Stronglifts 5x5 and Planet Fitness

Pocket__Cthulhu

So, here's my question...

I go to planet fitness because it's a half a mile away from my house and I want to start the StrongLifts 5x5 program. However, I'm having some doubts about the equipment that Planet Fitness has and whether or not I can actually use this program properly.

The Planet Fitness I go to does not have an Olympic bar. They have an elaborate machine that has a braking system on it and a very limited range of motion. They have smaller bars that are free, but cant handle the weight the program will require. Will the machine with the bar on it, even with the limited range of motion, work for this? Unfortunately, leaving Planet Fitness is not an option.

arditarose

A smith machine? Personally I would not use this program/squat without a proper olympic bar.

ashleyylo

Hmmm. In no expert but from what I've read through comments on here, the general consensus is "no machines"!

You mentioned about them having a smaller bar. Maybe just start with that at least until you max out the amount it can take. Are heavier Dumbbells an option?

ScoobaChick

The general consensus is that Smith machines are evil!

Get a regular Olympic bar and chose a gym that has a squat box in order to do the back squats properly (and hopefully qualified trainers to show you how to lift).

Starting Strength by Mark Ripptoe is an awesome book that gives you a lot of details about how to do those basic lifts but ideally you want a real live human to make sure your form is correct and you don't injure yourself when you start out. your Fitness Planet doesn't seem like a serious lifting place to me.

AngieGetsHealthyin2012

You pretty much need a power cage for 5x5s, and eventually you'll need an olympic bar too. I finally just bought a squat rack on Amazon and got a great olympic bar and weight set used off Craigslist. I have it set up in my bedroom and love it.

Pocket__Cthulhu

https://s3-media4.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/Ab6rArRPzN0NdUmH3sWOQg/ls.jpg

^ This thing.

This thing is what the gym has. It probably is a smith's machine for all I know.

Unfortunately I live in a small town, and my options for gyms are very limited to planet fitness...and outside. I'm also on a tight budget, and tight living quarters so getting a home gym isn't an option either.

singingflutelady

Yup a Smith machine

Pocket__Cthulhu

Well, [Excessive Naughty Words.] Is there any suggestions to make do with that? Because it's what I've got available to me and as I mentioned before, switching gyms and buying equipment is not an option for me.

AngieGetsHealthyin2012

Pocket__Cthulhu wrote: »

https://s3-media4.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/Ab6rArRPzN0NdUmH3sWOQg/ls.jpg

^ This thing.

This thing is what the gym has. It probably is a smith's machine for all I know.

Unfortunately I live in a small town, and my options for gyms are very limited to planet fitness...and outside. I'm also on a tight budget, and tight living quarters so getting a home gym isn't an option either.

Yeah, that's a smith machine. Not good for Stronglifts. You need a free bar because balance is a BIG part of the benefit of heavy lifting. Using a smith machine can teach you wrong form and limits what you can do. If you do not have any access to a squat rack, perhaps this is better than nothing though.

Pocket__Cthulhu

Eh, alright. I guess... I'm not feeling so good about lifting anymore. But thank you for your time.

arditarose

Pocket__Cthulhu wrote: »

Eh, alright. I guess... I'm not feeling so good about lifting anymore. But thank you for your time.

No no no. Please don't feel that way. You need to make use of what you have. And what you have at Planet Fitness is machines and dumbbells, right? You CAN make progress using machines and dumbbells. Is it optimal? Maybe not. But you can still get a progressive overload. Take a look for more programs that you might be able to run! I hope some people can suggest some too!

VeryKatie

Perhaps see if you can find a program that does make use of the equipment you have. SL5x5 may not work, but there are other options (bodybuilding.com probably has some). Lots of people use the machines and make gains and progress.

You have to work with what you have access to, right? Using machines is generally "frowned upon" on MFP because using them may affect your form and they also take away some of the work (such as the balancing you won't have to do - therefore reducing your core work).

