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Being able to lift safely is an important part of any home workout. That’s why buying the best squat rack or power rack is so important. But with so many types to choose from, how do you know which one to buy?
It’s not always easy. We’ve seen over 100 different racks and stands on Amazon alone, without counting the hundreds of configurations offered by the Rogue Fitness racks.
That’s why our guide is designed to take you from start to finish, offering independent advice on the best brands, which features to look for, exercise options, and much more. We’ve tested some of the top squat racks and power racks on the market right now, and shortlisted the 10 best options that best lived up to our standards.
We offer a series of in-depth reviews, where we rate and compare bestselling racks from big names like Body Solid and Valor Fitness. Each squat rack is then rated based on the pros, cons, and affordability, to help you find the perfect squat rack for sale for your own home gym.
So, whether you’re on a budget and looking for half racks or simply looking for the best squat rack money can buy, you’ll find it here in our comprehensive buying guide.
Tip: Pair this piece of strength equipment with one of these top rowing machines for the ultimate garage gym.
What is a Power Rack?
A power rack is a piece of weightlifting equipment, usually constructed from 11 or 12-gauge steel, with four uprights and a pair of safety bars. Unlike most squat racks, these are designed to function as a spotter during free-weight barbell exercises.
The ‘walk-in’ section at the front of the rack is open, with no cross-brace steel across the base. This is to enable a workout bench to be positioned inside the frame, allowing you to perform variations on the barbell bench press with this squat rack/ bench press combination.
Wall-mounted versions are available. But your standard power rack (also known as a power cage, squat cage, or squat rack) will be freestanding, bolted to the floor for improved stability. These are the gym racks of choice in Crossfit gyms.
Variations to look out for:
- Distance between safety bar height settings
- Style of pull-up bar
- Attachment options (lat attachment, ‘land mines’, dip bars, etc.)
- Weight capacity (on the internal bar catches, external bar catches, and safety bars)
- Whether the rack is fitted with Olympic weight plate storage pegs
These are just a few of the top design features to look for, which we’ll look at in much more detail later in the guide.
Best Power Racks and Squat Racks by Price
When it comes to price, these are the top squat racks, some with pull up bars, available by price.
PRICE RANGE: $50-$200:
- Cap Barbell FM-CS7000F Power Rack – 500+ Reviews
PRICE RANGE: $200-$500
- Best Fitness Power Rack
- Titan T-3 Power Rack – 90+ Reviews
- Powerline PPR200X Power Rack – 230+ Reviews
- Valor Fitness BD-7 Rack /w Lat Pull – 250+ Reviews
- Valor Fitness BD-41 Rack /w Lat Pull – 250+ Reviews
- Rogue SML-2 Monster Lite Squat Stand – 90+ Reviews
PRICE RANGE: $500-$1000
- BodyCraft F430 Power Rack – 20+ Reviews
- Body Solid Pro Power Rack – 45+ Reviews
- Rogue R-3 Power Rack – 170+ Reviews
- Rogue R-4 Power Rack – 20+ Reviews
PRICE RANGE: $1000-$1500
- Body Solid SPR1000 Commercial Power Rack
- EliteFTS™ R3 3×3 Rack
- Rogue Fitness R-6 Power Rack
PRICE RANGE: $1500+
- Rogue RML-690 Monster Lite Power Rack
- EliteFTS™ Multi High/ Low Pulley Power Rack
- EliteFTS™ R3 Power Rack
Top 10 Best Squat Racks / Power Racks for Home Gyms
| Image | Product | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Top Pick  |
| 9.9 | Check price |
 |
| 10 | Check price on Rogue |
 |
| 9.8 | Check price |
 | 4. Valor Fitness BD-11 Heavy Duty Power Rack/Squat Rack
| 9.8 | Check price |
 | 5. Titan Fitness T-2 Series Power Rack
| 9.8 | Check price |
 |
| 9.7 | Check price |
 | 7. IRON COMPANY Body-Solid Power Rack
| 9.2 | Check priceRead Review |
 | 8. Valor Fitness BD-41 Heavy Duty Power Cage with Multi-Grip Chin-Up Bar
| 9 | Check priceRead Review (Older BD-33 model) |
 | 9. Body-Solid Best Fitness BFPR100 Adjustable Power Rack
| 9 | Check price |
 | 10. CAP Barbell Full Cage Power Rack
| 9 | Check price |
- Heavy gauge American steel & hardware
- Maximum space & storage
- Lifetime guarantee
- Comes standard w. Fat/Skinny Pull-Up Bar and X-43 Multi-Grip Bar
If space and money aren’t an issue, we would recommend the Rogue R-6 Power Rack. We loved how the weight plate storage extends the length of the rack to 76-inches, which is 15-inches longer than the more compact R3 3×3 rack from EliteFTS™. The R3 is still a top choice if you’re looking for something a little more compact.
