Northern Lights 72" Cross Box Squat Stand

[JeffUP]

Hi All

I am considering purchasing the Northern Lights 72" Cross Box Squat Stand with Safety spotters. (NOT the iron factory version). (I would include a link but haven't posted enough yet.) I am considering this unit over the full cage version of the Cross Box primarily due to the amount of space I have to work with.

I have seen some reviews on this forum about the unit, however they are rather old posts and so I am creating this thread in the hopes of getting some updated information on the unit.

Specifically:

1. Is there anyone on here that uses this unit? If so, how has it stood the test of time? Are you happy with the unit? Are there things you wished were different about it? Did you purchase one only to "outgrow" it and need to upgrade to a full rack?

2. The unit has only two vertical bars (compared to a full rack that has 4.) Is the unit sturdy? (I am not planning on bolting the unit to the floor.)

3. I am planning on placing the unit ON TOP of 1" heavy duty rubber mats (I use 1" thick Northern Lights Interlocking Rubber Slab Mats.) Is it ok to place the unit on top of the mats or is it better to place the unit on a solid floor and place matting inside the unit?

3. The cross box line has many attachments available such as a dip station, plate storage pins, leg hold down, landmind attachment etc. I know they work very well when installed on a traditional full rack setup (full cage), but how sturdy are they on a half rack set up like this? For example would a dip station on a half rack like this be sturdy? Are these attachments even possible to use on a half rack?

4. I am considering the 72" unit due to hight restrictions in the room that will eventually be my workout room. Has anyone attached a pull up bar to the unit? Are pull ups / leg raises practical for a unit this high? (I am 6 feet tall and weigh about 160 lbs.)

5. I can get a new unit for about $300 (includes the safeties) Is this a reasonable price for this type of set up? Are there other units out there I should consider?)

(For context, I live in Toronto, Ontario. I've been working out at both home and a small gym for about 16 months. I consider myself to be more then a beginner lifter, but less then an intermediate one. I workout regularly and have decided to add to my home gym so that I am able to safely do barbell exercises like squats and presses. (I currently do the dumbbell version of these types of exercises at home.) I use standard plate weights currently but might one day upgrade to olympic. I am 6 feet tall and about 160lbs.)

Thanks ahead of time for any input on the unit!

[JeffUP]

The crossbox is found at

https://www.fitnessdepot.ca/H11OTO10...072nbbund.html

Any feedback on it?

[DVG93]

Hey Ive looked at the crossbox lineup and it seems fine. Functionally equivalent to rogue for most lifters. I have a titan t3 myself which I got shipped to a us receiver and I drove across the border to pick up, something to consider.


It's fine to place the crossbody on mats imo. I wouldn't count on the mats protecting a delicate floor though.

I would very much recommend a 24" deep full rack. Won't take much if any more room than the squat stand and you get a safer full enclosure.

One thing I prefer about titan over northern lights is the use of uhmw plastic on the safeties.

Northern lights is made in Canada if that influences your decision

[dagdafitness]

Hi All

I am considering purchasing the Northern Lights 72" Cross Box Squat Stand with Safety spotters. (NOT the iron factory version). (I would include a link but haven't posted enough yet.) I am considering this unit over the full cage version of the Cross Box primarily due to the amount of space I have to work with.

I have seen some reviews on this forum about the unit, however they are rather old posts and so I am creating this thread in the hopes of getting some updated information on the unit.

Specifically:

1. Is there anyone on here that uses this unit? If so, how has it stood the test of time? Are you happy with the unit? Are there things you wished were different about it? Did you purchase one only to "outgrow" it and need to upgrade to a full rack?

2. The unit has only two vertical bars (compared to a full rack that has 4.) Is the unit sturdy? (I am not planning on bolting the unit to the floor.)

3. I am planning on placing the unit ON TOP of 1" heavy duty rubber mats (I use 1" thick Northern Lights Interlocking Rubber Slab Mats.) Is it ok to place the unit on top of the mats or is it better to place the unit on a solid floor and place matting inside the unit?

3. The cross box line has many attachments available such as a dip station, plate storage pins, leg hold down, landmind attachment etc. I know they work very well when installed on a traditional full rack setup (full cage), but how sturdy are they on a half rack set up like this? For example would a dip station on a half rack like this be sturdy? Are these attachments even possible to use on a half rack?

