In setting up a home gym, weight racks are functional to keep your dumbbells, barbells, and weight plates organized. Squat racks on the other hand not only keep your equipment in place but can also provide adequate support during weight lifting.
If you\’re a gym buff, investing in home gym equipment can be worth it compared to getting an annual gym membership. It\’s just a matter of prioritizing which equipment you have to get first and the next thing you know you have completed the sets you need to keep your muscles toned and achieve your weight goal.
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3.5
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3.5
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3.5
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$699.00
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$139.33
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Heavy-duty equipment for heavyweight capacity lifting – the Fitness Reality power cage has the best ability to support up to 1500 pounds of weight. The rack consists of four, 2 inches by 3 inches tubular steel frame construction that comes with a bonus pair of J HOOKS, two 11 inches safety bars, and two 35.5 inches dual mounted safety bars that each can hold up to 600 pounds of weight each and are compatible with 7 inches Olympic bars.
You can do your wide stance and squats with an additional spotter inside the spacious power cage without the chance of bumping any parts of your body on the frames.
This rack can come with a lat pulldown and low row cable attachment as an add-on to take your workout routine to a greater extent in building your upper back, shoulders, and arms muscles. With this unit, you can perform over 24 exercises with reduced loud banging noises and more comfortable grips as it is also equipped with a high-density rubber grip dip and rubber strip to avoid scratches and dents during use.
- Sturdy and stable
- Reasonable price
- Easy to assemble
- Difficult to find accessories to work with this rack
The CAP Barbell power rack offers a sturdy 46 inches wide by 85 inches high, and 50 inches deep assembled dimensions of 11 gauge steel and 12 gauge steel tubing, guaranteed to securely hold a maximum weight capacity of 500 pounds without compromise.
With powder coat finish and industrial-quality zinc hardware, this power rack has reinforced protection from scratch, chip, and wear – maintaining its durability even after several uses.
Power racks are considered one of the must-haves at any home gym. The CAP Barbell power rack is ideal for beginners and professionals alike for bodyweight training or barbell training.
With its multiple features such as a built-in bar, double gusseted uprights, weight storage, and j cups catch, you can perform a wide variety of exercises to complete your workout routine.
- Versatile use
- Reasonable price
- Best for bodywork
- Variety of color options
- Difficult assembly
Marcy is one of the best-known brands in the fitness industry for over 35 years and the MD879 model has achieved one of the best-selling ranks in the Strength Training Olympic Weight Benches category. This exercise unit will take your overall body strength further, improve your lean muscle mass, and increase your metabolic rate to burn calories.
The dual-function bench is uniquely designed to enable you to utilize the upright bar support when performing squats and lunges while the lower portion of the bench can be used for abdominal, bicep, and lower leg exercises.
Working out is hard enough, a padded vinyl foam seats and backrest pads of this bench will provide you a piece of comfort while doing heavy exercise. The rubber grips on the arm curl handle on the other hand provide handling control despite sweaty hands. This unit has an adjustable back pad and arm curl to allow incline, decline, and flat chest exercises.
The squat rack bundled with this unit is ideal for walk-in squats, and lunge workouts adding extra workouts to your regimen. This rack is not attached to the bench and can be used as a squat rack by simply moving the barbell catch away from its bench.
- Sturdy squat rack to bear up to 600 pounds of weight
- Provide versatility of exercises
- Reasonable price
- Assembly is difficult for some
How to Choose the Best Weight Rack
Weight racks have different structures, sizes, weight capacity, and functions. One constant thing about these pieces of equipment is their purpose to help you become fit. Weight lifting requires the safety and stability of the rack, all the workouts and training will be compromised if these two factors are not prioritized, risking your safety in the process of your fitness journey. Getting to know the details of the racks before purchasing them will save you time and money in getting the specific unit that you need.
