If you’re serious about training at home, then you’re going to want some form of power rack or squat stand in your garage gym in order to get the most out of your workouts. You’ll need somewhere to rack the bar for overhead presses and squats, and you’ll also want access to safety spotters so that you can confidently go heavy on your bench press and squats those days you find yourself training alone. You will also need a pull-up bar, and those are already built into power racks and many squat stands.
When it comes to buying a power rack or stand there are many different manufacturers and a wide range of quality options available. Some power racks have tons of available features and add-on options, and some have very few. There will be features that you already know you want, and there will also be those that you may not have thought of yet.
I am going to show you a lot of different power racks, cages, and squat stands in this article and also give you some things to watch out for when shopping for yours; all with the goal of improving the chances of you getting exactly what you want and need the first time around.
Updated 2/25/20 – added multiple full-size racks and half racks, updated pricing, grammar, etc.
Table of Contents
- Things to Consider When Rack Shopping
- Power Racks vs Squat Stands
- Regarding Commercial Squat Racks
- Basement Gyms
- Folding / Wall-Mounted Racks (links to separate guide)
- The Rack Guide
- What to Avoid When Rack Shopping
- Recommendations & Summary
Things to consider when buying a power rack
- Will the rack fit? – Check not only for the necessary floor space, but also make sure to not choose a rack higher than your ceiling will comfortably allow. Remember to factor in head clearance for pull-ups.
- Will it really fit? – Also, consider the equipment space needed. Are you left with ample space around the perimeter of the rack? Can you move around the rack to load/unload the bar? Will the bar rub against the wall? Remember that Olympic bar are over 7′ long.
- Does the manufacturer offer the accessories you want? – It won’t matter how many accessories they have if they don’t have the ones you care about. Some have dozen of accessories and some have only a few. In some cases, accessories can even be cross-compatible.
- Is it the right size? – If you are a tall guy don’t buy an 85″ high rack. If you’re unusually short maybe don’t buy a 108″ tall rack. Consider all the dimensions; depth (the distance between uprights where the bar will travel), the height, and the width. Typically, the less a rack costs (the cheaper the rack), the shorter and narrower it is.
- Does the rack offer anchor holes? – There are only a handful of power racks that are not intended to be anchored to the foundation or a platform. If you perform kipping pull-ups or want to attach a dip station, you should probably make sure that you can anchor the rack down somehow.
- Is the rack easy to use and adjust? – Some standard equipment can be annoying to use. For instance, the pin & pipe safety system is what you get with a number of power racks by default. They are time-consuming and sometimes frustrating to use, and you’ll probably upgrade sooner or later to spotter arms, safety straps, or drop-in safeties. It is usually cheaper to select the options that you prefer when you buy rather than adding it later.
- Does the rack have a rear stabilizer? Most racks are designed to be anchored to the foundation. Despite this, some racks have a stabilizer that runs along the bottom rear of the rack that keeps the rack square and stable when it’s not anchored. These tend to be a hindrance by getting in the way of both your feet and your weight bench. Make certain that this stabilizer is either not present, is removable, or is thin enough to be nearly flush with the ground.
Example of Rogue’s stabilizer. It is unnecessary and removable when anchored.
- How is it shipped? Make sure the parts fit where you want to assemble it. Some racks are in pieces, others are completely welded except for the crossmembers. Are you able to get those parts through doorways, curved stairs, narrow hallways, etc?
- How much is shipping? Racks are big, heavy, and can be expensive to ship, and they tend to ship LTL freight. You may find one with a price you like but the rack costs half as much more just to ship. Some retailers ship certain power racks for free. Double-check on that shipping rate before you get too attached to any particular rack.
- Do you care where it’s made? Some will argue this point but there can be a difference in quality between American-made racks and the imports. If you opt to settle for a super cheap import (and you will know one when you see one), just know that you are indeed sacrificing durability, functionality, and maybe even some degree of safety.
Power Rack vs Squat Stands
There are typically two different reasons why someone might consider purchasing a squat stand over a power rack, and the first is budget. You can get a squat stand for less money than a power rack. However, for squat stands that offer pull-up bars and safeties, the price difference isn’t really that great; as I’ll show you below.
The other reason people look for squat stands over power racks is because of a perceived lack of space for a full-sized rack. The fact is that a squat stand takes up more space than you may think… or rather, power racks can take up less space than you may think. Look at the image below.
The squat stand on the left (the Rogue SML-2) has a footprint of 48″ x 49″ and sells for just over $600 with the spotter arms. The power rack on the right (Rogue RML-3) has a footprint of 30″ x 49″ and sells for $755. So while the power rack costs about $150 more, it does take up less space, is more stable when anchored, and has more accessory options.
So it’s one thing to prefer a squat stand for some reason or another, but don’t automatically assume you have to settle for one because you’re working with limited space. Look at some of the smaller power racks and half racks before you commit to a squat stand. If you are not sure which to go with, check out a discussion on this topic here.
Commercial Squat Racks
True commercial squat racks offer almost no versatility. They take up more space, cost more money, but offer no safety adjustments or pull-up bar. Total waste of money.
I’m not a fan of squat racks for a home gym. When writing this article, I couldn’t find a single squat rack that had adjustable safeties for anywhere near a price that would justify buying it over a real power cage. Freemotion makes a squat rack that adjusts for $1300, but there is just no reason to spend that kind of money and not get a pull-up. Squat racks like these are for commercial gyms, not home gyms
Buy a power rack or squat stand, not a commercial squat rack.
Basement Gym?
I have one exception to my position on commercial-style squat racks, and that is for the few of you out there that have a basement gym rather than a garage gym. Some basements out there have incredibly low ceilings, and a standard power rack is just not going to work out. I have also started to keep my eyes open for ‘basement-appropriate’ racks so that you’re not stuck with only the “classic” squat stand option. Jump to Basement Racks!
Folding Racks
There are a number of wall-mounted folding racks on the market now that serve as full-size squat stands when set-up, yet fold away in mere seconds and take up very little floor space so that you can still pull your truck in. These folding racks are strong, affordable and can be somewhat versatile. In an effort to not over-crowd this already long-winded article I opted to make a separate page for these folding racks, and you can see that here.
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Full-Size Power Racks Review
This section is made up of your standard, full-size power racks. Some will have six uprights and some will have four – the rear two of the six-upright units being for plate and accessory storage. What separates these from the half racks and squat stands further down the page is the fact that you usually work out inside these racks, and outside of half and squat racks. Full racks also tend to require more floor space, although that is not always the case.
Powerlifters and those who just happen to enjoy heavy-duty accessories will want a full-size rack over stands or half racks. Accessories such as the nylon safety straps, a reverse hyper attachment, and lever arms require a true power rack, not a squat stand or half rack. Those with tons of plates and chains will benefit from a rack with six uprights.
King Rogue Racks – the R-6 and RML-690 Power Rack
Of the three base models of Rogue Infinity power racks (the R-3, R-4 and R-6), the R-6 has the largest footprint. This over-sized power rack is essentially an R-4 with two extra uprights for plate storage. These extra uprights eliminate the need for a separate piece of equipment for plates, bands and chains. Having the storage on-board also makes getting the plates on and off the bar quicker and easier, as they are just inches from the bar.
The Rogue Classic R6 Power Rack (left) and RML-690 Monster Lite Power Rack (right) – $1495 and $1568
The R-6 is built using industry standard, 2″ x 3″, 11-gauge steel, and 5/8″ hardware for both assembly and the optional accessories. The R-6 comes with a ton of plate storage (8 horns, to be exact), 2 different pull up bars including the multi-grip bar (shown above), protective J-cups, band pegs, spotter bars, and it also has Rogue’s famous Westside hole pattern (or 1″ hole-spacing through the bench region). The total footprint of the R-6 is 52″ W x 81″ L and it is 90″ tall. Retail price is $1495.
The Rogue Multi-Grip Crossmember.
The Rogue RML-690, on the other hand, is more or less a beefier, sweeter looking version of the R-6. Rather than 2″ x 3″ steel, the RML-690 is assembled with giant 3″ x 3″ 11-gauge tubing, making it a better choice for institutions or commercial gyms. This thing is so sturdy and massive that it does not even require bolting to the floor or a platform. Other than that difference in tubing the racks are essentially the same, although the RML does not include the multi-grip pull-up bar as standard equipment. They both have Westside spacing though. Retail pricing on the RML-690 starts at $1568.
If for some reason or another you don’t find that either of these are enough rack for you, try the Monster RM-6!
Legend Fitness #3133 Power Cage
As with all Legend exercise equipment, you really cannot go wrong. Made with 3″ x 3″ steel tubing, the Legend 3133 Power Rack is 88″ high and has a large 60″ x 68″ footprint. It has a standard 2″ hole pattern, J-cups, pipe safety system, pull-up bar, and built-in plate storage.
This cage, as with all Legend Fitness equipment, is made-to-order; meaning you get to pick your frame color but you have to wait for production. A large variety of accessories is made available for this Legend rack: dip attachment, spotter arms, landmine, band pegs and even two tone paint. It will get expensive fast though, as Legend is a full-commercial brand.
Legend Fitness 3133 Power Cage – Made in USA with an MSRP of $1400’ish before freight.
While definitely a beefy commercial power rack, I’m not a fan of this rack when compared to the offerings from Rogue; like the R-6 or RML-690; or even Rep’s PR-4000. Legend Fitness is just too expensive and offers less feature premium features, less attachment options, and lead times that are just too damn long. It used to be necessary to deal with these prices and delays if you wanted custom colorways, but not anymore. Upgrade the RML-690 to a RML-690C and you get access to 11 colors with a 10-14 day lead time rather than 6-8 weeks!
It should also be noted that the Legend #3133 Power Rack is almost entirely welded. You’ll want to take this into consideration if your installation location is not easy to get to, or door-ways leading to your location would not permit these larger pieces to fit through.
Vulcan Build-Your-Own 3×3 Power Rack
Vulcan’s Build-Your-Own Power Rack is similar to the Rep Fitness PR-5000 in that you can completely customize your rig at the time of purchase, getting only what you want, how you want it, and for a price that you can be happy with (and that even includes the shipping!)
The BYO Power Rack is a 3″ x 3″, 11-gauge base rack that’s available in three heights (91″, 96″, and 108″) and three depths (24″, 36″, and 42″). The rack starts at just over $620; there are upgrades that raise the price and even a couple downgrades that lower this base price. Included accessories (before upgrades) include basic J-cups, pin-pipe safeties, and a basic pull-up bar.
Optional accessories include a third row of uprights for storage, more safety options (such as straps and spotter arms), dip station, band pegs, and even a pair of front stabilizer legs that allow you to train outside of your rack like a half rack.
The Build-Your-Own Power Rack isn’t the most elaborate power rack out there, but it’s very strong, it has all of the necessary accessories, and is incredibly affordable compared to the likes of Rogue and even Rep Fitness. This is one of those racks that should give you all the reason you need to not buy something like a Titan rack simply because you can’t afford the expensive racks.
Rep Fitness PR-5000 Power Rack w/ Storage
The Rep PR-5000 is a 3″x3″, 11-gauge power rack that is clearly modeled after the Rogue RML-690. The PR-5000 has 1″ accessory holes like a Monster Rack does, but the inside depth is a little shorter and all the hardware is all still 5/8″, so it’s not quite a Monster. Does it matter? Not really when you consider that this rack sells for $1200 instead of the ~$1600 that the Monster Lite sells for, or the near $2000 of the Monster.
Why is the Rep PR-5000 so much less than the Rogue racks? Well the Rep is an imported product, and the quality of steel and hardware; while not bad; just won’t match that of the Rogue racks. Again, not sure it matters in this case because a) 3×3 racks with 1″ accessory holes will not fail, and b) Rep still blows away super low-quality imports like Titan and other Wal-Mart brands. In other words, if you want a rack this big and the cost of this Rep is more feasible than something nicer, have at it.
Alternatively, you can buy the PR-5000 without the weight storage for about $800. It is not a bad price, but not nearly as sweet of a deal as the storage unit. See my review of this rack here.
Rogue RML-490C 3.0 Power Rack
The Rogue RML-490C is a beefier, colored take on the classic Rogue R-4. Instead of using 2″ x 3″, 11-gauge steel like the Infinity line, the RML line (Rogue Monster Lite) uses 3″ x 3″, 11-gauge steel. This upgraded steel makes for a heavier-duty and more stable rack; both in appearance and in reality.
There is an RML-490 that is offered in black powder coat for about $200 less than the 490C ($983 versus $1175), and while they both have the same technical specifications, there are some cosmetic differences (other than the obvious color choices). For instance, the 490C is equipped with a nameplate rather than just a standard rear crossmember. Additionally, front to back crossmembers of the 490C are compatible with the Rogue Slinger.
In terms of accessories, all standard Monster Lite accessories work with the 490C, and they look pretty badass too since the accessories are typically black and match the hardware.
All of Rogue’s newer colored racks are beautiful and really make a gym pop. Just about all Monster Lite racks and stands can be had in color these days.
Rep Fitness PR-4000 Power Rack
The PR-4000 Power Rack is Rep’s answer to the Rogue RML line of power racks. Almost identical in terms of steel choice, hardware, and overall size, the PR-4000 starts at about a full hundred bucks less than the RML; even less if you don’t need a full-height version (Rep offers a shorty version at 80″ versus 93″, Rogue does not.)
The PR-4000, like the PR-5000, is completely customizable upon ordering. Nothing is said to be “standard equipment” in that, you pick and choose which J-cups, safeties, pull-up bar, and other optional accessories you want. There’s zero redundancy, and no chance of being stuck with a component you don’t particularly care for.
While nobody has an accessory selection as large as Rogue, Rep doesn’t have just one or two like many companies do; there are well over a dozen. These include a couple that even Rogue doesn’t offer, like a rack-mounted lat tower and front stabilizer feet that more or less convert your power rack into a half-rack/power rack combo. This can eliminate the need for anchoring for many of you, and allow you to train both inside and in front of your rack.
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The Rep PR-4000 should, in my opinion, already be on the shortlist of anyone considering not only a Rogue RML Rack, but even a rack from Rogue’s Infinity line. You should also be considering this rack if you’re looking at super-budget options like those from the famously-inferior Titan. Can’t afford Rogue and looking to settle, well maybe the PR-4000 can be the compromise that stops you from feeling like you had to settle.
Prices for the PR-4000 start at about $660. Adding height, depth, color or accessories will obviously raise this price, but you will always be looking to spend less than at Rogue. Don’t forget to add the FB-5000 and Deep Knurl Power Bar to your order, as these are two other Rep products that are just stellar, and they’ll basically ship for free with your rack order.
Rogue R-3 and RML-3 Power Racks
The Rogue R-3 Power Rack is one of Rogue’s Westside-inspired power racks and is easily one of their best selling products. The R-3 is the smallest rack in the Infinity line in terms of needed floor space; it has a footprint of 34″ x 53″ and rises 90″ above the ground. It’s made with the standard 2″ x 3″ 11-gauge steel, is assembled with 5/8″ hardware, and ships with a pair of J-cups, pin and pipe safeties, double pull-up bar, and four band-pegs. Because it’s a Westside rack, it has 1″ hole spacing through the bench and clean zone.
The classic Rogue R-3 (left) and the beefier RML-3 (right). Prices start at $695 and $755, respectively.
The R3 is a well-known rack and has found homes in thousands upon thousands of garage gyms, affiliates, and schools across the country. It’s compact, durable, affordable, and there are countless accessories available for the Infinity line. The R-3 should definitely be on your shortlist if you are working with limited space or a limited budget, though do take note that it is recommended you anchor the R-3 to a platform or your foundation.
The RML-3 Power Rack is the Monster Lite version of the R-3. Made with 3″ x 3″ 11-gauge steel, it’s basically just a beefier, heavier-duty version or the R-3. It comes with all the same accessories, has the same footprint, and still has the Westside hole pattern. It even looks a bit cooler. Just about everything that applies to the R-3 applies to the RML-3. That said, the accessories are not cross-compatible.
The Rogue RML-390C is a slightly upgraded version of the RML-3 Power Rack. I’d say the biggest difference is the fact that the 390C is available in many colorways, whereas a RML-3 is only available in black. The base 390C starts at about $1000.
Rogue RM-3 Bolt Together and RM-390 Flat-Footed Rack
Even beefier than the R-3 and RML-3 covered above, the RM-3 Bolt Together and RM-390 Flat Foot are as solid as they come. Both of these racks are variants of the standard RM-3, and like all Rogue Monster racks, they use thick 3″ x 3″ 11-gauge steel for the uprights and are assembled with massive 1″ hardware. Monster racks also have a larger assortment of accessories and add-ons; many of which are exclusive to the Monster line.
On the left, the Rogue RM-3 Bolt Together ($1200 base price), and the Flat-Footed RM-3 on the right ($1211 base price.)
The RM3 Bolt Together is intended to ease transport and installation in tighter locations that wouldn’t allow fully welded rack pieces to fit through; like stairs to a basement, for instance. It comes standard with laser etched numbers for each hole, a pair of UHMW J-Cups, and a pair of pin and pipe safeties. The uprights can be ordered in three heights (90″, 100″, 108″), and you’ll get to choose all of your cross-members and other components as well (including color now). It even ships with two Monster wrenches for quick assembly. It’s a sweet, space saving rack with virtually no max load capacity.
The RM-390 Flat Foot is for those who cannot anchor their rack down for some reason, but still want a slim, beefy power rack. This rack uses the same steel and hardware as the RM-3, but sits on top of the Monster Squat Stand base; which has four giant 3″ x 3″ rubber feet. This set-up keeps the rack from shifting excessively and also protects flooring. The rubber feet add nearly a foot of depth to the footprint, but the rack itself offers the same inner area to train in. A lot of the same upgrade options are available for the Flat Foot model, but color is not one of them.
Vulcan Flat Foot 3×3 Power Rack
The Vulcan Flat Foot Power Rack is an economical rack offered as an affordable alternative to the RML Flat Foot models, and as a comparably priced but much higher-quality upgrade to the Titan X-3 Flat Foot Rack. While still more expensive than the Titan X-3 (approx. $700 base versus $600) the Vulcan isn’t made with scrap iron and the overall quality is just much higher.
The Vulcan is made with the same 11-gauge, 3″x3″ high-quality steel as the RML line. It has 10 mm thick gussets at the base and uses quality 5/8″ hardware (making it compatible with other brand’s accessories). Unlike the Titan, the steel is not B-scraps, the hardware isn’t the cheapest possible brass stuff, and the welds are professional. This rack is the ultimate have your cake and eat it too unit – a solid compromise between expensive and junk.
It is worth pointing out is that you can add this or any Vulcan rack to a bar+bumper set at a discounted price; $100 off in the case of this Flat Foot. By going that route you actually are paying Titan prices, only on a much better rack. Also, you get a real bar and the best plates in the industry, and it’s all discounted and shipped for free.
Optional accessories include a multi-grip pull-up bar, dip horn, plate storage, landmine, and finally, a new safety strap system.
Force USA ‘My Rack’ Modular Power Rack
The Force USA Power Rack is a modular power rack that has similar dimensions to a basic power rack like the Rogue R-4 or Vulcan 3 x 3 Rack but is very different in the way it is built and sold to us. A rather interesting power rack to say the least; a My Rack may very well be the best way to stretch your budget and build out an entire, customized garage gym without spending a ridiculous amount of money.
The Force USA My Rack is a flat-footed rack measuring 47″ wide, 55″ deep, and 87″ tall. It is made with non-standard 12-gauge, 2.4² tubing, it has optional anchoring holes, extended Westside spacing, built-in bar storage, and has a very low base price of just $499.
The idea behind the My Rack is that for $599 you purchase the base only. That is, you get the uprights, the base, and the stabilizers, and nothing else. What makes this a clever and economical idea is that you get to choose everything else that you want from the beginning, pay only for what you want, and have no redundancies like you would with too many of the other brands. For instance, you can choose to buy the basic J-cups for $60 if that is all you need, or you can buy the sandwich cups instead (rather than in addition to).
Same goes for the pull-up bar and safeties. If you want a standard, straight pull-up bar then you can choose to buy that. If you’d prefer to buy one of the many multi-grip bars that would just replace the straight bar, then why ever pay for the straight bar? Don’t want to buy those default pin and pipe safeties because you know you’ll want spotter arms or straps, well with this rack you just pick the one you want from the beginning. Pretty solid idea.
Aside from the necessities like the J-cups and pull-up bar, Force USA also offers other add-ons including a lat attachment, dip bar, plate storage, band pegs, and my favorite accessory by far, the cable crossover attachment! You can literally turn your power rack into a full gym. Read my review of the Force USA My Rack.
Update: this rack is very regularly on sale for way less than $599. Additionally, the base unit is offered in matte red and matte blue in addition to matte black.
Titan Imported Power Racks
I get asked about Titan Racks often enough that I figured I should just add one and discuss it. Titan racks are basically cheap knock-offs of the Rogue racks. Virtually any rack that gets released by Rogue is then copied by Titan using the cheapest steel available, the cheapest hardware available, and the lowest-wage labor possible. On paper, Titan racks appear to be exactly like a Rogue rack for like a third of the price, but the quality is literally night and day.
There’s an old video that gives you an idea of where Titan was a couple of years ago. Their customers like to say they’ve come up a little and made some improvements, and I am sure that is true, but they still have a pretty bad safety track record. I’m all about you saving your cash where ever possible, but sometimes you risk way too much. Safety first, you know?
Update: In Titan’s defense, they have responded to customer’s complaints on some of the easier to fix issues. For instance, UHMW is used instead of rubber slabs on J-cups, and the washer was removed from the spotter arms.
The fact remains that it is literally impossible for Titan to match the quality of the American rack builders using the steel they use and paying the Chinese the low labor costs that they do. With today’s tariffs on Chinese steel and imported strength equipment, the savings are less than they’ve ever been. It makes less sense than ever to go this cheap route.
I personally won’t use Titan’s racks or rack accessories, but if I’m being completely honest it is not even the rack itself that concerns me. Sure their equipment is made using the lowest quality, cheapest steel available in Asia but even pig iron is strong enough for a power rack. Rather it’s the accessories that scare me. Scrap iron and sketchy welds are not what I want to see on my J-cups and spotter arms. I just won’t mess with that, and neither should you.
Valor BD-11 Economy Power Rack
I’ve decided to include one full-sized economy rack as a way to sort of illustrate why I prefer the mid-range or better power racks. I selected this Valor rack out of the hundreds of cheap, imported racks because if you straight up cannot afford an American-made rack and you’re inevitably going to buy an import rack anyway, at least this one is one of your better options. It’s not perfect, but it’ll hold you until you need (and can afford) something better.
The Valor BD-11 Power Rack does have a lot of features for its low, under $500 price tag. It comes with two pairs of bar catchers (makeshift J-cups), a set of safety rails, a wide pull-up bar, and four standard 1″ plate storage horns. This rack also has a base rather than feet, so you won’t need to anchor it. There are no band pegs included, nor is there anywhere to use them if you had them, but Valor has a hefty selection of add-ons and accessories; including a lat tower; which many people seem to desire.
The BD-11 made from thinner steel than all the other racks in this guide, but this is typical of the cheaper, imported power racks. It’s 12-gauge steel versus 11-gauge which may not look like much on paper, but you will feel a difference. Now, even though 12-gauge steel isn’t the weakest steel that’s used for Chinese power racks, it does impact the maximum capacity. In this case, that capacity is 500-lbs on the catchers, 800 on the safeties, and 400 on the pull-up bar.
So in terms of function and affordability, it’s not awful but it does have some drawbacks. For instance, the bar catchers suck and should have just been normal J-cups (see below). Also, paint and decorative chrome are not durable finishes so this rack will chip and rust with use. The storage pegs are useless – you cannot have these mounted and loaded if you intend to use the rack, as the stored plates will be in the way. Finally, the Valor BD-11 lacks Westside (1″) hole spacing. Don’t dismiss that Westside spacing – it’s a huge feature.
The verdict? Strong lifters need an 11-gauge rack. 500-lbs on the hooks and 800-lbs on the safeties is too low for someone will a heavy squat. Keep in mind that the max capacities are for static loads, and a failed rep is not always controlled. Also, Valor doesn’t offer any of the hardcore attachments, and cross-compatibility between Valor and major US-manufacturers does not exist. It’s a fine beginner rack but it is not an end-game unit by any means. Still I’d rather see you with this Valor than a $200 unit from the chain store.
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Half Racks
Half racks have very little inside depth, but they still have four uprights like a power rack. A half rack isn’t a true power rack though. Actually, it’s probably best to think of a half rack as a glorified squat stand, as they are generally more stable and they offer plate storage. Like with squat stands, all work is done outside the rack rather than inside of it, and movements that utilized safeties usually do so with a pair of spotter arms rather than pipes or straps.
Half racks really do not offer smaller footprints than standard power racks. However, a half rack is still a space-saving alternative to a full-size power rack with plate storage because a power rack with that capability would require 6 uprights (like the Rogue R-6 at the top of the page).
So if your goal is to have your rack and storage in one compact unit, a half rack is the way to go.
Rogue Monster Collegiate Half Rack
The Rogue Monster Collegiate Half Rack is an absolute beast of a power rack. As a matter of fact, I own this rack and could not be happier with it (see review.)
This half rack is a Monster Rack, so it is manufactured using 3″ x 3″, 11-gauge steel. It has 1″ accessory holes spaced 2″ apart, sits 100″ off the ground on the front end, ships with (4) band pegs and (8) new keyhole plate storage horns, and sports a massive, red name-plate for the rear crossmember. It’s an impressive and beautiful piece of equipment.
The Monster Collegiate Half Rack is not cheap, starting at just under $1500 before optional equipment is added. Luckily, about the only thing you’ll need to add to this beast is a pair of safety spotter arms. You can also choose to upgrade your pull-up bar or J-cups, and as you order is definitely the time to do that as you only pay the difference in price.
When I bought this rack in 2018 it was about $300 less expensive, but if I had to do it again at today’s price I might just. This half rack is about as badass as half racks come. The front stabilizer feet are elevated making them ideal for band work; the accessory holes are laser-cut numbered; the finish is beautiful, and I don’t think that a taller half rack exists outside of the commercial market.
There is a double-sided version of the Collegiate Half Rack for $2100, which isn’t that bad of a price all things considered, but I don’t see that going in any garage gyms.
Vulcan Edge Half Rack
Looking for the most stable half rack around that still comes in for a tad less than the Rogue Monster Half Rack, check out the Vulcan Edge Half Rack. While still very reminiscent of just about any other half rack, the Edge has the added benefit of two enormous 1/2″ thick plates at the base of the rack that adds considerable weight and stability to the rack. If ever a rack didn’t need to be anchored, it’s this one.
