I’m considering buying a power rack, and I wanted some input from you guys who own/use them. I know you will all probably say to save up and buy a elitefts rack or others, but I’m in a money crunch. I’m considering buying the super rack from new york barbell. I need the wide base for widestance squats and for sumo pulls. Anybody have any input about this particular rack, or similar alternatives? I don’t need any of the extra lat pull sh#t, I just need the rack.
Check out “Elite Fitness Systems” – Dave Tate’s stuff. I bought my power rack there and I love it. Best piece of gear I’ve ever owned.
http://www.strengthequipment.net
He built mine and he will do custom work.
Someone just asked about this a week ago. Here’s a link to the discussion from last week – you might find some useful info and links:
bigjames… about how much did you pay for that?
I am fortunate, for I have known the guy that builds the equipment for roughly twenty years. He gives me a great deal. So it is hard for me to say what I paid. But he will charge ya right. The bench I had made locally for 50 bucks then I went out and bought the plywood, padding and covering. I also had to paint it so I probably have another 25-30 in it.
It is made out of 2x4 steel so it is beefy and holds up to my fat ass. If you are looking for a sturdy rack, I would go with the Powertec rack, it is the only one that I have seen that is rated to 1500 pounds for the price. The only thing that stopped me was I called my buddy and he said he would build me a custom rack for about the same price. So I went with him.
Good luck in your search for gym equipment. I feel I am very fortunate to have what I have.
BiggJames
What a great looking set-up, biggjames!
I like your color coded plates. Must make it easy when you need to find a weight or tell someone how much to place on the other side of the bar. “Hey, let’s take off these greens and we’ll throw on a yellow and a white or two”. I like it!!
If money isn’t an object, get a Crepinsek rack. I got one last year and it was $945 shipped but will last forever. His rack is the one you can get a monolift like attachment to go on it. There are also a ton of other options. The best feature is that everything will bolt together from the side, so it being a 7’ rack (standard size), you can put it in a room with 7’ ceilings. It has 1/2" adjustments as well.
www.1500lb.com is the site.
Here is a pic of the rack. The thing on back with the hooks is my own invention because I couldn’t afford the monolift attachment and every powerrack I’ve ever seen has the j-hooks where i want my hands to be.
I have ONE piece of advice: get quality. A powerrack is going to last maybe 200 years after you are dead, passed on to your children and their children. So maybe take that into consideration. It is the single most important piece you will own, I think. Apart from the weights themselves.
On the other hand maybe the ability to dismantle it might be important to you, in case you move house etc…
Just some thoughts
[quote]Omnivore wrote:
What a great looking set-up, biggjames!
I like your color coded plates. Must make it easy when you need to find a weight or tell someone how much to place on the other side of the bar. “Hey, let’s take off these greens and we’ll throw on a yellow and a white or two”. I like it!!
[/quote]
Thank you on my set up.
I am a little anal when it comes to my plates. After being a powerlifting meet promoter for several years. I kind of want my plates to look like the real thing. So I paint them. I feel it helps with my training mentally, like I am getting ready to compete and I can see the colors not only live and in person, but when I visualize internally. Maybe I am just a phreak.
BiggJames
[quote]Magarhe wrote:
I have ONE piece of advice: get quality. A powerrack is going to last maybe 200 years after you are dead, passed on to your children and their children.[/quote]
I agree!
I have a question that I’d like to ask the folks on this thread and I hope it’s not a stupid one. I have really been working on improving my form in the squat so that “sit back” from the beginning instead of lowering down and then sort of “rocking” back at parallel (for lack of a better way to put it). I love front squats because the form is easy to do right and get down but the amount of weight I can handle is obviously less than back squats.
Would it be possible (or even advisable) if I have my own custom built rack, to have it “fitted” to me? I was kind of envisioning a kind of “guide rail”. My foot position could be outlined on the floor and the bar could travel down a rail that would keep me in my perfect groove. This is to force me to use the trajectory that is correct FOR ME. Kind of like a personalized Smith machine but the bar would not be attached to anything.
Am I on to something or just “on something?” Is any part of this scenario viable? Thanks guys!
you’re on something.
You need your stabalising muscles to do the work for you. Not some track.
I don’t know if anyone read your original post, but yes, NYBB makes good equipment. If you don’t want the pulleys, why not get the standard power rack?
[quote]johnnytang24 wrote:
I don’t know if anyone read your original post, but yes, NYBB makes good equipment. If you don’t want the pulleys, why not get the standard power rack?[/quote]
Well, I actually called NYBB the other day to find out about the inside dimensions of the racks. I thought that if I were to buy the super rack, then I would have a larger inside width, since I squat wide and train with a guy who pulls sumo. I was wrong. The inside width is only 44" on both racks, which is a bit small. I think I might just have to save up for a elitefts rack with a sumo base. I don’t want to buy something that is going to mess with the way I squat.
