Commercial Gym Powerlifting
Optimising training with slippery bars and wobbly benches
Most people begin there training journey in a commercial gym. And understandably so! They are affordable, usually close to home, and normally every suburb has multiple to choose from. Commercial gyms are great, they offer many people an affordable place to train, feel more confident, partake in group fitness classes, maybe find a good personal trainer, the list goes on.
As some people progress in there training, there are those of us who discover the sport known as powerlifting, and chances are that if you have read this far, you probably are one. Powerlifting at a commercial gym can be slightly challenging at times, especially if you have been exposed to powerlifting equipment. Powerlifting equipment is of extremely high quality. Bars are more knurled so they don’t slip off your back or out of your hands. You have specific heights you can set on your bench press for the perfect rack height. The bars are more rigid resulting in far less bar whip, etc, etc. Using this equipment and then trying to go back to the bench press at your local Derimut where 1 rack height is to high and the other to low can be a difficult position to go back to.
If you find yourself in this position, this article is for you.
Ways to improve your commercial gym powerlifting experience:
Squats:
out of the 3 lifts (SBD) squatting at a commercial gym usually gives you the most flexibility. The main issues that arise squatting at a commercial gym are usually slippery bars, Squat racks that don’t have quality incremental rack heights and lastly spotters that don't have the skills to spot. solutions are as follows
slippery bars: most commercial gyms don’t allow chalk, but if your gym does, use it. an alternative measure can be investing in a bar grip shirt. These style shirts have small pieces of rubber across the back of the shoulders resulting in increased grip on the bar.
rack heights: wrong heights can be a tricky challenge, and sadly the solution isn’t all that amazing. In my experience I’ve always found its much better to unrack a bar to low, then to tippy toe it out of the rack. so solution, simply drop your rack height lower then normal.
spotters: getting a spot in a commercial gym can be very hit or miss. Especially for a squat, this is due to the fact that not everyone will actually have the ability to help spot you during a heavy squat. Due to height, BW and potential strength levels. The best thing you can do is very clearly explain how you need your spotter to spot. The other alternative is learning how to bail a squat on your own, I have a video of this on the WSPC Instagram page !
Bench Press:
Bench pressing at a commercial gym is typically the most problematic of the 3, most bench press set ups in a commercial gym are thin, wobbly, slippery and have terrible rack height options. However there are a few ways around these issues:
roll an adjustable bench into a squat rack: most squat racks in commercial gyms allow for more rack height choices, which can make or break a good bench press set up, they also allow you to move the bench as far away from the rack or to get as close to it as you need.
Bench grip shirts: grip can be a real issue when bench pressing in commercial gyms, slipping and sliding off the bench is a very quick way to de-rail a good set. So using implements such as a bar grip shirt, placing bands around benches or even investing in some baking matts (thin grippy silicone matts) can be a great way to combat this issue.
unstable benches: sadly a wobbly bench a lot of the time cant be fixed due to the design of the bench itself, however. Occasionally, depending on the design of the bench, placing a heavy set of dumbbells on the base of the bench can provide more stability.
spotters: very similar to the squatting advice, be very clear in instructing your spotter what you need from them. if a spotter is not an option your best bet is using safeties to dump the bar on, alternatively not using clips and letting plates slide off in the event of failure can be a smart option to.
Deadlifts:
Deadlifting at commercial gyms can be quite manageable at times, some gyms do have higher quality barbells, deadlift platforms, etc. other gyms sadly do not, so if you are stuck at a commercial gym with low quality barbells and managers that tell you not to drop the bars because its disturbing the mums and bub’s spin class, read below:
Chalk: most commercial gyms don’t have chalk, and understandably so, it makes a mess. If your gym doesn’t have chalk, but you’ve asked and they allow it, bring it. this can be in the form of chalk blocks kept in a zip lock bag to reduce mess, or liquid chalk. Liquid chalk in commercial gyms is normally a cleaner more respectful option.
Straps: some gyms might not allow the use of any kind of chalk, which in this case-scenario your best bet will be lifting straps. I would opt for a figure-6 style lifting strap as your grip strength is still slightly challenged, without the bar slipping due to lack of knurling. whereas figure-8 style straps can do all the work for you
Noise complaints: this can be a difficult one to deal with, especially if you sumo deadlift. The obvious thing to try do is to control the eccentric some more, which will reduce the noise when the bar hits the ground. Alternatively, implementing the use of rubber matts (one for you to stand on, and one under each plate) can also reduce noise.
Other general tips and tricks:
The above list should cover most basic issues encountered trying to powerlift in a commercial gym, the below tips are more general bits of advice across the board:
Clips: some gyms have high quality clips, others dont. if your gym has clips that slip off the bar resulting in loose plates, then investing in a strong pair of clips is a good option. Especially for squats and deadlifts. If you have some spare cash you could even invest in a pair of calibrated collars.
Filming: in most powerlifting gyms people are very aware of tripods and others filming, in commercial gyms this is rarely the case. This is less so a tip and more a piece of advice. Don’t stress about people walking in front of a camera, it happens, move on, theres always another set to film. And if it really bothers you that much, try elevating your tripod on a plyo box so it is hard not to notice.
Conclusion:
Powerlifting in commercial gym settings can be challenging, and sometimes even a touch frustrating. Especially if you have experience training within a powerlifting style gym. However with a few little tips and tricks it can be very effective, fun and fairly accessible.
