Okay, I’ve read enough posts bitching about people doing stupid shit in the squat rack to last me a lifetime, and I’m sick of it. To all you people bitching about it: why don’t you just walk up, tap them on the shoulder, and tell them to GET THE FUCK OUTTA THE SQUAT RACK!!!
I don’t make any apologies anymore, I just kick whoever’s in there out. If I only got an hour in a commercial gym I’ll be damned if I’m gonna wait for some idiot to finish curling the bar.
Same goes for people setting stuff on benches and other pieces of equipment.
And if you don’t say anything and just make faces and act disgusted behind their back then you are just perpetuating the problem. Make it known that it’s not acceptable.
If it’s a genuine newbie making the mistake cut them some slack and show him/her where to do whatever it is they’re doing. From there it’s not long before everyone avoids the squatrack when you work out. Works like a charm.
Last Monday, Ko and I went into the gym with the intent of performing squats (he), and deads (me).
It’s Monday and it’s around 5:30PM. Which means gym is busy and all the squat racks are being used. One in particular, by three guys who ALWAYS perform their curls in the squat rack.
The platform was being used by the two big guys who are ex-powerlifters and preparing for the same contest I am. Didn’t want to bother them. They had reason to be there. The next two by two guys who were squating waaaay too much weight (by the looks of their poor form in the squat). I asked them each how many sets - both had FIVE (and had already performed two…) - so, I went to the pack of guys who had NO REASON to use the goddamn rack. And you know what? They each had 3-more sets to go (?!). But I was certainly welcome to “work in” with them.
I’d rather spit on their faces. Which is what I REALLY wanted to say. While they were each trying to make small talk with me (“wow, it’s certainly busy, ain’t it?”), I just threw them my best, “I piss on thee” look and walked away. The two powerlifting dudes told Ko they had just one more set and we were welcomed to use the platform. They also threw “pissy” looks at the three guys curling their mammoth 65lbs in the squat rack.
So, Warhorse: I too am with you. From now on: no more Missus Nice Gal. Let’s begin this damn campaign.
Pre-set barbells only go to 90lbs in my gym. Anything more i use the squatrack. I’m not going to deadlift the weight up every time i do shrugs or heavy curls. I mean honestly if I was using it and some dude walked up to me and told me to get the fuck off i would laugh in his face. Its a peace of equipment with many uses. There aren’t a shitload of extra olympic bars in my gym anyway so if everyone had them on the floor doing curls, shrugs, upright rows, and bent over rows there wouldn’t be a bar in the rack to squat with anyway. Better tell all those people doing calf raises on the leg press to get the fuck off because your only alowd to do leg presses in the leg press.
How about signs on the squat rack and t-shirts done in the form of power tool manuals. You know, stick figures that end up getting their limbs chopped off, but this time, stick figures curling in the squat rack in one frame, then a larger stick figure (bar figure?) stomping the piss out of them in the next.
Since we’re in such a visual society, I think this should work.
Akheron, blow it out your ass. Why the fuck should i go out of my way because just maybe someone might come along who wants to do squats. Let me go load all the weights on the floor because some prick is going to have a temper tantrum if someone does anything but a squat in the squat rack. I had a valid point. I think that this whole arguement is dumb. If im there first then im there first. If I want to bang your mom in there then people will just have to wait until she is fully satisfied. No need for the insults.
last night i waited 30 mins for a bench, I didn’t even want to finish working out. There were these two huge dudes using the bench bullshitting. Then i ask how many more sets and he tells me that they each have one. They did about 3 sets each and bullshitted for 29 mins and 54 seconds. i was so pissed.
Yeah I have to say that if it’s easier to curl a weight than deadlift that same weight you got some sort of problem. But, your GYM also sounds like crap.
Does it bother you that you consider deadlifting 135 or so an effort? It would bother me… my girlfriend has been lifting for like all of 5 weeks and deadlifts around 110 for reps. I’m seriously concerned that you need to use a rack for that. You just shouldn’t be able to curl for more reps than you deadlift. It’s not even wrong… its just… evil.
I like my gym, its nice I can use the squat rack for hours (squats, Bent over rows, chins, shrugs) pretty much whatever I want and I don’t get bothered. Its a safe haven for me no one comes in whilst I am there.
Ok I see all your points but i don’t think you saw mine. I didn’t say that i could not physically deadlift the weight. I just disagreed with Warhorse and I wanted to give him and everyone else my point of view on it. But instead of giving me reasons why I should agree with you most just assumed I was lazy or a pussy. Your right my gym isn’t the best and I have to make due. Like I said if im using 90 lbs or less there are set barbells for that and I use those. But if I want to use a straight bar I would have to take it off a bench, rack, or platform. So someone is going to be out of luck either way.
If someone was using the squat rack for curls, I would ask them to move with no apologies. I’m sorry I’m not manly enough to clean 300 plus pounds, press it, squat then press it again.
Do your curls somewhere else wuss.
I don’t know what to say to people like DJS. I’m in a really mean mood today and my first instinct would be to rip his head off and hang it on the outside of the rack as a warning to all the stupid fuckers who insist on using the squat rack for things besides squats. And what is this about deadlifting? If you have an issue deadlifting what you can curl you have an immense strength imbalance.
But then DJS does have a point in that many gyms don’t have any really good place to do curls. Maybe we need special “curl racks”?
Whatever the case this does not justify the use of a squat rack for curling when someone is waiting to do squats. My reason is this: you can curl just about anywhere, you can only safely squat in a squat rack.
I really don’t care about people curling in the squat rack. If someone was squating there I’d have to wait anyway.
My rant is about people who refuse to break down thier damm equipment when they are done with it. Come on people, if you loaded the damm bar up with 600 pounds, unload the damm thing when your done. Also put the damm DB’s back in the rack so people can find them when they need them.
a very funny thread. I posted this somewhere else but it got buried amid “it’s (gay/not gay) to wear _____!”
Where did this squat rack curl phenomenon come from? Who is teaching this? Is it in some stupid weightlifting book from 1970? I am puzzled, until I got to this forum I thought it was just the twits at my gym.
DJS - like I said, don’t be fucking selfish. If you want to curl, and there’s a chance people might want to use the squat rack, put the bar on the damn floor. It actually makes you feel better knowing that other people need to curl off of some sort of platform for the bar, when you can just be a man, suck it up, and pick the shit off the floor. Think of Lou in Pumping Iron (he did it) if you need any motivation.
As for shrugs, that might take some more creativity. I’ve never seen anyone deadlift the weight that they’re about to shrug, so I would consider it pretty ballsy to do so. Sound like you’re in a commercial gym, so that might be a good time to snag some of those steps they use in aerobics classes.
Remember, you aren’t in the gym to make things easier on yourself. No reason to be lazy. Be better than the other people.
When you curl in the squat rack, “You’re training with bin laden.” Anyone make my t-shirts up yet like I asked? Patricia, how about a graphic. You’re good at that sort of thing. Pretty please. A guy curling the squat rack with a phantom bin laden hovering over him, spotting him or something.