Powertec rack too wide?

[miggys3]

I have been researching power racks for over a month and am strongly leaning towards powertec. The main concern I have but haven't seen much on is wether the width of it causes issues when racking the bar. There doesn't seem to be much room between the bar collars and the catches. Has anyone found this to be an issue? Or is this just normal with most cages?
Another less important question is has anyone used nybb or other brand plate holders for the powertec?

Main reasons I like powertecs rack is value/ bang for the buck and I definitely want a lat attachment and theirs gets good reviews. Also I guess I'm a sucker for good looks because this rack looks sweet!

Any input is appreciated. Thanks

[xephonics]

I have been researching power racks for over a month and am strongly leaning towards powertec. The main concern I have but haven't seen much on is wether the width of it causes issues when racking the bar. There doesn't seem to be much room between the bar collars and the catches. Has anyone found this to be an issue? Or is this just normal with most cages?

Most cages are of similar width, mainly due to huge variances in user hand positioning.

[emp1acur]

I own the Powertec and there is no issue at all with racking the bar. Can't compare to anything else, but it is not something I ever think about when racking. I'm quite happy with the rack. There are others in the same price range to consider, so do your homework and make the right choice for you.

[boxinggsxr]

this is exaactly what i was worried about with the body solid gpr378 vs the power tech what i did was duck tape 4 sticks to the wall with the racks width and height i did red for bodysolid and black for powertec and the extra width from powertec one helped me make my choice but my ceiling is high too so it'll fit...how much you getting yours

[miggys3]

this is exaactly what i was worried about with the body solid gpr378 vs the power tech what i did was duck tape 4 sticks to the wall with the racks width and height i did red for bodysolid and black for powertec and the extra width from powertec one helped me make my choice but my ceiling is high too so it'll fit...how much you getting yours

yeah I've measured my bar and was worried because it only seems to give about an inch of space per side. but I have only seen 1 review with a complaint about the width so I guess i'm worrying about nothing. I have seen powertec online for about $1,000 w/ lat attach. Will probably get it soon, I might just take a drive to the nearest dealer to check one out in person (will call to make sure they have display). About an hour drive but will definitely be worth the peace of mind.

[jtaliani]

yeah I've measured my bar and was worried because it only seems to give about an inch of space per side. but I have only seen 1 review with a complaint about the width so I guess i'm worrying about nothing. I have seen powertec online for about $1,000 w/ lat attach. Will probably get it soon, I might just take a drive to the nearest dealer to check one out in person (will call to make sure they have display). About an hour drive but will definitely be worth the peace of mind.

Not directly answering your question, but if you are spending close to $1k, I would strongly encourage you to consider other racks too. There is nothing wrong with the Powertech, but you can get a lot more rack for your your money in that price range IMO. (Sorinex Dark Horse, Promaxima, Edge Fitness Systems, Rogue, etc) You will likely sacrifice the lat pulldown, but should be able to find a comparable standalone unit for ~$100 on Craigslist. You'll also have the option of gaining built in weight storage.

[miggys3]

Not directly answering your question, but if you are spending close to $1k, I would strongly encourage you to consider other racks too. There is nothing wrong with the Powertech, but you can get a lot more rack for your your money in that price range IMO. (Sorinex Dark Horse, Promaxima, Edge Fitness Systems, Rogue, etc) You will likely sacrifice the lat pulldown, but should be able to find a comparable standalone unit for ~$100 on Craigslist. You'll also have the option of gaining built in weight storage.

Yeah if I were to go without a lat attatchment I would definitely go with the Sorinex Dark Horse, I really like that rack and the weight storage would be very nice. Seems like its also not as wide as the powertec. The thing is I have been away from the gym and working out at home for about 2 years now and the 2 things I miss the most are the lat pulldown(I love it for tricep exercises) and the handful of hot chicks (think they were more of a distraction though since I have been getting better results at home).

As for Craigslist everytime I check them out for any gym equipment all I see is rusty old plates and all in one type of gym set ups like bowflex. Plus it would get pretty crowded in my man cave/ gym if I were to get a stand alone unit. But sorinex sure is nice..... decisions decisions.

[Accutron]

no issue at all, absolutely no chance of not being able to rack the bar or anything like that.