The Edge Half Rack is made with 3″ x 3″, 11-gauge steel, is 93.5″ high, ships with a pair of safety spotter arms, and sports a pair of double-notch, sandwich-style J-cups. It also comes with the plate storage horns (10 total.)
The pull-up bar is a little basic and the hole (notch) spacing is not ideal at what looks to be like 4″, but it is still a seriously beefy and stable rack. Actually, this is more of a commercial unit but since when as that stopped home and garage gym owners from buying something.
Rep Fitness HR-5000 Half Rack
The HR-5000 Half Rack is Rep’s answer to Rogue’s Monster Half Rack. It is a feature-rich, affordable to the now very costly Collegiate Half Rack.
Like the Rogue, the HR-5000 is manufactured using 3″ x 3″, 11-gauge steel. At only $1150 base, the HR-5000 comes with dual-locking sandwich-style J-cups, a multi-grip pull-up bar, safety spotter arms, and built-in lower and upper band pegs. When you look at the price of this rack compared to the Rogue and all of the extras that it has, it becomes super obvious which is the better deal (and by a lot!)
I reviewed the HR-5000 and I loved it. It takes up about as much space as the Rogue, has even more plate storage, comes in a handful of colors, and has the added benefit of being 47″ wide rack rather than 49″ (49″ feels tight for some people during squat walkouts.)
So are there any cons to owning the HR-5000? Not really. The price is insanely reasonable, and you get so much included in the base price. Rep doesn’t offer as many accessories as Rogue does, but many of Rogue’s Monster attachments will work on the Rep HR-5000 (not all though.) Sure, there are less expensive half racks, but this one probably has the highest overall value, assuming it’s within budget.
Valor Pro BD-58 Half Rack
The Valor Pro BD-58 is an interesting half rack option. It’s basically an imported variation of the HR-2 that I’ll discuss next. A lot of accessories that would cost extra with Rogue’s HR-2 are included with the $800 price tag of the BD-58.
The Valor is made with 11-gauge steel, comes with spotter arms, two hooks for storing your barbells, and has six 10″ plate horns for plate storage. These horns are spaced far enough apart that every one of them can hold 450 mm discs (the 45-lb plate diameter.) Additionally, there is a multi-grip pull-up bar and 2 pairs of resistance band pegs.
Drawbacks to this half rack include lighter-duty J-cups than you’d find on a Rogue or similar racks, short overall height of 85″ (pull-up bar looks to be about 83″ according to schematic), no other accessory compatibility, and a complete lack of customer reviews. Since the cups clearly aren’t 11-gauge like the rest of the rack it does make me wonder about those spotter arms, but at least they don’t look dangerously thin in the pictures.
While not as high quality as an American rack, this one at least looks better than the typical import. Not bad. Be sure and compare features to the other half racks listed – especially the HR-2.
Update: this increased in price by $100, making it much less appealing than it was before.
Rogue HR-2 Half Rack
The Rogue HR-2 is a half rack that can be purchased as a complete unit or as a conversion kit for a Monster Lite Squat Stand (the SML-1, SML-2, or SML-3). The footprint of the HR-2 is the same as it is for the SMLs; 48″ x 49″. Height varies by model, of course.
On the left is the SML-3 Squat Stand, on the right is the HR-2 Half Rack. The conversion kit runs $245, or the complete half rack can be purchased for $655+.
Assuming that you don’t already have an SML Squat Stand, the HR-2 sells for $655 for the 92″ high rack and $725 for the 108″ high rack. The height of the rear uprights is 70″ and 90″ respectively. The HR-2 is a Monster Lite, so the uprights are 3″ x 3″ 11-gauge steel and the hardware is 5/8″. The HR-2 comes with a pair of J-cups and a pull-up bar, but spotter arms and plate horns are extra.
If you do already own one of the SML Squat Stands, the conversion kit will run $245 with all of the same upgrade options for safety and storage. Like the squat stands this unit does not need to be anchored; which is really cool.
The Rogue HR-2 is a great half rack option, and one of the better options for a garage gym, as it takes up so little space, has so many potential features (like plate storage), and Rogue has so many accessory and attachment options that can be added as needed. The price of the base HR-2 is also very, very reasonable, and there’s really no reason why it would ever become necessary to upgrade this rack. It also requires no anchoring. It deserves to be on your shortlist.
IronMaster IM1500 Half Rack
The IronMaster IM1500 Half Rack is a pretty solid half rack for the money. At $699 shipped, you’re looking at a unit with spotter arms, pull-up bar, bar storage and plate storage already included in the price. There are also band pegs, numbered holes, and anchor holes should you choose to use them. The two uprights are 11-gauge with a 1000-pound capacity but I’m assuming a good portion of the rest of the rack is probably 12-gauge based on the verbiage in the product description.
So yeah, lot’s of good stuff for only $700, but what about the cons? Well it is relatively short at only 84½” tall – not a great height for tall athletes when it comes to chins. It also has 2½” square uprights instead of one of the standard configurations, which means you’ll probably not be adding much in the way of accessories. Additionally, the product description says the plate storage horns hold standard or Olympic plates, which means the rods are 1″ and need to have 2″ wide plastic sleeves installed if you have Olympic plates. Finally, this is imported.
At the end of the day, this is a decent deal, and it has enough built-in features that you don’t have to worry about accessory upgrades. The HR-2 is definitely a beefier half rack and also an American-made rack, but you won’t walk away with an HR-2 with the same accessories for only $700. I still prefer the HR-2 myself.
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Squat Stands
Squat stands are just what they sound like. Some have pull-up bars, some don’t, and some are just two independent uprights that offer nothing more than an opportunity to get under a loaded barbell. Squat stands are much less expensive than half racks and power racks, but unless you already own a wall or ceiling mounted pull-up bar, I do suggest you spend a little extra to get stands with a pull-up bar. It’s worth every penny.
American Barbell Mammoth Squat Pull-Up Rack
The American Barbell Mammoth Pull Up Squat Rack is not the cheapest squat stand + pull-up option by any means, but it does offer a couple of unique features that may be of interest to some of you.
The slim American Barbell Mammoth Pull-Up Squat Rack. $650
For starters, it has about the smallest footprint of any full-size squat + pull-up rack out there. The depth of this unit is only 34″ rather than 48″ or more, so you can conceivably fit this guy off to the side of your garage and still get the car in. 34″ in not all that deep at all but it’s still about 10″ deeper than independent stands so there will be more stability. This would not be my first choice for kipping, but for chins and pulls you’re good to go.
The Mammoth Squat Stand is incredibly beefy. It is constructed with 11-gauge, 3″ x 3″ US-sourced steel and assembled with ¾” hardware. Additionally, it comes with sandwich-style J-cups instead of the light-duty cups typical of just about every other rack. Sandwich J-cups are generally about a $100 upgrade, but it’s not as though that isn’t probably worked in that $650. Also, this squat stand does not include any safety spotter arms.
Rogue SM-2 Monster Squat Stand
The Monster squat stands are about the best option for squat stands. They are thick 3″ x 3″ steel with massive rubber feet, and they have a pull-up bar (3 out of the 4 available models do anyway). This unit is available in 4 total heights up to a very tall 108″. Unfortunately, the spotter arms are optional and an extra expense.
Rogue SM-2 Monster Squat Stand – Made in the USA – Starting $595
If you’re looking at squat stands because of limited space, not necessarily budget concerns, this may be the way to go. You have access to most of the Monster accessories, but not all because with only two uprights there really isn’t a place for things like plate storage. This is by far the coolest squat stand I’ve seen, and one of the beefiest. Except for maybe the next stand below.
Alternatively, there is also the SML line of squat stands for slightly less money, though if you are willing to move down to the Monster Lite line then I highly recommend the HR-2.
Vulcan V-Hammer Squat Stand II
The Vulcan V-Hammer II may very well be the beefiest, sturdiest, and heaviest squat stand on the market. It is assembled with 2½”-square, 8-gauge steel tubing and massive 1″ black oxide hardware. It weighs in at nearly 260-pounds and has no maximum capacity. It comes standard with sandwich-style J-cups, 25″, coated safety spotter arms, and a pair of storage horns for storing plates near the base of the uprights.
This unit is intense, and it is a model you would never, ever have to worry about loading too much weight on. It has 1″ holes with 2″ hole spacing, UHMW on both the J-cups and pair of safety spotters, and it can be anchored down if you were so inclined. It’s not an inexpensive unit at $795 but shipping is at least included in that cost; which if you think about how much this weighs is not a bad deal at all. This is an incredible squat stand.
American Barbell Garage Gym Slim Rack
Becoming rather popular lately are the wall-mounted “slim” racks, like this one by American Barbell. Unlike the also-popular folding wall racks that don’t handle accessories all that well (since they are not anchored), these slim wall racks can still be installed in your garage and not interfere with pulling your car in at night. A rack that’s sticking 2′ out from the wall is not sticking out very far at all, yet it’s stronger and safer than a folding rack, and much easier to install, too.
The American Barbell Garage Gym Rack is available for much less cash than the other slim units; probably because it doesn’t have a flying pull-up bar. It’s a 3 x 3″, 11-gauge rack, and it’s available in both 7′ and 8′ heights. The hardware holes are 3/4″ which means that it’s not going to be compatible with many other manufacturer’s accessories but there’s not much to add to a double-upright rack anyway. J-cups are included, spotters are not. $400
I think this is a fantastic, space-saving rack – definitely better than folding racks. Well, that’s my opinion anyway. As with all wall-mounted units, a stringer may be necessary.
Rep Fitness SR-4050 Squat Rack w/ Pull-up Bar
The Rep Fitness SR-4050 used to be called the Gladiator; or something to that effect. It is a very reasonably-priced, well-equipped, and fairly tall (94″) squat rack with pull-up bar.
At $379, there just isn’t much to complain about (much). It’s a really low price, and if you’re willing to pay $20 more you can have the 110″ tall SR-4000 instead. Both SRs have a ton of bells and whistles, but sadly, these racks are designed in such a way that they lack any kind of cross-compatibility with other manufacturer’s accessories; which is less than ideal.
What do I mean by that? Well just look at the picture. Not only is this unit 2½” square tubing rather than 2″x3″ or 3″x3″, but all the hardware holes are on the sides of the uprights rather than front-facing. What that means is that even if you managed to find accessories that are compatible, they’d probably attach on the wrong side of the rack.
That being said, it has most of the basic accessories covered fairly well, the price is decent, and it’s 11-gauge steel so it’ll hold some solid weight. It ships standard with spotter arms, J-cups, and band pegs. It has a large footprint though; 72″ x 48″, so it’s not exactly the space-saving award winner.
Rogue S-Series Squat Stands
This is the economical Rogue squat stand option. The S-model uses 11 gauge, 2″ x 3″ steel and is available in 4 heights; 3 of which have a pull-up bar attached. This unit is simple and affordable and takes up very little space. Floor mounting feet, different pull-up attachments, and spotter arms are all optional.
The S-Series is a surprisingly popular option for home and garage gyms on a budget, so be sure to take a gander if that sounds like you. Prices start at $345.
Body Solid Multi-Press Rack for Basement Gyms
For basement gyms with low ceilings, the Body Solid Multi Press Squat Rack is my favorite recommendation. At only 74″ high, this squat rack is over a foot shorter than most full-sized power racks and should fit in most basements. Of course, you’ll want to measure and make sure!
Short Commercial-Style Squat Rack, ideal for basements with low ceilings.
This stand is made with the same 2″ x 3″, 11-gauge steel found on many of the commercial power racks so it will handle some weight. It has 14 different barbell positions and it comes with spotter arms (so you can still bench on this rack), but I’ll bet you need to be fairly strict as the spotters are pretty damn short. Downside of a classic squat rack, I suppose.
Total footprint is 45″L x 64″W x 74″ H. Reviews are great, shipping is included, and you get plate storage even. $650
Valor Fitness BD-19 Squat Rack for Basement Gyms
For an even shorter option for those with low-ceiling basement gyms, I’d maybe take a look at the Valor Fitness BD-19 Squat Rack. At about 72″ high there is no ceiling so low (I hope anyway) that this shouldn’t fit. It has 9 pre-set, sawtooth-style barbell notches, a pair of mini adjustable spotter arms, and four horns for plate storage.
This rack is built with 2″ x 2″, 11-gauge steel and has a maximum capacity of about 600-lbs, which isn’t anything to write home about but should be fine for the majority of lifters.
I do not think this is an amazing piece of equipment by any stretch of the imagination, but if you’re dealing with a basement your options are extremely limited. This will get you by, and it is pretty affordable on Amazon for about $325 shipped.
What to Avoid when Power Rack Shopping
There are probably hundreds of other racks on the market to choose from; no way can I list them all here. My hope is that you’ve learned enough about what to look for that, on the off chance you didn’t find a match here, you can make an educated executive decision on your own. To help with that, here is a list of red flags you should probably run away from:
Avoid the following:
- Power racks with no listed technical specifications (steel gauge, dimensions, etc).
- 14-gauge steel power racks. 12-gauge is acceptable if weight expectations are low.
- Power racks with low weight capacities relative to your goals.
- Power racks with hole spacing greater than 2″.
- Racks under 7′ high unless you’re basement gym shopping.
- Wal-Mart, Sears, Dick’s and other sporting goods or chain box stores.
- Box store brands like CAP, Marcy, Titan, Body Champ, Gold’s Gym, Ethos, etc.
Power Rack Guide – Suggestions & Summary
My default suggestion for those with normal-sized garages and an average budget used to focus around Rogue with their R-3 and HR-2. The quality of the Rogue racks paired with all the customization and accessory options and the relatively low costs of these two particular racks made them an easy recommendation. Rogue racks are modular, they are safe, they’ll last, and have a very high resale value should you ever choose to upgrade.
That having been said, Rep Fitness has come along with a number of competitively priced power racks and squat stands in the last year. The PR-4000 is a phenomenal rack with lots of configurations, colors, and accessories to choose from, and at a base price on par with a Rogue Infinity Rack such as the R-3, while the Rep Fitness HR-2 is is literally a fully-loaded half rack that will require no additional purchases whatsoever. It ships with spotter arms, the J-cups, loads of plate storage, upper and lower band pegs, and even ships with a multi-grip pull-up bar. These two racks, along with the PR-5000, are just really hard to ignore.
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Rep is definitely the way to go for power racks and half racks right now, but even with such competitive pricing compared to Rogue and Vulcan they do still require a moderate budget. For those with an even more limited budget I suggest leaning towards something like the S-Series of squat stands if you care about accessory options down the road, or Rep SR-4000 if you just want a ton of bang for your buck but you don’t care about a lot of extras or cross-compatibility between brands.
If your budget is super, super low and you’re considering a weak, 12- or 14-gauge rack, or if you’re looking at any of the inferior Titan racks, I strongly suggest you continue to save your money until you can get into a better-built, safer rack. You’re not saving any money if you’re out there buying another rack in a year. Two bad power racks is not cheaper than one good power rack. Buy once, buy right.
In any case, no matter which rack you are interested in I hope this guide gave you a clearer idea of what would work best for you, your floor space, and your budget. Whatever brand or model you go with, be safe, train smart, and train hard.
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Awesome guide! I’m probably going to go with the Rogue R4. I just feel like 30″ between the uprights would bug me.
Thanks Gary. Yes that’s exactly how I felt about it and why I too went with the R4
Great, thorough review! (Your barbell review is excellent as well.) I’ve used Legend Fitness racks and can recommend them: good quality at a decent price. Sorinex also makes some good racks, and of the ones I’ve used, their stabilizer bar juts back behind the rack to avoid the foot positioning issue.
recommendation for short racks based on height issues in the room. also thoughts on sumo racks as well?
Most of the decent full-size racks are going to be at least 7′ tall. You can find some closer to 6′ on Amazon and maybe even a sporting goods box store, but you’re not going to be overly impressed with them. Shorter generally means cheaper with full-size racks.
Not a lot of companies make sumo racks anymore; I guess there wasn’t much of a market for them since they are just glorified squat stands and have footprints more or less the same as a rack. Most people have floor space issues, not height issues, you know? That’s not to say there is anything wrong with them if that’s what you need to lift.
York makes one for about $300, but I don’t know where to buy one. Rogue has the SML-1 that is a 6′ high single piece squat stand with spotters, so it would serve the same purpose. And of course, Amazon has their share of sumo and half racks. I’d say look at squat racks, but that’s all it would be good for; squats. No adjustments for benching.
Great article, however, I would like to see more recommendations for height issues. On the contrary, I think a lot of people who set up home gyms in their basement-myself included- have height restrictions! A seven foot rack is too high ( who wants a flimsy 6ft)!
What do you think of the XMark Fitness Commercial Multi Press Squat Rack with Olympic Plate Weight Storage?
Hey William, so like I mentioned up there at the top, I’m not a huge fan of squat racks. Having said that, I wasn’t really thinking of 6′ or 7′ basement ceilings when I said that.
I’m a little surprised by that XMark. I’m generally not a fan of their products as they aren’t always made with the best materials, but this rack is constructed with 11-guage 2″x3″ steel, so that’s good. I would try to find out how adjustable those spotter arms really are though. They show nothing in the images I’ve found that indicates how or how many adjustments are possible. Plus, those arms are like really tiny. Looks like they stick out about 8″, not very far. Good for rack pulls and probably fine for bench, not going to be great for squats.
I don’t hate it, but I’m glad I don’t have to consider it personally lol. Did you see the Vulcan V-Task stands? Same price, longer arms, smaller footprint, obvious adjustments? It might also be good for your situation.
I will be more mindful of low ceilings in the future and keep an eye out for more racks that are constructed well and have heights under 6′. It’s a valid point.
Thanks for the speedy reply! The Vulcan V task seems like a great option-I will look into this. Thank you.
I’ve been corresponding with the guys from Rogue, and they said that for about $50 per pair of vertical posts, they can cut down to whatever size you need. Not sure how they go about sorting out the hole pattern, but gonna speak to them about it. So for a 4 post power rack, that’s an extra $100. Ceilings in my basement are 84-1/2″ from my 5/8″ rubber floor pads, so I’m looking at cutting to 84″.
Ya I hadn’t thought about that, Mike. That’s pretty cool that they’ll do that. I would be curious how that works with the crossmembers though as the holes are spaced much further apart on the sides of the uprights than the 2″ holes on the front/back of the uprights. You know, the holes for the front and back pull-up bar.
Try fitness Avenue
Just a note on your great article. Rogue ships your entire order free if you buy a “RIG” not a “Rack”. I ended up buying the “shorty” Rogue R3 rack thinking I would receive free shipping on everything. That said, I think their shipping prices are reasonable. :)
Thanks, Ryan. Ya back at the end of last year when I posted this article, they actually did ship racks as well; anything but squat stands. I hadn’t noticed they changed it to rigs only, but I probably should have looked since some other free shipping deals have vanished that I actually did notice. I will make that change here to keep things current. Grats on the rack!
Excellent reviews. Thank you for the info. I’ve used your site a lot for your excellent information.
Regarding the Rogue R4, and you’re desire to have a Rogue R6, I am pretty sure you can convert the R4 into an R6 with the addition of the plate uprights and cross members. You might want to contact Rogue if having the R6 is that important to you.
Thanks Devin! I appreciate that.
Yeah Rogue offers the uprights on their site. It’s mostly a dream for now as I am seriously running out of floor space! Plus, I think of the other stuff I can buy with what those uprights cost and it suddenly doesn’t seem important again… for a while =p
A great article. I’d just like to add the CFF squat stand that my coach, Emily Socolinsky of Fivex3.com, recommended for our home which has no space. The new version appears to be a bit beefier than the Fringesport product.
That’s a lot of shout outs! =p
I’m so glad I have room for a rack. I always hated using free-standing squat stands.
Has anyone tried Rogue’s Spotter Straps? Trying to decide whether to get those or Spotter Arms like he recommends in the R4 review.
This really helped me get a grip on the world of racks. With that said, I almost went all out with fringe sports. However, after reading forum thread on the subject I found Rep fitness, which has an incredibe deal. $1150 out the door. Powder coated half rack with J-hooks and 24″ spotter arms, 2″ fat pull up and a regular pull up bar, band pegs and dip pegs, flat bench, wood gymnastics ring, 20k black zync coated barbell with 230lb of rubber plates, and clips…. fantastic deal!
I know of that rack, not a huge fan; it’s not compatible with any accessories. I like Fringe’s because it’s heavier duty, and compatible with the Infinity line for accessories. Matter of fact, if it weren’t for the compatibility, I would probably not be behind the Fringe rack either. They’re both imported, and neither is as good as an American rack (and both have too much footprint), but I’d still choose the Fringe over the Rep any day. In any case, this is more of a package thing than about racks anyway. This would be fine for a beginner, but an experienced lifter would probably prefer a different bar than the Sabre.
How does the EliteFTS 3×3 or 2×2 stack up against the Rogue?
I don’t know of anyone with an Elite rack, but the steel itself will no doubt be the same assuming the gauge is the same. In order to compare, you gotta look at the accessories you might want in the future, the pricing, the welds, and the hardware size. I looked at them (Elite) a while back, and although the color options are nice, I found the pricing to be a bit on the high side, and delivery times of 6 weeks a bit much. Also, shipping has to be a ton since their racks ship almost entirely assembled except for cross-members (their racks are mostly welded.) Maybe they’ve changed it up some though… I was pretty turned off by pricing though and never bothered going back.
In their defense, Elite makes a lot of really cool powerlifting equipment, and they are probably the go-to for that kind of stuff. Not bars so much, but the actual power benches and monolifts.
I’m not entirely sure about Elite FTS, but I did look into it awhile ago. I decided on Rogue…I just got the sense that it was a higher caliber company and product (although that is totally just my un-informed gut sense). In October 2014, I bought a RM-6 monster rack from Rogue (higher end 3×3) and I couldn’t imagine Elite FTS is as good. The front four vertical posts on the RM-6 are actually 7-gauge steel, with awesome laser-cut hole numbering, which is ridiculous overkill, but very very nice. The j-cups are hefty; the dip attachment is rock solid, and the spotter arms are so heavy it’s almost a workout taking them on and off. The whole rig is uber heavy-duty. Also, I think because the Rogue equipment is essentially an industrial-strength “erector set”, assembled with nuts-and-bolts which seem like they would hold a battleship together, (a) you don’t need to worry about welds at all, and (b) it is very modular and customizable/configurable, given the number and variety of different attachments, cross members, etc. Also, as supplier to crossfit games, I think as a company they are really solid and the customer service is great. Now, my attitude was “screw the cost, I’m getting everything I want”, so I didn’t really do a cost analysis…but suffice to say Rogue ain’t cheap. But if you want literally a “monster” of a rack, I doubt you’ll beat rogue.
Thanks. The price point between the EFS 2×2 (with shipping and accessories) and the Rogue RM-6 were similar but Rogue seems to have more customization available and teir customer support appears top notch. I’ll likely go with the RM-6 as yourself and others rave about it.
Does any one have any comments on the XTC Fitness XSS3 squat rack. It looks like the rogue SML-3 in connection style but uses a 2×3 steel Which I think would be fine. It’s $600 Canadian including shipping to my place in Manitoba. Lifetime warranty to. Seems like a great deal
Has anyone heard anything or reviewed the slim-gym rig from pure strength? Really looking to get one because of its size, and it is so cheap with some features that I like. Any feedback would be appreciated!
I know I’m late to the party but recently found your website which has been fantastic. I was leaning towards Rogue for our power rack but recently came across Texas Strength Systems in San Antonio. Have you had any experience with them? This was the rack I was leaning towards. http://www.texasstrengthsystems.com/products/racks-stands/galvanizedunpainted-power-rack I’m in Austin so the thought of driving to San Antonio to pick equipment up is really appealing. And that price is pretty sweet too. The only thing I’m a bit concerned with is accessories.
I have not actually. That rack doesn’t look too bad if you can escape shipping charges, but you’re right about accessories. They are using a steel size that you’ll never find anywhere else (2¼” 12 gauge), so you’ll never be able to use other accessories except theirs.
It’s an interesting unit. Galvanized is definitely different, and 1″ spacing is a plus. It looks like you have to pay extra for that plate storage section, and the pulley, and the multi-grip pull-up, and most things in that picture actually if I’m reading that right. Matter of fact I don’t think there is a single picture that shows what you get for the base price. Also unless you just have a beater bar, you’ll want to talk to them about lining those J-cups with some plastic.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the unit, but it doesn’t look like its any cheaper. Still though, saving shipping charges can make all the difference in the world.
I have to agree the website is a bit of a mess. My guess is the base price unit is closer to this used rack they have for sale. http://www.texasstrengthsystems.com/products/racks-stands/used-25-x-25-power-rack
I also think they missed the boat on their hole diameter/pattern. I would have mimicked Rogue’s hole pattern and plastered “Compatible with Rogue accessories” all over the site. It does say they’re working on some crossfit equipment so might be interesting to keep an eye on them.
Sigh, now if you’ll excuse me it’s back to endlessly obsessing over which Rogue rack to get. :D
Lots of these places do alright and don’t really try that hard to grow. They get used to doing it a certain way and that’s how they do it. I’m sure that since they offer a lot of the same accessories, why would they want you to go to Rogue for them. /shrug.
I’ll probably take a close look at the whole site in the next day or so, see what they do that may be interesting/unique/competitive, etc. I definitely don’t like the way they showcase a much larger purchase in those pictures though. Probably not intentionally misleading, but misleading nonetheless.
They make, arguably, the most popular powerlifting bar, the Texas Power Bar. It also happens to be great quality and they have superb customer service. Unfortunately, I have no experience with their rack.
I nearly pulled the trigger on the titan fitness x3 hd. This article has changed my mind. Now I have to convince the wife that I really need the rogue r4…..
Not sure if you aware, but Legend now offers the Louie Simmons Combo Cage with 1″ hole spacing. Thanks for the Review http://www.legendfitness.com/products/racks_cages_platforms/racks_cages/louie_simmons_combo_cage_3230.aspx
I wasn’t. Hadn’t been back to check on Legend in a while. Looks nice; probably pricey too!
Not bad. under $1500 when you go direct.
I am waiting on a recently purchased an XSS3 Rack from XTC Fitness in Mississauga Ontario Canada. The specs appear to be very similar to the 108″ tall Rogue Monster Lite SML-3 in terms of bolt together hardware and design. This rack uses 2″x3″ Steel in place of the 3″x3″ that Rogue uses but is otherwise the same. This seems like a great rack for Canadian buyers since it is built in Canada and is only $625 delivered (price is in CDN dollars which is great). I will post a follow up once i have it set up and put it through a workout.
