The Official Power Rack Thread - August 2010 version

[KBKB]

Here is my R3 with the new chin up bars.

Thanks for posting the R3 and pull-up bar photos. Rogue has good photos at their site, but I still appreciate seeing photos from actual owners. (Repped.)

[Jimbo.]

Thanks for posting the R3 and pull-up bar photos. Rogue has good photos at their site, but I still appreciate seeing photos from actual owners. (Repped.)

No problem, I have actually had the cage for a while now. The monkey bar just inspired me to post some pics.

[Wukillabeez78]

TDS 8518 Wide Base Power Rack

I'm liking this rack so far, very sturdy (weighs over 250 lbs) with 2.5" x 2.5" uprights. 33 inches between uprights gives it a nice, large area to workout in. 1.25" knurled pull-up bar in the front with a 2" non-knurled "fat bar" in the rear. I feel it's one of the better choices out there if you want to buy new and have a budget of about $700 or so...

[Iakovos]

Here is my R3 with the new chin up bars. I attached the original to the back so I can still use the fat grip bar, it also adds to the stability of the cage.





I am a big fan of this cage. It is made in the USA, extremely well built, and damn near indestructible. I spent a lot of time researching cages, and in the end decided I wanted something I could be proud of but I did not want to drop 2k plus on it. Rogue is a great company to work with and even though they procrastinated on releasing the multi grip bar, I am very happy with it in the end and will continue to refer business to them. The new bar was $160 shipped to my door. That is another reason i love Rogue, they keep their prices reasonable.

Feel free to ask me any questions, I know this cage has already been discussed quite a bit, so I don't want to rehash it too much.

Looks sweet. With the sumo setup can you deadlift inside the rack or does the barbell hit/scrape the rack like the elite racks?

[ProudMarineDad]

No problem, I have actually had the cage for a while now. The monkey bar just inspired me to post some pics.

Is it attached to plywood or is that something else? If it is plywood, how big a sheet of plywood did you use? That would be the only I could ever get a R3. Was it hard to attach it to the plywood?

[Wukillabeez78]

No problem, I have actually had the cage for a while now. The monkey bar just inspired me to post some pics.

Nice rack Jimbo, what did you end up doing with the TDS 92563 rack you had?

[Jimbo.]

Looks sweet. With the sumo setup can you deadlift inside the rack or does the barbell hit/scrape the rack like the elite racks?

Thanks, I ended up moving the new bar closer to the front of the cage today, it makes more sense to me for there to be some more space between the two.

You can deadlift inside the R3 with no problems, as long as you have 45#s on the bar obviously. But I usually deadlift outside of the cage so I have enough room to use my jack.

Is it attached to plywood or is that something else? If it is plywood, how big a sheet of plywood did you use? That would be the only I could ever get a R3. Was it hard to attach it to the plywood?

Mine is bolted into the concrete floor, I have holes cut out of the mats where the legs go. From what I have read attaching it to plywood is pretty simple though. Rogue has a recommendation somewhere for doing it this way... I think they advise using 4 sheets of plywood if I remember correctly. Its been awhile since I read about it

Nice rack Jimbo, what did you end up doing with the TDS 92563 rack you had?

Thank you. My TDS was sold, but it is still in the family, and I know for a fact it sees regular abuse without any trouble. I like your cage, NYBB may stink at website design and have questionable customer service, but they make a decent cage.

[ProudMarineDad]

Thanks. I wasn't sure from the color of the floor. It will be a while before I upgrade but the R3 is on my wishlist.

[Iakovos]

I may be wrong but I suspect that the r3 is actually stronger than the r4 and r6 owing to its shallower depth. The other two, having longer pins because of the almost 50% greater depth, would presumably bend much easier assuming their pins are the same thickness, which I think they are.

Long story short I think the r3 is the best of the bunch strength-wise.

[jprockjr]

Looks like Rogue will be coming out with a line of 3x3 7 Gauge steel racks with 1″ hardware and laser cut numbers.

Wonder how much these will run for. I just ordered an R6, maybe I should've waited.

[Jimbo.]

I may be wrong but I suspect that the r3 is actually stronger than the r4 and r6 owing to its shallower depth. The other two, having longer pins because of the almost 50% greater depth, would presumably bend much easier assuming their pins are the same thickness, which I think they are.

Long story short I think the r3 is the best of the bunch strength-wise.

Interesting... I don't know, the part that the pins slide into is really strong and heavy, I can't imagine it ever bending, even if it was longer. I think I understand what you are saying though. I do love my R3, I think it is a great cage and it is sturdier than some of the commercial racks I have seen in gyms.

Looks like Rogue will be coming out with a line of 3x3 7 Gauge steel racks with 1″ hardware and laser cut numbers.

Wonder how much these will run for. I just ordered an R6, maybe I should've waited.

