why do people curl in the squat rack?

[musclestack]

This is a serious question. There are so many places in the gym where you can load a barbell with weights and do curls. In my gym, there's an elevated platform with a place to rack the barbell in front of where you stand. I see people deadlifting and doing things like overhead presses on it. But no one curls there; they go over to the squat rack. And let's be honest, you can load a bb on the floor, pick it up in front of any mirror, and do curls virtually anywhere. Hell, you could rack the bb on the bench press and do curls there (not that that would be any better, but still...). Generally, squat racks have a horizontal safety bar that curlers use to put their bb on in between sets, but as I mentioned above, there are other places in a gym where you can do it. Come to think of it, you could even rack it in the actual CURL RACK! Stil, the obvious answer to keep everyone happy would be to just load it on the ground, pick it up from the floor, and curl it anywhere you'd like where there's free space.

Why must people use the squat rack?? Please, please don't tell me it's because they're too lazy to pick it up from the floor. Because if that's the case, they really shouldn't be in the gym in the first place.

Someone please give me an answer here.

[zempey]

I use one of the squat racks to curl, mainly because it just works the best ergonomically. There is a mirror directly in front of it, a bar with adjustable starting positions for different height people, and no obstacles in the way. I also don't like to pick anything up off the floor due to a bad back. At the time of day I am in the gym there is no one there to use the rack, plus we have two. The majority of the people there at that time of day would be squatting less than I am curling anyway, lol.

[Times Roman]

there are certain demographics of people in my area that only know how to work out if they are in a group. Twos and threes usually, but sometimes four. Do you know how long a group of four can take at a particular work station? and all the BS that goes with it?

So, this group lives together and they only have one car between them?

are they afraid to go it alone because they fear they might get their ass kicked?

[musclestack]

I use one of the squat racks to curl, mainly because it just works the best ergonomically. There is a mirror directly in front of it, a bar with adjustable starting positions for different height people, and no obstacles in the way. I also don't like to pick anything up off the floor due to a bad back. At the time of day I am in the gym there is no one there to use the rack, plus we have two. The majority of the people there at that time of day would be squatting less than I am curling anyway, lol.

Thanks for the reply Zempey. I would be inclined to let people with your condition slide, but you can't tell me that everyone that curls in the SR has a bad back. And there are typically mirrors all over the gym; not just in front of the squat rack. So, for the people without a back/knee condition, what's there excuse for not picking it up off the floor. Almost everyone I see curling with a barbell never puts more than a 35 on each side (usually it's either a couple 10s or a 25 each side). You can't tell me that's difficult to pick up off the floor (again, for people who do not have back/knee conditions).

[musclestack]

On a side note, there's a guy who works out at the gym I go to; really dedicated lifter. He was curling in the squat rack a few weeks ago, and some guy (obvious powerlifter) came up to him and asked him how many sets he had left. The guy immediately asked him if he wanted to squat, and he said yes. He then said, "Well, squatting takes presedence over curling here; you can have it". And he unloaded the weights and handed over the squat rack to him.

Kudos to that guy.

[Jesusbrah]

It’s What They’re Designed For! Clearly, a squat rack is purpose built for curling. It’s obvious. Why’s it called a squat rack then? Who knows. Their specially designed cubomantic shaping makes for the ideal space to move a barbell up and then back down again. Obviously, squats are supposed to be done on yoga balls. Who would want to do those anyway, I’m pretty sure they don’t even work any important muscles. When was the last time you flexed your quads at the beach to impress the ladies?

[Back In Black]

Because people are cvnts.

[musclestack]

I asked the gym owner if I could put a sign on the mirror in front of the squatting rack that says "No Curling in the Squat Rack". He said no....

[zempey]

I could pick it up off the floor as I am not curling that heavy these days due to injury recovery, but like I said, no one is in the gym at 5am that would have both racks in use. If a guy wanted to squat in the station I'm in and the other is in use for squats, I would gladly give it up. I don't fvck around, so I am in the rack curling for 5-10 min tops anyway. The beauty about training at 5am is you almost never have to wait for anything, some days I am all alone, not even staff since they get there at 8am. Plus technically, the one rack we have is not a squat only rack since it has a special bench that hooks into it for power lifting type bench pressing, so I might not totally be in the wrong, lol.

