Squat Rack Etiquette

I’ve never actually seen anyone curl in the squat rack. How unacceptable is it to superset with it? I workout at a company gym which only has one rack. Someone was doing that this morning and it screwed everything up, creating a big wait.
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Replies

  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    It's unnecessary. You could pretty much do curls anywhere else in the gym. Squats not so much.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
    With one squat rack...in the AM with people waiting for it, meh. I'd say it would be common courtesy not super set. When I had a trainer she used to tell me to super set whenever I wanted, but there are definitely times when I feel it's inappropriate. Anyway, gone are the days when I can superset with my squats.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
    I actually probably would have asked if he/she could stop and finish the squats already. Was there a line of people waiting?
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    I think it would have been completely appropriate for you to ask if he could move to another area if you’re there to squat and there are other bars available. If that is the only barbell in the place (one Anytime Fitness I went to was like that), then wait you will.
  • Lambrah
    Lambrah Posts: 45 Member
    I would return the favor and squat in the curl rack
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited January 2015
    I shy away from most SS because of the lack of equipment at the Anytimes I go to. (And I train half my days before 6am - courtesy!)

    Can you, perhaps, suggest to your company on spending another hondo or two and buy an additional barbell and power-rack? I've suggested this to the Anytime I go to a few times and they haven't responded. Cruise ships can't turn on a dime apparently.
  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
    I use the squat rack for squats and to press. I can do the presses sitting but it's not the same without using my core.

    I see the same guys in the gym so if it's the same three guys that just do upperbody work 90% of the time, I have just done my deads with the squat bar right next to the rack. On a day I go in when it's busy I will go elsewhere to DL.
  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
    I'll superset squat and OHP. But I have them in different places and if anyone wants to work in, I'm good. But it's idiotic to set up shop and superset 2-3 things in the same cage if you can do some of that crap outside of it. It's convenient to do standing OHP in the cage but in reality, if you can't clean your OHP weight, you have problems. So for OHP, I'll just clean it to the starting position and then go from there. VS tying up the squat rack
  • kalynbreann357
    kalynbreann357 Posts: 56 Member
    I use the squat rack for squats only but if someone is hogging it for something else even if it is bothersome I would never say anything I mean if they are there before you its rude to ask them to move to another area and most likely they'll get offended and won't comply. Just wait it out and try to get there a little earlier next time.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    In general, in public gyms, it is always rude to super set. Just because no one is using the 3 or 4 areas you are hogging, and just because it doesn't seem like anyone wants to use them, you're probably wrong and you're hogging. Just because no one says something, doesn't mean they don't want to use the stuff you're hogging. It's unfortunate. But, if you want to super set, get a home gym. Or, do it in a way where you aren't hogging the only squat rack in the gym. We only have 2 squat racks. It's so annoying when people are doing abs, and curls and shoulders, ...everything but squatting. I have gone up to people and pointed out that they can do that somewhere else. It is never met with kindness. I think they know they are being an @$$hole and don't like being called out on it.

    It's best to only squat in the squat rack.

    ...and don't even get me started on deadlifting in the squat rack. OMG! I will lose my *kitten* on that one.

    A gym I went too had 3 cages, 2 with platforms. Only place to deadlift.

    There was a day, I was in one of the cages with the platform, shared it with a girl. She was deadlifting behind me while I was squatting. Worked out well. And when she was done deadlifting, I had her leave the set bar set up since I had to deadlift. It's all about sharing.

    I have even been to a stereotypical meathead gym and there wasn't a designated deadlifting spot
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
    If you want to do supersets, it would be a lot better to do it with standing dumbbell exercises. That way you're not hogging any task-specific space or equipment.
  • Tortitudekitty
    Tortitudekitty Posts: 67 Member
    Lofteren wrote: »
    If you want to do supersets, it would be a lot better to do it with standing dumbbell exercises. That way you're not hogging any task-specific space or equipment.
    Yep, I know that one.

