advice with using the bench for squats

[seamus1979]

i posted a thread a while back saying how all the local powerlifting gyms have been closing down and i have been forced to use the local leisure centre gym as there is fuck all else
theres no power rack or squat rack there so after some advice from here i have been making do with front squats and zercher squats
anyway
i came up with the idea of using the bench press to do my squats
allow me to elaborate
i set the pins in the highest position on the bench
i sit down on the bench facing the bar
i then put my head under the bar and can stand up with it
i then walk back from the bench and can squat with the bar
im good walking back out of the bench when im doing my volume day squats
however when it comes to my heavy day im not really confident walking out of the bench so ive been squatting whilst standing with the bench between my legs
i squat down and let my arse tap the bench
i know its not as deep as i normally go
im hitting parallel but not below

so any tips people?
is this ok as an alternative to squats in a power rack or am i not going deep enough?
cheers

 

[ChaseT.]

Find a real gym or buy a power rack.

 

[seamus1979]

great advice idiot
there where 3 powerlifting gyms with an hours radius of me
they have all closed down because the owners realised they can make alot more cash building apartments on the land
i live in a two bedroom apartment
a power rack is not a sensible option

 

[Barut]

Why is a powerrack not a sensible option?

Try hack squats, zercher squats, clean to front squat.

You could look for squat stands on craigslist too.

The way that you're squatting is shitty. Be creative an find a better way.

 

[seamus1979]

like i said i have already been doing zerchers squats and front squats from power cleans as a replacement to normal squats
i was just experimenting the last few weeks to find a way to do normal squats
when im doing my volume work on squats im cool walking out from the bench and going ass to grass
however with no safety bars im not confident walking out from the bench
i live in a 2 bedroom apartment bud in london with no garage so there isnt the space for any sort of home gym. and im not allowed to bring in anything to the leisure centre gym to use as a squat rack

 

[seamus1979]

double post

 

[Barut]

like i said i have already been doing zerchers squats and front squats from power cleans as a replacement to normal squats
i was just experimenting the last few weeks to find a way to do normal squats
when im doing my volume work on squats im cool walking out from the bench and going ass to grass
however with no safety bars im not confident walking out from the bench
i live in a 2 bedroom apartment bud in london with no garage so there isnt the space for any sort of home gym. and im not allowed to bring in anything to the leisure centre gym to use as a squat rack

There are no proper gyms in London? I think there are some other S+P'ers from London. Maybe one of them will show up and give some advice. I'd concentrate on Z-squats and hack squats until I could find a place to back squat.

Maybe check out Uni gyms or see if any of the local martial arts gyms have a weight area. There's got to be somewhere in London to squat.

 

[takeahnase]

so any tips people?
is this ok as an alternative to squats in a power rack or am i not going deep enough?
cheers

Wouldn't this depend on your height?! Plus, if you have no other options, squatting too high is better than not squatting at all, so I don't get the point of the question.

 

[seamus1979]

believe me bud there was three good local gyms with power racks but over the past two years they have closed
theres lots of gyms in the area still around with rows of smith machines and wobble boards
this leisure centre is about the only one that will let me use chalk

 

[SteveX]

this leisure centre is about the only one that will let me use chalk

are there other gyms in your area? maybe one of them has a squat rack

if you find one that does then join that one instead. Doesn't matter if they allow chalk or not you could always invest in some liquid chalk

 

[seamus1979]

sorry bud like i said
there was only 3 gyms with power racks but they have all closed
every other gym available only has smith machines
this leisure centre is one of the few that allows chalk use and will allow me to deadlift
at the moment my wrestling club has applied for funding from the 2012 olympics and were hoping to build up our own weights gym with the funding. were only currently renting a hall but within the year were gonna have a permanent place so then i wont have to worry about my gym facilities.

 

[ChaseT.]

Sorry bud. You aren't looking hard enough. Two gyms that are in London that I know for a fact have squat racks:

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/gyms/england/genesis-gym

http://www.reeboksportsclublondon.com/home/index.php

 

[seamus1979]

lol
a gym in wembley and canary wharf
nice find
that would only take about 3 hours to get to in evening traffic
london is a pretty big place

 

[Gavin LeFever]

People are trying to help you, and you're being a douche to them.

With all due respect: go fuck yourself.


Squat stands and an Oly set pack up pretty tight in the corner of a room or a closet. Use it for a clothes hanger when not in use.

If it's too expensive, you can get it for free at Sears, you douche.

 

[seamus1979]

when i posted this before all i got was the same old response of buy a squat rack
the space i have it is not an option
simple as
there are no gyms within an hours driving distance that has a squat rack
but all people say is buy a squat rack or find a "real" gym
from my previous thread i got some sensible responses and added front squats and zerchers to my routine as an alternative
now i asked for response on if going down to bench height is low enough for squatting
not on an opinion on how to arrange my apartment

 

[Donut62]

People are trying to help you, and you're being a douche to them.

With all due respect: go fuck yourself.

+1. What you are doing to back squat sounds like something that would show up in the Idiots in the Gym thread. You can't use any respectable weight and it sounds like an injury waiting to happen. Stick to front and hack squats and deadlift. Look into getting a squat rack or some stands.

 

[Hardac]

and why don't you have an ADC av?

 

[spiral]

I live in a two rooms appartment which is fucking small. Even my gf from Tokyo find it small. Yet I still have a squat rack in it. It takes up half the space in my bedroom, so what? It's true I don't spend all my nights there, but if you're serious about your training, I think it is an option you might seriously consider, as it will solve all your problems, for a fraction of the price you would pay for a gym membership. I know I couldn't go back to going to the gym afterwork.

 

[theNuge]

If you have room for a bench you should have room for squat stands at the very least. Are those not an option as well?

 

[TheCuttlefish]

Get two friends to help lift the weight on to your back.

People are trying to help you, and you're being a douche to them.

With all due respect: go fuck yourself.

You're calling him out for being a douche to Chase? lol.