Squat Power Rack vs Squat Stand

[Prozach2]

Can someone help me understand the pros and cons of having a squat rack vs a squat stand? Obviously the stand is cheaper and has a smaller footprint. Is the rack safer? Are there some lifts that I'm not going to be able to do with the stand? I have the money and the space for the rack. I just don't really understand the advantage.

Not sure if it makes any difference, but regardless of which one I get, I won't be able to bolt it to the floor. I also have an Inspire FT2, so I won't need to attach any cable pulldown which is an option on the power rack.

I'm considering the REP PR-4000 power rack or the Rogue SML-1 Squat stand.

[radrd]

I personally like having a half rack but a full rack is the safest.

[Prozach2]

What do you plan on doing with it?

You only need 2 uprights to hold a bar, so a full cage doesn't give you a whole lot more functionality than a squat stand with spotter arms for basic barbell training.

A full cage will provide better safety for squats and could make it easier to do band work or add a pull-up bar or some other attachments.

For space reasons I've always just used a squat stand for my home gym instead of a full cage. No regrets.

Right now, I’ll be doing deadlifts, squats, RDLs, bench, shrugs, but I’m sure I’ll change up my lifts overtime. I workout by myself and would say I’m somewhat prone to injury, so safety is a priority.

As for attachments, I wont need to add a pull up bar or cable.

[Prozach2]

Honestly you should be fine with a squat stand then.

How much do you squat? Technically spotter arms are only advised for bench not squats, but if you're not squatting huge weight you should be fine. Also if you know how to dump the bar you should be fine to use a squat stand without the spotter arms.

I'm 42 years old, 178 lbs, and I've been working out consistently for about 8 months. Not even sure what I squat, but my bench is around 215. I don't really know how to do anything correctly, and I'm certainly not going to be squatting anything impressive.

[Prozach2]

Honestly you should be fine with a squat stand then.

How much do you squat? Technically spotter arms are only advised for bench not squats, but if you're not squatting huge weight you should be fine. Also if you know how to dump the bar you should be fine to use a squat stand without the spotter arms.

I'll be buying a bar and bumper plates also. Again, I don't really care about the cost as long as the value is there. Any recommendation for a bar and bumper plates. Anything in particular that I should be looking for or trying to avoid. I prefer to buy something good that I'm not going to have to replace.

Thanks a lot for your help.

[KoolDJVader]

I have a squat stand because my space is really limited. The only real advantages are the price, less footprint and it's mobile. Plus probably easier to put together. You can also adjust the width of the racks if you so desire. But if I had the option, I'd go for a half rack, just way more versatile and stable

Edit - oh I see that the Rogue SML squat stand is a bit different than what I thought of as a squat stand. The squat stands I had in mind are those where the two uprights are totally separate. You see a lot of Olympic lifters use them

[C123C]

I'm 42 years old, 178 lbs, and I've been working out consistently for about 8 months. Not even sure what I squat, but my bench is around 215. I don't really know how to do anything correctly, and I'm certainly not going to be squatting anything impressive.

I'd recommend a copy of Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. Started as a coaches' manual. Great way to perfect your technique on the lifts.

Squat stand is fine. I used a SML-1 by Rogue for years. Get the safeties and you are good to go. You should know how to properly bail on a squat or use the safeties. More important for bench (ie practice a fail and test it - make sure setup protects your face/neck).

[BeginnerGainz]

I'd recommend a copy of Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. Started as a coaches' manual. Great way to perfect your technique on the lifts.

Squat stand is fine. I used a SML-1 by Rogue for years. Get the safeties and you are good to go. You should know how to properly bail on a squat or use the safeties. More important for bench (ie practice a fail and test it - make sure setup protects your face/neck).

OP please don’t do starting strength or stronglifts. GZCLP or Greyskull LP are infinitely better programs.

SML-1 is quality kit. Inexpensive, too. Rep fitness sells bumper plates for good prices, I’d get iron/steel 5 and 10 lbs though, 25s-35s-45s are really all you need for bumpers.

[JustTheDad]

I recommend the power rack. OP said price isn't a big issue and that safety is very important.

So the best option safety wise is a power rack that has strap spotters. When used for bench or inclines you can set them at an angle that protects your face and neck in case you pass out or mis-rack the bar, and you can still touch your chest with the bar. We have a whiteboard in the gym with the hole number for the j-hooks and each strap end for all of our lifts. Took a good 10 to 15 minutes total time for each person, but it's really nice now. There are lines on the platform to line up the bench too. I don't worry about my kids lifting alone anymore. Set up takes a few seconds for each lift.

A squat rack like the SML-1 is OK, but if you have the space and money, buy the best and cry once.

On the other stuff, Ironmaster makes a nice bench, and Vulcan makes great bumper plates, but picking a bench, bar, or plates, personal preference... so get what you like or find in your area.

The safety of a power rack vs a squat rack isn't personal preference. Both may be safe enough that you'll never get hurt, but the power rack is clearly safer if both are well designed and used properly.

