A Full Guide To Squat Racks And Benches (With Reviews)
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A squat rack and bench are an amazing aide for any barbell and free weight work you implement in your exercise routine. These pieces of equipment allow you to practice movements like the barbell squat and bench press safely, greatly expanding your options and creating an environment to fuel your workouts effectively.
If strength is in any way part of your fitness goals, you may want to consider adding these tools to your inventory. Many compound exercises that are considered a staple of strength training require a substantial amount of weight to achieve adequate resistance.
A squat rack is used to safely and efficiently perform many of these movements, some performed in tandem with a bench. The bench alone adds a good deal of options to the average workout, changing leverages for bodyweight movements like dips or hip thrusts or providing a stable base for dumbell movements like rows or presses.
If your interested in adding one or both of these pieces of equipment to your own home gym, great! Now lets go over all the factors you should consider before making your choice.
How to Find the Perfect Squat Rack
The perfect squat rack will fit your unique requirements and there are several considerations to make when beginning your search. Squat Racks can differ in size (footprint), height, strength (weight capacity), features, attachments, and of course, price.
Footprint
The amount of floor space the structure will take up in a room.
For most people, the footprint of the rack will be the determining factor in which rack is best suited for you.
Squat Racks can range drastically in size depending on the form factor.
Generally, the more substantial a squat rack is, the higher its build quality and features tend to be.
Some racks are can be foldable or more compact to appeal to those with a smaller workout area.
Conversely, a full-size power rack can range from 4 feet wide to 12 feet wide, depending on the brand and model.
Height
Just as important as the footprint, A squat rack that does not fit into your home gym is of no use to anybody.
Make sure you measure not once, but twice - and maybe even a third time.
Squat racks occupy plenty of vertical space so you want to make absolutely certain that the rack will fit in your home gym before making an investment.
Strength and Quality
Squat racks are rated for their maximum weight capacity. If you plan on lifting heavy, look for a rack with an appropriate weight rating.
The Strength of a squat rack can be determined by the steel gauge and tubing thickness.
The thicker the gauge and tubing, the more durable it will be. Thicker steel is usually a sign of superior quality but can make the rack heavier. Such is the trade-off for increased durability.
Generally, squat racks have tubing sizes that vary from 2” square tubing for smaller racks, to 3” X 4” rectangular tubing for the heavy-duty series of racks.
If you are not lifting extremely heavy weights, the smaller tubing sizes are more than sufficient for your needs.
Features and Attachments
Squat racks offer several features and attachments, such as spotter arms, pull-up bars, dip handles, safety catches, pulley systems, and many many more.
Spotter arms help you lift safely by catching the barbell should you not be able to complete a rep.
This feature alone is worth buying a squat rack for, Spotter arms are the last line of defense when it comes to safety and can prevent injury should you misjudge a lift.
Safety catches should come as standard on any squat rack, make sure you double-check this before buying!
Pull-up bars may also be included on some models and can add an excellent upper-body workout to your routine.
Dip handles are also a common feature and can add additional upper-body workouts.
Pulley system attachments can help turn your squat rack into a plate-loaded pulley system to add further variety and targeting to your exercises such as tricep extentions and lat pulldowns.
Lastly, it is worth noting that when shopping for attachments for your squat rack to be sure that the hole spacing on the attachment is the same as the hole spacing on your rack.
The best way to be sure of this is to buy attachments from the same brand however if you need to mix and match, be sure to check the dimensions and specs of your attachment and rack to ensure compatibility.
Price
Modern squat racks range in price from budget models around 400$ to those costing well over $1000.
The cost of a rack depends heavily on the features, material quality, brand name, and other extras.
When choosing a rack for your home gym, it is essential to take into account all of these factors as well as your budget.
Rogue RML-390F Monster Lite Rack
Durable Power Rack
This is our pick for a high quality modestly priced power rack that will handle massive weights for the serious powerlifter types out there.
It features Westside style hole spacing for improved accuracy with setting your hooks and your safeties. It's made with 3x3'' 11 gauge steel uprights that reach a height of 92.25''.
The footprint size is 49x48'' and it comes with a straight pull up bar with an option to change it from a skinny to a skinny/fat option for those with bigger hands.
This rack has many upgrades you can purchase including plate pegs for storage, a landmine, dip attachment, strap safeties, and even a cable attachment. It cost a good penny for these upgrades, but if you wish you can build an entire gym station around this power rack, and that is why its our top choice.
