The Official Power Rack Thread - August 2010 version

[BlackJack1177]

ive had around 420 on the parabody 843 and did not feel concerned. hopefully someone who has one now can give you dimensions. one thing to think about is that parabody is no longer around that rack uses pin loaded hooks and safeties, thus it has small holes for the pins. aftermarket attachments, therefore, don't usually work out. finding replacements if they go bad could be difficult. just something to think about.

as far as the weight limit, ive never seen anything official, but I was just as comfortable on that rack as racks like powertec that have pretty high limits.

Awesome, thank you. Did you have the Lat attachment and load it up as well? I also noticed that there appears to be two fixed hooks on the inside of the front uprights. I assume those are for squats? I'm curious why they're fixed as some may not appreciate it. If they are for squats I assume they'll take the same load, etc. If they're not for squats, then what are they used for?

Thanks again!

[dskoo65]

Awesome, thank you. Did you have the Lat attachment and load it up as well? I also noticed that there appears to be two fixed hooks on the inside of the front uprights. I assume those are for squats? I'm curious why they're fixed as some may not appreciate it. If they are for squats I assume they'll take the same load, etc. If they're not for squats, then what are they used for?

Thanks again!

I never had the lat attachment, so I did squats off the back. with the lat attachment you would most likely have to use those front hooks.

[irongrandpa]

I had the lat attachment and it was no problem doing squats or any bench work off of the the back hooks. I only used the welded hooks on the inside of the front uprights for overhead presses, they were too high for squats at my height. my safeties also had a welded hook on the outside of the front rack to do work out of the rack, it's height adjustment was limited a little because the safeties would only go as high as the inside welded hook.

[BlackJack1177]

Awesome, thank you again guys! I'm just trying to figure out the limitations, mostly because the safeties are wraparound and I can't move them to different posts, etc.

@irongrandpa -> Could I ask you to ballpark what kind of weight you were able to throw on the lat attachment?

Again ty!

[Jboy2007]

super frustrated and tired of looking for power racks
it seems like everyone thats selling one either wants wayyy more than theyre worth or just doesnt respond

[GreatDutchHope]

super frustrated and tired of looking for power racks
it seems like everyone thats selling one either wants wayyy more than theyre worth or just doesnt respond

If EVERYONE sells them for more than they are worth, they are probably worth more than you think.

[Jboy2007]

If EVERYONE sells them for more than they are worth, they are probably worth more than you think.

LOL touche

heres a couple examples
parabody power rack $850.
Body Solid $500

they must be worth more than amazon thinks too

on a plus i did find a cybex for 500 obo

[DamonB82]

LOL touche

heres a couple examples
parabody power rack $850.
Body Solid $500

they must be worth more than amazon thinks too

on a plus i did find a cybex for 500 obo

Now was that the price for those racks alone? Or were there weights, benches, wives, etc?

[irongrandpa]

BlackJack, I don't have that rack anymore and I never used more than 200 -250 on the lat attachment. But if I remember correctly it would hold at least three plates on each side .

[Jboy2007]

Now was that the price for those racks alone? Or were there weights, benches, wives, etc?

lol
racks only.

The guy with the parabody said they came with weights in the ad, but when i contacted him he said rack only.

[sgman]

Blackjack

I measured my Parabody at about an inch shorter to the top of the crossbar with a footprint of about 48"x52" nominally. Just for fun, I put 465lbs on a bar on the J-hooks and hung my ~200lbs and knocked out a few pull-ups. Minimal sway, hooks looked rock solid. I bet my cheap bar would fail before my rack. I think I read that Powertec is rated at 600lbs and both are 12g steel, that's probably a good place to start.

Jboy

If you live anywhere near the greater Philadelphia area, I'd sell my parabody for half that. I'd let you have it for 300$ if you'd take the wife off my hands too...

[BlackJack1177]

LMAO!! Ty Iron and sgman very much. I really appreciate it! That's actually around the price I'm looking at for one here. Maybe if she hung on to the weight horns I'd save on plates. Might need an adapter. Seriously though thank you for measuring and the load test!!!

I've been trying to rep like crazy but it appears I'm too "new" to deal out real reps. There's only so many LOL's I can slap on random threads....

e.g.

Dude: "I broke my arm"
Blackjack1177: "LOL!"

[Jboy2007]

Blackjack

I measured my Parabody at about an inch shorter to the top of the crossbar with a footprint of about 48"x52" nominally. Just for fun, I put 465lbs on a bar on the J-hooks and hung my ~200lbs and knocked out a few pull-ups. Minimal sway, hooks looked rock solid. I bet my cheap bar would fail before my rack. I think I read that Powertec is rated at 600lbs and both are 12g steel, that's probably a good place to start.

Jboy

If you live anywhere near the greater Philadelphia area, I'd sell my parabody for half that. I'd let you have it for 300$ if you'd take the wife off my hands too...

LOL wives outweigh the savings in the long run

I ended up getting an Icarian for $300 today. The frustration is over!

