So.. I told a trainer "How it is" with a REAL squat rack!
amyaroja
Posts: 63 Member
Tell me if I did good, ladies...
Today I went to join Snap Fitness.
I called ahead. "Do you have a squat rack there?" "Yes, we do," the man replied.
So, I went in, signed the papers. Got the Mother's Day special that he invented when I walked in the door, and got my lanyard and card.
Then he showed me around.
I said, "Where's the squat rack?" He pointed to the smith machine!
I called him out... "That's not a squat rack. I don't want a Smith machine. My girlfriends online say a squat rack is what I need!"
So he gets one of the trainers over... who says things like, "Well, it will protect your knees, back, blah blah blah. AND, you can lift way heavier with it because it isolates only the right muscles. My buddy can lift a ton more on that!"
I hit back with, "I'll be careful with my knees, back, blah blah blah. I can lift plenty heavy without it. And ultimately, I don't want to isolate the muscles. I want to do a compound move and work as much of body at one time as I can! I bet your buddy lifts a lot with it, but then I bet he spends 2 more hours working out to isolate every other muscle!"
Big husky trainer guy: "Well, he likes spending 2 hours in a gym. He enjoys it."
Me, with my four year old daughter in tow, "Well, I don't like working out. I want to do 3 compound moves in one workout and be done as quickly as I can so I can go home."
These guys thought I was naive and insane! But I was firm!
Oh, they didn't have a bench press, either.
So... for a few bucks more, I went down the road and joined the YMCA. I can take my kids there and I there's a TON more stuff I can do there. AND, they have a squat rack, bench press, everything.. Even the 2.5 weights!
I'll be getting a refund from SNAP tomorrow.
(Now, IF I do ever get injured, I will happily use a smith machine. But so long as I am able, I PREFER to try real squats.
Today I went to join Snap Fitness.
I called ahead. "Do you have a squat rack there?" "Yes, we do," the man replied.
So, I went in, signed the papers. Got the Mother's Day special that he invented when I walked in the door, and got my lanyard and card.
Then he showed me around.
I said, "Where's the squat rack?" He pointed to the smith machine!
I called him out... "That's not a squat rack. I don't want a Smith machine. My girlfriends online say a squat rack is what I need!"
So he gets one of the trainers over... who says things like, "Well, it will protect your knees, back, blah blah blah. AND, you can lift way heavier with it because it isolates only the right muscles. My buddy can lift a ton more on that!"
I hit back with, "I'll be careful with my knees, back, blah blah blah. I can lift plenty heavy without it. And ultimately, I don't want to isolate the muscles. I want to do a compound move and work as much of body at one time as I can! I bet your buddy lifts a lot with it, but then I bet he spends 2 more hours working out to isolate every other muscle!"
Big husky trainer guy: "Well, he likes spending 2 hours in a gym. He enjoys it."
Me, with my four year old daughter in tow, "Well, I don't like working out. I want to do 3 compound moves in one workout and be done as quickly as I can so I can go home."
These guys thought I was naive and insane! But I was firm!
Oh, they didn't have a bench press, either.
So... for a few bucks more, I went down the road and joined the YMCA. I can take my kids there and I there's a TON more stuff I can do there. AND, they have a squat rack, bench press, everything.. Even the 2.5 weights!
I'll be getting a refund from SNAP tomorrow.
(Now, IF I do ever get injured, I will happily use a smith machine. But so long as I am able, I PREFER to try real squats.
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Replies
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Good on ya for sticking to your guns. And Smith machines can be really dangerous, IMO, because they restrict your range of movement, and don't allow for differing body types, balance centers, etc., etc. And the point is not to lift a ton of weight. It is to lift it WELL!0
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Just because saying it wouldn't be enough
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Good for you. Never settle for a smith machine, unless you need a clothes rack.0
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Nice work! Also laughing at Gwyn for the clothes rack comment.0
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Love!
A friend of mine who is a trainer told me that she likes the Smith Machine better cause she can do more weight and with a squat rack you have to balance the bar. Uh... I'm a dancer. I can always use work on my stabilizing muscles!
Good for you! I bet they didn't expect for you to know what you were talking about...0 -
I sometimes use a Smith machine. For pullups.
Good for you. I bet you will enjoy the Y!0 -
Yeah you BAMF you!0
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Yes, you did good!! :flowerforyou:0
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Alright! Thanks, friends!0
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Love this!!!!0
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how u stood your ground!!!
woohoo!!!0 -
Awesome!!! Good for you!0
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Just because saying it wouldn't be enough
Times a million!0 -
Good on you. I just transferred to another location of the same company because they only had a Smith machine on the women's side and the co-ed's side has one squat rack and is busy all the time. They wanted me to pay transfer fees, but I also explained why I needed a squat rack. They waved the fee.0
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We got your back, Jack!
Good on you for sticking to your guns! Have fun lifting real weights with proper form at the Y! :flowerforyou:0 -
You're awesome!0
