rack on platform?

[BenK]

Without going into space constraints and other motivations for this question, would the standard plywood & rubber platform be OK if I placed a power rack on it?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Depends. Specifics?

[amsgator]

Although my platform is incomplete (need another stall mat to finish the corners) that's what I have in my garage. I deadlift/power clean on the other half of the platform.

[Mark Rippetoe]

What is wrong, son?

[hollismb]

My female property lifts with the Titan rack secured by construction screws into plywood and 2x4s on top. Deadlifts on a cut strip of horse stall mats.

Over a year now...you'll be fine.

...Unless your rack is facing backwards on the platform like amsgator's.

[amsgator]

...Unless your rack is facing backwards on the platform like amsgator's.

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

[BenK]

My female property lifts with the Titan rack secured by construction screws into plywood and 2x4s on top. Deadlifts on a cut strip of horse stall mats.

Over a year now...you'll be fine.

Well, okay.

The reason I asked is the design Rip advocates has a rack next to a platform, which I don't have space for. So I want to put the rack on the platform and deadlift on the remaining space or inside the rack. Not really doing any Olympic lifting, for which you would want more space in case you rack off balance. I am used to deadlifting in very tight spaces.

The rack will be custom made and the design is not final yet. I wonder if it will need to be bolted down in lieu of standing on the plywood on the crossbar in Rip's design and whether 3 layers of plywood is sufficient for this.

[manveer]

This is in my garage. Rogue R-3 (30" depth) lag screwed to 3 layers of 3/4" OSB. Plenty of space. I deadlift and occasionally power clean in front of the rack.

[idlehands]

This is in my garage. Rogue R-3 (30" depth) lag screwed to 3 layers of 3/4" OSB. Plenty of space. I deadlift and occasionally power clean in front of the rack.

buddy had a similar design for his r-3 and depending on the bar and the depth of the bottom members you can deadlift inside the rack fine. All depends on if the bar hits the bottom members

[SD Gator]

It seems like the most solid way would be to bolt the rack directly to the concrete and then build the platform around it.

If you want to simplify platform construction, then you can bolt the rack through the platform into the concrete.

I don't think bolting it through the platform is unsafe or anything, but it should have less give with a direct connection between the rack and the concrete than if there is with a compressible mat in between.