BTW … Thanks JBURGESON for the great reviews on this site. I don’t think i have found a more comprehensive set of reviews anywhere else!
Not bad. I know you Canadians have a hard time with gear choices sometimes. Does that thing anchor down? It’s tall. Oh, and thank you very much Marc.
Ok I get that you hate squat stands, but I’m converting my garage to a more Oly specific gym. I currently have a 4×4 wall mount, but i am thinking about loosing it to add anouther lifting platform. If pick up 3 sets of the fringe stands (one for each platform) and get a stud bar for pull-ups. Do you think the fringes will hold up, and any reason you couldn’t squat more than they’re rated at?
Squat stands are great in that kind of environment. Easy to move onto the platform, easy to get rid of again. It’s squat racks that I really dislike.
I’d personally be reluctant to buy free-standing squat stands that didn’t have a max capacity higher than the type of weight I planned to be lifting. I wouldn’t want the $199 FS stands that have a 400-pound capacity if I knew people with 500-pound squats intended to use them. I’d just spend more for the 11-gauge that can hold 800-1000 pounds and know that I never had to worry about anything. I talk about one from CFF that has I believe a 700-pound capacity for a bit less than what the FS pair sells for https://www.garage-gyms.com/garage-gym-on-a-budget/#squats
I should probably further clarify. By squat racks I mean those full-size, non-adjustable commercial units like I show a picture of at the beginning of this article. Not the stands + pull-up bar racks.
Hey there! Some days ago you helped me choosing the rogue chan bar for my Homegym! Now i watched this Power Rack guide and think it’s amazing! Been searching a long time for a Power Rack and ended up with the RML-390F (because i can’t bolt it to the floor) and again the costs here in Germany for Rogue are very big (1055€ inc. Shipping). But i think again Rogue is worth it for me and my Homegym. But there’s a German Developer named Barbarian Line and they made this Rack http://www.megafitness-shop.info/Kraftsport/Kraftgeraete-nach-Marken/Barbarian-Line/Power-Cage-inkl-Latzugstation-mit-integrierter-Monkey-Chin-und-Dips-Barren–2368.html it comes with 3×3 Steel, Monkey Chin, J-Cups, Dip station and a Plate loaded lat attachment and a better System for the Safetys for the same Price like the RML390F. I really love the look of the rogue and the Westside Whole spacing is great. Which one do you think i should go with?
That rack doesn’t look bad. I’d want to know how thick the steel used is though. 3×3 is only half of what’s important, need the gauge as well. There are a few connection points that can be seen in the images and they look pretty thin, but so long as it’s 11-gauge it should be fine. I couldn’t find that info in the product details, but that could also be lost in the page translation. I do prefer those drop in safeties though; Rogue doesn’t offer those yet (though Black Widow custom makes them for any rack). So if it saves you money and it’s not built with super thin steel, by all means go for it.
Hi,
Out of curiosity, what do you think of the Get RX’d Goliath rack? Due to schedule changes I am not able to make it to the gym. I’m looking to build a home gym so have to purchase everything and this rack looks like quality at an affordable price.
I’ve come across feedback on the GRXd racks here and there and word is that the economy model (the Pro) is no better than a Titan (it probably is a Titan), and the Guillotine has all the standard issues common among cheaper imported racks. Now the Goliath I’ve never heard any feedback on, but that’s probably because it’s too close in price to some of the better American-made models at nearly $600. Granted, it’s more affordable than a Rogue R3/R4, but the SML-2 with spotters is so close in price to something like this that I’d wager one would go for the Rogue over the import 9 out of 10 times because of the access to accessories, Westside hole spacing, 3/8″ joining plates and larger hardware, and so on.
I’m not suggesting there is anything wrong with this rack, and being imported isn’t automatically a bad thing, but I can tell you a couple things just based on the product description… 84″ will feel like a short rack unless you’re a pretty short guy, and the steel may be 3×3, but the gauge is clearly thin (you can see certain joints and angles of the frame in the pictures).
To be fair, if you’re not working with a lot of weight, and you’re not an exceptionally heavy guy that would test the strength of a pull-up bar, it will probably be fine for years. If you plan to permanently transition into a garage gym lifter rather than going back to the gym, I recommend making sure it offers you everything you want now, and will want down the road. You kind of want your rack to be a one-time purchase, or at least modular so changes can be made inexpensively. I also tell people looking at racks to ask themselves why they aren’t looking at full-size squat stands (squat + pullup with spotter arms) and half racks. They have the same footprints generally, but make better use of space while offering access to all the same lifts (while also being less expensive.)
Thanks for the great article. I am looking for a rig with a small footprint for my preteen boys that will last for a long time. I came across this one and wanted to see if anyone has any feedback on any potential issues or flags I should look in to. http://store.prxperformance.com/the-profile-series
I like this one as it folds down vs swinging across the floor like the Rogue system.
I’m aware of this rack, though I’ve yet to find someone who owns it. It’s a really neat idea, but it is extremely over-priced. Actually I would have included it on this page if it were not for the fact that it costs twice as much as it should. I mean, Rogue is not an economy retailer, yet even their folding rack is under $500. It’s only two uprights after all.
Having said that, if the way this folds up works out better for you and the price doesn’t offend you, the only thing you would have to consider (and maybe ask PRX) is what it costs to replace the wearable parts. Shocks will wear, and depending on how well they’ve assembled the sections on hinges, those too could be a problem area over time (though for a grand you’d expect it to be assembled pretty damn well.) Other than that, USA 11-gauge steel isn’t going to give you any issues, and the paint looks well done. Depending on the diameter of the holes in the uprights, Rogue ML accessories may even be compatible as well.
So, I guess I can say that I personally wouldn’t spend that much on a foldable squat stand, but I can see how someone might if space is a major problem, but money is not.
http://www.pure-strength.com/products/slim-gym-rig
Huge price difference there. Just goes to show ya =p
Thanks for the link. I like it but I’m leaning towards a folding rig.
If you end up with that PRX, let us know what you think. It would be nice to have some feedback on it; appearance, ease of use/assembly, quality of construction, etc. Btw, that’s awesome that you’re exposing youngsters to strength training. I sure wish my folks had done that. That and maybe the piano =p
I have a rack I got off amazon. Sufficient.
My question is on the stability if a full box cage vs. square uprights vs. “U” uprights. When I rerack a heavy squat the cage takes it well even without being mounted. Do the upright versions handle reracking a squat as well or negligibly different?
Hi Carl. I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking. Can you elaborate on what you mean specifically by square upright vs U upright?
Sure.
With a full cage you’re standing inside of a cube of metal bars. With a square the vertical part of the stand is a metal “square”, two uprights with a cross piece at the top. And with a ” U” the stand is missing the top cross piece. Seems like these differences would affect stability when the weight is slammed back into the rack after a heavy lift.
Thanks!
Ok I gotcha. Sorry I get used to calling each of these configurations some specific, and it’s early for me =p
There is some noticeable difference when racking forcefully into any of these rack styles. Of course having 4 connected uprights allows you to be as forceful as you want when re-racking. The squat stands with connecting pull-up bar are almost the same. They have such a large footprint and are still more than stable enough to eliminate any fear of tipping or warping, but of course a lot of that has to do with the quality of the steel used. 11-gauge doesn’t give at all, but I can see how you could create some sway in the rack if it’s made of 14-gauge steel.
The fewer uprights and cross-members that your rack has does change how you should treat the unit. When using basic squat stands (independent stands) or even the one-piece stands with no cross-member aside from the base, probably is a good idea to be more graceful with your re-racking. If you think about it though, guys squatted massive amounts of weight using nothing but old school independent squat stands for years. If you can guide a bar back into those, you can guide it back into anything.
I was really intrigued but that PRX fold down rack, but not the price tag. so I went to a buddy of mine that builds rigs for gyms in the PNW. We sketched out a design and he his building me one custom to my garage/lifting platform dimensions with the pull-up bar at the perfect height for me. building it all out of 11 gauge 2×3 american steel. no hydraulics, but a more sturdy simple design. He quoted me $450 to do it. if it kicks as much ass as I think it will, I’ll send you in pictures and a review
That sounds awesome. Yeah I’d love to see it.
Yeah go figure on that PRX price. It’s too prohibitive; needs to come down some.
I just saw the Prx Performance racks. How would these compare to the Rogue RML-3W. Been looking at the collapsable racks, and trying to come to good winner.
Sorry, didn’t see your response on the PRX one above. Ignore the comment.
great article and exactly what I was looking for in regards to research. Gone over it all a few times, but what would you recommend if you’re in a rental and are unable to securely anchor to the ground? Have my current set up in a large double garage but am now looking at getting some sort of rack to allow me to do bench, squats, pull ups and dips if possible? Ceiling would be around 2.7m high I think of a guess and not measuring:)
Dips are probably the one thing you won’t be doing on a unit that’s not anchored unless it’s just a huge rack, or you can fit the attachment inside the rack rather than outside. You might could get away with it on something like the HR-2 Half Rack if you do in fact use the rear uprights for plate storage… you know, weigh that sucker down, but generally dip stations and most band work go out the window if a smaller rack is just sitting on the ground.
As far as everything else goes; your squats, bench, etc; you can use anything from a squat stand + pull-up to one of the flat-footed Rogue racks, or again the half racks. Rogue has the RM-390F that has giant rubber feet on it and those feet sure makes it look stable, but it’s an ‘M’ series, or Monster, and those are a bit much for a home; and definitely more expensive than I’d ever really suggest spending for personal use unless cashflow is just not a problem. Just about everything is going to be under that ~9 foot ceiling by default though, so you’re not going to have to eliminate any options because of that.
Thanks heaps for the quick reply. Much appreciated and great site by the way. Just discovered it and very impressed and very comprehensive. Cheers.
Thanks Mark, much appreciated.
If it has a pull-up bar you can probably buy a set of rings and do ring dips. That’s what I do.
Yeah that’s true too. My mind always goes to the attachable dip stations for some reason and I forget about the rings. Great point.
AWESOME Guide! I already purchased a RM-390 prior to reading your guide. It should arrive sometime this week. EXCITED and can’t wait. I’ve owned two other power cages through the years.
Thanks! You got a Monster eh? Those things are rocks.
Great informative site. I’m debating between a hr2 and the rml390f. I have a garage and can accommodate more but don’t want to bolt anything down yet… Any recs one way or the other regarding the 2? Thanks!!
I like both of these units, but personally I like the HR-2 for the on-board storage option. Its hard to state how nice that is to have around, and how it almost never matters to be in a cage vs in front of a rack. HR-2 will cost more in the long run though because of the plate horns and spotter arms. Aside from that, they’ll both get the job done and last longer than we will.
Great review! I’m stuck deciding between the RML-3W and the R3. I have a feeling I will go with the RML-3W simply for the space saving feature, as I still would like to park my car in the garage at night. My only concern would be the stability without the legs bolting to the floor.
I’ve not had a chance to use the wall mounts yet, so I can’t really give you any guidance based on experience. However, I have a feeling that it’ll be sturdy as it needs to be and then some, but you will also experience a little movement laterally simply because of the way the thing pins into position. I doubt that it would matter though because even basic squat stands move around a little and it’s not really an issue with those. I think the space saving advantage for someone trying to still park in the garage makes up for most of the minor drawbacks vs the R3. Its a trade off.
Thanks for the quick response! Love this page by the way, just stumbled across it a few days ago.
Rogue has some of the monster lite racks on closeout what do you think about the 390 for this price http://www.roguefitness.com/monster-lite-racks-closeout. As always thanks for all your insight
It looks like they are what, about 10-15% off normal black prices? I mean, I don’t have a problem with Rogue’s rack prices as they are, so any savings is a good thing. I know the RML line looks like it’s a lot more expensive than many of the imports (and technically they are), but if you ever get a chance to side-by-side a Rogue rack with just about anything else, you see clearly that they’re not nearly as expensive as they look. Also they’re way less expensive than other American commercial units that aren’t any better just because they carry a commercial name (Legend, Hammer Strength, Precor, etc). Matter of fact, I’d argue that because of the accessory options available for Rogue racks that the Rogue racks are actually far superior. So yeah, any savings is just better so long as it’s within ones budget to begin with. A Rogue rack will be around long after we’re all dead and buried.
Ok thanks for the reply I’m just building my garage gym and making purchases basically on what I read on here….on this rack I should be able to store some plates on it correct? Sorry if this is a dumb question
Which one specifically? Plate store on the rack tends to only work on units with a third row of uprights like the 690. Putting them on the rear uprights of the 3 or 4 series ends up being in the way of most lifts unless you back up pretty far away from them.
Nicely written, than you for the excellent guide. But I have to say there is another reason for individual free stands in comparison to a full blown power rack:
I was 1 second away from placing the order for a rogue rack. Then I crosschecked the inner width of the rack since one also wants to benchpress inside using the safeties. I am 6.4 (194cm) tall and when I take the usual benchpress arm positions and angles i measure 107cm from elbow to elbow exactly at the height where the safeties would be.
The cheaper racks usually only have 105cm inner space, even the more expensive ones like Rogues only have 110cm. That leaves 1,5 cm space for me, something that is easily inside the normal “shifting on the bench” limits. As a result, one often touches, sometimes even really hurts the elbows badly when pressing 256+ pounds. At the end, I would be to much concentrating on this problem where I should concentrate on get that damn weight up. I can’t figure I am the only one with this problem but never read about it. How about you guys? Anyway, here, free stands seem to be just the solution…
I’m actually 6’4″ myself. I’ve never measured my wingspan or the distance between elbows during a bench, but I can tell you that the 43″ opening of the Infinity line is just barely enough distance for me with bad form while still being enough, and more than enough distance with good form. Every once in a while if I don’t get centered and my form gets soft up I’ll brush a spotter, but never so hard to do any damage. Sure the rack could be a little wider, but no one really builds anything for super tall people. It’s hard to find clothes; and we all wear clothes. Imagine trying to find tall ppl equipment!
I am 6’3″ with monkey long arms and extremely wide chested. I had issues with spotter arms while bench pressing until I fixed my form. I worked with some power lifting specialist and quickly learned flaring elbows are a big problem. I’d buy a Mark Bell slingshot and work on keeping your elbows in. This was a life saver and what finally helped me get passed the 180kg barrier.
http://www.roguefitness.com/original-slingshot
I can see that in the discussion of the correct benchpress form many do not advocate 90degrees angles between upper arm and chest. This would certainly help to reduce the elbow problem.
But what about shoulder press, e.g., behind the back? To do this using a correct form, there will be 90 degrees and hence max width from elbow to elbow, wouldn’t it? And again, the safeties would be around the same height as the neck which brings them level with the elbows when the weight is about in the middle of the movement.
Behind the neck is probably the only thing that would put your elbows completely out to your side like that. But I think the point is still valid regardless of proper/improper form; there are ppl even taller than 6’4″, and they’ll run into this problem more frequently. So what do they do? Either find a rack as wide as a bar will allow (more than 43″), or find a workout partner and ditch the safety bars that cause the problem altogether.
We are here on “garage-gyms”, I guess that somehow contradicts “find a training partner” at least a bit, wouldn’t you say? One important goal for many users of the whole idea of a garage gym is to use spare time in-between a busy life to get things done. This in-between makes timing with a partner almost impossible.
About your idea to “find a bar wider than 43” i have to say: good luck. That is where I started and came to this site and the reviews here (after reading tons of different articles about the right rack). I wanted to suggest to maybe add the inner width to the items to check racks for, since honestly, 6.4 is not super duper tall and anyways, exactly for the even taller people the information about the inner width will become even more important. But you often can’t even find this information at all and have to guess from outer width.
As I said in my first post: This is exactly where free stands come into play, but they are not as rigid and always make you think if you want to go for the last rep…
Have you looked at the Northern Lights versions sold by fitnessdepot.ca. They are in Texas and charge for shipping, but thought I would get your thoughts on these before I would order.
Are you in Canada? Do you have a specific model in mind? I’ve looked at a few of them, and some are better than others. How long any of these last will really depend on your level of strength and the types of loads you expect the rack to handle. Some have 14-gauge parts which is not overly impressive, but others have configurations that “could” be completely 11-gauge, in which case that would last longer. Also how much they charge you for shipping is important as well.
Anyone using the wall mount MLW-4 rig with only 4 foot arms off the wall instead of the standard 6ft arms? I’m concerned the 6 ft will just take up too much space, especially with spotter arms.
I have the low ceiling problem (< 80") and didn't think I could find a good cage. I then saw your info on the Body-Solid Multi Press Rack and thought this would be a good alternative. I'm waiting for Black Friday to come around to see if there are any deals.
The thing is, I chanced upon Titan Fitness' Short Rack. Less than 72" tall, has chin up bar included, and free shipping. Since I'm just starting out, the 700 lb. weight capacity wouldn't be a problem. It's just that I saw someone mention Titan in an earlier post. And the implication was you get what you pay for. Implying their products are okay but nothing to get excited about.
Are there any other short racks which may be more suitable? Or should I forego the thought and stick with the Body-Solid?
There is an X-Mark that I linked to in smaller text under the Body Solid. I don’t like it much because it has no cross-members for the legs; which is probably exactly why it has a 400-capacity. You know I don’t remember what Amazon does for Black Friday. Though since it’s Body Solid it could be found elsewhere on sale.
The Body Solid is the closest thing I found to a sturdy, commercial squat rack that didn’t cost as much as an actual commercial squat rack. There are a couple Valor units, but I don’t care for the Valor racks; most are too tall anyway. York has one I believe but it couldn’t be used for anything but squats. They used to call it a sumo rack, but now I think they’re calling it a half rack, but it’s not actually a half rack.
Basements are a pickle, for sure. I’d see what you can find for deals in a week or so on the Body Solid. I don’t like Titans at all so I’m not going to recommend that. If you come across something that you’re not sure about, give me a link and I’ll check it out. You probably have a good idea what to look for after reading this post though, but I’m glad to help if you have a question.
Thanks for the quick reply. Besides the Body-Solid, the only other rack that interests me is the Rogue SML-1. But for the life of me I can’t figure out why they didn’t make it so you could have a pull-up bar. Their other two models are the exact same material and footprint (except for height). And they have this feature. *grumble*
I’m going to call them up today to find out if this can be modified in some way. Either that, or maybe get an extra pair of j-hooks, put them at the top and just use an Olympic bar? *shrug*
It’s only because it’s so short. That’s exactly why there is the SML-2, 3, etc. It does not look like it even has the holes drilled for a pull bar. I didn’t even think of the SML-1 last night. It’s actually a couple inches shorter than the Body Solid.
But ya, unless you’re a super short fella, you probably don’t want to attach a pull bar to the SML-1 anyway; those bolts take a while to take on and off. I mean, not that long, but I don’t think you’d want to do it on a regular basis. Your idea of using a bar in J-cups is better as it’s easy to disassemble. It’s no different than what you’d so with the Body Solid. Price after adding spotters isn’t that different though.
Do you have any thoughts on Extreme Training Equipment (ETE)? They make a deluxe squat stand that caught my eye (I’ve emailed them for specifics that aren’t on their website). I was torn between the Rogue S-1 and the HR-2. My intended use: deadlifts, squats, bench press, and rack pulls. I am not interested in olympic lifts. I like the ETE rack because it includes plate storage (which is extra on the Rogue products). I can’t tell if spotter bars can be added to it, but they are another add-on I’m interested in. I need a rack for my basement (I’m getting ready to buy a bumper plate package, bar and some kettlebells) and I don’t want to bolt the thing down. If you have a recommendation for me, your input would be welcomed. :-)
I don’t know anything about that company, no. Zero feedback of any kind. It doesn’t look like a bad unit… there is no cross-compatibility though; hole configuration is unique to this company. Spotter arms can be added for $150. That particular unit seems promising. You get a shipping rate yet? Sometimes that ends the appeal lol
OK as a rule of thumb, not a huge fan of AgainFaster, but there new squat stand 3.0 with half rack conversion seems enticing. at less than $600 delivered with black Friday discount/free shipping om intrigued. It’s 11 gauge and used 5/8 holes so rogue accessories should fit, and comes with 8 plate storage pegs. That would free up some valuable space for me. Thoughts?
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
That’s what I think! =P
so are they in the outkast boat with Bendlay’s?
haha I like that. Well played.
It’s not that. No one rates as high on the shady meter as you know who. No one can compare to them!
With AF, it’s the combination of things being imported and there not being much in the way of QC. I get more complaints about them than I do with those other guys, but I don’t think those other guys sell anything anymore outside of their collegiate contracts so who is going to complain anyway. Still though, while they aren’t my first or second choice, they aren’t my last either. You can do better or worse. I don’t recommend their bars; that’s for sure, but maybe the new rack is the bomb.
Hello John,
after I thought about it for weeks of I just have decided to buy the SML-2.
I have already ordered but forgot to ask which pull-up-bar-option is better.
I have taken the single pull-up bar because I don’t think using the fat/skinny makes sense? Yes for the stability may be, but for pull-ups the lower bar will make it difficult to use the upper bar, right?
fat/skinny is silly on squat stands. I only like it in racks where it can be mounted horizontally. On squat stand, you put the side you want down; can’t use the top.
By the way:
The SML-2 was the only interisting Black Friday Special (10 units, all sold) on the Rogue Europe homepage – except you love Compression Socks…
This Squat Stand won my final selection anyway and this “Black Friday shove” made it even easier ;-)
So I still have possibilities to convert it in a HR-2 or even a RML-390F Flat Foot, if I would need it someday.
As you know, first I wanted to have two squat/bench possibilities at the same time for my son and me.
Still a good idea, but if I would move there could be serious space problems.
And this solution has the advantage that one can help and control the other – sometimes a important argument.
Finally the SML-2 is the most mobile and adaptable solution for me perhaps – also if I think about possibly future changes…
I like the SML-2. They were in color here for Black Friday. I almost bought one, but I don’t need it so I fought the urge. I actually haven’t purchased anything from Rogue this BF. It’s all the same racks from last year, and all of the same basic bars like the Rogue 2.0 and Bella. I thought it was nice of them to throw some bulk deals out there for the boxes like 1000 pound bumper sets and 10-packs of bars, but I sure don’t need that!
You know, with you and your son; just the two of you; switching in the rack is pretty good timing for sets. I think you’ll be fine with one set-up. It’s like when one person squats the other typically stands there as not to be distracting anyway, right? Just like in an Oly gym. One at a time, even though everyone has their own platform.
I assume your son is a teenager ya? It’s an awesome thing to get your kid into weight training. My parents didn’t do that with me and I wish they had. Good for you.
Yes my son and I we appreciate this time together. It strengthens the relationship and sometimes leads to more exchange of ideas and views.
And I can preserve him from doing mostly “stupid exercises” for the biceps ;-)
That’s awesome. Hey one set of curls a week is okay, it’s the whole day for it that gets a bit excessive. “Arm day!”
That’s crazy, please delete my last two comments – after having sent it everything appeared suddenly?
But in the older window still the last comment is:
jburgeson September 3, 2015, 10:34 am
I like both of these units, but personally I like the HR-2 …………..
yeah sounds like a caching thing. All is good now?
Yes everthing is good now :)
I know what happend…. it is very embarrassing :-(
I’m sorry for the stupid waste of your time John!
I am in eighth grade and have gotten serious about lifting this year. Right now Im on a 5×5. I go to the gym sometimes, and use my workshop sometimes. I currently have a cheap bench and rack that I got from academy, but as far as academy equipment goes it is top of the line. I have sawhorses set up to catch my squats and bench. I have decided that once my squat reaches 300 i will upgrade my home gym. I am not into cross fit or any of that,I just want to get stronger. Im thinking I will buy a power rack, a new bench and a beater bar. It only needs to last me and my brother through high school. I have steel plates right now, and I think thats all I need because I don’t plan on ever doing olympic lifts. The rouge power racks look great, but I think i can get bye with paying way less for my needs. Please recommend some equipment. Also the floor is wood so idk if i can bolt it down
So eighth grade now thru HS is still four years; more if your brother is younger than you. Whatever you buy needs to last that long, and really there is no reason for it not to last longer.
Since you can’t bolt down and you don’t Olympic lift, you probably want to consider either a half rack like the HR-2, or a single piece squat stand like the S-2/SML-2 (I’m throwing the Rogue models at you because it makes it easier for you to go look at, but you don’t have to go with the Rogue brand obviously.) These don’t need to be anchored down, they have spotter arms available, pull-up bar, accessories galore, all that stuff. So these can handle 5×5 now, and they can handle whatever else you end up doing in a year or two (linear programs like SS and 5×5 will plateau and you’ll require training variation. Could be a year or more, but it it will happen before you’re out of HS.)
You could technically buy any full size power rack, but you’ll pay more for a power rack of decent quality, and power racks really want to be anchored to be stable. You can technically get away with not anchoring since you currently aren’t kipping, dipping, swinging, or doing any of the typical craziness that causes racks to tip, but it’ll never feel secure without anchors unless it’s a massive rack. The only real benefit of a full-size rack over a half rack is the feeling of security inside the unit with spotters rather than outside a stand with shorter spotter arms, but the shifting of the non-anchored rack will eliminate a lot of that security. SML-2 is a very good option for your situation I think.
For a non-Oly strength bar look at the $275 zinc Ohio Power bar. The B&R is also a nice choice for 5×5, or any of the 28.5 mm dual-marked multi-purpose bars (California Bar, Rogue 2.0, Ohio, Vulcan Standard, and the list goes on.) These are all lower-cost, mid-range bars than can handle those heavy squats and deadlifts. They all have bushings instead of pins, high tensile strength shafts that won’t bend, and long warranties.
Hope this helps, let me know if you need some more specific feedback.
Thanks for all the feedback. Im confused. Does a power rack have to be bolted in to concrete or would a wood floor work? Also I still am not sure what to buy. I was wanting a power rack, but you said a half rack would work just fine. Why does everyone buy power racks if half racks do the same job? Do half racks not have to be bolted in? Also are the spotter arms shorter on a half rack rather than a full power rack? Will it be worth it for me to buy a power rack if I am considering eventually getting a cable attachment? Also about the barbell, the Rogue Beater Bar still sounds like the best option. It looks durable but people say it is a cheaper option. If it is flimsy, who cares? Rogue gives a lifetime warranty so why not go cheaper. There is a man on craigslist selling his buddy caps texas power bar for 200 30 minutes away. Would that be worth it? Im thinking I will also check craigslist everyday since Im not in a hurry to buy anything, and snag a power rack if a deal comes up
Power racks generally need to be bolted unless it’s just a massive unit; something like the RML-690. Small racks like the R3 will definitely rock and slide around without anchors. Like I said, not bolting down smaller racks is an option, but it will not feel stable. It won’t be stable.