4. I am considering the 72" unit due to hight restrictions in the room that will eventually be my workout room. Has anyone attached a pull up bar to the unit? Are pull ups / leg raises practical for a unit this high? (I am 6 feet tall and weigh about 160 lbs.)

5. I can get a new unit for about $300 (includes the safeties) Is this a reasonable price for this type of set up? Are there other units out there I should consider?)

(For context, I live in Toronto, Ontario. I've been working out at both home and a small gym for about 16 months. I consider myself to be more then a beginner lifter, but less then an intermediate one. I workout regularly and have decided to add to my home gym so that I am able to safely do barbell exercises like squats and presses. (I currently do the dumbbell version of these types of exercises at home.) I use standard plate weights currently but might one day upgrade to olympic. I am 6 feet tall and about 160lbs.)

Thanks ahead of time for any input on the unit!

I would never consider purchasing a squat rack with safety arms.. even with the arms, it's not as safe as you'd expect. Here's a quick video that makes me laugh every time: youtube.com/watch?v=1aMvoaFCMCI (would link but not yet at 25 posts )

Plus, you're in Toronto and I'd pay to have your Kijiji inventory. Why buy something that you devalues 25%+ once you leave the store if you could find a full rack for roughly the same price?

[JeffUP]

Hey Ive looked at the crossbox lineup and it seems fine. Functionally equivalent to rogue for most lifters. I have a titan t3 myself which I got shipped to a us receiver and I drove across the border to pick up, something to consider.


It's fine to place the crossbody on mats imo. I wouldn't count on the mats protecting a delicate floor though.

I would very much recommend a 24" deep full rack. Won't take much if any more room than the squat stand and you get a safer full enclosure.

One thing I prefer about titan over northern lights is the use of uhmw plastic on the safeties.

Northern lights is made in Canada if that influences your decision

Do you have any recommendations on a 24" full rack? I'm a little limited on height though and would need under 80" or so.

[JeffUP]

I would never consider purchasing a squat rack with safety arms.. even with the arms, it's not as safe as you'd expect. Here's a quick video that makes me laugh every time: youtube.com/watch?v=1aMvoaFCMCI (would link but not yet at 25 posts )

Plus, you're in Toronto and I'd pay to have your Kijiji inventory. Why buy something that you devalues 25%+ once you leave the store if you could find a full rack for roughly the same price?

Funny. I thought the same of the Ottawa kijiji inventory.

[DVG93]

You can get 24" deep crossmembers from fitness depot, it's just their default is 30 or 36 or whatever. Hopefully they can work with you to put together a well priced package. Or the t3 short edition would be a short 24" deep rack.

[CliveWarren]

Hey Ive looked at the crossbox lineup and it seems fine. Functionally equivalent to rogue for most lifters. I have a titan t3 myself which I got shipped to a us receiver and I drove across the border to pick up, something to consider.


It's fine to place the crossbody on mats imo. I wouldn't count on the mats protecting a delicate floor though.

I would very much recommend a 24" deep full rack. Won't take much if any more room than the squat stand and you get a safer full enclosure.

One thing I prefer about titan over northern lights is the use of uhmw plastic on the safeties.

Northern lights is made in Canada if that influences your decision

The laser cutting, welding, and powder coating is excellent on the Northern Lights pieces I've purchased.

You're taking a gamble if you order Titan. There are a few instances I've seen where a product needs to be reshipped because they sent a lemon. Combined with the hassle and long cross-border trip, it might not be worth the potential savings.

I would never consider purchasing a squat rack with safety arms.. even with the arms, it's not as safe as you'd expect. Here's a quick video that makes me laugh every time: youtube.com/watch?v=1aMvoaFCMCI (would link but not yet at 25 posts )

Plus, you're in Toronto and I'd pay to have your Kijiji inventory. Why buy something that you devalues 25%+ once you leave the store if you could find a full rack for roughly the same price?

Well a squat rack without safety arms is pretty silly, although I do see them being used that way. If you'll notice from the pictures at Fitness Depot, there are pre-drilled holes in the lower crossmembers. I'd definitely bolt this down.

Funny. I thought the same of the Ottawa kijiji inventory.

Yeah! They've got a surprising amount of good stuff up there for sure.

You can get 24" deep crossmembers from fitness depot, it's just their default is 30 or 36 or whatever. Hopefully they can work with you to put together a well priced package. Or the t3 short edition would be a short 24" deep rack.

This is correct. I've bought the 24" flip down and pipe/pin spotters from them. A 24" full rack takes up less space ~ 30" x 48" than this half rack which is a 48" x 48" footprint.