That said, I have an R3 (used to have a ptec for several years) and I did notice that the R3 is less wide...r3 and ptec have different safeties too.

[miggys3]

no issue at all, absolutely no chance of not being able to rack the bar or anything like that.

That said, I have an R3 (used to have a ptec for several years) and I did notice that the R3 is less wide...r3 and ptec have different safeties too.

Thanks for the info, great to hear from someone who has experience with different rack widths. Do you prefer a wider rack or does it not make a difference to you?

[miggys3]

I finally got to drive to my nearest ptec dealer who had the rack w/ the lat on display. I had started this post but had not had the chance to drive out and try it. Finally did and am glad I did. Below is my "cut n paste" post from another thread. Just thought this might help someone. As far as the width of the rack which is the main reason I started this thread I would prefer a rack not as wide as the ptec. U get very little room between the spotters and the bar collars/ plate stoppers. I never hold the bar way wide when benching or squatting so don't need the rack this wide. But when I re-rack after squats sometimes i am off by an inch or two on one side so I would rather have a rack not this wide. (Sorinex dark horse isn't as wide, one of the reasons I like that rack)

"Cut n paste" post I did on ptec rack review thread.
I have been looking for a power rack for a few months now (reading up as much as possible, watching vids, ect..) and thought I had pretty much decided on the powertec rack, the main competitor to this was the bodycraft rack. One of the main reasons I liked these racks was the lat option. (currently don't have the space for a stand alone lat machine.)
Its been about 2 years since I had a gym memebership and the main thing I miss from the gym compared to my set up at home is the lat pull down machine. I just couldn't pull the trigger on either of these racks with the lat option without trying them out before spending 1k. So after all this time reading and so I decided that it would be worth taking an hour and a half drive to my nearest powertec dealer who had this rack on their showroom along with the lat option.

My initial impressions based on about 30-45 minutes of messing with it. I liked the rack, disliked the lat option. I tried the rack with and without the lat.

I'm 5'10.5" tall and 190 pounds.
The rack felt very sturdy with and w/out the lat option. I used both the dip bars and pull up bars and did not feel that the rack wobbled. With that said i'm not one that does these exercises with momentum so that might make a difference. I didn't think of doing them in this way as it is not how I would do them. I really like the dip bars, they feel very beefy. To my surprise I also liked the pull up bars, they felt real good on my wrists. It seems like this is peoples main complaint but I liked the bars more so than a straight bar. They too felt really strong.

The square safeties/ spotters are very beefy as well, have a strong feel to them, but one did seem to slide on easier than the other. Almost like one was a little longer so you had to push on it a little to get it set in, it would rub on the post is how you can think of it. (I had read that things don't always seem to fit perfectly w/ this rack). This is where I noticed how easily the paint scratches. It seems like its pretty cheaply painted, not a big issue to me but one thing to take note of. Also I did not have any issue finding the holes, some have complained about how its difficult to align them, I don't think so. It takes a few seconds.

Now the lat option. It felt ok with lighter weight, but I felt some friction with over 100 lbs. This was with plates not the weight stack, not sure if that would make a difference. The rack did not wobble but it just didn't feel that smooth. Maybe I'm just comparing to gym equipment but I was disappointed. It felt pretty good with lower weight so it would still be nice for tricep push downs.
Another thing I didn't like was that I had to sit back further on the bench to get a full stretch, which makes the leg holder not feel as good. Leg holder also felt like it could be a little wider, it just didn't feel right. Maybe on a shorter bench it would work better, I tried 2 benches and had issues with both. One bench definitely would not work for incline with the lat option, the other would be better. Many posts on this issue. Overall I would use the lat option if I had it, but I wouldn't pay for it.
So overall I liked the rack, and it would work/ handle my needs, but now that I know the lat will not satisfy my needs I'm not sure I will buy this rack. The bodycraft is a little shorter so I can't imagine getting a better stretch on that set up. With the amount I was going to spend I am now leaning more and more toward the sorinex dark horse, basically same footprint with plate holder option vs powertec with lat option.

Sorry if I bored anyone with this long post but i'm sure many are in the same boat as I am. It's hard to shell out $1k without trying something first. I'm glad I took that drive and recommend anyone else to do so as well before paying for the lat option.

Still highly recommended for anyone in need of a rack w/out the lat option in the $500-$600 range.