No squat rack available
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flannery2012
Posts: 58 Member
My YMCA has no squat rack available. For the first week I have been using the Smith Machine (don't boo me) because I'm not sure how else to manage a squat with no rack. Any advice?
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Replies
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You can still squat normally but you would have to find a way to raise the bar so you can easily get under it to position yourself.
Or you can do goblet squats
Or (and be aware this may affect your performance) You would have to pick up the bar and position it for each set.0 -
I would also start with goblet squats to help with hip mobility, but I am not sure I would continue squatting in the Smith machine due to learned bad technique. I ended up getting a squat rack for home--you will also use it for OHPs and depending on what you get could also use for bench (you would need to make sure it has safety pins or you get a safety "something" in case you need to dump the weights).0
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Hmm, get REALLY strong at the power clean & press? xD
Can't picture myself ever joining a gym without a squat or power rack. It's my favorite place to be in the whole gym (and where i spend most of my time!) Are there no other possibilities nearby?
Otherwise I think I'd be more inclined toward the leg press than the smith machine (seriously, they have a smith machine but no squat rack?!) but that,s just personal preference. Goblet squats are not as good at building pure strength. And yeah, whatever weight you can clean up above your head is most likely not going to be heavy enough to challenge you on squats.
One thing you could do is ask the people who run the gym about the reason why they don't have a rack. There's the slight chance that people haven't been inquiring about it enough or something like that. Unless they're planet fitness. in which case i,d just find another gym.0 -
Goblet squats would be a great way to start. You can also do front squats and get the bar up with a clean. Starting Strength has a lot of info on both the front squat and the clean and you can easily find videos on youtube for both. Start with Mark Rippetoe videos as he is the one who wrote Starting Strength.
There are also a few squat forms that you don't need to use a bar with. Bulgarian split squats would work and so would single leg squats.
Granted, the max weight you can manage will be lower than if you could use a rack.
I did some travel for work and did mostly goblet squats and Bulgarian split squats with dumbbells.0 -
Thank you all for your responses. Today I did goblet squats with db and bar only squats which is ok for now just starting out. My concern was injury after I add heavy weight. Thanks though for good advice, no more squats on the Smith ????
Someone mentioned the leg press as a sub for squats --is this a viable option? Believe it or not no squat rack but a plethora of weight machines ????0 -
Have no real experience of the leg press but I would think so. There are a lot of squat variations you can do with dumbells that would make it just as hard as doing heavier back squats. Bulgarian or pistol squats might be useful to you too there. And a thing called Zercher squats where you have the bar in the crook of your elbows. Granted you still have to lift and lower thr bar once for each set but it is an option0
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I would just do leg press. Actually I would find a new gym, but that's just me
I love the squat rack, I can't imagine going to a gym that didn't have one. 0 -
In all honesty I would just have a spotter there if the gym wont purchase a rack.0
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I would find a new gym. :ohwell:0
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I also recommend split squats. And eventually finding a squat rack. As you progress it will be difficult to perform the lifts. (Managing to get a 130lb bar and weight up and over your head)
In the beginning this was also an issue with me and I ended up purchasing my own equipment for home. Craigslist has some good finds.0