Now you can bolt a power rack into the foundation, a lifting platform, whatever. However, wood flooring is generally just 1/2″ planks sitting on top of the foundation with adhesive. You’d have to bolt deeper than just the wood flooring to keep it in place. So yes, you could bolt it to your wood floors, but it’s still actually bolting into the foundation.
The reason half racks and squat stands don’t have to be bolted down is because they have like 4-foot long feet rather than just legs like a power rack, that and the weight is centered on those legs rather than being equally distributed on all for corners of the unit. Functionally; aside from the inability to add some attachments like a monolift; half racks and power racks are the same. Can still bench, squat, pull-up, whatever. Both have safeties, one costs a little less. I think power racks will always be more “popular” just because it’s old school, and that’s what the gyms have. Half racks are almost always preferred when anchoring is not an option.
Let’s see. Yes power rack spotters run the whole depth of the rack. Safety Spotter arms are usually around 22-24″ on the real brands. The cheap shit has some shorter ones of course, but shorter is too short. I wouldn’t buy a rack based on the cable attachment thing, but that’s just me. Especially now that there is that Spuds Inc pulley system that attaches to any rack.
Take a look at the Kip Cage at fringesport.com. It’s a smaller power rack that’s compatible with Rogue accessories, but it has long feet like a half rack so it doesn’t need to be bolted. It’s a much higher quality than the Amazon garbage, but it’s still very affordable because it’s not American made. It’s a nice compromise between quality and price.
Finally, the bar. TPB is a good option, especially if it’s a real TPB. I’d run from that Beater though. If you won’t spend over $200 on a bar, look at the Echo or used bars, not the Beater. And it’s 1-year on the Beater, not lifetime. Only Rogue Bar 2.0 and up have lifetime warranties.
I went with a full power rack because it had a pull up bar and would be more stable due to the box configuration plus extended feet. A half rack might swing more at the top but would probably still work. I do kipping on mine sometimes. Plus I has a place to sit weights on the rear so if it gets wobbly I can put 45s there.
I would either get a damn nice Olympic bar to just a cheap POS. If you’re not doing Olympic I really don’t see the point in spending any money on a bar or a warranty. I’m sure you’ve visited an old ratty gym with rusted crappy looking bars. They work just fine for power lifting.
Well except one thing. The knurling makes a helluva difference. I squatted this summer at an LA Fitness in Columbus. The bar was so smooth it felt buttered. I couldn’t go heavy because I couldn’t keep it on my back for low bar…
Actually, I changed my mind. The ohio zinc bar looks like the best option. What do I have to do to maintain it? Thanks
Zinc, nothing really. Brush chalk out if it needs it, and when the zinc starts to wear down the road, put oil on the bar a couple times a month. Zinc is mostly maintenance free.
Im thinking of just putting down a stallmat to deadliest on and do everything i would do outside a rack. Why do people suggest you put wood in the middle of two mats? Why not just use the mat if its big enough. It seems like lifting on the bare ground is bad for your knees. Also the wood floor is not finished or anything, it is just a workshop. Could I bolt down a power rack? And power rack seems like the way to go for me unless I can’t bolt it down
The wood platform is for the Olympic lifts; feels more like the stage. Isn’t even necessary for most people, and if you aren’t even doing those two lifts than it matters even less. Most garage gyms are solid stall mats, just like in a gym or CrossFit box.
Yeah I thought you meant hardwood floors; like indoors somewhere. Yeah you can bolt down into a bare wood floor. If that floor is 3/4″ plywood and you put a couple anchors per foot, you’ll be fine.
Powertech is fine too. Only thing I’d say to keep in mind is that no third-party accessories will work with the Powertech, though they are one of the few to make a lat attachment I think. They used to anyway. In any case, when you get closer to buying it re-check all the prices. who knows what will be available at that time.
I just found A new Powertech rack with the cable attachment on craigslist for $600. Thats at least $1500 new. I was going to have to buy the cable eventually, so this is a snipe. I am definitely going to buy unless there is some huge problem with powertech.
Which model? I’m pretty sure their racks + lat attachment is no where near $1500. I mean, $600 is what the rack costs right now, and $400ish for the cable, so it’s still a decent price if its barely used. Still though, I can see it being a good option for you since it requires no bolting and Powertech offers some of their own accessories.
So I actually have no restrictions besides budget. I have a tall ceiling, lots of space and I can bolt it down. I need a high quality rack for around $600 that has a lat tower option(that won’t cost something outrageous.) The R3 looks great, but not $700 great. From what I’ve read it is a step up from it’s competitors, but the only things that make it better are its safety hole options and the fact that its made in the U.S.A. To me, the price upgrade isn’t worth it. Right now the best rack i have found is the power tech, but it is kinda short. This shouldn’t be a problem because Im pretty sure you can just cross and bend your legs when doing pull ups. Also power tech sells some sort of extension but I don’t really know anything about it. I need some suggestions on other racks for what I need. Thanks.
Also the R3 doesn’t have a lat tower option that I have found so…
No one really has lat towers; it’s considered a rather useless accessory. Powertech is your only real option for that. That requirement kind of stops me from having any suggestions. It has to be the Powertech if you must have the lat attachment. You could potentially rig up their lat attachment to another brand, but it wouldn’t just “fit” on. It would take some customizing on your part.
I squat in my power rack on concrete. Not sure why that’s supposed to be bad for your knees. I’m not jumping. The next room is my stall mats for Olympic lifts. I do deadlift there too only because I have 1 pair of 45s that are iron…
However, I’m going to buy mats for my rack area too. When using a lot of hip drive on bench press the bench actually slipped a few times. Mats would eliminate that…
That kip cage looks great, but the power tech looks like a beefier version with better reviews. Thanks so much for all this advise.
So the $600 power tech cage and lat tower sold before I could buy it. I found a deal for just the lat tower for $200 but then I would have to buy the power tech rack new. Now that I wouldn’t be getting an incredible deal no the rack and lat tower, Im considering the R3. Can y’all tell me the advantages of the R3 over the Powertech? Can you tell me reasons not to buy a lat tower? Would an $800 power tech rack with a lat tower be a better deal than the $700+ R3 that wouldn’t come with any accessories or lat tower options? Are there any other racks to consider? Thanks
Ok so I decided not to get a lat tower attachment. Now my options are the $800(with shipping) R3 not including accessories or the $600 (with shipping)powertech including accessories. Also, I live near Texas Strength Systems, so I wouldn’t have to pay shipping for any of their racks. Please give me a review of their racks (they have like 4). All of their racks look high quality for a low price. Also they have a used 2.5×2.5 for $515 which sounds incredible. Also while I’m their I could pick up a Texas Power Bar with no shipping.
I don’t know much about TSS. I have yet to hear of an individual buying anything from them other than the Texas PB. I’ve reached out to them before and not heard back so I have kind of left them alone. That said, there isn’t going to be anything wrong with their 11-gauge racks. That’s as strong as you want, and it’s exactly the same gauge as Rogue uses for the R/S’s, and RML/SML’s. Now you’ll be locked into TSS accessories, but if you don’t think you’ll need anything they don’t make, then that’s whatever. Picking up a rack is definitely good savings, and if you’re near SA then go for it. Still be aware of their anchoring requirements though.
To answer your other question, the difference between Rogue and PowerTech is all about quality. Quality in racks comes down to grade of steel used along with gauge, the diameter of the holes and of course the size of the hardware used for assembly, and how everything is cut. Rogue laser cuts their holes, and all holes from upright to upright will always line up. No hole will be too big or too small, and no hole will have flashing (flashing sucks a lot, and import racks are riddled with it.) Import racks holes are punched manually by hand and often times don’t line up, and the units are also painted rather than powder coated. Paint is garbage, and it will chip and the rack will rust. Also look at the max load on the Powertech. 400 pounds? That’s a joke, and it’s because it’s basically sheet metal formed into tubes. There is so many differences, many are subtle, many are in your face.
I know full well why at a quick glance one sees a rack on Amazon for $400 and then the $800 Rogue rack and wonders why in the hell anyone would spend the $800, but it’s basically because the Rogue rack will be the last one you ever buy, and the BodySolid or PowerLine or Titan or Powertech is at the very least the second to last rack you’ll buy. Rogue isn’t the only good rack manufacturer, but they are probably the best at their price. COmparable brands would be American Barbell, Legend Fitness, and most of the commercial vendors. Those make Rogue look pretty cheap.
Finally, you’ll probably only get free shipping on an import, not an American rack. There is a ton of margin in the imports because they cost nothing to make, the same is not true for the better racks.
Since you own this website, I think you should definitely read this article http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=159534011 so you can warn you’re forum users about Texas Strength Systems. Now I am deciding between the R3 and the EliteFTS garage line. I have kind of just accepted the huge cost of these guys. I also have a question about rear plate storage for the racks. Why do people like it? I heard a guy say if you are squatting heavy you will need rear plate storage. Is this for rack stability or just to store all your weights? thanks.
Also, I need help with the order of buying things. I currently have a cheap bar with 200lbs of plates. I also have a membership to the neighborhood club gym which is convenient and quick, free for me since my parents are members, but I would much rather work out at home. If I can’t come up with the money all at once, what order should I buy the rack barbell and plates in? Since Im doing a 5×5 I can’t go without plates, but right now i am only squatting like 175 so it will be a month or two before I need them. thanks
The EliteFTS looks like a better deal, but shipping costs more than a hundred dollars more than rogue shipping. It seems like I could get the same 3×3 steel with the RML R3 for $755 as oppose to the Efts for $645. Would it be worth it for the Efts?
Are you looking at the R3 or RML-390? You don’t need the RML btw. Its overkill. 2×3 11-gauge will handle more weight than any person can squat.
Thanks for pointing that article out. Elite is a similar company btw, only more expensive than all of them. If you didn’t notice, I don’t bring EliteFTS up very often either. I have a problem sending readers to companies that have a fairly good chance of causing my readers a headache.
With the storage, that’s one of the reasons I originally suggested the HR-2 Half Rack btw… it has the plate storage with only two rows of uprights; much less of a footprint. It’s just a convenience. You get to put your plates on the same unit, so you don’t need a separate plate storage thing, and you don’t have plates all over the floor. I don’t know what that guy was saying about having plates on the rack with heavy squats… If the rack is anchored or intended to not be anchored, it doesn’t matter. You can’t lift outside of a power rack (like as with a half rack or squat stand) unless it’s anchored down. The weight of the loaded bar needs to be within the rack, not outside of it. You also can’t put plate horns on a normal rack unless you have the 3rd row of uprights (R6 style). The plates are in the way if you mount plate horns on a square rack.
If I remember correctly you use steel plates. Buy more off Craigslist; cost almost nothing compared to new. Since you at least have access to a gym to fill in what you can’t do at home, you can pretty much buy in whatever order you want. I’d probably get the rack out of the way though since you at least have a bar and plates for now. Sounds like a better bar will be last.
So Rogue it is. Now the question is R3 or R4. As I said I would be using it for powerlifting, so the R3 looks a little crammed. I have also never heard of anyone powerlifting in a half rack so I would rather not use the spotter arms. I have space for either, so that is not an issue. Yes, budget is an issue, but for this big of an investment $200 is worth the upgrade if it is worth it. I know you have had both, so I am excited to have you compare them based on my uses.
As far as order, I was planning on going Rack, Bar, Plates. I am planning on getting a Texas Power Bar. I have read a lot about them and they are pretty much the old trusty classic. Im not getting one over the ohio power bar because of convenience, but I won’t have to pay shipping, and I won’t have to worry about waiting and buying the rack with the bar to save on shipping. As far as plates go, there is a guy selling 6 plates for 100 bucks which is a steal, but I won’t have enough so i will be forced to just buy what I need as I go through the 5×5. Btw thank you so much for all your advice, you have helped me out a lot.
The R4 is sized like power racks in a commercial gym; pretty much a perfect square. The R3 can be had in 24″ or 30″ depth.
I went from the R4 to the R3 because the R4 is a massive waste of space. Nearly four feet of depth is unbelievably unnecessary if you aren’t going to add a monolift. Of course, this is opinion, and it’s completely fine to want all that space, but nobody walks back 2-feet after unracking for a squat, and that’s how far you’d have to walk back to bump the front upright of the smallest R3. Even if you think 24″ is too small, 30″ is so much space for taking a step back and moving the bar straight up and down.
Also, since you want full spotters and not arms, keep in mind that placing those pin and pipe safeties gets easier as the rack gets smaller. It’s one of those little things, but when I first got the R4 those pin and pipes pissed me off.
What is the difference between the Texas Power Bar and the Rogue Ohio Power Bar?
^^^ Never mind I looked into it and the ohio looks the best for me
So Im going with the R3. Now I need advice on flooring. I am going to bolt the rack to two layers of 3/4 inch plywood. I am going to use stall mats as well but Im not sure where. I want a platform to deadlift on outside the rack. Should I use the traditional olympic platform style with 2 layers of plywood in the middle and a layer of stall mat on top of plywood on the sides or should I just put the stall mat going across the whole platform? My only concern is it being hard on the knees to lift on wood, but I’m not sure if that is true or not. Would you recommend building a separate deadliest platform, or should I make a deadliest platform that continues past the rack like this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI7r_C-obn8 and many other people do? Thanks
the only thing i am worried about is the outside bolts would have to go into the stall mat then the plywood as he shows at 2:20 in his video
Truthfully if I were you I’d build the exact same platform as in that video. It’s a typical 8×8 platform with 2 layers of 3/4″ plywood crisscrossed and a third lay of one 3/4″ plywood with two 2′ strips down the sides. It is noise-dampening with the rubber, and you really want to be squatting on a hard surface anyway. That knee theory is nonsense unless you plan on jumping up and down on your platform for hours on end. You can’t just two layers total though. It’s not deep enough for the rack to be bolted into. Buy 4 pieces of budget 4’x8′ 3/4″ plywood and a slightly nicer piece for the top. Pine or something.
Word of advice, depending on which platform guide you follow, some have you use liquid nails between the plywood layers. Don’t do it. Just use screws, and don’t screw in anything until you’ve got all of the first two layers 100% flush and flat on the ground. Use plates and dumbbells and kettlebells or whatever you have to make that plywood sit flat before you stick screws in.
Doesn’t matter if one screw on each leg goes thru the mat, it still has washers and still goes thru to the 2 layers of plywood underneath. Not sure if you’ve seen those stall mats up close; they are pretty hard.
Im sorry I’m really confused. Can you give me the exact dimensions and placements of the wood and stall mats?
I am thinking 5 3/4″x4’x8′ plywood pieces and two stall mats. The fifth plywood piece will be the top middle, and the stall mats will be 2×6 after i cut them. Is their any reason to get higher end plywood for the middle if I am going to be painting it?
Sorry if i confused you there. Yes you’re exactly right. Two 4×8 pieces side by side facing North/South make up the first layer, two more pieces facing East/West make up the next layer, then a single piece going North/South right in the middle for the third layer, with stall mats running that remaining 2 foot strip on either side of the middle board. Most folks use a wood stain on a nice board, but if you’re going to just paint use whatever grade of wood you used for the other pieces.
What is your opinion on echo vs infinity vs ml vs m?
Echo is too light and rickety for my tastes, RML is for those not on a budget, and Monster is pointless… 7-gauge is just too much. Infinity is ideal for 99% of people. Personally I’d only buy RML squat stands, not a full rack. Just isn’t necessary. Costs more, and so do the accessories.
Really? It seems like the $50 upgrade is worth it for RML. At what point would the infinity fail you?
I found a gently used http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product2_10151_10751_1004647_-1_2018528_2018521_2018521_ProductDisplayErrorView for $850 with a bunch of plates. Would this be a better deal than the R3 new? Seems like it to me
You didn’t want a half rack I thought…
It’s an okay price; gets better the more weight is involved. Don’t let that MSRP where you linked fool you though, it’s not $2300 worth of rack. Also keep in mind that the cups and spotters settings are 3″ apart rather than 1-2″ on a Rogue.
To answer your other question, an Infinity rack wouldn’t fail. That $50+ upgrade to RML is just a choice to make simply because you can afford to and you want to, not out of necessity.
What about the fortis 3 and 4? I found some in the closeout section for great prices. They seem like monster racks for the infinity price. I like the plate storage add on option. Also i would probably get the four, so can you tell me the problem with the rod pipe safties for the 4 you had?
They’re just inconvenient to use; hard to line up from the front upright to the back when the back upright is 4-feet away. It’s not that they don’t work, they just aren’t fun or user-friendly. It’s not an issue on the 3’s because the uprights are fairly close together.
Fortis racks are no different than the other lines. Just another option; less bolts if I remember correctly, more welds. Its a Christmas thing those Fortis racks, I don’t pay much attention to them.
Never mind what i said before. I found the fortis 3 on the closeout section for a great price, and shipping is also a fifty bucks cheaper. It looks like a monster rack for an infinity price. I also really like the rear plate storage option. What is your opinion on fortis?
So I ended up getting a powertec off Craigslist for three hundred. I’m sure the rogue would have been top off the line, but eight hundred was just too much for me. The powertec is a solid rack, and I can’t find anything wrong with it for my purposes except the j cups are bare steel. I am going to cut up an old lifting belt to pad them or Mabey I will just leave them because I don’t touch the bar that far out where the knurling would be getting scratched. I know the powertec doesn’t measure up to the r3, but if I ever do end up needing an upgrade I’m sure I will be happy to get one and will get my money back selling the powertec. Mabey by that time I will have a job and be able to afford a king rack Mabey even EFTS.
So since I’m not bolting it down, do I need three layers of plywood in my platform? Also, i have a crappy bar from a weight set right now. I have the money for an Ohio power bar but I’m not sure if I need it because I’m not lifting that much weight yet. When should I get it? Thanks
No you don’t have to do three layers if you don’t want. All those layers serve one of two purpose.. for anchoring, or for noise dampening for the Olympic lifts. You can throw down nothing but rubber mats if you want.
Replace the bar when the amount of weight you put on there stops the sleeves from spinning, the bar bends far too much with the weight on there, or you notice that the bar is actually permanently bent. All three of these become more likely to happen the heavier you can lift. You may not notice a slight bend, but when you go to deadlift and the bar corrects by itself in your hands (as in the bar rotates in your hands in order that the low end of the bar points due south), it’s bent and needs to go.
I have a similar rack. Works well but I’m looking to upgrade. I need the snatch grip to stay nice. Plus I’d like the Westside spacing. Doesn’t look like that rack requires or even can be bolted down.
It worked for me so I think you’ll be fine.
As for when to drop your generic bar. I think these are often sold with a set of plates having one of each usually totalling ~220#…
I basically have a Titan which seems sold under several different names. Had it for a while now and its a solid rack. The pull up bar lacks any true knurling and the paint instead of powder coat makes it a bit slippery but I still use it.
The J hooks are sucktastic. They have to waxy cushion so over very short time they wear your bar. AND they paint comes off them. So I wrapped mine in duck tape…
I would have preferred the westside? Hole spacing too since my wife also uses this and would make easier use of the safety bars.
Other than that its worth every bit of its price comparatively.
I do crossfit so I use rogue and other professional rack a few times a week. This is a good compromise but if I had a bigger budget is go for the Rogue.
Note: I couldn’t go for the rogue because the ones with pull up bars were all too tall for my basement. This rack was unique in its slightly shorter height will a pull up bar.
So what is your opinion on echo vs infinity vs monster light vs monster?
I think the standard R-3 (Infinity) is the way to go. I don’t see much value in the features the other racks offer. Thicker steel, wider pipes doesn’t mean much to a home user. Maybe it won’t sway as much but really I don’t care.
If I had it to do again (and I might) I’d go with the R-3 or the bolt together R-3. A pull up bar is a must for me. The Squat stands seem more pricey I suppose because you don’t have to bolt them down. The Echo doesn’t have the hole spacing I like except for the larger one that that one is too big IMHO.
How much am I going to pay for shipping? Are there any that come free?
Even If I don’t buy a lat tower, Im leaning towards the power tech. As far as powerlifting goes, it seems equal to the rogue. Mainly. It is $600 including shipping and the rogue is $825 including shipping.
Also Texas Strength systems isn’t far away from me, so I could go pick up on of their used 25×25 high school racks for less than 600. If you can let me know what you think of them that would be great.
Anyone know if storing plates on the rear of a R4 or RML 490 gets in the way of squatting or benching inside of the rack? Also trying to decide between anchored and flat footed racks, any advice?
They’ll be in the way. Technically you can back up to the front of the cage to squat, but I don’t suggest taking all those steps just to try and work around something that’s in the way. You wouldn’t be able to bench safely at all. You need a half rack with storage or a king rack (6 uprights) to use your rack for plate storage, otherwise just use a plate tree or something like that.
Any thoughts on the Rep Fitness squat rack with pull-up bar? Looks a lot like the GetRxed Guillotine rack.
It looks exactly like the Guillotine. It very could be imported from the same factory; wouldn’t be much of a shocker. Yeah I’ve heard the Guillotine (I’ve not heard specific feedback on the Rep version) is kind of what you’d expect for the price. It gets the job done, but it’s a little shaky and lacking a lot of the refinement of a higher quality unit. I’d say it’s a step above buying something at the Dick’s or Sports Authority, but still a few steps behind a Rogue-type rack.
The biggest issue I have with racks like this is that they do not allow for accessories from other dealers (since importers of pre-designed units like this rarely offer accessories). I’ve added countless components to my rack over the years, and I have to say it’s pretty nice to be able to easily find attachments and parts for a rack that has “universal” (for lack of better words) steel frame parts (2×3 11-gauge). Of course not everyone has an R3 or HR2 in the budget, but it’s definitely something to consider if you technically could afford to start with a nicer rack.
Still though, it’ll get the job done. You’ll likely replace it down the road, but it will work.
I changed directions after a shipping charge fiasco with Rep Fitness. I found a Christian’s Fitness Factory Beast 1/2 Rack for sale locally by a “personal training studio.” They set it up once, realized it was not right for their space, and put it on Craigslist. This thing seems massively overbuilt for my needs, but I picked it up for $450 so I’m quite happy!
https://christiansfitnessfactory.com/cff-beast-pro-series-half-rack-2-0.html
You got a good price on that at $450. Retail that thing is unbelievably expensive; unreasonably so, but you still paid less than what it should be selling for. I’m amazed someone paid $1400 for a squat stand though. Their loss is your gain it seems.
Anyone have any experience with the different J-Cups offered by Rogue? The standard vs. the sandwich style. Just bought an RML-390F with the fixin’s and was curious what, if any, benefit the sandwich style are versus the regular? I want to get a second pair of cups, and trying to decide if it’s worth upgrading to the sandwich style. Would be primarily for squatting and bench press, and likely would never even get 300 pounds on the bar, if that makes any difference. Just curious to hear if anybody has any experience or recommendations. Thanks!!
Great website and information. I’m planning on building a home gym in my basement but my ceiling is ~86″. A full-size power rack will fit but I’ll never be able to do overhead presses or pull ups. So, would this Atlas power rack make more sense (or the shorter rack you recommend)?: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005PNJHTW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005PNJHTW&linkCode=as2&tag=stronglcom-20
If a full-size *only* makes sense for OH presses and pull ups, I wouldn’t mind saving a bit of money on something shorter. I plan on presses while seated. Not ideal but better than nothing? Does anyone have any comments on what they’ve done or some good advice??
It’s not a super beefy cage, but the fact that you’ll never be hanging off of it probably is helpful in terms of not feeling the instability of 12-gauge steel. If the 600 pound capacity doesn’t bother you (always expect these numbers to be optimistic in terms of an actual dropped bar) then it should get the job done. I made the small rack recommendations I did simply because of the steel used. I like to recommend 11-gauge as a minimum as I find 12-14 gauge to be limiting and wobbly. There is something to be said for a rack vs a squat stand though, and I wish Rogue or one of these other more reputable dealers would produce a shorter cage for people who have the height limitations but don’t want a box-store unit.
Also there is nothing wrong with seated press in my opinion. Standing is ideal, of course, but if you don’t have the clearance you don’t have the clearance. Course on nice days, I suppose you could drag the bar outside to press.
Thanks for the reply! I’ve thought about the thinner gauge steel but I’m thinking it *shouldn’t* matter for me (yet). I’m 6’1″ and 160 lbs. 14.5/15″ neck and 34/35″ arms. 18″ shoulders, 39″ chest. Obviously, very slim skeletal frame. I’m going to start the 5×5 training program and I’m essentially new to all of this. So…I won’t be testing the limits on any equipment any time soon (or ever). I’m mostly understand that squat stands aren’t as “stable” as racks. Hence, even the Atlas short rack would be more beneficial to me as a beginning lifter than, say, one of the Rogue SML or SM stands? Plus, I need to save as much money as possible. The Rogue is clearly better quality built and I even like the look better but it’s just seems too expensive for me.
Oh, also, would you recommend getting one of the weight benches that folds upright to a 90 degree for overhead presses or does that not matter. I was just planning on buying the Rogue bolt together bench and calling it good. Thanks, again.
I do for the seated press, yes. Very awkward on the lower back to press heavy with no lower back support. It’s just not the same as standing. It can be done, but if you can grab at an incline I’d take it. You want that top setting to be 80-85 degrees btw, not 90.
Basically the rack I have. I work out just as much on Rogue and other heavier steel racks. I dont have a problem with the slight wobble at all. It still feels like a very stable and strong rack. It’s not wimpy. I certainly wouldn’t open a gym with it. And if you have clients you may loose some some psychological points with them. Otherwise it’s rock solid. Ive only been up to 315# so far.
The pull up bar might as well be buttered that knurling is so smooth. But that’ll just build a better grip. The jhooks without padding are going to hose your bar for Olympic lifting.
If you can afford it I would go straight to the rogue shorty. If not I still love mine. If you’re in Michigan I have one for sale :-)
Thanks, Carl. Take a look above at my response to jburgeson, I’ll probably never test the limits of this rack. At least not for many years. What Rogue “shorty” are you talking about, though. Can you give me the specific model number? Also, and I’m new to this, what do you mean about the jhooks hosing the bar? I know what jhooks are but can’t figure out why. What specific lifts are you talking about? (sorry for all the q’s, but I appreciate it)
I’m near Seattle otherwise I’d take it!
The R-3 rack has a shorty version. I have an XMark 7472 incline bench I uses to do press on at 85°. Be careful about benches. Some don’t hold enough weight. I bench 225 which is 400# on the bench!
I don’t know why you think you have time. If you’re doing SL 5×5 then you are on the fast track. I started with that Fall 2013 squatting maybe 200#. 2 years and I squat about 320#. And I went a few months off and I’m 44. So your strength will go up faster than you think.
