Powertec Power Rack (it weighs 385 lbs!), is this one recommended?

**ctgblue** · 10-13-2002, 06:58 PM

What are the measurements of each?
do they interlock?
are the edges beveled or straight cut?

**Wildcat33** · 10-15-2002, 10:23 PM

My new bench finally showed up last night. This is what I got:

http://www.fitnessrus.com/marab4000brm.html

The bad:
It took almost 2 weeks to get to me, very slow shipping. It was "pre-scratched" from the manufacturer in China, with several small scratches and chinks in the main frame of the bench. I'm trying to think of the scratches in a positive way, in the sense that some scratches are already there so now I don't have to be worrying about when I'll put the first one on it. I would have liked the bars that connect to the seatback to have been a bit heavier. This bench is advertised as being able to handle 800 lbs., but I don't want to be close to it if someone is using that kind of weight on it. I don't care for the way the piping is attached to the corners of the cushions, looks like it could come unraveled eventually. It took a long time to assemble and there were no spare parts. A couple of the leg developer cushions were smashed a little in the box but they should spring back to regular size. This bench was advertised as having a lock pin for the leg developer to allow crunches, there is no such facility on it which annoys me a lot.

The good:
The main frame and base bars are very solid. The seat can be easily adjusted to any angle of incline or decline you want including 90 degree military. The bench fits in my power rack easily, and there is plenty of room left over in the back even while doing incline bp. A pleasant surprise was a bar holder on the preacher attachment, which is something I'll also use for other exercises besides preacher curls. Also the preacher attachment cushion is straight across at the bottom, it doesn't have the cutout like in the picture. The bench is comfortable and the pads fit my frame well. The leg developer is adjustable for different leg lengths. There are end caps for the pads on the leg developer so they won't get loose. Purely aesthetic, but it matches my power rack well. It weights about 75 lbs. and is easy to move in and out of the rack.

Final verdict: Adequate for my needs but unimpressive, alot of bang for the buck. There are some things I don't like about it, but it is going to be capable of doing everything I want to do for now. The seat support system looks strange in the pictures, but it's tight and surprisingly stable in use. I only paid $136 for this bench after shipping. There's nothing else with these adjustment capabilities, a leg developer, and preacher attachment anywhere near this price range.

Got one other new goody for the home gym last weekend: An antique doctor's scale. My parents picked it up at a country auction and gave it to me. I've been wanting one of these and it works great! It has a height measuring attachment on it too, the type that extends up and lays flat on your head to measure height. I'm going to use it to track how much shorter squats are making me

Don't know how old the scale is, but am pretty sure it's alot older than me. It still has the state of Indiana calibration seal attached to it with a steel cable. Anyways here's a quick pic of it:

**Hungry4knowledg** · 10-16-2002, 04:03 AM

I came to this board to post a question about power racks and found this at the top of the page. I couldn't have asked for more information. Now I just need some money.

**agent8698** · 10-17-2002, 08:22 PM

Here's another high end power rack, with integrated plate storage (scoll down):

http://www.strengthequipment.net/equipment.html

Simplicity, strength, functionality: I think it's gorgeous. At first I thought it was odd that the crossbeam in the front was 'missing'. But this design is probably so brutally strong (already) that a front crossbeam is not needed. Max

**Lotsosquats** · 10-18-2002, 03:43 PM

Sorry Ctgblue, haven't been back to answer lately...the horse stall mats are 4'x6' and about 3/4" thick or so (thicker then the ones at my gym). Edges are straight cut but don't interlock. They have pretty smooth side (normally goes up) and a textured side. I figure the textured side will make for good gripping. Hope it help.

**MiloMan** · 10-18-2002, 09:54 PM

Stall mats are great! They seem a bit pricey at first, until you do a per sq ft comparison with "gym mats".

Put the smooth side up if you need to squeegee the horse piss off of them.

p.s. "All lifters - please control your bladder in the cage!"

**Badboy** · 10-19-2002, 12:30 AM

now whats the best machine here?

**Lotsosquats** · 10-19-2002, 08:43 AM

MiloMan, where did you get your mats from? Mine came from Atwoods and were the same size as gym mats but less then half the price! 69 for gym mats, 33 for stall mats. Couldn't get all I needed the first time but am picking up a few more this week. Lordy are they heavy though! Heck of a workout just carrying them to the barn!

