What do you do while waiting for a squat rack?

hesn92
hesn92 Posts: 5,965 Member
edited January 2 in Fitness and Exercise
My gym only has two, one squat rack and one power rack. I usually go in the morning before work so there aren't many people there and I don't have to wait. But I have to go to the gym once on the weekend and the two racks are usually taken. I feel like a tard standing around waiting for it but I don't want to go on to the next thing because i feel like it's important to do them in order (I'm doing strong lifts) .... what do you guys do while waiting for a rack? Hop on a bike or treadmill or something?

Replies

  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    no i stand around the squat rack :laugh: you never know who else is waiting. i'd rather wait around and not have someone else move in.

    if the person is taking a lot of time in the squat rack, i ask to work in. if they are doing something stupid like deadlifting or bicep curls in the squat rack then i ask if they can move outside the squat rack so it can be used for squatting. only one person has ever said "no " to that and i nagged them for like a minute until they moved :laugh:
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,965 Member
    no i stand around the squat rack :laugh: you never know who else is waiting. i'd rather wait around and not have someone else move in.

    if the person is taking a lot of time in the squat rack, i ask to work in. if they are doing something stupid like deadlifting or bicep curls in the squat rack then i ask if they can move outside the squat rack so it can be used for squatting. only one person has ever said "no " to that and i nagged them for like a minute until they moved :laugh:

    LOL that is too bold for me.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,965 Member
    Or I could just stand directly behind the guy in it and when he looks at me awkwardly I can just say "Oh don't mind me, I'm just starting a line."
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    no i stand around the squat rack :laugh: you never know who else is waiting. i'd rather wait around and not have someone else move in.

    if the person is taking a lot of time in the squat rack, i ask to work in. if they are doing something stupid like deadlifting or bicep curls in the squat rack then i ask if they can move outside the squat rack so it can be used for squatting. only one person has ever said "no " to that and i nagged them for like a minute until they moved :laugh:

    LOL that is too bold for me.

    the people at the weight room know me because it's all the same people. there's this one guy in particular who's really notoriously bad about using one of the squat racks to do pushups and other stuff you dont need a squat rack for. i used to wait for him (i'm also doing strong lifts) and 1 day i wasted 20 minutes . i guess he thought i was waiting near the squat rack just to watch him do curls or something

    but anyway, just ask. especially if you see the same people at the same times. we've sort of worked out a informal squat rack etiquette at my gym since at the time i go, there's usually 4-5 of us doing strong lifts and only 3 squat racks. the pleace we have the majority of problems in my gym is the bench press cus here's only 2 benches with racks :brokenheart:
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    I ask them if I can work in with a few sets of bicep curls
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    it's relatively easy for me to get the squat rack for the squats, but by the time i get to overhead press it's too late. when that happens i just clean the bar to my shoulder
  • CymruBiology
    CymruBiology Posts: 39
    I do cardio or just wait next to it and feel like a bit of a lemon ;/
  • tubaman58
    tubaman58 Posts: 151
    You can stretch while waiting....
    but do speak up, 99% of the folks are just oblivious, not trying to be rude The others are jerks
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I stand around lurking. At my gym, if I go do something else, or even let my attention lapse, I lose my spot in line. So I stand there letting my presence be known, and post on MFP talking *kitten* about the people around me, periodically giving the hairy eyeball to potential line jumpers, heavy on the eye contact.
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
    I stare creepily.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I ask them if I can work in with a few sets of bicep curls

    How did I know this would be coming?? lol
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    my gym has only one squat rack. i've only ever had to ask a handful of people things like "when they'll be done." one guy was actually only using it for stretching. i usually come across the rack and no one else is using it.

    and i dead lift in the squat rack all the time. it's the only place with enough room. if someone ever comes up to me to use it for squats or curls (lol) while i'm dead lifting, i'll tell them politely that they can get a barbell from a bench or something and work next to me.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    1) Ask the people using it how many more sets they have left.

    2) If they have a lot then I'll probably find something else to do (or wait around if I don't want to do something else first) If they only have a few sets left then I'll sit on a nearby bench and wait (our gym has a couple of random benches by the racks that nobody ever uses apart from to rest in between sets!) lol

    Sometimes the person using it will offer to let me work in with them, which can be good if I'm pushed for time. I usually just wait it out though as I don't want the hassle of taking lots of plates on and off the whole time (all male members except me, pretty much everyone lifts a lot more than me)
  • TheFunBun
    TheFunBun Posts: 793 Member
    Yeah, I stand like right in front of the guy and do a zillion warmup squats right in front of him.
  • amybg1
    amybg1 Posts: 631 Member
    I'm fortunate (or unfortunate?) That my gym's pretty empty all the time, there's only a few people in there at a time. The 'busy' season is the Christmas break but that only lasts a few days like...Less than a week.

    I've not had a problem with waiting on people though last week there was this one guy...I was waiting to use the leg press which is beside one of the racks, he proceeded to use the leg press AND squat rack to do stretches, lunges, sort of but not really squat (using a really light weight, not squatting properly or very much at all and only doing like 3 reps) and he stayed there for 10 minutes.

    SO...I did a good portion of my workout which was conveniently near where he was at and when he FINALLY finished then I went in and did what I had the intention of doing.
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,080 Member
    I let the person know I want to use it by asking how many sets they have left, then go off and do some jumping squats on the trx or some rowing sprints...or go chat to the trainers if there are any about...
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