Fellow free-weight squatters unite!

KintsugiCurlyQueen
KintsugiCurlyQueen Posts: 68 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I REALLY need your help.
My local gym - my only option, hand on heart - has no power rack. Nor an olympic barbell, for that matter. Their reasoning? They're not that kind of gym. Don't want to be seen as "that kind of gym".

Yes, I'm serious.
(And yes, I know I'm a fool for giving them my money - but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do).

BUT there is a possible light at the end of this tunnel. I spoke to an instructor today who said putting up a good argument as to why there shouldn't be a stigma attached to power racks and why any self-respecting gym should be in possession of one, I could have a greater chance of changing their mind on the matter. Personally I believe 80% of the argument should be smith machine squat bashing, anyway. They could move it to the reception and use it for hanging coats, no?

I need opinions. I need reliable sources of information to support my argument. I need the help of the MFP community. Please, please - help me get a power rack in the gym of my lil' hick town.

Replies

  • KintsugiCurlyQueen
    KintsugiCurlyQueen Posts: 68 Member
    Desperate, rather sad bump.
  • jhc7324
    jhc7324 Posts: 200 Member
    I'd probably focus on the benefits of free weight lifting in general as opposed to the machines that your gym presumably has. If they're not going to buy into free weights in general, they're definitely not going to put in a squat rack.

    Also, the gym will probably be motivated by money more than anything. You could probably make an argument about how compound free-weight lifting works more muscles in a shorter amount of time (i.e. a 5x5 set of free weight squats might take 10 minutes, while doing machines to similarly work the same muscles would take much longer since the machines only focus on small portions of the muscle groups), which would allow them to increase their membership base without overcrowding the place... I would imagine this information exists somewhere, but I don't have any idea where to find it.

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