**MiloMan** · 10-19-2002, 09:35 AM

Don't gag, but I live in the midwest USA, and I got mine - used - out of a horse barn. They'd been out on my friend's grandma's farm, and she didn't keep any horses anymore, and hadn't for several years. She didn't care if I took them; we'd just been fixing some areas of her fenceline and she said, "I don't see as how I need those anymore, you're welcome to them" when I told her I had my eye on them, and in the pickup they went. I'd priced them before, reasonably cheap, but free is free.

A few bucks at the quarter car wash cleaned them right up, good as new once we got the ammonia smell out of them. they aren't really porous so it didn't take long. Very overbuilt for a gym mat, but they'll last for decades.

p.s. She sold the farm and moved to a nice condo last year; she's 88 I think, tough old lady.

**Wildcat33** · 11-13-2002, 09:23 PM

Lat attachment for Yukon power rack:
It works but I'm disappointed with the lat attachment. Right out of the box a pulley guard was cracked, there were several scratches, and the pieces of metal that hold the top most pulley are rubbing on the pulley. I'll have to tap out the metal around the top pulley so it doesn't rub. The pulley guard crack is mostly aesthetic, but still annoying. Cheap non-revolving lat bar and a straight bar came with the unit. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the low row footplate was included, did not expect that. The whole thing looks well built (if you can get over the QC issues above) and is made of 12 gauge tubing. There are rubber knobs at the end of the cables just before the attachment, so the cables can't get bound up. Took a couple hours to put together, and there were a few spare nuts and washers. 2 decent quality spring collars came with it, but no Olympic post adaptors. The top pulley sticks out far enough over the rack that a racked bar on the rear uprights is not in the way. The top pulley does not interfere with chins done inside the rack. The post the plate pins ride on is chromed and works good. Overall the unit seems well engineered but with poor QC during manufacture.

Dip station attachment for Yukon power rack:
Connects with 1 threaded spring loaded pin which screws in to further tighten the dip attachment to the built in post on the power rack. Even with it tightened all the way there is still some give in the handles. The dip station is rated for 375 lbs. The handle position is angled in such a way that the rest of the rack or the lat attachment will not interfere with dipping. Can be adjusted to 3 different heights, although even the highest height adjustment may not be high enough for some people. Has a textured rubber type of grip on the handles, instead of the spongy material you usually see on dip handles. Cost $55 after shipping. Overall I'm pretty happy with it so far.

**Joshman** · 11-15-2002, 08:08 PM

After reading this thread, I decided to go take a look at home setups about a month ago. So, I thought I'd add my experiences to the thread.

After browsing around on the web, I found a couple of local dealers. My two choices beyond the stuff sold at Oshmans was the Parabody and Nautilus brands.

I ended up going with the Nautilus stuff, because it seemed a tad more structurally solid than the Parabody stuff (just a tad) and the prices were almost identical.

I purchased a power rack, the lat attachment, a really nice adjustable bench and the weight tree from Nautilus. For barbell olympic weighs, I purchased two 1200 lb bars and 500 lbs of HO model plates (nicely machined finish) from Troy. For dumbbells, I got the Pro Rexan Powerblocks set with the extra plates to go up to 85 lbs.

I'm extremely satisfied with the equipment after a month of use. I assembled the whole setup in about three hours by myself (a little tricky with the power rack), and the stuff is solid. I've already put the bench through hell with tons of step upish unilateral leg stuff, and it's totally unscathed. All of my neighbors (four to five per week) use the stuff, and it still looks and feels brand new.

There are barbell hooks on the inside of the rack as well as the outside. The rack has a pullup bar built in and the shape of the bar can also be used for a neutral grip. The rack is quite deep and the hooks are nice and large. It's a snap to adjust the hooks and saftey bars -- they slide along the supports and have spring loaded locks that can be screwed down if you feel the need.

The bench is very comfortable, but is quite high. This makes it good for reverse flies and such, but does make this bench a bad choice for people who need to practice benching from a competition distance from the ground.