The Rogue R-6 took the top spot in this price range due to its solid base design and range of upgrade options. Westside hole spacing of 1” is included for more control during the bench press, with 6 pegs to support the use of resistance bands if needed.
We liked how Rogue also included 3 pull up bars; one 2″ ‘Fat’ bar, one 1.25″ ‘skinny’ bar, and the multi-grip Monkey Chin Bar. This really is the most versatile power rack that we reviewed for a home gym.
As this is no basic squat stand, we discovered that this really is not a rack for small spaces, with its large footprint taking up a significant amount of space. A feature we liked was that the infinity J-cups can be used inside and outside the rack. With no crossbeam at the base, we had maximum freedom of motion while squatting, or positioning our weight bench.
If you want to extend the rack in the future, you can also fit Rogue Landmines to the base, which act as a sleeve for an Olympic barbell. This enabled us to perform T-bar rows for developing our upper back muscles — not a bad lifting rack at all.
The EliteFTS™ R3 3×3 rack is a more compact weight lifting rack alternative, offering many of the same features but managing to shave 15-inches off the length of the footprint. This includes the Westside hole spacing, Olympic weight plate storage, open frame, and J-hooks.
Unfortunately, there are no band pegs and only one pull up bar, but it does include a set of dip handles and a Plyometric platform. That being said, we still think that overall, the Rogue is the best power rack for a home gym.
- Value for money
- 12 + 14 Gauge steel construction
- 3 Colors availabe
- 750 Lbs weight capacity
- Durable powder coating finish
Usually priced between $200 and $300, it’s not surprising that the CAP Barbell full cage power rack has quickly become a bestseller on Amazon, with over 400 highly rated reviews.
We took the opportunity to test it ourselves and were pleasantly surprised at the value for money. We noticed it has a 500 lb capacity, making it an affordable option for all strength levels. The standard pull up bar has a rating to a max capacity of 750 lbs, and we were really impressed with how stable it was. Saber style safety rods can be set at any of the 13 height settings, supporting a wide range of user heights and exercise options.
For pull ups and chin-ups, we found that the knurling on the top bar provided some useful grip assistance, while the 43.62” W x 72” L footprint left us with plenty of space to set up a workout bench inside the frame.
We didn’t like that there were no added extras or Olympic plate holders included. And with the holes spaced 4 ft. apart, we found it challenging to set up specific safety heights while doing bench presses.
However, we loved how easy it was to assemble. Straight out of the box, it only took us around 2 hours to put it together. We used a 6mm Allen key bit in an impact driver which sped up the setup phase. While this may be a limiting option for serious lifters, we found this power rack to be an excellent budget option for those just stepping into the lifting world.
- 12 Guage steel construction
- 27 Different variable bar positions
- 750 Lbs max load on safety bars
- 3 Year warranty on frame
- 60 Day return policy
We found that between $200 and $700 is the most competitive price range for the best power rack and squat stands. We found this rack to hit the sweet spot between the lighter weight capacity of a budget squat rack, and the high-end features of more expensive full commercial heavy-duty steel designs for your garage gym.
If you’re looking for a quality squat rack that combines compound movements with isolation exercises, such as tricep extensions and cable curls, our top choice would be the Valor Fitness BD-11.
We liked the 750 lb capacity on the safety bars and the inclusion of the weight plate storage. And with its lat pull attachment with high and low cable pulleys, it’s the perfect solution for affordable full body workouts.
Another squat rack worth considering in this price range is the Rogue SML-2 squat stand, if the SAML-24 safety spotter arms were included as standard, our top choice would have to be this but the $160 price tag means a $445 stand jumps to over $600. Although Rogue makes a lot of fantastic squat racks and power racks, even a foldable squat rack, we felt that we needed a diverse range of products to review. This is within our price range, but perhaps still worth a look since we liked its 1000 lb+ weight capacity, fat/skinny pull-up bar combination, Westside spacing pattern, and solid 3” x 3” 11-gauge steel frame.
