Small gym. Where can I do deadlifts?

[Azinine]

What's up y'all. I'm new to the forum (and I love it) and, after a 10 year hiatus, I'm back in the gym. After reading tons of threads here, I've decided that I want to incorporate deadlifts into my routine. Only problem is, my gym is small which means their freeweight area is small. There is not a spot where I can just put the bar on the floor (on mats) and start lifting. They do have a power rack similar to this one, though:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/Azinine/1504752_0.jpg

Question is, if I move the sissy bars all the way to the bottom and then sit the barbell on top, can I perform a decent deadlift that way? I was eyeballing it today when I was doing squats and it looks like it will make the bar sit about 2-3" higher off the floor than usual... Will people laugh at me?

Thanks a lot. This place rules!

 

[Basikstylz]

Just take the safety bars all the way out and lift straight off the ground. the bars will only get in ur way. If you're cabable of doing enough weight(safetly & properly) the weights should be big enough to keep the bar high enough off the ground to be above the base supports.

 

[Azinine]

Thing is, there are no mats around the rack, only thin carpet. I think the folks who run the gym would frown upon me deadlifting right off the carpet.

 

[Basikstylz]

Well I don't know how much u lift now.... but if ur capable of putting the weight down with out dropping it you should be fine. If someone says something.... then I guess ur stuck. But they would prolly frown more if you were "dropping" the weights on the "sissy" bars.

 

[Azinine]

Well, I don't know how much I lift either! I would certainly start out low enough that I would be able to bring the weight down without dropping it.

Maybe I'll just ask them where I can do deadlifts. Now there's an idea! Only problem is, most of the people I've seen working there look like they don't lift seriously.

 

[Basikstylz]

I would say if the other padded spot is taken then go for it. Just try not to draw any special attention to yourself and maybe no one will even notice or even better no one will care.

Worst case senerio you will be asked to stop and do the lift in the "proper" location. Just means you may have to wait a little while.

Good luck!!

 

[Azinine]

There's not a padded spot. That was my point. Sorry if I didn't get that across. SMALL-ASS free weight area. You guys would probably laugh at it.

 

[Basikstylz]

Well I still say go for it...HAHA I havn't actually noticed "mats" at my gym...(24hr) but it could just be padded under the carpet where I do my deads/cleans but then again I try not to drop them anyway. But go for it.... if they say stop... Then I guess ur stuck.

Other than that the only thing I can even think of is possibly a Smith machine... if ur tiny gym even has one... but then I would think the deads would lose effectiveness

 

[Azinine]

yeah, we have a smith but I ain't going there. Thanks!

 

[ceo]

You can do them in that cage, yes. You can either do them from the floor (remove the safety bars), or you can do a rack dead lift. A rack dead is when you would leave the bars in at say knee level and you pull from there the same way you would pull from the floor. You can adjust the bars to below knees and all the way to the lowest setting as well.

Rack deads are good to help increase your floor dead weight, or if you have a back injury, or for rotating in as a compliment to floor deads. I do both floor deads and rack deads (not on the same day though).

 

[djeclipse]

yeah, we have a smith but I ain't going there. Thanks!

Cheers to that, Smith machines are absolutely crap for anything other then stretching on.


Just remove the safety bars and start deadlifting. Or deadlift in front of the cage.

Let the weight drop, don't focus on letting the weight down slowly, the deadlift is a concentric lift once it's up drop it (safely).

If they say something tell them to buy some rubber mats for under the cage. They don't cost much and should be there anyway as a deadlift is a very important lift for adding size and strength.

 

[Azinine]

If they say something tell them to buy some rubber mats for under the cage. They don't cost much and should be there anyway as a deadlift is a very important lift for adding size and strength.

I think this is the way to go.

Thanks for all of the replies. This place rawks!

 

[chazk]

go buy some cheap pads and take them to the gym , problem solved

 

[Azinine]

ok, I think this is the ticket. Since I'm a n00b and everything, what kind of pads should I buy? Just some basic foam or something? Sorry for all the stupid questions, but I certainly appreciate the answers.

 

[chazk]

ok, I think this is the ticket. Since I'm a n00b and everything, what kind of pads should I buy? Just some basic foam or something? Sorry for all the stupid questions, but I certainly appreciate the answers.

I would go with soild rubber pads thicker the better but not over 3/4 of a inch
What ever size you feel is good. Sounds like you could prob get aways with two 4x4 squares one on each side under the weight with plenty of room if the weight should rol on the floor
I would try play it agian sports for cheap used ones, maybe online or local sporting store such as jumbo sports or what ever you have in your home town.

 

[djeclipse]

Why should you ahve to buy the pads and bring them to the gym wit you every time you want to deadlift?

How much did you pay for your gym membership? Most gym memebrships around ehre are pretty expensive. Don't go spend your own money on equpment your gym should already have.

Only buy the pads yourself as a last resort.

Ask them to buy some pads for you, explain that they are not expensive and it would be beneficiary to save their floors anyway. Don;t wait for them to buy the, start dead lifting anyway, the in a few days you should see some rubber for you to deadlift on. If not you warned them, keep deadlifting.

 

[silver_shadow]

i agree with the suggestion to buy your own cheap rubber mats. BTW, from my visual calculations (based on the plates there), even if you put the sissy bars all the way down, you the plates should still touch the ground unobstructed.... i think.

 

[ceo]

Why should you ahve to buy the pads and bring them to the gym wit you every time you want to deadlift?

How much did you pay for your gym membership? Most gym memebrships around ehre are pretty expensive. Don't go spend your own money on equpment your gym should already have.

Only buy the pads yourself as a last resort.

Ask them to buy some pads for you, explain that they are not expensive and it would be beneficiary to save their floors anyway. Don;t wait for them to buy the, start dead lifting anyway, the in a few days you should see some rubber for you to deadlift on. If not you warned them, keep deadlifting.

I agree with this. Why would you buy pads on your own and carry themaround when you're already paying a membership fee? I wouldn't let them not having pads there stop me from deadlifting either.

 

[Azinine]

I wouldn't let them not having pads there stop me from deadlifting either.

You're right and I'm not. 1st deadlift session will be tomorrow.

 

[Scotsman]

Why not ask politely if it is allowable to do deadlifts in front to the rack? If they say no then ask why they don't get some mats for you to do them on. Otherwise putting the safety bars in the bottom hole will be good enough. Do not start with the bar on the floor and you on the base of the rack. This will put the bar too low for you to start with.

Cheers,
Scotsman