The only gripe I have is that the power cage does not support a dip attachment. To improvise, I just put the two barbells on the saftey supports and dip between them.

The lat attachment also includes a low pulley, so I've been able to do cable variants of hip extensions/back extensions using a bar positioned at waist level as a fulcrum. Because I don't care for leg curls and extensions, I didn't get the attachment for the bench, but the low pulley lets you do replacment exercises if needed.

The powerblocks are great. Very sturdy and easy to use. Only gripe with the powerblocks is that the weight increments are not standardized. To get from 15 to 25 to 35 pounds, it's not as easy as just adding one ten pound plate for each jump. Each plate actually weighs closer to nine pounds, and then the handle can accept two 2.5 lb weights. You end up approximating the correct number of 2.5 lb weigths and plates to use to get to the weight you want. It's not a big problem, but could be annoying if you work in the lower ranges (15 - 35 lbs) alot.

The Troy plates are nice to the touch, and the bars are solid. The knurling is tough, and I've scratch my calves up attempting hack squats.

I'm very happy with the setup. I almost went with a cheapo brand off the net, but after listening to ctgblue talk about what to look for, I decided to get something a little higher up the food chain. I'm happy I did.

Hope this helps.

**Lotsosquats** · 11-16-2002, 04:29 PM

Had to jump on here today. Picked up a bunch of used stuff today and am happier then a lark with eggs!

-Weider bench (kinda beat up but usable)
-Olympic bar w/ 365lbs of plates
-Standard EZ curl w/ 130lbs of plates
-Plate Stand
-Dumbbells from 4lbs up to 60lbs in 5lb increments and a heavy duty stand (these are ooollldd York b/b's...kinda just big round balls with a handle between but looks don't matter, they still work the same!)
-1 year old lat pull down machine that looks and works like new
-French Curl bar
-Couple misc. handles for the lat mach.

Best part it was a grand total of 200 bucks! A guys wife told him her car was going in the garage so the stuff goes. Lordy! I could've kissed his wife! 8) It needs cleaning and some a shot of Rust inhibitor but no prob.

Now all I need is a hack squat/leg press machine only used by a lil ol lady on sundays.

Watch the papers, people are selling stuff now to make room for Christmas presents and to get X-mas cash. Later all.

**KevT** · 11-22-2002, 11:04 PM

Could someone tell me what's the difference between these two models, and what you recommend?

The $259
http://newyorkbarbells.com/92562.html

The $349
http://newyorkbarbells.com/92551.html

Thanks in advance.

**Lotsosquats** · 11-23-2002, 05:49 AM

The Super Power Rack is slightly larger on the inside then the Power Rack allowing more bench and squatting room:

-Power Rack: 48.5" X 42" X 82.5"H
-Super Power Rack: 56.5" X 57" X 82.5"H

Also, the Super Power Rack base is made from 2''x4" tubing vs the Power Racks 2"x2". The SPR has better reiforced corners at the top.

Downside is if you want the lat/pec attachment, it DOES NOT fit the SPR. If you don't want that attachment, then the SPR looks good IMO. Ctgblue would be the guy to contact, he seems to have done a lot of research into the home equipment. Hope it helps.

**KevT** · 11-26-2002, 09:16 PM

I guess I'm really asking is the Super Power Rack worth the extra $100? I'm a beginner, so it won't be taking a huge amount of weight.

**Lotsosquats** · 11-27-2002, 05:51 PM

IMO, if you can spare the 100, I'd get the heavier duty one. Any other input out there?

**Wildcat33** · 11-27-2002, 08:02 PM

My biggest problem with the Super Power Rack is that it will not support attachments. If you ever want a lat attachment, dip station attachment, or pec dec attachment and don't want to pay more for (or don't have room for) seperate units the Super PR will present a problem. I originally thought an added benefit of the Super PR would be spotted good mornings, but have since found that there is plenty of room for my 6'2" frame to do good mornings inside the "standard size" Yukon PR. Just my opinion, but I think the SPR is overkill for most people and it comes with the disadvantage of not being able to add attachments.

It offers good value for someone going real heavy who doesn't care about attachments and needs the heavier metal for safety. I think the most important questions to ask are: 1) How heavy do you expect to eventually go on your lifts and will a "standard" size power rack from a reputable manufacturer be strong enough? 2) Do you intend to add attachments now or later?