Find a machine compatible program and add in a core routine to your workouts. You'll still have to watch your form (which you will have to do on any program), but it'll be specific for the machines you use. You'll still be able to achieve your goals.

I'm hoping someone will comment with the name of a machine weight program that would be appropriate.

If you're at all interested in a body-weight progressive lifting program, you could look into You Are Your Own Gym. The Body By You version gives a nice program for women. You'll still enjoy your gym membership since they may have equipment that would be useful plus cardio equipment.

Hint: Try to see if you can find a machine weight program that is both "progressive" and features "compound lifts". Those are some good key words to search.

rileysowner

Pocket__Cthulhu wrote: »

Eh, alright. I guess... I'm not feeling so good about lifting anymore. But thank you for your time.

You can still lift, but Stronglifts is probably out. There are other programs out there as well, so you may have to do some research to see what will fit with what you have available. As others have said, machines may not be optimal, but they are better than doing nothing. It they have dumbbells you can do a lot with them as well.

AngieGetsHealthyin2012

Pocket__Cthulhu wrote: »

Eh, alright. I guess... I'm not feeling so good about lifting anymore. But thank you for your time.

I know it's frustrating. I don't know why more gyms don't have squat racks. However, you can still do lots of things! You CAN do squats, overheads and bench presses with the smith machine. Not ideal but you will definitely see results. You can do goblet squats with kettle bells or regular squats with heavy dumbbells. Just have to be more creative in this stuff. You won't be able to use the app probably, but I'll tell you that I did so much stuff before lifting... I did Zumba, Insanity, toning classes, running/jogging, rowing and other cardio. But I didn't see results in my body until I started heavy lifting. It's worth it. DO IT.

arditarose

This might be helpful. I'm reading through it now so sorry if there is any BS in there.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw43.htm

awnurmarc

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/zc0uy/a_beginner_dumbbell_program_the_dumbbell_stopgap/

Check this out for Planet Fitness.

cwolfman13

Yeah, you're not going to be able to do stronglifts properly at any PF I've ever been in. You need a real weight room. Facilities like PF have their place in the fitness world, but traditional strength training is not really it's place.

Even if they did have the equipment, those lifts would put you squarely in "lunk" territory...particularly as you progressively increased the weight.

Does your PF have dumbbells and pre-weighted barbells?...you'd be better off finding a good dumbbell routine if PF is your only option. There is plenty you can do, but traditional strength training and Olympic lifting require particular equipment.

middlehaitch

Here are 3 programmes for beginners.
1. Starting Strength. Barbell
2. Hand weight
3. Machine.

It discusses the pros and cons of the 3.
You may be able to do the hand weight or the machine one at Planet Fitness.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/beginning-weight-training-part-4.html/

Cheers, h.

piperdown44

If you only have mostly machines to work with, then use the machines. They still provide resistance training. You can still squat in a smith machine it's just not ideal and you need to get the form correct for that machine. You can also to lunges in a smith machine.
Really, you have what you need to start building a base, it's up to you to do a bit of research and find a lifting routines focused around machines and what limited free weights are available.

Pocket__Cthulhu

Thank you for all the resources! I'll check them out. This is encouraging.

The nearest gym besides planet fitness to me is 35 minutes of highway driving away, and I'm not sure I will wake up at 5am to go to it and then get my butt to work. They're 8 times as expensive, but they actually have better equipment. This isn't the first time I've been disappointed by planet fitness.

I signed up for a session with a personal trainer there and shared it with three other people. We spent it there sitting at a table while she told us to eat less and do 20 minutes of cardio. I'm a beginner...but I'm not so new that I don't know what watching one episode of an A&E weight loss special show wont tell, me new. I had to ask her three times to show me weights, and her first two responses were to just use the smith machines. You get what you pay for, right?

When I finally did get her to show me something, she told me to stand with my ankles together for a squat. Now, I have had to do squats with a barbell for physical therapy before....and I know if I wasn't leaning against the smith machine bar I'd just fall over. Which is why I'm here asking you fine folks for all this advice...and at this point I'm ranting.

