So why has Bells of Steel named their customizable power rack series the Manticore? To put it simply, it’s a beast of a power rack. With an expansive ecosystem of attachments and heavy-duty steel, this high-quality rack can handle quite a lot, as much as the best squat racks on the market.

In this Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack review, we’ll take a look at the 6-post rack we tested, and separate myth from fact. Is this power rack worth its price? What’s the durability like? Are the attachments worth it? Read on to see if the Manticore is right for your garage gym.

We’re Beasts at Fitness Equipment Reviews

There’s no myth to bust here: Garage Gym Reviews has been the best at reviewing fitness equipment since we launched in 2014. Our team full of experts—certified personal trainers, CrossFit Level 1 trainers, weightlifting coaches, and Olympic-level athletes—brings combined decades of experience into the products we test. Since many of us have our own home gym setups, you can trust our honest opinion to help decide your next purchase.

The Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack was tested by a certified personal trainer, who tried the squat rack and many of its power rack attachments over several workouts spread out over a few weeks. While trying out the power rack, our product tester noted the following categories according to our fitness equipment testing methodology and rated them on a scale of 1 to 5:

• Delivery and setup
• Construction and durability
• Footprint and portability
• Versatility
• Attachments
• Accessory compatibility
• Stability
• Overall value

BoS Manticore Power Rack

Bells of Steel Manticore 6-Post Power Rack

GGR Score: 4.36

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Product Highlights

• Fully customizable rack with attachment ecosystem
• True 3” x 3” 11-gauge steel
• 1” holes with 2” spacing
• Accepts 1” and 5/8" attachments
• Limited lifetime warranty

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Solid construction
• Accepts 1” and 5/8" attachments
• Fully customizable
• Limited lifetime warranty
• Free shipping

Cons

• Add-ons quickly increase the price
• Only accepts true 3” x 3” attachments

Bottom Line

The Bells of Steel Manticore Rack is a fully customizable power rack which is also available as half racks, folding racks, squat stands, and more. This highly durable power cage is made with true 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights that have 1-inch holes spaced 2 inches apart, although specially made keyholes on the uprights’ sides accept both 1-inch and 5/8-inch attachments. If you’re looking for an attachment ecosystem, Bells of Steel has many attachments that are compatible with the Manticore.

A Quick Look at the Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack

Many companies have made their heavy-duty power racks customizable in terms of depth, height, attachments, and crossmembers. Bells of Steel is one of the latest to throw their hat in the ring with the Hydra and Manticore series. The main difference between the two series of racks is that the Hydra has 5/8-inch holes, and the Manticore rack has 1-inch holes along the uprights, although keyholes along the sides will allow for the smaller attachments.

We tested out the 6-post Manticore power rack, but the modular rack is also available as a 4-post rack, folding rack, half rack, folding half rack, flat foot rack, squat stand, and more.

Additionally, the power rack has attachments upon attachments available. The Manticore offers the basics—a variety of J-cups, safety straps, spotter arms, weight plate storage, and pull-up bars—but then goes above and beyond. You can get a plate-loaded or weight stack cable tower for the rack, as well as lever arms, band pegs, dip bars, landmine attachments, or a seal row pad. Whatever kind of gym equipment you need for your ideal rig, the Manticore has you covered.

Before You Buy

• This is a true 3-inch-by-3-inch rack, meaning the uprights are the actual measurement, unlike many imported power racks that are slightly shorter than 3 inches. This means that the attachments used have to be made precisely for 76.2 millimeters by 76.2 millimeters, typically made by North American companies like Rogue Fitness, Sorinex, or Bells of Steel.
• Although the rack has 1-inch holes, the sides of the uprights have keyholes sized for 5/8-inch holes. This will allow you to use both 5/8-inch and 1-inch attachments on the rack.

Is the Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack Worth It?

The Manticore rack has great value, depending on how you customize it. It’s hard to place a price on the Manticore since it’s so customizable. As I mentioned in the Bells of Steel Hydra Rack review, the level of customization may be intimidating to some. 

However, I took a 6-post Manticore Power Rack with a height of 90 inches and a rack depth of 30 inches (plate storage depth of 17 inches), with J-cups, pin pipe safeties, and weight horns, and tried to build comparable racks on other sites.

The Bells of Steel Manticore comes out to about $1,754 using that method, which is pretty competitively priced with other customizable racks. REP Fitness’s PR-5000 rack comes out to just over $1,790. Titan Fitness’s TITAN Series 4-post rack is about $1,200…but adding another two posts with their extension kit drives up the price to $1,800. The Rogue Monster rack starts at $2,610.

If this is the route you’re wanting to go, then the Manticore is a great value. However, our product tester docked the value down to 3.75 out of 5, mostly because of how quickly the attachments can add up. 

“Bells of Steel sent us nearly every attachment that they have,” he said. “If you were to add that ecosystem into the price, you’re looking at close to $4,700 in total.” He adds that you have to decide how important the attachment ecosystem is to you, and if it’ll be worth the extra investment.

Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack Specs

Using the Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack

Over a few weeks, our product tester (CPT, CF-L1) took the Manticore through several workouts, using the power rack for barbell exercises and the attachments on the rack for accessory work. In addition to bench presses and barbell squats, our tester did lat pulldowns, pull-ups, landmine rows, dips, leg extensions, and split squats.

The main thing we want to test for a rack’s performance—especially with rack attachments—is how stable the power rack is while in use. After working with it for a few weeks, our tester rated the rack’s stability a perfect 5 out of 5. “This is a rock,” he said. “This rack isn’t toppling, no matter what kind of training you perform on it.”

With the lat pulldown’s weight stack and weight plates stored on the weight horns, there were several hundred pounds keeping the 6-post rack secure. If you don’t have that sort of weight on the rack, however, you can bolt it to the floor—which is recommended anyway for the power rack. (If you can’t bolt your rack down, consider Bells of Steel’s flat-footed racks, which don’t have to be bolted.)

Construction and Durability

A good amount of the stability you feel while using the Bells of Steel Manticore comes from its materials and construction. Using 3-inch-by-3-inch 11-gauge steel, the Manticore has a weight capacity of 1,000 pounds. This will suit even the strongest powerlifters.

The rack is finished with a durable black powder coat, which will help prevent corrosion and rusting. The Manticore’s finish has held up well with our testing, although GGR Everything lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele has noted some wear and tear on her Hydra rack. Still, she noted that it’s nothing out of the ordinary. We rated the Manticore Power Rack’s construction a 4.5 out of 5.

Footprint

The footprint will vary depending on the type of rack you get in the Manticore series—although the width should be consistently at 49 inches to hold an Olympic barbell. The 6-post power rack has one of the larger footprints (with a maximum height of 108 inches and depth of 87 inches), while a wall-mounted folding rack will take up considerably less space with a depth of 25.5 or 48.5 inches—which can be folded away in between uses. We rated the footprint for the Bells of Steel Manticore a 4 out of 5; just make sure to pick the rack best suited for the space you have available in your home gym.

Attachments

The Manticore series of racks comes with an entire ecosystem of attachments, of which we were able to try out the majority of them. After spending some time with the attachments, our product tester says, “Overall, these are really great attachments. The pads on the leg roller and seal row pad are nice, covered with durable vinyl.” He rates the attachments a 4.5 out of 5.

RELATED: Best Exercises For Your Upper Back

A nice touch is that Bells of Steel placed UHMW on all attachments where there may be metal-on-metal contact to help protect the products. The attachments are also compatible with Bells of Steel’s magnetic knurled pins so you can easily secure them on the rack.

One thing to note, however, is that the uprights are true 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights, meaning you can’t use other attachments unless they also use true specifications. American companies like Rogue or Sorinex should have attachments that work on this rack, in case you already have some of their attachments at home or don’t want to be limited to only using Bells of Steel products.

Another nice perk is that the sides of the uprights have 1-inch holes with 5/8-inch keyholes, allowing you to also use 5/8-inch attachments. Our product tester rated the accessory compatibility a 4 out of 5, since there is some versatility to the attachments that can be used—albeit they’re limited by the true 3-inch-by-3-inch specifications.

Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack vs REP PR-5000 Power Rack V2

REP PR-5000 V2

REP PR-5000 Power Rack V2

GGR Score: 4.5

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Product Highlights

• Virtually limitless configurations and attachment setups
• 3x3" 11-gauge steel
• Oversize 1" diameter hardware

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The Rep PR-5000 Power Rack V2 is Rep Fitness answer to the Rogue Monster and Sorinex XL Series Racks.
• Despite the racks being imported, the quality and features are on a similar level as the USA made competition.
• Due to the racks being imported, the prices are overall cheaper.
• The racks use 1" hardware throughout the rack that look incredibly beefy and allow for a variety of attachments.
• There's a seemingly endless amount of accessories and add-ons for the rack that can be purchased on-page, which is a great feature for easy checkout.
• Coming in a variety of colors, there's a look that will suit anyone's taste, including stainless steel. If you want a rack that won't corrode, get stainless.
• The arch logo stands out and adds a great look to a premium rack.
• The width of the rack is 47" outside upright to outside upright. This makes racking the bar easier and is one reason people love Sorinex and don't like Rogue's Monster series.
• There are strap safeties, flip-down safeties, and more available for the rack as well as over 5 different pull-up bar options.
• There is optional weight storage available for the back.
• The rack has an optional lat pulldown attachment that is reasonably priced as well as a future innovative belt squat option that we think will be rather popular.
• If you want to never have to upgrade a rack again, this is an awesome option at a better price than the competitors.

Cons

• Despite all of the great features and options, the rack is imported. We haven't noticed much of a drop in quality between Rep and Rogue lately, but it is something to be wary of if you want made in the USA equipment.
• Although cheaper than competitors, it's still an expensive rack for what will essentially hold the same amount of weight as racks much less. Something to consider if you're just looking for functionality.

Bottom Line

The new Rep PR-5000 Power Rack V2 is one of the best value, high-end squat racks that we've reviewed. It features many of the same characteristics of racks like the Rogue Monster Series and Sorinex XL Series, but at a bit of a discount. Buying a rack at this level should take a lot of thought and consideration as it should be the last rack you'll ever have to buy. We'll hold off on suggesting one or the other until we have them all in-house to compare, but we are very impressed by the first look and features and foresee many trainees having this in their garage gyms soon.

With comparable pricing and materials, there are only a couple of things to think about when deciding between the Bells of Steel Manticore and the REP PR-5000. The biggest consideration? The size of the uprights and how that’ll impact your attachments.

The true 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights of the Manticore will limit your attachment compatibility to other companies using similar specs, like Rogue or Sorinex in addition to Bells of Steel. With the PR-5000, the rack upright sides are just shy of 3 inches at 75 millimeters. They’re more compatible with other imported racks, like those from Titan Fitness. True-measured attachments could work, although they’ll be less secure on the slightly smaller uprights.

Another nice perk of the PR-5000 is that the rack comes in different colors, unlike the Manticore, which only comes in black. For more, check out our REP Fitness PR-5000 Power Rack review.

Customer Experience 

Bells of Steel offers a 30-day return policy, which is made a little bit of a sweeter deal since they’ll allow you to return slightly used items. The rack just needs to be returned in its original packaging, or else you’ll be charged a 15% restocking fee.

The Bells of Steel Manticore Rack has a limited lifetime warranty, which covers defects in materials or manufacturing. It won’t cover negligent use or abuse of the fitness equipment, however, such as loading the rack with more than its rated weight capacity.

There are plenty of ways to contact Bells of Steel—phone, email, and contact form. In our experience, Bells of Steel has been quick to help and knowledgeable when asked questions, earning them a 4.5 out of 5 for the customer experience.

Ordering and Assembling the Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack

Customers in the USA can customize and order the Manticore rack from bellsofsteel.us. You’ll start by choosing the type of squat rack or stand you want, and then choose rack depth and height options, plus any attachment add-ons you’d like. Financing is available through Affirm.

Our Manticore rack was sent via freight, although it’s important to note that the rack was sent with a myriad of power rack attachments. If you get a more vanilla rack, it may be shipped differently.

The rack comes with all the hardware needed to build it. The only items you may need to purchase are the two 36-millimeter wrenches you’ll need for the assembly unless you already have the appropriate wrench, adjustable wrench, or socket wrench.

Our product tester says that building the power rack with attachments was straightforward and took about four hours with two people. One of those people was GGR operations manager Sam Presley—a pro at building rigs and racks—so if you’re new to building gym equipment, you might want to set aside a decent amount of time to build the power rack. Our product tester rates the delivery and setup a 4 out of 5.

Customer Reviews

I didn’t find any customer reviews on the Manticore rack’s product page, but was able to find one customer review on Bells of Steel’s reviews page.

The customer upgraded to the Manticore from the budget-priced REP PR-1100, and he says it was truly an upgrade. He had no issues with delivery and likes the quality of the attachments he got. The reviewer gave the rack a 5-star rating, and while it’s positive, we’d like to see more reviews before we put a lot of weight on the customer rating.

Final Verdict of Our Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack Review

The Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack is pretty good value by itself; once you begin to add on attachments, however, the price shoots up considerably. The attachments are high-quality, though; plus, with compatibility with both 1-inch and 5/8-inch attachments, there’s room for versatility in your attachment ecosystem. 

Still, you’ll need to consider if this rack is the rack you wish to build your ecosystem on. If you prefer true 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights and attachments, this beast of a machine is a solid, stable choice. 

Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack Rating

Bells of Steel Manticore Rack

In our Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack review, we’ll go over this beastly squat cage and how much value this attachment ecosystem can add.

Product Brand: Bells of Steel

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 1634.88

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.36

Bells of Steel Manticore Power Rack: FAQs

One large piece of equipment that you may have to find a compact solution for is a squat rack. Depending on the space and functionality of your home gym, you may opt out of a full power rack in favor of a squat stand or half rack.

RELATED: Full Rack vs Half Rack

In our Rogue HR-2 Half Rack review, we’ll take a look at one of our favorite half racks from Rogue Fitness. We’ll talk about its build, footprint, and the ideal uses for it, to help you determine if this half rack is right for your home gym.