It really comes down to what you’re looking for from a workout. If it’s heavy, compound lifts like squats and overhead presses, we recommend the Titan T-3. Like the Rogue SML-2, it has a 1000 lb capacity, Westside spacing, and a set of fat/skinny pull-up bars. The lack of crossbeam at the base also gives you complete freedom of movement, which is most important during front and back squats.
- Made with 2x3" 11 Steel Gauge
- West Side Hole Pattern – 1” through bench and clean pull zone then 2” spacing above and below
- Inside Rack Depth: 24"
- Unique 1.25” and 2” Pull-up bar at 7’ 6” Height
- (2) Infinity J-Cups, (2) Pin/ Pipe Safeties, (4) Band Pegs
Once we go above $800 you’re only looking at specialist brands, such as Rogue Fitness. The thing we love about Rogue is that, through their website, you can often take one of their racks and customize it with various accessories.
With its Westside hole spacing, Infinity J-Cups, built-in band pegs, and Pin Pipe Safeties, our top choice would have to be the Rogue R-3 Power Rack. The R-3 has a smaller footprint than the R-4 but is essentially the same design. You can even opt for the R-3 Shorty version if you want to save 6-inches on the height (bringing the rack height down to 7 ft.). This option is ideal if you’re working with limited space.
We discovered that it’s one of Rogue’s bestselling power racks, and one of the designs that’s compatible with their X-43M Multi Grip Crossmember pull-up bar. This addition usually adds around $145 to the price though.
If you want to avoid the additional expense, we think you’ll do fine using the pair of fat/ skinny bars provided, as we could still comfortably perform exercises like kipping pull ups with it. Throw in a set of gymnastic rings over the pull up bar on this squat rack and you have yourself a dipping station.
If you’re interested, Rogue’s closest match, in terms of balancing features and price, would be the Scholastic 3×3 Full Power Rack from EliteFTS™. It offers a similar style of Pin Pipe safety bars, with high and low anchor points for resistance bands. You’ll also benefit from a variety of weight plate storage pegs, provided you have enough space for the larger footprint.
- 50 x 70mm commcercial steel construction
- 400 Lbs max user weight
- Tow Pulley system
- 1800 Lbs weight capacity
- J - Hooks including
Almost every home gym power rack we’ve seen is priced under $1500. But if you’re looking for a professional setup where money is no object, there are a few luxury racks worth considering We reviewed one of these to see what all the hype was about and if it’s a worthy addition for the ultimate garage gym.
Unless you work out with a training partner, power racks that include a monolift, such as the EFS Monorack, are probably out of the question.
If you’re looking for a complete garage gym setup for a squat rack and power cage, this Major Lutie is a great option. We loved how it comes with everything, including a lat pulley system and a landmine attachment, which was an optional extra on the Rogue power rack. This is the best power cage when it comes to bang for your buck overall.
The bar has a maximum capacity of 500 lbs, which is not bad considering it is a smith machine after all, with the maximum weight capacity on the cables for dips being 450 lbs. We brought in a bench to test how it does with bench presses and were pleasantly impressed with its performance.
We loved how there are multiple configurations for this setup, making it possible to get in a full body workout from a single piece of equipment. Although we think a set of adjustable dumbbells would make a great addition.
The only thing didn’t like is that the assembly instructions were quite unclear, so it took some trial and error on our part to figure it out.
We also found that the power rack will ship in multiple boxes, not just one, so double-check that you have everything you need. Also make sure you have a proper set of tools on-hand, as the included tools were pretty average and we resorted to using our own.
Best Squat Rack Brands
As with any home gym equipment, choice can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to get a clear idea of what to expect from each brand, so you can narrow down your options and get the best value for money.
To help speed up this process, we’ve reviewed power racks and squat racks from industry leaders, including Rogue Fitness, Body Solid, Valor Fitness, and XMark, to help you find the best rack for your own home workouts.
Cap Barbell
As with brands like Atlas, Cap Barbell specializes in developing bestselling, affordable power racks. The difference here is that Cap have a more varied product line, which includes the FM-CS7000F (lightweight squat rack), FM-CB8000F power rack (300 lb capacity), and the Cap FM-CB8008 power cage.
