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Many weight trainers and weight lifters will readily agree that fitness racks are a must-have for any home gym. These fitness or power racks allow the user to perform almost all the most important exercises in any bodybuilding program. Imagine the convenience of being able to perform squats, bench presses, dead lifts, and more using just one machine. Fitness racks come in different types including Smith machines, squat racks, Jones machines, and half racks.
Basically, fitness racks are structured to hold weight lifting bars to enable the user to lift them from different positions to target various muscle groups. A typical power rack comes with two vertical bar holders, a safety spot bar, a pull-up bar, and hook bar catches. They can be configured in a number of ways for lifters to perform all kinds of major lifts and be fitted with attachments to be able to do several other exercises. Fitness racks are tough and sturdy as they are made of heavy-duty steel.
Advantages
The use of fitness racks has three major advantages: safety, ease of use, and versatility. They can be used in the comfort of your own home without the need for a spotter. Lateral safety pins are present to catch the weight bar at any time. Power racks are easy to use in building muscle and strength with squats and you can use them to do bench presses, inverted rows, pull-ups. Chin-ups, rack pulls, and dips as well.
Disadvantages
Fitness racks are usually big in size so they need a lot of floor space and head room. You must have enough space in your home to occupy a power rack. The good news is there are half racks that pretty much offer the same versatility as full racks. Another drawback is that you would have to spend a little more for equipment and accessories such as barbells, a bench, weight plates, and other attachments to fully enjoy the benefits a fitness rack has to offer.
Fitness Rack Options
Smith Machines
Smith machines consist of steel rails for holding the barbell that allow vertical movements. Some designs offer forward and backward movements. It is also equipped with an adjustable bench and other safety features to perform a wide array of exercise routines.
Jones Machines
Jones machines are much more advanced than Smith machines in terms of safety features and flexibility. With it, you can perform all the exercises available for Smith machines and a lot more. Its self-spotting feature and hundreds of linear bearings allow for 3-D barbell motion.
Half Racks
There is so much you can do with half racks that they make fine additions to the home gym. They do not take up as much space as regular fitness racks but they allow you to perform all the basic exercises and more just by installing pulley attachments.
Squat Racks
Squat racks are very basic in structure and used to secure the barbell at starting position while performing squat exercises. They are mostly used in leg exercises but can also be used to perform bench presses, shoulder shrugs, and bicep curls.