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Thread: Rack advice please

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Manchester, England
    Posts
    90

    Default Rack advice please

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    Going to take the plunge and put together a home gym (UK).

    Budget for rack is £650 max so that excludes a Rogue R3. I'd welcome comments on these or alternative suggestions please.


    ATX Power Rack PRX-750

    Strength Shop Thor Power Cage - Black - FREE SHIPPING IN UK

    https://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...lack-2017.html

    Thanks all.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    San Diego
    Posts
    183

    Default

    Have you considered just taking the rack plans that Rip had posted years ago, to a local welder and having them fabricate a rack for you? With the cost of imported stuff in the UK, making it might actually be a cheaper route...

    Just a thought...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Uk
    Posts
    1,468

    Default

    The first two are out of stock, the third is unavailable. You might have a problem getting a power rack with this Cov19 lock down.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Posts
    1,040

    Default

    OP, I finally took the plunge and put together a home gym this year. I purchased the Rogue R3. I wanted the SS rack but I wanted to save some cash. Bad move. Don't get me wrong the Rogue R3 is a nice rack, but the SS rack is better as is the SS weight tree. Hold out and buy the SS rack or get one made with the details in SS. Luckily I didnt cheap out on the bar and I got the SS bar.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Manchester, England
    Posts
    90

    Default

    Thanks all.

    Given the situation I don't think getting a rack welded is an option and sadly I don't have the funds for a Starting Strength rack, especially with the additional postage/customs charges to UK.

    I've been told stock of the Strength Shop and ATX racks will be coming soon so I'd appreciate your thoughts on my suggestions if that's OK.

    I should have mentioned combined budget for rack and bar is approx £850 so would it be better to get the cheaper rack with a Texas Power Bar or the ATX and perhaps a Rogue 2 our Strength Shop Bastard Bar?

    The Rogue Bar 2.0 - Olympic & Powerlifting - Made in the USA | Rogue Europe


    StrengthShop Bastard Bar - with centre knurling


    Cheers

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    23

    Default

    ATX ram bar is great. It has an oxyde finish instead of a plating, which improves the grip. SShop bastard bar has both bearings and bushings, which to me looks somewhat sketchy, so the bastard power bar may be a better alternative.

    All those racks looks pretty similar, although the ATX one is the only one rated for 1000+ kg, and the SShop one has lower hole spacing which is better for setting the safety pins for the bench press. They all have pretty shitty pull up bars though. A simpler pull up bar will allow you to grab it the way you want and not the way they think you want. if you don't want/don't find a straight bar, even the ATX-prx620 seems to have a better chin up bar that the one you chose, with a reasonable grip width for both chins and neutral grip pull ups. You may also just get another pull up bar for cheap and not care about the one on you rack. Or not do chin ups.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Leeds, UK
    Posts
    10

    Default

    I bought a “Beginner Strength Package” from Strength Shop in September '17 which included the Bastard Bar with centre knurling. The bar is fine, it's the only one I own so it's used for everything. It's lived in a garage gym all its life and I've just brushed and wiped the chalk off and lightly oiled the bushings as required. I've used a Texas Deadlift bar in a commercial gym a few times and my bar is obviously significantly more rigid than that but I find the diameter of the bar fine for double overhand and hook grip deadlifts. (For reference, my hands measure 200mm from “wrist crease” to end of middle finger) I haven't had any issues with whippiness on the squat although the most i've squatted is 160kg so above that I can't say. Pressing movements are fine, grip is good.
    The knurling isn't showing any wear even where it contacts the J hooks on the rack. There is some light corrosion on it, I gave it a rub down with WD40 and wire wool about 6 months ago but this left flecks on wire wool in the knurling for my hands to pick up – I'll know to wash it off next time.
    I put a 20kg plate on the bar and it span for 1min 40s so the bushings are still in good order.

    I think the rack I have has been discontinued as I can't see it on their website. It's very basic, I've nipped the fixings up occasionally and wiped it down.
    The safety bars are quite lightweight and are hollow tube rather than a solid bar. I have failed bench presses and set down 120kg on them but I don't think they'd stand up to having a heavy bar actually dropped on them and are certainly not suitable for rack pulls.
    The hole spacings are 80mm but the bench itself can be shimmed for finer adjustment.

    All in all, both the rack and bar have served me well but I will be looking to upgrade to a sturdier rack in the future.

    Hope this helps, Jacob

    IMG_20200401_092555.jpg
    IMG_20200401_092633.jpg
    IMG_20200401_101445.jpg

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    187

    Default

    Get a piece of schedule 40 iron pipe from any supply place or hardware store that is large enough to slide those safety pins thru and it will disperse the loads across the entire pin and make it much stronger

    A piece a couple inches shorter than the distance between the uprights

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Leeds, UK
    Posts
    10

    Default

    Thanks for the tip.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Posts
    23

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    I have the Strength Shop 'Thor' power rack you mentioned in a short height garage version. For me it was the only short rack available. Although expensive compared to some other 60mm racks, the comparative closeness of the hole spacing probably makes it worth it for setting bench safeties. Beware the Thor has a very big footprint if you are short on space at all.

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