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In A Hurry Here Are The Top 3 Best Squat Racks With A Pull-Up Bar That We Reviewed
Cheapest Squat Rack With Pull Up Bar For Sale
NO/A Power Squat Rack With Pull Up Bar
Positives
- The best built squat rack we reviewed
- Many accessories including resistance band anchors
- This is a power cage with a smaller footprint
Negatives
- Minor cosmetic damage upon delivery but this is going to be the case when you have anything weighing this much being delivered in cardboard boxes.
Product description
- Height: 85-inch
- Width: 47-inch
- Depth: 42-inch
- Product weight: 121 Pounds
Positives
- Heavy duty-can hold up to 800 pounds
- Has more accessories than a normal squat rack
Negatives
- One of the J-hooks had a weld on it that wasn’t sanded down as much as it should’ve been. Was easily fixed with a file but I thought I should bring it up.
- A little expensive but worth it since you have the accessories to do more types of exercises.
Product Dimensions
- Height: 81-inch
- Width: 46-inch
- Depth: 44-inch
- Product weight: 110 Pounds
Positives
- Very sturdy
- Smaller footprint
- Great quality for the price
Negatives
- Hard to find accessories that will fit it
- You can adaptors to make the holes smaller but the accessories are still a little loose.
Product Dimensions
- Height: 87-inch
- Width: 53-inch
- Depth: 38-inch
- Product weight: 83 Pounds
Positives
- Easy to assemble
- Stable especially when you have the weight storage full
Negatives
- Make sure to measure your ceiling and give yourself room depending on your height, this rack is a slightly taller than the others.
Product Dimensions
- Height: 85-inch
- Width: 41-inch
- Depth: 41-inch
- Product weight: 95 Pounds
Positives
- Small footprint
- Materials are well made and high quality
- Very affordable
Negatives
- Simple design without any accessories, great if you’re truly only looking to do squats and pull-ups
- Our package didn’t have the instructions but don’t let this stop you from buying it. It’s very easy to assemble.
Product description
- Height: 87-inch
- Width: 43-inch
- Depth: 42-inch
- Product weight: 90 Pounds
Positives
- Adjustable pullup bar
- Large rubber suction cups to ground it to the floor
- Affordable
Negatives
- Basic design only allows for squats and pull ups
Product description
- Height: 56-inch
- Width: 47-inch
- Depth: 51-inch
- Product weight: 52 Pounds
Positives
- Easy to assemble
- Comes with a landmine attachment
- Good quality
Negatives
- The safety bars are angled back to prevent your barbell from rolling off. This can make using it as a bench press a little awkward.
- Jay hooks are a little small, which isn’t a big deal unless you’re used to bigger ones like I am.
- Height: 81-inch
- Width: 47-inch
- Depth: 50-inch
- Product weight: 105 Pounds
Positives
- Good quality for an affordable rack
- Smaller footprint
- Allows you to use it as a bench press if you have a bench
Negatives
- It’s rated for 500 pounds but the book that comes with it says 600 pounds, I wouldn’t put more than 500 since that is the recommendation from the manufacturer.
- Extensions come with to use as a bench, but make sure they are in tight. They have a habit of coming loose.
- Height: 86-inch
- Width: 46-inch
- Depth: 62-inch
- Product weight: 107Pounds
What You Should Look For In Your squat Rack With Pull Up bar
There are certain features and steps you need to consider before buying a squat rack with pull up bar
Height Of Your Squat Rack
You don’t want to get home, build your rack, and realize that it’s too tall or short to be used correctly.
Make sure to measure your ceilings and to factor in the tallest person that will be using the pull-up bar.
The standard rule is that when hanging from the bar, you want to have at least six inches in between your feet and the floor.
Then it would be best if you gave yourself at least a foot head clearance when you’re pulling yourself above the bar.
so, you need to add 18″ to your
For example, if the tallest person using it is 6’2″, then you would want a squat rack with a height of at least 6’8″
The Dimensions Of Your Squat Rack
You need to measure your room and then find out the footprint of your rack.
Make sure to leave yourself enough room on both sides to account for the barbell you’ll use.
If you’re using a 7′ Olympic barbell, then you need to subtract the width of the squat rack with the length of your barbell to figure out how much room you need.
If you have other pieces of equipment in your home gym, make sure that there is enough room in between all of them for you to walk and utilize them all.
And be mindful of any equipment you may be buying in the future.
Durability And Material
Different squat racks will come in various gauge (thickness) steel.
- 2″ x 2″ 11 gauge
- 2″ x 2″ 14 gauge
- 2″ x 3″ 11 gauge
- 3″ x 3″ 11 gauge
These are some of the examples of the thickness of the steel can vary with different brands.
The heavier gauge steel will make the racks more stable and give you the ability to use higher amounts of weight.
If you’re a beginner, you won’t need as much weight capacity, but over time your needs will increase, so make sure to account for how much weight you’ll need a year or two from now.