There are some dumbbells, so I will try to find a program based on those. Thanks guys!

Sumiblue

When I started SL my Planet Fitness had one squat rack. Are you sure that yours doesn't have one? I do know PF franchises have been getting rid of racks, though.

Pocket__Cthulhu

Yes. I'm quite sure. My planet fitness opened up this past December and is in a very small location compared to some of the other ones I have been in.

Pocket__Cthulhu

awnurmarc wrote: »

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/zc0uy/a_beginner_dumbbell_program_the_dumbbell_stopgap/

Check this out for Planet Fitness.

This looks like fun and the motions look very similar to the barbell exercises in 5x5 that I wanted to try! Thank you!

Sevendust912

Planet Fitness sucks and is not going to give you the results you need if you are looking to start lifting.

Look into body weight exercises.

CipherZero

I would advise you change gyms. Move if you have to.

_incogNEATo_

Sevendust912 wrote: »

Planet Fitness sucks and is not going to give you the results you need if you are looking to start lifting.

Look into body weight exercises.

If this person is considering doing SL5x5, they obviously want to get stronger. Why would you recommend a bodyweight exercise routine?

_incogNEATo_

OP, while the Smith Machine is not ideal for SL5x5, it can still be used since you're limited on options. You will still be able to gauge strength gains if you're consistent with using the same method. What I mean by this is, when you start SL on a Smith Machine, a month later you will be able to lift more weight on the Smith Machine than when you started (if you're doing it right).

You will be missing out on some key core work that comes with moving the weights freely, but I would not be discouraged from lifting completely. In some cases, you have to do what you can. This seems like one of those cases.

FatMoojor

_incogNEATo_ wrote: »

Sevendust912 wrote: »

Planet Fitness sucks and is not going to give you the results you need if you are looking to start lifting.

Look into body weight exercises.

If this person is considering doing SL5x5, they obviously want to get stronger. Why would you recommend a bodyweight exercise routine?

Because if PF is your only option for a gym you are going to be extremely limited in weights you can use. Therefore a totally different routine might be better suited for the equipment available.

mirrim52

CipherZero wrote: »

I would advise you change gyms. Move if you have to.

Seriously? Move in order to do one specific program. Sure, I'll uproot my family and make my husband quit his job to get a better gym. *eyeroll*

Planet Fitness is not ideal, but work with what you've got! If you are interested in serious lifting, that is one thing, but I assume you are just looking to get fit and stronger. Machines aren't the most efficient use of time, but they are better than nothing! Find a program that works with what you have access too.

As for tight living quarters, I get it. I have a small house. We are currently decluttering and rearranging things though to make room for a power rack and Olympic weight set. You would be surprised with how much room you can find if you really look hard enough. I hear you can get some good deal on craigslist in the US. If it is something you are interested in, keep an eye out.

_incogNEATo_

FatMoojor wrote: »

_incogNEATo_ wrote: »

Sevendust912 wrote: »

Planet Fitness sucks and is not going to give you the results you need if you are looking to start lifting.

Look into body weight exercises.

If this person is considering doing SL5x5, they obviously want to get stronger. Why would you recommend a bodyweight exercise routine?

Because if PF is your only option for a gym you are going to be extremely limited in weights you can use. Therefore a totally different routine might be better suited for the equipment available.

So a totally different routine for gaining strength would be to do body weight exercises? Ok

CipherZero

mirrim52 wrote: »

CipherZero wrote: »

I would advise you change gyms. Move if you have to.

Seriously?

Of course moving isn't a serious suggestion.

PF is a *kitten*-tier gym for weight lifting. You're mostly restricted to machines that work in isolation and not normal planes of movement, and I've yet to see one that had dumbbells over 65lbs each - which you'll blow over on Stronglifts long before your linear progression is completed.