[musclestack]

I could pick it up off the floor as I am not curling that heavy these days due to injury recovery, but like I said, no one is in the gym at 5am that would have both racks in use. If a guy wanted to squat in the station I'm in and the other is in use for squats, I would gladly give it up. I don't fvck around, so I am in the rack curling for 5-10 min tops anyway. The beauty about training at 5am is you almost never have to wait for anything, some days I am all alone, not even staff since they get there at 8am. Plus technically, the one rack we have is not a squat only rack since it has a special bench that hooks into it for power lifting type bench pressing, so I might not totally be in the wrong, lol.

Well, like I said in the OP, this was a serious question and I wanted a serious answer, which you gave me. Thank you for your response. And I suppose if there's no one there at the time to complain about it, then no harm, no foul.

[ghettoboyd]

I curl in the squat rack because my gym has 2 a neither one of them ever gets used unless my training partner and I use one...very few people do legs in my gym, everyone there seems to like the house on stilts look and just dose upper body stuff and half assed to boot lol...

[kronik420]

i work out at home.. and even then i pick the barbell up off the floor to do curls..... my power rack only gets used for benching and squatting......

[Lifted1]

Worst part is, it's always someone swinging the bar up with only 65lbs total and slamming it down like they did a killer set. I've almost, on several occasions, reminded them that there are 65lb pre weighted curling bars on the barbell rack.

I do have an exception to the rule...if you can curl 135lbs or more, then, and only then, you can curl in the squat rack.

[zempey]

That used to be my starting weight before the elbow/biceps injury, I will be back to it in the next month or so, almost healed now.

[bartman314]

because all the benches are being used?

[Khazima]

This question occurred to me the other day as well, there was a guy super setting curls in the squat rack, with curls on the fixed barbell rack, and cable curls. He actually looked like he lifts too and I thought to myself.. Seriously? After all the commotion and the frowning down on people who curl in the squat rack, a guy who may very well lift comes in and curls in the squat rack?

It completely baffled me how anyone could still think it's ok to curl in the only squat rack while there's other people in the gym.

[lovbyts]

You know at most gyms, or at least the bigger commercial gyms they have pictures on the machines that shows what muscle group it is supposed to be working. I'm going to look at the squat rack next time and see if it shows a pictures of the legs. Then I am going to be a smart ass to the next person I see doing curls in the squat rack and ask them how that is working their legs since the diagram clearly shows that is what it's supposed to be doing.

[Creech]

It's even more annoying when you see people using it for cleans or deadlifts

[jesse4466]

I use one of the squat racks to curl, mainly because it just works the best ergonomically. There is a mirror directly in front of it, a bar with adjustable starting positions for different height people, and no obstacles in the way. I also don't like to pick anything up off the floor due to a bad back. At the time of day I am in the gym there is no one there to use the rack, plus we have two. The majority of the people there at that time of day would be squatting less than I am curling anyway, lol.

I agree with the ergonomics. In addition it's more advanced curling due to the weight and length of the bar. If you can curl with decent weights on the Olympic bar that means your probably strong and know what you're doing. This also is true for doing shoulders and shrugs in the squat rack also..

as long as someone is being productive and not sitting around, I'm fine with whatever they see fit to do with the squat rack. Creativity is a part of getting a good workout. Gotta switch it up sometimes.

[zempey]

I definitely shrug in the power rack, I don't care if someone wants to squat in it at that point. If they can squat what I am shrugging then they are advanced enough to know not to bother me until I am done. But like I stated earlier, that rack is multi purpose seeing as it has a bench that attaches to it. If it wasn't for these arm injuries I would be at 6+ plates a side, but currently using 4-4.5 for sets of 15 -20 reps. I use that rack for bent rows as well as pull ups and chins, it even has a wood platform that extends back with padding on the sides for doing dead lifts.