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A variety of options offered by our quality power rack and squat cages are well known to the experienced weight trainer or powerlifter. For those who are new to weightlifting, bodybuilding, or strength training, the flexibility, variety, and size of power racks make them a must-have in any home gym. We also provide a full range of power rack attachments and accessories such as dip handles, chin-up bars, and resistance band attachments to name a few.
Commercial power cages and squat racks have been designed to be the ultimate commercial gym equipment. They have been built not only to withstand extremely heavyweights but also to handle the stress of these weights during intense training.
This serious free-standing equipment with heavy weights is clearly for professional athletes and is commonly used by fitness clubs and gyms. It offers a simple and safe way of handling large weights on a bar, making it the ideal equipment for a serious weight trainer.
After all my years of working in this industry and hearing about all the latest fads and crazes, I can tell you that the basics of weight training have remained the same. If you want to get results, the most effective way is to work at the compound movements – bench press, squats, dead-lifts, pull-ups, dips. A power rack lets you hit these exercises hard, with complete safety.
Defined by its four uprights (which you lift inside of), a power rack is sometimes used interchangeably with terms such as “power cage”, “bench press rack”, “lifting cage” or “weight cage”. Safety is provided by the adjustable spotter bars that bridge the front and rear uprights. They allow you a full range of motion for bench press but will stop you from being crushed by the bar in the event you can’t complete a repetition. This setup is exactly like the setups you’ll see in all the high-performance gyms.
The spotters stop you from buckling under a heavyweight bar during squats. In addition to this, the uprights will stop the bar from bouncing around your gym if you have to dump the weight off your back. So they are a perfect fit for both beginners all the way through to the advanced weight trainer.
As you can imagine, these racks need to be strong, tough, and reliable. Even a relatively lightweight squat, if dumped off your shoulders, will generate a fair amount of force. Poor quality power racks boast about their safety features, but when called upon, they fail under the pressure. That is why we don’t sell cheap and nasty gym racks for lifting. We only specialise in high-quality brands who have a proven pedigree in the industry.
Power racks have evolved over the years from being a very basic piece of equipment to being a complete gym. Many of our best power racks have optional lat pull-down attachments. Essentially this is just a high and low pulley system which bolts straight back up to the rear of the rack. This will add a lot of variety to your weight training with quality exercises like the following:
Our power racks also feature chin up and dip options. Two extremely powerful exercises in their own right, but these options can also be utilised for a whole lot of other exercises like leg raises, assisted chin ups, inverted rows, push-ups and many more. Combined with the compound movements discussed earlier, you can see that the list of exercises and variations is really only limited by your imagination!
Best of all, these complete power rack packages take up only a relatively small footprint considering the number and quality of exercises they offer. A 3m x 3m space would be very comfortable, and some people can even fit them in gyms that are a lot smaller. They are ideal for personal trainers as they effectively replace a room full of gym equipment. We even have a commercial power rack with a pull-down option.
So if your quest in researching gym equipment is going round in circles, the power rack is always the option to fall back on – or should I say the one you won’t fall back on when squatting heavy! It allows you to do all the exercises that are required to build strength and muscle. Plus there are loads of variety to keep your training interesting. The only people I advise to steer clear of power racks are those who don’t like training with barbells.
How Tall is a Power Rack?
Power racks vary on height, largely dependent on their intended purpose – whether it be the environment in which it will be used (domestic or commercial) or the type of training that will be primarily performed (CrossFit racks are generally taller).
Domestic power racks are designed for homes where the average ceiling height is around 230-250cm. So, they are generally between 210-220cm. This will give you enough clearance for chin ups. Commercial power racks can be up to 240cm which enable most people to perform hanging chin ups.
With housing prices increasing globally, people are squeezing power racks into smaller spaces. ATX have designed a power rack specifically for low ceilings with a height of 195cm.
Can you use Power Rack for Bench Press?
Bench pressing on a power rack is one of the safest ways to bench, especially if you are training by yourself. Power racks enable you to adjust the height of the j-hooks which will be your start and stop point. Most importantly, a good quality power rack will come with spotter bars. These are used to protect the lifter if they can’t complete a lift.
