I'm sure the ROM was extremely deep.

I was reminded of a good one the other day which I've seen from time to time... guy using the mini deadlift jack for presumably the first time. Puts it on the sleeve. Jacks it up... wonders how to get the plates off.

wtf designs a leg press with the weights being put on at a 45 degree angle at chest height+

Lolz. Weight trees like that annoy the f*ck out of me.

I was squatting at a standard commercial gym yesterday when I walked about four stations over to get a paper towel. In that very brief moment (no exaggeration...it was that brief), I saw a guy and woman (both around mid-20s) walking toward the squat rack I was using. Without even breaking stride, the guy started to move my belt from the bar (which should have been a fairly obvious sign it was taken) while the woman started to pull a plate off. The guy in the next squat rack over said something to them, at which point they looked behind them and saw me about three steps behind them. I presume the guy in the other squat rack told them I was still on it.

So, I went up to the would-be usurper to say, "pardon me good sir, but I'm still using that...hope it won't be an inconvenience," but it somehow came out as "HEY!?!?!?!...I'm still on that!" LOL. (I'd have been a little more polite had he not grabbed my belt).

He was apologetic and all, but I found the whole thing to be surprising. It was Sunday evening and the gym wasn't even crowded.

LOL. I swear I posted the above story before reading this.

I just ask to work in. I don't think I've had anyone try to double-down on locking up half the gym after a reasonable request.

I go over to the cable cross machine and there is nobody on it but a gym bag sitting next to it. I have to walk down a flight of stairs to get there with it in sight so for a good 15-20 seconds I can assess nobody is really nearby. There is a (ridic hot) asian girl chatting with a dude on the adjacent lat pull machine and they are the only people around. I approach and ask if they are using the cable cross thinking they will tell me if someone else is using it.

Neither say anything to me but the girl turns awkwardly toward the guy, who is seated on the machine. The dude looks past her--not at me and fumes "no im not ****ing using it, grab that bag..." and storms over and grabs his bag and they both move several machines over.

My workout partner looks at me and asks "was he talking to you or her?"

I had no clue. Neither he or the girl looked at me at any point and the whole thing was weird. They either both ignored me and he blew up at his girl like an *******, or he was pissed at me for asking the question but acted super agressive in a very beta way. If had been onviously taking to me that way I probably would have asked him to clarify what the issue was, but it was such an odd series of events I just was happy to get the machine.

That kind of stuff doesn't happen in my preferred more "ghetto" location.

Is it wrong to do curls in the squat rack when nobody is waiting?

Sent from my SM-G550T using Tapatalk

yes, it's not because you don't see anyone waiting that there can't still be people doing random stuff till that idiot has finished his curls. It's fine in an empty gym

Curls in the squat rack is a dumb meme more than anything else. When I was working out at the tiniest, bro-iest gym in bogota, I only saw it once. And even then, I used my broken spanish to politely ask if he could work outside the rack. And surprise! There was no problem.

I say go for it, and grunt while you do. If some milquetoast looks like he wants to use the rack, but can't muster up the courage to ask, just look him dead in the eyes. That alone should be enough confrontation to send him scuttling back to the internet to post about the idiot douches in his gym, which is probably all he wants to do in the first place.

The above is mostly true. It's an opportunity for people to say they do squats.

As noted above, others may be waiting while you're doing your sets. Also, how much weight are we talking about? I've seen people curling 65 lbs in the squat rack (fortunately never in my current gym) who didn't appear to be unable to lift such monstrous load off the floor. I never understood the need (or desire) for a rack for this.

If you're curling 225 lb or something, that's more understandable, of course.

My gym is bad for this. People there never ask to work in. I always do when I need to, and that would go double if I saw someone doing lightweight curls in the squat rack. One time someone gave me an attitude. I replied with something like, "sorry you need a squat rack to curl, but..." which seemed to bring the point home to him (busy gym, other squat rack was used...by actual squatters). Another time, a guy let me work in but seemed to think I was mocking him by putting his curl bar on the floor prior to squatting and putting it back when done. Oh, well. It's hard to make 65 lbs look heavy.

Finally, what's with the personal trainers taking their clients into squat racks for anything but squats (and anything but heavy weights in general)? Worse, they try to cut in front of actual lifters. This is problematic when it happens, and then later when this newly minted lifter believes they are supposed to curl (or, worse, tri-set barbell curls, hammer DB curls and alternate DB curls) in the squat rack.

It's pretty simple. Using a piece of equipment for an exercise that doesn't require it, when it interferes with the ability of other trainers to do an exercise that does require is inconsiderate. It is putting your own preference above others ability to even do what they need to do.

You can't squat safely in many places. There are not usually a lot racks in many gyms. People often have to queue for others using the racks already. You can, however do many types of curls safely and effectively in other places in the gym.

This is like using a stall in the bathroom to sit on the toilet and Facebook because you prefer the privacy of a stall while there are people who might need to take a **** waiting for you, or sitting by yourself at a six person table in a crowded restaurant with lots of double tops open. Or putting your bag on the seat next to you on public transit. If you are that type of person, do you, there is no law against it but you are self centered and others judge you for it.

Not rocket surgery.

ETA: plus one for the personal trainers teaching their clients bad etiquette like this. Gathering and hoarding 3-4 sets of dumbbells during busy time. Camping out in the cross over machines doing exercises that only require one stack. I don't like a lot of them.

And, of course:

My last post was over the top, and now it embarrasses me. But I will argue that arriving to find someone doing curls in the squat rack is much less annoying than arriving to find someone actually squatting in the squat rack. The squatter can't just move outside the rack (as all curlers who don't have a personality disorder will do when asked), and he is likely going to be taking up the space for a much longer time.

Also, if that's a real sign in a gym, #8 is apparently mocking someone for using equipment that the gym itself decided to purchase and occupy floor space with.

I took it as intentionally over the top, in a funny way.

I've never had a problem with anyone not moving or not letting me work in after asking nicely. I guess not everyone wants to ask.

On a similar note, two weeks ago a guy was using one of the two bench press benches to curl, where he was straddling the bench while curling and using the end of the bench to rest his EZ-curl bar between sets. And, of course, he was using the empty bar on the rack as a towel rack. I asked him if I could work in and he left instead. He could not have been nicer about moving, but I do imagine some would have just waited until he was done.

True.

I generally do curls right after squats so, yeah, I just stay there.

Our squat racks (2) are tucked back in a corner. You would definitely know if someone wanted to use them. If I'm on one and the other is being used and someone peeks around, I always offer to move or just say it's my last set.

Thanks for the replies. I personally think it shouldnt be an issue, if nobody is waiting for the squat rack. Ive never done it before but I think I will one of these days just to experience it.

Sent from my SM-G550T using Tapatalk

Definitely post a trip report when you end up doing it

Please do it with dumbbells.