For me the answer to question 1 is that the standard rack is sufficient, and would be for all but the strongest powerlifters. Question 2 --> the attachments are important to me. I got the lat attachment and dip attachment for my PR, and use them alot. The dip attachment on my Yukon is slightly wobbly and is rated for 375 pounds, so I can see where a person would rather have a seperate unit for weighted dipping. But it gets the job done. I was told the New York Barbells dip attachment is rated for 500 pounds. A pec dec attachment is of dubious value (especially for the price they cost), I have not and probably will not get one. I love my lat attachment and use it often, it's rated for 400 lbs and odds are the NYBB unit is at least that strong. The only thing I don't like about it so far are the lack of thigh pads to hold me down for heavy lat pulldowns. Doesn't really matter because I primarily do chins/pulldowns. Could put a weighted barbell on pins just above my thighs if I had to, but it hasn't been an issue.

**KevT** · 11-27-2002, 10:36 PM

Thanks wildcat, you answered all the questions I had.

**zeusrock1** · 12-05-2002, 08:06 AM

I'm torn between getting a power rack with a lat attachment or just getting a regular power rack and getting an individual lat machine. I've seen stand alone lat machines for about $250 - about the cost of the attachment.

Disregarding the lat attachment and other accessories, what would be the best power rack out there in the sub $400 range? The powertec seems pretty burly and I like the chinup bar. Any opinions?

**Wildcat33** · 12-06-2002, 09:17 AM

Because of the way the Powertec's handles are setup you can only do medium grip chins or pullups, can't do any wide grip or narrow grip on it. From what I've seen the Powertec is the strongest PR out there for under $400. I crossed it off my list when I was PR shopping, because 1) it doesn't have a lat attachment available 2) I don't like the way the chin/pullup handles don't allow different grip widths 3) It does not have extra room on the bottom rear of the frame to push a bench farther in for incline pressing off the back uprights.

The biggest advantage of a PR mounted lat attachment is space saved, and most of them cost less than a quality free standing lat machine. The disadvantages of a PR mounted lat attachment are 1) No thigh pads to hold you down when doing high pulley work such as lat pulldowns 2) Some don't have enough weight capacity 3) as ctgblue has stated many times most get in the way of you doing incline presses off the back of the rack

My equipment is stuffed into a corner of my home office right now, but soon it is being moved into a larger room in my house that I'm turning into a home gym. I got the PR mounted lat attachment mainly because I don't need the thigh pads (I do chins/pullups instead of bar pulldowns), I wanted to save space, the weight capacity was adequate, and I could get the PR mounted attachment cheaper than a good quality lat machine. I haven't seen any *good* free standing lat machines with 400+ weight capacities and both high & low pulleys for $250 or under. I'll have a treadmill, PR, rowing machine, cardio glide, 2 weight trees, doctor's scale, and various other things such as dumbbells/swiss ball/etc. in my home gym when I move everything in ... I didn't want to have a separate lat machine in there to take up more space. If space and money were more or less unlimited I would rather have a free standing lat machine, but for my purposes the PR mounted lat attachment works better.

Hope this helps

**Ace7** · 05-03-2005, 11:09 AM

Just bumping up this old, but good thread to help out those with power rack questions.

**Eric_FXST** · 05-04-2005, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by Wildcat33

No lat attachment made that I know of, no dip station, and looking at weight it doesn't seem any heavier than the "Body by Jake" rack above.

http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/92551.html
same as above for both of these

I have this rack.
There is a lat attachment for it, and a dip attachment that I purchased and feel works very nicely. It is very sturdy.
http://www.newyorkbarbells.tv/92552.html
http://www.newyorkbarbells.tv/9259.html

**Eric_FXST** · 05-04-2005, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by Joshman

The only gripe I have is that the power cage does not support a dip attachment. To improvise, I just put the two barbells on the saftey supports and dip between them.

Se if maybe this will work. Is seems pretty universal and is very sturdy.
http://www.newyorkbarbells.tv/9259.html

Thread: Powertec Power Rack (it weighs 385 lbs!), is this one recommended?

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