Half Rack, But Full Expert Testing

Just because a half rack is smaller than a full power rack doesn’t mean we’re giving half the effort on our testing. Our team of testers—including certified personal trainers, CrossFit Level 1 trainers, lifting coaches, and me, an Olympian—live and breathe fitness, so we know how to test squat racks extensively and honestly to prove they can (or can’t) be worthwhile investments for your home gym.

For the Rogue HR-2, GGR founder and fitness equipment guru Coop Mitchell tried out the half rack. He ran it through multiple workouts over a week, examining the features of the rack according to our fitness equipment testing methodology. He observed and scored the half rack on features such as:

• Construction
• Stability
• Footprint
• Versatility
• Accessory compatibility
• Delivery and assembly

This, along with the customer experience and value, were given ratings from 1 to 5 to determine our GGR rating for the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack.

Rogue HR-2 Half Rack

Rogue HR-2 Half Rack

GGR Score: 4.28

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Product Highlights

• Great storage capacity
• No need to bolt down
• Has a pull-up bar

Made in USA

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Doesn’t have to be bolted to the ground
• Extremely stable
• Customizable height options
• Has a single “skinny” pull-up bar
• Priced around $800

Cons

• Base is made of weaker steel
• Pin safeties cost extra

Bottom Line

The Rogue HR-2 Half Rack is one of Rogue's best-reviewed squat racks. It's a great rack that can fit anywhere, doesn't have to be bolted down, is still very stable, and has a majority of the abilities of a more expensive and bulkier rack like the ever-popular Rogue R-3 Power Rack.

A Quick Look at the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack

Rogue Fitness is no stranger to home gyms or commercial gyms. Started in a garage in 2006, the company has grown substantially, with over 1,400 employees globally. Additionally, they’re the official equipment supplier of the CrossFit Games, USA Weightlifting, the Arnold Strongman Classic, and the World’s Strongest Man competition.

Headquartered in Ohio, Rogue Fitness takes pride in its products being made in the USA, which makes for consistently high-quality products—albeit with a higher price tag.

The Rogue HR-2 Half Rack is built with the same quality in mind, constructed of durable 11-gauge steel. The half rack is compatible with attachments and accessories from the Rogue RML line of racks (Rogue Monster Lite), with 5/8-inch hole sizing along the uprights.

Before You Buy

• There are two height options for the half rack. You can choose a height of 90 inches with 70-inch back uprights, or 108-inch uprights with back uprights at 90 inches. The price difference between the two options is $35.
• If you already have a squat stand from Rogue’s SML-1 or SML-2 squat stands, then Rogue Fitness offers a half rack conversion kit, which will add back uprights, cross members, and weight horns to your stand. The kit costs $280.
• J-cups are included with the half rack, but safety pipes and weight storage horns are available at an additional cost.

Is the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack Worth It?

A half rack is a great option for garage gyms because of two things: They can be less expensive than a power cage and they save space. The HR-2 does both, with the price coming in under $800 (before shipping costs) and the footprint being smaller than a power rack. There are less expensive squat stands and racks, but for the materials used and quality, this is a good price.

Although the footprint is 48 inches by 49 inches, the front and back uprights are only 17 inches apart, leaving a lot of open space in front of the uprights. The only thing taking up space at the front is the base’s steel tubing for stability and balance, leaving room for barbell deadlifts and other exercises.

Price-wise, the Rogue HR-2 rivals other top brands for half racks like REP. “You can use the rack builder feature on REP’s website to fully customize your rack with different color uprights, cross-members, pull-up bar options, name plates, and height,” Coop says. Purchasing a REP half rack comparable to the Rogue HR-2 will cost around $840, which is comparable to Rogue’s pricing once you factor in that REP Fitness has free shipping.

Titan currently doesn’t have a standalone half rack, although you can purchase a half rack conversion kit if you have a T-3 Series or X-3 Series Squat Stand, which comes out to around $700 at most—but Titan only offers a one-year warranty on products, unlike Rogue’s lifetime warranty on structural welds and frames.

REP’s and Rogue’s offerings are on par with each other, but the main decision is whether you want the quality, American-made rack with true 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights (limiting the attachments ecosystem), or are OK with an imported rack with access to more universal attachments. Based on its quality and competitive pricing, we give the Rogue HR-2 a value rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Rogue HR-2 Half Rack Specs

Using the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack 

GGR founder Coop Mitchell used the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack extensively through a week of workouts, involving squats, bench press, and pull-ups—both strict and kipping. The Westside hole spacing in the bench zone allowed for more accurate adjustments to properly set up the J-cups for sets.

RELATED: Pull-Up Variations

The Rogue rack was stable through all weight-lifting movements. Coop says it’s ideal for bench, squat, deadlift, overhead press, and pull-ups: “The golden five,” Coop says. He had as much as 535 pounds loaded up on an Olympic barbell and set on the rack. “There was no wobbling or wear from the rack, even though the barbell was bowing already,” Coop recalls.

As a half rack, there are four uprights, with the two back posts at a lower height than the front posts. With 17 inches spaced between the uprights, there’s not a lot of room to squat within the rack; most people will feel more comfortable outside the rack on the front uprights. Additionally, the compact nature leaves less space to place as many power rack attachments, leading Coop to rate the versatility a 4 out of 5.

The half rack comes with J-cups and optional add-ons: pin-pipe safeties or plate storage horns for the back uprights. Still, Coop recommends purchasing safety spotter arms, since most of your squatting and benching will be done on the outside of the squat rack. The half rack is compatible with any Rogue Monster Lite attachments with 5/8-inch sizing. That includes:

• The Rogue Velocidor and Matador dip bars
• Landmine attachments
• Lat pulldowns and low rows
• Vertical bar holder
• Plate storage

Let’s look at the other features of the HR-2.

Footprint

The Rogue HR-2 Half Rack is 48 inches long and 49 inches wide. While that is a good bit of space, the four uprights are toward the back of the rack, freeing up the front with extra space for different lifts and exercises.

You can choose from two different heights as well, either a top height of 90 or 108 inches. The higher height also has a higher height for the back uprights, going from 70 inches to 90 inches. Even at 90 inches, the half rack won’t be ideal for low ceilings.

Construction

Like most Rogue racks, the HR-2 Half Rack is overbuilt with 3-inch-by-3-inch 11-gauge steel uprights. The base is constructed with 2-inch-by-3-inch steel tubing, which provides a very solid base. Coop adds, “This is a Rogue product, so it’s overbuilt and ready for whatever you throw at it.” He gives the construction a 4.5 out of 5.

Furthermore, the squat rack is finished with a black powder coat that is very scratch-resistant. “The powder coat on Rogue products is top-tier,” Coop says. “This has a rough texture, almost like a rhino liner you can find in truck beds. These uprights will be able to withstand a beating.” The sacrifice of the durable powder coat is that, like most of Rogue’s gym equipment, black is the only available color option. 

Stability

Coop loaded over 500 pounds on the half rack and the squat rack held up fine, with no shaking or wobbling from it. As is typical with Rogue racks, this rack will support heavy loads from powerlifters and strength athletes.

Because the HR-2 Half Rack isn’t required to be bolted down or secured, the rack stayed in place. The only time the rack felt unsecured was during kipping pull-ups. “Since kipping is using so much momentum for the pull-up, that’s when I was feeling a bit of wobble,” Coop adds. He recommends adding the optional weight horns to the back of the half rack, so you can weigh the rack down with bumper plates. He rates the stability a 4 out of 5.

Rogue HR-2 Half Rack vs PRx Profile Squat Rack

PRx Profile Squat Rack

PRx Profile Squat Rack

GGR Score: 4.3

Community Score: 4.4

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Product Highlights

• Folds to save space
• Easy folding with hydraulics
• Ability to add a kipping bar

Made in USA

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Hydraulic system folds rack
• Incredibly easy and convenient to use in a garage
• Durable at upward of 600 pounds
• Option to add a kipping pull-up bar

Cons

• Priced around $900
• Uses 2-inch x 3-inch steel
• 3×3 steel only available on upgraded product

Bottom Line

The PRx Performance Profile Rack is a great option for those looking for a space-saving option that is easy to use.

If you’re looking for compact exercise equipment solutions for your squat rack, another solution is the Profile Squat Rack from PRx Performance. This rack folds out from your wall, saving you much more space in your gym when you’re not using the rack. 

Although the Profile Squat Rack can save you more space than the half rack, you’ll have to drill the rack into a wall, so if you’re renting your space, this may not be a viable option. Also, the PRx rack is a bit more pricey than Rogue’s half rack. 

If you’re interested in American-made racks and gym equipment, both Rogue and PRx Performance are excellent choices, but which rack is best will depend on your budget, space available, and living situation. You can check out Coop’s in-depth review of the PRx Performance Profile Squat Rack for more information.

Customer Experience

Rogue Fitness has some of the best customer service in the industry. In addition to a pretty large FAQ section, you can call, email, or chat with customer service representatives on the website. Additionally, they offer 30-day returns on new, unused items—although shipping charges won’t be refunded.

Rogue has a pretty nice warranty on their racks, as well: a limited lifetime warranty on structural welds and frames. The warranty covers defects in materials or workmanship, however it’s voided for any faulty or negligent use.

Ordering and Assembling the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack

The Rogue HR-2 Half Rack can be ordered directly from Rogue Fitness’ website; you won’t find this on Amazon. They have financing options for orders over $250 through Affirm.

Since it’s a smaller rack, the HR-2 ships in several boxes through UPS. The boxes are easy enough for one person to move around. We rate the delivery and assembly a 5 out of 5, as the assembly is pretty straightforward. The half rack was assembled in our warehouse in about 45 minutes by one person; that time would be even faster with a second person holding uprights and cross-members for the other person.

Rogue provides a branded wrench for assembly, but if you have a ratchet wrench, using that can make the assembly easier.

Customer Reviews

As of this writing, the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack has an extremely positive score from customer reviews, averaging out at 4.9 out of 5 stars, from 239 reviews.

Most reviews are overwhelmingly positive, as I could only find a couple of reviews that were below 5 stars. Most of the positive reviews remarked highly on the rack’s stability and compact design.

A 4-star review from a taller athlete did note, however, that the crossmember on the 90-inch half rack got in the way of where he wanted to place his J-cups. While it’s not a dealbreaker, taller athletes may want to consider the taller height option.

One of the few negative reviews found the rack to be unstable with attachments, in particular dip bars. He had to purchase a stabilizing bar to help keep the rack stable.

Final Verdict of Our Rogue HR-2 Half Rack Review

The Rogue HR-2 is a sturdy and durable squat rack that can be a fantastic solution for a compact home gym. By itself, the rack is incredibly stable, but with added plate storage and weight plates, the half rack can provide stability for dynamic kipping pull-ups.

While the price may not be as enticing to everyone, it’s still less expensive than a power rack; plus, with a lifetime warranty, these half racks are built to last.

Full Rating

Rogue HR-2 Half Rack

The Rogue HR-2 Half Rack is one of Rogue's best-reviewed squat racks. It's a great rack that can fit anywhere, doesn't have to be bolted down, is still very stable, and has a majority of the abilities of a more expensive and bulkier rack like the ever-popular Rogue R-3 Power Rack.

Product Brand: Rogue

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 765.00

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.28

Rogue HR-2 Half Rack: FAQs

But not all spaces have the room for a nice big squat cage. In smaller home gyms, space is a commodity, which is why a company like PRx provides compact folding racks to keep the floor space open for other workouts and exercises.

One of their latest additions is a sturdy four-post cage that folds compactly and easily. But, is this premium product worth the hefty price tag? In this PRx Profile Folding Full Cage review, we’ll go over this folding cage and its construction and performance to see if this folding squat cage is worth a look for your garage gym.

We’re Not Cagey About Power Cages

At Garage Gym Reviews, we’re experts on fitness equipment, with a team consisting of certified personal trainers, lifting coaches, and lifelong athletes. Folding and freestanding, we’ve tested dozens of different rigs for squatting—the best squat racks, squat stands, half racks, power racks, and full cages on the market—and we never shy away from giving our honest opinion.

For the PRx Profile Folding Full Cage, GGR Everything lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele took it through several squat workouts and noted its aspects of construction, versatility, and stability, as well as its overall value.

PRx Profile Folding Full Cage

PRx Profile PRO Folding Full Cage

GGR Score: 4.3

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Product Highlights

• Folding wall squat rack
• 11-gauge steel 3” x 3” uprights with 5/8" holes
• 89” or 95” height options
• 9 color options
• J-cups included

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 9 color options
• Westside spacing
• 11-gauge steel
• 2 height options
• Saves space

Cons

• Must be wall-mounted
• Expensive

Bottom Line

The PRx Profile PRO Folding Full Cage is a wall-mounted folding squat rack that’s heavy-duty. Made with 11-gauge 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights, the squat cage is rated to hold up to 1,000 pounds. The rack comes in two different height options suitable for 8-foot or 9-foot ceilings; plus, it comes in nine different colors.

PRx Profile Folding Full Cage Video Review

A Quick Look at the PRx Profile Folding Full Cage

PRx Performance started in 2013 but really took off in 2017 when they appeared on an episode of “Shark Tank,” where they secured a deal with Kevin O’Leary. Much of their line of gym equipment focuses on creating high-quality fitness equipment and compact storage solutions for small spaces.

Some of their space-saving equipment includes a wall-mounted folding bench, folding squat racks, and even heavy-duty wall-mounted storage shelves for dumbbells, kettlebells, and other weights. GGR founder Coop Mitchell tested out one of their more popular rack and bench combos—the PRx Performance Profile Squat Rack and bench, which uses gas shocks to secure the rack on the wall while not in use.

Like the Profile PRO Squat Rack, the PRx Performance Profile Folding Full Cage is another compact solution for a squat rack, but this time is for a four-post cage. Available in nine different colors, it can really pop in any gym setting. If you enjoy squatting inside of a cage, but lack the floor space to have one out all the time, this is a fantastic solution.

