When you decide upon setting a home gym, purchasing a squat rack or power rack becomes the main focus of your purchase plan besides your barbell.
How do you choose between both? It is recommended that you research this equipment, understand the exact differences between them, and then choose.
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What is a Power Rack?
Commonly called the power rack, this piece of equipment is also known by other terms, including ‘power cage’ or ‘full’ power rack.
A power rack is one of the most popular weight training equipment that’s most convenient for free weight barbell exercises such as squats, bench presses, and more.
Don’t worry about safety, as the power rack has safety bars (also called spotter’s arms, safety pins, or spotter bars) to keep your mind at peace while doing exercises.
Besides this, the power rack has four sturdy vertical steel tubes (called uprights) that provide additional support to the safety bars on the sides.
When using barbells, any time you feel that you’ve run out of energy or it seems like the barbell will crush you over a failed rep, the safety bars come to your rescue catching the barbell before any of these mishaps happen.
Anytime you fail to complete the exercise, the barbell might hit the upright, and the safety bars save you from damage.
When you don’t know which height to set the machine at, it is always recommended to do a couple of reps with the empty bar or minimal weight to target the right height.
To make this process easier, a few racks come with numbered holes, and in cases when they don’t exist, you can always count the holes and mark the exact place suitable for you.
The racks also contain a set of J-cups which helps you lift the barbell off the rack and rerack the barbell back in place once you are done with the exercises.
It is seen that the J-cups are normally placed above the safety racks so that you can take the barbell and start exercising.
Many power racks also come equipped with a pull-up bar.
What is a Squat Rack (Half Rack)?
A half rack is also called by other terms, including a half squat rack or half power rack. These machines don’t have the 4 sturdy uprights as the ones present in a power rack.
Even if there are uprights, you get not more than 2 of them mostly, and anything more than that is present at the back of the bar and used for nothing more than storing your weight plates.
You must use a barbell from the front of the rack, and unlike power racks, not all models come with a safety rack.
Only some models have a safety arm to protect you in case of a failed rep, and hence, it is always advisable to take extra precautions while using a half rack.
Also, these might or might not come with pull-up bars.
Why Should You Buy a Squat Rack or Power Rack?
A home gym has become one of the integral features of your home as most of us find it convenient to do our routine exercises in the comfort of our home. So, when you build a home gym, focusing on buying a squat rack or a power rack becomes necessary.
If you wonder why you should buy a squat rack or power rack for home gym use, both could be considered helpful workout stations for your barbell exercises.
You could even think of both pieces of equipment as a throne in your home gym that exists as the centerpiece of your strength training routine.
Another vital use of these racks is that you get to enjoy an exclusive place for racking the bar while doing exercises such as squats, bench press, and any other exercise that needs the use of a spotter.
Besides buying a barbell, another piece of equipment that becomes indispensable for strength training includes purchasing a good-quality power rack or squat rack.
7 Differences Between a Squat Stand and a Power Rack
We are now aware that both a squat stand and a power rack help you do strength-training exercises comfortably and safely.
If you are confused about which one to choose, understanding the primary differences between them will give you a clearer picture of which rack is better for your exercise targets.
#1. Safety & Reliability
A squat rack normally has two adjustable metal posts that help in supporting the barbell. You can stay under the bar, lift it off the stands, step back, and do squat exercises. Once done with the exercises, you can step forward and replace the bar on the stands.
In terms of safety and reliability, a squat rack cannot be vouched to be as safe and reliable as a power rack, as this machine lacks four uprights that exist as a protective shell for your barbell.
Another safety issue with squat racks is the absence of safety arms that come to your rescue in case of a failed rep.
It is better to purchase bumper plates while practicing strengthening exercises using a barbell on the squat rack if you would like to protect your flooring.
Contrarily, a power rack has four metal posts connected by horizontal framing, and hooks (or catches) are attached at various rod positions at different heights, making it easier for you to hold the bar.
The machine comes equipped with safety spotters or safety straps, making it extremely safe and stable compared to a squat rack.
You can work alone on a power cage, and you get to enjoy more freedom with it as you can experiment with different variations of the exercise here.
Such enhanced safety features in a power cage make them the chosen one for heavy weightlifting purposes, and you also needn’t worry about getting hurt with the barbell here.
Use the power cage as you please for doing overhead presses, heavy squats, and bench presses, using the extra safety and security features provided here.
#2. Flexibility
We all know that you can use a squat stand or a power rack to do the two integral exercises, including squatting and bench press.
Moving further, in a squat rack, you can do squat variations otherwise. Hence, we can see that the range of exercises possible with a squat rack is limited, making this machine most suitable for doing Olympic lifts.
Whereas, in a power rack, you can do a range of exercises, including different squat variations, pull-ups, chin-ups, bench presses, inverted rows, deadlifts, barbell curls, and various other lifts as well.
Hence, we can see that a power rack allows for more versatility and flexibility than a squat rack.
#3. Space and Size
Space and size occupied by a squat rack or a power cage mainly depend on the design and construction.
A squat rack generally occupies less space than a power rack, but it mostly has the same footprint as a cage if the rack is a beefy one.
If you have a small-size room with little space to fit a rack, I recommend that you go for a squat rack as it can be fit into any corner of the room. Such a smaller footprint is mainly due to the absence of 4 uprights as present in power racks.
You needn’t bother about whether or not your ceiling is high, as squat racks don’t require such high ceilings, and in fact, they are a better fit for homes with low-ceiling spaces.
Such a smaller footprint makes this machine easy to move around. Hence, while you fix it up in any room, you can always enjoy the privilege of moving it around anywhere in the house.
