What is a Power Rack?

A power rack is a piece of gym equipment that typically consists of four upright posts with a horizontal bar across the top. It can also be referred to as a power cage or weight cage.

Power racks are often used for weightlifting exercises such as the bench press, perform barbell squats, and shoulder press.

They provide a safe and stable environment for lifting heavy weights, as the bar is supported by the posts on either side.

Additionally, power racks often have features such as safety bars and spotter arms, which offer additional support and safety when lifting.

While power racks are a common piece of equipment in commercial gyms, they can also be purchased for home use. When choosing a power rack, it is important to consider the height of the posts, the width of the base, and the weight capacity.

Additionally, make sure to choose a power rack that is compatible with the type of weightlifting exercises you plan to do.

How Big Is A Power Rack And How Much Space Do You Need?

When you are at the gym, you often will see many different lifting equipment and a tall metal structure in the centre of the gym.

Most power racks that you see in gyms are around 120-130cm deep, 155 cm wide, and typically 230 cm tall.

Due to the power racks requiring a larger space, you will need to assess whether you have adequate space for the power rack.

You will need to allow a bit of extra space than the above measurement for the full and half power racks. This is to allow for the barbells and space to move around. Some power racks come with integrated weight storage which is a huge convenience.

The amount of additional space is required around the power racks is around 100cm because this allows more room to move around after an intense workout such as deadlifts.

What Are The Benefits Of Having Power Racks?

Power racks are very common lifting equipment that can be found either in a commercial gym or home gym. Or perhaps you are thinking of setting up a home gym and you are wondering whether you should get a power rack.

Let us tell you the benefits of having a power rack and how it can be incorporated into so many exercises.

You can train solo

When you are training alone, a power rack has added safety features compared to when you are lifting heavy weights by yourself. You will not need spotter arms helping you with the barbell.

They have adjustable safety rails or safety straps that limit the downward travel of your barbell. For an instance, when you are doing bench presses you can pre-set the safety bars to your chest level and if you cannot complete a set, the safety bar prevents the barbell from falling on you.

Other than doing barbell exercises like barbell shoulder press, power racks allow you to do pull-ups as well

They are very convenient

Power racks are a type of gym equipment that provides a safe and stable environment for lifting weights. They typically have four vertical posts with horizontal beams at the top, and they may also have additional features such as j-hooks or spotter arms.

Power racks are often used for exercises such as the bench press or squat, as they provide a way to safely release the weight if needed. power racks are also convenient because they offer a way to change the height of the barbell, which is helpful for accommodating different users or exercises.

Additionally, power racks typically have weight storage pins to keep weight plates organized and within easy reach. Overall, power racks are a versatile and convenient piece of equipment for any home or commercial gym.

Versatility

Power racks have unmatched versatility because you can perform a variety of different exercises. Any popular exercises that include a barbell can be done with a power rack while also training different muscle groups or your entire body.

However, it is also important to know that some free weight exercises on the internet require you to have a power rack or the workout will not be completed properly.

Storing your weight plates

Power cages are a great way to store your heavy weights in your home gym because most of them come with Olympic weight plate holders.

It gives you easy access to the other plates during your strength training sessions, this can also be a great feature because after performing barbell squats or any other popular exercises it lets you easily store the heavy plates.

What is the difference between a power rack and a squat rack?

You might be thinking that power cages and squat racks are the same things because they look similar, however, that is not entirely the case.

Power Cages have more vertical posts

The structure of a power rack is like a cage with four vertical beams while a standard squat rack only has two vertical beams.

Most power racks come with plate storage but not all squat racks have them.

Normally, squat racks don’t have weight plate storage options and they don’t have the ability to squat inside while using the safety rails or safety straps.

Power racks have more lifting options

J hooks can be placed on the inside and outside of the power cage which allows you to exercise the inside and outside of the cage. Power cages have two sides you can conduct your lifts on. This can be used in commercial gym setting to save money by buying half the about of racks.

The power racks have more safety features

Power racks have a safety rail or safety straps in the middle of the rack which squat racks do not.

This is a great feature to have because if you ever fail to do a heavyweight move, the safety rails or straps will catch the barbells from falling onto you.

Pick up that phone and look us up

Choosing to get a power rack for either your commercial gym or home gym can be a big decision, why not contact our friendly staff to answer any queries that you have about power racks.

FAQs - Kinta Fitness