I'm 6'4" and looking to purchase a rack for a home gym set up. It has to have an upper lower lat attachment, preferably with a selectable weight stack. During my research one of the things I did was run up to dicks sporting to see what they had. During a bench press rack my elbows would come within a half to quarter inch if the safety arms, (or come down on top of them if I was even a little off dead center) and my forearms would catch on them depending on how wide my grip was.
The rack at the store was 46 in wide with a 2x2 frame, so this tells me I need something wider but the collars on the typical barbell are 51 1/2 in or so. I'm looking at the TDS racks but can only find their footprint, not the inside dimensions. While searching here I think someone posted that they are 49.5 wide but Im not sure. I also see the f430 rack is 50in wide. Do any tall people have any input about using a rack and their arms bumping the safeties, or which rack works for them?
Thanks.
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Thread: Tall people rack
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02-22-2012, 08:22 AM #1
Tall people rack
Last edited by PoppinJJ; 02-22-2012 at 11:42 AM.
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02-22-2012, 09:32 AM #2
This is off the top of my head but I can double check tonight.
I think my Hoist power rack is 43" between safeties. It uses a rifle rack instead of J-cups which does allow for a little bit wider grip for squatting. I have never hit my elbows while benching. Although, I use powerlifting form and tuck my elbows. I think my reach is about 80".▪█─────█▪ Equipment Crew #53 ▪█─────█▪
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02-22-2012, 10:42 AM #3
Sorry, I don't know the dimensions of my TDS rack off the top of my head. But I'm 6'3" and it works well for me.
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02-22-2012, 11:38 AM #4
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02-22-2012, 12:12 PM #5
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02-22-2012, 01:53 PM #6
Start here.
http://youtu.be/byOk4OE_6uI▪█─────█▪ Equipment Crew #53 ▪█─────█▪
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02-22-2012, 05:34 PM #7
Thanks for the reply's guys, Im waiting on a response from NYBB about the size of their rack.
keyboardworkout - Wow, you're 6"6' and don't have any problem benching inside a 43 in rack? I think the one at the store that didn't fit me was a Marcy 3800 which has 42in between the uprights.
Swimmer - You are pretty much my size so if it works well for you I suppose it will work for me. Im 6"4 180. How much clearance would you say there is while your arms are at a 90 while bench pressing. Since your elbows will be well below the safety bars and your forearms will be perpendicular to them. Have you ever hit you elbow on them?
donforeman - Unfortunately no I live in TX, but that's a good point, if it works for people 7ft plus then I'm sure it would work for me. I guess Ill just chalk it up to the cheap unit at dicks and that most other stuff will fit me. I just dont want to drop a grand only to find out I have to sit sideways in the cage to avoid my elbows hitting the safety. Im new to cages as Ive always had a lifting buddy to spot me, not a cage.
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02-22-2012, 05:46 PM #8
Just measured my rack and it is just under 44" between the safeties. There is 47.5" inches between the gun racks (they are mounted on the outside of the posts). However, you can pinch your fingers against the post if you have a really wide grip as you rack the bar after squatting. 43.5" is really the widest grip you can take.
Benching with your elbows flared puts all kinds of stress on your shoulders. It's not something you should be doing.
Unless your reach is like 84+ inches, you shouldn't have a problem using a 43" rack.▪█─────█▪ Equipment Crew #53 ▪█─────█▪
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02-23-2012, 03:20 AM #9
I have this rack and it's 45.5" between the safeties. I'm 6'4" and have never ever hit my elbows on the safeties. Sabres or rod safeties will give you a little more clearance than square tubing, since the diameter is less.
http://www.deltechfitness.com/df820.htm
I hate to break it to you, but unless you go commercial duty, most racks are made for regular height people, not us tall mofos.
*tall guy porn*
Welding is one of my hobbies. Check out what I did to my rack. I can do standing military presses in the rack, more comfortable pullups, and my bar storage is high enough I can walk around the rack without bangin' my head on the bars. This rack is now perfect for my needs.
