cesimpson

This morning’s workout was pretty regular.

5x

5x Clean & Push Press @ 125#

10x Pull ups/Chin ups @ BW

5×5 @ 205#

Zercher Squats (to the ground every rep)

Romanian Deadlifts

The YMCA at which I workout - probably like most places - isn’t so big on the free weights. There is a basketball court gymnasium and a pool.

There is a big room full of ‘cardio’ stuff - about 8 treadmills, 6-8 stairstepper machines, a half-dozen stationary bikes and an armada of elliptical machines.

There is a “nautilus room” into which I’ve never stepped even one foot.

Then, way down in the basement, is a small-ish room - the weightroom. On one wall there is a bunch of dumbbells and more benches than can actually fit in the space. There is a Smith Machine. There are two benches set up for barbell bench presses, and a third set up for barbell incline presses.

Then, crammed way over into the corner, are a proper power rack / cage and a squat rack.

So, right in front of this squat rack is really the only place where one can find room to do Power Cleans, Overhead Presses, Bent Over Barbell Rows, etc. I will often simply claim my spot there, and do everything I’m going to do with that one rack and that one barbell. That is what I did this morning.

When I finished my workout, I emptied the bar and racked the plates neatly, and began to walk away from the rack.

A fella walks up to me and asks, snooty like, “Are you finished with the squat rack?” (emphasis on the word squat).
I said, “Yeah. Sure. Go right ahead.”
Then he said as he walked away from me and toward the rack something like, “You’re supposed to use that rack for squatting.”

First of all, I WAS squatting! They’re called Zercher Squats! Secondly, the power rack was wide open. Thirdly, he loaded up 135# and did what appeared to be 3×10 @ about 1/4 depth - not even close to parallel.

It’s OK to lift light. What I do wouldn’t qualify as a proper warm-up for many people. However! If you’re going to lift, regardless of weight, lift with good form….and don’t be snotty about it. It’s not as if I was doing curls in the only open power rack.

I wish I had the budget to put one of these in my garage. And, of course, the space in my garage to put one of those in my garage. =)