Custom made power rack! First time

[AFC96]

Made from 5x5 hollow steel. Its in Centimeter.





What do you guys think?

Can hold at least 450lbs.

still looking for the bar.. should i get a $700 powerlifting bar that has 500kg rating(which i dont have any idea wth its suppose to mean) or a standard $200-300 olympic bar?

[keyboardworkout]

How do you unrack a squat or bench press with the rear crossmember like that?

[markewallace]

Agree with the prior question. I wouldn't want the rear crossmember.

As for the bar....get a bar that suits your needs. What are those needs?

- Mark

[Cleveland33]

squat off the fronts and maybe it doesn't interfere with his particular bench.

[markewallace]

squat off the fronts and maybe it doesn't interfere with his particular bench.

Yeah, might not interfere with the bench. Fair point.

Squatting off the fronts means either outside the rack (kinda killing the purpose of the rack), or inside the rack facing out. That's definitely doable, but I would just personally feel silly walking into my rack and then turning around to squat. That's just a personal thing though. It would work fine.

- Mark

[Cleveland33]

Yeah, might not interfere with the bench. Fair point.

Squatting off the fronts means either outside the rack (kinda killing the purpose of the rack), or inside the rack facing out. That's definitely doable, but I would just personally feel silly walking into my rack and then turning around to squat. That's just a personal thing though. It would work fine.

- Mark

I squat facing out quite a bit - it started in HS and not liking the mirror. But I also like stepping forward instead of back (I can use my rear uprights cause my cross member is offset).

[TheScrawnyDude]

I squat facing out quite a bit - it started in HS and not liking the mirror. But I also like stepping forward instead of back (I can use my rear uprights cause my cross member is offset).

Doesn't that make the re-racking a lot more interesting? You are having to step back at some point, and I'd rather see the racking points than not.....

[markewallace]

I squat facing out quite a bit - it started in HS and not liking the mirror. But I also like stepping forward instead of back (I can use my rear uprights cause my cross member is offset).

Yep. Totally a personal preference thing. I prefer to just walk in, unrack, and back out.

- Mark

[Keetman]

Doesn't that make the re-racking a lot more interesting? You are having to step back at some point, and I'd rather see the racking points than not.....

I agree with the point here, but I also squat off the front uprights exclusively. I don't have a mirror and I wouldn't need one anyway, so squating off the front makes sense and is the most comfortable. I don't know if I do it consciously or not, but maybe seeing the whole room and being able to focus on something farther away makes the motion better for me. I don't think I walk in and turn around though, although I don't know why that would be an issue. I just back into the bar and put my neck to the bar.... my head and neck never go "inside" the cage.

I have a walk through cage, so I could do it off the back, I just don't want to. Squatting from the front seems much more intuitive to me. The OP could easily do the same with no issues unless he wants to use a mirror...although at this point I would think that the mirror would take second priority to the problem with stepping up to that crossmember.

I don't remember where I read it, probably SS, but it's supposed to be safer to rack the bar forward after you're done with a squat. I like being able to see the hooks and not guess on where I'm at in space...then, especially if I'm at all tired, I slam the bar against the uprights well above the hooks and let it come down to them. This would be more problematic if I was stepping backward and didn't have a clear visual on the hooks.

[aclockworkoi]

looks like his jcups are on the inside of the front safeties. however, are those safeties welded in place? can't tell

[Northernmoris]

looks like his jcups are on the inside of the front safeties. however, are those safeties welded in place? can't tell

Odd picture angles.

[Bench905]

Couldn't you rotate the pictures before posting them? I don't even know what's going on.

[Porphyry]

The rear crossmember is elevated. The OP shouldn't have a problem squatting off it - your feet just go under it. My rack has the same layout and I have no issues with benching or squatting, though I do currently squat from the fronts for non-rack related reasons.

I have a used a power rack with a non-elevated rear crossmember, and that sucked.


OP:

There are a lot of good bars in the $200-300 range whereas $700 seems like a lot of money for a "powerlifting bar", especially one that uses kg as a specification.... Can you be more specific about what sort of bar it is?

[Xone]

Yeah, might not interfere with the bench. Fair point.

Squatting off the fronts means either outside the rack (kinda killing the purpose of the rack), or inside the rack facing out. That's definitely doable, but I would just personally feel silly walking into my rack and then turning around to squat. That's just a personal thing though. It would work fine.

- Mark

Squatting out is the best so you're not staring at a wall.

[markewallace]

Squatting out is the best so you're not staring at a wall.

Diff strokes, diff folks. I prefer to keep my eyes on a spot on the wall instead of out into open space.

