HELP! Jerks broke my rack.

RedfootDaddy

Hello!

I started doing Stronglifts about a week ago. I'm unemployed right now and want to use my time productively, and my condo has a gym/weight room, so I figured that it would be ideal. I used to do some weight lifting a hundred years ago in high school but nothing since then.

Only thing is, my weight room is small and not terribly well-kept, and some of the big manly he-man studs (i.e. jerks who tell me I don't belong in there when our paths happen to cross) broke the rack for the barbell. And the mirror, actually. So I have a barbell, and a bench, but no rack.

What's the safest way for me to go about continuing to lift? I tried doing bench presses today just resting the bar on my boobs between sets but that strikes me as potentially dangerous when I start going up in weight (I'm at 65lbs right now). It's also harder to do the squats because I have to get the bar up and over my head before starting.

Also I'm sure my form is terrible, but I'm going to post a video to the form check thread later so I can get separate advice on that.

Thank you so much for any advice.

LadyDeadlift

I think your condo needs to repair the broken equipment. Leaving a rack that is not in usable condition poses risks for all who use it.

That said - if they won't fix it - what is broken? Are you missing brackets or safety bars? If it's something minor, perhaps you can purchase your own replacement part?

RedfootDaddy

Yeah, last time I complained about the condition of things in the weight room, the super told me that no one uses it except couples who "like to have fun" so it isn't a priority (which includes replacing toilet paper in the changerooms - ew).

It was already kind of rickety and now it's just a pile of metal rods. The more jagged pieces were already thrown out. I'm guessing that to buy a new rack would be more than my current workout budget of $0.

holliehatesyou

Couples who "like to have fun"...?! Ug. Gross.

And anyone telling you you shouldn't be in there needs to good swift kick to the groin. Immediately if not sooner.

LishieFruit89

What else is available in the room?

One of the girls on my FL uses the gym in her apartment building and it doesn't have a rack either but she was able to finagle a way to still lift weight using the cable column and dumbbells. She did have to order some different handles for the cable column for her own use though.

RedfootDaddy

I don't know the names of ANYTHING down there - it's been years since the last time I was in a weight room. I ran down and took some pictures, though. This is what I'm dealing with:

Sad collection of free weights:


Our barbells: (how can I tell how much the bar weighs? I didn't realise they weren't all the same)


Weight machine one (I've been told the chest-exercise side is pointless):


Weight machine two:


And the whole glorious thing:


And here's the me, so maybe you'll understand why I get laughed at when I go to work out:

suremeansyes

Do you have a scale? Bring the scale down with you one day, weigh yourself with and without the barbells to get the weight.

And it doesn't matter HOW you look, no one should be saying anything about you getting in there are working out. Ridiculous! Makes me feel very punchy.

ETA: You can do a lot with dumbbells in the meantime. Just look up youtube videos of squats with dumbbells, bench with dumbbells...etc. Just progress with those weights just as you'd do with the bar.

jstout365

I would second the recommendation for doing squats with the dumbbells for now. You can do pretty much everything with the dumbbells actually.

asdelmonte

I agree that working with the dumbbells is your best bet for now. You can do a lot with them.

As for the meatheads who tell you that you shouldn't be there, screw them. If you want to work out you belong in the gym. It's the couples who "only want to have fun" who don't belong in there.

jerilynconn

That sucks. I'm sorry