Good points. Thanks, Carl.
Odd I didn’t reply to everything or replied to the wrong message. Anyway, the j-hooks are all metal do they wear your knurling away where they meet the bar. Rogue has some waxy plastic padding in theirs so they don’t wear your bar knurling.
Saw the colapasable titan fitness racks on Amazon for $279 & $349. Are these the same build of the knockoff of the rogue you described above?
Here is the link to Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015UY253A/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_d0_g200_i1_sh
and
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015YGKL62/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_g200_i2_sh
Ya they do look like copies. Titan loves to copy the Rogue racks; I guess that’s a compliment to Rogue. I’d never buy Titan myself, but I know a lot of people do. Certainly not my recommendation, but to each their own.
I have the crappy old Titan now. It works for me. I’ve been planning on upgrading to the R-3. Then I found out Titan has a knockoff. Looks much better than what is now called “T2”. My main upgrade reason is for the Westside spacing and padded j-cups. This has both. I’ll probably get it…
Love this site, thanks for all of the information. I’m trying to decide between a RML-390F and a HR-2 (can’t bolt to the floor). I like that more accessories (spotter arms, etc) work with the HR-2 and that the rear arms are still available for storage, but are there any other pro/cons I should look at here? The footprint should be roughly the same for each. Thanks.
Thanks James. Yeah so I’m a big fan of half racks like the HR-2. Power racks are still more popular though, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that they are what people are used to using in the gym. The biggest advantage to a full rack is a little bit of extra security for really strong lifters. The spotters just feel more substantial and secure since they are strung between two uprights rather than being pinned on only one upright. Power racks also allow a slightly larger variety of attachments, but in the case of a non-anchored unit really what that boils down to is the ability to use the monolift attachment, something that doesn’t really come up much for most of us. I suppose the more elaborate pull-up stations also require horizontal attachment points at the top of the rack, but most people are fine with a standard pull-up bar on either unit.
Half rack spotters like the ones from Rogue can hold a lot of weight, way more than the majority of lifters will put on their back in their lifetime, and certainly more than they’ll ever bench. Half racks are also a better use of space in my opinion, and the storage option alone makes them very appealing to me. Still though, if you’re a way above average lifter and the safety pipes make you feel better, then I get it. For the average lifter or even slightly above average lifter, there is no reason to not be 100% confident in spotter arms. I’ve put down nearly 500 pounds on those arms before with no signs of trouble.
I would suggest that in addition to what I’ve said, you take a look at all the accessories and see which ones you’ll ultimately want to add down the road, then see which unit you’d have to have in order to make that work. Some may not be good for either since neither is anchored, but some will only work on the HR-2, and some will only work on the 390F.
Long answer, sorry, but I hope that it’s helpful. Good luck!
Thanks for the response! I definitely will want to look at monolift eventually, is that useable with both racks? Rogue CS wrote that both the RML-390F and the HR-2 can use all of the ML accessories (with the exception of band work), which i found interesting as the website says that spotter arms shouldn’t be used with the RML-390F.
I believe that you technically could attach the monolift to both, but I think most people would recommend only using a mono inside of a full rack. I guess the best way to explain all this is to have you imagine the base of the rack; both the 390F and the HR-2. Since neither of these are anchored, you have to keep weight within (well centered within) the boundaries of that base. When you load one side beyond the base, you risk tipping. That’s why they say not to use bands; and that’s why they say no spotter arms on the 390F (they actually mean no spotters outside the rack, they can be used inside; there just is no point.)
Anchoring racks eliminates all of this stuff. You can do weighted dips outside the rack, kip to your heart’s content, and use spotters outside a rack like it’s a squat stand or half rack. Racks that don’t anchor are really sort of a compromise in that you can still squat, bench, press, whatever with full security and safety when you don’t have the option to anchor, but you give up a couple things; minor inconveniences. Dip station has to be inside the rack, band work only works with light resistances that doesn’t pull on the rack, and you can’t add any trawler type accessories.
Love your site. So much useful information.
Saw these today on the Xtraining.com for a folding rack. Any thought on this one for a folding rack:
https://www.xtrainingequipment.com/X-Training-XWR-Elite-Folding-Wall-Mount-Pull-Up-Rig-Rack–Free-Shipping_p_1508.html
I haven’t seen that particular unit in person, but it looks like a decent enough copy of the Rogue; though no doubt an import. I don’t have much luck getting info out of XT; they don’t answer my emails, so I don’t really stay current with their selection. Someone else may have it and be able to give you some real world feedback on it though.
Great website with solid reviews. It has been a great guide while planning out my home gym.
I just saw that Vulcan is releasing a new line of power racks in mid May and their pre sale prices are discounted. I was wondering your opinion on this new line. It seems like a great lower priced and beefier option to the R3 when you factor in free shipping. The only downside looks like with 3×3 and 1″ holes accessories may be harder to find.
http://www.vulcanstrength.com/Vulcan-Slim-Fit-Power-Rack-p/vpr-sf1.htm
Thank you very much. Glad the site has been useful.
I saw those Vulcan racks a few weeks ago. There are a couple things that bother me about them. First, no Westside spacing. Such a great feature to have. Also, like you said, 3″x3″ with 1″ hardware lacks compatibility with everything except Rogue Monster stuff, and that is the most expensive route to go for accessories. Finally, and this is just a personal thing, but those 9″-square feet are totally unnecessary. That unit has to be bolted all the same, so why put the feet inside the rack?
They’re all little issues, and not all of them will matter to everyone, but that’s just my take. I know not everyone can afford Rogue racks and there are lots of affordable alternatives to Rogue that will still get the job done, but for $700 on sale (R3 is $700 as well), it’s just too close in price to something clearly better. If it was $600 all the time and shipped for free, well then it’s getting closer to a “trade a few features to save some money” type of thing. Same price though? Get that Westside and full accessory compatibility.
Seems someone has been getting a hand out from rogue.dont downfall the titan unless youve used it first hand.there titan 3 hd deep is 11 gauge 2×3 and is a very quality built unit.yes maybe back in the day there were problems,but they seem to have cleaned there act up.
“handouts from Rogue”… cute. Rogue doesn’t hand out anything to anyone save for sponsored athletes, which I am not – and even that is limited. I could refer 10 million in sales a month and they still wouldn’t comp me a pair of spring collars. It’s not how they do business. Every Rogue product I own whether reviewed or not was paid for out of my pocket for the exact same price you’d pay.
Matter of fact, if anyone was going to send me free products in exchange for reviews it would be Titan. Trust me Bill, I could make a lot of money making you believe that Titan is just as good as Rogue. Box-store equipment like Titan sells much, much better than the mid-range products I deal with. The problem is that I’d have to lie to you to market that crap, and that’s not what I do.
I appreciate your feedback, but again, no, handouts are not how this works – not here. If you believe in Titan and their products, by all means give them your money.
Rogue monster 2.0 rack with flip down safeties on the was. Pretty pumped. Exchanging my monster light because I wanted the numbers and flip down safeties. Pin and pipes are terrible on the 43 inch deep racks. I can say that my RML has been one of the only things ever purchased where the quality and finish has drastically exceeded expectatuons. It is so overbuilt it is crazy. Can’t imagine what the Monster will be like. Great site.
Andrew I was just looking at the Monster today for my own garage – to replace my Infinity. I love the drop-in safeties. Used to be only American Barbell and commercial dealers had those, and I’m glad to see Rogue making them now. Much better than straps in my opinion. You go with black or get a color?
I got satin clear on the RML and ordered the same on the Monster. U can see welds and the grain of the steel. It’s bad ass and probably makes you lift more. If you look at some of Rogue’s industrial furniture like tables and desks there are good pics of the satin clear. I didn’t know they made furniture but was directed to those pics by the Rogue staff when I asked about satin clear pics. I ordered 90 inch rack with standard pull up bar, beam, flip down safeties. Also ordered Rogue 2.0 flat bench as I think my narrow adjustable bench was holding back my benching. Picked up the new Fringe sport bumpers thanks to your review. Again only negative about my RML was the pin and pipes. They keep me from changing to some lifts just because I don’t want to change the pins. Can’t wait to have the flip downs and numbers on uprights.
Also, would like to add my 2 cents about Rogue and Fringe sport. Both have been great companies to work with. Fringe let me exchange color bumpers for black with colored letters and numbers just because they weren’t announced yet when I ordered the color set. They paid for shipping as well.
I started with an R4, then converted it to a half rack for the storage, so I use spotter arms. Even when I had just the R4, I ditched those pipe and pin safeties within a couple months – couldn’t stand them. I probably wouldn’t mind them in a narrow rack like the 24″ R3, but you’re right.. 43″ is too far apart. Interesting what you said about your bench. I have a 10″ wide Legend 3-way, and I love it, but I’m about to order the optional 12″ pad for it. Can’t stand that narrow 10″ thing. Doesn’t feel right to have lats half on, half off.
Yeah both have great customer service. Rogue has much better equipment – especially lately – but both will take care of you for sure.
Have you heard anything about Fringe Sports Power Cage Squat Rack (Kip Cage)? It’s $649 + Free shipping.
-91″ tall – great for those low garage ceilings
-205 lbs total weight – still able to move around if needs to while still being sturdy
-Tested for 1000 pound weight capacity
-Comes with 2 sets of J-Cups allowing for 2 squat positions
–Comes with safety pins and sleeve mechanism for enhanced stability for squats and bench press
-2″ x 3″, 11-gauge steel with a powder-coat allowing for great durability and feel.
5/8″ hole diameter on the uprights
I’ve heard good things about the bumpers (other then that they are over priced most of the time). I really want a rogue rack but it just seem to be in the budget (especially when you factor in shipping (maybe i’ll hold off till Black Friday or Christmas)). Really just hoping to find value in a solid rack, but need it to be safe. Does the fringe sport rack seem like decent value to you? If not do you have any recommendation of bang for you buck racks (power racks)? Thanks
https://www.fringesport.com/collections/squat-racks/products/onefitwonder-power-cage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1cEVXgyQ2o
Also have you heard anything about their bars? Wonder Bars I believe they are called. I’m a crossfitter and just looking for a solid new bar and maybe plates. Fringe sent me a coupon code for 25% off all gym packages, and one of the packages was the Oly Bar + Bumper Plates. You could choose from the Wonder Bar Bushing (20kg), Bomba V2 Bar upgrade for an extra $53 and the Vaughn Bar 20KG upgrade for $90 (seems like overkill). Heard anything good about those bars? Durability and non-oxidation are my sticking points (but probably shouldn’t be a problem because I plan to take care of it), also hoping to have the closest comfort fit to the Ohio Bar knurling (does vulcan have a bar with similar knurling feel to the Ohio?).
I was reading your review of the Bumper Plates guide and legitimately that was the most comprehensive and best reviews of the major brands I have ever read. Was really good stuff thank you. Vulcan does seem to be the best value and durability from what I’m hearing, but I’ve also heard people say the OneFitWonder standard black bumpers are made in the same factory and have the same special durability coil in them to help prevent breaking. Is this true? Are the OneFitWonders just as durable as the Vulcan bumpers (for crossfit workouts)? But what I gathered from the bumper guide is that the OneFitWonders aren’t as well price generally, but I was thinking with 25% off gym package they might be comparable to Vulcan?
Sorry for so many questions. A couple of guys I know have highly recommended your site and said you give best and most honest advice. Thanks ahead of time!
I don’t mind the questions at all, no worries.
Vulcan plates and OFW are the same model. Vulcan actually developed that model, not that that matters to us I suppose. Price is more consistent at Vulcan, but when FS needs some cashflow I guess they put theirs on sale. The best deal is to catch Vulcan’s when out of stock because they discount for pre-orders (random), but probably not enough to catch up to a 25% off coupon.
The Vaughn is Fringesport’s best bar by far, but it’s overpriced by today’s standards. It was a good price when it was released because there was less direct competition for bushing-based Oly trainers, but there are so many of them now, and the only other variations that cost $399 or more are stainless steel. The Bomba I don’t care for, and the Wonder is decent so long as you stick with bushings… though like the rack, it was better a month ago when it was cheaper. It’s actually been a long time since I’ve touched an Ohio, but I remember it being fairly moderate. The 28 mm Standard is probably the closest to the Ohio, maybe even the 28.5 Standard. The One Basic will be milder than the Ohio, but it’s still overall a better bar than the Wonder. American Barbell has the trainer on sale for $249 I think – that’s a very durable alternative to the Wonder as well. Built to much higher standards, but knurl is mild/moderate.
If you’re not pulling super heavy weights, 25% is a lot to save and hard to pass up, and the bumpers will last, but you will likely replace a FS bar within a couple years. So I mean, you gotta weigh that with the savings.
Just moved to a new area and can’t workout with my buddies in his gym every morning, so I’m investing in my own garage gym. All I’ve ever known was my buddies Ohio Bar haha. I saw Rogue put the Ohio Bars on the closeout gear last week and I was going to buy one but they pulled them from the closeout sale. I called one of their customer service guys about it and they said they gifted some to the athletes and were just going hold onto the rest. Was pretty disappointed.
So now I’m look at buy packages for equipment but haven’t really seen anything that stands out as a real “deal” or value for $. The Rogue ‘warrior package’ which comes with the basics and a C2 rower for $2,725, just doesn’t seem like value to me considering I could probably piecemeal most of that equipment together with craigslist and buy a better bar + plate package new. (although struggling to find a decent set of parallettes for the $). I was also looking Vulcans packages but none of them seemed like great value either.
So with Vulcan Bar + Bumpers packages they discount the order if your waiting for the 45lbs bumpers to ship and come in? So its random? 1 order random out 50 orders get a discount or something? Seems pretty nice to me. Thank you for the info. Appreciate it.
Packages actually are rarely deals. Free shipping is usually the best thing to come from them, but then when you factor in pieces you don’t really need or will likely never use, they become more expensive. And you’re right, a lot of the smaller pieces can be picked up used, or even new because you’re more likely to find good prices on the accessories than the core pieces. They can be worth looking at for sure, but I rarely hear of people buying packages.
And no, what I meant was that when Vulcan is out of stock on bumpers, they tend to put them on sale as a way to generate sales while they are not available. I was trying to say that “it’s random that they do that” but in a way it makes sense… better to continue to bring in 90% of your money on a product than 0% – plus if you sell out of pre-orders you can order yet again… which actually happens with the Alphas. Sorry for the confusion there. Also, it’s just the bumpers they do the sale with I think (pairs and sets), but not packages.
I liked it okay before they raised the price of it, something they are doing site wide lately. The old lower price made up for the inferiority of it when compared to Rogue, but now it’s just too close to what you can buy smaller Rogue racks for – and don’t let the footprint fool you, the working space of this FS rack isn’t much better than an R3 – might even be less. It’ll work, don’t get me wrong, but it’s nothing special. Also, I hate their J-cups – they aren’t level like Rogue’s, so the bar rolls to whichever side of the cup is lower. This isn’t incredibly uncommon with budget equipment, but I actually gave away the FS cups I had because it bothered me so much. Again, it’s not like it won’t work, it’s just not amazing. Probably better than buying a rack off Amazon in most cases though.
Need some advice. I’m talking to some guy on craigslist for his old power rack. It’s a ‘Strength Gear Tracker 755 power cage system’, comes with a lat-pull down, spotter arms, and a dip station on the side. He wants $175 for the Power Rack and an old adjustable bench. I won’t pay $175 for both most likely. This model is from around 2002 or 2003 I believe. It’s parent company Icon Fitness I believe and supposedly is weighted up 1000 lbs. Can’t find much info about it online.
http://images.craigslist.org/00m0m_w5dMJKVNCf_1200x900.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/00R0R_1KW3wJwL4jX_600x450.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/00808_6VJ0oSCm32J_600x450.jpg
How much would you pay (if at all)? Any advice would be really appreciate.
That’s just box-store stuff, and old at that. I wouldn’t take it for free because then now I’m the one who has to deal with getting rid of it. That’s just me though, and if you could talk the guy down to even less than that and be able to work out, then I mean more power to you, but I certainly wouldn’t put anywhere near 1000 pounds on that thing. I can see how thin the rack steel is just from the picture. I’m pretty sure Dick’s has new racks for not much more than that. They wouldn’t be any better, but at least you’d know for sure what it was good for.
Have you tried out Williams, Hammer Strength, Sorinex and/or Powerlift as well?
Hammer Strength and Powerlift cater to commercial/collegiate facilities. Sorinex is a more expensive Rogue, though they too prefer to market to commercial and collegiate facilities over retail, and I have no idea who Williams is.
I’m looking at the Slim Gym Rig from Pure Strength – looks like it will be versatile in a small space! http://www.pure-strength.com/collections/red-series/products/slim-gym-rig
Yeah the Slim Gym is a cool rack.
Thank you for all of your help. I value your opinion very highly. Is this Vulcan Power Rack – Slim Fit (30″ depth) a good rack? I was looking at the RML-3 ROGUE MONSTER LITE R-3, but the Vulcan is much cheaper for me to ship to Hawaii. Is the Vulcan a good one?
Yeah the Vulcan racks are great – on par with the ML series from Rogue. No reason not to consider Vulcan for racks, especially if their shipping rates save you some money. Also, I happen to think those slim racks are a real smart way to outfit a garage gym that also needs to allow a parked car. They are sturdier than wall-mounted folding racks, and allow more accessories to be used safely.
Awesome. Thanks again for all your help and knowledge
Amazing info – thank you! We have read through all of your barbell, bumper plate and power rack info and are officially (almost) ready to make a decision once Black Friday deals are announced.
Setting up at home to let our 5th grader join us for baseball and ski team conditioning! Will probably be mom/son in the mornings and dad on his own (which means spotters are critical) with all 3 on weekends.
Step 1 is bars for each of us (need a Jr. Bar), bumper plates and a rig or rack.
Bars/bumpers are most likely going to be Vulcan standards with alpha bumpers plus the rogue jr. bar (though my husband has his eye on the rogue chan bar due to the knurl configuration).
Rig/rack is where we are still torn. Definitely sold on rogue infinity level stuff, but from a budget standpoint I don’t think we can jump to the R-4 so our options are probably:
1. R-3 with a kid pull up bar add on and maybe an extra set of j-hooks to set up without safeties on the outside for multi-person use for lifts where spotters aren’t needed (main downside we see is can’t have 2 kipping at the same time-not a big deal for us)
2. W-4 (infinity wall mount) with spotter arms and probably still a kid pull up bar (man downside we see is no multi person rack option – not a big deal for us)
We have plenty of floor space so that isn’t an issue. Unfinished basement with a shade over 9′ to the bottom of the ceiling framing so either will fit. Seems the rig may have better flexibility?
Cost is nearly identical.
Thoughts appreciated!
R3 is a more versatile unit – you can work both inside and outside the rack, and technically even make it a two-person rack. Also four uprights instead of two gives you twice as many locations for accessories. Yeah personally I like the idea of an actual rack over the wall-mounted rigging, but it sounds like either will work.
Thanks again for a great website and quick reply. Just took advantage of the rogue black matte Friday deal on the R-3!
I saw that it was on sale. That’s awesome, and thank you too!
I’m looking at half-racks mainly because as I rent, anchoring is not an option; I don’t have any plans to use a platform in my training either. I prefer a full rack from Rogue (stall bars, one day…), but an unbolted R3 or R4 seems only marginally more stable than an HR-2 which is just as versatile and for much less $.
The HR-2 is my top choice at the moment, but I’ve reviewed Promaxima’s catalog as well because they’re in-state and commercial grade. I was quoted about $1K shipped from Houston to Dallas for the Promaxima PL-340 Half Rack. It looks like the older brother of the XMark Half Rack. Dumb, beefy, slotted brothers. Those slots are killing me. 1-in spacing or die?
Those slots are probably 4″ apart. That’s old school and ridiculous. HR-2 is a much better option, and also better than the R3/4 as unanchored racks go.
Today, after deciding to furiously row myself to kingdom come, I’ve decided to ditch the pull up bar (I have one for the door anyway). I’m about 70-80% certain that the Rogue SM-1 Monster Squat Stand 2.0 is the answer. The simplest, highest quality option that I can imagine being satisfied with five or even ten years down the line. I like the idea and feel of 7 gauge, which is why I looked at Promaxima and Reflex, but I think it’d be a waste on a mere mortal such as myself. I’m just not rich, strong, or deluded enough to justify it.
First of all… Thank you so much for all the great and honest reviews. I can’t believe how much useful info there is on this site.
I’m based in the UK and was looking for a decent power rack with a lat/low pulley option under £800. What do you think about these two and do you think they will last?:
https://www.gymratz.co.uk/challenger-light-power-cage-with-lat-option
http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodycraft-f430-power-rack.php
I’m looking for something that is solid, something that I wouldn’t have to replace in a few years.
The Bodycraft rack is a common box-store rack in the US. It’s not a very sturdy unit (14-gauge steel I believe), and it’s also super short. The one from Gym Ratz looks far more promising, but I am unfamiliar with that brand, and it is 12 gauge rather than the usual 11 gauge. Still, it should hold up, and it appears to be a more versatile unit overall.
Thanks so much for your quick reply… They say that they built the Gym Ratz Rack according to the feedback they got for the Powertech Workbench Rack from their customers. So, hopefuly it will be the same quality… I’ll give it a bit more thought, will look around a bit more and use this rack as my benchmark. Thanks a lot again.
Another great guide :) I was wondering if you had any experience with Ironmind Vulcan squat stand / pillars of power. I’m out fitting a small garage gym and need something that is portable but strong (worried less about cost).
Thanks
I don’t, but overall it seems like Ironmind gets decent feedback. They are expensive, and having a squat stand plus the pillars seems less than ideal (it’s a lot of hardware for so little versatility) but if you need to be able to break it all down and move it, you could certainly make it work. You definitely need to not care about price though because what you’d pay for those two would easily cover a nice power rack. $1000+ before tax and shipping (which will easily be another $200-300.)
They don’t offer much technical data; like the gauge of steel used, but they claim a 1000 pound capacity on the squat stands so at least we know that it’s not going to be super light-duty like say 14-gauge… like something you’d get at Academy or Dick’s. In any case, aside from the price I don’t see anything wrong with going with Ironmind in your situation. If you hadn’t mentioned mobility I’d probably steer you in another direction though, that’s for sure.
Does anyone know anything about the Steelbody T-Rack. Dick’s Sporting Goods has it on sale for $599 which seems like a great deal. Thanks in advance.
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=24682946&prodFindSrc=cart#BVRRWidgetID
This thing looks to be made of 2″x2″ 14-gauge box steel, which would explain the low max capacity that’s listed. What exactly are you hoping to learn about this unit?
Just curious if anyone has seen one, has one, or used one? I have $800 to spend on a rack and utility bench and this one seems to offer a lot of bang for my buck. As far as capacity goes, unless I hit a growth spurt at 40, I don’t anticipate having any loads > 400lbs. Essentially I’m looking for something sturdy enough for kipping, strong enough to hold a 300 lb squat bar, and versatile enough to replace some of the one-off pieces around my garage gym. Thanks again.
Hey John,
My fiance and I are moving to our new house with a garage in a couple weeks and we can’t wait to ditch the gym and build our garage gym. Your site has been incredibly helpful so thank you very much. I do have a couple questions for you:
– Power Rack: I am debating b/w the R3 and RML-3 racks. RML-3 has 30″ depth vs 24″ of R3 and the 3×3 legs. Based on what you have said before I’m thinking R3 is the way to go, but wanted to verify as the price difference is only $60 more for the RML-3.
– Power Rack Setup: This is the current setup that I’m envisioning and I would appreciate your feedback on whether or not it will work or if you have suggestions.
Bolt down rack.
One plate post as low as possible on each rear leg.
J Cups on each rear leg for squats and overhead press (I’m 5’10) inside of the rack.
Safety spotter arms off the front of the rack for bench and dead lifts outside of the rack.
Matador dip bar off the side of one of the front legs.
– Vulcan Standard Bar vs Rogue Ohio Bar? I am in Charlotte, NC so I get a discount for picking up directly from Vulcan so the two are very similar price points. They are out of stock for a few weeks on the One Bar unfortunately, but I do prefer getting an American made bar anyways.
Thank you for your help. Your site has been an incredible resource that I will continue to use and recommend to anyone that will listen.
Thanks Adam! So the Rogue site is a little confusing here because the R3 and RML-3 both have 24″ between front and back uprights, which is a 30″ total rack depth. For some reason Rogue shows inner distances on one rack, and outer distance on the other (in the images that is… If you look at total footprint you can see the same dimensions). 30″ between front and back upright used to be an option for the R3 for a small upcharge, but I don’t see it on the site anymore. It still may be possible though by calling Rogue direct.
Going from 2×3 to 3×3 when sticking with the same 11-gauge doesn’t do much to price.
If you properly secure your rack, you can lift both in and outside the rack. I would however advise against using spotter arms outside the unit for anything heavy. You can get away with it when you have a ton of weight stored on rear uprights and it’s securely anchored (the counterweight is like a back up in case you snap an anchor), but I certainly wouldn’t recommend using 22″ spotter arms as J-cups to hold the bar up for RDLs day in and day out. I do what you’re talking about with my rack, but I can count on one hand how many times I’ve had to set down weight on the spotter arms, plus I have 4 horns per arm loaded with weight. Those outer arms are only there for safety. If you want to RDL or something outside the rack, buy second pair of J-cups. That way that excessive weight outside the rack is only inches from the upright and not creating a massive moment arm. I hope I’m making sense here btw – let me know if you need any clarification.
If you’re not talking about the SS Ohio, wait for the Standard.
Thanks John, glad I asked about the spotter arms, that makes a lot of sense. The extra J-cups are cheaper anyways!
Thanks for clarifying on the racks. It sounds like sticking with R-3 is the way to go. If it is still possible to get 30″ would you recommend it? I can’t imagine it would make that big of a difference.
Vulcan Standard bar it is.
I’m not getting a bunch of extra weight so themajority of the time I will be using most of what I have so it won’t do much for stability anyways. I think just grabbing a plate tree and not having to worry about plates getting in the way would be the better route to go and eliminate the need to bench off the front of the rack all together. Would you agree?
One additional question related to resistance bands – have you used Vulcan’s bands? My fiance has mentioned that bands at the facility where she personal trains have a very strong rubber smell that she hates and some reviews on Rogue’s bands mention that. A review on Vulcan’s bands praises the lack of smell. I was just curious if you had experience with both. A minor thing but hey, happy wife happy life.
Thanks
Yeah if you can work entirely in the rack, that is certainly ideal – safest and yes, least expensive. And honestly 30″ versus 24″ is unnecessary. The larger R4/RML-4s are only really good for using things like safety straps or adding certain attachments like a monolift, but 30″ isn’t enough for that anyway so why take up more floor space. I started with a big rack and have since downgraded because of how unnecessary they are for most of us – and our garages are only so big.
