Smith Machine Starting Strength

[BendtheBar]

Poster to Rippetoe: I just moved to the Big Apple, and in my part of town there is a power lifting gym where all the big mother****ers go literally just ONE block away! Unfortunately though, the price range is far too high to accommodate my broke status at a whopping $70 monthly fee with a $200 startup fee. YIKES!

The solution? Planet Fitness. The relatively new franchise has been making tons of business from newbies (like myself) and intermediates with their famous $10 a month promise and their 24hour availability on weekdays.

So the problem is that there is LITERALLY not a single Free weight Barbell. All of their free weights are DB's with the heaviest one being a few sets of 60lbs. So as a result, I can't do Cleans or anything like that, and the compound movements that I can and do do, I perform on a Smith Machine.

Rippetoe: In NYC, $200 down/$70 month is not unreasonable. NYC is expensive, and I think you should move to WF where we get $75 down and $30/month. But your choice is the real gym where you can do the program, or Planet Pussy where you cannot.

[Abaddon]

nice

[Trevor Lane]

But your choice is the real gym where you can do the program, or Planet Pussy where you cannot.

Priceless!

[BendtheBar]

I run into this question more than a handful of times each week, though it is not directly related to Starting Strength.

Far too many guys are lifting at home or at a crappy 24/7 gym and won't take the initiative to open a phone book, drive 5 extra minutes, pay $10 extra dollars, and lift at a gym that will actually allow them to reach their goals.

Either you want it or you don't. If you want it find a real gym.

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

I run into this question more than a handful of times each week, though it is not directly related to Starting Strength.

Far too many guys are lifting at home or at a crappy 24/7 gym and won't take the initiative to open a phone book, drive 5 extra minutes, pay $10 extra dollars, and lift at a gym that will actually allow them to reach their goals.

Either you want it or you don't. If you want it find a real gym.

Or build your own.

[LtL]

I completely agree. If you want it, make it happen. If you don't, enjoy your pencil neck and spaghetti arms.

LtL

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

Or build your own.

That's what I did. Cost less than I imagined. I sold a lot of items on Ebay that were collecting dust, primarily DVDs and books, and purchased a bench unit.

[Aurik]

Another post full of WIN from Coach Rip!

[bruteforce]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

I run into this question more than a handful of times each week, though it is not directly related to Starting Strength.

Far too many guys are lifting at home or at a crappy 24/7 gym and won't take the initiative to open a phone book, drive 5 extra minutes, pay $10 extra dollars, and lift at a gym that will actually allow them to reach their goals.

Either you want it or you don't. If you want it find a real gym.

Aye. I'm looking at driving an hour and a half on weekends to get into a good gym. Its tough when there's no where to go, but if there's something in reach, I cant see why someone wouldnt take it.

[BendtheBar]

I think if I was 90 minutes from a gym and didn't have the cash to buy a complete gym I would probably get adjustable dumbbells, a sandbag, and a pullup bar. That's about 200-300 bucks and I think it would work well.