Rewritten in 2022 with higher steering on the explanations to decide on every sort of rack.
Terminology
Most readers know these phrases, however to make clear how I’m utilizing them right here…
Energy rack – Has metal uprights each in entrance of and behind the barbell, plus security bars you set to catch the barbell for those who fail. Whether or not you fail a carry by dropping the barbell down, ahead, or backward, it has you lined. Often known as a full energy rack to distinguish it from a half rack.
Half rack / Squat stand – Solely has metal uprights behind the barbell, leaving one finish open. Generally has adjustable or non-adjustable security arms to catch a failed carry, or none in any respect.
Squat rack – Ambiguously any of the above in informal dialog, however normally it refers to some form of half rack, particularly in a dialogue like this.
Squat stands – When squat stand is plural it means 2 unbiased stands which are positioned to carry both facet of the barbell. Normally minimalist and light-weight with no security arms.
Energy Rack Benefits
Most security
Should you’re lifting heavy alone, it’s a very good concept to be utilizing an influence rack. Folks have gotten injured and even killed whereas lifting alone of their basement on a half rack.
The primary benefit to an influence rack is the security bars, additionally known as spotter arms, security pins, or spotter bars. All mainly the identical factor, with a number of potential designs. We now have too many names.
The uprights – or 4 vertical metal tubes of the rack – are there to assist the protection bars on the edges, and to some extent to cease the barbell for those who lose steadiness and it falls ahead or again. You alter the protection bars to a top simply barely beneath the underside of your vary of movement for the actual train to catch a failed rep and forestall you from getting injured. With issues set correctly, you’re fairly secure it doesn’t matter what.
Half racks can have security arms, however they’ll by no means be as as secure as an influence rack. Right here’s an instance of what occurs on a lightweight responsibility half rack with an insufficient security arm design:
So whereas the half rack above caught the barbell, the power was nice sufficient on the protection arms away from the middle that the entire rack flipped up. Not good. Even with security arms, half racks are likely to not be as heavy and subsequently not as steady total as energy racks, merely resulting from having fewer body parts, and should not catch the barbell in addition to you want to.
With cheaper half racks, if the barbell hits the uprights laborious sufficient it might tip the rack over. Some half racks are made to be steady sufficient. When it’s a half rack design which you can bolt to a concrete flooring or to a platform, or is ready as much as allow you to add plates to to weigh it down, you’re in a lot safer territory.
Some half racks’ security arms are very brief and may as properly not be there in any respect, as a result of you’ll be able to’t rely on them whenever you’re failing a rep. 18″ lengthy security arms can work. 24″ is best. Some small footprint racks received’t assist security arms that lengthy.
There’s no query that though a half rack may be made safer in varied methods, an influence rack is inherently safer. It’s a very sensible selection for newbie lifters who don’t have the squat motion down and should severely lose their steadiness and need to let go of the barbell in an uncontrolled method. Or heck, generally the motion doesn’t go as deliberate. All of us get stiff joints, small accidents, or weak days.
Security straps
This standard innovation is solely accessible on energy racks. The aim of straps is similar as security bars, however they cut back the impression for those who fail a rep. This protects your barbell’s integrity and knurl, and it cuts the noise loads as properly. For some workout routines, like rack pulls, you is likely to be utilizing the straps each rep or each set, making all this an even bigger issue.
As a bonus, you may get finer top changes by shifting just one finish of the strap up or down.
Pull up bar
It’s pretty straightforward for designers so as to add a pull up bar, and even two – a standard thickness bar within the entrance and a ‘fats’ one within the again – once they have already got to attach the rack collectively on the high with one thing.
Taller half racks can definitely have pull up bars. But when they’re going to make the half rack tall sufficient and add the pull up bar, it begins to method the value of an influence rack.
See certainly one of these articles for my high energy rack picks in keeping with your want:
Half Rack Benefits
House
Technically the footprint of a heavy responsibility half rack is usually the identical as an influence rack. However in a decent area a half rack can provide you extra room to maneuver round and step over the ft, sufficient to make a distinction. A house fitness center can have restricted area that it’s important to make one of the best use of.
