Adapting WSB for a Commercial Gym

By Steve Fredine
For EliteFTS.com
  
 I am not an expert nor am I an elite level lifter. I am just a working guy who has been bitten hard by the PL bug. Because current situations dictate that I work out at a commercial gym and the preferred equipment for WSB techniques is not readily available (GHR, Reverse Hyper, bands, chains, boxes etc.), it has become necessary to take a step back and look at the intent of the suggested movements/equipment and try to mimic them in an alternate way. Through some creativity, trial and error, divine intervention, guile, public relations and just dumb luck, the following adaptations have helped in applying many WSB principles in commercial gym purgatory. 

 
Remember to always make a buddy on the management staff of your gym before implementing anything “out of the ordinary” for your gym; let them in on your “training secrets”. Most of the time just having the staff aware ahead of time eliminates any negative reaction. If you must, let them take credit for a new “discovery” to get them on your side. The goal is to train your way not to argue with the staff in their house. If you are traveling and will not be back in that gym in the near future, feel free to be creative and “Wendlerize” the situation.

 The adaptations listed in this article have worked well for my workout partner and me. Always be sure to TEST YOUR SET UP before getting under the bar. You can’t lift if you’re broken or dead. 

1. Be Creative & Patient: A commercial gym does not always have the equipment you want and it has people that don’t know why they are at the gym, don’t understand gym etiquetteor how to stay out of their own way let alone yours. Wearing the “Accommodating Resistance” and “Board Press” shirts may help keep the uninformed at a distance. When you go to the gym you should already be going with goals for that day that fit into your larger program. Have your plan ‘A’ written in pencil and be ready to creatively switch to plan ‘B’. Plan ‘B’ should contain exercises that accomplish (or be close to accomplishing) the same goal as the exercises of plan ‘A’. Being prepared for possible change will help your workout stay on track and keep frustrations down. Example: Rack lockouts aren’t available so you do paused 6 boards. Not the same thing but close enough so as not to stress. Each situation has its own pluses and minuses. Be prepared to adjust to the unknown. For instance, I have a small 10’tape measure in my bag. This can be used to help determine how well alternate equipment can be used for box squats, suspended movements, pin pulls etc. If you are new to the sport, bring a list of alternate exercises so that changes can be quick. Anticipate workout change. 

2. Box Squats: The box isn’t the key. It is the sitting back to the appropriate depth with proper form and breaking the eccentric/concentric chain that is the key. To do this, you need something that is the right height and is strong enough and stable enough to safely accommodate the exercise. Aerobic steps will work in a pinch. Rubber coated plates can be stacked without slipping. Use a tape measure to determine the right height. I personally use a box made from 2” x 10”s cut 14” long with 2 screws fixing the edge of one side to the end of another piece. I used non-rusting deck screws and drilled pilot holes first to avoid splitting the wood. I measured and cut 2 pieces of ¾” plywood and fastened them to the top of the 2” x 10”s using pilot-hole/deck-screw method as before. To carry the box, I bought a wooden float handle from a concrete accessory store and screwed it to the side of the box. I now have a portable, heavy duty box roughly 15 ½ “ x 15 ½ “, 10 ½ “ high.  
I coated the box with a liquid urethane and added rubber granules to make it less slippery, waterproof and to save on wear and tear. The box can be left it in the back of my truck year round when not in use. I finished the box by spray-painting it black with red and blue highlights to make it so ugly nobody would ever want it. To change heights, I add 45# plates as needed. My gym has Irongrip plates and the 45’s are roughly 1 ½ “ high. They will vary in thickness so break out the tape and measure to be sure of where you are height wise. 

3. Suspended GM’s & Pin Pulls: Figuring these out was interesting. The power rack at my gym has holes that start too high to do pin pulls level and bringing in chains each time for suspended work was not going to happen. Then an epiphany occurred. I was in my local Home Depot® and walked past the tow straps and tie-downs. A light bulb went on over my head. The aisle I was in suddenly lit up, trumpets sounded, bells rang and Angels sang. I bought a pack of tie-downs that had straps rated for 1,500 lbs each. Strong, lightweight straps are no problem to toss in the gym bag. Much easier to lug around than chains. I cut off the buckle-strap leaving a long strap (6’2” ±) with a factory loop on one end and a rubber coated modified ‘S’ hook on the other end. To set up for suspended GM’s, I put the safety bars as high as they’ll go and put the strap over the bar. I put the looped end of the strap through the enclosed end of the modified ‘S; hook and then looped it over the open end and pulled tight. When done on both sides, this creates the cradle to suspend your bar. To do pin pulls, set up the safety bars in lower holes. Use your tape measure to find the correct height. If intermediate heights are needed, wrap the strap around the safety bar before looping it together on the ‘S’ hook. TEST YOUR SET UP BEFORE GETTING UNDER THE BAR. One could utilize a personal training gift certificate and have the personal trainer check any ‘suspect’ set ups. 