[RemainDieHard]

LOL wives outweigh the savings in the long run

I ended up getting an Icarian for $300 today. The frustration is over!

I've never seen an Icarian rack. Pics?

[Jboy2007]

this thing is sturdy and heavy as fawk.

[obey46]

Is that the one from Phil?

[Jboy2007]

Is that the one from Phil?

No idea, some guy in oxnard

[BlackJack1177]

Hey peeps, just a quick update. I ended up getting that Parabody 843 with the lat/low attachment for about $300. It didn't have the dip bars but I think it was a good deal. So far it feels rock solid and I love it. I really appreciate the insight, comparisons, load tests and other info. I was a little worried about pop-pin style safeties but it's incredibly stable. It's not as deep as I would have originally liked but it's far more than I believe one should ever need. The Lat attachment doesn't get in the way as it's set far enough back, as well as the cross member. I can do a decent incline press and certainly squat without their interference. Like you all said before you can mil-press on the outside or even just probably load off the safeties and stay in the cage (not sure how much of a no-no that is). Please correct me if I'm wrong or being daft but I'm really happy with it so far...

Oh and despite not having any plate storage I just ran down to Dicks and bought their oly plate tree. For $60 ($20 more than the amazon CAPS tree) it's actually pretty good for it's capacity and post layout/lengths.

Again thanks for all the input and help!

[Stasher1]

Hey peeps, just a quick update. I ended up getting that Parabody 843 with the lat/low attachment for about $300. It didn't have the dip bars but I think it was a good deal. So far it feels rock solid and I love it. I really appreciate the insight, comparisons, load tests and other info. I was a little worried about pop-pin style safeties but it's incredibly stable. It's not as deep as I would have originally liked but it's far more than I believe one should ever need. The Lat attachment doesn't get in the way as it's set far enough back, as well as the cross member. I can do a decent incline press and certainly squat without their interference. Like you all said before you can mil-press on the outside or even just probably load off the safeties and stay in the cage (not sure how much of a no-no that is). Please correct me if I'm wrong or being daft but I'm really happy with it so far...

Oh and despite not having any plate storage I just ran down to Dicks and bought their oly plate tree. For $60 ($20 more than the amazon CAPS tree) it's actually pretty good for it's capacity and post layout/lengths.

Again thanks for all the input and help!

The outside bar hooks are great for laying triceps extensions outside the rack. They'll allow you to rack the bar just like you're bench pressing. I really miss that feature and will probably wind up building something so I can do the same with my current rack.

[BlackJack1177]

The outside bar hooks are great for laying triceps extensions outside the rack. They'll allow you to rack the bar just like you're bench pressing. I really miss that feature and will probably wind up building something so I can do the same with my current rack.

I didn't even think of that.... that's awesome! I've only just begun moving around on it for 3 workouts and getting used to it. I guess my only fear is that if somethign does break or need replacement (although at that point....) it would be hard to find a part as one person previously mentioned. However they're 5/8" hole slots and I'd guess there'd have to be something out there.... Honestly no complaints, and for the money I'm counting it as a win.

[Stasher1]

I didn't even think of that.... that's awesome! I've only just begun moving around on it for 3 workouts and getting used to it. I guess my only fear is that if somethign does break or need replacement (although at that point....) it would be hard to find a part as one person previously mentioned. However they're 5/8" hole slots and I'd guess there'd have to be something out there.... Honestly no complaints, and for the money I'm counting it as a win.

Wish I could take credit for it, but it wasn't my idea. It really is a cool feature, though, and it'll give you a good reason to invest in (or build) a rackable curl bar.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=150291813

[sgman]

"Like you all said before you can mil-press on the outside or even just probably load off the safeties and stay in the cage (not sure how much of a no-no that is)."

I typically overhead press from inside the cage, seated on a bench, from the hooks. Sometimes I move the safties up and do some top-half lock outs from the safties. I have strips of 3/4 horse stall rubber electric taped down on top to cut down on some of the noise and potential damage.

[BlackJack1177]

I typically overhead press from inside the cage, seated on a bench, from the hooks. Sometimes I move the safties up and do some top-half lock outs from the safties. I have strips of 3/4 horse stall rubber electric taped down on top to cut down on some of the noise and potential damage.

That's a good idea, I like the horsetail mats. I may have some furnishings to do as those are bare but I also want to try out the 2-barbell thing where you use them as dip bars. There are pre-drilled holes for the mfg dip bars but those are hard to find I hear. I may just go for an add-on dip but trying to be a little creative. The hardest part right now is keeping my mind on actually lifting instead of building it out, lol. The PB843 also has fairly high fixed hooks in the front and since I can't mil-press inside on my bench from the rear hooks (crossbar...), I will have to do something like you said. I do like the noise dampening thought too because my 2yr old and 4yr old sleep above my workout area in the basement and I sound like I'm manufacturing cars down there at times. Don't read into that....