Overhead Presses
Plenty of racks are made to about 81″ excessive in order that they’ll slot in residential items with a normal 8ft (84″) ceiling, contemplating additionally a potential inch or two of fitness center flooring materials. Whereas that top is okay for many workout routines, a lifter maybe 5’8″+ tall desirous to do standing overhead presses could have an issue. The barbell will smack proper into the body, the within of which is likely to be round 78″ excessive. A taller energy rack clearly is good when you have the ceiling top. The simpler answer for many house gyms is both doing overhead presses exterior the rack or utilizing a half rack the place you received’t be within it anyway.
Worth
A half rack has fewer body elements and is mostly cheaper to make and ship.
That stated, the spectrum of costs on energy racks and half racks does overlap, with some heavy-duty or feature-rich half racks being dearer than light-duty energy racks.
Transferring the Barbell
To do workout routines exterior of the rack like overhead presses or olympic lifts, or for those who simply wish to change the barbell out, a half rack presents extra flexibility since you’re at all times exterior the rack. You’ll be able to end your set of standing rows exterior the rack, clear the barbell to your shoulders, and set it on the rack prepared for a set of squats. An influence rack requires that you simply fully unload the barbell first and thoroughly maneuver it round between the uprights to set it inside, and also you higher not have a wall subsequent to you or ultimately you’re going to be repairing drywall.
Olympic Lifting
With so many individuals into Crossfit or barbell complexes involving olympic lifts (the snatch and clean-and-jerk, this may be related for lots of lifters.
Perhaps you wish to do some warmup entrance squats off the rack, then take a number of steps again and do a set of cleans off the ground with out being caught contained in the rack. To get the barbell out of an influence rack in a dependable manner you’d need to unload it first.
This video nails precisely when it’s okay to squat exterior of a rack:
Plenty of half racks have non-obligatory security arms you’ll be able to add or take away as wanted, making the protection characteristic not an all-or-nothing choice.
Some half racks may be bolted right into a concrete flooring or a lifting platform. Even when your rack doesn’t have tabs with bolt holes on the ft, it’s really potential to bolt down any rack. You both wish to drill by means of the tubing and use additional lengthy bolts, or higher, bolt down a bracket that lays over the tubing.
Above is an outdated type squat rack with mounted spotter bars that aren’t adjustable. That’s an enormous downside. Taller customers want the protection bars to be greater, or it isn’t as secure.
Be aware additionally the gunrack-style barbell hooks. As an alternative of a set of adjustable-height J cups, you employ no matter top you need. Personally, I don’t like that type. You’ll be able to bang into the entrance of hooks when strolling it again in.
This outdated type isn’t actually any cheaper than energy racks. The primary purpose for them is that they have zero shifting or removable elements that may stroll away and are fairly heavy and steady. One much less headache for fitness center managers to cope with. On the flipside, the shortage of adjustability means they’re much less consumer pleasant. They’ve been principally phased out in favor of adjustable squat racks or energy racks.
Anyway, so far as fashionable types, as of writing I don’t but have a information evaluating a number of half racks. Typically by default I like to recommend Rogue. No less than have a look at its sizing and options as a normal to check one other model to.
That is the Rogue Monster Lite SML-1. Should you evaluate all of Rogue’s squat stands, the SML-1 is the bottom priced one that’s heavy responsibility sufficient to have good 24″ security spotter arms as an choice.
Impartial Squat Stands: Ineffective?
A pair of stands just like the above are the least secure choice, and these are comparatively heavy responsibility in comparison with some. You must ensure that the stands are the appropriate distance aside and oriented proper. They’re straightforward to tip over whenever you transfer the barbell again into them.
Take into account additionally the place you’ll step. You would probably journey over these splayed-out ft with a barbell in your again. General simply not very consumer pleasant.
Their promoting factors are value and portability. You’ll be able to stuff them away in a nook or closet between makes use of.
Plenty of newcomers use stands like this once they’re first beginning out. As you push your limits, get stronger, and carry extra weight, these begin turning into a very dangerous concept.
Wall-Mounted Squat Racks Benefits
These racks recruit your wall studs so as to add extra stability than an everyday half rack, they usually fold towards the wall to avoid wasting extra space than a half rack would. For these causes, a ton of individuals go for this type, and it’s not a nasty selection.
They do require cautious set up. The primary racks of this sort had points the place you might rip the screws out of the wall. Now it’s just about commonplace to suggest wooden stringers between your wall studs as within the above pic – making 100% certain you’ve hit the studs behind the drywall – and then you definately’ll mount the rack into the stringers with massive screws.
For extra full data about such a rack, I wrote an article comparing several wall mounted squat racks.
