Gym etiquette: hogging the powerlifting station
 

Hey guys.

I workout in at a squash club that has a weight room upstairs. It's decently sized but there's only one real powerlifting station with an olympic bar. There's also a smith machine and 2 bench-presses and then a ton of regular gym-machines and some dumbells and fixed barbells.

Last friday I was doing my routine (squat, military press, pendlay row) without a partner, and this guy walks up and asks how long I'll be. I tell him I've got at least 6 sets left and offer that we do alternate sets, but he politely declines and goes and does his squats in a sled instead.

When I'm doing stuff like military presses, I could use the fixed barbells that are available, but then I'd have to return it to the floor inbetween sets and I couldn't use microweights. It's just that since I'm a beginner, I'm using small weights on the bar and I feel kinda silly hogging the heavy duty equipment while putting 10lbs weights on each side or something. But it feels more like a real exercise when I use the real stuff.

What do you guys think? How about when I'm working with a partner. Is it ok to hog the station for 30-40 mins then, because you are pretty much continually using it.

Re: Gym etiquette: hogging the powerlifting station
 

If you offered to work in between sets, that should be good enough.

Re: Gym etiquette: hogging the powerlifting station
 

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When I'm doing stuff like military presses, I could use the fixed barbells that are available, but then I'd have to return it to the floor inbetween sets and I couldn't use microweights.

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Use the fixed weight barbells. The YMCA I go to has only 1 squat rack and it's obnoxious to see someone doing curls or presses with 65lb on the bar when I want to do squats, especially because there are plenty of fixed weight barbells available. Working in is not an option because I'd be swapping out tons of plates each set. You're there to workout and you are complaining that you'd have to pick the weight up off the floor.

Re: Gym etiquette: hogging the powerlifting station
 

microweights... wtf?

Most plates are inaccurate enough that microweights don't matter.

Re: Gym etiquette: hogging the powerlifting station
 

I agree with quids. Etiquette says make the offer. Swapping plates is not a big deal even if two lifters have a huge difference between them. The typical lifter will decline because he wants his own space more so than feels overly put out by the weight differential-- which is fine and that person's choice. One bar is ridiculous.

Your work around for the military presses is also a fine compromise, and you could propose to the guy-- I use the bar for the presses, and then work back in for my rows... or some such.

You *really* don't need to apologize for using lighter weight.

Never do curls at the power racks or with the only olympic barbell.

Re: Gym etiquette: hogging the powerlifting station
 

Technically, what you did is fine... offered to swap in and out between sets - he declined, his problem.

But I still think it's inconsiderate. Squats you have to do in the rack, that's okay. But your pendlay rows and military press sure don't. I would feel like an idiot doing these in the rack, knowing someone was waiting to squat. All depends on your conscience, I guess.

I can understand you wanting to use the olyimpic bar to get the exact weight you want, but you could use the fixed weight bars and just do more/less reps. Maybe your routine calls for the exact weight you did the previous workout plus Xlbs, then so be it - but I would just flexible here.

As for not wanting to lift the bar from the floor, it sounds like your doing a full body workout anyway - so doing a 1rep clean every set isn't gonna kill you... and the weight on the bar for your military presses is probably very light compared to what you could clean, anyway, so it's not gonna have much impact. As for the pendlay row, find something around the gym to put under the plates if you need them higher for a better starting position.

But like I said, you did the right thing - if it doesn't bother you, go with it. I hate swapping in and out between sets, though, and would hate having to sit around for someone to do his whole workout whilst I waited to squat. Then again, I'd just go do something else instead - training in a busy gym, or one without much equipment, is all about being flexible/considerate.

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Re: Gym etiquette: hogging the powerlifting station
 

I like it when it's really crowded and 2 of the 3 bench-presses at my gym are taken up by people doing something like abs or butterfly dumbell things, which could be done on any flat bench, of which there are plenty around. How can people be that asinine?

Re: Gym etiquette: hogging the powerlifting station
 

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microweights... wtf?

Most plates are inaccurate enough that microweights don't matter.

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They matter to some extent. If you add microloading to inaccurate plates, you're still shifting the nominal weight and the error range around it upwards, even if that error range is larger than the microloading amount.

With programs like Rippetoe's, microloading is important to maintain progress.

For OP, you can microload the fixed barbells with chain or magnets.

Re: Gym etiquette: hogging the powerlifting station
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
microweights... wtf?

Most plates are inaccurate enough that microweights don't matter.

[/ QUOTE ]

They matter to some extent. If you add microloading to inaccurate plates, you're still shifting the nominal weight and the error range around it upwards, even if that error range is larger than the microloading amount.

With programs like Rippetoe's, microloading is important to maintain progress.

For OP, you can microload the fixed barbells with chain or magnets.

[/ QUOTE ]
Homemade microloading suggestions

Re: Gym etiquette: hogging the powerlifting station
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
microweights... wtf?

Most plates are inaccurate enough that microweights don't matter.

[/ QUOTE ]

They matter to some extent. If you add microloading to inaccurate plates, you're still shifting the nominal weight and the error range around it upwards, even if that error range is larger than the microloading amount.

With programs like Rippetoe's, microloading is important to maintain progress.

For OP, you can microload the fixed barbells with chain or magnets.

[/ QUOTE ]

The point that I was making is that the barbell/plates etc will be more off than microloading will be correct unless you'll be using same plates every time. Its mostly a psychological deal.