Advice on "working in"

Tawny38 · 05-12-2009, 08:32 AM

I'm not new to the gym, but new to lifting heavy - today I'm on 2A3 in NROLW. At my gym, there is a separate free weight room that is populated mostly by men. I've gotten over my self-consciousness about going in there and am able to go about my training without worrying about what others are thinking, etc.
My first experience with working in occurred last week - a guy I see there all the time started doing pull-ups at the squat rack while I was resting after doing the squat presses. I was thinking, "Oh this is cool, it's like I've been accepted in here." He even helped me unrack the plates when I was done, which I saw as a "you're one of the guys" kind of gesture.
Up until that point, if someone was using the squat rack (we only have one), I would go do other stuff until they were done. I always thought working in was something that only w/o buddies did, but I've been reading some of the posts here and see that it is a common practice. So my question is, how do you go about working in with someone when you have to change the weight plates? There's a guy that squats probably 300 lbs that trains at the same time I do and rests for a while after each set - I could certainly do my set while he's resting, but I'm not sure of the etiquette - should I just wait until he's done? Would I ask him to help me remove the plates? I could take off most of them, but not all and he is trying to rest...
I guess I could just ask him, but first I just want to know if I'm breaking any unwritten rules by even thinking I could work in with someone whose seriously training (not gabbing on a phone between sets, etc.) Thanks!

missjane · 05-12-2009, 08:34 AM

I generally don't work in with someone when they are doing squats for that very reason. It depends. But, generally, I will work in with someone on the lat machine or any of the cable stuff. The times I have tried to work in with someone in the squat rack, it proved to be a pain to be switching up the plates all the time and it messed with my rest periods too much. I guess you just need to assess the situation and see if it will work for you.

rubyam · 05-12-2009, 09:22 AM

Yeah I don't think I would try to work in with someone doing squats like that. It would be too much hassle to unload the plates and reload them. If someone is using the lat pulldown machine though and I want to use it I say "can I use that while you're resting?" and make sure to note where the weight was and put it back after my set.

wendyr67 · 05-12-2009, 01:17 PM

Ditto on the above two replies. I have no problem working in with someone on a machine where the weight is easily changable, but when it comes to that much weight in plates, I would just wait.

Tawny38 · 05-12-2009, 01:19 PM

Thanks-that was sort of what I was thinking too, but if it was normal to work in in this situation, I didn't want to continue to walk back and forth checking to see if he was done. I will work in on the machines, though!

Aoife · 05-12-2009, 02:12 PM

I don't even work in with Otto, even when we've got long rests. Squats or deads, just not worth it.