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Synergee Power Rack
Great Value With Attachments Included
For under $1000 this power rack is an amazing choice. Including a plate loaded pulley station with both vertical, and horizontal pulling points, a landmine, a dip attachment, with a lat bar, a row bar and a landmine handle. The sheer variety is amazing, and its all included in one purchase.
This rack stands 81'' tall with a footprint of 44.5''x51'', 4.5'' shorter without the pulley. The uprights are 2x2'' 16 gauge steel and the rack has a weight capacity of 750lbs. More then enough for the vast majority of people.
For many home gyms, this is an ideal choice. It doesn't take up much space and it includes equipment that greatly improves your variety of exercises.
I would highly recomend this for people who love hitting multiple muscle groups with an emphasis on isolation exercises.
The only people this wouldn't be ideal for are the serious powerlifting types who want a more durable rack with more accurate pin and hook settings.
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Rogue RML-3W Folding Wall Rack
Heavy Duty Space Saver
If you dont have space for a normal power rack this might be a game changer for you.
Rogue's RML-3W folding rack offers the durability of a power rack with amazing storage capability. perfect for installation in a garage or basement.
This rack has 3x3'' 11 gauge steel uprights like its monster lite cousin, although it stands slightly shorter at 90.375''. It doesn't have an amazing capacity for attachments but still is capable of some of Rogues add-ons like the landmine and dip attachments.
Overall this rack is has everything you need in a compact package. With Rogue's amazing quality this rack is capable of very heavy weight with accurate pin and safety settings and your choice of an inner depth of 21.5 or 41.5''.
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How to Choose the Right Bench for Your Squat Rack
For the best results in your workouts, you should always pair a quality bench with your squat rack.
Squat racks come with several adjustable features and when paired with a bench, can allow for a variety of exercises to be performed from one station. Benches come in 2 main varieties, fixed and adjustable.
Fixed Benches
Usually cheaper and have a fixed incline. They offer more stability than their adjustable counterparts, which can be helpful when performing exercises such as chest presses or shoulder presses.
Fixed Benches also usually have a higher weight capacity and are better suited for those looking to lift heavy at the cost of the flexibility that comes with adjustable benches.
Adjustable Benches
Adjustable benches come with several adjustable positions that can provide you with greater versatility in your workouts.
These benches are more expensive but they make up for it in their versatility. They are great for those looking to perform more diverse exercises such as incline and decline presses, bent-over rows, etc.
If you are not into serious powerlifting and just want to set up your home gym for success then it is recommended to get an adjustable bench as they are plenty durable and offer variety and versatility that a fixed bench just cannot meet.
One adjustable bench can fill the role of several fixed benches that take up precious space in your home gym, and god forbid, become clothing racks.
Now that you know what you are looking for in both Benches and Racks, it is time to take a closer look at some of the best products and start setting up that home gym for success.
Titan Fitness Flat Bench
A Long-Term, Hard Working Bench
Titan's competition grade flat bench is a great option if your planing to use this for heavy benching.
With a capacity of 1000lbs this bench is very capable of extreme weights.
The pad is 2'' thick and 12'' wide with a length of 48''. Easy to transport with a front handle and rear wheels.
It has a comfortable padding with Titan's HeftyGrip vinyl upholstery that will keep your back planted firmly on the bench when your working with heavy weights.
This bench is what happens when simplicity meets durability. it doesn't have the flexibility of adjustable benches, but it excels at what it does as a modestly price competition bench.
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Synergee Adjustable Incline Bench
Affordability & Reliability In One Package
Synergee's adjustable bench has a high weight capacity with 9 back positions and 3 seat positions so you can accurately target the your muscles with 27 different custom configurations.
It has a rather thick pad at 2.5'' with a very tight gap between the back and seat. The pads width is 12'' and the back pad height is 33''
It comes with a handle on the front and wheels on the back for easy movement but it doesn't have any features that make it easy to store.
A great bench for benching flat, incline or even decline. You can't go wrong with this bench, its flexibility makes it useful in all kinds of ways and its price is more then fair for what you are getting.
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Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0
When Precision Comes First
Rogue outdid themselves with the 3.0 version of their adjustable bench.
with 10 different incline positions and 3 different seat positions this seat has 30 potential custom configurations with a premium textured foam pad and minimal gap between pads.
Made from 3x3'' 11 gauge steel, this bench is capable of incredible weights.
Sporting wheels on the back and a handle on the front, it is easy to move around and it has a stand that allows it to be stored upright.
This premium bench is best for serious lifters or lifters with a good deal of disposable income. It's quite an expensive option but it's an option that can do it all and has no limitations. This bench is top of its class in stability, quality, durability, and variety.
