NO! This is a squat rack!

IronSmasher

I'm serious.

meerkat70

This is my pet peeve at gym. It's amazing the things people find to do in the squat rack, that isn't actually *squatting*.

My personal fave is when there are five blokes draped over it, watching their friend bench in the smith machine....

IronSmasher

I saw deadlifts again today. Priceless.

JustJennie1

So why can't you do other exercises in a squat rack? Is that the cage with the Olympic bar? At my other gym I used it for squats, lunges, dead lifts, bench presses, shoulder work because, well, my gym didn't have pre-loaded bars and that was my only other option.

If the gym I go to now had a cage I'd use it for that as well. As it stands I use the Smith Press.

I guess I don't understand.

itsuki

Based on my observations, I'm starting to think we were wrong all along, and we've been trying to do squats in the curl rack this whole time.

:P

And @Jenny, the reason is that a lot of other exercises don't require a rack, but squats do, for most people. So if you're doing a deadlift in the squat rack, you're preventing someone from doing squats (ie using the thing for its intended purpose) by not just being on a mat or in a general area of the gym.

It'd be like doing your stretches while standing on a stationary treadmill.

JustJennie1

Based on my observations, I'm starting to think we were wrong all along, and we've been trying to do squats in the curl rack this whole time.

:P

And @Jenny, the reason is that a lot of other exercises don't require a rack, but squats do, for most people. So if you're doing a deadlift in the squat rack, you're preventing someone from doing squats by not just being on a mat or in a general area of the gym.

I think I might be thinking of the wrong piece of equipment.

itsuki

I think I might be thinking of the wrong piece of equipment.

JustJennie1

I think I might be thinking of the wrong piece of equipment.

That's what I was thinking.

albinogorilla

I belonged to Anytime Fitness for a while, and one of the locations i went to only had one Cage, and it was the only place in the gym you could squat, bench, military press, etc...........there were no free standing benches in the place, had to pull one in the cage.............lame

tgh1914

I saw deadlifts again today. Priceless.

I'd agree except that if the only other olympic bar at the gym is being used by some dude doing curls, then I'm doing my deadlifts with the other.

d2footballJRC

Based on my observations, I'm starting to think we were wrong all along, and we've been trying to do squats in the curl rack this whole time.

:P

And @Jenny, the reason is that a lot of other exercises don't require a rack, but squats do, for most people. So if you're doing a deadlift in the squat rack, you're preventing someone from doing squats by not just being on a mat or in a general area of the gym.

I think I might be thinking of the wrong piece of equipment.

some people call power cages squat racks, the power cages can be used for multiple lifts.. Curls in them is still dumb and you wouldn't ever use it for dead lifts either..

This is a power cage:



it's great for self spotting.

Now a squat rack:



It's not a versatile as the power cage and I don't see how anyone would do deadlifts on it either but as you can see it's not as easy to do things such as military press, bench press, and other lifts like you can do with the power cage.

meerkat70

That's what I was thinking.

Then why would you want to deadlift in that?

JustJennie1

Based on my observations, I'm starting to think we were wrong all along, and we've been trying to do squats in the curl rack this whole time.

:P

And @Jenny, the reason is that a lot of other exercises don't require a rack, but squats do, for most people. So if you're doing a deadlift in the squat rack, you're preventing someone from doing squats by not just being on a mat or in a general area of the gym.

I think I might be thinking of the wrong piece of equipment.

some people call power cages squat racks, the power cages can be used for multiple lifts.. Curls in them is still dumb and you wouldn't ever use it for dead lifts either..

This is a power cage:



it's great for self spotting.

Now a squat rack:



It's not a versatile as the power cage and I don't see how anyone would do deadlifts on it either but as you can see it's not as easy to do things such as military press, bench press, and other lifts like you can do with the power cage.

Ok. It was the Power Cage that the place where I worked had. I did dead lifts because there were no preloaded bars and the dumbbells did not go up that high

LovelyLifter

I saw deadlifts again today. Priceless.

:huh:

how the hell??

d2footballJRC

That's what I was thinking.

Then why would you want to deadlift in that?