4. Board Training: To have a full set one mean carrying 21 boards into the gym. To use combinations of boards fastened together becomes unsafwe with only 2 of us lifting on ME bench day. With workout partner Kyle Moosman (aka “Mooseman” aka “The Big Stink”) and I alone on heavy bench days we needed a set up that was easy, quick and safe. Back at the Home Depot® I bought an 8’ 2” x 6” and had them cut it into 1’ lengths. (They will usually cut your wood for free.) This gave me 6 - 1’ pieces and some insurance pieces. I used the pilot-hole/deck-screw method to fasten 2 boards together and 3 boards together. This gives a 1, a 2 and a 3 board in the set. To do 4, 5, and 6 boards, I got some heavy duty velcro with adhesive made for exterior use. On one side of the 1 and 3 boards I put a loop strip on one end and a hook strip on the other. On the 2 board I put the 1 & 3 board velcro lay out on both sides. Now for 4 boards, the 1 can be stuck to the 3 board. For 5 boards the 2 is stuck to the 3 and 1, 2 & 3 are stuck together to make 6. We keep them in place by using a modified ‘S’ hook (left over from cutting the tie-down buckle strap) and looping a mini band through the closed end, passing the mini under the bench and over the boards then hooking the open end of the ‘S’ hook to the open end of the mini. This set up keeps the boards secure while allowing for movement and it is quickly released.  

5. Floor Presses: Not every squat/power rack is set up to accommodate floor presses inside of the rack. What we have found works well is to put the safety bars low and set the bar out side of the rack on the handles of the safety bars. This isn’t ideal but seems to work OK with a lift off. Take care to not let the bar roll off of the handle.  

6. Benching With Bands: The set up we use is just like the DB set up shown on eliteFTS.com except we throw a stretched cutoff t-shirt sleeve over the DB knurling to reduce wear on the bands. 

7. Squatting With Bands: Many commercial gym power racks have side rails that go right to the floor making the set up used on “sumo” racks impossible. I have taken some 1” nylon strap and cut it into 2-30” strips. Each end was knotted on itself creating 2 closed loops. These loops are usually thin enough to fit under the very low rails. Once the strap is under the rail, they can be connected with a caribiner (back to Home Depot® or REI®. REI® will also have tested nylon strapping material and caribiners). The bands can then be looped around the bar, passed through the caribiner and choked on a DB or plate as needed. The Irongrip plates are great for adjusting tension as they have the handle holes as well as the center hole to loop bands through. Though not as seemingly sketchy as the set up for suspended GM’s, this set up needs to be tested and secure prior to starting the exercise. 

8. Chuck Taylors: A proven, quality shoe for wide stance squatters. There is nothing magic about the name of the shoe or the brand; it is the form and the following function that are important. Chuck’s are flat with a full rubber sole and they have molded sides that prevent ankle rollover. If for whatever reason you are unable to use Chuck’s, find a shoe that has a flat, full rubber sole with molded sides that meets your personal needs (better width, higher arch etc.). I have a need for more arch support than what I found in the Chuck’s. I found though I liked the Chuck’s, I am more comfortable in a low skate shoe by Airwalk®. There is at least one individual from Elite Fitness Systems that squats in Addidas® Sambas™ (an indoor soccer shoe). Within the functional goal, find what works for you.  

In summary, do not let the lack of the ideal situation frustrate you or hinder your training. Use the information in this article as needed for your situation. Find new solutions and share them. Go to the gym with your workout goals in mind and be broad minded and creative in achieving those goals. Train smart. Train safe. Lift big. Make PR’s. 

Please e-mail any questions to Coatings75@aol.com.