If you have landed on this page, you know all about power racks and have probably been using them for years at your local gym. But buying a power rack for your home gym is another story.
Choosing the right power rack will boil down to how much you have to spend. I have split the options into budget power racks that are available on Amazon.com and high-end power racks available direct from the brands like Rogue Fitness and Life Fitness.
Power Rack FAQs
Most frequent questions and answers
Yes if you have enough space, people generally have them in their garage gym
Yes but they have very easy and just bolt together. Commercial racks from Rogue can be bolted to the floor
You can get a half rig
No really, they are likely to rust. Speak to the manufacturer direct and see if they recommend a coating
No you have to buy the separately. Add them to your shopping cart before you checkout on a site
Yes, you just need to buy a bench that fits the width of the rack. Most racks are easily wide enough
Best Power Racks for Home Gyms 2020
Valor Fitness BD-7 Power Rack w/LAT Pull Attachment and Other Bundle Options for a Complete Home Gym
Valor Fitness is a USA based company started back in 2006 by Jim & Julie Vanderbleek.
The BD-7 power rack is built from 12-gauge steel and the frame is 2” thick. The total working area approximately 44 inches from side-to-side and and 24” from the front of the power rig to the back.
The power rig comes with 4 plate racks which are suitable for olympic plates. The Valor BD-7 power rack is a very good buy as it comes with a lat pull-down station which can handle a maximum weight of 350 lbs.
The BD-7 has 333 reviews on Amazon, 90% of users giving the products 4/5 stars. Also 226 questions have been answered by the Valor Fitness and other users.
Titan T-2 Series Short Power Rack
Titan Fitness are a dedicated gym gear manufacturer based in Memphis, TN USA. They do a large range of different sized power rigs and strength training gear like kettle bells, dumbells and power lifting plates.
The Titan T2 power rack is a short power rack as only measures 45” in depth, perfect for a small garage gym. The T2 is pretty basic but has everything you need for home starter gym.
The product has 154 good reviews on Amazon.
Marcy Olympic Multi-Purpose Strength Training Cage with Pull Up Bars/Adjustable Bar Catchers and Pulley SM-3551
The Marcy fitness brand is owned by Impex, who also own other brands like Apex and Steelbody. Impex have been in the fitness industry since 1982 and have a history of supplying quality fitness gear.
This power rack is slightly bigger than the Valor one with a thicker build being constructed of 14 gauge thick steel. It is also a caged rig, having a multiple-grip pull up bar going along the top. Marcy call this an ‘Olympic Strength Cage’ due to its ability to hold 135kg loads.
This power rig also has a high and low pulley system like the Valor rig to allow for a full body workout.
Goplus Power Rack Heavy Duty Pull/Chin Up Bars Squat Cage for Strength Training and Muscle Building
Goplus have created a basic power rig here which is good if you are on a budget, Goplus don’t specialize in fitness though. There amazon page shows everything from inflatable paddle boards to power tools.
Rep Power Rack
Rep fitness is a small fitness equipment company started in 2012 and based in Colorado. Rep do a good range of gym gear for home and commercial use, including 12 different power rack models. The models go from PR-1000 to PR5000 which is a commercial rig capable of supporting 1500lb.
The PR1000 above can handle a 1000lb capacity which is enough for any home use. It has 2 pull up bars and an additional dip bar attachment which most rigs don’t have.
The rack is constructed of 2×2” solid steel and has a total height of 84”, suitable for any garage gym.
Best Professional Power Racks for Home or Commercial Use
Rogue Fitness are based in Colubus, Ohio and are the biggest brand in crossfit. They do a good range of gym gear from power racks and plates through to apparel.
Rogue Fitness to a range of power rigs from $915.00 to through to the $5000 Monster Lite Monkey Rig 2.0.
The RML-390C is the entry level power rig which is an awesome mini rack for under $1000 and perfect for a garage style gym. It has all the functionality of a standard power rack and comes in a range of funky colors.
This power rig is made in the USA not some Chinese built BS! It stands at 90” and built with 3×3” guage steel. It can be bolted to the floor and comes with a load of optional extras like the Monster Lite Srap Safety system and Safefy Spotter Arms. Note, going made on add-ons will bump you up way over the $1000 mark!
The RM-6 power rack is in the middle of Rogues range of products at $2075.00. This type of rig was built for professional athletes and high school gyms. This rig is a lot longer than the power rigs we have previously reviews with a length of 76”, supported by 3 pairs of uprights opposed to the standard 2. The rig also has 8 plate holders and a full range of add-ons.