    Token git takes every dumb bell between 4kg-20kg and arranges them around themselves so they are easily to hand :# and then fanny about on the bench having a nice little rest whilst tapping away on their phone....these people drive me up the wall and get the "Paddington Bear Stare" off me. Buy your own set of weights and go home! :D

  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited January 2015
    ...and then fanny about on the bench having a nice little rest whilst tapping away on their phone....
    Had that happen to me last week. I don't know about you, but I always keep an eye on the gym activity because I am anxious about getting to my next exercise where equipment is involved. As I was finishing up with the last 4-sets on the decline bench and my next move was the Incline Bench. A guy was on his iPod doing god-knows-what, endlessly thumbing away. I moved to the flat bench instead. I got about 4 sets in when the guy on his iPod decided to sit down and finally do his set. He did four reps and was finished. Finished.

    He stood there for 20+ freak'n minutes on his iPod doing nothing.

    He has forever earned the appellation of iPod-Guy.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,476 Member
    I would consider curling in the squat rack rude.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    ...and then fanny about on the bench having a nice little rest whilst tapping away on their phone....
    Had that happen to me last week. I don't know about you, but I always keep an eye on the gym activity because I am anxious about getting to my next exercise where equipment is involved. As I was finishing up with the last 4-sets on the decline bench and my next move was the Incline Bench. A guy was on his iPod doing god-knows-what, endlessly thumbing away. I moved to the flat bench instead. I got about 4 sets in when the guy on his iPod decided to sit down and finally do his set. He did four reps and was finished. Finished.

    He stood there for 20+ freak'n minutes on his iPod doing nothing.

    He has forever earned the appellation of iPod-Guy.

    I'm glad I'm not the only one who does that - search out the next equipment, not the iPod thing. When I went to a commercial gym regularly, I'd be half way through my stuff and look over "is the bench free? oh it is! sweet!"
  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
    ...and then fanny about on the bench having a nice little rest whilst tapping away on their phone....
    Had that happen to me last week. I don't know about you, but I always keep an eye on the gym activity because I am anxious about getting to my next exercise where equipment is involved. As I was finishing up with the last 4-sets on the decline bench and my next move was the Incline Bench. A guy was on his iPod doing god-knows-what, endlessly thumbing away. I moved to the flat bench instead. I got about 4 sets in when the guy on his iPod decided to sit down and finally do his set. He did four reps and was finished. Finished.

    He stood there for 20+ freak'n minutes on his iPod doing nothing.

    He has forever earned the appellation of iPod-Guy.

    I'm glad I'm not the only one who does that - search out the next equipment, not the iPod thing. When I went to a commercial gym regularly, I'd be half way through my stuff and look over "is the bench free? oh it is! sweet!"

    I eyeball my next piece of equipment. If someone is on it, I have to determine if they would let me work in.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited January 2015
    ...and then fanny about on the bench having a nice little rest whilst tapping away on their phone....
    Had that happen to me last week. I don't know about you, but I always keep an eye on the gym activity because I am anxious about getting to my next exercise where equipment is involved. As I was finishing up with the last 4-sets on the decline bench and my next move was the Incline Bench. A guy was on his iPod doing god-knows-what, endlessly thumbing away. I moved to the flat bench instead. I got about 4 sets in when the guy on his iPod decided to sit down and finally do his set. He did four reps and was finished. Finished.

    He stood there for 20+ freak'n minutes on his iPod doing nothing.

    He has forever earned the appellation of iPod-Guy.

    I'm glad I'm not the only one who does that - search out the next equipment, not the iPod thing. When I went to a commercial gym regularly, I'd be half way through my stuff and look over "is the bench free? oh it is! sweet!"
    Oh hey you too?

    I'm anxious just getting to the gym and in the parking lot. The locker room is a mad dash swapping shoes in the winter - but that's why I change at the office. "Ohnoes... the squat rack will be monopolized and I'll be too shy (yes true) to ask to work in and my gainz will die die die."

    Rarely happens. lol
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
    I’ve never actually seen anyone curl in the squat rack. How unacceptable is it to superset with it? I workout at a company gym which only has one rack. Someone was doing that this morning and it screwed everything up, creating a big wait.

    I personally get kind of pissed at this one guy who will occupy the squat rack for an hour to an hour and a half. He never actually squats, but he lifts huge weight. He shrugs, does incline bench (which we have a dedicated bench for...), dead-lift-esque lifts and a few other things. He also changes shoes and shorts throughout this workout, which is unrelated, yet interesting.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Ask him if he is squatting in the squat rack. I see people doing shoulder shrugs all the time on squat rack on OHP. I just ask them hey you squatting. I have never had anyone tell me naw I'm doing curls.