First blast! Any tips/recomendations are welcome

[Scott Stevenson]

I have been looking at the lap squats as a really good option. I will have to look into getting one of those belts!!! Could you use a dip belt and hook two carbiners to either side of the belt where the chain attaches and attach some straps to it that way??? I might have to try that For now, though I may have to go with the leg press option you're referring to. I'm afraid the db STLD are not really an option due to my gym has db's that go up to 32,5 kg. I will keep these comments and ideas in the back of my mind for when I move on to a more equipped gym and can program things exactly how I want to.

I'd not try to use a dip belt for lap squats - the bar needs to be as high on the thighs as possible and some dip belts aren't made to handle that much weight. Also, you'll need large mouth carabiners that will fill around a bar, ideally.

You could use BB SLDL.

And yes that is the exact model we have. I have honestly had a bit of a hard time making a good use of it. The gym doesn't have a rack or a smith only this. So I have had to become very clever in what exercises to do and how to do them. Now after 2 years I have learned to appreciate this machine but it's still not free weights haha.

Again thank you so much for the input and I will def make the changes suggested.

You're welcome!

You can put a barbell in the frame the freedom rack and use both a free free bar and the bar on runners, even if you wanted to load two bars, lets say to do a OH press and a CG row for Loading sets. (Or you could just use the rack and leave the guided bar racked and out of the way on the opposite side of the rack.)

You might even be able to set the safeties in place an do squats on one end and use a free bar on the other side to do SLDL's, with the bar starting from a racked position off the floor (below the safeties).

-S