No squat rack? What to do?

[Trixter]

There is only a bench press so I can bench, military press deadlift.

How can I replace de squats? I thought of pistols but I have flat feets and I have problems with like pulleys, doing them. ( one legged squat)

Equipment at disposition: A barbell with weight stacks.
- A multi-exercises machine :weak leg press, pulleys etc

couple bikes and a treadmill


Thanks!:tongue:

[TKD Tim]

Do them without a rack, just put the barbell on your shoulders! Laugh in the face of danger, who cares that it could crush you. xD



Pulleys? I always heard one-legged squats were called pistols. Those things are tough, but are more balance than strength. I think it's a viable option. Try to get good at them, then pick up some dumbells and do them with weights. Or find a better gym! Sheesh.

[Trixter]

I'm at this old-people gym in florida, its an alternative, free gym.

No free weights. I'll try putting a barbell under my heel.

[chicanerous]

Make the big unilateral exercises your staples:

bulgarian split squats
high step-ups
pistols

Also, don't be afraid to do:

lunges
clean and front squats
zercher deadlift to zercher squat
hack squats

Balance those out with:

snatch-grip deadlifts
romanian deadlifts
cable pull-throughs

[Trixter]

Gotcha!

This gave me ideas. I always forget some exercises too.

I'll tell you guys how things go tomorow trying to squat without rack haha.

Thanks!

[moose_lee]

zercher deadlift to zercher squat
hack squats


What are these? I've never heard of them before

[mr popular]

"zercher" means you hold the barbell in the crook of your elbows in front of you.

a hack squat can be done with a barbell resting on the ground behind you. (think a deadlift with the bar behind your heels rather than in front)

I did not have a squat rack or anything but a barbell for my first several months of training, and i would simply power clean the bar up to my shoulders and do front squats.

good luck buddy!

[Lobo]

I don't find zercher and hack squats to be very comfortable.

[chicanerous]

I don't find zercher and hack squats to be very comfortable.
Me neither. They're pretty much last resorts. If you can back, front, and bulgarian squat as well as step-up, there's very little reason to do them.

Just be a fucking man and squat without the rack..If all else fails, just drop the fucking bar.
I thought he meant that he had no way of getting the barbell on his shoulders, not that he doesn't have safety bars or what not.

[DeeJay]

Maybe you can do a clean and then start doing front squats.

[Jimnast]

I have the same problem no squat rack at home, however I just try to clean and jerk the bar over my head onto my shoulders.

[Tsumaru]

My friends and I workout from home and we just use the rack on the bench. You load it up as if you're going to do bench press, and then see if you can shift your shoulders under the bar while it's in the rack. We have to hunch a little bit, but as long as you try and press with your arms and take most of the weight off your shoulders while you get it out of the rack for the first few inches, I doubt there'd be any danger. Alternatively you could see if you could put the bench higher up - find some bricks or something to place underneath it, literally making the rack higher so you can get comfortably under it. I'm going to give this a try next workout.

[rock_ten]

Just don't squat, its gay anyway. Deadlift.

[moose_lee]

"zercher" means you hold the barbell in the crook of your elbows in front of you.

a hack squat can be done with a barbell resting on the ground behind you. (think a deadlift with the bar behind your heels rather than in front)


Ah! I just never heard them called that before. :P Damn terminology.

[TJ_Strong]

die.

[Steve]

Yeah, and do hack squats.

[Trixter]

I lowered the bech and I lift the bar with a wider feet stance then move up like a foot or two, then do regular squat and replace on bar that way. I do it very slowly since its a bit sketchy and I don't wanna fuck my knees. I'll check out what hack squats are since it looks like a popular option.

Thanks a lot for your answers, training is going well for now :)

[Steve]

DO HACK SQUATS YOU PIECE OF SHIT

[pyrolee]

I work out at home and don't have a rack so I squat with whatever I can lift up onto my shoulders. That's pretty much the only option available if you don't want to invest in a rack.

Like everyone else said do the squat variations, lunges, and deadlifts for legs.

---

Also, what's the purpose of putting a board under your heels when squatting? I was under the impression that raising your heel off the ground and letting the majority of the weight be placed on the ball/front of the foot can be potentially bad for the lower back.

I saw a pic of arnold doing this but I thought when squatting your feet should be flat on the ground as with deadlifts.

[Benji]

It can let you squat deeper.

[NoSpineMan]

ya I use the benchpress rack too, its a bit annoying but it gets the job done.

[chicanerous]

Also, what's the purpose of putting a board under your heels when squatting? I was under the impression that raising your heel off the ground and letting the majority of the weight be placed on the ball/front of the foot can be potentially bad for the lower back.

I saw a pic of arnold doing this but I thought when squatting your feet should be flat on the ground as with deadlifts.

"In order to reach a range of motion beyond parallel, individuals without sufficient ankle flexibility may try putting a flat board beneath the heels to artificially improve their flexibility. Similarly, a wedge shaped board may be used, allowing the entire foot to remain in contact with a single surface, improving stability over the first technique. Both methods are short-term fixes and require that regular stretching and a full range of motion be employed to maintain and increase flexibility to the desired levels with the ultimate aim that the board's use be eliminated. In the sport of weightlifting, a specifically designed squat shoe that has a heel elevated by an encased wooden block is commonly worn. Some experts discourage the use of a board or heel, however, because it may lead to a breakdown of proper form[3]. In any squat, even one performed without these depth-increasing aids, the lifter should take care to exert force from the heel of the foot and not from the toes during concentric muscle contraction in order to maintain balance and keep the focus on the muscles of the thigh."

From Wikipedia -- part that I wrote actually.

[pyrolee]

From Wikipedia -- part that I wrote actually.Haha, nice! I ended up searching wikipedia and reading that exact same paragraph.

Here's a follow up question:
How does one know if they possess sufficient flexibility to squat safely?

[chicanerous]

How does one know if they possess sufficient flexibility to squat safely?
You can squat to the depth you want and maintain good form while doing so. :wink:

[Vormav]

A fun combination of lifts that shouldn't require a rack (although you might not want to pile on too much weight):

(Power clean -> Hang clean -> Front squat -> Jerk) = 1 'rep'
8-10 reps = 1 set
3-4 sets with a short rest between sets.