[keyboardworkout]

I think the Rogue S-1 2.0 is worth the extra $50 when comparing the two. You get Westside hole spacing, UHMW covered j-hooks and it can easily be converted to a half rack.

However, being in Canada might change that.

https://www.fitnessdepot.ca/US99999/...072nbbund.html

https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-s-1-squat-stand-2-0

[DVG93]

I think the Rogue S-1 2.0 is worth the extra $50 when comparing the two. You get Westside hole spacing, UHMW covered j-hooks and it can easily be converted to a half rack.

However, being in Canada might change that.

https://www.fitnessdepot.ca/US99999/...072nbbund.html

https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-s-1-squat-stand-2-0

Its a 160$ price difference in canada - about 240$ after shipping. The crossbox also has UHMW j hooks and westside spacing - its a rogue clone.

[DVG93]

You're taking a gamble if you order Titan. There are a few instances I've seen where a product needs to be reshipped because they sent a lemon. Combined with the hassle and long cross-border trip, it might not be worth the potential savings.

Fair - if I found out about the crossbox lineup before I placed my order theres a good chance I would have bought the crossbox. I figured fitness depot racks would all be the same old northern lights crap that you see on kijiji, so I didnt even bother looking.

[keyboardworkout]

Its a 160$ price difference in canada - about 240$ after shipping. The crossbox also has UHMW j hooks and westside spacing - its a rogue clone.

OK, it's a clone of the Rogue S-1 1.0 (1 welded bracket vs. 2 triangle brackets). Should work fine for OP.

[JeffUP]

Well I finally bit the bullet and picked up my Northern Lights 72" Cross Box Squat Stand with Safety spotters.

https://www.fitnessdepot.ca/H11OTO10...072nbbund.html

I purchased to pull up bar for it and some band pegs (to use as weight holders till I upgrade to Olympic plates some day. They had a standard 7" bar that fits it, so no need to gerry rig it.

My First impression is that it is pretty sweet. It would be nice if it was a little taller, as I am 6' tall, but given the space it will be moving into, it will be just fine. I also added to my rubber matting so it fully sits on it. I got a second set of J hooks thinking I would be able to feet two at the top for squats and two for benching, but no such luck as the pull up bar takes up that space.

My only comment is that for squatting the pull up bar will have to be removed to place the j hook tall enough for me. Not a huge deal, but an improvement to the design would be to have holes through it to match the vertical bars do the hook could be installed.

Looking forward to putting it to the test.

[mashedpotato]

Well I finally bit the bullet and picked up my Northern Lights 72" Cross Box Squat Stand with Safety spotters.

https://www.fitnessdepot.ca/H11OTO10...072nbbund.html

I purchased to pull up bar for it and some band pegs (to use as weight holders till I upgrade to Olympic plates some day. They had a standard 7" bar that fits it, so no need to gerry rig it.

My First impression is that it is pretty sweet. It would be nice if it was a little taller, as I am 6' tall, but given the space it will be moving into, it will be just fine. I also added to my rubber matting so it fully sits on it. I got a second set of J hooks thinking I would be able to feet two at the top for squats and two for benching, but no such luck as the pull up bar takes up that space.

My only comment is that for squatting the pull up bar will have to be removed to place the j hook tall enough for me. Not a huge deal, but an improvement to the design would be to have holes through it to match the vertical bars do the hook could be installed.

Looking forward to putting it to the test.

Thank you for making this thread. I just sold my York squat rack last week and plan to pick this squat stand up today. The fact you can add in a pull up bar and the landmine/dip attachments make it worth it.

[JeffUP]

Thank you for making this thread. I just sold my York squat rack last week and plan to pick this squat stand up today. The fact you can add in a pull up bar and the landmine/dip attachments make it worth it.

It's a great unit and meets almost all my needs. I've had it 4 months and I have only had to tighten the bolts once.

My only regret is that the 72" height is not the best for chin ups. I do them with my legs "cross legged" (I'm 6 feet tall). I chose this height as I thought I would use it in the basement, where the taller unit would not fit. I have kept it in my bedroom as it has a really small footprint and if I could do it again I would go with the taller unit.

As for the chin up bar itself it's ok but not nearly as strong as the rest of the unit.

As a bench though it is outstanding. The finish has held up nicely and it meets all my needs. The safeties are a must and I've used them often when trying to put in a few extra reps of after adding weight.