[bas0912]

Guys help me decide on which rack I should upgrade to. Currently I have the fitness gear half rack and I have to say I dont feel the safest doing some of my lifts in it. I'm deciding between these two.
first of we have the legend fitness half cage #3142 I can get it for 550$ and its about a 4 hour drive away from where I live. I know legend fitness makes great products

The second rack is the magnus varsity multi rack. I can get it for around the same price and its only a four hour drive away from me. It looks a little beefier but it dosent have the band peg attachements but it has a place for bar storage and spotter stands. The only problem I see with it is that I do not know if I can deadlift in it since the lower supports might be in the way


I know both of these rack are nice but not sure if one would be the better choice over the other. If yall have any info that might be helpful or any experience using any of these rack let me know!

[BlackJack1177]

- Legend vs. Magnum -

I'm obviously not a pro with this but I'm fresh off the research run.... The legend brand looked to be just as good as Rogue equipment for the most part with regard to quality and what it could take in load and features. It always seemed to me that one thing was always missing from one or the other.

Personally I like the magnus one you listed as it provides 4-post safety which is why I went from a squat stand to a full cage. Band pegs and plate storage became secondary to me but that's your call. The Fitness Gear oly weight tree was only $60 and it would hold relatively ton of weights from what I can already put on it. Max load is 180lbs per post x6 posts. Unless you are using bumpers perhaps...

Anyway I guess what I had to do was figure out what I NEEDED vs. what I WANTED, which sounds to me like you want more safety getting out of that FG half-rack. Oddly enough I was at Dicks originally and thought about bolting the Half-Rack to the Full rack, LOL.... The 16ga steel is what turned me away but it was a fun thought.

Again, there's much better experience on this site but that's just what I went through for the last 2 months and most of what I said came from other talent here. I have a talent for talking too much but I'll shorten it to this:

In which one would you want to fall over or have a serious "fail" moment?

This is why I fill my entire basement waist-high with marshmallows before every leg day. You can't be too careful

[cmarti063]

Guys help me decide on which rack I should upgrade to. Currently I have the fitness gear half rack and I have to say I dont feel the safest doing some of my lifts in it. I'm deciding between these two.
first of we have the legend fitness half cage #3142 I can get it for 550$ and its about a 4 hour drive away from where I live. I know legend fitness makes great products

The second rack is the magnus varsity multi rack. I can get it for around the same price and its only a four hour drive away from me. It looks a little beefier but it dosent have the band peg attachements but it has a place for bar storage and spotter stands. The only problem I see with it is that I do not know if I can deadlift in it since the lower supports might be in the way


I know both of these rack are nice but not sure if one would be the better choice over the other. If yall have any info that might be helpful or any experience using any of these rack let me know!

I'd get the multi-rack, hands down.

[RemainDieHard]

Guys help me decide on which rack I should upgrade to. Currently I have the fitness gear half rack and I have to say I dont feel the safest doing some of my lifts in it. I'm deciding between these two.
first of we have the legend fitness half cage #3142 I can get it for 550$ and its about a 4 hour drive away from where I live. I know legend fitness makes great products

The second rack is the magnus varsity multi rack. I can get it for around the same price and its only a four hour drive away from me. It looks a little beefier but it dosent have the band peg attachements but it has a place for bar storage and spotter stands. The only problem I see with it is that I do not know if I can deadlift in it since the lower supports might be in the way


I know both of these rack are nice but not sure if one would be the better choice over the other. If yall have any info that might be helpful or any experience using any of these rack let me know!

Magnum without a doubt. Looks like they accidentally bolted the upper pullup bar 180 flipped. Those drop in styles are so easy to adjust.

Your comment about the lower supports.... that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's like having a built in deadlift jack. My rack is similar and I believe the lower supports put a 45# plate around 1" off the ground.

[Stasher1]

I'd get the multi-rack, hands down.

I agree. As far as the lack of band pegs goes...couldn't you wrap the bands around those lower supports you're so worried about?

[bas0912]

I'd get the multi-rack, hands down.

Magnum without a doubt. Looks like they accidentally bolted the upper pullup bar 180 flipped. Those drop in styles are so easy to adjust.

Your comment about the lower supports.... that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's like having a built in deadlift jack. My rack is similar and I believe the lower supports put a 45# plate around 1" off the ground.

I agree. As far as the lack of band pegs goes...couldn't you wrap the bands around those lower supports you're so worried about?

Thanks for the help. I definitely going to go with the Magnum rack and hopefully can get it this friday. I didnt think about wrapping the bands on the lower supports that's a pretty good idea. Thanks for all the insight guys!

[RemainDieHard]

Thanks for the help. I definitely going to go with the Magnum rack and hopefully can get it this friday. I didnt think about wrapping the bands on the lower supports that's a pretty good idea. Thanks for all the insight guys!

Hard to tell but it kinda looks like there is some sort of long rod added at the bottom for bands? I googled a pic of new one and it does not have anything.