Before You Buy

• While PRx offers a budget-friendly series of adjustable weight benches and squat stands, the Profile series is a premium offering. All their folding racks in this series are made with 3-inch-by-3-inch steel uprights and are rated to support 1,000 pounds.
• The Profile Folding Full Cage offers two different height options for higher or lower ceilings. The 89-inch version will suit most 8-foot ceilings, while the 95-inch cage will suit a ceiling height of 9 feet or more.
• A lot of its price comes from the design of having a compact four-post cage able to be folded and locked out with only one pin to secure the kipping pull-up bar. Comparable folding cages are cheaper but use several more pins, which will take up time to fold and unfold.
• No worries on your gym floor; the uprights have plastic footplates to prevent any damage to the cage or your flooring.

Is the PRx Profile Folding Full Cage Worth It?

As with all fitness equipment, the value of the PRx Profile Folding Full Cage depends on what you want to get out of it. At $2,499, it’s a pricey squat cage, even for a folding rack, but it’s high-quality and heavy-duty as well. It also allows for you to keep the functionality of your home gym’s floor space. 

If you’re in need of a compact solution for your home gym, and you want a four-post cage, this is one of the better options. Although priced on the high end, the cage uprights fold in and out easily, only requiring you to pin the pull-up bar to the cage.

Lindsay rated the value of the full cage a 3.5 out of 5, mainly because if you don’t need a four-post cage, your options open up to higher-value folding racks. PRx’s Profile Squat Rack is half the price at $1,299 (with an optional multi-grip pull-up bar as well). Rogue Fitness’s RML-3W is a two-post rack that costs only $605, and REP Fitness has their PR-4100 folding squat rack at $499.

RELATED: Squat Stand Vs Power Rack

“While these two-post racks may not provide the same stability that the PRx Profile Full Cage will, they’re good value options for anyone on a budget,” Lindsey mentions. She adds, “I would still take the PRx cage home, though. It’s pricey, but a super solid rack.”

RELATED: PRx Discount Code

PRx Profile Folding Full Cage Specs

Using the PRx Profile Folding Full Cage 

The PRx Profile Folding Full Cage operates like a normal heavy-duty four-post rack, except with the ability to fold in to save space. Folding it is very easy to do, as you just lead the posts in or out, and the cage has stoppers to easily locate where the post should be.

Lindsay notes that as far as attachments go, the PRx Folding Full Cage doesn’t include much—only J-cups. However, the 5/8-inch holes and 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights should make the cage compatible with most power rack attachments out on the market, from the likes of Rogue, REP, Titan, or Sorinex.

Additionally, PRx has developed quite a few attachments for the squat racks, too, including a landmine attachment and a cable and pulley. While it isn’t included in the squat cage, there’s a good amount of versatility possible, leading Lindsay to rate the cage a 4 out of 5 for its versatility.

RELATED: Best Power Racks with Lat Pulldowns

Durability and Construction

Made with 3-inch-by-3-inch 11-gauge steel uprights, the cage is built solid, leading Lindsay to rate the construction a 4.5 out of 5. Fully constructed, the squat cage is rated for 1,000 pounds, which is going to provide more than enough support for most strength athletes.

 The cage mounts on wall studs, which PRx recommends be evenly spaced at 16 or 24 inches. Otherwise, you’ll need a ledger board to help distribute the weight.

The holes of the uprights are 5/8 inches, spaced 2 inches apart with 1-inch Westside hole spacing along the bench press zone. Each hole is marked with laser-cut numbers for easy reference.

The uprights have a solid, even powder coating, which is available in nine different colors. While color options aren’t a dealbreaker all the time, it’s a nice touch to have so many options to fit a home gym’s color scheme.

Footprint

When folded out, the PRx cage will stick 54.75 inches out from the wall, and is 54.5 inches wide, so you’ll need to make sure you have that sort of space available in your home gym for the power rack to function properly. When it’s folded in, however, the rack sticks out only 8 inches, making it an incredibly compact folding four-post rack. You can choose a rack height of 89 or 95 inches, so it can be suitable for low or high ceilings.

Folding the uprights is simple, as you simply push the posts in or out. The posts rotate on guides that stop at 90 degrees when you pull them out, making it easy to know where the post needs to be. When the posts are out, the pull-up bar swings up and is secured by a pin. 

Although it’s a compact folding rack, it’s not flimsy in the slightest while you’re squatting. Lindsay rates the stability a perfect 5 out of 5, saying, “I was so surprised at the stability and sturdiness of this rack. With it being anchored into studs in the wall and having four uprights, this makes for a super solid rack.”

RELATED: Proper Squat Form

PRx Profile Folding Full Cage vs Rogue RML-390FULLW Folding Power Rack 

Rogue RML-390FULLW Folding Power Rack

Rogue RML-390FULLW Fold Back Wall Mount Power Rack

GGR Score: 4.2

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Product Highlights

The RML-3FULLW is our most space-efficient and uncompromising Fold Back Power Rack to date. Equipped with (4) 90” Monster Lite uprights in your choice of a dozen different custom color finishes, this full wall-mounted unit has a 30” inside depth with a set of 30” Strap Safeties included standard with all orders.

Made in USA

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 11 color options
• Space-saving
• Made in the USA
• 11-gauge steel

Cons

• Pricey
• No customization options on height or depth
• Must be bolted into the wall

One of the biggest reasons to go with the Profile Full Cage is the four-post rack design, so it’d be best to compare it to another four-post space-saving rack, like this one by Rogue Fitness. The Rogue RML-390FULLW Folding Power Rack (try to say that five times fast!) is a folding full cage like the one from PRx, with a lot of the same features of the PRx—11-gauge steel, 5/8-inch hole sizing, made in the USA, and even different color options, which is rare to see from Rogue.

The most obvious difference between the two wall-mounted cages on paper is the pricing. The PRx Profile Folding Full Cage is about $1,000 more expensive than the Rogue folding squat rack. Unlike the PRx Profile, the Rogue cage not only comes with J-cups, but also safety straps.

Because the squat cages seem so similar, the price hike might leave some scratching their heads. However, the main difference is in the design and convenience of the cages. The wall-mounted rack from PRx requires only one pin to connect when folding the squat cage in or out, which is for the pull-up bar. The foldable uprights are engineered with stoppers to only go out to 90 degrees, which makes folding the cage out and in very easy.

The Rogue rack, on the other hand, has a few more pins to maneuver—a total of six pins. Two pins secure the kipping bar, but a pin secures each of the crossmembers along the wall when folded out and folded in. Compared to the PRx, that’s a lot more work to fold your rack out, or to put it back up.

While it’s up to the person on whether an extra $1,000 is worth the difference, the design of the Profile PRO rack may be enough to justify it.

Customer Experience 

The PRx Performance Profile PRO Folding Full Cage is covered by a limited lifetime warranty covering defective materials or workmanship during the lifetime of the product. The “lifetime” of the cage ends when the cage is deemed no longer usable for reasons other than those covered by the warranty.

PRx also provides a 30-day return policy on their fitness equipment. Items must be unused in their original packaging to receive a refund, and you’ll need to show your receipt. You’ll be responsible for return shipping costs as well as a 10% restocking fee. The warranty, financing, and return policy are fairly standard, leading Lindsay to rate their policies a 4 out of 5.

There are multiple ways to contact PRx Performance through their website—including phone, email, live chat, and a contact form. Additionally, you can schedule a consultation with them if you’re deciding on a squat rack. Lindsay reached out to customer service and they were both prompt and helpful, leading her to rate the customer service a 4.5 out of 5.

Ordering and Assembling the PRx Profile Folding Full Cage

The PRx Profile Folding Full Cage can be purchased on prxperformance.com after choosing your rack height and color. Financing options are available through Bread Pay starting at $72 a month. Be mindful that interest rates will begin at about 6.99% though.

The squat cage uses 5/8-inch hardware to connect the uprights to the crossmembers, and the PRx Profile rack must be mounted on the wall; the cage comes with all the hardware needed for assembly. The wall brackets can be mounted on studs spaced 16 or 24 inches on center, so long as they’re evenly spaced. If the studs aren’t spaced evenly, you’ll have to use a ledger board to help distribute the rack weight.

Customer Reviews

As of this writing, there are no customer reviews of the Profile Folding Full Cage. Because the power cage is fairly new, we’ll update this section as reviews come in.

Final Verdict of Our PRx Profile Folding Full Cage Review

The PRx Profile Folding Full Cage is a premium, high-end squat cage that can solve quite a few space issues in your home gym. If you aren’t committed to having a four-post power rack, though, then there are more affordable options with two-post racks. 

However, if you want the stability of a four-post rack in your foldable squat rack, then the PRx Profile cage is a solid option—a premium price for a premium design.

PRx Profile Folding Full Cage Rating

PRx Profile PRO Folding Full Cage

Is this sturdy power cage that can fold away worth its premium price tag? Find out in our PRx Profile Folding Full Cage review.

Product Brand: PRx Performance

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 2499.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.3

PRx Profile Folding Full Cage FAQs

Enter the best-seller from the brand: the Force USA G3. This machine provides versatility with a compact footprint and a competitive price. But does it have value for you? GGR founder Coop Mitchell tested out the trainer, and in our Force USA G3 review, we’ll go over the different aspects of this trainer to see if it’s right for your home gym.

Your All-In-One Stop for Expert Fitness Reviews

Whenever you’re looking for the next add-on for your collection of home gym essentials, we want to provide you with the best information to help you make a smart decision for your budget, fitness goals, and floor space. That’s why our team of experts—including certified personal trainers, lifting coaches, and competitive athletes—test out the products we review to give you our honest opinion.

As with other trainers by Force USA, like the G20 and X20 Pro, we did a thorough testing of the Force USA G3. Both Coop Mitchell and GGR Everything lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele tested out this all-in-one trainer, noting its ability to perform as a power rack, a Smith machine, and a functional trainer.

Force USA G3

Force USA G3

GGR Score: 4.2

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Product Highlights

• All-in-one home gym machine 
• Functional trainer and squat rack
• Smith machine
• 2:1 pulley ratio
• 14 attachments included 
• Even more add-ons available for purchase

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Barbell or smith machine training
• Cable machine with two pulleys
• Plate-loaded
• Multi-grip pull up bar
• Countless exercise selection
• Includes variety of attachments

Cons

• Steel gauge not disclosed
• Entire unit weight limit under 1,000 lbs
• 772-lb smith machine and chin up weight limit

Bottom Line

The Force USA G3 is an all-in-one home gym machine. It functions as a functional trainer with two pulleys, a smith machine, and a squat rack. It’s worth noting that the design of the G3 will have you barbell training on the outside of the rack, not within the rack. However, it comes with J-cups and spotter arms so you can squat and bench safely at home.

A Quick Look at the Force USA G3

The Force USA G3 is the most popular all-in-one trainer sold by the company, and for good reason. This machine is their budget-oriented version of their all-in-one trainers, and Force USA touts that a piece of equipment like this is all you need for your home gym. You can use it for multiple functions, including:

• Power rack
• Functional trainer
• Smith machine
• Chin-up station
• Suspension trainer
• Core trainer (using the landmine station)

In addition to these functions, you can purchase several optional attachments for the G3, which can expand its functionality to:

• Vertical leg press
• Lat pull-down
• Jammer arms
• Dip station
• Low row
• Leg developer

That’s a lot you can do with one machine.

The budget-ish pricing comes from the choice in using plate-loaded weights instead of weight stacks like those used in the Force USA G20. Although similar commercial-grade materials are used, the G3 comes in at one-third of the price of the G20. The caveat is that you’ll need your own bumper plates to add to the trainer weight horns.

Before You Buy

• We’ll get more into this later, but the trainer comes in one giant crate, and the assembly instructions were a little rough, even for our assembly expert Sam Presley. He recommends being at home for the delivery so the crate isn’t left at the end of your driveway.
• The thing that separates this power rack from most all-in-one trainers is the presence of a Smith machine. If you’re looking for that option in your home gym, this is one of the best value all-in-one trainers out there.
• You can also save 5% on your order using our exclusive Force USA discount code GGR5.

Force USA G3 Video Review

Is the Force USA G3 Worth It?

The Force USA G3 All-In-One Trainer is just under $2,000 with free shipping, and it includes 14 different attachments and a lot of versatility. Although $2,000 can be a pricey number, the versatility of this machine with solid construction gives it great value, leading Lindsay to rate the value a 5 out of 5.

“The G3 is the most interesting piece of equipment made by Force USA because the value it brings is the highest,” Coop adds. “There’s a lot that you get with this rack that a lot of similar racks don’t even have.”

The biggest standout is the Smith machine. Most power racks and all-in-one trainers don’t have that feature. The closest comparison we can make is the Inspire line of functional trainers, like the FT1 and the Inspire Fitness FT2 Functional Trainer, which both have Smith machines. However, the prices are higher than the G3, with the FT1 at $2,700 and the FT2 at $5,000; plus, these functional trainers don’t really double as power racks, either.

Coop recommends the G3 for anyone looking for the Smith machine functionality. If you’re not looking for that, you may want something else, like the REP Fitness PR-4000 Power Rack with a plate-loaded Athena cable attachment. The price will depend on your customization options, but it’s built a bit more solidly than the G3 with 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights, and it still has the function of a squat rack and functional trainer.

While the G3 is the “budget” version of Force USA’s all-in-one trainers, there are some more budget-friendly options available on the market. One of our favorite ones is the Major Fitness PLM03 power rack, for just over $800 with free shipping. While this alternative also lacks the Smith machine, it provides a good amount of versatility at less than half the price.

Force USA G3 Specs

Using the Force USA G3 

There’s a lot to look at when it comes to the Force USA G3. The main feature is its versatility, as the trainer has up to 12 exercise stations in one, depending on the optional attachments you get. Even without optional attachments, the trainer comes with an abundance of attachments, leading GGR lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele to rate the versatility of the G3 a 4.5 out of 5.