Last edited by Skidmarx; 02-23-2012 at 03:37 AM.
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02-23-2012, 04:25 AM #10
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02-23-2012, 06:22 AM #11
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[QUOTE=PoppinJJ;836559071] Swimmer - You are pretty much my size so if it works well for you I suppose it will work for me. Im 6"4 180. How much clearance would you say there is while your arms are at a 90 while bench pressing. Since your elbows will be well below the safety bars and your forearms will be perpendicular to them. Have you ever hit you elbow on them?QUOTE]
Before worrying about the proper size rack, you should think about your technique. Keeping you arms at a 90 degree angle from your body is not a proper technique, you are losing power and strength which translates to muscle growth. Either find someone that can show you the proper technique, or get a copy of Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe for a description. This book will also help your other lifts and teach you how to put on muscle. You will find power racks fitting you better afterwards.
Good luck.Last edited by twodog; 02-23-2012 at 06:27 AM.
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02-23-2012, 06:51 AM #12
I have a standard run of the mill power rack that works for me just fine and I'm 6'4 almost 220.
It even has a straight pullup bar in the front, I regularly do weighted pullups and use my rogue gymnastic rings even at my height. (Just bend the knees)
Unless it's an issue with height of rack to the height of the ceiling which can happen in certain basements,
I wouldn't see this as such a big deal
On a side note, that's awesome what Skidmarx did with his rack, have never seen anything like it.[]---[] Equipment Crew #78 []---[]
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02-23-2012, 07:39 AM #13
Took some more measurements. While lying on the bench with one elbow against one safety, the other elbow has about an inch before it will touch the other safety. There is just under 44" between the two safeties. My reach (wing span) is 81.5".
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02-23-2012, 09:09 AM #14
Most racks will be within the same range of 44-45" roughly between safeties, more if they use sabers or gun racks. This is due to the fact that all racks need to accomodate the inside collar space of the olympic bar and be wide enough to maintain balanced when the bar is unevenly loaded.
It seems like, unless I am misreading the situation, that you experienced these brushes with the safeties while pressing only while at Dick's. Unless they offer different models, I would assume that you tested out their Proviction/Protocol house brand rack. If so, their safeties rest against the inside of the upright and cut into the overall inside room of the rack. Most racks design their safeties to be contained within the uprights, either the block/quick release safeties, or the saber/pin type.
I would heed the advice of your fellow giants, and not be too concerned about any of the racks you may choose, unless you do go with the Proviction/Protocol rack from Dick's. Just make sure that you are being safe, both your form and using proper equipment.
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02-23-2012, 01:55 PM #15
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You really need to look at your bench technique, regardless of rack size. From your description of what happened I would say you are pushing your elbows directly out to the sides when you bench otherwise they would not be the first things to contact the rack.
Take a look at this pay special attention to the part around 2:45:
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02-23-2012, 06:53 PM #16
Thanks for the reply's guys.
Im really not to worried about my form as I don't flare my elbows out to a 90, I know how terrible it is for your shoulders, but that was a pretty cool video. I have only experienced this issue at Dicks using their Marcy Pro rack but it never even dawned on me that it could be an issue. I just threw a bar without weights on it to see how it looked/felt and noticed how close my elbows were getting, and that if I had a wide enough grip the bar would pinch my hands when it rested on the safety. Perhaps I noticed this and flared out my elbows to check out clearance because I was surprised that it was even an issue. Im not even sure now. Its never been an issue in the gym but I dont normally use a rack.
After reading through all this it seems that Im worrying about nothing. None of you seem to have any trouble and some of yall are even taller than me. Im still going to aim for one that is closer to 50 in wide that 46 as most of the racks Ive been looking at fall between these measurements.
Nice work on the rack Skidmarx, wish I knew how to weld.
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