The downside is that, although they’re affordable and have high review ratings, they’re very much designed for lighter weights. None of the racks can support more than 300 lbs on the safety bar and catches, and each storage weight peg can’t hold more than 150 lbs.
Contrast this to the 800 lb capacity of the Atlas Power Rack, or the 800 lb+ capacity of the Valor Fitness designs, and you’re looking at a considerable difference in strength. It’s suited to beginners, but if you’re serious about lifting we would favor one of the designs from the companies listed below.
Atlas
Although many companies now produce squat racks, not all of them develop an extensive product line. Some will simply develop one multipurpose rack suitable for a wide range of exercises and strength levels.
This is currently the position Atlas is in. They produced a bestselling, affordable power rack with a high 800 lb weight capacity and impressive 10-year warranty that makes it perfect for most home gyms.
In terms of availability, we’ve only found this rack on Amazon, where shipping is usually around $99. But when you add this to a sale price of around $220, you’re still getting great value for money.
XMark Fitness
You might remember XMark from our weight bench buying guide, where they came highly recommended for their wide range of FID (flat, incline, decline) benches. They’re very much a strength equipment company, specializing in home gyms. So how do we rate their power racks?
In terms of price, XMark are between Valor Fitness and Rogue Fitness, with 3 designs to choose from. This includes their most affordable XM-7620 power cage (around $725), the XM-9014 Half Rack, and their top-of-the-line XM-9015 commercial series power rack.
If you’re not looking for a full-sized cage and only need a rack for presses and squats, they also have a more affordable XM-7619 Multi Press Rack, usually priced around $425.
As a general guide, the XM-9015 is best for more advanced lifters, with superior weight plate storage and anchor points for resistance bands. The XM-7620 is better for a mix of compound and isolation exercises, thanks to its range of attachment options, such as lat pull tower and dip handles.
Valor Fitness
One of the best overall product lines for affordable strength training equipment. Valor has an impressive catalog of cable machines, benches, bars, dumbbells, power racks, and much more. Their squat stands have proven particularly popular on Amazon, due to their unrivaled balance of strength, build quality, and affordability.
Many of their power racks, such as the BD-7, BD-33, and BD-41 can be upgraded with a lat attachment for even more exercise options, and are priced mid-market at between $400 and $550.
Their high-end racks are capable of supporting up to 800 lbs on the internal safety bars, and 650 lbs on the internal bar catchers. You can also benefit from a built-in, multi-position pull-up bar and conveniently placed weight plate storage pegs.
A reputation built on quality, affordability, and excellent customer service means you’ll rarely find a Valor Fitness product on Amazon with a rating of less than 4 stars.
Body Solid
One of the best-known names in home strength training equipment, Body Solid have amassed hundreds of highly rated reviews for everything from weights benches to power racks.
No company comes close to having the variety and customization that Rogue Fitness have, but Body Solid does have two very strong power racks that are perfect for home gyms. These are the Body Solid Pro (GPR378) and the SPR1000.
Both can support over 800 lbs and can be upgraded with a wide range of attachments. For the commercial SPR1000, this means an entirely new back section to the frame, with 6 Olympic weight plate storage pegs. There’s even a monkey bar attachment if you want to strap two of these rigs together.
Although the GPR378 is slightly more expensive than the budget power racks, it has a weight capacity and warranty that won’t be beaten in this price range.
Rogue Fitness
If you’re looking to design a truly customized power rack, this is the company to talk to. Despite being one of the newer names on the fitness equipment circuit, they’ve quickly established themselves as a market leader, with dozens of rigs, power racks, squat stands, and even wall mounts to choose from.
As well as supplying the CrossFit Games with their rigs, Rogue have developed a series of power racks that are suitable for everything from home gyms to commercial installations.
Unfortunately, their racks aren’t as affordable as something from Titan or Atlas (typically they’re between $500 and $2000), and most of the frame sizes are much taller (90-inches+), but the construction is incredibly strong.
Some of the Rogue power racks (R-3, R-4) also use Westside hole spacing, whereby you have 1” spacing between height settings through the bench and clean pull zone, then 2” spacing above and below for squats, overhead presses, and deadlifts.\
Power Rack Alternatives
Although power racks and squat racks are an excellent investment for anyone serious about resistance training at home, they’re not always the most suitable option. In some cases, you may not have the head space for a large frame, or can’t dedicate that much permanent floor space to its footprint.