Let’s break down how the Force USA G3 trainer performs as a power rack, a Smith machine, and as a functional trainer, plus discuss the attachments.

Power Rack

For the power rack, the G3 is using 2-inch-by-2-inch uprights made with 11-gauge steel, which will have a max weight rating to cover most people’s needs—992 pounds. The steel is finished with chrome instead of stainless steel, which makes it stand out a little more and provides corrosion resistance. In our testing, the rack was sturdy, leading Lindsay to rate the stability and construction both a 4 out of 5.

The front of the uprights has Westside hole spacing of 1 inch along the entire length of the upright—not just the bench zone like most power racks. There are additional holes spaced out more along the sides for the cable pulleys. Numbers are laser-etched along the front and sides of the uprights for easy reference of the adjustment points. 

The outside-to-outside width of the rack uprights is 48 inches, which is just between Rogue’s standard 49 inches and REP Fitness’ 47 inches. For most powerlifters, this is a good median width and should feel pretty good.

The rack fits a lot of stuff in a relatively small space—a Smith machine, weight plate storage, power rack, and a functional trainer—which will be great for home gym users looking for compact exercise equipment. However, if you have the room for more space, it may feel a bit cramped while using it. “For those of you with extra room in your garage gym, then this space-saving trainer might be a little annoying with how compact it is,” Coop mentions.

Smith Machine

The Smith machine is pretty unique to the Force USA trainers, as most other all-in-one trainers don’t offer one. It’s not counterbalanced like commercial-grade Smith machines typically are, which means the starting weight will be higher than those machines that start at around 5 pounds. Still, the starting weight of 35 pounds won’t be too heavy for most people, especially for Smith machine leg workouts.

Another factor to consider on the Smith machine is that the uprights are completely vertical, whereas other higher-end Smith machines will have a slight angle to them to mimic a more natural movement. This is by no means a dealbreaker, but just something to be aware of.

The height of the trainer is 87 inches, which is shorter than most functional trainers, simply due to the fact that this trainer is made to fit into home gyms and not commercial gyms. This machine should work for ceiling heights of 8 feet, however, that limits the height of the Smith machine, which means upper body exercises like a standing overhead press won’t be possible for most; you’ll have to be OK with seated or bench presses.

The Smith machine’s barbell is knurled, which is always nice…but in this case, it could be nicer. “You have a center knurl and an edge knurl. If you’re used to nice power bars, you probably won’t like the knurling on this bar,” Coop explains. “It’s just not very good. I really wish they would spend more time on this.”

RELATED: What Is Barbell Knurling and Why It Matters

Functional Trainer

The build of the functional trainer is the main reason that the G3 can be so much cheaper than the G20 and other Force USA trainers while still using similar materials and components. The main difference was the choice to use a plate-loaded system instead of weight stacks, which saves a lot on construction and shipping. It does require you to have weight plates already to create resistance for your strength training.

Loaded weight plates are guided with a roller assembly instead of guide rods, which are a common feature on higher-end machines. The roller assembly is nice in that you can off-set the weight while still maintaining a smooth travel of the cables in the machine. There are weight plate holders on either side to even the weight, but in our experience, it didn’t make a difference on how balanced the weights were. The maintenance of rollers is much easier than guide rods, too.

The cable ratio of the pulley system is 2 to 1, meaning that the weight loaded will feel half of its actual weight—50 pounds will feel like 25 pounds. Additionally, this allows for a longer cable length, allowing for more versatility for the functional trainer.

Although it can be used for lat pull-downs, tricep push-downs, and low rows, the Force USA G3 functions best as a functional trainer. The low height position will mean you’ll have to do seated lat pull-downs. “Lat pull-downs and similar bodybuilding movements won’t be as good as a standalone lat pull-down machine because the pull won’t be absolutely vertical,” Coop says.

Attachments

Instead of a straight pull-up bar, the Force USA G3 has a multi-grip chin-up bar, which will allow for wide-grip pull-ups and close-grip chin-ups, plus other grips as well.

Probably the biggest downside to the G3 is the lack of accessory compatibility to other brands. Because the uprights are 2 inches by 2 inches, they aren’t compatible with the likes of REP or Rogue, as most major brands sell attachments compatible for 2-inch-by-3-inch or 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights. Force USA still sells and includes quite a few power rack attachments, so Lindsay rated the accessory compatibility a 3.5 out of 5.

The Force USA G3 lists all of their included attachments as follows:

• Pair of J-hooks
• Pair of safety spotter arms
• Landmine attachment
• Multi-grip landmine handle
• Dual hook straight bar
• Small straight bar
• Pair of nylon stirrup handles
• Pull-down rope
• Four band pegs
• Two Olympic lock collars
• 10 Olympic spring clips
• Four carabiners

In addition, you can add optional jammer arms, lat pull-down and low row attachments, dip bars, a leg press attachment, and a leg curl and leg extension attachment. There’s a lot of versatility present in this trainer, as well as the potential to add more with the available attachments. Still, be aware that the quality of the attachments won’t be quite on par with the likes of other major brands.

Force USA G3 vs REP PR-4000 with Athena Cable Attachment 

REP Fitness Athena Plate-Loaded Functional Trainer

REP Athena Plate Loaded Side-Mount Functional Trainer

GGR Score: 4.2

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Product Highlights

• Fits PR-4000  or PR-5000 V2 series power racks
• 2:1 pulley ratio 
• Available for 80” and 93” power racks

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Free shipping
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Available to purchase as left or right and paired.
• Functional trainer without large footprint
• Designed to be adjustable with one hand with large oversized pop-pin
• Integrated band pegs on base and headplate
• Upgrade kit will be available in the future

Cons

• Compatible with limited racks
• The Athena cannot clear weight horns with all diameter plates
• Comes with only 1 only D-handle attachment

Bottom Line

The Athena Plate-Loaded Side-Mount Functional Trainer could be a useful addition to your home gym: It can add a lot of versatility to a cable system without taking up much space, provided your current gym set-up is compatible with the Athena.

One of the most comparable products by price and versatility is the REP Fitness PR-4000 Power Rack with the REP Athena cable attachment. The price will vary depending on the customization options of the Athena and PR-4000, but typically, a six-post PR-4000 with a plate-loaded Athena cable system will be around the $2,000 price of the G3.

As far as versatility, the Force USA G3 has the Smith machine, while the PR-4000 doesn’t have any sort of Smith machine attachment. If you’re looking for an all-in-one trainer with the function of a Smith machine, this is definitely one of the best value options available.

Aside from the Smith machine, the two power racks have similar functionality as a squat rack and a functional trainer. The G3 comes with more attachments initially, but the PR-4000 still has the option to add on attachments.

If you’re looking for a sturdy rack with versatility, the 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights of the REP PR-4000 will provide a little more stability than the 2-inch-by-2-inch uprights of the Force USA G3. While both are solid choices, the REP is a little better quality, as long as you’re OK with the lack of a Smith machine.

You can check out our REP Fitness Athena review for an in-depth look at this cable attachment.

Customer Experience 

Lindsay rated the customer service a 3.5 out of 5, as Force USA is a bit limited in the means of contacting them. “The best way to get a hold of them is by calling, which I hate. There isn’t a form or email easily available to ask them a question,” Lindsay says, adding, “When I did call, they answered quickly, plus I wasn’t put on hold…which was my biggest fear.”

Force USA provides a 30-day “No Questions Asked” return policy, guaranteeing a refund for any reason in that time period—minus return shipping costs. To qualify for a refund, items must be returned in their original packaging and on a pallet if it was delivered as such.

The G3 has a lifetime warranty for the frame, 10 years for the moving parts, and 1 year for upholstery and attachments. This warranty is for home use only; if the G3 is used in a commercial gym, the warranty will be voided. Lindsay rated Force USA’s policies a 5 out of 5.

Ordering and Assembling the Force USA G3

You can order the G3 directly from Force USA’s website, and they offer financing through Affirm, with options starting around $167 a month.

GGR operations manager and assembly expert Sam Presley has had a bit of a history with building out Force USA products, as the Force USA G20 was a 40-hour ordeal. While this wasn’t near the level of a headache of the G20, there were some hitches during the assembly of the G3 to be aware of.

First, the Force USA G3 is shipped in one giant crate. Sam recommends being home for the delivery of the trainer; otherwise, the crate will be left at the foot of your driveway with no means to bring it up to your home gym except piece-by-piece.

You’re going to want a friend to build this out. The assembly time for us was around 12 to 16 hours, with two people involved. Sam had a few mishaps, though, due to bad instructions. “Even though we do this every day, we still had a couple different things that got put on upside down because the diagram had it upside down.”

Still, Sam does add that Force USA has come a long way in simplifying the build-out process since the G20, giving the delivery and setup a 3 out of 5.

Customer Reviews

As of this writing, the Force USA G3 has 156 reviews, averaging out to 4.9 stars out of 5. Most reviews are very positive, remarking highly on the build and the versatility of the rack and trainer combo.

There aren’t too many negative reviews, although some reviews have minor complaints on the quality of attachments. A couple reviews do speak on the professional assembly service that can be added on to the G3 for $600. It’s done by an independent contractor, and reviews claim that they did a poor job, or didn’t even show up to assemble the unit.

While we didn’t use the assembly service and can’t remark on our experience of it, it’s still worth mentioning.

Final Verdict of Our Force USA G3 Review

At just under $2,000 and with free shipping, the Force USA G3 All-In-One Trainer definitely presents high value with its extreme versatility and a compact workout space. Coop highly recommends the piece for anyone looking for a versatile trainer with a Smith machine added. If you’re not invested in a Smith machine, though, there are a few comparable options available that will have a bit more durability, or maybe be more budget-friendly.

Force USA G3 Rating

Force USA G3 All-In-One Trainer

In our Force USA G3 review, we’ll take a look at how much value this budget-ish all-in-one trainer can bring to your home gym.

Product Brand: Force USA

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 1999.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.2

Force USA G3 FAQs

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not upset about this progression. Companies have innovated by making cable attachments and more to add to power racks, as well as creating power racks with every rack attachment you can imagine—from premium all-in-one racks, to budget-friendly machines.

RELATED: REP Fitness Athena Review

One of the newest additions to the fold of power racks is the Major Fitness PLM03 Power Rack. This multipurpose rack comes with all sorts of attachments, and uses high-quality materials while still keeping a budget-friendly price—or close to it, at least.

In our Major Fitness Power Rack review, we’ll get into this product and see if this piece of fitness equipment is a good addition for your home gym. We’ll look at this product both as a rack and as a trainer, so you can get a well-rounded view of the good and bad of this squat rack.

We “Major”-ed In Expert Equipment Testing

OK, I don’t really think there’s a school degree like that, but cut me some slack: I was going for the pun. But seriously, our team of testers really are experts in the field, composed of certified personal trainers, coaches, and competitive athletes. When we aren’t trying out equipment and writing about it, we’re in the gym using that equipment and helping others learn to do so.

The Major Fitness Power Rack was heavily requested by our Home Gym Community, and we answered the call. Both GGR founder Coop Mitchell and GGR Everything lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele tried out the Major Fitness PLM03 Multi-Functional Power Rack, noting aspects of the attachment-ridden machine, both as a power rack and as a functional trainer, such as:

• Stability
• Construction
• Accessory compatibility
• Materials
• Versatility

Additionally, we look at aspects of the customer experience, including customer reviews, the ordering process, delivery, and assembly. 

Major Fitness PLM03 Power Rack

Major Fitness PLM03 Multi-Functional Power Rack

GGR Score: 4.6

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Product Highlights

• Power rack that includes various attachments
• Cable crossover has max capacity of 300 lbs
• Safety bars support 700 lbs
• 15 adjustable holes along uprights
• Steel shaft pulley
• Comes in red, black, or white
• Comes with cable bar, pin and pipe safety set, J-hooks, landmine, dip bars, T-bar, lat bar attachment, band pegs, and an extra standard barbell holder

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Lots of attachments included
• Precision laser cutting and robotic welding for accuracy
• Budget-friendly

Cons

• 14-gauge steel may not be strong enough for powerlifters
• Some reviews reported minor scratches from shipping

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly home gym in the form of a power rack, the Major Fitness PLM03 is a viable option. At under $1,000, this power rack includes a cable crossover as well as various other attachments, allowing this rack to be a compact all-in-one gym. The 14-gauge steel may be too weak for loads from an elite powerlifter, but the power rack should hold up for most consumers.

A Quick Look at the Major Fitness Power Rack

A pretty new company in the industry, Major Fitness, formerly Major Lutie Fitness, started in 2020 with the power rack we’re reviewing, the PLM03, which also happens to be a best seller on their website. Their goal from the start has been to create multi-functional and effective squat cages at competitive prices.

The Major Fitness Power Cage is definitely a multi-functional rack, with quite a few attachments. Outside of the typical J-hooks and pin-and-pipe safety set, the power rack includes:

• A cable crossover 
• A multi-grip pull-up bar 
• A cable bar
• A landmine 
• Dip bars 
• A T-bar 
• A lat bar attachment 
• Band pegs 
• A barbell holder

And to tell the truth, I may have missed a thing or two. With all these attachments, you can easily get a full-body workout in the space of a power rack.

RELATED: Best Full-Body Workout Machines

Although the rack is made to be budget-priced, it’s still made with quality materials. The uprights are 3 inches by 2 inches and built with 14-gauge steel. The J-hooks are rated for 1,000 pounds, while the safety bars have a max capacity of 700 pounds. Even as a “budget” rack, this is able to support most people’s heavy lifting.

Before You Buy

• First things first: If you’re looking at their website, you may have noticed that they’re a marketing-forward company. As Coop notes in his video review, “If you read some of the language on their website, they’re either using ChatGPT or a good copywriter to hit every pretty detail.” Hopefully, our reviews can cut through the power words and give you an honest take on this rack—which we’re mostly fans of, honestly.
• With 2-inch-by-3-inch uprights, typically the thin side of the uprights are facing the front of the rack, like on the Titan T-3 Power Rack. However, Major Fitness has the wide side facing forward. While this shouldn’t affect the weight capacity of the cage, it definitely gives it a bulkier, beefier look than other budget-priced racks.
• On the website, the rack can be bundled with their weight bench, or with the bench and barbell, or bench and bar and plates. We haven’t tested out all of these pieces of home gym equipment, but this may be a great entry into starting your own home gym.
• There’s no Westside spacing along the bench zone for bench press. Sorry, powerlifters.

