Hmm...people can think they have a right to drop weights and complain about it which will accomplish nothing or they can let go of their lazy preconception that they have to drop weights and then maybe things will change. I don't like chrome plated fluffy commercial gyms and of course there are going to be some serious hardcore clanging going on is a hardcore lifting gym. But continually dropping weight from shoulder height or overhead height? I certainly wouldn't let people come into my training area and start dropping my weights like that no matter how many bumber plates I had.
Bumper plates were meant to be an added protection not an excuse to drop weights. It's not like your bouncing rubber balls off the floor. Smytz pointed out that the equipment can't stand up to that kind of abuse and he was speaking OF using bumper plates, protective flooring, etc. Realize that his place was not a "commercial" gym but was a serious hardcore training ground for olympic lifters. He was the US Olympic lifting team coach for the early 80's. Good barbells in particular are very expensive and they get damaged by being dropped even with bumber plates. Let alone the floors, etc.
Ross, lots of people simply lower the weight incorrectly. I wouldn't expect slow controlled negatives on max deadlfits but just letting go of the weight and dropping it is certainly not proper. BTW, I have used my own equipment for years and bars get damaged from being dropped. Even the really good ones.
I hurt my back several times in the past lowering on deads (and not even max weights) until I learned how to lower properly. Sometimes it will be more like a controlled drop though, it's true.
|
Threaded Mode