You might also be looking for a wider range of exercise options, in which case a smith machine could be a better choice. That’s why we’ve listed a few alternatives to power racks, to cater to anyone that needs a more compact, affordable, or varied home workout solution.
Independent Best Squat Racks
If you have limited space or can’t dedicate a permanent location to your home gym, squat stands are often the best option. They’re also much more affordable than power racks, cages, or smith machines.
Valor Fitness is a name to look out for, especially with their ‘BD’ collection, which includes the BD-9, BD-8, and BD-3 squat stands, with the BD-3 available for under $150.
Pay attention to the weight capacity though, as this can vary massively between each basic squat rack and even a half rack. For example, the Valor BD-3 stands can support up to 150 lbs, whereas the BD-9 set can support up to 500 lbs. For anything heavier, you’ll need a dedicated power rack.
Adjusting the height of the bar supports is simple, but the safety catches are much shorter than in a cage, so you have to pay close attention to your range of motion, especially when squatting.
Smith Machine
A high quality smith machine can be an excellent addition to any home gym, but you have to know what you’re looking for to avoid wasting prime workout space.
Whereas power racks are often designed entirely for free weights barbell exercises, smith machines usually combine barbell workouts with high and low cable pulleys. Some even provide you with a multi-station workout bench, that includes a leg developer or preacher curl pad for more focused isolation exercises. You can get your bench presses in with ease.
The Marcy MD-9010g is one of the best smith machines available, and a bestseller on Amazon. We also highlighted it as one of the top home gyms under $1000 in a recent buying guide.
If you want to make the most of limited workout space, the combination of barbell exercises, high and low cable pulleys, pull-up bar, cable crossovers, and multi-function workout bench could be your best option.
Half Racks
These can be a useful alternative to a power rack if you have lower ceilings. You will struggle to find a half rack with a pull up bar. Getting yourself one of the many separate pull up bars will be a good combination so you can still complete your workout.
A half rack is the best squat rack for those who want something super basic and don’t plan on doing extensive workouts.
Top 10 Power Rack Design Features
When it comes to the best home gym rack, there are a few design features that we think you need to take into consideration when choosing the best home squat rack.
Dimensions
When you buy a power rack, there are a lot of dimensions to consider, which is particularly important if you have a compact floor space or low ceiling height.
In terms of width, you need to allow a minimum of 9ft (7ft for the length of an Olympic bar, and 1ft each side for adding and removing weight plates). This may increase if your rack has Olympic weight plate storage pegs.
The length should give you enough space to slide a weight bench into the rack to perform exercises such as bench presses and seated shoulder presses. You’ll also want to add the length of any lat pull attachment to your final dimensions.
Height should ideally be no less than 10-inches from your ceiling. This gives you enough space to get your chin over the bar during chin-ups and allows you to store the lat pulldown bar in setups such as the Atlas Power Rack.
You should also carefully consider the rear crossbar placement. This is the bar that runs horizontally across the base of the frame and can get in the way of your toes when performing back squats inside the power rack, unless you have long enough safety hooks supporting the barbell.
Weight Capacity
If you’re buying a power rack to increase your strength, you’ll want a design that’s strong enough to support the weight you’ll be lifting 5 or 10 years from now. If you’re already squatting 500 lbs, look for a rack with a minimum 800 lb capacity. Unlike with Bowflex home gyms, there’s no way to increase the resistance without buying an entirely new setup once you hit its limits.
Weight capacity varies greatly between power racks. It’s difficult to rank power rack brands by the strength of their equipment, as they tend to fall into 3 distinct categories.
Up to 300 lbs, you’ll be fine with one of the Cap Barbell racks. Between 300 lbs and 800 lbs, you’re better off with a rack from Atlas, XMark, Body Solid, or Powerline. Most Valor Fitness racks have an 800 lb capacity on the safety bars, 650 lbs on internal catchers, and 500 lbs on external catchers.
Rogue Fitness racks come in all shapes and sizes, but many of their commercial designs are more than capable of supporting over 1000 lbs.