I think they are just taking the BB off the rack and using it. You couldn't do a proper deadlift in it.

Awkward30

I do deadlifts in one of the squat racks because loading the barbell on the floor is a *****.

seems to be made for deadlifts as well, imo.

tgh1914

That's what I was thinking.

Then why would you want to deadlift in that?

I think they are just taking the BB off the rack and using it. You couldn't do a proper deadlift in it.

Right. It's the number of available olympic bars that's the problem.

dlwyatt82

Are you sure you're talking about a squat rack and not a power rack? Power racks have adjustable safety bars, and are for doing all kinds of lifts safely without a spotter (squats included, but also bench press, etc). Squat racks may or may not have catch bars (usually not adjustable), and are basically just hooks at around shoulder height to get the weight up onto your back.

I bench, squat and overhead press in the power rack. If no one's waiting to use it, I'll also use that barbell for rows and deadlifts (since it's less hassle than going off to look for another one).

warmachinejt

my favorite exercise on this contraption is curling for biceps, it's the best!

taso42

seems to be made for deadlifts as well, imo.

how do you figure? deadlift starts and ends on the floor.

Scott613

It'd be like doing your stretches while standing on a stationary treadmill.

This is kind of how I stretch. I put it on the slowest speed stretch one leg and when I'm about to fall off take a couple steps forward then stretch my other leg. I'm so lazy I won't even count to 10 on a stretch!

JustJennie1

That's what I was thinking.

Then why would you want to deadlift in that?

1) The gym I went to did not have pre loaded weights
2) The dumbbells did not go up that high
3) It was my only option and, well, I don't see why you can't do DL's in it.

ETA: I also didn't leave the bar on the rack. I loaded it on the ground and did my dead lifts from the ground like you're supposed to. Again, no pre loaded bars and dumbbells that weren't that heavy

TluvK

That's what I was thinking.

Then why would you want to deadlift in that?

I do RDL's in that rack so I don't have to put the weight on the ground.

Shfiftyfive

You're probably lifting in a gym where there are no bars for floor lifts and you have to take them from racks.
Translation: A crappy gym.

IronSmasher

The safety bars are removable. You take those silly things out so you can put the bar on the floor. In the only place available in the gym for heavy squats. While your PT counts your reps.

Cages are more flexible, and are used for more exercises to save you spotters/where the right racks aren't available.
I've still seen a PTI doing deadlifts in the cage, which was the only place in that gym to use as a squat rack. I'd also like to point out that the cage was next to £4000 worth olympic lifting platform, Eleiko bar, collars and bumper plates.

Jersey_Devil

i use the squat rack for squats, deadlift, military press just cause i don't feel like searching out equipment all over the place. having said that, i do have to step out of it to do the deadlifts obviously.

WifeNMama

How would you use a power cage for a bench press? You have to lie down for those. People get really creative when they want to use something the wrong way...

Of course, I used a full tool box for squats at home the other day, we don't have free weights and can't get a gym membership right now, so I McGyvered my squats.

taso42

How would you use a power cage for a bench press? You have to lie down for those. People get really creative when they want to use something the wrong way...

You slide the bench in. I do this often, when I don't have a spotter.

Example (not me):

ironanimal

I do deadlifts in one of the squat racks because loading the barbell on the floor is a *****.

<IMG snipped> seems to be made for deadlifts as well, imo.

Um...how?

JustJennie1

You're probably lifting in a gym where there are no bars for floor lifts and you have to take them from racks.
Translation: A crappy gym.

Well if it's the only gym you have available to me, as I did at the company I used to work for, then you deal with the "crappiness' of it. Oh, for the record it was a very good gym. I don't judge my gyms by whether or not it has pre loaded bars.

ZoeLifts

I do deadlifts in one of the squat racks because loading the barbell on the floor is a *****.

seems to be made for deadlifts as well, imo.

I do squats, good mornings, and deadlifts in order in that. If you aren't supposed to have something supporting the bar while you load the weights and then move it back to the ground for deadlifts, someone please tell me how you are loading the bar on the ground? It seems inefficient.