Major Fitness Power Rack Video Review

Is the Major Fitness Power Rack Worth It?

Compared to other budget-friendly power racks with cable pulleys and attachments, Major Fitness is a bit pricier at about $829, but with free shipping. The REP PR-1100 with a center-mounted lat pull-down attachment comes in at about $640 with free shipping. The Fitness Reality 810XLT Super Max Power Cage has a lat pull-down and low row attachment that can be bought together for $550. Also, the RitFit PPC03 Power Cage and cable crossover is just under $700.

RELATED: Best Power Racks with Lat Pull-Downs

The thing that sets apart the Major Fitness rack from the other budget racks is that the cable system is set behind the back of the power rack, enabling it to still be used as a power rack—squatting on the inside of the cage. The RitFit and other options have the cable systems along the back crossmembers, which gets in the way of the back of the power rack. “Essentially, you have to use these cages as half racks, and squat from outside of the cage,” Coop explains,

If you want the full functionality of a power rack, along with all the multipurpose use of the cable system, the Major Fitness rack is designed better, and may indeed be worth a little bit more money.

Keep in mind, however, that the hole spacing of the Major Fitness Power Rack won’t be compatible with other rack attachments, due to the hole sizing, along with the orientation of the uprights. If you have a collection of power rack attachments that need a home, this won’t be the best option.

Major Fitness Power Rack Specs

Using the Major Fitness Power Rack 

The rack performs pretty well, both as a rack with attachments, and as a functional trainer. The cable system is set off the rack, which means the inside of the power rack can be used for your strength training. The rack remains pretty stable due to reinforcing tabs throughout the frame. Lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele rated the stability of the rack a 4 out of 5.

The power rack comes in red, black, and white, and comes with the cable system and countless attachments. Let’s look into the finer details of the power rack.

Cables and Attachments

With the cable system, most power racks will either go with a center-mounted lat pull-down and low row cable attachment, or a functional trainer cable system which splits the cable along each upright. Major Fitness went with the latter, but made sure to add a foot plate and lat bars so that each upright could be used for rows, triceps push-downs, or lat pull-down. 

The thing to remember is that each upright’s cable has a pulley ratio of 2 to 1, meaning that 10 pounds will feel like 5 pounds. So load your weight plates on the cable pulley appropriately.

The pulleys are plastic, and the carriage for the cables on the front uprights use guide rods and plastic bushings, which will be smoother than ultra-budget options. Aluminum pulleys would be nice, but would also shoot the price up. One thing to note is to tighten the carriages on the upright completely before using them; in our testing they would pop out of their hole placement otherwise.

The swivel pulleys rotate 180 degrees, allowing for a range of exercises, and also to move them out of the way when using the rack. The pulley has a ball stop on the end of the cable, which can cause some wear and tear on the carriage.

Additionally, the rack has a multi-grip pull-up bar, which is an angled bar with multiple neutral grips to use as well. The bar has what Coop calls “primo-looking handles” on the end, which just aren’t good; they rotate while gripping them. So while doing chin-ups, Coop recommends taking them off. 

RELATED: The 8 Best Pull-Up Bars

Also for your upper body is a dip bar, which is two separate bars on two separate uprights. Coop says on these, “The two different handle widths feel OK…they have rubber on the handles, but it’s just a little thin. But the width of the dip bars is actually good.”

Durability and Construction

With some of the choices made on materials, this feels almost as an in-between for a high-end and ultra-budget option. The cable system uses plastic pulleys, but also has a fairly smooth carriage system.

Additionally, the rack uses 14-gauge steel, and also reinforces each joint with reinforcing plates, to ensure stability. The 2-inch-by-3-inch uprights add just a bit more bulk to the machine than a typical budget rack with 2-inch-by-2-inch uprights, which overall makes it a more stable machine.

Weight capacities are given for almost every attachment and part of the power rack, but the important ones are the J-hooks, which are rated for up to 1,000 pounds. Also, the safety bars hold up to 700 pounds. For the overall construction, Lindsay rated the PLM03 a 4 out of 5.

Footprint

The power rack width from the outside of one upright to the other is 48 inches, which will suit any Olympic barbell on the rack. The actual floor space of the rack is about 63 inches by 67 inches. Keep in mind, however, that to use the cable crossover properly, you’ll need some extra open space in front of the rack as well. 

The height of the rack is 84.3 inches tall, which is an ideal height that’ll probably suit most people’s needs. It should fit most gyms with lower ceilings.

Major Fitness Power Rack vs RitFit Power Cage 

RitFit Power Cage

RitFit PC-410CC Power Cage with Cable Crossover

GGR Score: 3.9

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Product Highlights

• Multi-grip pull-up bar
• Safety spotter arms
• Easy to build
• 3-in-1 home gym machine
• Max capacity of 1,000 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• A great starter rack
• Made for smaller gym spaces
• 360 landmine fits both 1” and 2” bars
• Attention to the details and additional options you didn’t even know you needed

Cons

• Shipments can sometimes come in 2 boxes, and might not arrive on the same day
• Some customers felt that the cables could be a little bit stronger

Bottom Line

If your budget and space are on the smaller side, this is a great rack to get your home gym started with. With the ability to do so many exercises, including bench presses, pull-ups, cable flys, squats, and more, this could be the versatile home gym machine for you.

The power rack that has the most similar feel to the Major Fitness Power Rack is the RitFit PPC03 Power Cage. Both are budget-friendly racks with cable crossover systems, offering tons of versatility all in the space of a power rack. “They are very similar both in quality and in use,” Coop adds.

However, the RitFit comes in at just under $700, while Major Fitness’ rack is over $800. Looking at the price, it seems like a no-brainer on which one to get, right? 

Well, maybe not. One of the biggest design differences between the two racks also increases the functionality of the Major Fitness: the cable system is set off the back of the rack instead of on the back of the rack. This allows for the PLM03 to still have the rack used on the inside of the cage. The RitFit has the cables attached to the back, taking up the space on the inside of the rack.

So, if using the inside of the power rack is important to you, then it may make sense to spend the extra $100 for the better design. If you’re OK with using the outside of the cage for squats, then the RitFit may still work for you. You can look at this power cage more in-depth in our RitFit Power Cage review.

Customer Experience 

Major Fitness offers a 1-year limited warranty on the PLM03 Power Rack, as well as a 35-day no-reason return policy. The return should have the item in its original condition as well as the original packaging. The warranty is a little short for a power rack, and for this reason, Lindsay rated the warranty and other policies a 3 out of 5.

Lindsay also gave the customer service a 3.5 out of 5. “They got back to me within 24 hours,” she says, “but they didn’t really answer my questions very well.” Lindsay said it felt like the person she talked to didn’t have the knowledge of the product that a service rep from Rogue or REP Fitness would have.

Ordering and Assembling the Major Fitness Power Rack

The Major Fitness Multi-Functional Power Rack is available both on the Major Fitness Fitness website, as well as on Amazon. The price on Amazon is about $50 cheaper currently, but prices fluctuate often, so I’d recommend checking both sites before making a purchase.

On the Major Fitness website, financing is available through Affirm, either in four installments, or in monthly payments.

The power rack arrives in three separate boxes, disassembled like an Ikea product. We had two people assemble the Major Fitness Power Rack, and with all of its attachments and pieces, it took about 3 hours. Keep in mind that the two people building the rack build out fitness equipment for a living, so we recommend that you have a little bit of help to assemble the rack, and be prepared for it to take some time. Lindsay rated the delivery and setup a 4 out of 5.

Customer Reviews

The Major Fitness PLM03 has a customer rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on its website, from 410 reviews as of this writing. On Amazon, the rack has a 4.6 out of 5 stars, averaged from 472 reviews. Positive reviews speak highly of the rack, particularly on its performance and versatility, saying it’s a quality piece of gym equipment, even at a budget price.

Most criticism came from the assembly instructions. Even with video instructions, many felt the directions were confusing and left them having to guess at how to assemble the rack. While we didn’t have this problem in our testing, we also had two experts building it out who have built dozens of squat racks and functional trainers before, so we had experience on our side.

Final Verdict of Our Major Fitness Power Rack Review

Coop says one of the best power racks to get at a budget range is the REP PR-1000 or PR-1100, as, “It’s a higher quality rack that’s from a company that’ll probably service their warranty better.” 

While this is true, if you’re looking for a functional trainer and cable system on a budget rack, Coop recommends spending a little more and going with the Major Fitness. Anyone who loves versatility in their fitness equipment will enjoy all the different exercises that can be performed here. Plus, the offset back carriage also keeps the inside of the power rack open for your squats and bench.

Major Fitness Power Rack Rating

Major Fitness PLM03 Power Rack

Check out our thoughts on the multi-functional machine making a "major" splash on the scene in our Major Fitness Power Rack review.

Product Brand: Major Fitness

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 829.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.6

Major Fitness Power Rack: FAQs

One such belt squat machine is the SquatMax-MD, designed to have a natural feel while squatting. This belt squat machine has been updated recently with a collaborative project with Titan Fitness, but how does this weight pin loaded belt squat stack up (pun intended) to the competition? 

We got to test out this belt squat machine, and in our Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD review, we’ll get into the finer details of this collaboration, and see if this squat machine is right for your home gym. 

Thousands of Reps to Test Belt Squats

We take belt squat machines and other gym equipment through the ringer—plenty of workouts and exercises to get a true feel for the fitness equipment in aspects of construction, performance, stability, and other aspects listed in our equipment testing methodology. Garage Gym Reviews founder Coop Mitchell and GGR Everything lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele both tested the Titan SquatMax-MD, and gave their honest opinion on the product.

Our team of testers have performed thousands of squats collectively, on and off of squat machines. I myself, being a competitive weightlifter, have squatted for over two decades, with DIY belt squats, belt squat machines, and with a good old barbell. Since our team is composed of certified personal trainers, lifting coaches, and athletes, we know what to look for when looking at home gym essentials.

Titan SquatMax-MD Belt Squat

Titan Squat Max MD

GGR Score: 4.1

Community Score: 5

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Product Highlights

• Vertical belt squat machine
• Adjustable box squat seat
• Band pegs
• Transport wheels
• Includes squat belt and carabiner

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Free shipping
• Financing options
• Handles for Hatfield squats

Cons

• Short warranty
• Goes out of stock frequently

Bottom Line

Titan Squat Max MD offers a belt squat for home gyms that is vertically loaded with weight directly between your legs. It’s built from 11-gauge steel and weighs 200 pounds. Titan offers free shipping and financing options.

A Quick Look at the Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD Belt Squat

This belt squat is one of the few collaborations that Titan Fitness has done, this time with Brian Henesey, original inventor of the SquatMax-MD Belt Squat. You can compare this updated version with the original in our SquatMax-MD Belt Squat in-depth review, but the main thing is that Titan refined the original to create a more high-end look and feel for a belt squat machine like this.

The SquatMax-MD is designed after the original belt squat created by Louie Simmons, which was basically just a hole in the floor, where you took a dip belt loaded with free weights and squatted, letting the weights travel through the floor’s hole. What innovates it from the original design is that the loading pin of the belt squat has a guide rod that keeps the weights in place while allowing some freedom of movement side to side and forward and back.

“It allows you to have a natural-feeling belt squat that moves side to side, but not so much that it’s unwieldy or unsafe,” Coop says, adding, “This allows you to do a true vertical line of drive belt squat, which separates it from virtually every other belt squat on the market.” Most other belt squats are lever-based or cable-based, which don’t allow for freestanding vertical drive.

Other finer details help drive the quality of the SquatMax-MD up. All logos are laser-cut and there are no stickers on the product—a feature Coop loves. Additionally, the squat handles that lock the weight pin in place are knurled. “I’ve reviewed so many Titan products,” Coop says, “and I’ve never been this impressed or positive on one of their products…This thing is good.”

RELATED: Titan Leg Press Hack Squat Review

Before You Buy

• Titan’s version of the SquatMax-MD comes in two different designs, a standalone machine and a rack-mounted belt squat. The rack-mounted machine will fit on most any power rack, but Coop suggests getting the standalone if you plan on moving the rack attachment back and forth from your squat rack. Even with an updated kickstand, the belt squat is heavy, and you’ll probably get annoyed moving it back and forth.
• The standalone option also has a seat attachment to allow for box squats. The rack attachment doesn’t have this feature, which left Coop scratching his head.
• The belt squat includes a belt, and it’s pretty high-quality. Most belt squats don’t include them, and when they do, they’re cheap, so the Titan belt was a nice surprise.
• The base height for the belt squat is about 20 inches, which means you’ll be doing your belt squats at about 20 inches off the ground. Be mindful of the ceiling in your home gym. If you’re a taller athlete with a low ceiling, this may not be the ideal machine for you.

Video Review

Is the Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD Belt Squat Worth It?

Coop says this belt squat machine is worth the $1,499 price tag (or $1,299 for the rack-mounted SquatMax-MD) if you have the space and want a dedicated belt squat machine. Compared to other belt squats, this will have the best feel for squatting, although it may not have the overall versatility of other machines.

Take the Rogue Rhino Belt Squat for example. At $2,295, it has a hefty price tag, but the cable system of the belt squat can allow for a bit more versatility than the SquatMax-MD. The cable and pulley system can be set up for more than just squats and deadlifts, such as for lat pull-downs and rows even. The SquatMax-MD, while it’ll feel better squatting, won’t have quite the versatility of the Rhino.

On the budget side of price ranges, the Bells of Steel Belt Squat Machine costs $1,049 but is also a belt squat with a lever arm, which will shift the weight forward. As for space-saving belt squats, there are power rack attachments by REP Fitness and Fringe Sport for under $300.

