The Official Power Rack Thread - August 2010 version

[irongrandpa]

I'm pretty sure what used to be Magnum, is now matrix. Maybe they have a little more moder j hooks that will work for your rack?

They have some very nice newer style jhooks. They’re also close to $300.
Is your rack 3x3 or 4x3
I have the 4x3 multi rack and the 3x3 1/2 rack.on the 1/2 rack I found some used Legend jhooks for $50 and cut the 1” pin so it would fit on the 3x3 drop in upright.
If you have 4x3 you’re stuck with an expensive option or get someone to make ya a pair.

[wxguy44]

Sold the Magnum rack, so no need to worry about the J hooks LOL!

Bought a Titan X-3 squat stand to put on my deadlift platform, mostly to have a secondary rack so the wife can work out with/around me. Then a Rouge HR-2 popped up on CL last week, so bought that this weekend and will go on the platform instead. Now I gotta offload the X-3 to free up cash for the eventual full rack I intend to buy.

[JuanLee56]

i have some problems

[BIGMAC25]

Hey
Looking to set up my home gym and I’m looking for some recommendations for a rack.
I looked at Rogue and REP are there any others out there.
Prefer to keep it under $1500 for the rack only
Thanks for any help.
Kevin

[Asjogren]

Hey
Looking to set up my home gym and I’m looking for some recommendations for a rack.
I looked at Rogue and REP are there any others out there.
Prefer to keep it under $1500 for the rack only
Thanks for any help.
Kevin

Have you looked on Craigslist or ******** Marketplace? You can find commercial grade racks for low money. I grabbed a Hammer Strength Halfrack with docking bench for $900. If you want new, Rep is good quality stuff.

[vhd16]

I am not sure i would buy a rack in the current used market as the prices inflated way too much. If you want to buy a rack immediately i would look for a new one.

[nissan11]

Can anyone tell me who built this rack? I have searched the internet for days. I am trying to find one just like it or very similar. I am wanting to upgrade my residential rack to a commercial grade open top rack that is less than 85" tall.

[urbanlifter]

Last time I checked these were no longer made, but apparently MDUSA has them on their site again! Pendlay Elite Half Rack, the sexiest looking half rack on the market! (yes, slightly biased)



http://dev-default102-com.3dcartstor...em_p_2386.html

[murphyreedus]

Last time I checked these were no longer made, but apparently MDUSA has them on their site again! Pendlay Elite Half Rack, the sexiest looking half rack on the market! (yes, slightly biased)



http://dev-default102-com.3dcartstor...em_p_2386.html

I never realized how deep that rack is:


footprint is 67" wide, 64" deep

It is a sweet looking rack though.

[urbanlifter]

It's an optical illusion, the 'wide' portion is from the ends of the weight horns and the depth from the front feet. When you take the spotter arms off it's incredible how much smaller it looks in person. I'm just glad they are still making them, would love to have a shiny new one some day (long from now), fresh from the factory to go with my Mech mono's.

[irongrandpa]

Last time I checked these were no longer made, but apparently MDUSA has them on their site again! Pendlay Elite Half Rack, the sexiest looking half rack on the market! (yes, slightly biased)



http://dev-default102-com.3dcartstor...em_p_2386.html

Last time I looked at MDUSA's website it was intact but you can't order anything. My guess it was left up when they closed the doors.

[urbanlifter]

Last time I looked at MDUSA's website it was intact but you can't order anything. My guess it was left up when they closed the doors.

No kidding? You can put things in the cart and checkout, wonder at what point it stops you from ordering?

That's a bummer, thought maybe someone resurrected their stuff.

[irongrandpa]

No kidding? You can put things in the cart and checkout, wonder at what point it stops you from ordering?

That's a bummer, thought maybe someone resurrected their stuff.

That was about a year ago. If I remember right , I tried calling and the numbers were disconnected. I'll have to check on it again and see.

