Power Rack
A home gym cannot be complete without a power rack. Anyone wanting to maximize their gains will only benefit from having a power rack in their gym. This piece of equipment is used for a number of exercises but is most commonly used for squat exercises and bench press exercises. You could do almost any exercise with a power rack, even curls, at least in the comfort of your own home. Try that at a local gym and there will be quite a few people staring though.
A power rack simply allows you to perform both weighted squats and bench presses with proper form. It also allows you to do these exercises safely. With a normal weight bench you rarely have safety stops but you can perform bench presses on the power rack and not have to worry about needing a spotter. It is also very beneficial when it comes to squats as the bar is already positioned properly. This allows you to get the maximum amount of reps in each set as you are not wasting any energy getting the bar in position.
Importance of a Power Rack
Most weight lifters will give the same explanation on why a power rack is extremely important in any gym. The single most important reason for a power rack is to perform squats, which ultimately leads to targeting your legs. Any experienced lifter knows that you cannot build a house without foundation. If you want to have a well built body you will need to work your lower body as well. Doing weighted squats is simply the best way to do so.
Whether you are cutting or bulking you can benefit from a power rack. It may be as simple as the fact that it can be used for squats but it is really a multifunctional piece of equipment. You also have to factor in the fact that you can do bench presses with the power rack as well. You are not limited to these major exercises though as there are many other exercises you can perform with a power rack.
Power Rack Exercises
You should not forget to factor in the other exercises you can do with a power rack. These may not be as common as the bench press or squat but they are very effective exercises for the targeted muscle groups. Anyone looking to fine tune their whole body image and strengthen all muscle groups would have these exercises in their fitness program. These include exercises such as inverted rows, rack pulls, dips, and pull ups.
Buying a Power Rack
It may be expensive to purchase a power rack from an exercise equipment retail store. You have a few better options if you want to get the best deal possible. Since power racks can be expensive you may want to look for more affordable alternatives. You have two main options here – 1) check on various buy/sell/trade websites such as Craigslist, and, 2) contact a small gym that is out of business to see if they are selling their equipment. If you can find a closed gym you may be able to get an expensive power rack for only a fraction of the price.
You will also want to know what type of power rack to buy. You have the choice between a single frame and cage power rack design. A single frame design is very basic and only consists of two posts (vertical). This would be the best option for a home gym or anywhere with limited space. A cage design consists of four posts (vertical) and also includes bar catchers (horizontal). The bar catchers are a great safety feature and make for a great investment. This is a larger power rack and would be best in a gym unless you have a very large room dedicated to your home gym.
Also, when buying equipment for your home gym you will want to make sure that you do not out grow it easily. This basically means that you should always have an excess of weight lying around. After a while you will be lifting heavier than you used to and this will continue to add up. If you run out of weight to use it can be very stressful and may temporarily halt your gains or cause a plateau. Just make sure you are completely prepared, especially with a home gym, and part of having an efficient home gym is having a power rack.
