Curls in the squat rack - Why the hate?

[Schutzhund1]

At the risk of being ostracized by the lifting community, I am going to admit that I do curls in the squat rack. (I lift in my home so I don't have people waiting to use the rack so maybe it's different but...)

What's the big deal? As long as no one is waiting to use the rack to squat, bench, pull what's the big deal?

I find it more comfortable to set the bar holders in position so that at failure I can drop the weight in the pins.


Who else is man enought to admit to doing curls in the rack?

 

[Phaded]

everyone does barbell curls in the squat rack at my gym..

 

[ruggermu]

My gym has a stand just for curls. Little thing to set bar on. If they didn't I might though.

 

[d3track]

i will admit almost nothing pisses me off more then when people are doing curls or upright rows in the rack

 

[curgeo]

Okay...I am bias. We usually always use the power racks because we powerlift. Squatting without it (we don't have a monolift there) or benching without the safety of the pins really is not something that I like to do. I need the pins in the rack if I need to dump a lift (even with training partners). My one training partner had 800lbs on his back and even with one spotter on each side and one in the back, it was hard to get the weight up when he missed it....we just set it safely on the pins because he was spent. In a standard squat rack we couldn't have done that because you can't adjust the pins to your height.

I don't care if somebody wants to use it for curls, but just don't make us sacrifice our safety because somebody feels he was there first and he can hog it when we are getting ready to do squats or bench or good mornings. I will wait for up to 15min for somebody out of courtesy to let them finish, but if all they are doing is dicking off over there, I will ask them if they would mind moving so we can use the rack. It's just common courtesy.

 

[H_T_]

you could just as easily set up the bar on the floor, seeing as how most guys who practice that use the same amount of weight for curls and deads.

 

[Fast Twitch Fiber]

I'm guilty of this and I'm a powerlifter. However, my creed is that the squatter has the right of way. If I see anyone waiting I ask them if they are doing squats. If the answer is yes, then I gladly clear out for them.

 

[Bonkme2]

I'm guilty of this and I'm a powerlifter. However, my creed is that the squatter has the right of way. If I see anyone waiting I ask them if they are doing squats. If the answer is yes, then I gladly clear out for them.

I agree.
I think it's less about curling in the rack, and more about getting out of the way if someone wants to use the rack for it's intended purpose. You can curl just about anywhere, but there are only a few places to squat.

 

[eat big]

I have to do curls in a squat rack at my gym. Or a power rack, the benches are always taken. It so crowded at my college's gym people understand.

 

[H_T_]

it's the fact that you can't do squats anywhere else.

 

[Mithrandir]

UT has a lot of scrubs who have not found the glory of squats yet..so they are always open (at least two)--and I have no problem leaving for someone who wants to squat..

 

[Phaded]

i'd say squats are the least workout done in the squat rack at my gym.. la fitness

 

[WoodyAllen]

What's the big deal? As long as no one is waiting to use the rack to squat, bench, pull what's the big deal?

Because its annoying, tiresome and tedious to interrupt people and ask them to move their excercise somewhere else. You're also essentially telling someone they're ignorant for doing their excercise there that yours is much more deserving. That's kind of uncomfortable.

I mean, they should just know better and I don't want to have to deal with that shit.

I generally don't like to talk to anybody when I'm working out, much less like that.

 

[Illuminati]

it's the fact that you can do squats anywhere else.

where else, other than the squat rack, are you going to do squats?

 

[Mithrandir]

Uhh, the toilet?

 

[H_T_]

where else, other than the squat rack, are you going to do squats?

typo, sorry.

 

[musketeer]

I nearly got in a fight today because some idiot started using my bench as a dumbell rack between his sets. If you can lift a weight for a dozen or so reps for culs, how hard can it be to put the fucking bar on the floor?

Most gyms are busy enough and don't have enough equipmenty as it is. It's just rude to use something if it is denying someone else the right to work out just for your own lazy convenience.

I guess that is why most hardcore people HATE it when the squat rack is used as a curl rack.

That said, if you are the only person around then I guess that it doesn't matter if you bring all your wet laundy and hang it up on all of the bars and machines to dry!

 

[Illuminati]

typo, sorry.

LOL. i knew that. i was just messin

 

[blut wump]

I wouldn't recommend hanging your clothes out in the gym I go to. After a couple of minutes there my hands are orange with rust. I sometimes wonder whether it helps with grip.

We have two squat racks and I've only ever seen one other person use them for squatting. Anyone else I've seen squatting uses the Smith machine. Since space is at a premium in the gym, I asked the owner where would be best to do barbell rows and deadlifts. He said to do them in front of the squat racks so I end up doing most of my workout there, sometimes with a short visit to the bench. When my bench gets a bit better I might even bench in the rack and just do the entire workout there.

It doesn't much matter since I go during the day when it's fairly empty but it must be a pain when the place gets crowded.

 

[view]

i work out at 10 am, when the gym is about as dead as it gets. so yeah I curl in the squat rack every single time. there are 4 of them, and usually none of them are being used at that time.

if a showed up at peak hours (4:30-7), I think I would pass.

there is one exception though -- if you are curling more than the guy is going to be squatting, you have rights to that squat rack.

 

[rbtrout]

I don't really care.....if you prefer doing curls in the squat rack, then go for it. Just don't hog it. I'm the type of person that will ask how many sets you'll be doing and then make sure you get them done. The worst are the guys that stop and rest (3-4 minutes) and/or talk on the cell. At that point, I usually tell them to finish their exercise or get the hell out of the way. Either way, I get my point across and they move on.

 

[Schutzhund1]

there is one exception though -- if you are curling more than the guy is going to be squatting, you have rights to that squat rack.

Amen.