RELATED: Fringe Sport Belt Squat Review 

If you’re looking for the best belt squat experience, though, there are few that rival the Titan SquatMax-MD. Lindsay rates the value a 4.5 out of 5, adding, “These other belt squats aren’t great comparisons, as this is such a unique product. The design makes it one of the best belt squat machines out there.” If you want a dedicated belt squat machine and you have the space in your home gym, then the SquatMax-MD is a great choice.

Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD Belt Squat Specs

Using the Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD Belt Squat 

Unlike some leg press or cable machines, the SquatMax-MD feels true to weight—100 pounds will feel like 100 pounds. GGR lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele says about its weight and feel, “It feels very comparable in terms of feel of weight to a barbell squat. So if you back squat 300 pounds, you probably won’t be getting much heavier than that with this belt squat.”

RELATED: How to Squat Heavier, According to an Olympian

The inclusion of the guide rod to keep the weight pin under you during squats is a monumental design choice. I myself, having done DIY belt squats in the past for my Olympic weightlifting training (with wobbly boxes and weight benches), have had moments where the weight starts swinging too much and makes the exercise unsafe. The simple guide rod allows freedom of movement and a natural feel during your squat, but it keeps the weight under control.

The 11-gauge steel tubing used on the SquatMax-MD has 1-inch holes to allow for attachments, which is exciting—except we don’t have attachments for them yet. Coop likes this concept though, as over time, they’ll release the things people are asking for. For now, the freestanding machine has a seat for box squats. Both versions also have band pegs for banded squats.

Durability and Construction

Unless you’re an elite powerlifter, the weight capacity is going to be more than enough. The weight belt is rated to hold 1,000 pounds, and the weight pin is rated at 1,300 pounds, too. The 11-gauge steel used throughout the belt squat makes it a very sturdy machine, both in the freestanding and rack-mounted versions. Lindsay rates the stability of the belt squat a 4.5 out of 5.

The stance with 45-pound plates may be a bit narrow, which is why Titan has an adapter plate to allow for 25-pound plates and a narrower stance. In Coop’s experience, though, the wider stance feels fine.

Care has been taken with finer details of the belt squat, including knurled handles (which Coop loves) and laser-cut logos, which led us to rate the construction a 4.5 out of 5. The entire machine is finished with a sharp black powder coating. One minor complaint Coop had was on the squat platform: he would’ve preferred a diamond plating to allow for more grip. However, he says, “It’s a very minor issue; the powder coating is enough to where you won’t be slipping while doing squats.”

RELATED: What Is Barbell Knurling?

Included with the machine is a belt, which is rare, and even rarer when the belt is high-quality. This is the same multi-belt design that Brian Henesey made. “Rogue has a version of it that’s one of my favorites,” Coop remarks. “This Titan belt isn’t as good as that one, but it functions the same, and to be free, I’d say it’s a really great addition.”

Footprint

Whether you go with the freestanding or rack-mounted belt squat, both will take up some real estate in your garage gym—around 4 feet by 3 feet. The dimensions are fairly similar between the two versions, with the rack-mounted version being just a little smaller to fit on a power rack. However, both will be bulky and take up space. Plus, when not in use, the rack-mounted belt squat will have to be stored, taking up just as much space as when it’s attached to the rack.

Another thing to consider on these belt squat machines is that the platform height is 20 inches off the ground. If you’re a taller athlete, you’ll need your height plus 20 inches to be able to squat. If you have a low ceiling, this may not be a feasible product for you.

Standalone vs Rack-Mounted Belt Squat

If you’re looking to get one of these belt squat machines, you’ll have the burning question: Which version of the SquatMax-MD is better? Ultimately, it’ll depend on the space you have in the gym and whether or not you have a squat rack, but in our opinion, if you have the space for the freestanding belt squat, it has a bit more value over the rack-mounted belt squat.

While the rack attachment can be great to maneuver onto your rack with a kickstand, it is also a bit bulky to move on and off the rack. “If you’re planning on moving this in and out of your power rack a lot, you probably want to get the standalone version,” says Coop.

Another feature that sets the freestanding machine apart from the rack-attached version is the 1-inch attachment hole that allows for the adjustable vinyl seat, as well as future belt squat attachments. The freestanding SquatMax-MD is $200 more than the rack-mounted version, but ultimately the features and convenience will be worth it for most people.

If you’re looking for versatility, the rack-mounted version might supply it better than the freestanding version. Coop explains, “With the rack-mounted belt squat you could set it up for weighted pull-ups. You could maybe figure out a way to run a cable through it for lat pull-downs, too.”

Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD vs Rogue Rhino Belt Squat 

Rogue Rhino Belt Squat

Rogue Monster Rhino Belt Squat

GGR Score: 4.6

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Product Highlights

The freestanding version of the Rogue Monster Rhino Belt Squat (patent pending) requires no separate rack/rig for set-up, as the system includes a pair of 53.925" steel legs for mounting and two angled 3x3" front feet for platform stability.

Made in USA

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The Rogue Rhino is the most versatile belt squat we've tested. The only belt squat that may be more versatile is the Westside ATP, however, it takes up twice as much space and costs over twice as much.
• The size of the Rhino lends itself to working in just about any space from a garage gym to a commercial gym.
• There are three versions available and thanks to it's drop-in nature, it can perform extremely well in a Monster Series Power Rack.
• The same 3"x3" 11-gauge steel is used as the frame for the Rhino.
• The price makes it one of the most budget-friendly versatile belt squats on the market.
• The Rhino is one of the best engineered products we've tested from Rogue. There are an insane amount of custom parts.
• The platform size is small enough to fit in most places, but large enough to be very useful. We were even able to stack rubber tiles on top and use it for step ups.
• The platform is made of diamond plate that is then sprayed with a textured powder coat that allows your shoes to grip the floor well.
• Eventually, we foresee the Rhino having multiple attachments like a lat pulldown.
• The weight trolley is very smooth and because it's not uncoated metal like most systems have with guide rods, it doesn't need any lubing or maintenance.
• The new belt squat belt that comes standard with the unit is great, although we still prefer the Spud INC Belt Squat Belt.

Cons

• The assembly for the Rhino is pretty intensive. Here's what one user had to say, "The instructions are utterly pathetic but once you get it put together after the 5th attempt, the machine is awesome.
• The Rhino can be a bit difficult for taller people to use. One user had this to say, "Our tall members need an additional height setting ( 1' higher ) on the middle horn position. Also, we added more quick links to the belt to make it easier to hookup."
• Although squatting on the Rhino is nice, the SquatMax-MD is much better in that regard. However, the Rhino blows it away when versatility is taken into consideration.

Bottom Line

The Rogue Monster Rhino Belt Squat is by far the best belt squat we've tested. There are many contenders now on the market, however, the Rhino is the most versatile and offers the best value. We don't recommend lever based belt squats due to the sheering forces that occur on the knees as well as lower versatility. If you're in the market for a belt squat, the Rhino is what we recommend.

It’s hard to compare the SquatMax-MD to another belt squat machine, as its design is so different from other machines. However, this comparison will be helpful in terms of versatility. When compared to the Rogue Rhino Monster Belt Squat, it really depends on what you’re looking for in this machine: a natural squat feel, or more versatility in the machine.

Although both machines are big and will need space, the SquatMax-MD is a little smaller and lighter than the Rhino, making it more of a space-saver. Also, the price difference between the two might be enough to sway a customer toward the SquatMax-MD. The weight pin and guide rod of the SquatMax-MD also helps the feel of the belt squat feel much more natural than a pulley system or lever arm.

Where the Rhino excels is in its versatility. The cables and pulleys can allow for more exercises and variations to be performed than just a belt squat. Coop explains, “The SquatMax-MD can provide some versatility and variety, but it won’t readily supply it like the Rogue Rhino can.” With that said, both belt squats are great products, and we’re fans of both. Which one would be better for your gym will depend on your floor space and your fitness goals.

Read more of our thoughts on this belt squat machine in our Rogue Rhino Belt Squat in-depth review.

Customer Experience 

Titan has pretty standard policies when it comes to their equipment: a 1-year warranty on all products sitewide, and 30-day returns. Although the 1-year warranty is a bit short for a large machine like this (especially when compared to other companies’ policies), you can buy extended protection on your product through Mulberry.

For returns, you have 30 days from delivery to return the product, and items must be returned unused and in the original packaging. You’ll be responsible for shipping costs, too, plus a 20% restocking fee.

The SquatMax-MD can be an investment at its price point. Fortunately, Titan Fitness does offer financing options through Bread Pay.

Ordering and Assembling the Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD Belt Squat

Ordering the SquatMax-MD is done through Titan’s website with free shipping. It appears that any attachments for the machine (aside from the seat on the standalone version) are available on squatmax-md.com, including a chest-supported row attachment and hip thrust attachment. It’s unclear whether Titan will begin building and selling these attachments themselves.

When it came to assembling the two versions of belt squats, it was two very different stories. They arrived in different packages, had different instructions, and our team definitely had a better time with one over the other.

“The freestanding belt squat came in a crate,” Lindsay recalls. “You would need a couple of people to help move it. The instructions were clear, though, and setting up this machine could easily be done by one person.”

On the other hand, the rack attachment was sent in two separate boxes. The instructions were unclear with this machine, however; numbers and bolts didn’t line up quite how the directions explained. It left the GGR team to figure things out on the fly. Because of the difficulty, Lindsay rated the delivery and assembly a 3.5 out of 5.

Customer Reviews

There aren’t very many customer reviews online of Titan’s updated SquatMax-MD. The rack-mounted version has zero reviews on the Titan Fitness website, while the standalone belt squat has eight reviews. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive, averaging at 4.9 stars out of 5, but typically we’d want a larger pool of reviews before we give customer ratings much weight.

With that said, the reviews available as of this writing are largely positive, praising the belt squat machine for it’s feel in use and the sturdy build of the machine. The most critical review was still a 4-star review. This customer had minor complaints about how close the band pegs were constructed and that the handles that lock in place wobble a little bit even though they’re secure.

Final Verdict of Our Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD Belt Squat Review

Even on its first iteration, Coop was impressed with the SquatMax-MD and its innovative design, keeping the line of drive vertical and allowing natural side-to-side movement. Lindsay also gives the belt squat praise, saying, “Specifically for squatting, this is the best-feeling belt squat in the world. It feels so natural—seriously the best.”

Although it may not have the versatility of other belt squat machines, if you’re wanting the best feel for a belt squat, and you have the budget and floor space in your home gym, then the updated Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD Belt Squat is definitely worth a look.

Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD Belt Squat Rating

Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD Belt Squat

Named as one of the best belt squat experiences in the world, find out if this machine is right for you in our Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD review.

Product Brand: Titan Fitness

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 1399.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.1

Titan Fitness SquatMax-MD Belt Squat FAQs

If you are someone who currently has a pair of jammer arms attached to your squat rack, this review is for you. Garage Gym Reviews founder and expert product tester, Coop Mitchell recently put two different jammer arms attachments to the test: The Vendetta Lever Arm Attachments and the GymPin x Kaizen Lever Arm. Both products have the potential to expand your strength training exercise selection and increase versatility to your home gym. 

We Love Squat Racks and Decking Them Out with Accessories 

Your reliable friends here at GGR are committed to providing the most honest reviews on everything from the best treadmills for a home gym to power racks and everything fitness-related in between. 

We’ve tested over a dozen different squat racks, countless power rack attachments, and jammer arms from Rogue, Sorinex, and Titan. For our jammer arms attachment reviews, Coop used both adapters in his own garage gym to test the assembly process, ease of use, and versatility of each adapter. 

Vendetta

Vendetta Strength & Athletics Lever Arm Adapter

GGR Score: 3.91

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Product Highlights

• Heavy-duty materials
• Simple installation
• 180° of possibilities 
• Comes with all the brackets and hardware needed
• Laser-cut steel built-on adapters

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The brackets allow you to set a starting position at various angles
• Quick and convenient set-up
• 5/16” thick CNC laser-cut steel side plates
• 15 equally spaced holes give a variety of adjustable positions
• Made by a small business in Chattanooga, TN

Cons

• Only compatible with the newer 2.0 versions of lever arms
• Doesn’t include a few key pieces that you will need to connect to your current system

Bottom Line

If you haven’t been using the lever arms on your newer 2.0 machine, this add-on will make it one of your favorite training accessories. This piece allows you to add versatility to your current workouts while also letting you support a small business. You should keep in mind that this isn’t made to replace a spotter or spotter racks and is intended to be used as another tool in your fitness arsenal.

GymPin

GymPin x Kaizen Jammer Arm Adapters

GGR Score: 3.83

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Product Highlights

• Jammer arm adapter kit
• Heavy-duty construction
• Sold in pairs
• Includes 2 locking keys
• Increases jammer arm length by 7″

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Constructed from 6-gauge steel
• 1″ bushes for seamless movement
• Lockable in 5 positions

Cons

• Expensive
• Ships from the UK
• Designed for Rogue jammer arms 2.0

Bottom Line

If you're looking to add more versatility to you existing jammer arms, this adapter can give you 360-degree rotation. That means you can use your jammer arm through multiple planes of motion for pressing or pulling. You're no longer just stuck in a vertical plane.

A Quick Look at Both Jammer Arms Attachment 

Vendetta Strength and Athletics and GymPin are both small equipment manufacturing brands that offer a select few products made with high-quality materials. Both companies offer after-market jammer arm attachments that provide even more versatility to your home workouts. 

Firstly, Vendetta Strength and Athletics exclusively manufactures 180-degree lever arm adapters for jammer arms. The Vendetta lever arm allows you to set a starting position for your jammer arms with a bracket and pin. 

GymPin on the other hand manufactures a small selection of innovative equipment. In this review, we’ll focus on the jammer arm adapters that allow you to add multi-directional movement to your lever training, which allows you more freedom with your movement pattern. 

Before You Buy

• Lever or jammer arms are a prerequisite for purchasing either jammer arm attachments in this review. 
• Expect steep shipping fees from both companies, especially GymPin as it’s based in the United Kingdom. 
• Check out our guide to the 10 best lever arm exercises. 

