5x5 stonglift problems....no more bar

perdie7

so, because some of the people at my gym, were jerks and didn't put the bar away, it's gone. I started stongman 5x5 a few weeks ago...now what do I do?

there is a smith machine, I use it for squats and bench press...can use it for overhead press if I squat a bit while doing it, so I can extend my arms full....but what do I do now for the barbell rows and dead lifts?

All I have available is the smith machine, dumbbells, and a room full of machines.

Doreen_Murray

My trainer discouraged me from using the smith machine...he said if I had to pick between that and kettlebells to do kettlebells, but I'm guessing your gym won't have the weight you need if you're doing SL5x5??? Do they have a 35 pound bar you can add weight to perhaps? I would discuss it with the gym manager. That's bananas!

wellbert

Yeah, you should definitely talk to the gym manager.

I wouldn't use the smith for squats... or really much of anything. It will force you into unnatural positions and that is hard on your joints.

if your gym doesn't so much as have a squat rack, it might be time to upgrade from that treadmill farm and find a real gym.

meshashesha2012

did someone just take the bar, hiding it behind their gym towel?

if you're doing a strength training program like that then you will need an olympic bar, a squat rack/power rack at some point, so what wellbert said. it might be time to look for a gym with a better weight room

JNick77

In all seriousness, find a new gym. If it's that important to the gym managers, which is fine actually, then they need to spend some time on the gym floor and find out who's not putting **** away when they're done and deal wtih them directly. It's really hard to do a program like this without a barbell. A Smith Machine is no replacement for barbells and neither kettlebells nor dumbells are replacements for barbells. DB squats do not equal Barbell squats.

perdie7

I live in a small town,we are fortunate to have what we do, the nearest other Gym, would be AT LEAST 25 miles. And don't tell me I should just get my own stuff for home, I seriously do not have any money. and my house is waaayyy to small, and old, the weights would probably fall through the floor.


This is the only option I have, so I use the smith machine, dumbbells or go back to the machines.

wellbert

Talk to the gym manager, then.

You can't really safely do squats without a rack of some sort.