Other/Mixed Ban the Bench/Curl!

[vegpedlr]

Not really, but when I see guys waste time doing only bench and curls, I wonder. Remember the scene in Wayne’s World when Wayne goes into the shop to ogle his dream guitar and gets “denied!” after trying to play the first few notes of Stairway to Heaven? It was clearly posted. I sometimes wonder if a gym tried that with the BP and curl, it would be pretty funny.

Not that there is anything inherently wrong with either exercise, but they seem rather overused. Might do some folks better to try something a little different. Came to mind today when I finished my entire session while some guy barely made it through a few sets of BP/curl. His phone got a better workout than he did. I wanted to do a few DLs in that rack, but oh well, next time.

Anybody else see something played out where a temporary moratorium might benefit?

 

[LukeV]

Curls definitely have their place but curls in the squat rack are an abomination and should be banned

 

[Papa Georgio]

Curls definitely have their place but curls in the squat rack are an abomination and should be banned

Whoa whoa whoa!
That's one of my guilty pleasures. Fortunately I have rack in my basement. When nobody's home I'll sneak down there, crank up "Rock you like a hurricane" and start curling away. Come on, we're all bros on the inside.

 

[Hung]

Come on, we're all bros on the inside.

yeah, i agree, but i perfer the abs more. i could stand the skinny arm

 

[Chrisdavisjr]

I think one should have to earn their sets of curls/bench presses by doing deadlifts/squats.

The invention of the sleeveless hooded sweatshirt and its ubiquity in modern gyms has a lot to answer for: Nobody even trains their shoulders anymore.

 

[Hung]

talk about "muscle training", i gained muscle mostly on my shoulder and my back when i was doing lots of press, but nearly zero in arm. My arm size changed when i started to add some snatch. For me, snatch with enough weight is biceps exercise

 

[vegpedlr]

I think that a lot of bros who replaced the bench curl obsession with dips and chins for a few months would get a pleasant surprise.

 

[Kaisersemmel]

I chuckle at this as well. 2 teenagers at my gym do nothing but bench, lying triceps extension, cable extension, pull down, barbell curl, concentration curl and cable curl. I see them 5 days a week and they go after it pretty hard.

But to be honest they make good progress. Especially one of them. And most of the Bros at my gym who have managed to get big doing mostly chest and arms are not weak either. They do some DLs and Leg Presses at least once in a while and use some decent weights(high 300s, low 400s).

So if it get's them laid and makes them happy more power to them. I got into training after high school precisely because of this and was very happy with the push/pull/legs/push/pull/(legs)/off program I did at a gym were the only barbell was used for rows and curls in the half rack.

 

[Deleted member 5559]

So if it get's them laid and makes them happy more power to them.

Once again, it comes down to what's the goal

 

[LukeV]

So if it get's them laid and makes them happy more power to them. I got into training after high school precisely because of this

Is there another reason? Am I missing something? I started lifting weights aged 14 because my mates told me it was the way to get sex. Now 35 years later, after reading the post above, I am stunned to learn I could also have been lifting weights to be happy. Go figure!

 

[J Petersen]

The invention of the sleeveless hooded sweatshirt and its ubiquity in modern gyms has a lot to answer for...

The style I absolutely cannot abide is simultaneously wearing a tank top and a watch cap/beanie.

- Be warm.
- Expose arms.

(Pick one.)

 

[Antti]

The style I absolutely cannot abide is simultaneously wearing a tank top and a watch cap/beanie.

- Be warm.
- Expose arms.

(Pick one.)

Well, to be honest about this, the head and the torso are the two points man loses the most heat from. So if you're cold, keep those two points warm first. Limbs come afterwards. So if you want to perfect your body temperature, it makes sense to first cover your body, then start taking clothing off the limbs and last from the trunk and the head.

Personally, I couldn't care less what somebody else wears at the gym, as long as they're wearing something so they don't sit on the bench with their bare butts.

 

[Papa Georgio]

Hey guys, while we're stuck on fashion. Aren't you fed up with the double standard of what's appropriate for formal/business wear?? For instance, its acceptable for women to wear sleeveless shirts/blouses/tops in a formal setting, but yet guys can't wear sleeveless shirts. What's up with that? It's killing me that a few of my favorite dress shirts have worn holes or tears in the sleeves. I don't want to throw them away, why can't I just cut those sleaves off and let my Bro flag fly?

 

[IonRod]

Surprisingly in my gym benches are mostly free. There are 2 benches and 2 power racks and I have often had to wait my turn on the power rack, but never on the bench. It should be noted that the racks are not always taken up by squatters

 

[Bill Been]

Are they sometimes taken up by people who think it’s necessary to deadlift inside a rack for some inexplicable reason?

 

[krg]

as long as they're wearing something so they don't sit on the bench with their bare butts.

yeah - they need to save that for the sauna

 

[Mirek]

I think I know of plenty of worse ways to waste time than making my upper body stronger/bigger.

 

[North Coast Miller]

I only have one pet peeve about the gym, when people pass nasty hi-pro flatulence in the freeweight area - is always in the freeweight area....usually near the squat rack.

 

[IonRod]

Are they sometimes taken up by people who think it’s necessary to deadlift inside a rack for some inexplicable reason?

No, but then again not that many people deadlift in my gym.

 

[Maine-ah KB]

there's a bodybuilding gym that went to once. I was setting up to deadlift and was told by the owner "no you have to do it in the rack! so if you drop it it won't roll away." I proceeded to blink several time in general confusion but hey his gym his rules.