****Official Beginner Question Thread****

[Tim Brice]

So I am looking at joining a gym. My first choice is the gym at work, but it kind of sucks. It has bench press and a full set of dumbbells. But it looks like for squatting my only option is a Smith machine. I know SS says that you should not squat with a Smith machine because the machine does all the work for you in keeping the bar straight. There is also no bumper weights and I am not sure they would allow dead lift/power cleans.

The benefits would be it only a couple of buildings over, so it is hard for me to skip out on. I can go during my lunch break, which means I have to get to work earlier, so it is a win-win in that regard. I am just concerned about the lack of equipment.

My other option is to find a gym that has these things but a quick search around does not yield anything.

[Aidan]

Obviously some gym is better than no gym, but I would contend you just haven't looked enough to find something appropriate you can get to. Have you looked on the route of your commute?

Goblet squats with dumbells, lunges etc are all better than squatting in a smith machine. Do not squat in a smith machine

[Tim Brice]

There are a few globo gyms in the area including a YMCA but most of them are really crowded around lunch time. The gym at my work is never really crowded. I should add that they have bars laying around and plenty of weight, but no squat rack.

[timotheeeee]

Originally Posted by Tim Brice

So I am looking at joining a gym. My first choice is the gym at work, but it kind of sucks. It has bench press and a full set of dumbbells. But it looks like for squatting my only option is a Smith machine. I know SS says that you should not squat with a Smith machine because the machine does all the work for you in keeping the bar straight. There is also no bumper weights and I am not sure they would allow dead lift/power cleans.

The benefits would be it only a couple of buildings over, so it is hard for me to skip out on. I can go during my lunch break, which means I have to get to work earlier, so it is a win-win in that regard. I am just concerned about the lack of equipment.

My other option is to find a gym that has these things but a quick search around does not yield anything.

Depending on your strength level and how heavy the dumbbells go, you can do a lot with the dumbbells. You can definitely get a lower body workout doing single-leg stuff. I've used my work gym for the past year, which only has dumbbells and an adjustable bench, and I've gained about 15 lbs in lean muscle. I started kind of scrawny and weak though. This is obv not optimal, but it's good for my current circumstances. No one else uses the gym but me, so I can get creative with the weights and not feel like an idiot.

[timotheeeee]

Originally Posted by Tim Brice

There are a few globo gyms in the area including a YMCA but most of them are really crowded around lunch time. The gym at my work is never really crowded. I should add that they have bars laying around and plenty of weight, but no squat rack.

You can get a very good lower body workout doing single leg stuff. I'm not saying it's better than squats, but a lot of people are coming around to single-leg training. Tons of articles out there.

[nuclear500]

Originally Posted by timotheeeee

You can get a very good lower body workout doing single leg stuff. I'm not saying it's better than squats, but a lot of people are coming around to single-leg training. Tons of articles out there.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...ut_to_the_test

Good read.

[cha59]

Originally Posted by nuclear500

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...ut_to_the_test

Good read.

that dude is a rfess beast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEBhQ...ayer_embedded#!

[DeadMoneyWalking]

Originally Posted by Tim Brice

So I am looking at joining a gym. My first choice is the gym at work, but it kind of sucks. It has bench press and a full set of dumbbells. But it looks like for squatting my only option is a Smith machine. I know SS says that you should not squat with a Smith machine because the machine does all the work for you in keeping the bar straight. There is also no bumper weights and I am not sure they would allow dead lift/power cleans.

The benefits would be it only a couple of buildings over, so it is hard for me to skip out on. I can go during my lunch break, which means I have to get to work earlier, so it is a win-win in that regard. I am just concerned about the lack of equipment.

My other option is to find a gym that has these things but a quick search around does not yield anything.

Perhaps my ongoing gym search will be of some value to you. Although I don't think there's much of a substitute for travel convenience.

LA Fitness where they saw Dodgeball and thought Ben Stiller's Globo-Gym was a role model.

pros: a lap pool. 3 squats and 2 smith squats. enormous place with a ton of treadmills, bball ct. Looked to be plenty of stations.

pick'em. the clientele was Arizona State University redux, I spotted two other people over age 27 and a hoard of pink spandex and local U mesh jerseys. Diversity amounted to 5% Mexican 95% white.

cons. closes at 10pm and only 8pm on Sat/Sun

and then he channeled Stiller perfectly.

"where else you looking at?"
Gold's and then 24 Hour

"okay let's skip those other two and get you signed up now."
Um, can I have a blank contract to take home and read?
"We don't have any contracts."
the liability waiver form then?.
"We don't have one."
I don't sign anything?
"We do it all online."

(Have you ever pressed ctrl-P before?)

So he gets down to offering me $30 to $40 per month with a $150 activation fee.

"But just for you John, I'll waive it if you sign with us today."
(I didn't bother to correct him that my name is Jim).


He's not a bad man nor does this mean that LA is any better or worse than any other place. the gym was a surreal a living parody of the movie and I couldn't tell if they were aware.

OTOH if I pick them next week, they had better waive the f#ing fee.

[timotheeeee]

Originally Posted by nuclear500

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...ut_to_the_test

Good read.

Like I wrote above, I've been doing RFESS for the past year. My glutes have exploded, and I have hamstring muscles where once there were no hamstrings. My quads have grown a little but not as much. Yesterday I pushed more through the balls of my feet and my quads are feeling it today more than my ass.

My vertical has skyrocketed, but I've been doing a lot of plyos and explosiveness training too, so it's not all the split squats. But I always get a great workout, and I've seen a ton of mass and strength gains.

[GMan42]

Originally Posted by nuclear500

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...ut_to_the_test

Good read.

That was worth reading just for the gif of the chick doing pistols at the end. Nom nom

[00Snitch]

GMan, she's pretty famous around here. youtube Zuzana. her site is bodyrock.tv.

[Spenda]

she also did porn, but before she had the great body and fake terts

[DeadMoneyWalking]

Originally Posted by Spenda

she also did porn, but before she had the great body and fake terts

that was a fun google. I hope she doesn't lose her focus by getting led down the path of health and fitness.

[00Snitch]

She actually ended up getting way too ript towards the end.

[partywme]

if someone who wants to shed some body fat whilst becoming stronger/leaner asks which type of protein shake to start on (if any at all?), what would be your advise and why?

i'm currently weighing 182lb/13st, 6ft 4in, train roughly 5 days a week mixing in cardio with lifting most days. (generally I do a 15min run to warm up and then lift for 40-50min followed by a 10-15min walk on a high gradient)