[radrd]

Honestly you should be fine with a squat stand then.

How much do you squat? Technically spotter arms are only advised for bench not squats, but if you're not squatting huge weight you should be fine. Also if you know how to dump the bar you should be fine to use a squat stand without the spotter arms.

This may be true, but I have to question why Rogue would sell a squat stand with spotter arms if they are only intended for bench.

[Lifts4longevity]

I'm 42 years old, 178 lbs, and I've been working out consistently for about 8 months. Not even sure what I squat, but my bench is around 215. I don't really know how to do anything correctly, and I'm certainly not going to be squatting anything impressive.

First off, good for you getting into weightlifting and sticking with it. Seems like you're not afraid to spend money if you need to, so I'd have to agree with spending your money once and getting what you want. Buy once, cry once.

If space, money, and weight are an issue, a (legit) squat stand like the Rogue SML with spotter arms is great. Get a setup with a pullup bar so the uprights are linked and plan to bolt the stand (base) down for added safety to prevent tipping. A full rack is obviously the best option for completely safety, but may be overkill if you're not planning to lift super heavy. I'm currently getting ready to turn my squat rack into a half rack, which will give additional options for weight storage, so that's another option.

From one injury prone person to another, don't push yourself too hard unless you're 90% certain you won't get hurt. The more you lift, the better "feel" you'll get for gauging this, but even then, it's all a gamble. Some days you'll feel like a million bucks and great things will happen, but other days you'll feel like crap. Learning the proper form and technique is of the upmost importance, so if you're unsure, record your lifts on video and post in the "Exercise" part of the main forum so others can give you input on what you're doing right and/or wrong. Good luck!

[urbanlifter]

No idea and I only found that out recently that they are not recommended for squats.

Who gave you this information? Doesn't seem consistent with what we all know and have seen over the years, even Titan's X3 series arms are supposedly rated at 1500lbs. If that were truly the case nobody would offer a half rack for fear of lawsuits.

[gym62richard]

I'm another advocate of buying once, crying once, OP buy the best you can afford. Having lifted with stands, half rack and currently a full cage, I honestly now believe unless you're a full out power lifter, for a home gym a half rack offers enough versatility and provided the quality is good and the spotter arms are at least 24" long it would be my choice.

The convenience of weight storage, ease of getting a bar in and out of the rack and lifting from a rock solid base offers the best in terms of space efficiency and safety.

[radrd]

No idea and I only found that out recently that they are not recommended for squats.

I guess if you have a lot of weight and walk far out and dump the bar on them the rack can tip over if not bolted down.

I just don't dump squats. Come back up or die trying. LOL.

I think this is certainly possible for some stands but the SML-1 appears to have feet that extend as far as the spotter arms so the risk of tipping over seems small to non-existent. Hard to tell for sure and I'm too lazy to do the simple math.

[urbanlifter]

I'm another advocate of buying once, crying once, OP buy the best you can afford. Having lifted with stands, half rack and currently a full cage, I honestly now believe unless you're a full out power lifter, for a home gym a half rack offers enough versatility and provided the quality is good and the spotter arms are at least 24" long it would be my choice.

The convenience of weight storage, ease of getting a bar in and out of the rack and lifting from a rock solid base offers the best in terms of space efficiency and safety.

Agree. The most common cause of death while lifting is getting pinned under a barbell during pressing movements. If you manage to get yourself pinned under a barbell while using 24" safeties then nature has selected you for deletion LOL.

[C123C]

OP please don’t do starting strength or stronglifts. GZCLP or Greyskull LP are infinitely better programs.

FYI - if you've ever read, seen, or opened the Starting Strength book it has almost nothing about programming in it. It is a technique manual, and the best I know of, to teach the core lifts. I'm out of copies to reference but squat alone as I recall was ~50-70 pages. It is in this vein, and having nothing to do with any program, that I make said recommendation.

The program you are referring to, I assume is Rip's beginner program is designed for someone with little to no experience. Having trained hundreds of raw beginners, though my experience pre-dates knowing about that specific program, I can guarantee you it will work well as applied and likely be optimal especially for a younger athlete in caloric excess. It will eventually stop working due to design as all programs do (see below) but for that circumstance, point in time and purpose - better than most options and as good as any but always many ways to skin a cat. Stronglifts stuff was a simple for profit copy of Bill Starr's stuff and no idea who SL is but Bill is as qualified as any to ever walk this earth.

As far as programming which is FAR FAR out of the scope of this forum, there are legit poor programs but there is absolutely no better/best program. The best program at any point of time is defined by the goal, level of experience, constraints and recent progression of any single individual lifter at a single point in time. Hence, there are no golden programs and NO COOKIE CUTTER fancy named program can be optimal. The best cookie cutter programs illustrate training theory which can be learned and applied.