This rig is fully customizable when you place you order, with different heights and colors.
Hammer Strength Power Rack – HD Elite
The HD Elite is a commercial power racks with a price to match. The HD Elite is aimed at gyms looking to use a power rack for small group training sessions. The rack is customizable modules that you order according to your needs.
Pricing is not available on the site, you need to ‘request more information’ so be prepared to spend big if you are going down this route.
Power Rack Essential Exercises - Get in Beast Mode!
A power rack or a squat rack is an important piece of equipment in your home gym if you are looking to lift weights seriously. Whether you want to lose fat or gain muscle, this versatile piece of equipment will help achieve your goals.
So why waste away your money on gym memberships when you can improve results with one solid piece of equipment like the power rack. In fact, some of the best workouts can be performed with a bench, barbells and a power rack. All you need is a list of power rack exercises, and you’re all set.
The adjustable pins on the power rack are a godsend. You can easily set the pins to your height or for a specific workout. And the safety catches will make your workout a delight. The safety catches will ensure the barbell does not go below a certain point. So, even if you were to lose control, the weight won’t land on you.
These features of the power rack give you a lot of confidence. You can workout knowing full well that you won’t suffer any injury even if you were to make a slip-up. This allows you to take on heavier weights, which will allow you to get stronger and build a better body.
A wide range of power racks is available in the market each boasting a variety of features. Even the simplest model is worth its weight in gold. That’s how versatile this equipment is. A basic power rack is ideal for the most essential weight training workouts like the bench press, squat, barbell should press and deadlift.
However, a variety of advanced power racks are available that boast features such as low and high pulleys and pull-up sections that offer you a lot more options for your workout.
Here is a list of power rack exercises you can perform safely, correctly and with the full range of motion.
Power Rack Squats
Nothing beats a power rack when you want to do squats with confidence. Even if you were to fail while standing up from a squat, the safety bars and the spotters will come handy. Should something go wrong, simply drop the bar and the pins will take care of it.
Inverted Row
This is a fantastic exercise for your back muscles and deltoids. It’s a great workout for beginners who are struggling with pull-ups. This workout can help you to progress towards doing perfect pull-ups.
Power Rack Bench Press
The bench press is a full body, compound movement workout. It works the chest, the triceps and the shoulders. It’s the best workout for building upper-body strength and muscle mass. You will need to decent adjustable weights bench for this exercise, check out Fitness Purity’s bench reviews.
Barbell Shrug
Looking to broaden the shoulders? This move can help with that. The barbell shrug works your Trapezius muscles. In the absence of a power rack, picking and putting down the barbell can become uncomfortable and difficult.
Barbell Overhead Press
This movement will enhance the strength of your shoulders. However, picking up the barbell and putting it back down can seem tricky for beginners. The power rack comes handy here. Simply set the rack at the optimal start position and you can comfortably perform this movement with confidence.
Rack Pulls
The deadlift is a vital exercise that works every muscle in your body and a rack pull can help you develop your deadlifting skills.
Pull-Ups
The pull-up is a body weight workout that really builds your shoulders and back. Most power racks feature a pull-up bar.
Chin Ups
This is yet another wonderful body weight workout that builds your upper body especially the biceps and the back.
Barbell Biceps Curl
The barbell curl is one of the best workouts for biceps. It builds mass and strength while also working several other muscles.
Dips
The dip is your move when you want to build your shoulders, triceps as well as your chest. However, not all power racks feature a dip station. So if you are looking to do this workout, choose one with a dip station.
Barbell Rows
This is a fantastic movement if you are looking to build your lats. That’s not it though. This move builds your biceps, rear delts and lower back. The power rack is the perfect equipment for barbell rows as it helps you to handle the heavy weights without going very deep.
Knee Lifts
This is a very good exercise for your ab muscles. You can do this workout simply using the pull-up bar or if you’d like more support, invest in a good strap.
Cable Crossover Workout
There are some power rack variants that can help you do many more exercises. Some power racks feature low or the high pulley functions and there are power racks that come with weight stack add-on. These additional features could come as a standard in some power racks. Alternatively, you can even buy these separately. With these features, your power rack can be used to do cable curls, cable rows, triceps push down and more.
In Conclusion
I am sure there are many other power rack exercises out there. But one thing is clear – a squat rack is a vital piece of equipment in any gym. These exercises can help build your muscles in no time. All you need is a good quality power rack.
If there are any exercises you think should be a part of this list, please do share your thoughts in the comments below.