Video Review

Are Jammer Arm Attachments Worth It?

Like we mentioned earlier, jammer arms are a nice-to-have addition to your power rack. If you’re a budget-conscious kind of person or a minimalist, let it be known that you can use the best resistance bands, pulley systems, or a landmine attachment to achieve a lot of the same movement patterns as you can with jammer arms. 

RELATED: Best Landmine Exercises 

Both jammer arm attachments will be worth the investment for some folks, while others won’t need or desire the additional versatility. 

GymPin x Kaizen Jammer Arms Adapter Spec Chart

Vendetta 180 Degree Lever Arm Adapter Spec Chart

Workout Experience with Both Jammer Arm Attachments

Coop not only had the chance to test both jammer arm adapters, he tested the adapters together. The combination of the two adapters allowed him to use the lever arms as a dip station and pull-up bar, in addition to explosive training and eccentric bodybuilding-style training. 

It’s also worth noting that neither adapter will limit your ability to load olympic weight plates on the weight horns or minimize functionality of even the best squat racks. 

GymPin

GymPin teamed up with home gym maker and creator Kaizen, after he shared a video on his Instagram of a prototype jammer arm—made from wooden posts—that had 360-degree rotation capabilities. 

You may be asking why you would want that much rotation from a jammer arm? Coop explains that instead of being stuck in a single plane of motion with a traditional lever arm, you’ll have more freedom with your range of motion, which will be similar to using dumbbells. 

“Suddenly you have a multi-plane motion,” says Coop. “Like with a dumbbell press, you can converge at the top because you squeeze your pecs together. You can do something like that with this attachment.”

In addition to having 360-degree rotation, you can also lock the adapter in place using a key. Coop notes that once you remove the key, the movement is fluid and you’re able to converge the lever arms right away. 

“It allows you to use a key—they actually come with it—to fix the position so you can fix them closer together or farther away depending on how you want to use them,” says Coop. 

It’s constructed from heavy-duty steel, features bushings for smooth rotation, and has a black powder coat that will blend well with your existing adjustable lever arms and power cage. Coop also notes that it’s smooth and simple to use saying that, “it does what you want it to do.”

Vendetta

The Vendetta adapters allow you to create a fixed position for your lever arms so you don’t have to start your exercise of choice from a vertical position every time. The adapters are steel plates that attach to the side of your trolley arms and allow you to select a pin and create a fixed position. 

In other words, Coop says, “the adapters allow you to create a starting position for your jammer, so for instance instead of having to start the jammer arm lift at the bottom every time—and having to do a clean and jerk—if you want just want to do a shoulder press.”

The Vedetta adapters are “basically taking something that you already have and adding functionality that you may want or wish you had,” says Coop. The attachment basically mimics “what you would use in a commercial gym,” says Coop. “Like a Hammer Strength plate loaded military press or a plate loaded flat press.

“You can create the start position, because you may be able to bench more than you can clean. Here this allows us to do that. That’s one of the big benefits.”

RELATED: Best Weight Bench

Coop goes on to mention the other benefit is the ability to store your lever arms “out of the way or give them a fixed position so you can use them for things like pull-ups and dips.” 

Lastly, Coop says, “honestly after using it you’re like, man the biggest question mark is why didn’t companies think of this before—why didn’t they just include this standard?”

Durability and Construction

Coop appreciates the fact that both companies take quality construction seriously. Both adapters feature CNC laser-cut steel, black powder coat finish, and heavy-duty steel construction. 

The GymPin x Kaizer is made of 6-gauge steel and features 1-inch bushings for seamless side-to-side movement to allow your adjustable lever arms to have nearly 360-degree rotation. 

Vendetta is made from thick steel (0.3125” inches to be exact) to provide a super durable bracket to attach to your existing roller mount. It also comes with high strength, grade five bolts. 

Ergonomics

While the two adapters are different, they both allow more ergonomics for regular lever arms. In the case of the Vendetta jammer arm adapter, the ability to create a starting position means you can make it so you don’t have to hoist the lever arms through a clean to start a press or pull. You have multiple set points along a 180-degree plate. 

The GymPin provides ergonomics by way of offering rotation of the lever arms so you’re not stuck in a single plane of motion. This is ideal for folks who have a narrow build or for folks who have a wide build and need the ability to press beyond the parameters of the squat rack. 

RELATED: Best Folding Squat Racks

Side-By-Side Jammer Arms Attachment Comparison

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of what to expect from each type of jammer arm attachment. 

Customer Experience 

Because both brands are small manufacturing companies, it’s not surprising the customer support is limited to online inquiry forms and social media. While GymPin does provide an email address and a street address, Vendetta does not. However, Vendetta’s website notes that response time is between 24-48 hours for the inquiry form. 

Let’s explore more details about warranty and return policies: 

GymPin

At checkout, you will have the option to enter your credit card or use PayPal. There are no additional methods or financing options. 

GymPin is also based in the United Kingdom, so you’ll have fairly high shipping costs if you’re sending your Kaizen adapter to the United States. For reference, at checkout, shipping fees were over $50 to ship to my location in New England. 

Additionally, I could not find any information about warranties on the Kaizen adapter, or any other product listed on the GymPin website for that matter. What I did find was a 30-day return policy with non-refundable shipping costs. Also, any item that is made-to-order is not returnable. 

Vendetta 

When checking out on the Vendetta website, you won’t see financing options but there is an option to use express checkout with ShopPay or enter your credit card information. 

Although Vendetta is based in the United States, I noticed the shipping fees to my location added another $20 to the total cost. It’s also worth noting that the return policy explicitly states that the customer is responsible for shipping fees back to the manufacturer. With Vendetta, you’ll have a 7-day return policy from the day you received your package. 

The warranty for Vendetta provides all mechanical parts with a lifetime replacement warranty. 

Ordering and Assembling Jammer Arm Adapters

According to Coop, the Vendetta adapters do require some assembly because you’re basically attaching new plates to the outside of each lever arm. 

Coop notes that assembly “doesn’t take a crazy amount of time—if you put the LT1 trolley together yourself you’re going to be able to add these. I’d say maybe 30 minutes to an hour depending on your skill level.”

Although it’s not too difficult, Coop adds that you will have to attach the plates “on both sides of both trolleys, so it’s about four plates. That’s what adds up, but after you do one, you figure out what’s happening.”

On the other hand, the GymPin x Kaizen adjustable jammer arm adapters are more straightforward to attach to your jammer arms with a pin and hardware that is provided.

Customer Reviews

Between the two companies, I read a total of three customer reviews. While that’s not a lot, both adapters are fairly new products and it’s not surprising to see limited feedback online with these small companies. It’s also worth mentioning that all three reviews—two on Vendetta and one on GymPin—were all five-out-of-five-star reviews. 

Final Verdict of Our Jammer Arms Attachment Review

Coop admits that he’s not an avid user of his jammer arms in the first place. So when reviewing these two attachments, he wanted to be clear that the functionality is nice but perhaps not necessary to an item you might not be using that much. 

While Coop prefers the ability to have a fixed position versus 360-degree movement, it’s all about your personal preferences and training style. 

On the GymPin adapter Coop says, “Is this something I would legitimately add to my training, personally? For the price not really. I like the design but for my training and the type of training I do, these aren’t an addition to my gym that I’m like, ‘woah I’m really glad I have those.’”

However, everyone’s training is different and if you use your lever arms a ton, you might want additional functionality. If you like the idea of having a fixed start and stop point for the jammer arms, the Vendetta is the solution for you. 
If you wish you had more range of motion instead of being fixed to just a straight up-and-down motion of your lever arms, the GymPin x Kaizen product is the solution for you.

GymPin x Kaizen Jammer Arms Adapter Rating

GymPin x Kaizen Jammer Arms Adapter

GymPin x Kaizen Jammer Arms Adapters allow you to transform your existing jammer arms into a 360-rotation system allowing for multi-plane training.

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 343.28

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.83

Vendetta 180 Degree Lever Arm Adapter Rating

Vendetta 180 Degree Lever Arm Adapter

Vendetta lever arm adapters allow you to set a start point to you existing jammer arms which allows you to customize your range of motion for every lift.

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 279.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.91

Jammer Arms Attachment FAQs

What if you’re just looking to do rows? And heavy rows? The Rogue Pritchett Pad might be the rack attachment you’re looking for, available in Monster and Monster Lite versions. Built by a professional Strongman, the Pritchett Pad is made specifically for chest-supported rows, and heavy ones at that.

But is this row attachment worth the price? Garage Gym Reviews founder and expert tester Coop Mitchell got to test out this unique piece of gym equipment, and we’ll go over his thoughts in our Rogue Pritchett Pad review.

Rack Attachments? Yep, We Know About Them

Our team of testers consists of certified personal trainers, lifting coaches, and elite-level athletes. So when we test fitness equipment, we’re speaking from experience and knowledge we’ve developed over the years of living and breathing the strength and fitness community.

At GGR, we’ve tested dozens of power racks and their attachments, from lat pulldowns and dip stations to seal row pads. We approach each piece of equipment with the same professional eye, looking at aspects of the item’s construction, footprint, versatility, and overall value for you, the consumer.

RELATED: Best Power Racks with Lat Pulldowns

Rogue Monster Pritchett Pad

Rogue Monster Pritchett Pad

GGR Score: 4.1

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Product Highlights

• Co-developed with professional Strongman Jerry Pritchett
• 3” x 3” 11-gauge steel construction
• Mounts onto 3” x 3” racks with 1” holes
• Black powdercoat finish
• Proprietary self-skinned polyurethane foam pad
• Offset design to allow for chest-supported landmine rows

Pros & Cons

Pros

• No hardware required
• Ships fully assembled
• UHMW inserts to protect rack
• Stable on rack
• Quality construction and design

Cons

• Not as versatile as other seal row pads
• Bulky and heavy to move on and off the rack
• Hard to store

Bottom Line

The Rogue Monster Pritchett Pad is specially designed for chest-supported landmine rows done off of a power rack. Although not as versatile or adjustable as other seal row pads, if you’re wanting to perform chest-supported rows, this rack attachment is heavy-duty, high-quality, and very stable in use.

A Quick Look at the Rogue Pritchett Pad

Made in the USA, the design of the Rogue Pritchett Pad was co-developed with professional Strongman Jerry Pritchett, who originally fabricated a prototype for use in his home gym; he then asked Rogue to improve upon it. This is most like a seal row attachment, although not as compact and adjustable.

The main reason for the design choices is that Jerry wanted a way to perform chest-supported rows with a landmine attachment. With the Pritchett Pad attached at the front of a power rack, and a landmine attached in the back, the landmine handles are at the right length to use effectively. Additionally, the pad is offset to allow the barbell to move freely during landmine rows.

The Rogue Pritchett Pad is great for any pulling motion done from a chest-supported position. Beyond landmine rows, you can do dumbbell rows, flyes, and curls (Coop said curls feel really good on the pad). There are other ways to set this up with weight benches or other tools, but the Pritchett Pad keeps the set-up relatively compact.

Before You Buy

• We tested out the Pritchett Pad for the Rogue Monster series, but for those with a Rogue Monster Lite rack, there is the Rogue Monster Lite Pritchett Pad. At $20 cheaper, the main difference is that the Monster supports 1-inch holes, whereas the Monster Lite pad supports 5/8-inch holes. The Monster Lite version also has a hitch pin to connect to the rack.
• Both versions of the Pritchett Pad work on 3-inch by 3-inch mounting uprights. If your squat rack doesn’t have those dimensions (along with the right holes), the pad won’t work with it. Also, companies that use imported steel like REP Fitness and Titan use metric measurements, so their uprights are slightly smaller than 3 inches by 3 inches. The attachment will still work, but may have a little more give or wobble than usual.
• You can perhaps do movements on your back, but it’s not designed or marketed to. According to Coop, the back pad is a little small. It’s possible, but if you’re wanting a seal row pad to use for back-supported exercises, you may want to look elsewhere.

Video Review

Is the Rogue Monster Pritchett Pad Worth It?

The Pritchett Pad is built to endure some heavy lifting. The design is impeccable and made to support Strongman-type loads. With solid 11-gauge steel and clean welds, it’s made to handle some weight. However, to build a row attachment that could support so much weight, sacrifices had to be made in its versatility and adjustments.

For one, Coop notes that there aren’t any adjustment angles for the pad. While this would certainly add versatility to the machine, it would also hurt the stability of the Pritchett Pad and make it less stable at heavier weights.

If you’re looking for more versatility in a seal row pad, there are some better options out there. But if you’re looking to lift some heavy chest-supported rows, this is one of the best options available, and is reasonably priced for the task at hand.

Rogue Monster Pritchett Pad Specs

Workout Experience with the Rogue Pritchett Pad 

The Rogue Pritchett Pad is made with a purpose in mind: chest-supported rows. It was made for strong people—like Jerry Pritchett—to do heavy landmine exercises while supporting the chest, and it does that well. 

Practically every movement done in a chest-supported position feels great. Coop performed landmine rows, dumbbell rows, flyes, and curls—and they all felt great. “If you’re going to use it and really want something for chest-supported rows, this thing…I think is probably the G.O.A.T. for that,” Coop notes.

However, if you’re looking for adjustability and an item that can perform multiple things, this may not be it. You can flip over and do some incline presses on the pad, but because it’s not designed for that, it feels a little awkward at the angle. There’s no adjustment outside of adjusting the pad height—which is just raising the attachment higher or lower on your power rack.

In his use of the Pritchett Pad, the main thing Coop wanted was an adjustment system for the pad. While it probably would have increased the complexity (and cost) of the pad, it also would have made the pad more versatile for a broader range of exercises—as well as helping change the angle for different heights of people.

Durability and Construction

The Rogue Pritchett Pad is built with the same consistent level of quality that is known from Rogue products. The attachment is built from 3-inch by 3-inch, 11-gauge steel tubing, the same used in their Rogue Monster racks. This makes it heavy and stable while in use, feeling very sturdy during your strength training.