The only constants:
1) One trains with the goal of improving and progressing
2) Choose the most valuable lifts to progress in accordance to your goals
3) Program to drive these lifts as quickly and consistently over a period as possible (key being possible as this varies over time)
4) A straight line being shortest route the most optimal progression is as frequently as possible (balancing frequency with volume and intensity/%1RM - a lot of science and art is in #4 here)
5) Beginner training tends to be moderate/tolerable but very vertical in that they can make progress frequently.
6) Frequency of progression slows as a lifter gains experience and acclimates/gets stronger
7) Straight lines eventually aren't possible and some level of zig-zag or tacking into the wind, which can be termed complexity, will be required to continue progression even less and less frequently. Total workload will increase, various assistance exercises with carryover in mind will be implemented. Weaknesses of an individual lifter must be addressed.
8) Complexity and frequency of progression are inversely correlated with each other. As a lifter matures and gets closer to potential, complexity increases while progression decreases. At the end state a lifter may train all year for a single stage of progression around Olympics or World Championships.
9) "Advanced Program" used by a beginner is equivalent to "unnecessarily slow progress and workloads likely too high to tolerate". "Beginner Program" used by an experienced lifter "file under ways to fail fast". One size fits all is impossible.

[C123C]

I can't find the video now but I think it was a Garage Gym Review vid? I dunno.

I just looked on the Rogue site and there are no warnings about using spotter arms for squats so now I feel like a fukken potato for repeating something I saw on YouTube without verifying it.

I've never dumped a squat at home in all my years of lifting. My stepson's friend dumped 275 in my rig and no issues.

I've dumped 300+ on bench lots of times and no issues.

Totally safe if it's all setup right. Biggest risk is to your poor bar with hard safeties. It's why strap safeties exist. Straps make a nice setup on dedicated monos as well.

[JustTheDad]

Straps make a nice setup on dedicated monos as well.

What are dedicated monos?

Is it just the moving J-hook type mono or are you talking about straps like the Spud in ones that attach to the pull bar at the top or something?

[MajorTendonitis]

OP I’ve always used squat stands . I like 2 ,as I dedicate one to bench and one to squat and deadlift .

These 2 from Powertec worked ,but barely . The spotter arms were very small and useless imo . I added a product called StoreWall behind them , and found it difficult to get behind them to reach anything . They always moved also , which was apita imo .



So I actually bought a full rack , but used the 4 posts as new squat racks. They are bolted to the ceiling and to the concrete floor. If I was concerned about strength, I could add a piece of steel at the rear at floor level incase a really heavy weight was dropped on the spotter arms , but I’m not concerned.
I ordered the spotter arms which are 2’ and work great . It was a bonus having a new rack , as I ordered extra accessories while I was at it .
Also liking the west side hole spacing .



Because you have no storage space for plates on a squat rack , I came up with my own idea using 1” floor flanges and gas pipe secured to 2x6 lumber .


I covered the gas pipe with industrial heat shrink , but you can come up with your own solution to cover the front edge . You can buy steel moons and weld them on the tips, but I’m not proficient at welding yet


Disclaimer, everything yellow is getting changed to orange at some point

[BIG ACH]

I've personally never liked squatting in a cage but it is safer... especially if you fall backwards... which technically is not very common, but if you squat alone and still don't have great form maybe its better to have the safest setup.

I currently have squat stands with spotter arms and while I'm happy with them I kinda wish I had a cage for even more attachments, versatility etc... you can add attachments and stuff on spotter stands, but its still a bit more limited as compared to a cage...

And yes like you I originally thought, meh I don't need all those attachments I have other things in my garage gym... a few months in and I'm like awww man I wish I could add more to it.

Can't go wrong either way, but just pick what you feel more comfortable with!

[supramax]

...

Disclaimer, everything yellow is getting changed to orange at some point

Going for the Halloween look, eh?

[78novacaine]

If you have the space/money for a full rack setup I see no reason not to go with it. Anything squat stands can do, a full rack can do better, provided your space and budget allow. And as for as safety, especially when lifting alone, a full rack absolutely is the best option, period.

[Asjogren]

If you have the space/money for a full rack setup I see no reason not to go with it. Anything squat stands can do, a full rack can do better, provided your space and budget allow. And as for as safety, especially when lifting alone, a full rack absolutely is the best option, period.

A used commercial half rack have much better spotter arms and would be an upgrade over squat stands but I agree Full Rack is safer. I have a Hammer Strength Half rack and the spotters are about 30” long I love it. Easy to swap out bars and at 650 lbs ,it’s stable

[QDubs]

FWIW, I lifted when I was younger, took 4 decades off and started back again about 2 years ago so take some inexperience in to account here.

For me, my age, growing older, declining joints, declining mind, worried wife, ... Safety is paramount which says full rack. I also have a strong preference for straps vs pin & tube, especially for bench, and I don't think you can do straps on a half rack. I use my rack for a lot of hanging stuff and bands as well. Some I could do on a half, some not.