Stop lifting so much heavy weight if you can't do it right

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least people are using the weights/machines where you all go to work out (even if their form triggers your authoritarian impulses). At my gym, 99% of the people "working out" are sitting on a bench or machine looking at their phones.

As a competitive powerlifter, that can be normal. I take 4-5 minutes between each set, which rarely consists of more than 5 reps and takes often about 30 seconds. It looks like I'm barely exercising. I have to stay right near or on a bench if I'm using one, because people (often men) will just start unloading or loading the bar otherwise. I almost always let women work in though, if they know what they're doing.

And god help you if, as a woman, you ask what I'm doing or ask for help because you will suddenly have a new best friend who wants to talk about technique or programs for the next 45 minutes.

I powerlift too--not competitively though (but am doing my first mock meet in April.) I try to work in another exercise during the rest--like I pair overhead press with back squats and then only rest 2 minutes usually. (Though it depends some on how heavy I'm lifting.) My coach mixes it up some--pairs plank with squat, sumo Charleston with deadlift, payoff press with kettlebell squats, weighted dead bugs with deadlifts, squat pull downs with back squat etc so even if you're resting between squats, you're still doing something but it's lighter and doesn't involve moving weight around--active rest. I'd be annoyed if someone was hogging a rig for 5 min for 30 seconds of work---which is hypocritical because I'd do it too. Getting a rig can be hard! I wish they were reservable at my gym.