All bands will smell at first – it can’t be avoided. How bad they smell when you get them just depends on how long ago they were made and if they’ve had a chance to air out. Sometimes they seal them in plastic bags so they’ll probably smell more at first, sometimes they’re just sitting in a crate and they throw them in your shipping box – they’ll smell less. Either way, it’s a very small amount of material compared to a bumper plate or something like that, so the smell won’t linger for long. But the answer is that doesn’t matter where you get them, they can all smell. Also I’ve noticed that some people are super sensitive to that rubber smell, whereas some people hardly notice it, which is why I tend to ignore the smell complaints in reviews. Rubber stinks. Wait til you bring home stall mats haha
Awesome feedback – you really helped me make my decisions. Now I’m just ready to get moved into this house and never leave the garage!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! This is such a great site (and the “comments” are really helpful as well.) Couple of questions for anyone who might care to answer: Which model would you recommend for someone of short stature? I’m a petite woman (5′, 90 lbs.) and I’m having trouble finding (or figuring out) which equipment will work for me (i.e., squat/power racks, pull-up/dip stations, power towers). Also, anyone know if there are companies that manufacture equipment for shorter people? Sorry for the silly questions, but this is all a bit new to me. I have several dumbbells/barbells and a bench, but I’d like to add to my home gym. Thanks in advance for any input!
There is no reason that I can think of to not get a standard 86-90″ rack. Got a guy who uses my rack who is only a couple inches taller than you and he has no issue getting to the pull-up bar… and there are J-cup holes from the bottom to the top so any height is easily accommodated. The downside to deliberately buying something super short is that it’s likely that others won’t be able to comfortably use it.
Thanks so much for the prompt, informative response. Appreciated it!
Hey so first off, thanks for all the reviews! Your site has been so awesome and my go-to for any garage gym general FYIs and equipment!
That said, curious if you’ve seen or have much experience with the Vulcan slim fit power cage; the 30 inch depth version. How does it do head to head with the Rogue RML3 or the 390 BT for that matter.
TIA for any feedback
actually head to head against the RML 390 BT as i’ve narrowed it down between those 2 at this point. Either the Vulcan slit fit 30 inch or the RML 390BT.
Thanks in advance for any feedback/tips etc.
Hey Gary so not a whole lot of difference functionally. The 390 has Westside spacing and 5/8″ holes, but the Vulcan has 1″ holes and no Westside, but it does have the advantage of having holes on all four sides of the uprights which can be nice for certain accessories. You’ll be able to do use other companies accessories with either rack as they are both very common configurations. Spotters are a little nicer on the Rogue being that they are pin and pipe rather than just pin, and with a small profile unit you’ll have to probably bolt down so the feet don’t need to be so big as they are on the Vulcan. Also you get a set of band pegs with the Rogue. Seems like the Rogue is just a better package overall, but again when it comes down to function, both will serve the same purpose.
Awesome! Thanks for the response and thoughts on them.
Now if i could just figure a way to make the pull up bar an inch or two 2 higher on either of them :)
But can’t have it all I suppose; both of these racks seem solid choices so will just have to do as is
Thanks again!!
WOW!
The hours just fly-by when you are reading the articles & comments on this excellent website!
I wanted to point-out that Rogue now offers their HR-2 Half-Rack Conversion kit for BOTH the –
– 2×3″ 11 gauge steel S-2, S-3 series squat stands
– 3×3″ 11 gauge steel SML-1, SML-2 & SML-3 squat stands
As for the currently available Rogue S-2 v2.0 squat stand –
What changed going from the S-2 v.1.0 to the S-2 v.2.0?
Thanks!
Thanks!
V1 had a little socket frame welded to the base, and the uprights attached by bolt to that frame. Now they have the formed triangle plates. It’s a little more stable, though I doubt they ever had an actual issue with the v1 – probably just wanted to conform it to the other lines. You can actually see a picture of it on this page under the heading “Rogue S Series Squat Stands”.
I appreciate the additional clarity regarding v1.0 vs v2.0!
Remember that Sellers on eBay & Craigslist often misspell words like Rogue (Rouge) and have also been found to list their squat/power racks under the section on Craigslist
“For Sale – Heavy Equipment”
(but not under “For Sale – Sporting/Sports Gear”!)
Go figure!
I found a review of the titan t3 vs. the rougue here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb2eETmg9W4&t=301s
I am noticing that your initial review is a few years old. My question is do you know if the Titan T3 has changed or do you still not recommend it? Thanks for any guidance you could give.
They have fixed a couple of the more obvious issues over the years like the crappy rubber on the J-cups and I think they stopped welding a washer into the safety pipes. The rack is still pretty much the same at its core – lowest bid scrap metal, paint instead of powder coat, low-grade hardware, and so on. It’s a beginner rack, plain and simple. If it’s what you can afford and its the difference between lifting and not, have at it. If you’re a lifetime lifter you’ll likely replace it. You don’t ever see strong lifters with Titan racks, and for good reason.
If you do buy one, check for bends, warps, and poor welds on safeties and J-cups. They’ll replace anything as many times as they have to, so don’t be afraid to do what you gotta do to feel safe with their racks. Also, Coop probably had that Titan disassembled within the hour after doing that video.
I own the Titan T-3 and have regretted it from day 1. one of my uprights has a crack along 5 of the holes. It really easy cheap shit. That being said it is a lot of “bang for the buck” but it isn’t an apples to apples comparison to the other power racks like rogues. I squat and bench on mine, weights in the 250kg range, so it will handle the weight……. but i do feel if I dropped 250kg on the pin’s the entire contraption might implode and kill everyone…..FYI
That crack is a perfect example of what I mean when I say low-grade steel. That won’t happen on a Legend, Rogue, Hammer Strength, GP, Cybex, etc.
Also 250 kg on a Titan is bold! especially when already displaying some damage. Do you have like Rogue or someone other better brand of J-cups and safeties?
the J-cups are actually pretty solid now, but I really don’t need or should use a power rack. I love my bars too much to drop them on pin’s at any weight. and bailing has never been an issue for me. I am thinking about scapping the T-3 power rack (donate it to a crossfit gym) and just buy the Rogue Indie stands for space.
I bought the T3. It replaces a T2. I do CrossFit many times per week on pro grade equipment.
I’m very happy with my T3. Once I bolted it down it is rock solid. No wobble. I’m not nervous about any amount of weight. (I actually am because of what I’ve heard but not because of what I am experiencing )The paint is much better than the T2 and hasn’t shown any signs of chipping. The pin pipes are strong. You should insert them before you tighten the rack bolts to ensure the rack aligns properly.
I do kipping pullups without concern. It has much more quality than I expected at this price. I bought this after a few years of waiting on the right time to buy a rogue R3. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Unlike the T2 I’d even dare to have one of these in a professional capacity.
It’s simply not fair to compare an unanchored rack to an anchored one even if you mention that fact.
I didn’t really get the impression he was holding wobble against the rack in that review, but you’re right he should have anchored it if he was going to compare them like that. And even though he didn’t tackle that review the same way I would have, I’m glad someone did a more current comparison of the two.
I am glad you are having a good experience with your rack. Not everybody does. I hope they continue to improve their products. And who knows, maybe some day they’ll even create their own unique product! =p
I saved about $429* buying my squat/bench press rack setup used.
( * vs. a new Rogue S-2 v2.0 with spotter arms delivered for $649)
While I had rather solid plans to go with a Rogue SML-2 with spotter bars,
I came across a Texas Strength Systems (TSS) squat rack locally for $125.00
To give you some idea, this particular TSS squat rack resembles a Rogue S-2 version 1.0, as its overall height is 92 1/2″, appears to be 11-gauge, has 2” x 3” uprights with some westside hole spacing, fat/skinny pullup combo bar and 2 plate storage posts. (Note: it appears that TSS does not offer this config anymore and I am aware of what has been said about TSS on the interwebs prior to purchasing this used unit)
I then located a pair of Rogue Infinity series spotter arms for $75.00.
Including the gas used to go pick up the spotter arms, that put my total outlay for my squat/bench press rack setup at $220.00.
2 weeks earlier, I won a used Body Solid GPR370 Multi-Press Rack on eBay for $125.00 – this rack was featured in the ‘Power Rack / Squat Stand Review’ above. I had only seen this model rack list for $225.00 used, but it was always too far away for a ‘local pickup’ to be considered, in my case. Finding it only 90 minutes away for $125.00 was certainly a good deal, but it was not meant to be. After hitting the “Buy-It-Now” for $125.00, I later found-out that the eBay Seller had already sold the rack locally and ‘forgot’ to cancel the auction – this auction went for 4 days before I won it – I was very bummed.
In hindsight, not obtaining that Body Solid Rack from eBay was a good thing,
as I certainly prefer my recent TSS/Rogue set-up!
With the money saved, I am considering a Rogue Adjustable Monolift for use with my 2” x 3” TSS uprights, as I just discovered (no thanks to Rogue’s website or their search function, I might add) that for an additional $47.40, I could purchase their “MLITE to Infinity Retrofit Kit – Pair” to ‘adapt’ their “Rogue Adjustable Monolift – Monster Lite” (for Monster Lite Series 3” x 3” uprights) to work with the Infinity Series 2” x 3” uprights. For those wondering, in my case, it comes to $384.59 delivered for both the retrofit kit and Adjustable Monolift delivered. This is very cool, as I could later use this same Adjustable Monolift with a Monster Lite series rack, if I decided to go that route in the future. (Yes, I do realize a monolift is a completely indulgent accessory.)
Out of necessity, (as they were now in the way of the spotter arms) I have gone ahead and moved the 2 TSS plate storage posts from the uprights to the front ends of both feet (pointing upwards – like on a yoke set-up.) I also plan to purchase a pair of Rogue’s “Squat Stand Base Storage for $65.00 to mount on the 2 rear corners of the TSS squat stand for additional plate storage and the benefit of some additional stability, even though it is plenty stable now.
I want to like Texas Strength Systems being that I’m Texan and all, and while admittedly I haven’t seen their racks in person, I have heard some unpleasant things that have kind of kept me at bay. How would you compare yours to the no-doubt worse Titan and the probably superior Rogues? Closer to the Titan, or closer to the Rogue?
You are quite the deal hunter. Where do you keep all this stuff you buy lol
One side (of my 2 car garage) is getting full. Spent some time today bringing some box-store grade gear out into the driveway and into the sun to take pictures for craigslist in an attempt to clear-up the main rig. I have limited hands-on exposure to Titan and Rogue racks, to be honest. When I came upon this TSS deal, I could not disassembled it fast enough and get it into my vehicle – the first thing I thought of was you stating that the Rogue 2″ x 3″ Infinity series is more than enough for the garage gym, as I gazed upon the 92 1/2″ tall 2″ x 3″ uprights of this TSS squat rack. I do feel that the Rogue gear will remain a superior product, but I am pleased with my first rack and this should allow me to wait until Black Friday at least… I hope!
Yeah 2×3″ is perfect. Nothing wrong with that. I only vaguely remember what I heard about them that turned me off – had to do with the welds I think. Doesn’t matter anyway, it was some time ago. There’s probably no reason to ever replace that so long as there isn’t anything obviously wrong with it – and it doesn’t sound like there is.
I’m putting together a basement gym. ~85 inches floor to joist, but about 6 more inches from bottom of joist to floorboards.
I’d love to have a half-rack or squat stand plus pull up bar if I can comfortably fit it, but the calculus required to try and see where my pull-up bar would need to be is tough.
Since I can place the vertical posts between joists, the 90 inch clearance of many of the Rogue options is not a problem, but it’s tough to tell from the pictures online whether you could lower the pull up bar. In other words, could I purchase one of the 90 inch Rogue squat stands or the half-rack, but then lower the pull-up bar a few holes?
Thanks in advance if you have any idea.
In most cases yes, you an adjust the pull-up bar downwards. On the S2 and HR2 you can see about 6 extra holes below the highest install point. On the SML-2 you can lower it into two different lower positions that are about 6″ apart. Just look at what pull-up bar is used for each rack, and look for enough extra holes on the sides of the uprights to move it down. Does that make sense?
I think it is worth stating somewhere in the article the differences in widths of the racks. I am an example (albeit maybe a rare one) of someone who bought the “better” Monster Lite series, but soon after discovered that I only had about an inch of buffer on each side to re-rack the bar. This is fine…until you are squatting a lot of weight, and don’t want to think about things like this after a heavy set.
I recently sold my Monster Lite (49″ wide rack) in favor of buying the Infinity line (47″ wide rack).
Having a Rogue Ohio Power bar (which many people have), the distance between collars is 51.5″. On a 49″ wide rack (from outer edge of left j-cup to outer edge of right j-cup), that leaves 2.5″ total space to re-rack the bar…..or 1.25″ on each side. I don’t have any horror stories of re-racking heavy weight, but I can tell you that you do have to think about it a bit. That is far from ideal. Additionally, anyone with a wide grip runs an even greater chance of getting a finger caught in a j-cup. On the Infinity line, you’d have 4.5″, or 2.25″ on each side. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate nearly doubling the buffer. I don’t have to think about it when re-racking squats anymore.
Maybe no one will read this. Maybe no one will care. I just wish I knew about things like this before I spent a ton of cash on what I thought would be the “perfect” rack. Little did I know that the basic 2×3″ line solves all of these problems without even trying.
Not meant as a diss to the Monster Lite line. I still think it is a great value. It is important to note that the sandwich j-cups can be bought to alleviate some or most of this problem. My advice to anyone would be to upgrade the j-cups when buying the rack (about an extra $50). You’ll still have to deal with wide safety spotter arms or straps if you go that route. You should be fine with the pins/pipe because they are centered in the 3×3″ posts. Although I’d recommend against pins/pipes for any rack beyond a 24-30″ depth.
It’s all food for thought. Hope the info is helpful to someone reading the comments and trying to decide what to get.
Thanks for this fantastic site, jburgeson! You’ve been incredibly helpful in my search for home gym equipment. I want to be able to do seated band rows (like you discussed in the “Free-Weight Alternatives” article), but don’t have the option of anchoring my rack. Would it be feasible to perform band rows outside the footprint of an HR-2 weighed down with ~230 pounds of bumpers?
Thanks Martin!
That I do not know. There is definitely some weight that your rack could weigh with plates and all that would prevent it from sliding towards you as your row, but what that weight would be is a mystery to me. I imagine the resistance level of the bands you use and your flooring situation would impact what this weight is. As in, if you were on a bare foundation it would probably slide around very easily, but on rubber flooring much less.
One of the ways you might be able to swing this is if you attach the band to the rear of the rack, place a barbell against the front uprights and use that barbell as a foot rest to keep you in position. That way you’re pushing back equally against the rack; if that makes any sense.
Alternatively, you can buy a wall anchor (I link to that in that “alternatives” article under flyes I believe) and mount that to a stud in the wall. Holes in drywall can be filled and it’s generally not a violation of lease to put holes in the wall. In all cases though, I think it just depends how much you’re pulling. If you’re a monster and you can row 300-pounds of a weight stack in a gym, maybe you shouldn’t do this on anything but an anchored unit. If we’re talking regular numbers, you may find the rack doesn’t slide at all even not anchored. My unit is anchored or I’d go test it out for you – sorry.
Quick question (or questions) –
I really enjoyed your no-nonsense reviews of power racks. I’m thinking about upgrading my existing rack that I had originally purchased used. It has a flat base with channel steel for the uprights. It has served me well, but I’m getting to the point where my lifts are nearing/over 500 lbs for worksets. So…I know I could likely sell the existing rack locally.
What rack do you recommend with the following needs/requirements:
Height – 7 feet
Weight Capacity – over 1000 lbs – I’d like to stick with tubular steel that’s 2X3 or bigger, no less than 11 ga (even 7 ga may be best).
Flat steel base, not requiring any floor drilling to attach/anchor
Ability to use nylon straps (if wanted) for safeties
Cost – less than 1000…I sure hope so.
It appears that would be the one Rogue rack (can’t remember its name off the top of my head. EliteFTS doesn’t make any racks with flat steel bases. Are there any other viable alternatives??
Thanks again.
Ryan that would be the RML-390F. 3″x3″ 11-gauge steel, flat base, safety strap compatible, and about $800 before add-ons. Vulcan is in process of offering a flat foot rack like the 390F but it’s not out yet, and I have no timeline on that. It too will likely be 3″x3″ 11-gauge. This configuration will hold well over 1000 pounds. You would have to go full commercial for 7-gauge, and I think it’s a waste of money really. Rogue used to offer 7-gauge but no one was willing to pay for it because it added an unnecessary level of strength at an very unaffordable cost.
There may be lesser flat-footed racks out there, but since you’re actually pushing a lot of weight (and I suspect the goal is to push more), you want to shy away from cheap off-brand imports because steel quality is bad. It doesn’t matter if a unit is 11-gauge 3×3 if the steel used is scrap iron. It defeats the purpose of upgrading to not actually upgrade, you know?
It’s probably gonna be Rogue unless you want to ask Vulcan what’s up with theirs. Price won’t be much different though, and I don’t think they have their own straps.
Hey – appreciate your quick response. I’ve seen a few used racks on craigslist, but they are quite pricey (even for being used). I’m not comfortable spending $850 or more for something that I’m “settling to use.” They aren’t cheap racks (legend is full rack (w/weight storage) is one that I keep seeing, but I could never bring myself to pay something outrageous like that. Other than Vulcan or Rogue, which seem to have similar price points, are you aware of any used racks that I should be on the lookout for?
One other thing – I believe Vulcan and Rogue have Black Friday sales. I’ll try to hold off until then to see if I could find something at a discount. Have you heard anything regarding those sites with respect to potential discounts at the end of next month?
Well EliteFTS makes fine racks too, but if you’re not wanting to anchor you either need to stick to those flat footed racks, or buy something with a huge footprint like the Legend you’re seeing with the extra uprights for storage.
I spend a lot of time on Craigslist and the vast majority of the racks that show up are cheap box-store racks, or Titan racks, or the smaller units from Rogue – rarely the unique units like the RML-Fs or the HR-2 style racks. I think you’re right though in not getting a commercial-sized Legend for a home – they’re just too big unless you have a lot of space to commit to your gym. And even then, that space could be used for something else.
Rogue does 5 ships for $5 shipping on Black Friday (any 5 cart items ship for free, including freight items), along with miscellaneous sales. Racks do go on sale, but not all of them and usually not the unique racks. You’ll see the R3, R4, and R6, the Fortis racks, and maybe even the RML variations of those three (390, 490, and 690.) You’ll be lucky to see the flat foots or half racks, but it is possible. Vulcan does across the board discounts on categories normally since they already include base shipping in the prices of most items. But just because that’s what they did last year doesn’t mean that’s what they’ll do this year, of course.
Also be sure to search for ‘power cage’ and ‘squat rack’ and ‘squat stand’… not just ‘power rack’ Try brand names too, including the common misspelling of Rogue (Rouge). Maybe search Sorinex on CL too?
Jim:
Rogue is very anti band pegs on the RML-390. However, they say nothing about using band pegs on the RM-390. The only reason I can fathom this is because the RM is slightly heavier and they’ve machined holes at the base to allow for pegs. I think it is more of a Rogue CYA than anything. Not that I’d hold them liable for any epic fails.
Also, it’s hard to understand how the RM-390 is nearly 1200, while it is not that different from the RML-390 at approx $800. That is BEFORE adding safety straps.
I just listed my Rogue HR-2 (incl. a pair of SAML-24 spotter arms) for $700.00 and my Concept2 Model D PM5 Indoor Rower for $800.00 under the ‘Treasure Coast, FL’ region on Craigslist.
Ive been going back on forth on some rogue units, from the rml 390f, to the rml 490 with added weight storage pins to the rm 6 and rml 690.
i recently saw some pics of the rep fitness cpr 1 rack with weight attachment. Seems about 500-600 bucks cheaper than the rml 690 and it appears comparable. Very hard to find much about it. I do like that i can get with attached weight storage but it still has a pretty compact footprint unlike the rml 690.
any thoughts or anyone seen one in person ? Thanks.
I have not actually seen one, no. They don’t actually move a lot of racks so I’ve yet to get any feedback. I’d personally love to review more racks like the CPR1, but I just don’t have the space!
I will say that Reps current racks are a huge improvement over their previous generation of racks. A couple things to consider though is that they are still Chinese racks, and with that comes the standard quality control issues. Second, you ditch Westside spacing for this rack. 1″ spacing is actually a great feature, and sure a select few people would rather save money than have that feature, but it does warrant consideration.
Finally, regardless of which company you go with, keep in mind that these 6-upright racks are huge. Depending on your garage configuration, you may wish you didn’t go so big down the road. You need two feet cleared on both sides of the rack and nothing in front of it. It’s a lot of square footage. Will you have space for other things on your radar? GHD? Preacher bench? etc? Just something to think about. If you definitely have the space, have at it. But I’ve heard more than one story of people going with RML-690s and downgrading a year later to something simple like an RML-390. (I’m not trying to talk you out of it, just making sure you’ve thought about how much of your garage a 690 or similar rack will consume.)
Thanks for the reply…
I’m thinking of also maybe getting the rml 490 and adding plate storage with the pins. It’s 43 inches inside and so seems like plenty of space to add plates up and down the back post and have the J hooks set up on the opposite side. I would add the stabilizer bar and it would be on the same side as the plate storage
I love the rml 390 f but adding much plate storage would just make the rack too cramped can only put some weights on the bottom so not that helpful.. It’s only 30 inches inside…theu should make a 43 inch flat foot model would probably eliminate any sway
Also with the rml 490 can add the back posts later… Talked to rogue about that.
Jim:
Rogue is very anti band pegs on the RML-390 and the RM-390. I think it is more of a Rogue CYA than anything. Not that I’d hold them liable for any epic fails.
Also, it’s hard to understand how the RM-390 is nearly 1200, while it is not that different from the RML-390 at approx $800. That is BEFORE adding safety straps. Am I missing something? Other than a slightly heavier rack (40 more lbs), what is the difference?
Sorry for the number of questions/comments. I’m still debating between a Titan X-3 rack and the RML-390 from Rogue. It is hard to ignore the $500 price difference and free shipping Titan offers. However, if there is even a remote chance my safety could be compromised, then $500+ is well worth it.
I’m not concerned about aesthetics…only about safety. So…with that being said…have you had a chance to look at any of Titan’s X models? Those are quite a bit beefier than the T2 or T3. I’ve talked to a few on the starting strength site and the ones that have the titan racks (for the most part) are extremely happy with its stability.
Thanks again for the amazing website and consistent updates you provide.
Ryan
Titan racks are built to Rogue specifications in terms of both hardware and assembly dimensions. The only thing that makes them any less safe or durable or aesthetically pleasing is the subpar materials used (cheap steel, hardware, coating materials) and the quality of the workmanship (welds, cuts, etc). In theory a Titan rack should hold as much weight as a Rogue rack.
I’ve been starting to tell people that if they simply must buy a Titan rack, consider using Rogue’s accessories like J-cups and spotter arms/straps and so forth. These are really the weak links when it comes to a 3×3 rack. You probably couldn’t ruin the frame of an RML or an X3 if you wanted, but it’s these accessories that have to support the loaded bar day in and day out. J-cups and spotter arms are welded in critical places. Spend the extra money on American-made cups and spotters and never worry about if the guy 8000 miles away who welded your Titan cups was any good at his job or not, or just had to do so many an hour to keep his job. Also Rogue’s J-cups are actually flat, and consist of a left and right cup, not both left like Titan does.
Finally, just so I don’t get yelled at, with a 135 bench and 185 squat, your rack could be made from wood if you wanted. I split hairs a little more than I should because the guy with a 400 pound bench and 600 pound squat might actually be impacted by rack quality. I can’t make a blanket statement that Titan is equal to Rogue or Legend or American Barbell and have some powerlifting monster slamming 600 down on Titan spotters – because end of the day, they aren’t the same.
Trust me, I do not take offense to your opinion. I value it, due to the other things I’ve read on your site. What do you think about Pro Maxima Racks? I cannot tell if they are manufactured here or internationally. I’ve asked them for a quote on the FW163, which including the weight storage on the back of the rack weighs a hefty 400 lbs or so (they claim 2″ X 3″ 11 ga steel tubing) . The price for this rack is between 900-1100, depending upon where it is purchased. This is, of course, prior to any Black Friday deals. They appear to make quality equipment…thanks again.
Pro Maxima is more of a classic commercial dealer. Safety would be a non-issue with their equipment. Most of their racks are only bolted in a few place; almost all welds. The majority of them are also 11-gauge. Definitely imported though. Prices are not high enough to be domestic-commercial.
You could do something like that 163 if you don’t mind no outside accessory compatibility and what looks like 3″ spacing in between cup/safety holes. With 1″ Westside spacing now pretty commonplace, even 2″ has started to feel inconvenient, and older racks with 2½” to 4″ spacing sounds awful. If you got that for $900 shipped and have the space for it, it’s not the worst thing, but I think you’re spending way too close to Rogue prices to limit your upgrade options and to potentially find that your bench spotters are in the middle of two sets of holes – something you’ll never know until you have it. That thing does have a ton of storage though, and that may be hard to ignore if you have or plan to have that many plates.
What about Elitefts power racks?
I include some Elite products here and there, but not their racks. Elite racks are not priced very competitively; especially after you factor in their high shipping charges. It’s not so bad, but when you add in their 4-6 week lead time on racks it’s just less than ideal to buy large, manufactured items from them. I mean why wait that long when you don’t have to elsewhere? Additionally, they lack 1″ hole spacing and accessory options. I think Elite is better suited for small gym builds rather than home/garage gyms. You can negotiate a better price when buying multiple racks, and you can consolidate those freight charges to bring the overall price-per-rack down.
Great guide, I personally like the Body- Solid Pro Power Rack. Thanks for the info.
Have you thought about reviewing the IronMinds Vulcan squat rack? In my humble opinion it is the best squat stand for garage use. It’s super light weight and has a tiny profile. Makes it super easy to move around the gym especially for women. Plus it’s been around for decades, very tried and true.
I’m aware of it. You’re right, it’s a classic stand that’s been around a long time. I’ve never planned to review it though because the review would basically say exactly what you just said about being light and space-saving and a classic, followed by “but it’s just too expensive”.
I can see adding it to this guide, but not being a 2000+ word review – not unless IronMind sent one over.
http://bwproducts.com/fitness/equipment/racks/r04.html
Found the manufacture of the Iron Mind squat stand. At $335 it’s actually a pretty good price on a light weight garage squat stand.