Type
In this review, there are different weight racks featured such as squat racks or a half rack and power racks or a full rack. To simply put it, the difference between the type comes down to structure and features
Half Rack
In terms of structure, a half rack can that can be used as a squat rack has a solid base made of metal, with two vertical bars met with a pull-up bar at the top that also serves as additional support for stability. A half rack has two small bars in front to catch the weights in case you lifted more than you can take to prevent injuries.
Its best application is for Olympic lifts. Nevertheless, there are various exercise routines that you can do with this type of racks such as bench presses, weight squats, and lunges. Because of its structure, a half rack can be a space saver for exercise equipment at your home. Some of these half racks are designed with plate storage to help you organize your weights before and after use.
Full Rack/ Power Rack
A full rack is made with 4 vertical bars aligned to form a cage type. The solid metal base forms a rectangular shape with reinforced bars across the top for stability. A power rack is ideal for home weight lifting for those enthusiasts with no available spotter. The hooks and catchers attached to the bars are designed to hold the weight capacity indicated on the unit making it safer for the weight lifter to drop the weights without injuries on the lifter and on the floor surface.
It is more resilient for heavy lifting due to its cage structure. However, Power racks are more expensive and require bigger space in your home. Nevertheless, it offers more versatility in the kinds of exercises that you can do especially if you have accessories and gear attachments to perform different workout routines. The best power racks for consideration would be a unit that can give you as many training possibilities to match the investment that you made.
Squat Rack
A squat rack is very similar to a half-rack when it comes to the structure of having two parallel vertical bars with support at the base and at the top. The only difference is that most squat racks are not equipped with safety bars to catch weights. One would require a spotter when using a squat rack.
Safety
Dealing with heavyweights and heavy-duty equipment has its hazards. Therefore, it could never be redundant to be reminded to always go for a sturdy and stable rack for your home to avoid unnecessary injuries and accidents especially if you are living in an apartment above ground.
The frame that holds the rack together. So, whether it is a power rack, squat rack, or pull-up bar, you must check the bolts, screws, and welds of the structure. A wobbling frame won’t do for it is supposed to support the weight of your barbell. Power racks have the upper hand when it comes to stability but there are also squat racks on the market that are also sturdy to withstand heavyweights.
You just have to make sure that the anchoring of the rack to the floor is fixed. Rubberized or anti-slip features on the base of the rack are also something to look for to ensure safety.
Materials
There is no wonder why metal materials are used to support heavyweights. But the metal itself is sometimes not enough to be called durable or sturdy, because this material is susceptible to rust and corrosion. Good thing there are ways to protect the racks from threats of becoming brittle. The best squat racks and power racks are those powder coated to increase the products’ durability. Covering the bar ends with a cap also reduces the oxidation of the metal bars.
Load Capacity
Given the price and frame structure, a power rack has a heavier load capacity compared to a squat rack. But just to be sure, always check the weight capacity capability of the rack before using it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a weight rack cost?
Half racks are more affordable compared to full racks. An entry-level rack typically costs around 230 to 350 dollars. High-end racks can cost about 700 to thousand of dollars.
Can you use a squat rack for bench press?
If the safety bar levels have the capability to be adjusted based on the height for the bench press, then, you could effectively use the squat rack for the bench press.
Can you keep a squat rack outside?
You can use your squat rack outdoors as long as the level of the ground is ideal to set up a weight rack. However, when it comes to keeping it out vulnerable to harsh environments, it could potentially affect the durability of the rack.
Conclusion
Racks can be chosen depending on the need of the customer. Squat rack, squat stand, and half-rack have a limited number of workouts that can be accommodated. Power rack and power cage offer more activities that can be done but at a greater price and a larger space requirement. Safety should be a priority when using any type of rack.
A spotter companion will help in case of losing hold of your barbell but there are racks that have spotter arms and a safety bar in case you don’t have anyone else to spot for you. Racks should be assembled properly and correctly to avoid uneven frames and a wobbly unit. Parts should be inspected before use to ensure safety.