No squat rack at my gym

mmapags

I just started doing this two weeks ago. I am, admittedly, new to the whole concept of weightlifting. I don't want "show." I want to assist in my fat burning. I was told that lifting weights helps. Beyond that, people who lift weights often assume you know the details about lifting weights. In other words, weightlifters aren't particularly kind to beginners. they're rally awesome at telling you what you should NOT be doing once they see you doing it, however. They rarely tell you what you SHOULD be doing.

You should probably get to know the details of weightlifting before you begin anyway right? You may just maximize your results when you know what you're doing. I only ask about your workout format because, and correct me if I'm wrong... 27 sets during your workout? That is crazy! If fat loss is your goal, then yes, lifting will help. But HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is your best friend. Get to your target heart rate for fat burn and stay there.. hard to do that lifting the way you are right now.

Why is it crazy? You're assuming that I know what you mean when you say "HIIT" and spelling out the acronym does nothing to help explain it or explain why it's the proper thing to do for fat burn. Also - are you a professional trainer? I was hoping the forums would be helpful but it seems that my best bet is to use google to understand all of this jargon. then, of course, there's the problem of multiple websites telling you what to do and all of them conflicting with each other ...

Dude, you've got a bad attitude with people who are trying to help you. You don't like the answers? How about you figure it out for yourself then! The set of limitations you've presented only has so many options and you've been given them. Why don't you maybe think about showing a little respect and maturity and stop snapping and complaining to the people who are trying to help you!

Hestion

The guy posts a thread saying that he wants to do "proper squats" (ie: barbell back squats). He didn't ask for other kinds of squat variations or leg exercises that could emulate squats. He didn't say he has an old house or no money or no other available gyms. He just said he wants to do proper squats. Therefore the correct and "blatent" (sic) reply is, find a new gym or buy a power rack. There's no other way to do what he wants to do, safely. If you can't handle the answers, don't ask the questions. Or at least provide some background information around what you're asking so people can provide more informed answers. Simple.

This might be news to you, but intelligent people who post here are looking for answers other than "duh - throw money at the problem." I also posted a more detailed description of my situation later for guys like you who are only here to state the obvious (and trolling) response. What value did your "go to a different gym" comment add? None. If I could go to a different gym, I wouldn't have posted the question in the first place. I'm sorry you needed to have it spelled out for you to get aproper and useful answer from you.

You should probably get to know the details of weightlifting before you begin anyway right? You may just maximize your results when you know what you're doing. I only ask about your workout format because, and correct me if I'm wrong... 27 sets during your workout? That is crazy! If fat loss is your goal, then yes, lifting will help. But HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is your best friend. Get to your target heart rate for fat burn and stay there.. hard to do that lifting the way you are right now.

Why is it crazy? You're assuming that I know what you mean when you say "HIIT" and spelling out the acronym does nothing to help explain it or explain why it's the proper thing to do for fat burn. Also - are you a professional trainer? I was hoping the forums would be helpful but it seems that my best bet is to use google to understand all of this jargon. then, of course, there's the problem of multiple websites telling you what to do and all of them conflicting with each other ...

Wow. Just Wow.

I'm going to offer a different suggestion. Perhaps you should post your questions on a forum where people can read your mind, because when "intelligent people" post here, they usually are looking for advice for the actual question they asked. Like DopeItUp said, you didn't put any of that additional information in your original post, and his answer and other came before you elaborated. You said you wanted to squat, we told you that it can't happen where you are now.

And then when people that have been doing this question a routine you say you just started and aren't familiar with yourself, you jump down their throats for not explaining every possible concept in detail and then ask if they guy is a trainer. If you only want advice from trainers, then post that, or better yet, hire one. If you want to spit at the advice given and say you should just Google it, feel free. There actually needs to be a lot more or that done around here anyway.

I don't understand why you feel it's cool to be rude to people that are actually trying to help you. Some of these posters have years of experience doing exactly what you're trying, and will type to their fingers go numb trying to give you and others personalized advice. If you can't accept that, find a place where people will tell you exact what you want to hear. Whatever that is.

Thank you. Apparently answering people directly and clearly is now considered "trolling". Who would have thought?

To the OP, despite your oddly rude and condescending responses I will try one more time since you're obviously very new. On the subject of workout programs in general, you specifically mention that there are lots of them and that they conflict with each other often. The simple answer to this is that there IS no perfect routine. Everyone has their own ideas and most of them are effective. Some more or less than others and the debate about this will go on until the end of time.

