Practical advice on selecting the best Power Racks for your Weightroom
by Rick Anderson, Vice President, BFS t any Starbucks around the cotintry today you might see a construction worker ask for ayplain coffee—black, a businessman order an espresso, anda slender guy in a bright orange sweater ask for something like “a mocha-cocoa-decaf, with sprinkles!” People take their coffee very seriously these days. And just as there-are- seemingly countless choices for your morning brew, there are also many choices to make in power racks. 26 Power racks are the focal point of any serious weightroom. And placed between each set of pillars.
The barbell can be placed on with good reason: versatility, With a bench press station, you bench these rods or on bar supports that can hook into the holes, With a squat rack, you squat. Having individual pieces of equip: ment is fine if you have the space, but the rack saves you money When performing a squat, for example, the lifter removes the because so many exercises can beperformed omit. har from the bar supports and then squats dewn-te just-a few inches from the spotter rods. If the lifter should miss the weight, the safety rods will catel’
the bar and thereby help avoid injury holes driven at 1- to 4-inch intervals so that spotter rods can be to the lifter and minimizéamage to the bar Of course, at BFS Classical power racks can be placed on top of lifting platforms to conserve space, as opposed to making separate stations as shown in this illustration of the weightroom at Salina High School. Ml we always recommend having a spotter when performing squats or bench presses, as dropping the bar from even a short distance most power racks to enable athletes to perform chin-ups or hangcan bend the barbell. In fact, this is one way we test the quality of ing leg raises.
One chin-up variation popular among football barbells: by loading it with several hundred pounds and dropping coaches is to hang a towel over the crossbeam, grasp the ends and it from several feet onto the support rods. perform chin-ups. Coaches believe this type of grip more closely approximates the movements that occur in some sports. Whatever ‘The spotter rods enable athletes to perform partial-range-ofmotion exercises in addition to regular squats and deadlifts. For biceps and upper back muscles.
example, lifters who have difÏculty locking out their heavy bench presses can set the support rods several inches above their chest Although it may seem as if there are dozens and isolate that portion of the lift, The rods can be set at precise racks on the market, there are basically only two styles: sticking points on a lift so that the bar doesn’t move, a method of racks and half racks. The difference between the two is that the training called isometrics. half rack has a U-shape, with the support stands located on the outside of the two inside pillars.
Each type has its advantages, and the major difference is not so much the price but the design of your The U-shape design of the half rack provides the athletes more room weightroom. to perform Olympic lifting movements than when the rack is placed on a platform. True, this configuration doesn’t allow you to work with as many people as does having separate power clean platforms A power rack is designed for the basic core exercises except Olympic and power racks, since it would be unwise for safety reasons to have lifting movements such as the power clean or snatch. If you place athletes cleaning and squatting at the same time.
But if space is a a power rack on an 8 x 8-foot platform, the major limitation in your weightroom, half standard size, you reduce the amount of area tacks are a better choice. Also, half racks have you have to clean in half. For BFS clinician Jim | a sleeker, more aesthetic design that appeals to Brown of Poplar Bluff High School this is fine, as many coaches — and with the importance of he has his athletes clean inside his power racks. making good first impressions on recruits, this Others would prefer to lift on a separate platform may be an important quality. or to have a longer platform to compensate for the space the power rack is taking up.
Regardless of the type of rack you choose, never buy racks that have pillars with Jess than Ifyou have lots of extra space, you may set up 11-gauge steel construction. Weaker stee] may your weightroom with power racks and separate not hold up to the heaviest weights your athplatforms. This will enable you to work with letes use, and thicker steel is just for more athletes than if the power racks were placed on top of the platforms. If athletes are show — unless you’re working with adult Amherst HS, Wisconsin gorillas or elephants.
performing the classical Olympic lifts, the snatch and clean and jerk, they need the full platform, as they often move The power rack and half racks form the base of your weightroom.
‘several feet in each direction and drop weights that can roll several These pieces will last just about forever, so take your time thinking feet. For those with limited space, however, the half rack would be a about what's best for your program—it's not like you're choosing batter option.
PMassive 3” x 3°.11-gauge steel construction with lifetime frame warranty Shown in customs Eliminates,wéightroom bottlenecks Our,fost popular Total Program station Perform Built to last: massive 7-gauge steel tubing | Bench sold separately: $279.
From BFS Magazine — September/October 2005. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
