Crappy free gym, can't deadlift, suggestions?

[imTKain]

Hey guys, I'm moving and will only have access to a free "fitness centre" and honestly cannot afford to pay to go to anywhere else. I can't deadlift there because they don't have free barbells on which you can add weight. Basically I just have barbells that go up to 100 lbs, cables, 3-100 lbs DBs and a smith machine. Suggestions please?

[jack_of_all]

Hey guys, I'm moving and will only have access to a free "fitness centre" and honestly cannot afford to pay to go to anywhere else. I can't deadlift there because they don't have free barbells on which you can add weight. Basically I just have barbells that go up to 100 lbs, cables, 3-100 lbs DBs and a smith machine. Suggestions please?

Find a new gym, seriously.

You can't do squat, bench, overhead, etc... with that setup either.

I think you'd be better buying a 300# oly set (like 100 dollars) and lifting with that in your house than you would be doing an entire program around <100 lb bars and the smith machine.

[imTKain]

Find a new gym, seriously.

You can't do squat, bench, overhead, etc... with that setup either.

I think you'd be better buying a 300# oly set (like 100 dollars) and lifting with that in your house than you would be doing an entire program around <100 lb bars and the smith machine.

Why can't I do squats/bench/OH with a smith? I did that in the past before actually getting into BBing, but got away from it after starting getting serious.

Also, the main point of this is I CAN'T AFFORD ANYTHING lol

[jgrube]

my gym is like a year for 300. just save up and do that

[jack_of_all]

Why can't I do squats/bench/OH with a smith? I did that in the past before actually getting into BBing, but got away from it after starting getting serious.

Also, the main point of this is I CAN'T AFFORD ANYTHING lol

Using the smith for a short period of time to train around some sort of mild injury, or to finish of a fatigued body part where good form is no longer possible with the normal movement, could be potentially useful.

Starting out a training program doing every single compound lift on a machine is a recipe for failure.

Other people might have other opinions, but I would rather stop lifting for a few months while i saved up money than do all my lifts in a smith.

[VoxExMachina]

Look, deadlifts are a good exercise but they are not the end-all be-all of your routine. If that fitness center is all you can afford for now, then don't sweat it. Use what you have the best you can.

There is more than one way to develop any muscle in the body. Not being able to do any single exercise is no reason not to be able to make great gains. Don't let anything stop you.

[DJAuto]

You don't have to do DL's.

Improvise with what you have (DB DL's etc.). There's individuals in worse scenarios making the best of them.

[ByronOrpheus]

Get a job or sell some drugs. Rob someone even, this isn't really that expensive of a hobby.

[wolfbaden6]

Why can't I do squats/bench/OH with a smith? I did that in the past before actually getting into BBing, but got away from it after starting getting serious.

Also, the main point of this is I CAN'T AFFORD ANYTHING lol

Age: 20

Get a job. You can pay off a few months with your first paycheck.

[WillGoesBoing]

If you have a buddy who's big you can ask him to come workout with you.... and just deadlift and squat him.

[chazzy1864]

Look, deadlifts are a good exercise but they are not the end-all be-all of your routine. If that fitness center is all you can afford for now, then don't sweat it. Use what you have the best you can.

There is more than one way to develop any muscle in the body. Not being able to do any single exercise is no reason not to be able to make great gains. Don't let anything stop you.

^ That.

100lb dumbbells open up a lot of doors.

You can do SLDL and RDLs with the dumbbells.

Also...any exercise you can do with BB you can do with DB, it just might be a little more awkward. You can deadlift with dbs. YOu just have to force yourself to keep the DBs in front of your knees, where your body naturally wants to bring them to the sides.

[AHTTG]

this isn't really that expensive of a hobby.

Exactly right. I know a lot of people that spend more on Starbucks every month than I do on weightlifting. The only thing expensive about it is the food.

[Venumb]

You have access to a FREE fitness center.....what was your issue again????

You're in a much better position than I was for many years. Like others mentioned previously..don't be afraid to think outside the box to achieve your fitness goals.

[unity]

look, i dont know what your financial situation is, all i can say is, i understand. i have been there. anyone making comments has not been there. i have been at a point where i did not have enough money for any gym membership, let alone the money for the diet to maintain anything. thats with 2 jobs. sucky jobs, but that was all i had at the time. sorry, sometimes there are higher priorities in life than hitting the weights.

anyway, i would have LOVED to have access to a free fitness center like that. i dont really like to use the smith much, but if it was all i had i would be all over it. plus i like the comments about those dumb bells. dont worry man... your deadlift might suffer some, but you should be able to maintain your physique.

[400Lb Gorilla]

If you have a buddy who's big you can ask him to come workout with you.... and just deadlift and squat him.

lol. you just invented the big guy deadlift. i bet that one isnt in kikn's sticky lol.

[-Lucifer]

Why can't I do squats/bench/OH with a smith? I did that in the past before actually getting into BBing, but got away from it after starting getting serious.
Also, the main point of this is I CAN'T AFFORD ANYTHING lol

Do front squats/split-squats/Bulgarian split-squats in the Smith.

Benching, OH pressing, shrugging etc. is fine too.

[J_Bo]

I went to a gym like that for a couple months. A did smith machine deads for the time I was there.

[flangmasterj]

Use the smith for deads.

I've been doing them on the smith for the past year and have found them to be very beneficial.


Waits for the mandatory "deadlifts on a smith machine are unsafe and no way near as beneficial as free deads".

[fit4life545]

Hey guys, I'm moving and will only have access to a free "fitness centre" and honestly cannot afford to pay to go to anywhere else. I can't deadlift there because they don't have free barbells on which you can add weight. Basically I just have barbells that go up to 100 lbs, cables, 3-100 lbs DBs and a smith machine. Suggestions please?

Sounds like a good "opportunity" to change up your workout for a couple months. Do some different exercises, # of reps, etc. to instill some muscle confusion and possibly some gains.

[J_Bo]

Use the smith for deads.

I've been doing them on the smith for the past year and have found them to be very beneficial.


Waits for the mandatory "deadlifts on a smith machine are unsafe and no way near as beneficial as free deads".

I actually felt the movement a lot more in my erectors and lats, doing them on the smith. They really were good. I know Dexter Jackson does his deads on a smith, too.

[Beachman]

Grab a 100lb DB in each hand and do higher reps with less rest. Then get a job or another job and find a real gym or start buying your own home gym equipment.

good luck