P
Pugilistic
Guest
So I go to two different gyms, my boxing gym that I go to for free since I used to be a fighter and a small gym with weights that's attached to my apartment complex and charges like 20 bucks a month to tenants.
The apartment gym is good in the sense that not many people use it so I can work out in relative peace and quiet (most of the time) but I also have many issues with it. It is a small gym obviously designed by someone with a limited budget and does not work out. For example there is no squat machine but only one smith machine located oddly close to a doorway, making it difficult for people to use the door if someone is on the machine. Another example is that there is only one bar, and it is for bench pressing. This is also located in a tight space so you won't be able to fit in another person to spot you during heavy lifts.
My main gripe however is that it is mostly used by elderly Koreans. In case you didn't know, Koreans have a tendency to not be very aware of where they put things or how they use space. Meaning they'll just leave their shit everywhere or stand around in the most illogical places such door ways, middle of staircases, etc. Elderly people are the most egregious offenders in this regard. In the gym, this translates to nobody ever putting the weights back where they belong. This can be quite infuriating because I'll go to the gym and see dumbbells and plates littered everywhere. But fine, I'm a patient dude and I can pick up after people who probably never seen a gym while growing up.
But what I can't help is that they never ever derack the one bar after benching. Literally every single time I go to the gym, I see plates (usually 15kg) on the bar and I am the only person who ever leaves the bar deracked. After years of sitting there with weights, the bar is now bent. It's been bent for a couple years and it's only gotten worse. This makes lifting with the bar problematic, especially deadlifts. It's probably the reason why I can't progress further with my deads; because I have a really hard time gripping on to the bent bar at a certain point.
My boxing gym has newer and better quality equipment, including a new bar that's actually straight. I had a much easier time doing deadlifts with it. The problem with my boxing gym is that they don't have enough plates so I can't increase my deadlift there (past 140kg). And since it's a boxing gym and not a weightlifting gym, it doesn't make sense for them to invest more in weights.
I am at the point of considering signing up at another gym, but if I can, I'd rather not spend more money. Is there a way to straighten out a bent bar?
The apartment gym is good in the sense that not many people use it so I can work out in relative peace and quiet (most of the time) but I also have many issues with it. It is a small gym obviously designed by someone with a limited budget and does not work out. For example there is no squat machine but only one smith machine located oddly close to a doorway, making it difficult for people to use the door if someone is on the machine. Another example is that there is only one bar, and it is for bench pressing. This is also located in a tight space so you won't be able to fit in another person to spot you during heavy lifts.
My main gripe however is that it is mostly used by elderly Koreans. In case you didn't know, Koreans have a tendency to not be very aware of where they put things or how they use space. Meaning they'll just leave their shit everywhere or stand around in the most illogical places such door ways, middle of staircases, etc. Elderly people are the most egregious offenders in this regard. In the gym, this translates to nobody ever putting the weights back where they belong. This can be quite infuriating because I'll go to the gym and see dumbbells and plates littered everywhere. But fine, I'm a patient dude and I can pick up after people who probably never seen a gym while growing up.
But what I can't help is that they never ever derack the one bar after benching. Literally every single time I go to the gym, I see plates (usually 15kg) on the bar and I am the only person who ever leaves the bar deracked. After years of sitting there with weights, the bar is now bent. It's been bent for a couple years and it's only gotten worse. This makes lifting with the bar problematic, especially deadlifts. It's probably the reason why I can't progress further with my deads; because I have a really hard time gripping on to the bent bar at a certain point.
My boxing gym has newer and better quality equipment, including a new bar that's actually straight. I had a much easier time doing deadlifts with it. The problem with my boxing gym is that they don't have enough plates so I can't increase my deadlift there (past 140kg). And since it's a boxing gym and not a weightlifting gym, it doesn't make sense for them to invest more in weights.
I am at the point of considering signing up at another gym, but if I can, I'd rather not spend more money. Is there a way to straighten out a bent bar?
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