Which Rogue Power Rack Should You Buy? (2022)

Up to date 2022 with present rack options and to emphasise the Monster Lite collection.

Rogue has so many fashions of energy racks and squat stands that selecting between them is overwhelming at first. I’ll be narrowing it all the way down to only a few racks that for my part are the precise selection for 90% of individuals.

Why Rogue

Rogue has a wonderful repute for construct high quality, customer support, and general reliability. Their merchandise are well-designed and examined. They make all racks of their big facility in Ohio whereas different firms principally import from China.

Out of all manufacturers, Rogue simply has the most effective resale worth. It’s essentially the most acknowledged top-tier model of rack within the client market. A Rogue rack you may be capable to resell after just a few years for 80% of its retail worth if it’s in nice form.

They’ve innovated dozens of latest equipment so as to add to energy racks. Different producers have copied Rogue’s rack sizing to be compatible with their accessories, however typically there are slight incompatibilities. While you get a Rogue rack you realize you’ll be in an excellent scenario for including equipment afterward.

All of Rogue’s energy racks are a “walk-through design”, that means constructed with out a decrease rear stabilizer bar that may solely get in the way in which of the right positioning of a weight bench.

Their vary of rack fashions is intensive, to the purpose of being overwhelming if you happen to don’t know what to search for. It additionally means you may get precisely the precise rack for you whenever you get some good recommendation (which hopefully you’ll get right here!).

Squat Stands and Wall-Mounted Folding Racks

See my prolonged information on choosing between power racks and squat stands.

I’ll in all probability write an article quickly about Rogue’s a number of squat stands.

Additionally see the folding wall-mounted racks information going over Rogue and different firms.

Rogue’s Energy Rack Strains

The very first thing you must know is the distinction between their Echo, R Collection, Monster Lite, and Monster racks, in order that I can information you thru eliminating an excellent chunk of them as potentialities and make it clearer what your finest choose is.

The primary technical distinction between the 4 traces is their tubing measurement and {hardware} measurement (ie: bolt thickness).

Whereas Rogue does point out the above someplace on their web site, I’ll inform you the actual causes you must select one over the others. Greater isn’t all the time higher right here.

The R-Collection had been Rogue’s first racks. 2×3 racks had been frequent earlier than Rogue, and that’s what they went with. It’s an excellent tubing measurement for decreasing wobble, and it makes for moderately heavy racks that keep in place. This collection is being phased out, and newer attachments are usually not out there.

Echo is the funds choice that Rogue has for a number of different classes of apparatus. These racks are almost just like the Amazon and eBay off-brands of racks, with the distinction being that Rogue’s design and consistency is excellent, USA-made, with out silly design flaws that hit you without warning, and the 11 gauge metal used on Echo racks is a notably good spec.

Greater tubing within the Monster Lite means a extra heavy obligation rack general. You get much less wobble in all instructions and fewer threat of tipping with the added weight. Nice issues. On the draw back, you’re paying extra, and also you’ll be paying extra on the again finish with dearer attachments.

The Monster goes a step past the Monster Lite with larger 1″ {hardware}. Why 1″ {hardware}? Technically that makes it stronger.

Prime Choose: RML-390F

I featured this rack in my Best Freestanding Power Racks article.

Rogue makes hardly any freestanding racks like this, that means one which isn’t meant to be bolted to the ground to be secure.

With the RML-390F you don’t have to fret about drilling holes into concrete or making a plywood platform for it. Simply arrange and go. This can be a in style, primary rack that you’re unlikely to remorse getting.

The steadiness of a freestanding rack like this isn’t precisely because of the “flat foot” design a lot as it’s the ft that reach previous the uprights to create a counter-force towards tipping whenever you re-rack a loaded barbell. With out the prolonged ft, there is no such thing as a counter-force and the rack can simply tip.

On that very same precept, watch out about including entrance spotter arms to this rack. The prolonged ft don’t present as a lot of a counter-force to forestall tipping when the spotter arms prolong previous them.

This rack does include band peg holes, however with out band pegs. You possibly can inadvertently elevate up the rack if you happen to’re utilizing heavy sufficient bands. Check your bands out fastidiously with an empty bar to ensure the rack is heavy sufficient to deal with them. Additionally contemplate that the bands are a counter-force to the burden of the rack and should trigger the rack to tip whenever you re-rack a loaded bar, as if you happen to’re utilizing a lighter rack.

Fundamental Ground-Mounted Choose: RML-390C

Primarily based on the ten 12 months traditional R-3! An excellent primary floor-mounted rack.

The rack comes normal with band pegs and a selection of colours. Optionally you may add numbered uprights, strap safeties, and concrete anchors.

It has the signature “Westside” gap spacing, which is 1″ gap spacing in a decrease space of the rack for the bench press space, and a couple of″ gap spacing above.