You can adjust these to be slightly below your bottom point of the lift. They won’t impede on your range of motion but will stop you from being crushed by the barbell. This will allow you to push yourself to your limit to squeeze out that extra rep with the confidence that you are completely safe.
Can I train by myself on a Power Rack?
Power racks are perfect for training by yourself safely. I have done it for over 30 years! Power racks have spotter bars which can be adjusted to your shape, size, and exercise that you are performing. For example, on squats, set the spotters the position below your bottom out points. This will save you from being crushed by the bar if you can not complete the rep.
Initially it will take a couple of workouts until you know the perfect positioning of your spotters. If your power rack uprights are not numbered just use a marker or some tape. After a couple of sessions you will be able to move the spotters around effortlessly.
Do I need to Bolt Down my Power Rack?
You don’t necessarily need to bolt your Power Rack down, however, there are some racks that are designed to be floor mounted. These racks will come with steel plates at the bottom of each upright. These can then be bolted to the floor. This provides the stability as they typically don’t have lower beams.
There are also plenty of other racks that are designed to sit on the floor. These come with rubber feet which prevent the rack from moving around or marking the floor surface.
How much does a Power Rack cost?
Power racks come in all shapes and sizes, so the cost of them will differ. The cost will depend on the size, functionality, features, or add-ons. Quality is also a significant factor in determining price. There are so many racks out there with so many prices. The tough part is trying to find the best one that will meet your training requirements. That’s what we are here for, so reach out.
As a rule, do not buy the cheapest. They are usually junk and could be potentially dangerous. Although you might not want one now, later you may want to add a lat pulldown option. Cheap racks often don’t have this option. If they do you will wish they didn’t. They do not feel good to train on and they frequently chew out the cheap cables and pulleys.
If you stick to reputable brands, you can’t go wrong. Unlike a TV or mobile phone, your power rack is a 20+ year investment.
The added bonus with choosing ATX is that you have access to their wide range of power rack attachments. This means you can add variety to your free weight training. Plus it spreads out the purchase of your gym.
How much Space do I need for a Power Rack?
A good guide to start with would be about 250 x 250cm. This would give you enough room to use your Olympic bar as well as enough room to move your bench in and out of the front of the rack. It would also depend on what type of Power Rack you purchased.
The footprints on racks do vary. These days you can get Power Racks that are deeper than average. The depth on these racks would be more than your average rack. These will take up more space.
You can reduce the width a little by using a 6ft power rack barbell. If depth is the issue, you can look at a quality half rack if free weight barbell training is your preferred method of training.
How do you Squat in a Power Rack?
Adjust the position of the J-Hooks to just below shoulder level. This makes it easier to re-rack the barbell.
Within the rack, stand under the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart, ensuring the bar rests on your upper back/traps. Place your hands behind the bar with a narrow grip. Hold it at an even distance on both sides and lift it off the J-Hooks. Take a couple of steps back.
Keeping your chest up, squat down pushing your knees slightly to the side while moving your hips back.
Always make sure to set up safety pins at the correct height. Do a squat with just a barbell to see where it stops at the bottom position. Place the spotters a little lower than that. The idea is for them to catch the barbell before it falls on you.
What exercises can be done in a Power Rack?
If you need to know what exercises can be done in a power rack, there is no point listing them all. You would only know a fraction of them. You can do bench press, squats, chin ups and shoulder press – all great compound movements. If you just did these along with deadlifts you could build an impressive physique.
All you need to know is that you can hit each bodypart with multiple exercises and variations. The rack can also be used as an anchor point for suspension trainers, resistance bands, dip handles and myriad of other attachments. That is why if you like variety, choose a rack that has an impressive range of attachments. You will just be able to add more variety to your workouts as you need it.
Can a Power Rack fit in a Car?
Power racks can fit into cars, but not all cars. Utes and station wagons would be the better option. If your car has back seats that can fold down, we can usually fit the longer boxes through the back seats to rest on your centre console. Always best to measure how much room you do have before attempting to pick up any power rack. It’s all about the length.
When I started the business, I would frequently use my wife’s old Honda Civic, it would have been a tiny circa 90s model. The back seats went down, and the upright boxes would slide through onto the centre console.
If you are not sure just let us know what rack you are interested in and what car you drive. We have had plenty of practice at loading up cars!