[nissan11]

I upgraded from a cheap 14 gauge rack to this much heavier rack. It was expensive but I am very happy with it. Does anyone know who built it?

[urbanlifter]

SAWEET! Pro Elite rack (3/4 or Open Top), refurbished and sold one of those this past year. Absolute beast, one of the most stable racks you will ever find.

[nissan11]

SAWEET! Pro Elite rack (3/4 or Open Top), refurbished and sold one of those this past year. Absolute beast, one of the most stable racks you will ever find.

Awesome. I plan to keep it forever. Do you know where I can find the plastic strips that go on the spotter arms?

[urbanlifter]

Awesome. I plan to keep it forever. Do you know where I can find the plastic strips that go on the spotter arms?

I'd buy some UHMW strips from McMaster Carr, that's what I did to refurbish the j-hooks on those. Extreme double sided tape and you're all set.

Edit: I was REALLY torn on keeping that rack, but it came down to my Mech6 mono's and I couldn't give them up. Congrats, its a keeper!

[nissan11]

I'd buy some UHMW strips from McMaster Carr, that's what I did to refurbish the j-hooks on those. Extreme double sided tape and you're all set.

Edit: I was REALLY torn on keeping that rack, but it came down to my Mech6 mono's and I couldn't give them up. Congrats, its a keeper!

Thanks, I will check out McMaster Carr. Is there a thickness that I should look for?

I glued some leather to the J-hooks but I do not think it is going to last very long.

[urbanlifter]

Thanks, I will check out McMaster Carr. Is there a thickness that I should look for?

I glued some leather to the J-hooks but I do not think it is going to last very long.

I didn't know what to buy either, especially for the J-hooks so I bought sheets of 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 to have on hand for future projects. Ended up using either the 1/8 or 1/4 on the J-hooks, but I'm not quite sure.

[nissan11]

I didn't know what to buy either, especially for the J-hooks so I bought sheets of 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 to have on hand for future projects. Ended up using either the 1/8 or 1/4 on the J-hooks, but I'm not quite sure.

Cool. Thanks.

[urbanlifter]

Not sure if anyone posted this, but seems like a fairly decent 'brand name' option readily available. Not as safe as a full/half rack, but given you only need to lift 75% of your normal weight to maintain muscle mass its a temporary option. Pull up a bench, leave the clamps off on case you have to dump the weight, go light and stay safe. Sorinex Off-Grid Rack, $349.

https://www.sorinex.com/products/off-grid-rack

[Corbets]

Not sure if anyone posted this, but seems like a fairly decent 'brand name' option readily available. Not as safe as a full/half rack, but given you only need to lift 75% of your normal weight to maintain muscle mass its a temporary option. Pull up a bench, leave the clamps off on case you have to dump the weight, go light and stay safe. Sorinex Off-Grid Rack, $349.

https://www.sorinex.com/products/off-grid-rack

Love their statement about using their profits for a relief fund, too. Good on them.

[murphyreedus]

Not sure if anyone posted this, but seems like a fairly decent 'brand name' option readily available. Not as safe as a full/half rack, but given you only need to lift 75% of your normal weight to maintain muscle mass its a temporary option. Pull up a bench, leave the clamps off on case you have to dump the weight, go light and stay safe. Sorinex Off-Grid Rack, $349.

https://www.sorinex.com/products/off-grid-rack

Garage Gym Reviews posted this a bit ago:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-rsSHRp..._web_copy_link

Personally I think the Sorinex design looks like garbage for the price, but I guess the sawtooth design can hold a lot of grocery bags.

[urbanlifter]

I guess the sawtooth design can hold a lot of grocery bags.

Or maybe double as a barbell holder for when racks are back in stock, the Rogue would become useless shortly thereafter.