How about Force USA? Are they any good? I was looking at the My Rack option with band pegs, safety straps (instead of bars), fat & skinny pull-up bars and plate horns.
That ‘My Rack’ doesn’t look bad. I’m assuming it’s 11-gauge based on the weight of the unit, though it doesn’t actually say.
One thing that stands out to me is that they use a bizarre size of tubing. 2.4″ x 2.4″? I’ve never seen anyone deviate from 2×3 and 3×3. Economy racks sometimes use 2×2 but those are low capacity units generally. I don’t doubt that 2.4″ square is strong enough at 11-gauge (assuming it is), but I do know that you are 100% locked into Force for accessories and add-ons, as nobody makes accessories for that size of tubing. If you won’t be adding any accessories, or they have the ones you’d want at reasonable prices, then gopher it. I assume that steel choice is exactly to lock you in to them for the accessories though, but who knows.
Only other thing is that the base price you see includes no J-cups, safeties, or pull-up bar. You have to add it all yourself and pay more for it. Seems like by the time you get it built up to a normal rack, you’re looking at normal prices – and you’re still locked in to them for future additions. I don’t think it’s bad, but I don’t think it’s especially good either. Safe and functional? no doubt.
I pulled the trigger and am getting the RM-690 2.0 in dark blue with an adjustable monolift attachment. It will be my final rack I ever need to purchase and I will be selling the old equipment in the garage once it arrives and is set up. I’ll let you know my thoughts once I’ve had a chance to use it. I’m extremely pumped to say the least.
I went back and forth between the RM and RML 690. When it came down to cost, the difference was only about $300, regardless of any attachments being included. The big factor in going with the Monster series was the numbered holes, which greatly simplifies aligning the safeties. Also, the weight storage allows for any future band use without the need of anchoring the rack to the floor.
Thanks again for your help.
Ryan
Nice. I’m quite jealous. I need a bigger garage so bad. Lack of space severely limits my ability to buy big racks and stuff like a Hyper. Nice color choice too.
Different subject, but what about hypers for a garage gym? Obviously a great machine, but also a huge footprint. Been looking at some DIY versions or possibly the Westside Scout. Any thoughts?
I was looking at that Scout a couple weeks ago. I like that it folds up, but I don’t know it just doesn’t look very substantial. I’m sure that it’s fine being it’s actually a Westside product, but my thought was if I was gonna do it I’d do it the right way.
I’d probably just buy the RH-2 if I was going to buy one at all – good price, does what it’s supposed to. I do like the price of the rack attachment Hyper, but what an ordeal to set that up and break it back down. Doesn’t seem worth it still have 2/3 the hardware taking up space when not in use.
Sell those dumbbells and db racks and pick up some ironmasters to make space! I truly love mine. You could probably pick up multiple handles with what you get for your db collection if you’re worried about supersetting. I’m keeping an eye on CL for the 120lb upgrade kit myself, which will probably only come with an extra pair of handles…
Yeah but you know what, my dumbbell rack is on the 4′ wide raised area of the garage. You know that step up towards the back wall? That space is all but useless for most things. It would be a great idea though if that were not the case. =/
I contacted Vulcan and noticed the “Power Rack – Flat Foot Base” is not made in the USA. Does that mean the quality is more comparable to Titan than Rogue?
No. It is possible to get good steel products from China, Titan is just the one of the biggest abusers of the junk (there are others).
Vulcan used to sell American racks, but it’s nearly impossible to compete with Rogue in that market – Rogue is actually pretty affordable considering it’s US steel/US manufacturing. Look at American Barbell or Sorinex racks – horrendously expensive. That’s basically what Vulcan was dealing with when they had USA-made racks. You can still get high-quality Chinese steel shipped to the states for less than you can get US steel for in your own state, so that’s what most companies unable to manufacturer their own products do (which is most of them). Well either that, or go the Titan/CAP route and buy the crap.
I guess the best way to explain this is to say that Titan is stealing rack sales galore from all of these other companies, and they’re doing it without even having to develop anything since they just basically copy Rogue units. Vulcan, Rogue, Rep, American Barbell, and pretty much anyone selling racks would love nothing more than to steal those big ticket sales back, but none of them are willing to offer such a junky product just to grab at those sales. In other words, if Vulcan could price their racks as low as Titan, they would. Titan isn’t special. They don’t have some secret recipe or special backdoor dealings going on – they are simply buying the cheapest, shittiest raw materials they can.
BTW that Vulcan Flat Foot practically sold out overnight because it’s like the best price out there for a quality unit. Yeah still more money than Titan, but it’s still great pricing. I was going to review one but I couldn’t even get it to review.
Thanks for the response. I was debating between the Rogue rml-3 and the Vulcan Flat Foot. Just wanted to make sure that if I went with the cheaper one it would still be a quality product.
To whom this may concern,
Hello my name is Samantha Wood. I’m 16 years old and I play junior hockey in Kingston Ontario and I workout 6 days a week on top of that. I’m taking on the project of turning my garage into a home fitness centre. It will not only be for me but it will also be for young athletes in Kingston. I was wondering if your company could help me out in any way possible? Your company will gain much exposure on social media and if you do choose to help me, me and everyone who workouts in my gym will wear your clothing on top of that. Thank you for your time. All the best.
Sam Wood
Hi
Do you recommend strength shop racks particularly the below rack?
https://www.strengthshop.co.uk/equipment/squat-stands-cages-blocks/riot-garage-cage.html
Is there any rack/half rack that is no taller than 205cms and doesn’t need bolting down that you recommend? Preferably uk
Cheers
Dan
It’s fairly basic, but if you have height limitations you’re probably not going to do much better. It does appear to offer a good max capacity which is good.
Most shorter racks stateside are also pretty basic because there isn’t a huge market for them, and it’s the economy builders that make them short just as a way to use less materials and keep the production/freight costs down; not because they are trying to accommodate any particular market. Actually most basement gymers here seem to end up with the gun rack style squat stands since they sit under 6′ (185’ish cm) tall, or the super creative will actually chop down a standard Rogue-style rack by whatever they need to in order to make it fit.
There may be other obscure options in the UK that am not aware of, but I’m just far less in touch with your market than the US market (sadly).
Cheers
Through contacting Rogue Europe there is also the below option
https://www.rogueeurope.eu/sml-1-rogue-70-monster-lite-squat-stand-1-eu
But there is no chin up bar although he said it could be added. Which is the better option?
Cheers
Dan
I think the SML is a better product. You could just do pull-ups from a barbell in the J-cups. Doesn’t cost anything extra, plus a fixed pull-up bar inches from the ceiling is fairly useless anyway.
Hadn’t thought of that cheers.
Can you tell me what the main differences are between these two rogue stands and which is better
https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-sm-1-squat-stand-2-0
https://www.rogueeurope.eu/sml-1-rogue-70-monster-lite-squat-stand-1-eu
Thanks for advice
SM or ‘Monster’ units have bigger hardware holes, laser numbers in the uprights, and more expensive accessories (and a larger variety of rack accessories, but that wouldn’t impact you with a squat stand). SM and SML are the same steel (3×3″ 11-gauge), so there really isn’t much of a structural advantage except for the size of the hardware and accessory connecting pieces (bolts, posts, pins, etc.)
I think SML is better because it has Westside hole spacing, but many people don’t care about 1″ spacing and like the lasered holes more. I could argue for either – just a matter of what you want to spend. But no, one isn’t going to really like be any safer or more durable than the other. Both will outlive us.
Thanks for all the information! I recently stopped paying for a CF membership because I lacked the discipline to make it to the classes at the right times and decided that working out from home would work best. I used the resources on your website heavily in my decision-making for our garage gym.
Vulcan is located in my hometown, so it turned out to be an easy decision for me. I bought their Alpha bumpers and a couple bars. Really happy with them.
I also bought the Vulcan SlimFit power rack (April 2018) and cannot recommend it. It has 3″ hole spacing, rendering the safety pins useless to me when bench pressing alone or requiring me to elevate the bench with a few layers of plywood. Vulcan’s website and photos are not representative of the actual hole-spacing. I wonder if it is a manufacturing problem that even Vulcan wasn’t aware of, but Vulcan has not acknowledged my email.
I strongly suggest anyone considering this rack to account for 3″ hole-spacing and the use of the safety pins in your decision-making.
Anyway, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time on your website and found it very helpful.
Thank you very much Donny.
I did not know that about the Slim rack. They actually changed the picture recently to that rendering for some reason. That is very curious.
If you hear anything back from them I’d love to hear what they say. If you still haven’t heard anything I wouldn’t let them off the hook. Email them daily. 3″ is annoying, and the picture does not show a 3″ gap, that’s for sure.
I’m wondering if they overhauled this thing completely but didn’t change their product description. In any case, based on your two comments I’ve made a note to edit this portion of the article when I get home to reflect these specs. Thanks Donny!
I’ll let you know! I feel I must also add that the crew at Vulcan has been great to deal with aside from the silence on this issue. It has been less than a week so I’ll give them a bit of time to look into it further.
And sorry for the double post. Feel free to delete that second post by me if you can. Thanks!
I just removed mention of that Slim rack since it doesn’t match it’s product description. It’s not fair for me to refer to a product that may or may not be as advertised. No doubt it’s not intentional, but still.
I thought I already posted a comment about this, but I don’t see it. Apologies if this is a duplicate.
This is a great website with loads of helpful information for those of us building out a gym in our garage. A couple corrections on the Vulcan SlimFit though: I received my SlimFit rack in April 2018. It has 20 holes with 3″ spacing; the Vulcan product page and photos indicate 2″ spacing. This makes it impossible to get any benefit out of the safety pins for bench pressing alone without elevating the bench.
Also, it uses 5/8″ hardware, not 1″.
I hope this helps.
Anyone have any experience with Force USA’s MyRack? Some of their other racks are made of 14g steel, but this one is made of 11g. It’s also got the Westside spacing and the ability to add a cable crossover and/or lat station. On paper, it looks great – but so does the Titan, which most of us know isn’t great at all.
That 11g claim came right from one of their own videos, but their website says 12g. I also saw a video review of the MyRack showing the powdercoat to be on par with Titan a lat attachment post that can come undone pretty easily. Nonetheless, most seem to think it’s fairly well built and a good value. Decisions, decisions.
I was looking at them a while back as a possible review product but never pulled the trigger. They’re still on my radar but I haven’t been compelled enough to actually buy anything yet.
I’ve made a note to really review & feedback dig on these guys though – see what I can learn about them.
Hi
Have you ever come across bulldog gear here in the uk? Does the below look any good in terms of strength etc? Looks very similar to rogue
https://www.bulldoggear.eu/collections/racks/products/msr1-mammoth-squat-rack
Cheers
Dan
Looks pretty beefy to me. Seems more than adequate
Hi –
Great site, and great reviews – thank you for helping us invest safely in our home gyms!
Have you checked out the Wright Equipment “Lean Garage Rack.”
For me, it has a significant advantage in that it has key basic features (kipping bar, 500 lb J-hooks, spotter bars, 11 gauge, etc.) in a design that is permanently affixed, takes up very little permanent space (1 foot), and doesn’t require a set-up process. This would fit very well at the front of my garage.
But I’m concerned that the weights rest on extended arms, so it seems a lot of force will be exerted on the wall mounting rather than exerted through the uprights directly to the floor below. Maybe I’m overthinking this – I’m only living 300lbs max right now, and the spotter bars are just for bench press – I use bumper plates and would just drop the bar for any other lift.
I’d be interested in your opinion of this rack, or if there is some significant flaw in this system that you can see.
Thanks!
I wouldn’t do it. 500-lbs is not enough for the spotters. Those are static ratings after all.
Honestly I’d be reluctant to use even a safety spotter that had a weight limit, and spotter arms are very rarely actually loaded with weight. This rack basically turned the spotter arms into J-cups, meaning they’ll be loaded all the time.
Eh, I’m sure it would be fine but I’d never quite be comfortable with this set up. 300-lbs is 3/5 of this things maximum capacity, and going up from there is not at all an unreasonable expectation regardless of the lift you’re hitting 300 with. I’d keep looking.
Thanks for the great review. I’m a newbie and this is by far the most thorough review I have come across in researching power racks.
I decided to go with Rogue, specifically the RM-6 2.0. If I am going to buy a rack, I want the rack to my first and last one, and the RM-6 2.0 seems to fit the bill. Also, I’m looking for on-board plate storage, and the RM-6 2.0 offers that.
A few questions though before I pull the trigger:
1) I have an 8 feet ceiling, or 96”, so I am going with the 90″ high version. Rogue’s website says the pull-up bar can be installed at a max height of 84″. I’m 5’10, so this set up should be fine for me to do pull-ups/chin-ups, right?
2) I am planning to put this thing in a large room that I have above my garage. Footprint is no issue. What I am wondering about is simply if the RM-6 2.0 would somehow be too heavy to be structurally supported by the floor of the room. Might be a silly and paranoid question, and I am guessing the answer is “don’t worry about it”, but I thought I better ask.
3) I don’t really want to bolt the rack to the floor of this room. Does it even have to be bolted? I am guessing the rack is heavy enough so it won’t have to be bolted.
4) There is a rather narrow staircase that leads up to this room. I suppose the rack will be delivered in various parts so that transporting them up to the room should be no issue?
5) I have no idea what required options for the RM-6 2.0 I should choose from the Rogue website. Do you have any recommendations?
a) Crossmember: XM-431 Monster 43 Pullup Bar; XM-432 Monster Single Fat Bar; XM-433 Monster Fat/Skinny; 43″ Monster Beam with Gusset; XM-43N Monster 43 with Name Plate. I seem to get to choose two of them.
b) J-cups: Monster Standard J-cup Pair or Monster Sandwich J-cup Pair
c) Safeties: I think you dislike the Pin/Pipe Safety system, so that leaves Strap Safety Set or Monster Flip-Down Safeties. Are the latter the same as the drop-in safeties you seem to like?
6) This should probably have been the first question, but for a newbie like me, do you think the RM-6 2.0 is total overkill? If so, what other racks do you feel would be more suitable? I want to do bench presses, overhead presses, squats, deadlifts, barbell rows for now. Later I might add pull-ups/chin-ups and dips, and whatever other exercises I might come across as I progress in this journey.
7) I apologize if this is a bit off-topic on this thread, but what’s a good program design you would recommend if one wanted to gain size and strength? I am thinking of the 5×5 program with bench press, squat, deadlift, overhead press, and barbell row. That should be plenty. Good choice?
8) Also, I am reading one should eat a whole lot more and order to put on muscle but my concern is that I will also add bodyfat if I do that. Do you have any suggestions on how to eat more, do the 5×5 program above AND not gain bodyfat?
Thanks so much. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Andre, so let’s see..
1) yes that’s enough space for chins and pull-ups, just not muscle ups
2) It’s unlikely that would pose a problem. Any decent piece of hardwood furniture like a king size bed will weight as much as that rack. I’d only begin to worry about that if you had an ancient house and the floors creaked just when you walked over them.
3) The 6’s don’t need to be bolted.
4) That rack is bolted together. Every upright and cross-member will be it’s own piece. It’s the smaller welded racks that don’t transport well up winding or narrow stairs / hallways.
5) Personally I’d go with the single pull-up bar for the front of the rack, and either the fat bar (if you car for the middle) or the beam with gusset if you don’t care about having a second pull-up bar. Nameplate is fine too instead of the gusset beam if you care, but I wouldn’t do it. Regular J-cups will last forever, sandwich cups are a luxury. Yes, I like the flip-down safeties the most for a rack like that.
6) Well it’s a lot of rack, but it will be the last rack you buy so long as you live where you have the space for it. The plate storage on the rear uprights is great – most people just either can’t afford a rack like this or simply don’t have the space for it. That said, you’d save a bit of money both on the rack and on future accessories to go with the RML-690 or 690C. You don’t get the flip-down safety option and a few other random accessories that are only on the Monsters, but it’s just as much rack. Also you do get Westside on the RMLs which is nice.
7) 5×5, 5/3/1, or Starting Strength. They all work if followed, then when those programs flat-line you can move onto something more advanced.
8) Yeah that’s a whole other thing. You can’t put on meaningful amounts of muscle without putting on some body fat, but you can control it if you’re strict enough with your diet. If you have enough time each day you can do some form of low heart rate, steady state cardio to combat the fat gain (like at a different time than when you lift), or you can just kind of do a classic cut if you feel like you’re putting on the wrong kind of weight. There’s really no easy answer to this though – it’ll depend on how you personally respond to the calories, but the cleaner you eat the better off you’ll be. And it’s not like it happens like all out-of-control fast.
Hope this helps. Lemme know if I was too vague on anything.
Thanks for the prompt response! I will order it then.
Follow-up question on 8): what do you mean by classic cut? And by clean eating you mean quality food? In other words no junk food? I tend to gain weight rather quickly if I eat too much./wrong. The good news is I also tend to lose weight rather quickly when I eat right.
Thank you for being so generous with your time and knowledge. I feel like you should be paid for all the information you provide on this site. I might buy some clothing from your online store so I can give at least SOMETHING in return.
I mean like accepting the weight gain (bulking), then cutting back on the calories and adding more cardio in order to cut back down every however many months. If you continue training on less calories (when you cut) you’ll end up netting more of a muscle gain than a loss after the cut. Then just repeat; bulk, cut, bulk, cut, and so on. You’ll always want to eat clean though and track your calories/macros – not doing so just makes the whole thing harder to manage. That said, you’ll see how your body responds to the excess calories when training. Not everyone puts on a ton of fat.; it just depends on your genetics. But the ability to lose weight easily is a huge plus for you. Most people can’t say that.
If you click on that large Rogue banner on the right side of every page when you go to buy, Rogue will credit me for the banner referral. Or the store is another option as well. Either way I absolutely appreciate it very much. Thanks, Andre.
Cool. I ordered this thing through your banner. I also like the tanks in your store and just bought one, size M. Hopefully I need a bigger size a year or two from now ;-)
Awesome Andre, thank you very much. It’s much appreciated. That tank will go out right away. =)
Sorry but I got another question: should I put anything under the rack? I have carpet in my room where I plan to put the rack. Over in your gym flooring review, you seem to be using horse stall mats. I understand that reason is to damping impact of the plates should you drop them on the floor. But, for any exercises inside the rack, the plates should never reach the floor because of the safeties, right? Why would I then need to put anything under the rack? To protect the joints?
For any exercises outside the rack, I can see why one would need hiorse stall mats or a platform, but why would you need that inside the rack? I might just do it inside anyway though so that the uprights don’t mess up the carpet.
And do you think the carpet will somehow “sweat” under the stall mats and get messed up that way?
I’m not exactly sure what putting stall mats on carpet will do to the carpet. I suppose that when you finally pulled the mats up the flattened carpet would be recoverable just like when a piece of furniture smashes the threads for years – like by vacuuming it a few times (which should also be possible with the rack/uprights directly on the carpet). I doubt mats would sweat unless you already have a high humidity level in your home, but I wonder how bad you’d even want to put mats on carpet anyway. It may feel less stable than being directly on the carpet, and yes you’d only even want them for deadlifts anyway. You definitely don’t need them under a rack that has safeties.
Hi John,
The order for the RM-6 is being processed. Lead time is 2 to 3 weeks.
In the meantime, I wondering if you had an opinion on an old Olympic Combination Bench I bought in the early 2000’s, namely the BodyCraft Olympic Combination Bench Model F609. i still have it. I’d give you a link right here but I think those posts with links in them tend to end up in your spam filter.
Looking at this thing now that I know much more what I am doing thanks to your website, it seems to have 12 gauge steel (I think you prefer at least 11 gauge steel) but it does have a lifetime warranty.
What do you think I should with it? Is it crap and I should get rid of it, or do you think this is actually not bad equipment and I should keep it.
Thanks for all your help.
Andre
I don’t think you should necessarily get rid of it if it’s serving a purpose. You already own it. Keep it until it’s no longer useful to you.
12-gauge can be okay btw, it just depends on the product and the application. I say to favor 11-gauge in almost all cases because it eliminates the guesswork.
Hi Oracle of Home Gyms,
I’m in the market for upgrading my mobile squat stand to a rack. I’ve had my eyes on the HR-2 Half Rack for some time now, but then I noticed the RML-490C and had a hard time arguing for not just getting that if it can fit within my needs.
My primary limitations:
1) No racks significantly higher than 90”,
2) Footprint not larger than the 53”x53” of the RML-490C,
3) The rack can not be bolted to the floor,
4) Space pretty limited around the rack,
5) Only access to Rogue EU.
My other primary selection criteria:
1) Safely able to squat/bench without spotters,
2) Preferably would like to store weights on the rack instead of on my plate tree (as it uses up a lot of floor space),
3) Usable pull-up bar. Right now I’ve got a wall-mounted one that is being sacrificed for other reasons. Due to mounting and ceiling height, I’ve never been able to do anything but strict work on it. BUT. With an adjustable pull-up bar that I can move around to find the best option, I’d like to be able to do kipping work,
4) That awesome feeling of upgrading to a ‘real’ home gym setting with a real rack,
5) The ability to lift both in and outside the rack.
I’ve also asked on r/Homegym and had various, somewhat conflicting, responses. So at this point, I’m considering the following options:
A) HR-2
B) RML-490C
C) RML-390F
Various pros and cons, but the main thing I’d really like to ask you is if you have any idea as to whether or not going with the RML-490C with a stabilizer and/or plate storage on one side is fine? Rogue specifically states that floor anchoring is necessary UNLESS a stabilizer is used. Does this mean a stabilizer is all you need to go with this rather than a flat-footed version?
P.s. as always, thanks for your great advice!
The stabilizer helps keep everything lined up properly, and stops a rack only joined at the top of the uprights from excessive lateral swaying. Anchoring accomplishes the same thing while also giving the obvious benefit of reducing risk of tipping in all four directions. Using a stabilizer and plate storage on an unanchored 490C can be done, and it will be safer to use for ‘outside the rack’ training since it’s counterbalanced by plates, but those plates restrict movement inside the rack and this set up still isn’t as safe as an anchored or flat-footed rack.
The HR-2 is such a good rack because you get the small footprint, the plate storage, and no anchoring requirements. However, it doesn’t function as a two-station unit like a full-size rack can (though it’s not nearly as ideal as it sounds to try to be set up in two locations in a power rack – especially if you have plate storage). You have space issues so I’d probably still favor the HR-2 and accept that all of these racks are basically single-station units.
I’ve owned a Rogue HR-2 Half Rack and now own a Rogue RML-490C Power Rack.
I believe the HR-2 is great, especially when trying to optimize your available space. I used the appropriate Rogue spotter arms and Rogue Adjustable Monolift when I had the HR-2. I soon realized that occasionally ’touching’ the spotter bars (when benching) was super-distracting (for me, anyway) and a bit unnerving.
After watching a video review about the Rogue safety straps 2.0, I quickly sold my Rogue HR-2 just in time for Rogue’s Annual Matte Black Friday sale and ordered-up a RML-490C and had Rogue swap/credit me for the normally included pin-pipe safeties and charge me a little more to instead get the appropriate-sized Safety Straps 2.0 for the power rack (along with some other upgrades I had requested.) I am VERY pleased now using the safety straps.
I did not bolt down my RML-490. I have several of the Rogue hitch pin mounted, long, plate storage posts at one end of the power rack along with the “stabilizer.” Initially, I did not order the stabilizer, but when some of my power rack pieces arrived with scratches, I negotiated with Rogue and ended-up getting a color-matched stabilizer as a result (normally, the stabilizer comes in black.) I also have the power rack sitting on top of TSC horse stall mats.
Thank you for your input Marc.
The safety strap system looks absolutely amazing. Options such as that seems to be the reason for getting a ‘full rack’. You never know what Rogue will also cook up in the future.
We’ll see what my wife ends up allowing – right now I’ve tuned down my hopes for the 490 due to the space issue.
P.s. Rogue US, right? I keep hearing amazing things about their customer service in the US. I haven’t seen an inkling of that here in the EU. They’re literally just like any random company, perhaps even a bit subpar in their customer service. It might also be because all their good deals, extra options and discounts aren’t available here and one can’t help but be a bit jealous.
The best experience I had with Rogue was still ordering through their APO when I was deployed to Iraq within a US formation. Man, their customer service was on point and the APO discount was great.
I always wondered if their US team handled International customer service. I guess you’ve answered that haha. That sucks though that they aren’t able to maintain the same standard at a satellite facility. I guess it helps a lot to have the entire US team in one building.
Thank you for your reply!
My wife is pushing for the HR-2 a lot, not so much due to foot print – but also that almost half the footprint is only the feet sticking out. My home gym is in our living room, so I’m at her mercy as to even being allowed a home gym.
I feel, with your comment, that buying the HR-2 is less of a compromise given that I’m not really ‘losing’ a lifting station by not buying the 490 anyway. The selling point of it, was kind of the idea of being able to lift with a friend or my wife without constant reloading of the bar.
Holy Epic Review Batman!
A bit dated, but still a ton of great insight… might have to revisit putting a Titan rack in the office unless they’ve come a long way!
Thanks for the awesome work!
After a lot of researching I have narrowed down my choices to either the HR-2 or the RML-490. The main reasons I am having trouble is that I am doubtful of how much weight the spotter arms on the HR-2 are able to handle being that they are only connected at one point on the rack. For example I don’t want to fail at 750Lb and have the weight come crashing down on me. Secondly, I am likely moving in the next couple of years, so I am not crazy about the idea of putting holes into the concrete. The reason I didn’t mention the RML-390f is because I feel the space inside of the rack would be too small for me. This article and the comments on it have greatly assisted me with my research. Any advice would be great thanks.
Spotter arms are strong, but if that 750 number something you’re actually squatting then I would probably be in the same boat as you with my thinking.. that is to say, I’d feel more comfortable in a full-size rack with either a drop-in spotter or pin/pipe safety system; something with two connection points.
The 30″ depth of the 390F is quite a bit. It might feel compact if you’re coming from a 40″+ deep commercial rack, but it’s certainly not tight. Even at only 6″ bigger than the 24″ R-3 the difference is night and day. That said, if your preference is to just feel that roomy whether you actually need it or not, well then there’s nothing wrong with sticking with something as deep as the RML-490/690. As far as anchoring goes, you can get away with not anchoring a 490 and 690, but not a 390. That is if you’re not trying to add a bunch of accessories that attach to the outer side of the uprights.
I’d suggest a 490 for the space and ability to avoid the hole-drilling. You can’t be walking 500+ lb squats back into the J-cups with a lot of momentum because you’ll drag the rack around the floor, but with just a minimal amount of awareness you can get away with not anchoring a 490 until you move. I’d eventually get it anchored to something though. It’s just a more secure feeling and the rack won’t vibrate/slide, of course.