Another thing to look at is the screws that are holding your squat rack together. Look to see how long they are, how many of them are being used to hold it together, and what are they made of.
Weight Capacity
It would be best if you made sure that any piece you’re about to buy can safely hold the amount of weight you’re going to be using during your squats and pull-ups.
The one detail you need to pay attention to is some brands will include your body weight into the amount of weight the piece can handle.
For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and the squat rack can only hold 400 pounds, your maximum squat weight will only be 200 pounds.
Pull-ups aren’t as big of a deal since you only have to add your body weight, and maybe account for a weighted vest or belt once you need to add some more resistance.
How Stable Is It
The last thing you want is to be squatting a couple of hundred pounds and have to worry about your squat rack being wobbly when you rack and unrack it, or to be doing pull-ups and feel the feet coming off the ground.
How thick the gauge of steel your squat rack is made of will go a long way in determining how stable it is.
The units made of thicker steel will cost more money, but they’re worth it. You’re going to be using a lot of weight during your squats, and you want to make sure your gym set up is safe.
I know everyone isn’t afforded the luxury of having massive budgets to buy the best equipment, but you really shouldn’t cheap out on certain things in life, and this is one of those moments.
Make sure to look for whether or not the rack has a nonslip rubber on its base; this will keep it from sliding on the floors and also protect your floors from becoming damaged.
Is It Foldable
I know squat and power racks that are foldable =and transport easily are popular, especially with people who do Crossfit.
I hate them!
Even the expensive ones are not very stable due to the hinges needed to allow you to fold it.
If you have to have a foldable squat rack with a pull-up bar, make sure to look at the reviews and know that you will have some movement when you rack and unrack your barbell and when you do pull-ups.
How Much Assembly Is Required
I know some people get stressed out about putting things together, and all squat racks with pull up bars will need to have some assembly.
When you look at the reviews and see a bunch of people complaining about the instructions or how hard it was to put together, try to take them with a grain of salt.
Everyone will have varying degrees of difficulty putting something together depending on how comfortable they are reading directions and familiarity they have with tools.
The assembly is such a small percentage of the time you’re going to spend with your squat rack that it should never be a determining factor whether or not you buy it.
Don’t put ease of assembly ahead of maximum weight, durability, and effectiveness.
Weight Of The Rack
Some people worry about the overall weight of the rack, but I’m not sure why.
Unless you’re buying a foldable one, then after you purchase it, you won’t be moving it enough for this to be a reason why you buy a specific type.
Adjustable Bars
These are a great accessory if you’re having multiple people use your squat rack, it allows everyone to adjust the bars to feel comfortable.
Cost
I know cost is always a factor but try not to buy a cheap model that will be unstable and possibly cause an injury.
Accessories You Should Have On Your Squat Rack With Pull Up Bar
Some of these accessories are for safety, and some are to help you perform better. I didn’t start with all of these on my squat rack, but I would have a tough time giving them up.
Safety Bars
This is a nonnegotiable item that shouldn’t even be considered an accessory.
The safety bars that run horizontal and are there to catch your barbell if you were to falter while doing a squat.
Do not buy a squat rack that does not have safety rails. Many cheap models don’t include them.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again “you get what you pay for,” and the only thing you’ll get from this is an injury.
Another benefit of safety bars is you won’t need a spotter. It will give you the peace of mind knowing that you can train to with max weight capacity until one rep short of failure and not worry about getting hurt.
How Well Designed Are The J Hooks
The J hooks or holding pins is what keeps your barbell when you are racking and unracking it. They should be a least a quarter-inch thick to make sure they can hold the required weight capacity.
It’s going to be tedious but how they are designed is essential. Sometimes the lip is too big, making it hard to get your bar off, and vice versa. If the lip is too small, the bar can roll-off.
You also want to see how they attach and detach since you will be moving them with almost every move you do.
It would be best if you also looked into how many holes are available for adjustments and how far apart they are located from each other.
On average, you want them to be a half to one inch apart for minor adjustments.
Storage for your weights
I didn’t add the plate holders or storage pegs (depending on the terminology the manufacturer uses) to my rack at first, and now I couldn’t live without them.
The biggest reason is how it adds a measure of safety to your workout area since it allows you to workout without weights lying all over the place, and it also looks better.
You can buy multiple plate holders so that you can store the heavier weights higher up and the lighter weights down low to make it easier to switch weight plates during workouts.
You can also buy steel tubes that attach to your rack so that you can stick your curl bars and barbells in them for easy storage and accessibility.
Anchors To Hold Resistance Bands
Adding resistance bands to your free weights can increase the intensity for you to break through strength plateaus and add variety for a change of pace.
You’ll have hooks or anchors attached at the base of the steel frame to allow you to switch out different bands depending on how you want to incorporate them.
Difference Between A Squat Rack And A Power Rack
Squat racks with pull up bar
A squat rack with pull up bar will usually only allow you to do squats, pull-ups, and other minor exercises.
