no power lifts???

[flooman281]

Well, I just moved into college a few days ago and started back up my weights routine this morning.
I got into the gym, grabbed a bench, did one set of bench presses and rested for a bit. As I was looking around I saw no power lifting station! alas! How can I get by these four years without the awesomeness of squats, deadlifts, and cleans? They've got smith machines but I really don't like them at all.
So, what do you guys recommend as good substitutes for those 3 lifts? I could do leg presses for squats and rows for cleans, but i'm pretty lost on what I can do for deadlifts. Halp?

PS
not lifting for 6 months really saps your strength in a hurry :P

EDIT
the rec center doesn't allow power lifts... at all

[JoeBAR]

Originally Posted by flooman281

Well, I just moved into college a few days ago and started back up my weights routine this morning.
I got into the gym, grabbed a bench, did one set of bench presses and rested for a bit. As I was looking around I saw no power lifting station! alas! How can I get by these four years without the awesomeness of squats, deadlifts, and cleans? They've got smith machines but I really don't like them at all.
So, what do you guys recommend as good substitutes for those 3 lifts? I could do leg presses for squats and rows for cleans, but i'm pretty lost on what I can do for deadlifts. Halp?

PS
not lifting for 6 months really saps your strength in a hurry :P

What else do deadlifts need but a bar and weights?

EDIT:

What else do cleans need but a bar and weights?


The squat is the only one that may need some thinking, but perhaps you didn't notice a pair of high stands to hold the bar at the right height....

[wil]

Stooopid college.


Just do the deadlifts and cleans off the floor. That's what I do for deads in my basement.

Squats will be a little more tricky.

[Steel_UK]

Get the bar off the bench and use that for deadlifting. Simple!

[JoeBAR]

Originally Posted by Steel_UK

Get the bar off the bench and use that for deadlifting. Simple!

huh?!?!?


Deadlift: pick up a stationary bar off the floor and stand up, put back on the floor. Where's the bench???

[wil]

Originally Posted by JoeBAR

huh?!?!?


Deadlift: pick up a stationary bar off the floor and stand up, put back on the floor. Where's the bench???

I think Steel_UK just meant to get the bar from the bench station and go do some deadlifts with it. Chances are if the gym has smith machines but no squat racks/power stations, there might not be many extra bars sitting around.

[flooman281]

forgot to mention...
there's no power lifting station because my college doesn't allow power lifting ^_^;;
but yeah
stupid rule
probably to prevent stupid people from hurting themselves
but still
wah D:

[Steel_UK]

flooman....

On the possibility of a failure to deadlift resulting in stroke:

Deadlifts that are too heavy to pull generally don't take very long; the bar just kinda lays there. So if trying to move immovable objects was dangerous from the standpoint of stroke, the history of the human race would be littered with stupid people's corpses.

- Source.

[tidalwave]

My office gym didn't have a proper rack (just smith machine), so I would remove the bar from the bench (ask Steel_UK suggested) to do deadlifts. For squats, I raised the bench supports as high as they would go, step in and bend a bit deeper, CAREFULLY so as not to hurt my back or lose balance, and hoist the bar up. It's probably not the safest looking thing, but it worked well for a while. From my unsound reckoning, the bar would have to be getting into the 400 range for that squat arrangement to be unsafe.

Does your college have much of an athletics program? Are we to imagine that the entire football team does smith machine squats?

[Steel_UK]

What I want to know is why is there an apparrant obsession for so-called gyms to have machines only and a smiths machine rack thingy rather than free weights?

[wil]

Originally Posted by Steel_UK

What I want to know is why is there an apparrant obsession for so-called gyms to have machines only and a smiths machine rack thingy rather than free weights?

That must be the trendy thing to do (I dunno since I workout at home). My wife goes to an LA Fitness (she likes to use the pool). I'll have to ask her what kind of equipment they have there.

[flooman281]

We've got a football team but we aren't D1 in any sport except lacrosse i think. So yeah, apparently the entire football team trains by using smith machines, or they've got their own separate weight room.

[JoeBAR]

Originally Posted by Steel_UK

What I want to know is why is there an apparrant obsession for so-called gyms to have machines only and a smiths machine rack thingy rather than free weights?

There is a 'fashion trend' for smith machine squats. Also, machines are 'tidy', especially the one with weights pegged in. In my gym, few people respect the rules and dumbells & plates are all over the floor. It's an H&S concern, and could easily, upon inspection, result in closure of the gym.

Since discipline enforcement nowadays in so unpolitically correct, it's easier to just remove the dumbells and plates and replace them with machines. Beside, machines look impressive to n00bs. Remember that gyms do not want members who come! They only want new member, who pay atrocious joining fees and never show up to make a mess

[wildstang]

i used 2 use my bench untill i bought my own squat station. just a little awkward setting weight back down is all but can be done. great negative effect also takeing more time 2 set weights on properly after squat.

[pliny_2001]

Is it one of those colleges that also don't allow boys and girls to spend time together unchaperoned?


Seriously, though, you may have a few other options - I don't know your school, but I've found that ones that are old enough usually had a gym before they built the photo-worthy new student rec centers. Find that gym, which will never have a mirror, and is guaranteed to be very dusty. Just lift there. I've also found that a number of residence halls have their own gym in a locked basement.

Of course, I've found that rules really don't apply to me personally. Be friendly with the staff, maybe lift when it's not as busy in the AM, and get 'er done. My $.03.

[orientalkid]

The squat is the only one that may need some thinking, but perhaps you didn't notice a pair of high stands to hold the bar at the right height....
__________________

I have this problem in my sch too, what i did is to do walking lunges with dumbell followed by globlet squats (try to work up to 15 reps, heaviet DB in the gym or what u can handle), no rest. I garuntee ur quads will get fried after 2 sets