[vhd16]

Not sure if anyone posted this, but seems like a fairly decent 'brand name' option readily available. Not as safe as a full/half rack, but given you only need to lift 75% of your normal weight to maintain muscle mass its a temporary option. Pull up a bench, leave the clamps off on case you have to dump the weight, go light and stay safe. Sorinex Off-Grid Rack, $349.

https://www.sorinex.com/products/off-grid-rack

Rouge had this

https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-rml-90slim-rack



This at least you can expand after COVID-19

[BoreDefer]

Yeah I like that chin up bar a lot, I think someone who posts in here sometimes has that rack. I've seen it in the home gym thread... I'm pretty sure anyway, and it was someone from Australia. Maybe they will post in here.

[fahrenhait451]

Hey all, longtime lurker here, first time poster, but would love to get your views.

Have a basic dilemma, choosing between racks. The story: I bought a squat rack, but it arrived without the uprights (of all things). I'm not sure the retailer I purchased from will be able to source the correct parts (seems to be manufacturer error). Meanwhile, as you can imagine, racks are getting snapped everywhere they show up. I run the risk of ending up without a rack if they can't find the uprights.

I have found two potential backups and would love to get the views from more experienced people on how they compare with what I ordered.

Summary:
I ordered a decent, mid-tier squat rack from Reebok.
I found a no-name, lightweight full cage (local European manufacturer).
Also found a no-name, fairly strong squat rack from a French box set manufacturer.

Details:
Reebok squat rack has two gusseted 2x3 uprights, weighs about 105lbs, 48x48x91, 12-14 gauge (mostly 14), 18in spotters, 3 pullup bars (triangle, crossfit style), rated for 550lbs. Prob 600, but in Europe, 250kgs sticks in people's minds more easily than 280kgs. Comparable racks in the US are rated at 600. I bought some weight horns, so I can weigh it down for stability. It's boltable, but I don't plan on bolting it. It's on the expensive side, but on this side of the pond, Reebok is a sorta premium brand.

Local no-name full cage has four non-gusseted 2x2 uprights, apparently the gross package weight is 80lbs (so assembled product is even less), 14 gauge steel, 48x55x84, simple safety pins, and most crucially, two ground-level vertical weight horns in the back. The manufacturer seems to place a 440lb weight rating on all of its racks, regardless of structure. Well-priced. Would probably arrive end of next week.

French box set squat rack has two non-gusseted uprights, has a 600lb weight capacity, similar pullup to the Reebok (but smaller), 48x67x86, a row landmine attachment, and its best feature, four weight horns in the back (hence the extra 19 inch of depth). Would take 1-2 weeks to deliver.

I don't train for PRs; I do build strength, but more to help me outside the weight room. I train in the 10-12 rep range (except for the occasional 3-4 week low rep phase). I'm not going anywhere NEAR the weight limits, but I absolutely DESPISE wobble. Apart from squats and incline bench, will be using the rack for pullups, TRX, and inversions (spinal decompression).

What are all your thoughts? Which should my top choice be, and which should be the backup be? Ie. I'll order another one, and if I end up with two racks, I'll return one of them. I love saying money as much as the next man, but price is secondary. I want to have zero concerns about wobbling.

Thanks!

[Lionhartzero]

First off, awesome thread!

The gyms being closed has certainly been a wake up call, and it's clear that I NEED a power rack now. The problem is that I can barely find any decent/beginner ones available. I'm sure that it's because tons of lifters have swarmed the sites due to Covid, but has anyone come across a rack that is available for same at the moment? I'm not aiming to spend more than $450...I'll wait for them to restock in that case. Thanks!

[krankins]

I'm wondering since this is the Power Rack thread, maybe Racks that should be avoided because they are crap should be added. I mean you can't add every single one but the few big companies that pop up all the time like Weider and Marcy?

[wilkinkc]

Looking at both Rogue and Texas Strength Systems. Would like a rack I don’t have to bolt to the floor as it will be in a spare room and we will probably be moving in a year or two.

Two questions;

- Any other brands I should consider? I don’t want anything cheap I will have problems with.

- Is 24 inches working space comfortable for squat and bench?

I had a powertec rack 10 years ago that I regrettably sold and I can’t remember how big it was exactly.