Frame Style
Power racks are available in 3 main styles; full rack, half rack, and wall-mounted. The wall-mounted versions don’t have any attachment options, and you lose many of the safety benefits associated with the full cage design.
Half racks are also more limited with their attachment options but have longer safety bars than wall-mounted designs, making them much safer for home workouts. They often feature the same footprint as full-sized racks, and because they usually include pull-up grips, you’re not saving much on height either.
Although many companies now produce half cages (Reebok Half Cage, Valor Fitness BD-58, Powertec Workbench Half Rack), our personal preference will always be for a full-sized rack. This is due to the higher weight capacity, greater range of exercise options, and added peace of mind when lifting.
Best Squat Racks Safety Bar Adjustment System
Most modern power racks use steel saber safety rods. These slide through the frame uprights from front to back, allowing for quick adjustment between the height settings. Racks that use this system include the Atlas Power Rack, Valor Fitness BD-7, EliteFTS™ R3, and Titan T-2.
This system has proven so effective, that it’s rare to find any other designs. However, the Cap Barbell CB8008 and XMark XM-7620 both use a pull-pin style system for safety spotters and J-hooks. In our experience, this takes longer to adjust the height, and the increased reliance on moving parts leaves the rack more vulnerable to maintenance problems over the years.
If your workout involves a 4 or 5-day split, this won’t be much of an issue, as you may only need to adjust the height once per session. But if you’re short on time and train with full body workouts, you’ll need to adjust the height settings much more often between exercises such as incline presses, overhead presses, and barbell rows.
Spacing Between Safety Bar Settings
For most lifters, a 2-inch hole spacing will be sufficient. But for more specialized bench pressing, some racks have adopted a combination of 1-inch and 2-inch spacing (Rogue Fitness R-3 Power Rack being the perfect example).
The 1-inch spacing is known as ‘Westside Barbell spacing’. This is where there are 1-inch spaces between the holes for the safety bars through the height settings that you use when bench pressing and doing rack pulls. The 2-inch spacing is used for the upper and lower height settings, for squats and overhead presses.
Racks with built-in Westside Barbell spacing are generally more expensive than standard power racks, starting at around $700 for the Rogue R-3, and moving up to $1200+ for the EliteFTS™ R3 3X3 rack.
Pull Up Bar Available
Almost every power rack will have some form of pull-up bar fitted across the top of the frame. The Valor Fitness BD-41 and BD-33 racks are two of the best for variation, due to their multiple grip positions. Certain EliteFTS™ racks have something similar, and Rogue Fitness have the X-43M Multi Grip Crossmember as an optional upgrade.
Rogue Fitness lead the way in terms of grip training, with some of their most popular racks offering two pull up bars; one ’fat’ and one ‘skinny’. The ‘skinny’ lower diameter pull up bar is best for training your back, while the ‘fat’ thicker diameter bar is better for developing grip strength.
Squat Rack and Power Rack Attachment Options
Valor Fitness tend to be the best in terms of attachment options. Most of their racks are either compatible with (BD-33 rack) or supplied with (BD-7 Power Rack with Lat Pull) a lat attachment. The BD-7 is also compatible with Valor’s MB-A dip bars handle accessory set.
The Atlas Power Rack has an optional lat attachment, and the Titan T-2/T-3 racks have optional dip attachment bars. Unless you’re looking at more of a specialist power rack, like the EliteFTS™ R3 with adjustable plyo step attachment, this is the most you can expect.
If you’re short on space, finding a rack with a lat pull attachment can make all the difference. The high and low pulley positions enable you to perform a much wider range of isolation exercises than the rack allows on its own.
Power racks with a variety of attachment options don’t have to cost thousands of dollars. The Valor BD-7 supports 800 lbs on the safety bars, includes a plate-loaded lat pull attachment, and is often available on Amazon for less than $500.
Weight Plate Storage Pegs
Weight plate storage trees are relatively inexpensive and can store a large number of Olympic weight plates, but having the storage pegs built-in is certainly a more efficient use of space.
Although, don’t expect to find this on a foldable squat rack or even a half rack.
Ease of Assembly
Power racks can be big, bulky, and weigh over 500 lbs for a light commercial rig. If you’re confident in being able to assemble your new rack, try to download a copy of the assembly instructions before you buy. This will give you a clear idea of what to expect when putting together your home gym power rack.