Thanks for this great review. My wife and I are planning to set-up a home gym for us both to do crossift as home. I am wondering on the Power Rack side of the set-up if there is a recommendation for couples? We ideally want to be able to work out at the same time and wasn’t sure if you had seen that consideration before.
Thank!
Of course. Thank you!
There are double sides racks, or you can just center something simple like the R-4 in your gym, anchor it down, and put J-cups and spotters on both sides. Rogue has a Collegiate rack for this but it’s expensive, as does American Barbell I believe. Big commercial brands all tend to offer these but they’ll make Rogue and American Barbell look cheap by comparison.
I don’t know where you live, but there’s a used, full commercial, double-sided power rack on eBay in Ohio. It’s been up there for several weeks. I think the buy it now price is $750.
Wish I’d have had this article years ago!
I have a legend power cage (3×3 tubing, 2 inch hole spacing), which I love. That said, I’d have probably purchased a Rogue Rack (when I bought my legend rack Rogue was still a small company that I’d heard litlte about depsite living in Columbus, Oh) because they do offer more attachments. Anyone know if any Rogue attachments are compatible with Legend?
Do you know the hole size of your rack? 5/8″, 1″, something else?
Is there anything beyond the odd 2.5×2.5” tubing that makes you think the Vulcan Hammer II squat stand isn’t the hands down best product for the money ($750, all-in tax+shipping, unless you’re in NC; includes spotter arms, an additional $130-320 with other makes and models). It seems like the 8ga steel alone would make this the heaviest duty unit of the bunch. Plus the 258lb weight should render pull-up stability moot. Just curious as i’m still deciding between the SML-2 and this one. The SML2 is undoubtedly top quality as all my Rogue equipment is, but after spotter arms, tax and shipping it’s $750+. So i’m having a hard time pulling the trigger. thanks again for your site, and for any advice.
Well no, that is a hell of a deal. 8-gauge is extremely heavy-duty, and in my opinion is more warranted on a squat stand than a power rack since there is effectively no other support for the two uprights on a squat stand. It makes a fairly big difference in how rigid it feels when the weights get up there.
As far as it being 2.5″ square versus any of the “usual” configurations is only a problem if you foresee needing some form of accessory or attachment that Vulcan hasn’t made available. Again this is a bigger issue on a power rack which can handle infinitely more accessories than squat stands. About all most would ever put on a squat rack is a dip station or a pair of plate storage horns at the base. In other words, cross-compatibility shouldn’t be a major concern at all.
It’s a beefy rack and the price is completely reasonable; especially if you can wheel and deal out that embedded shipping by being local.
What are your thoughts on the new Rep PR-4000? I think it looks pretty darn good at that price point but I have zero Rep experience.
I haven’t actually seen one yet, but I’ve had both the PR-5000 and HR-5000 and I am impressed with what Rep is doing; especially for the money. Each rack gets even better too as they get feedback on the previous model(s). The 4000 is basically an RML, and I don’t see any reasons not to consider it. I certainly like the optional front feet; that’s a nice touch indeed.
I get a little limited being in Atlantic Canada but luckily I do live fairly close to the border. I think I’m fairly confident this is the route I’m going. So far I’m leaning to 80inch height, 30 inch depth, red uprights, black cross members, sandwich JCups X2, flip down safeties, rear brace, front feet, and spotter arms. Sadly the lat PD and weight storage don’t fit my Canadian dollar budget. I’ll likely get a stand alone landmine and plate tree at the same time. Basically I’m likely diving right into Rep after selling my R3. Darn ceiling height in my new place threw a minor wrench into my home gym. But that also means new equipment!
It sounds like a great set up, and yeah that’s a bummer to have low ceilings. Low ceilings are on my current list of never’s when I move. 9-ft ceilings minimum!
It was a willing sacrifice. I went from a higher ceiling,small unfinished space to a large completely finished basement. There will need to be some improvising in the garage though. If I didn’t have Canadian winters I’d want a big beautiful garage gym but for now I’ll hide in the basement!
Hello,
Curious about your thoughts about the Rep racks, PR-1000 and PR-1100?
Thank you.
M
For what they are, they’re fine, and maybe even pretty decent compared to going into an Academy or something. They are entry level racks though – with no features to speak of, low weight capacities, etc.
14-gauge racks like the 1000 Series by Rep will get novices by for a while, but anybody who continues to train over the years will abandon a smaller rack like these and upgrade to something a little nicer. That’s fine though – it happens all the time.
End of the day, respect the weight limitations of the various components on a light-duty rack and it will serve you well. As far as Rep goes, their reputation is great – buy from them with confidence.
Hey, thank you so much for the speedy comprehensive answer.
First garage gym here. Have been starting strength training around 10 months ago (44), and came to the conclusion that going to the gym is taking as much if not more than actually training, that is a bummer, and thus not going as much as possible (trying to get 4-6 sessions/week).
So want to switch to garage and see if that does help get more.
Have been looking around, seems like Rep is a good brand, good price for value.
Was thinking of getting their rack, bar, plates, bench and also maybe a set of 5-50 dumb (still not sure if I should rather go with one of those mutli system, bowflex or the other). Also looking at the lat extension.
Right now can lift 150 lbs chest press through 4 series of 15 reps each, 30s rest (yeah, starting…).
From you comment looks like the 1000 or the 1100 rack would be enough. If I wanted to go one level up, what I see by Rep is that you need directly to jump to the 4000 as they discontinued the 3000.
Would you recommend that ?
Also, any other advices/comment based on what I shared ?
Thank you so much.
M
Honestly you could pick up the whole collection from Rep without having to worry that you made a bad decision. They make great equipment at really good prices. The combined shipping from them would probably save you quite a bit of money as well.
It does look like they dropped the 3000, doesn’t it. I actually wasn’t aware of that, but I suppose all the attention is on that 4000 line now. You’d certainly be set forever with a 4000, and you get much, much better accessory options on a 3×3 rack like that, not to mention fine tuning of j-cup/safety placement, but it’s over double the pre-shipping price. Really it’s those 400-lb limitations that bother me about the 1000 line, but if none of those various limitations bother you than you certainly could make the 1000 or 1100 work.
I’m just of the opinion that you buy once, buy right. Assuming that you continue to train (and I try to assume that’s everyone’s goal) you will probably outgrow that light-duty line. Having said that, outside of the shipping (which you’ll really not pay so much on if you buy everything at once), you have only a minor investment in the 1000 and could likely recover a decent percentage of that price on the used market, and apply that to a nicer rack if and when that comes up.
I thought the max weight for the 1000 series was 700 lbs. Must have mixed things up.
There are other components that have lower ratings. Those bother me.
The 700-lb overall rating is still kind of low but fine for many; if not most; but getting too close to these numbers causes wear. I just want people to be safe. Don’t push those max capacities.
Just felt compelled to give a sincere thank-you for these articles. I have just finished tearing through this, as well as your bumper plate article and feel so much better about my plans for a garage gym. It’s easy to get spending fatigue as the costs mount, but having this article spell everything out has been so valuable. Now if only shipping to Canada weren’t so egregious..
Thanks Colt! Yeah sorry, can’t help you with that shipping.
What about Titan Fitness power racks?
I know this is a really dumb question, but is this rack usable and safe enough? I’m 15 so i probably won’t be lifting too heavy but it has a really good price and it’s close enough for me to pick up locally instead of shipping.
https://www.fitnessavenue.ca/amstaff-fitness-df-1162-multi-squat-rack
Thanks in advance.
It’s a temporary solution, but it should get you by for a while. It has the safeties at least.
You’ll know when it’s time to upgrade. I mean you’ll just know, but that’ll be a while. If you were older with a couple years of training under your belt I’d tell you no though… for what that’s worth.
Any thoughts on REP PR 1050? I have a basement gym. 100” height limit. Thx
100″ isn’t bad. That’s many older houses actual interior ceiling height. You definitely don’t need almost 30″ of space between the top of the rack and your ceiling. I personally wouldn’t go that short in your case. You can push 90″ and not be doing anything out of the ordinary, but even 80″-85″ will feel more like a real rack. It also depends on how tall you and whoever else using it is.
As far as the 1050 goes specifically, its pretty basic. No room for accessory / attachment growth, low weight capacity, and of course it’s pretty small. It’s super affordable though! As a “hold you over until the gyms open again” option it’s fine, as a long-term solution, well I don’t think it is a long-term solution for serious programming.
First off, thank you for this informative and thorough shopping guide. Your website has been very helpful for my home gym purchases.
I wanted to ask your opinion on a potential change to my garage gym setup.
I currently have a (used) Rogue Monster rig. I cobbled together this rig from 4 uprights spaced 43” and 70” apart respectively, from a wall mount rig purchased second hand from a local crossfit gym.
I have it anchored into the cement. It’s been working pretty well, but the foot print is massive. I’d like more space for other equipment.
I’m considering purchasing the 30” top and bottom beams to convert it into a power rack with a much smaller foot print.
I want to continue to use the rack for squats/deadlift/bench and be able to use the safety straps. however I am concerned that I won’t easily be able to use the rack for plate storage.
Is this a concern?
Should i considered instead the 24” beams and go with more of a half rack setup using spotter arms for the heavy movements outside of the rack?
Also I am happy to share a photo of my garage gym to give you a better idea of my setup.
Thank you!
Best regards,
Tim
Thanks Tim, I appreciate that.
You’re right, the only way you’ll get storage out of what is essentially an RM-3 at that point is to set it up as a half rack; which you can do since you’re anchoring. For extra security/stability and since your rig uprights are Monster parts, you can use Rogue’s front feet as well.
I did this very set up with my old R-3… bolted it down, had a ton of weight stored on the rear uprights, and lifted in front of the rack. I even have 24″ crossmembers vs 30″ so the footprint was great. My current set up is the Monster Collegiate Half Rack which has the exact same footprint as my old R-3 did, save for the front feet. If you did the 24″ crossmembers and the feet you’d basically have built yourself a that Collegiate Half Rack (without the angles upper uprights, which do nothing.)
Does that answer your question? If I’m missing something and you think I should see then you can send photos to jburgeson@garage-gyms.com.
The Ironmaster product accessories are made overseas but I believe the actual IM1500 is made here in the states. I’m 95% sure. Great reviews. I wish you received their IM2000 self spotting System too
What makes you think it’s made in the states? I don’t see any reference to that on their site, and normally that’s an auto-include. It really makes no difference to me one way or the other. I’m just curious.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how Rogue compares to Gorila or XTC?
Great tips. Have a low basement. What do you think of the Fettle rack –SKU 22848?
I don’t know which rack you’re looking at. The SKU doesn’t help me on their website at all.
Okay, I am still debating on Racks especially now that REP has pushed there shipping date out again. Have you ever looked at the Raptor from https://www.coloradostrengthequipment.com/products/rex-series-triple-power-rack
It’s got 1.5″ spacing for bench and 3″ spacing for the rest of the rack.
I don’t know anything about that particular rack. J-cups look kind of small for something with 3″ spacing but depending on the size of the holes you could replace them with something taller from a different company. It’s kind of peculiar thing to do 1.5″/3″ spacing, but it’s not that big of a deal. The 1.5″ spacing doesn’t look low enough to be useful for bench spotters – where that actually matters. Price is low for all that it appears to come with which means there is something that could have been done better. Beggars can’t be choosers right now though. Hard to secure the exact things we want, sadly. No huge red flags though that I see aside from the obvious lack of general compatibility with other manufacturers.
Extraordinary wealth of information in this post and the ensuing comments; huge thanks to both the proprietor and years of commenters for the light and knowledge collected here. Everything is pretty close to out of stock thanks to Old Corona these days, but it seems clear that the Vulcan/RepFitness 3×3 options are the best value in the tier, with the various Rogue Monster/RML options being pretty much the standard and Sorinex/EliteFTS catering to the pricey end of the non-commercial domain. Elite in particular has removed pricing from their site which makes it even harder to get a grip on the cost of kitting out each line on an already difficult-to-buy product, which is disappointing. I’d love to read reviews from someone using one of their Collegiate or R3 3×3 racks, ditto anything in that price point from Sorinex. (I’m aware that I’m admitting to being willing to suffer and possibly overpay but with availability outside Rogue being limited and me wanting to buy something that will last me 10 years I figured I might as well check out what the big boys are doing…hopefully Vulcan gets back in stock before I make any bad decisions.)
Elite’s removal of prices is ridiculous. I was just on that site last week asking “why the hell are there all these ‘call for quote’ placeholders where prices the should be?
Sorinex is a good alternative to Rogue if you’re willing to pay their premium. They have lead times, but going that route may very well be quicker than waiting for an in stock notification from Rogue or Vulcan and hopefully being available to place that order before they go out of stock again. I’d definitely go the Sorinex route over Elite myself simply because of the features these two manufacturer’s offer (and the cross-compatibility between the two – in the case of Rogue’s Monster series, anyway.) Elite isn’t going to sell you junk in most cases, but I don’t care for their prices or long lead times (even pre-Covid). They’ve been around a long time though, and not only do they sell their own equipment but they re-sell from loads of others as well – including Rogue, Buddy Capps, Spud, and so many others. But again, as you mentioned, you’ll have to spend some time on the phone with them just to sort those prices out. It’s kind of annoying.
Maybe someone else will chime in on their experience (hopefully recent) with Elite.
Kazanir’s post has some generalizations that aren’t particularly accurate. As far as how “high end” it depends on what level equipment you are getting from the company. Rogue infinity with bare bones setup is a bit different than a customized Monster 4×3 7g. Its no different than buying a computer, one could buy a bare bones setup with Dell or could buy a 3500 setup. The monster 4×3 7g is a far better product than a Sorinex dark horse. Another example would rhino belt squat vs j squat. Night and difference in quailty though Sorinex would likely double the price and triple the shipping.
As far as elite that depends as well. If you get the signature power rack with signature adjustable bench (1400 bucks normally) its gonna be well over 7000 without shipping. I only have 3 or 4 bars from elite but I do have the top end Lat/Low row from Williams that makes their equipment and I can assure its as high end as it gets…Very easy to work with them. It appears there is no real slowdown with them as they are prioritizing their own line vs. Elite which is why elite is having all sorts of issues. Elite is simply a glorified drop shipper and makes nothing. They dont make their bars, their clothing, their power racks or machines. Its branding, thats all. If one wants truly high end that isnt a poor to mediocre design like hammer strength one should look at power lift and dynamic. Both higher end but far less marketing flash than sorinex or rogue. I explored Samson as well and while well built stuff, their website is awful. Sorinex ends up being expensive as their shipping or 3-4 times more than Rogue. Keep in mind that Sorinex for most of its history didnt make anything and it was outsourced to Williams Strength and Reflex Fitness. Sorinex since making their own has made some pretty sad designs like the J squat …terrific marketing and certainly have done a great job marketing to pro teams. If one spends 2500 + on a power rack from most companies it will probably be very goood.
As far as lasting 10 plus years, odd comment. Any of the above mid to high level will last 20 years in a home setting just fine. My rogue monster rack, westside bench, rhino, williams lat, dbs etc basically look totally brand new after two years. Its just me and GF that use it.
Hey, months later I just wanted to chime in and say thanks a million for the feedback — Marty’s post both contained a ton of useful info and made me realize I was still fairly clueless; this prompted me to spend another month reading up on every detail I could find until my fixation was satisfied and I had a plan.
After evaluating the prices involved and the luxury budget I was able to put towards this, I ended up concluding (with the help of the great reviews their racks have gotten) that Rep was the right choice. Given the price points involved, I wanted something that would be a “lasts most of your adult life” type purchase — the difference in what I would have been able to acquire out of my budget buying from Rogue/Sorinex vs. Rep was so large (especially after factoring in accessory purchases or upgrades over time, holy crap!) that I went with Rep to hit the “endgame” rack tier using the PR-5000 v2, but still managed to get reasonably decked out with accessories and didn’t have to skimp on good bars either. I did briefly think about trying to ball and get stainless, but their ETA on that was way into the future so I skipped that.
After months of planning, getting stuff together, and completing the assembly of a slanted platform to level the deck, you can see the completed product with all the accoutrements here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJG2oAJroJi/
Thanks a million to both of you for the incredibly useful feedback. Look me up for a beer if you’re ever in Vegas and want to lift in my Venice Beach/prison yard aesthetic.
I’ve been following your reviews for many years, so I owe you a long overdue thank you for all the insight. Actually it has reached the point that whenever I am shopping for new equipment I first check to see if JB has covered anything on it.
I know Cerakote finishes have become a very hot commodity in recent years. No doubt due to the substantial benefits on barbells, which you’ve mentioned in several of your barbell articles. I am curious if you think Cerakote on a power rack would provide any benefits? I’ve noticed many brands have added this optional finish to their racks, with PRX claiming to be the initiator of the upgrade back in 2018 surely soon followed by Rogue and others (the timeline is strictly based on PRX’s website. Since those details aren’t too concerning to me, I have not further investigated the claim). Regardless, do you see this as merely an optical “upgrade” or do you think it can help against rust versus the standard powder coat? Since it only comes in black and I don’t think the chalkiness is relevant on a rack like it is on barbells, I can’t think of many potential benefits other than potential for rust prevention.
I have heard people complain that the Cerakote barbells are prone to chipping. You probably harp on that topic every time you mention the finish on a barbell and you continue to verify that you haven’t experienced such fate (which I hope still holds true). Do you think there’s more potential for Cerokote to chip off the rack then the standard finish?
Since you’ve talked about Cerakote barbells so much, I am curious about your opinions towards it on a rack.
I appreciate that, Jason. Thank you.
I still haven’t purchased or reviewed a Cerakote rack, so I’m just going to speculate.
My assumption is that Cerakote would technically make a better finish on a rack than a standard powder-coat, at least in terms of durability. We know how well Cerakote tends to hold up on a barbell, and we also know how poorly a powder-coat adheres to a steel bar (think specialty bars.) The issue is that most reputable companies like Rogue, Sorinex, and even Rep at this point are using really solid finishes on their racks. It’s not the same finish as it was a couple years back… that thin, flaky, dull finish. It’s thicker now, with some of them even having essentially a clear coat over the powder-coat.
I don’t have any problem with someone wanting a Cerakote rack, assuming they can afford it. I don’t see any major advantage to it unless you have complete control over the color though. Personally I don’t think I’d like that tacky, “chalky” feel on my rack, but that’s just me. I’ll still pick one up eventually for a review but I’m in no hurry on that one haha.
I know this isn’t a definitive answer, but I hope it helps.
Great information as always. Just wondering, what is your opinion on Body-Solid’s commercial (Pro ClubLine) power racks? I can’t seem to find many reviews of those racks, although I’ve noticed you have given favorable reviews to some of their machines.
I’m thinking about getting the SPR1000. The only reason I’m hesitant is because of the price tag: Out the door, it’s about $100 cheaper than Rogue’s RML-490 (with the rear stabilizer). At that price point, would I be better off just paying a bit extra for Rogue? Or should the SPR1000 be the same quality? Both are 3×3″ 11 gauge steel with 5/8″ hardware. There’s some things I really like about the SPR1000 compared to the RML-490 or other racks I’ve seen but I just want to make sure I’m not wasting my money.
Well, I don’t generally have an issue with Body Solid’s commercial-line of equipment. They tend to do a good job with that line compared to some of their lesser, lighter-duty lines. Still, my experience with Body Solid so far is that they don’t really compare to Rogue. Rogue uses bigger hardware, very high-quality steel, and their accessories are just super beefy compared to most others, which in the case of things like J-cups makes them safer. That said, an 11-gauge rack of any dimensions in a home gym will last forever. If the Body Solid has what you want in terms of features and accessories, then I’m sure it’ll be fine. Only reason I say maybe it’s worth paying the extra money for a Rogue is because that extra money is so little. If it were a $300-$500 difference and the Body Solid had everything (or even most of) what you wanted, that would be a no-brainer. But just $100 to upgrade to an RML?
Of course, I’m not sure what it is you like about the BS versus what you don’t like about the RML. That could make all the difference in the world.
End of the day, I don’t think either option is wrong or bad, especially in a home gym where it’s getting used by the same small group of people every day, and not 50 random meatheads who don’t a damn about the equipment because it’s not theirs… if you know what I mean.
Thanks for the quick reply man. I had a feeling Rogue would have higher quality steel/hardware, just being made in the US. I just wasn’t sure how much of a difference it was, given that the SPR1000 is intended for full commercial use. Honestly, most of the things I like better about it are just quality of life things, like that it comes with flip-down safeties, has a rear extension option, and some other things. So nothing major really, just things that I’d like to have.
As to the RML-490, my only real gripe with it is that it’s not flat-foot like the SPR1000. I’m just not sure how sturdy it will be without bolting it to the floor. Will the rear stabilizer give it the same stability as a flat foot? I guess I can’t really see why it would be a problem. Think I’ll go with Rogue — just seems like the best way to go, especially at that price point. I’m def gonna wait and see what kind of deals come up for the holidays, might even go with the RML-690 since the rear-extension is appealing. If only their retail outlet was open, I’m only about an hour’s drive away haha. My bad, I’m kinda thinking out loud. Thanks again for your input man.
Rogue has flat footed racks, but only the 390 for the Monster Lite line, not a 490. The 390F is a 30″ deep rack rather than a 24″, but that’s still not even really close to the 43″ of the standard 490. But yeah, I don’t think they made drop-in or flip-down safeties for anything but the big Monster racks.
A stabilizer will help with stability but only to a point. The feet do wonders to keep the rack from rocking when doing pull-ups or dips off the side; stuff like that.
Also, Rogue announced no Matte Black Friday this year. They can’t keep anything in stock and were definitely unable to stockpile for the annual sale, so they just canned it for the year. Probably won’t be much in the way of deals from a lot of these dealers, but to my knowledge Rogue is the only one to make a formal announcement.
Oh damn, thanks for the heads up. I guess I should’ve figured that given the state of things right now. All good though, I was initially gonna grab the 690 at full price anyway — just not sure if I really wanna spend that.
I’ve considered the RML-390F. Just torn on the 30″ depth, but I was comfortable with 34″ so I may have to reconsider that one. You’re def right about the flip-downs. I tried looking for some a while back and I could only find them for the RM series. It’s really not a deal-breaker or anything though. If the depth is right, I may also be able to use a pair of the SPR safeties on the RML-490/690.
Can I ask what rack you use? If go with the RML-490, I’m thinking I’ll forget the stabilizer and just build a platform to bolt it to. Regarding the RML-690, unless I’m mistaken, that rack doesn’t need to be bolted at all, and also doesn’t need a stabilizer right? Also gonna do some thinking on the 390F, and I’ll give Fitness Factory a call about the SPR1000. I know they never charge the price listed on their site, so it might not cost nearly as much as I think it does and it definitely ticks all the right boxes for me.
Well, this is fun. I’ve narrowed it down to 4 racks. Sorry for subjecting you to my overthinking lmao. I’ll let you know what I choose though. Thanks again for your help.
Hello from Spain. I have a storage room with a space of 1.7 meters X 3.8 meters. Can I put a power rack? Can I move around the rack to load/unload the bar?
I’m interested in ATX® POWER RACK PRX-655 SD. Thanks
No, I wouldn’t think that you could. You could store a power rack in a space that size, but not actually get real use out of it. 1.7 meters is like nothing!
Thanks for answering. Can a squat rack be an alternative to that space or is it definitely impossible? I don’t want to go back to a commercial gym.
What do you think about the German ATX (atxfitness) products? How about ATX Power Rack PRX-655 SD? Thanks.
I don’t have any access to ATX here in the USA, but by all accounts they are a leading manufacturer in Europe… where you guys are seriously lacking it quality manufacturers. Again, I don’t have first-hand experience with them but I do commonly recommend them to folks on your side of the pond.
What a great resource this article is. I’m based in the UK and gyms are shut for the foreseeable. I’ve been slowing building up my home gym equipment and am looking to get a power rack to take things to the next level. I’ve been looking at this one – https://www.dnfit.co.uk/racks-benches/power-and-squat-racks/power-racks/ow150-power-rack-with-pulley-system/ has anyone used this type of rack before? I’m really missing the cable machines so I like that it has one of these included
It’s not enough rack if you’re a veteran. It would be fine for a relatively new lifter though.
Thanks for that. I would class myself as intermediate… I’d typically squat around 90-100kg (and weigh 75kg), also I’m also benching around 90-100kg. I can’t see myself progressing much more than that as I’m also a keen cyclist so don’t want to put on too much bulk. It says up to 180kg – do you think that would be suitable for typical use at, say 100kg, or in your experience would you recommend going for a higher maximum load for that amount of typical use?
It’s not so much the load for most people as it is the function. Those spotters and cups are spaced so far apart that it’s unlikely you’ll be able to place them where you want. It looks like 4″ spacing, which is just insane. Also that rack is tiny. It’s short, narrow, and I promise that model in the pics is not even near 6′ tall. It’s just about as basic as they come, and you’ll wish you had spent a little more. Could one make it work in a bind? Sure. But a rack could and should generally be a one-time purchase, but assuming you keep at it you’ll buy another one after this one. Sooner than later too; especially if you find one of your lifts puts you right in the middle of those safety or j-cup settings for bench. 4″ spacing is quite bad.
That’s really great information, thanks. I’ll keep reviewing my options then.
Yeah sorry. I hate delivering bad/mediocre news. You’ll be glad you knew those things though when you do find something.
Great article! I must have read it a few times before buying the PR-4000 with the lat row attachent. I was originally going to buy the titan so I’m so glad I found this article.
What is your opinion on the Rep Iso Arms? I love using power hammers at the gym. I know you can simulate many of these exercises but I have seen mixed opinions from people on if it’s the right “leverage” to actually do the same thing as the power hammer machines which leads to people calling them more fad or trendy than good strength training tools.
Many thanks!
Lever arms are fun to have. They have a couple of solid uses, like standing shoulder presses, shrugs, and bench press to some extent, but they will never feel like a Hammer Strength-style machine. Those machines are designed specifically for a certain movement, and everything from the pivot point of the arms to the position of the weights on those arms (some are set away from the actual arms, for instance) to the position of the bench itself is what allows them to be so effective for that particular movement. You cannot mimic these set ups with leverage arms in most cases, so it’ll never be a replacement in that sense.
You can get creative, but the fun in that ends really quick when you realize how much time you spend setting up for some obscure exercise that you could have just done with a bar and been done with 10 minutes ago. They also get in the way a lot, forcing you to dick with them even when you’re not using them.
They can be fun, but they are certainly not necessary and not worthy of an actual recommendation as a strength-training tool unless an injury prohibits barbell use or something.
Thank you for the input!