Those look awesome, but so does the R6. I am sure you will be more than happy with your decision, that thing looks like a beast. I can't wait to see pics of it

[jormone]

Does the Rogue feel like it would just splay apart if it wasn't bolted down, even with all those pullup bars holding it together?

Or is the bolting requirement mainly because it is a shallow rack?

I'm sure it helps prevent tipping during pullups, and if using bands on presses, but I just noticed that NYBB now has 8516 and 8517 racks that don't look like they have the bolting down requirement. (& have sumo bases w/walk through design)

[Farley1324]

Guys, I don't know why you look any further than this for a cheap, entry level rack:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Power-Rack-N...item3371685de2

[Stlopus10]

Guys, I don't know why you look any further than this for a cheap, entry level rack:

Isn't this the same cage listed on Amazon? It's also shown on the power rack wiki.

It seems like a good deal.

[RandyMcdonald]

Guys, I don't know why you look any further than this for a cheap, entry level rack:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Power-Rack-N...item3371685de2

Are there taxes when you buy this off of ebay or amazon?

[RandyMcdonald]

Looks like Rogue will be coming out with a line of 3x3 7 Gauge steel racks with 1″ hardware and laser cut numbers.

Wonder how much these will run for. I just ordered an R6, maybe I should've waited.

That looks nice. Might have to put that on my short list.

[Jimbo.]

Does the Rogue feel like it would just splay apart if it wasn't bolted down, even with all those pullup bars holding it together?

Or is the bolting requirement mainly because it is a shallow rack?

I'm sure it helps prevent tipping during pullups, and if using bands on presses, but I just noticed that NYBB now has 8516 and 8517 racks that don't look like they have the bolting down requirement. (& have sumo bases w/walk through design)

Good question. The first thing I noticed about the two TDS racks is that they are 33 inches deep though, so that's 9 inches deeper than the Rogue. When I was putting it together it was easy to see how it might tip over after racking a heavy bar too hard, and that would just suck. I don't know about the legs splaying out with the extra cross member though... But if Rogue says bolt it down, I'm gonna bolt it down.

Guys, I don't know why you look any further than this for a cheap, entry level rack:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Power-Rack-N...item3371685de2

I don't think I have seen anyone on here post that they have that cage, it would be good to see a review on it. But the TDS and Powerline cages have been reviewed by quite a few members here, so they are tried and true. Not many people want to be the guinea pig on a low end rack.

[permabear86]

Looks like Rogue will be coming out with a line of 3x3 7 Gauge steel racks with 1″ hardware and laser cut numbers.

Wonder how much these will run for. I just ordered an R6, maybe I should've waited.

Is that 2 inch hole spacing?

[Farley1324]

Are there taxes when you buy this off of ebay or amazon?

Nope.

I don't think I have seen anyone on here post that they have that cage, it would be good to see a review on it. But the TDS and Powerline cages have been reviewed by quite a few members here, so they are tried and true. Not many people want to be the guinea pig on a low end rack.

I have it and have posted about it...in this thread.

Yes, it is. Full size plates are 17-18" in diameter. It is a cheap cage. That's why I ordered one a week ago. I used it for the first time last night. Squat 325x5x5. It worked just fine.

The plate holders are more for weighing the thing down or giving you a place to stack extra weights than they are for convenient plate storage, though.

Here it is in my garage.



And here is a crappy video of me busting my ass on the last set. (shouldn't have been hard, I took too much time off over the holidays)

For $320 this thing kicks ass.


Here is a little heavier set with it:




And bench




Edit: Now that I watch those videos they don't show much since I put the bar back with a lot of control on those sets, but I've slammed the bar home pretty good and it handles it just fine.

I have missed front squats with 315 lbs and the safeties were fine. Haven't missed or bailed on a back squat yet

[Jimbo.]

Nope.



I have it and have posted about it...in this thread.




For $320 this thing kicks ass.

Edit: Now that I watch those videos they don't show much since I put the bar back with a lot of control on those sets, but I've slammed the bar home pretty good and it handles it just fine.

I have missed front squats with 315 lbs and the safeties were fine. Haven't missed or bailed on a back squat yet

Ooops, I remember seeing your post now, I just didn't make the connection

That looks like a good rack, especially at that price, 320 shipped is pretty hard to beat.

[MTII]

This is a collaborative effort from the equipment forum members. The 2008 edition has a lot of broken links and rather than keep that one going we decided to start a new one. First let’s have a few definitions to clear up some confusion.



Squat Stands: These are probably the most useless and unsafe pieces of equipment you can buy. All they are really good for is loading a bar up and having it at chest level to perform certain presses, Olympic lifts and squats. The appeal here is that they are usually a lot cheaper than a cage, but they provide zero safety if you fail on a lift and are really not ideal for home use. I would also include any of those bench press/ squat combo things made by Marcy or Apex in this category. They are cheap and completely unsafe.








