Stronglifts 5x5 for Women

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Silly newbie question!

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natajane
natajane Posts: 295 Member
in Social Groups
Hello

A bit of a daft post but I'm very new to this. :)

Can anyone show me what a power rack looks like? And how are you meant to use them?

I thought I'd been using one for overhead press (the instructor put me on it).

But I'm now wondering if that was the dreaded smith machine... it was like a big frame with clips on the barbell which you'd flip if you felt like you'd fail the lift, and the machine would catch it for you. The weight wasn't really free in it, it was contained in a straight line.

Natalie

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  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,454 Member
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    A power rack is basically just a frame with adjustable "hooks" on it, something like this: http://www.pro-fitness.com/power_rack.htm (not a recommendation for that particular one. It was just a picture I found from googling). The barbell isn't clipped into it. You can adjust the hooks and the side bars. It does sound like you were using a Smith machine. I tried that once - never again! It really isn't the same thing at all.

    You don't absolutely need a power rack for the overhead press, as long as you can get the bar up to the starting position. I do them at home and start with the bar on the floor (but I do find it easier to start with the bar on the rack).

    Is there a power rack at all in your gym? I'm just asking, because when I went to look at gyms, most didn't have one. Some had a squat rack, and some just had the Smith machine. I found that a power rack was extremely useful and if I was choosing a gym it would have to have one!
  • chocolatecroissant
    chocolatecroissant Posts: 155 Member
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    Not a silly question! I did the same thing - used a Smith machine thinking it was a squat rack. And then I spotted the squat rack! I've never even heard of power racks until reading this thread!
  • miranda_mom
    miranda_mom Posts: 873 Member
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    That's funny - my gym has two power racks and no squat racks. It does have a Smith machine and I'll cop to using it if the other two are full!
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
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    My gym only has a Smith machine so I have to deal with doing the program on that. I didn't know what it was either, but I googled images of them and it helped a lot. But before that I literally had no idea what anything was!
  • sarahz5
    sarahz5 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    FOUR power cages, two Smiths, and no squat racks here. I didn't realize how lucky I was until I joined this group. I love my huge warehouse of a gym. :smile: Where, oddly enough, in the middle of nowhere, they also tape Cathe videos and teach overflowing cardio classes too. :laugh:

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