The wall-mount rack kit is a space-efficient method to stabilize the RML-390C by mounting it into the wall, must you choose that over drilling holes in your concrete ground. A method or one other, it needs to be mounted.

If You Have the House: RML-690C

It’s important to retailer your plates someplace, and in case your ground plan permits it, having your plates on the rear of a 6-post rack like that is extra handy than on a plate tree. It’s additionally extra secure.

Technically, this rack is supposed to be bolted down, however the prolonged rear portion of the rack gives a lot counter-force leverage towards a barbell being re-racked, as illustrated, and additional body weight (+160lb), that folks have discovered that they’ll get away with leaving it freestanding with out challenge. On naked concrete it might slide. Rubber flooring holds it in place fantastic.

Just like the RML-390C, the rack comes normal with band pegs and a selection of colours, and elective numbered uprights, strap safeties, and concrete anchors.

Monster Racks

All three of the Monster Lite fashions I like to recommend within the sections above have corresponding Monster fashions: The freestanding RM-390F, the 4-post RM-4, and the 6-post RM-6.

Right here’s what you’re taking a look at within the Monster series racks over the Monster Lite:

The 1″ {hardware} is made for a tank. Very arduous to justify that logically. Identical with the brilliant zinc {hardware} end choice. These are glamour options.

The peak choices begin to make sense. In case you have the ceiling room, it’s good to have the ability to do overhead presses contained in the rack with no restriction, and to get a full cling on the pull up bar.

Talking of the pull up bar, the Monster offers you a fats pull up bar choice for a tougher grip.

In case you’re going to be getting sandwich J cups or some strap safeties or flip down safeties, they allow you to improve to these with out forcing the usual ones on you the way in which they do with the Monster Lite. The worth financial savings there barely cuts into the general worth distinction of the rack, but it surely’s price a consideration.

Apart from these upgrades whenever you purchase the rack, the attachments will value you just a little extra on the Monster.

It doesn’t look to me like there are any attachments proper now for the Monster that aren’t out there in Monster Lite, however I consider I’ve seen a Monster model of 1 or two attachments made first, sort of a perk for the Monster house owners. If that appeals to you, properly then go for it.

Tubing Measurement and Security

There’s one draw back to three×3 racks. Above is an R-series rack with the two×3 tubing, that means 2″ vast and three″ deep, the portion of the bar shaft that hangs outdoors the rack. On this instance the bar is pulled just a little to 1 aspect. With the bar centered the marked area might be solely about 2.25″.

You do not wish to be too far off-center whenever you’re re-racking a heavy barbell. You additionally don’t need the plates to bump towards the upright since you’re off-center. Both one catches you off-guard, you get confused, you attempt to look to the aspect to determine what’s occurring, and that’s not an excellent factor in that precarious scenario. The heavier the burden, arguably the extra possible you might be to seek out your self off-center in a set of squats.

Now contemplate Rogue’s 3×3 racks. You’ll have much less lateral area. The best way Rogue designs the three×3 racks, they prolong the width of the tubing outwards. That’s to say, whereas the R-series racks are 47″ vast, the Monster Lite racks are 49″ vast. Now your bar solely has 1.125″ of area on all sides to maneuver laterally earlier than you’re in hassle! Attempt to use some level on the wall or no matter as a visible spot to maintain issues centered when you re-rack.

A method to mitigate that is with sandwich J-cups. Sure, they’re costly. Take into consideration getting them afterward, at the very least. On this scenario, as a result of they’re narrower than common J-cups and stand proud of the uprights, you get extra lateral motion area in your bar, making it as protected as utilizing an R-series rack.

The above is sort of a nasty illustration of my level as a result of they’ve the bar slid all the way in which to 1 aspect to butt the shoulder up towards the J-cup right here for some loopy purpose so it appears to be like like you haven’t any area, however in regular use the thinner design of this J-cup offers your bar extra lateral wiggle room. I wrote about these extra in my article about J-cups.

Closing Ideas

Chances are you’ll discover that I didn’t counsel Echo or R-Collection fashions.

I’m not a fan of two×2 racks just like the Echo. It’s too wobbly and light-weight for a $600 rack. When you’ve used a 2×3 or 3×3 rack, you’ll by no means wish to personal a 2×2 rack once more.

The R-Collection is sort of being phased out. They nonetheless make them, however most of the newer attachments are usually not supplied for them. This was a particularly in style collection of racks for years. These days it’s simply that most individuals are preferring 3×3 racks for his or her superior rock-solid really feel.

As I mentioned to start with, this text is just not meant to be an exhaustive comparability of all Rogue energy racks. However at this level you perceive the fundamental issues, and if one other mannequin catches your eye you’ll be capable to put it in the precise context. Don’t spend an excessive amount of time waffling on it when one is smart to you. They’re all nice racks. Simply get one, and begin lifting!