Coach Ilg,
The gym I go to doesn’t have a squat rack and I don’t want to use
the gliding thing 
I find can only do a small amount via free weight
because I have to press the barbell over my head from off the bench press to
get it onto my shoulders. Should I stay w/the light free weight or go to the
gliding thing and go heavy so I can reach failure on my sets? Or is there
anything that you know that I can rig in the gym to give myself easy access
to the weight in order to squat?
namaste,
Justin Wood
P.S. I am on week two of the cosmic yang program and I am in love w/power
cleans. So much strength and beauty is unleashed in that lift. All problems
seem to vanish.
���
Dear Noble Fitness Warrior Justin –
That “gliding thing” is called a Smith Machine, invented by my friend Jim Smith. Yup, i am THAT old!
i want you to do 4 things:
1) Accept this situation as a Teacher, not a problem.
2)Make an appointment with the Club Manager and politely – in a yogic way – ask him or her why the hell they don’t have a Squat Rack for Christ’s sake? How is a member of their gym supposed to get an Appropriate leg workout – let alone see God – without a Squat Rack? Who is designing gyms these days, anyway?! Do this to benefit your gym Sangha. The main goal of a WF Warrior is to help others.
3) Join a different gym (threaten the Gym Manager with this option).
4) Use the Smith Machine but be very, very Aware about going to Momentary Muscular Failure; use a spotter for your heavy sets.
Finally, I share your love of PowerCleans. The outer world would be a much more kinder, gentler, and powerful place if everybody did PowerCleans until they puked black blood every week! Most people are like sheep, scared of high intensity lifts like PowerCleans. You, my noble student, have found a key to your Inner Power!
Glad you are enjoying my humble Teachings by direct experience. There are many book reviewers ‘critiquing’ TBT without so much as doing one PowerClean or even a chatarunga or a cardio commute. Consider writing a quick Warrior’s Review of TBT at Amazon.com…let the outer world hear from a real TBT Practitioner!
Onward, Upward, Inward…
i bow to you,
coach ilg
These teachings are the "Rasas" or "sap" of Wholistic Fitness. You’ll find insights to ponder, student chi to keep your own chi topped off, and plenty of proven training techniques to test on your own body, mind, and spirit! Also, you’ll find my very popular Race Reports, and news of our Sangha’s (community’s) latest transpersonal fitness adventures!