funny.

Glad to hear you can learn this skill. Be patient, as it takes time. If you are actually going to learn anything OL related, learn the Snatch first. This will allow you to learn to do overhead squats, and then people will really stare.
 
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