Let me break it down just a bit for some examples. People on these forums commonly will ask "What's the best cardio to burn fat?" (about 50 times a day in fact). The question is fair but the answer is not as easy as it sounds. There is no best form of cardio. You can walk, run, bike, skip, hula-hoop, swim, jump rope or use a treadmill, elliptical, arc trainer, adaptive motion trainer, stair stepper, bike (stationary), rowing machine... the list goes on and on. What makes them effective is finding the one that you ENJOY so that you will actually DO the exercise and CONTINUE doing it. An elliptical might be 5% more effective than a treadmill but you can make up that difference with higher intensity and a willingness to continually use it. If the elliptical collects dust after 6 months because you don't use it (because you hate it), then it's not really effective, is it?

The same thing applies for weight lifting. There are BILLIONS of programs, books, videos, sites and blogs dedicated to this. You saw someone post a link that had 35 variations of squats in this very thread. 35 variations of the same damn move! Never mind the programs themselves that structure different amounts of weights, reps, sets, days of the week and progression methods, utilizing any of the hundreds of types of exercises there are out there. It can be a bit daunting. But as above with the cardio workouts, you just need to find what you like and what works for YOU. Some guys (lots of them, unfortunately) go to the gym and do 32 sets of bicep curls every day and then go home. They don't care about their chicken legs or anything else, they just want big arms. Some power lifters will squat 800lbs and laugh at the idea of doing anything else. It's all in what you want to do. Hell a lot of the really dedicated folks will switch up programs and try new things every few months just for variety.

Having said all of that, you seem to want to get into weight lifting which is a good thing. Weight lifting not only burns calories like cardio does, but it helps maintain lean mass as you lose fat. It also increases strength, balance, bone density and improves physical appearance (just as some examples). It's pretty much a win/win proposition. So where do you start? My suggestion? Pick a well-known beginner program. Starting Strength, Wendler's 5/3/1, New Rules Of Lifting and Stronglifts 5x5 are just a few examples. Yes, you will probably have to throw money at some books and/or google these things. Get used to it, I spend wayyyyyy more time and money on getting fit than I ever spent sitting on my couch.

As for myself, I started by using Starting Strength (3rd edition) which is an excellent book by Mark Rippetoe who is one of the most famous trainers there is. The book is useful because even if you don't follow his program, it is hundreds of pages of VERY detailed information regarding most useful weight lifting techniques. There is something like 100 pages on the squat alone. He has videos on youtube detailing these things as well. It's a good place to start. Learn the moves, practice them ad infinitum and then decide what you like, what you don't like and progress from there. Maybe you like power lifting stuff, maybe you like olympic lifts. Maybe you'll enjoy crossfit. Maybe you'll move onto more of a bodybuilding isolation routine. Who knows. They're all good, it just depends on what your goals are. Regardless, they're all infinitely better than sitting around on your couch.

What an excellent post :-) I started weights 3 weeks ago, but I cheated (well its not really cheating I guess) and hired a PT, she is fantastic, is totally into free weights, and we box as well often to mix it up and get in cardio, and we will put in a few extra things, and shes got all the ideas of what to do if I"m unable to lift to much ie when my wrist was hurting etc, its not an option for anyone, but I'd say if you can, hire a PT even just for a few sessions to concentrate on weights and correct technique.

But if I had not have done that already, I certainly would be looking at the above post in lots more detail and exploring all that, what a great informative answer :-)

JNick77

So I just started Strength Training about two weeks ago and I go to the gym three times a week doing my nine exercises at 3 sets of 12 reps. I've been doing my squats on a Smith Machine because my gym doesn't have a power rack and everything I've read about Smith machines condemns them as evil and useless.

So I'm stuck. I *want* to do proper squats because I've read about all of the health benefits of doing them yet I have no manner of doing them with a bar and weights without a power rack.

Any suggestions?

I guess just do the best with what you have. If you can leave gyms then you should do so. Whenever you're considering a new gym make sure to take a long walk through it and make sure it has everything you want before you sign on the line.

kylTKe

Honestly, just answer the guy's question. He just wants to know some alternatives to using a squat rack:

... I *want* to do proper squats because I've read about all of the health benefits of doing them yet I have no manner of doing them with a bar and weights without a power rack.

Any suggestions?

This is essentially the conversation that just occurred:

Person A) How can I do something similar to squats without a squat rack?

Person Buy a squat rack or find a gym that has a squat rack.

Person A) That's not what I asked... but I can't buy one and I can't change gyms.

Person Buy a squat rack or find a gym that has one...

Person A) You're an idiot...

Person QQ fine I won't help you with all my elite advice then!

JNick77

This is essentially the conversation that just occurred:

Person A) How can I do something similar to squats without a squat rack?

Person Buy a squat rack or find a gym that has a squat rack.

I guess the real answer to the OP should've been, "there is no replacement for Back Squats with a free barbell" do the best with what you have.

IronSmasher

That's not a gym.