- Mark

[urbanlifter]

I squat towards the wall/mirror, keeps me honest and I find it's easier to hit the same depth consistently. I know exactly how far down my head should appear in the mirror when my squat is at parraell LOL. Funny, but it works.

[AFC96]

looks like his jcups are on the inside of the front safeties. however, are those safeties welded in place? can't tell

No its not welded in place.

Couldn't you rotate the pictures before posting them? I don't even know what's going on.

Sorry bro.. was in a hurry.

[AFC96]

Thanks for theinput guys.. this is my first time making something lol.. Ill try better next time..

That crossmember thing didn't cross my mind until you guys mentioned it, but i dont see it a problem though. Like some said, i can just turn around to squat. Lol

The budget for this is less than $150.

[Synthetickiller]

Odd picture angles.

Couldn't you rotate the pictures before posting them? I don't even know what's going on.

I have no clue what's going on either.

OP, 5cm x 5cm. So 2" pipe, more or less. What gauge? Only 450 lbs (205kg)? 16g or 18g pipe?

Squatting out is the best so you're not staring at a wall.

Why not paint a pretty picture, so you can stare at that.

I understand not wanting to look at a mirror (movement can make you involuntarily move or lose focus), but what's wrong with a wall. If anything, draw a dot or something to give you a location to look for so you keep your head in the right position.

I used to have a window facing my backyard that I faced when squatting. I could not tell you what was going on outside. Everything not in my immediate realm of lifting was irrelevant & didn't trigger a response. Change your training outlook, not what you happen to gaze upon.

[Xone]

Guess it's just preference ad what I've gotten used to. I would rather look at a spot on the floor further out or spot on a more distant wall than a spot on the wall 4' away- feel less closed in and more focused, and seems closer to the setting of a meet where the platform is looking out into the room.

[aclockworkoi]

Just to derail this more. I squat towards a garage door that can be open or closed most times of the year. Used to squat towards a shelf. Really doesn't matter what I look at.

[maltralson]

Just to derail this more. I squat towards a garage door that can be open or closed most times of the year. Used to squat towards a shelf. Really doesn't matter what I look at.

Derail even further, if you have a walk through rack with no weight storage, how do you know if you're squatting off the front or back......

To be serious op cut that cross membed off and bolt it to the floor.

[AFC96]

Derail even further, if you have a walk through rack with no weight storage, how do you know if you're squatting off the front or back......

To be serious op cut that cross membed off and bolt it to the floor.

Alright thanks for the input.. Will it be as strong? Sorry really newb at constructing this or physics.

[weisgarb]

Alright thanks for the input.. Will it be as strong? Sorry really newb at constructing this or physics.

Unless it gets in your way and bothers you, I'd leave it alone.

[boxertim]

I think it looks real nice. Well done. Use it for a bit and then modify it as you see fit

Tim

[markewallace]

Guess it's just preference ad what I've gotten used to. I would rather look at a spot on the floor further out or spot on a more distant wall than a spot on the wall 4' away- feel less closed in and more focused, and seems closer to the setting of a meet where the platform is looking out into the room.

Yep. Totally a matter of preference. That closed-in feeling that you avoid in order to be more focused is the very thing that gives me focus.

- Mark

[AFC96]

Unless it gets in your way and bothers you, I'd leave it alone.

Alright then, ill try it out first and see how it goes.

I think it looks real nice. Well done. Use it for a bit and then modify it as you see fit

Tim

Thanks man, its my first type building anything TBH. I haven't tried it yet as i have no barbell+plates yet.


The only problem i have now is, one of the legs are uneven just by a tiny bit. not sure why... Going to fix that first..

[Porphyry]

Alright thanks for the input.. Will it be as strong? Sorry really newb at constructing this or physics.

I think it looks pretty good. It definitely won't be as strong without the crossmember which is why you'd have to bolt it to the floor. I agree with Weisgarb - just leave it and see how you go. It never bothers me. You may want to bolt it to the floor anyway - without plate storage you might find yourself shifting the whole rack with a hard re-rack.

If you do decide to cut it out you might experience some side to side sway/spreading - angled corner brackets at the top might help.

The only problem i have now is, one of the legs are uneven just by a tiny bit. not sure why... Going to fix that first..

The legs might be even - it could be your floor that's not level. If this is the case then you might have to shim it.

[AFC96]

The legs might be even - it could be your floor that's not level. If this is the case then you might have to shim it.

MIND = BLOWN booooom.

seems like that didn't come to my mind.. Having brain fogs lol.