Power Cage is the most important piece of gym equipment. But many gyms don’t have one. Building a home gym is often the only solution.
Benefits of Power Cage.
Free weights build more muscle and strength than machines. Work stations like Bowflex will give you subpar results and don’t work for routines like StrongLifts 5×5.
Safety. Power Cage have lateral safety pins to catch the barbell in case something goes wrong. You can lift safely without a spotter.
Easier. Squats are key to building muscle & strength. But without Power Rack you’ll struggle to get the bar on your back for Squats.
Versatile. Tons of exercises you can do: Squat, Bench Press, Inverted Rows, Dips, Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Rack Pulls and many more. Drawbacks of Power Rack. In terms of results, buying a Power Rack is the best decision you can make. But there are drawbacks: Takes Space. Your basement or garage needs to be big enough for your Power Rack to fit in. Especially your ceiling must be high.
Needs Extra Equipment. You need a barbell, bench & plates if you want to do as many exercises as you can with your Power Rack. Costs More Money. Because you must buy extra equipment on top of it.
How to Choose a Power Rack.
The higher the quality and the more options, the more expensive the Power Rack. Things you must look for: Sturdy. Quality construction with little plastic. Load capacity of minimum 1000lbs/455kg. Power rack shouldn’t be too light.
Size. Tall enough so you can Overhead Press inside of it. Wide enough for increased stability and so you can do exercises like Sumo Squats.
Uprights. Adjustable to many heights and with narrow spacing. Outside uprights so you can Press outside of your rack if it’s too short.
Safety Pins. Removable or adjustable to all the way down so you can Floor Press inside your Power Rack. Narrow spacing for pin work.
Pull-up & Dip Bar. For Pull-ups, Chin-ups and Dips. Best is a Power Rack with a straight Pull-up bar.