Professional assembly services are available but usually cost upwards of $140, even for a relatively basic squat rack, like the Valor BD-7.
Whether the Squat Rack is Compatible With J-hooks
For some lifters J hooks or J-cups are considered the most secure way to rack a barbell. The raised lip prevents the bar from sliding out of position, and the rounded or flat base of the hook provides a wide enough platform on which to rest even high-diameter Olympic barbells.
Top 5 Benefits of Power Racks
Whether you are after the best power rack or the best squat rack, there are a few benefits you can expect from choosing one of these rigs, apart from the single pull up bar.
Safety
Power racks have solid steel safety rods that run the length of the frame, which can be adjusted to a wide range of different heights. This serves to support the barbell if you reach the lowest part of your lift and are unable to complete the repetition, saving you from becoming ‘pinned’ under the bar.
Short pegs are also available for securely racking the bar. This allows you to get into position for each exercise safely and return the bar to a point that’s within easy reach, regardless of your height.
Versatility
Power racks can be used with any type of Olympic barbell, and allow the bar to be supported at a range of heights. This means your versatile power rack can switch between squats and bench presses in seconds, simply by adjusting the position of the safety bars and catches.
Strength
Squat stands will always have a lower weight capacity than power racks. By squat stands, we’re referring to the pairs of individual supports that don’t have any interconnecting framework. Although they’re much more mobile, they have shorter safety bars and a higher center of gravity once you start performing exercises such as squats. Pull ups are not an option on squat racks or squat stands.
Power racks typically have an 800lb+ capacity thanks to their heavy duty steel construction. This may sound like a lot and you might think you don’t need to pay for something that strong, but when you consider that Atlas produces power racks for under $300 with this strength, there’s really no need to break the bank.
Easier Access to Compound Free Weights Exercises
Whether you’re looking to build strength, increase muscle size, or improve muscle tone, compound multi-joint lifts that recruit a wide range of muscle groups are key to your progress.
This includes squats, bench presses, inverted rows, dips, pull-ups, chin-ups, rack pulls, overhead presses, shrugs, deadlifts, close-grip presses, and much more.
While these can all be performed in a smith machine, performing these exercises with a free weight barbell will certainly recruit more stabilizer and core muscles, as you’re not being guided through a fixed plane of motion.
Affordability
Some of the biggest names in the business produce strong, high-quality, bestselling power racks for just a few hundred dollars. This makes them a much more affordable option than most smith machines and squat racks for home gyms, although they often require a much larger floor area.
Before buying any power rack, it’s worth bearing in mind you won’t usually get any free weights with your purchase. This means you should factor in the price of a weight plate and barbell set, but it’s still typically less than your average single-stack selectorized multi-gym. Even the best squat rack typically won’t come with any free weights.
How to Use a Power Rack
Whether you’re bench pressing or squatting, the basic technique behind using the power rack safely remains the same. Although there are more advanced strategies for attaching power bands and chains, these are the most important steps to follow.
- Identify the safety bar height. This could change by one or two settings, but it’s a useful starting point.
- If you’re using a weights bench, move it into position inside the power rack.
- Ensure the racked, empty barbell is within easy reach and can be safely lifted from the safety pins.
- Once you’re in position for your exercise, lift the bar and bring it to the lowest point of the repetition.
- Check that the safety bars will support the barbell if you move any lower. This should allow an unrestricted range of motion during your workout, but the security of support if you can’t return the bar to its starting point.
- Make any adjustments to the safety bar height if they are currently too low or high.
- Load the bar with your starting weight and begin your workout.
Final Thoughts on the Best Squat Rack and Power Rack Reviews
When it comes to finding the best home gym squat rack, there are plenty of options out there, especially when it comes to choosing one based on our power rack review.
You can buy the best half rack out there or grab yourself a wall-mounted squat rack. As long as you look after it, it will look after you and guarantee you some of the most impressive leg gains.
USA Home Gym gives in-depth insights into gym equipment, supplements, and fitness training methods. The motivation behind USA Home Gym is to provide you with information that goes beyond what you can find in any user manual, customer review, or other online review sites.
We go to great lengths to ensure that our reviews are completely comprehensive, usually covering everything from the design features to the warranty coverage and exercise options. This is all to help guide you towards the home gym equipment that’s best suited to your goals and budget, whilst also being the highest quality option in your chosen price range.