Squat Rack: A squat rack is much safer than squat stands and much sturdier. You see these in gyms a lot. The main problem with squat racks is that they typically do not have adjustable spotter arms and are really only good for doing squats, and even then they may not work well for a shorter person. Again, they are not really an ideal choice for home use, as they are really only designed for one exercise.







Half rack: Commercial grade half racks show up a lot in gyms. They are heavy and very sturdy and have adjustable spotter arms that can withstand very heavy weight. They also usually have a chin-up bar and plate storage along the back. The main difference from a power cage/ rack is that they do not offer a fully enclosed area. In the chance that you lose your balance and fall back on a squat or overhead press, there is a possibility that you will miss the spotters and hurt yourself. Again, not a great choice for working out alone, but definitely not a terrible choice as you can use them for exercises other than just squats. There are also half racks made for home use but these generally have pretty small spotter arms and are really unsafe to use for squats. I have also seen these called multi-press racks.



Hammer Strength Half Rack and TDS Multi press rack







Power rack/ power cage: This is the obvious and best choice for working out at home. A power cage should be the center piece of any good gym. They are fully enclosed and offer the most safety for exercises like squats and bench press. I cannot tell you how many times my spotter bars have saved me on a failed set. A good rack should be able to handle close to 1000 lbs on the spotters. There are several different variations of power racks and you can pay anywhere from $300 to upwards of several thousand dollars. Racks have many different options and can often be customized with plate holders, different chin up bars, lat pull downs, and many other attachments. All power racks should come with a chin up bar and at least the option to buy dip handles. They can also be open on the top to allow for overhead movements.

Quoted from Manzooka
"One more thing to look for when shopping for a new rack: hole spacing.

The distance between holes will impact your reach and level of comfort when performing various exercises in a power rack. An inch or so may not make a big difference when setting up for your squat, but it could make a huge difference on your bench."

Hole spacing seems to vary, but most good racks have 2 inch spacing (measured from the center of the holes). Elite FTS offers 1.5 inch and even 1 inch spacing on some of their racks through the bench area, which makes it easier to get full ROM when benching. See post #20 for comparison pics.

Powertec Rack and Magnum Fitness open top rack



For shorter ceilings there are also sumo racks like this one from TDS




Monolift: Not something you will see in a lot of home gyms, as a partner is necessary for safety, but very popular in powerlifting circles. "This specially designed squat stand allows for optimal squat training by taking the walkout way from the lift. You un-rack the weight while your training parter pulls the lever moving the rack hooks forward. The hydraulic lift and lever support stands adjust for all heights and hand positions." from Elite FTS




*If anyone wants me to add something to the first post shoot me a pm, we have a 24 hour edit window.

Now lets see some power racks!

Great article. Power racks are the best by far

[Jimbo.]

Great article. Power racks are the best by far

Thanks man, no need to quote the entire post though lol

[slik]

I have a question. I've been in the iron game a long time. I was recently looking at a power rack on CL and it looked very good with big J hooks and weight horns on the back but it had no horizontal safety racks. Not even holes for them. WHy would a poet rack manufacturer make a rack with no horizontal adjustable bars?

Thx

[Jimbo.]

I have a question. I've been in the iron game a long time. I was recently looking at a power rack on CL and it looked very good with big J hooks and weight horns on the back but it had no horizontal safety racks. Not even holes for them. WHy would a poet rack manufacturer make a rack with no horizontal adjustable bars?

Thx

A power cage with no crash bars is not a power cage. So I have no idea why someone would design such a thing, post a link or pics if you can so we can see what you are talking about.

[nunzo11]

I'm trying to decide on a new rack and was leaning towards a Rogue, I just wish they weren't so expensive on the Canadian site. $150-200 more for the rack is just a killer.

[FastCatChamp]

All right.....Jimbo et al.

Our high school is going to purchase three cages. Money is always an issue.

What three cages should I have them purchase?

The cages will be used by teams at a tiny high school of 170 students.

[permabear86]

All right.....Jimbo et al.

Our high school is going to purchase three cages. Money is always an issue.

What three cages should I have them purchase?

The cages will be used by teams at a tiny high school of 170 students.

I recommend the Rogue R3. IMO its the best mid range cage available.

[KBKB]

Our high school is going to purchase three cages. Money is always an issue.

What three cages should I have them purchase?

The cages will be used by teams at a tiny high school of 170 students.

I think the R3 is a good choice too. You could even use elements of their infinity system to tie them together to give your additional pull up stations. Watch the video below for ideas...

[dumb.bell]

All right.....Jimbo et al.

Our high school is going to purchase three cages. Money is always an issue.

What three cages should I have them purchase?

The cages will be used by teams at a tiny high school of 170 students.

The R3 would be hard to beat at its price range. If you have more money to spend, the R4 is a good choice.

[Jimbo.]

What's the budget for the cages? If it's small then I agree Rogue would probably be the way to go, they will do discounts for several cages but so will most companies... So it really just depends on the budget.