A squat rack won’t have as many accessories, size, or weight capacity to allow you to do every workout in your routine.
Another big difference is when you do a squat with a squat rack, if you can’t finish the move, you have to find a way to drop the weight on the floor before you get hurt.
In a power rack, you’ll have horizontal bars that you can drop the weight on, and then you can walk away.
For this reason, you don’t need to have a spotter while exercising.
Power racks
Power racks are a whole gym as long as you have all the accessories needed to perform the different moves.
Along with squat and do pull-ups, you’ll be able to get extensions that will allow you to do bench presses.
You can buy a pulley system that will let you do several arm and leg exercises. This will make it very easy to target individual muscles like the triceps.
Power racks are are a lot safer since they have safety bars to catch your barbell during a squat, and since they have a larger footprint, they don’t move when you’re using heavyweight like a squat rack will.
What Is A Squat
A squat is a lower body exercise that has you drop into a sitting position with your butt pushed out, holding it for a second then moving back into a standing position.
The squat is considered a staple among strength training exercises due to how it targets your quads more effectively than almost any other move.
Benefits Of Squats
Enhances your lower body muscles
Your legs have the largest and strongest muscles in your body, and it takes higher amounts of weight combined with compound exercises to train them correctly. This is why squats are so effective at increasing your leg muscles.
Think about how much you depend on your leg muscles daily; everything from walking to the bathroom in the morning to brush your teeth to sitting on the toilet relies on your quads, hip flexors, calves, hamstrings, and adductors to do it.
Increases athletic performance
Compound exercises are excellent for increasing strength; this is why the squat is beneficial for improving athletes’ performance in individual sports.
If you run track, you will help your sprint time by adding squats to your workout routine.
If wrestle or play football, squats will increase your explosive strength allowing you to push and pull with more force and enhance your fast-twitch muscles.
Squat variety is the spice of life.
We all at times get a little bored with our workout routines, but the great thing about squats is there are so many different variations that target the same muscle groups you will always be able to change things up to keep your routine fresh.
Burns fat
A lot of people think cardio is the way to go when it comes to burning fat, but compound exercises are just as effective
Compound exercises work for multiple groups at one time, putting your body into an oxygen-deprived state, forcing your heart to pump more oxygenated blood to your muscles.
This raises thermogenesis in your body, stimulating your metabolism, and the extra work being done by your heart burns more calories per hour.
Protects your knees
I have many clients who tell me they don’t want to do squats because they have bad knees.
Squats being bad for your knees is a myth, and when done correctly, it will strengthen your knees to act as a prevention to injury or to help with existing knee issues.
Building up the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your knees will make them stronger and able to take a lot more punishment as you do more intense activities, and as you get older.
Squats will build your core
You don’t realize it, but you use your core muscles for almost every move you do throughout the day.
When you put 200 pounds on your shoulders and then perform multiple squats, you’re working your abdominal muscles out.
As you squat down and come back up, make sure to keep your abdominal muscles engaged, tighten them as if you were about to be hit in the gut.
This will keep your core more active throughout the exercise.
Prevents injury
Squats or any strength training activity will build muscle, promote flexibility, and help you decrease the chances of becoming injured.
Strength training will improve how well your muscles, ligaments, joints, and tendons will hold up to everyday life.
Your bones will become thicker and harder to break when you incorporate weight training into your fitness routine for an extended period.
How To Do A Squat Safely
- Put the barbell on your rack pins and load the desired amount of weight on it.
- Get under the bar making sure the barbell is in the middle of your back, not on your neck. Unrack the bar and take a step away from the squat rack with pull up bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- When you squat down, you want to angle your knees out slightly and push your hips and butt back.
- When you come up, keep your head looking forward, back straight, and chest out. When you get to the full pause for a second, then repeat.
How to Do A Pull-Up Correctly
- place your hands on the pull-up bar shoulder-width apart with your knuckles facing you.
- Let your self hang from the bar with your arms straight down and keep your feet off the ground.
- Pull yourself up straight up and don’t stop until your chin is above the bar.
- If you can drop back down and straighten your arms fully out, if you’re not strong enough yet, only go 3/4 or halfway down and then bring yourself back up.
- Remember that even pulling yourself up a couple of inches is working the muscles needed to complete a pull-up. If you find yourself not able to do it anymore, just hang there as long as you can. Over time you will be able to do more.
How To Do A Chin Up
- Place your hands on the pull-up bar with your knuckles facing away from you, have your hands shoulder-width apart.
- You’re going to be using your upper arm mostly to pull your self up. Cross your legs or bend your knees to balance your weight and stop once your chin is above the bar.
- Slowly lower yourself down in a controlled manner until your arms are straight.
How To Make A DIY Squat Rack with Pull Up Bar
If you have the time and tools you can make you’re own squat rack with a pull up bar.
Make sure you take the time to make it level and stable, this is one piece of equipment you don’t want falling on you mid rep.
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