If you see the design and construction of a power rack, these are generally bulky and quite large (occupy at least 10 square feet of space).
As they have four sturdy uprights and maximum safety features and fittings, power racks require an optimal amount of space.
Being tall, you must also check whether your room has a high-ceiling space to accommodate a power rack and use it comfortably, especially when you love to do pull-ups.
All these make a power rack difficult to move around, and hence before you assemble the machine, make sure that you’ve chosen the right spot to set it up.
#4. Stability
Are you interested in heavy weightlifting or working heavy iron? If so, you might be interested in procuring a power rack owing to the machine’s stability.
This piece of equipment is such stable individuals commonly use the terms power rack or power cage interchangeably to name this piece of equipment.
Powerlifters prefer to use the term ‘cage’ instead of ‘rack’ to boast of their weightlifting skills as the rack mimics a metal-framed cage-like structure.
#5. Price & Budget
Due to a squat rack’s design, it is generally observed that squat racks are relatively smaller than power racks and, in terms of pricing, are cheaper.
Still, if you wish to purchase bumper plates to keep your flooring safe, remember that they are costly and might increase your overall cost multi-fold times.
So, before you make a decision, compare the cost of a squat rack along with bumper plates to that of a power rack.
Purchasing a power rack costs almost double the amount of a squat rack still. They don’t come with any added accessories.
Some squat racks might be as expensive as cages because the manufacturer has taken extra caution to design and make a stable stand that occupies a smaller footprint and is also light to handle.
#6. Upgradable Options
Although the main home gym equipment might provide enough versatility to do enough for your exercise goals, we all love to incorporate certain customizations and make our pieces of equipment unique and better.
But, if you are looking for any customizations, I must remind you that there are no possibilities for a squat rack. Power racks are better customizable as you get provisioning for weight storage, bands, chains, safety pins, landmine, wall ball target, etc.
Another wise gesture from your side would be to upgrade to drop-ins and spotter arms or straps as soon as you purchase the rack, as you might save some money when you buy them along with the equipment rather than adding them to the rack later.
#7. Pull-up Bar, Dips bar
If you are interested in doing pull-ups, I am glad to tell you that good-quality squat racks come with a pull-up bar, whereas all power racks come fitted with a pull-up bar for doing your pull-ups.
When it comes to the dips bar, you don’t get a dips bar in any squat racks, but power racks might come with a dips bar depending on the model and the manufacturer.
If you wish to add a dip station to your power rack, you must ensure that your racks allow you to anchor, as some models don’t allow for anchoring to a lifting platform or any foundation.
How to Choose? Squat Rack or Power Rack?
Although by now you would have clearly understood the differences between a squat rack and a power rack, if you are still confused about which one to choose, let me tell you that it is always better to make a choice depending on your fitness goals.
Apart from this, you can also choose between both the racks based on two important features—your available space and the maximum budget that you have set aside for setting up your home gym.
#1. Space
Before buying any piece of equipment, you must check out the available space in your house to set up the home gym machine.
Again, while checking out models, it is always better to compare and see whether or not the rack/stand has a footprint that fits well in your available space.
If you wish to purchase a power rack, it is advisable to check out your available ceiling space as these racks require higher clearance than a squat rack.
This is mainly because they are taller and come with a pull-up bar which might cause injury to your head if you don’t have enough clearance space for doing the pull-up exercises.
But, if you lack enough ceiling height yet would like to buy a power rack or do pull-ups, you can choose a retractable rack that can save you some space.
If your house has limited space and you wish to make maximum use of the available space, it is always recommended to go for a squat rack.
This is mainly because a half-rack helps you get more room space to move around and step over your feet which makes ample difference in space available in any home suffering from space crunch.
#2. Budget
We start looking out for various home gym equipment, mostly with a set budget in our minds. While some of us are ready to relax, not all of us have the privilege of doing this.
Before buying any piece of equipment, always look into all the models on your list closely. Check out each of their features, take your time looking into the machine’s performance, try doing some exercises on it, and make an informed decision.
Don’t purchase anything on an impulse or simply because that’s the first model you found, and you cannot spend more time hunting for exercise equipment.
It is not wrong to cover all kinds of stores and online sites for any great deals available but in this process, never compromise on safety issues for matching your budget requirements.
In case of budget restrictions, you decide upon buying a squat rack, at least ensure that you have the cushion to purchase a squat rack that converts into a power rack (just in case you would like to work out on a power rack later). This way, you can save a few bucks.
Let me also enlighten you that while a half-rack might have fewer parts and comes at a cheaper rate (shipping is also cheap), it is also necessary to note that good-quality half racks are more expensive than some power racks.
This increase in pricing is mainly because such half racks are made of heavy-duty materials that promise stability despite occupying a smaller room space or coming with a lighter frame.
In Closing
As always, the decision is upon you to go for either a squat rack or a power rack, as both of them are a common sight in many home gyms. Either of the racks comes loaded with a set of benefits as well as some disadvantages.
If safety is a primary concern or you are a beginner trainer, it is better to choose a power rack as these come with safety bars and uprights that avoid any chances of an injury.
But, if space is a concern and you are tight on budget, you can always go for the squat rack. If you want to do presses or Olympic lifts, once again, a squat rack is a better choice as most of the lifts cannot be done comfortably inside a power cage.
Olympic lifting requires more balance, coordination, and techniques, and hence, you must learn how and when to dump the bar safely. Also, front squats can be performed only with a half rack.
So, take your pick keeping all these factors in mind, and enjoy versatile health benefits by using the squat or power rack.
