Power Rack and Half Rack
The Power Rack, also known as “Power Cage” has proven to be one of the best investments a fitness enthusiast can purchase. There are all types of racks on the market. Some are cheaply made with few features while top of the line versions offer a wide array of options and are built like tanks.
The primary function of the power rack is to provide support for lifting and storing a barbell while ensuring protection as the last line of defense to the lifter in the event the barbell is no longer under full control. The ability to quickly adjust for desired range of motion (starting top position down to the lower bottom limit) should be a primary consideration. With that in mind, a quality rack should have close Hole Spacing where the Safety Spotters attach (or some other means for small incremental range of motion height adjustments), enough depth for full forward/backward movement. A quality Power Rack should be constructed of heavy Gauge steel for plenty of strength.
Most quality power racks include:
Other useful functions include Sumo Base, Bench Docking, a weight stack system for cable work and other add-ons depending on a persons lifting goals and budget.
Something to be aware of when choosing a quality power rack, not all racks are capable of standing overhead presses inside the rack unless the rack is 8 feet or taller (which may not fit into a standard 8 foot ceiling home). Open top Power Racks are available but typically take up the space of a full rack while losing the ability to add topside pegs or chain holds. This is a good place to segway into the pros and cons of the Half Rack system.
A Half Rack places the safety spotters on the front and/or back of the rack instead of inside. A well designed half rack will not have the overhead clearance problem but there are some other potential limitations to look for. These include:
- Safety spotter length may not be long enough for safe drop protection. Anytime a barbell is raised off the floor there is potential for that barbell becoming a Nuclear Barbell. That is to say it could come down when/where it is not intended onto the lifter or someone standing nearby.
- Half Rack Safety Spotters may not lock to the Power Rack frame causing the potential for the Safety Spotter to come off at the worse possible time (ie barbell is on your shoulders or chest).
- Low quality half racks using thin metal can be more susceptible to stability problems without safety spotters connecting to a front and back frame segment.
Is there a half rack that does not suffer from these problems? Yes there is. The X9 Evolution Hybrid Gym. Let’s look at some advantages of the X9 Hybrid Gym (The base of the X9 starts as a premium quality power rack). Along with the positive features mentioned for Power Racks above the X9 includes:
- Overhead presses can go to the ceiling.
- You don’t need to thread the barbell to get it “inside” like you do with a full rack.
- Smaller footprint than most full racks.
- Safety Spotters that lock to the frame making it impossible for them to come off unless you want them off.
- Upgradeability. You can convert the X9 “rack” into a fully functioning gym system with stack plates, cables/pulleys and a host of other innovative options, making it the most functional, fully featured all-in-one gym on the market.
- The robust design of the X9 with heavy gauge tubing (4mm 8 Guage) ensures it will never buckle under pressure and provide a lifetime of use for you and those who follow.
- The Sumo area at the front of the X9 allows wide foot placement while still allowing band pegs at floor level. In addition, Rack Pulls can go to within 2 inches of the floor while still using band pegs. Some Sumo full power racks will not allow this.
In addition, the X9 very effectively stops any Nuclear Barbell cold in it’s tracks. Using our patent pending safety spotting system (including 10,000 LB adjustable straps with TuffStitch technology and micro adjustment) the user gains all the benefits of the full rack and half rack, including taking up less space. Further, our safety strap system provides 100% containment from nuclear barbells 100% of the time.
This gives the lifter peace of mind.