It’s designed for heavy weight, and Coop notes this, as he saw footage of Jerry Pritchett using the Pritchett Pad with a landmine with four weight plates—that’s a lot of weight to support. Whether you’re a weightlifter or Strongman like Jerry, or you’re a beginner at rows, it’ll hold virtually any weight you need for your workout.

The quality of the build is solid, which can usually be expected from Rogue. The welds are strong and the laser-cut logos are crisp and clean. Also, the Monster Pritchett Pad has a black MG powder coat finish, which is a sharp-looking gloss. This gloss finish is solid, and it fits in with the rest of the Rogue Monster line…except with the Rogue Velocidor, Coop notes.

Additionally, Rogue has protected the metal coating with UHMW plastic inserts placed anywhere that there could possibly be metal contact with other metal. The channeling against the upright is covered in the protective plastic, as well as the center handle you use to carry the pad.

The rack attachment also has holes, which you could use to add other attachments to the pad. Coop isn’t sure what attachments you could currently add to this, but likes the possibility of attachments down the road: “When in doubt, add holes. I love that idea.”

The pad is a proprietary self-skinned polyurethane foam, which is the same as on their Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0. Coop likes it as it’s pretty grippy—firm enough to keep you in place, but soft enough to keep you comfortable during your weightlifting. The padding is very durable, although Coop tends to prefer Rogue’s other vinyl options.

Footprint and Portability

One of the Pritchett Pad’s strengths is also its weakness. The pad is heavy, which makes it stable, but it also makes it unwieldy in moving it around. At nearly 40 pounds, it’s not the most portable rack attachment; plus, it has an odd shape which is a little difficult to store. Coop says because of this, it’s not the type of attachment that you’re going to want to take on and off of your power rack between uses.

Coop wouldn’t mind moving it between uses, but thought someone smaller may not enjoy moving it around, like his wife. “I could not see her leaving it off the rack, putting it on, and then taking it off when she didn’t use it. She would probably just put it on and leave it on for me to take it off,” he notes with a laugh.

It’s a little difficult to store, due to its rounded shape. While the shape makes it great for chest-supported rows, there’s no great way to store it off the power rack. Even on a power rack, it will take up a bit of space, extending from the rack 33 inches.

Comparison to Sorinex Bulldog Pad

Sorinex Bulldog Pad

Sorinex Bulldog Pad

GGR Score: 4.5

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Product Highlights

This patent-pending rack attached chest supported row can be utilized for rows or flys using a barbell, dumbbells, Center Mass Bells®, kettlebells, sandbag, or cable machine. This unit has four adjustment angles and can support arms, legs, head, or back for added stability during a multitude of pressing and pulling movements.

Made in USA

For a while now, the Sorinex Bulldog Pad has been one of Coop’s favorite seal row pads, and for good reason. Compared to the Rogue Pritchett Pad, it has strengths and weaknesses, but which one is best for you depends wholly on which suits your fitness goals better.

Where the Bulldog Pad shines compared to the Pritchett Pad is in its compactness and adjustable angles. First, the Bulldog Pad has a depth from the rack of just over 27 inches, which is a bit shorter than the Pritchett Pad at 33 inches from the upright. Also, the Sorinex stands straight out from the rack, unlike the Pritchett Pad’s angled design. This makes the Bulldog a much more compact attachment, easy to load and unload from the rack, and the attachment doesn’t get in the way during barbell rows.

The Bulldog Pad also has four adjustment angles, making it versatile for a wealth of different exercises and people. The different angles can put it in a better position for incline pressing. While the Pritchett Pad does allow pressing, its inability to adjust doesn’t make it ideal. The Bulldog is a more versatile piece of fitness equipment, so if versatility is needed for your home workouts, this may be the piece to go with.

Still, if you’re wanting to just pull—rows, flyes, and curls—the Pritchett Pad is a solid piece of equipment. The heavy-duty steel and design allows it to hold a lot of weight. Plus, it comes out less expensive than the Bulldog Pad, even after shipping costs. The design is also specifically created for landmine rows,so if those are on your workout routine, this is a fantastic choice for your home gym.

For an in-depth look at this piece of equipment, read our Sorinex Bulldog Pad review.

Customer Experience 

Rogue holds a limited lifetime warranty on structural welds and frames, which would cover the bulk of the Pritchett Pad. Upholstery such as the padding only has a 90-day warranty, however. Warranties can be voided due to faulty use, alteration, or mishandling of the equipment by the user.

Rogue offers 30-day returns on unused items, but the item has to be in its original packaging. There is an online returns and exchange form to fill out to begin the process. Any original shipping charges on your purchase won’t be included in your refund.

There are quite a few ways to contact Rogue Fitness. The website provides a telephone and fax number. In addition, they have a FAQ page, along with a contact form to fill out. If none of these work for you, they even have a live chat option on the website.

Ordering and Assembling the Rogue Pritchett Pad

The Pritchett Pad can be ordered directly from Rogue Fitness, and the website states it’ll ship within 2 to 4 weeks of making your purchase. It doesn’t qualify for free shipping, so be prepared to pay extra for shipping costs. The pad comes fully assembled, so it’s ready to use out of the box.

Rogue offers financing options in a couple of different ways, although these methods are available only to U.S. customers. You can finance through Affirm, making monthly payments over time, with orders of $250 or more. Fortunately, the Monster and Monster Lite Pritchett Pads both qualify for this on their own. PayPal customers can also choose PayPal credit, which has no payments and no interest for purchases of $99 or more—so long as the order is paid in full in six months.

Customer Reviews

As of this writing, the Rogue Monster sits at an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Rogue Fitness’ website. Most reviews are very positive, and even the lower ratings speak positively on the build and quality of the Pritchett Pad. One review even touted that the Pritchett Pad worked well on a smaller half rack using a curl bar.

The most common complaint of the Rogue Pritchett Pad is the lack of adjustability, particularly in the padding. Some smaller people felt uncomfortable using it, and while adjusting the height was helpful, it didn’t fully solve the problem.

Final Verdict of Our Rogue Pritchett Pad Review

The Rogue Pritchett Pad is designed for heavy weightlifting, particularly chest-supported rows. If you’re looking for a rack attachment to support landmine rows, there isn’t much out there that does a better job. However, the Pritchett Pad doesn’t offer much versatility beyond pulling and rowing. If you’re looking for an attachment offering a bit more versatility to your strength training, there may be better options available.

Rogue Pritchett Pad Rating

Rogue Pritchett Pad

This overbuilt seal row pad is made to last through some heavy reps on your next back workout. Find out if it’s worth a look in our Rogue Pritchett Pad review.

Product Brand: Rogue Fitness

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 295

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.1

Rogue Pritchett Pad FAQs

When choosing the right rack is that important, it’s nice to have a bit of customization to make sure it fits your needs just right. But what if you had all of the customization options? One company, Bells of Steel, has set out to provide you with any and all customization options you can think of…except colorways (more on that later).

In our Bells of Steel Hydra Rack review, we’ll go over this particular rack series and just about all of its customization options and a myriad of power rack attachments. Still, with that much customization, is the BOS Hydra Series worth it? GGR founder Coop Mitchell got to test out this power rack, and let us know his opinion on its overall value.

Powerful Testing on Power Racks

We at Garage Gym Reviews have tested quite a few power racks, squat racks, and half racks throughout the years. In fact, they’re one of our most tested pieces of gym equipment, perhaps behind Olympic barbells and adjustable dumbbells. In his testing, Coop was able to test out the rack through multiple barbell exercises, along with testing out a majority of rack attachments available.

Along with that, our testers consist of certified personal trainers, lifting coaches, and lifelong athletes. Through our experience, we can help you decide which power rack would be best for your home gym, be it the Hydra rack or something else.

Bells of Steel Hydra Series

Bells of Steel Hydra 4-Post Power Rack

GGR Score: 4.25

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Product Highlights

• Fully customizable
• Free shipping and 30-day money back guarantee
• 3" x 3" 11-gauge steel
• Limited lifetime warranty

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Fully customizable
• 3" x 3" 11-gauge steel
• Choose your own height and depth
• 5/8" holes with 1" and 2" spacing
• Compatible with a number of attachments
• Free shipping
• 30-day money back guarantee

Cons

• Add-ons quickly increase price
• Only attachments made precisely for 76.2mm x 76.2mm uprights will fit
• Assembly may be challenging to do alone

Bottom Line

The Hydra Rack is a great option for home gym owners looking for a fully customizable rack from a trusted brand.

A Quick Look at the Bells of Steel Hydra Rack

Bells of Steel is a fitness equipment company founded in 2010 in Canada, and now with showrooms both in Canada and the USA. With a broad range of products available, Bells of Steel focuses on providing quality products at budget-friendly prices.

The Hydra Series of racks certainly leans towards budget pricing, although by how much will be discussed shortly. Along with the pricing, the Hydra Series is extremely customizable, and “almost annoyingly so,” as Coop jokes. Each rack—four-post, six-post, flat feet, folding, wall-mounted, and half racks, among others—has multiple options on the height, depth, and even width. 

Additionally, there are a ton of rack attachments, including a variety of J-cups, safety bars and straps, lat pulldown, dip attachments, band pegs, weight plate storage, and lever arms. Attachments are easily added in the customization process, which is a nice feature of the checkout process. Most of these attachments are reasonably priced, although they will keep adding to the total price of the rack.

Before You Buy

• Bells of Steel imports their steel, but unlike other companies, their imported steel uprights and crossmembers are true 3-inch-by-3-inch pieces. Most imported steel uses metric measurements, so the true fit uprights allow for tighter fits on rack attachments that have the true dimensions. 
• Most Hydra racks have a choice in width of 47 inches or 49 inches on the outside of the uprights. While the options are great, Coop warns that most attachments are made to fit the 49-inch option best.
• The customization options are fantastic, but it’s helpful to have an idea of what size rack you’re looking for; otherwise, the options might overwhelm you a little bit. Measure out the space you have in your home gym to help determine what your options are.

Video Review

Is the Bells of Steel Hydra Rack Worth It?

Well, yes and no. There are a lot of nice perks to the Bells of Steel Hydra Rack. With tons of customization options and a plethora of reasonably priced attachments, the Hydra Rack provides a lot of versatility for lifters and gym owners, especially if you’re looking for a true 3-inch-by-3-inch rack.

Still, this power rack series is comparable to many other budget-priced racks, most notably the REP PR-4000 and the Titan X-3 Series. All racks use heavy-duty 11-gauge steel, and all use 5/8-inch holes for rack attachments. All three power racks also have Westside spacing for bench press adjustments.

RELATED: TItan Squat Rack Reviews

Still, when compared to these other two companies, Bells of Steel is slightly more expensive. When ordering a six-post rack with the same height, J-cups, and safety straps, the Bells of Steel was a few hundred dollars more than each of its competitors. This may be due to its true 3-inch-by-3-inch dimensions, but if you’re looking for budget-priced value, true fitting may not be a concern.

Whether the Hydra Rack is worth it is largely based on what you’re looking for. For true measurements, this is probably one of the lowest-priced modular racks available. Still, if you’re looking for the lowest price, and the most value, the Hydra Rack may not be the best choice. 

Great for:

• Those wanting a lot of customization in their power rack
• Lifters needing a high-quality build on their squat rack at a decent price
• People wanting true 3-inch-by-3-inch for better-fitting rack attachments

Not recommended for:

• People looking for the absolute lowest price
• Home gym owners not concerned about true upright measurements
• Those that may not want too many customizable options

Bells of Steel Hydra Rack Specs

Workout Experience/Using the Bells of Steel Hydra Rack 

Using the Bells of Steel Hydra Rack felt good. With 11-gauge steel and solid uprights, having weight and attachments on the power rack felt solid.

The rack uses 5/8-inch holes, which means the rack is compatible with 5/8-inch rack attachments (if you’re not buying the ones from Bells of Steel). Still, something to consider is that the Hydra rack uses tubing that is 3 inches by 3 inches, truly. A true measurement of this isn’t always the case, as companies like Titan and REP use metric measurements for their imported steel. 

RELATED: The Ultimate Squat Rack Guide

Because of its true dimensions, if you have attachments that you want to add on to the Hydra Rack, you should also make sure they fit a true 3-inch-by-3-inch upright. The Bells of Steel racks may be more compatible with Rogue attachments, and less with REP attachments,due to these measurements. The true measurements do help help the rack attachments from feeling loose, or having “slop,” as Coop calls it.

The 5/8-inch holes allow for Westside spacing of holes along the bench zone. This 1-inch spacing allows for more accurate placing of J-cups for bench press, or safety bars while squatting. Additionally, this can allow more accurate placement when you’re performing rack deadlifts. 

Construction

The Bells of Steel Hydra Series is built like many heavy-duty power racks—with 11-gauge steel. The imported steel is actually measured to a true 3-inch-by-3-inch measurement, making the uprights more compatible with American-made attachments from Rogue and Sorinex. Less give on these attachments will provide a better feel while in use, as well as better longevity.

RELATED: Rogue R-3 Power Rack Review

The steel construction allows for a high weight capacity of 1,000 pounds, which should be more than enough for most people’s weightlifting routines. The welds are strong, and the material is durable, finished with a black powder coat. The one option for a colorway was one complaint of Coop’s, as many competitors to Bells of Steel offer color options.

Rack Attachments

Coop was able to test almost every attachment available to the Hydra rack. If we didn’t test it, it means the attachment was out of stock at the time of purchase—like the lever arms. Still, here are a few standout attachments Coop liked or had to call out.

J-Cups

Overall, Coop says the J-cups are okay; the finish is alright, but the options available are expansive. There are a total of four different options for J-cups when customizing your Hydra Rack. Coop’s favorite were the roller J-cups. They had a plastic roller that helped position the barbell on the rack easily in between sets of bench press or squats. Reasonably priced, they worked well and were smooth in positioning the bar. 

One callout was from the monolift arms; Coop recommends avoiding these. They’re mostly feasible only for benching, as the arms don’t extend out far enough to properly be used for squatting without having to step back and forth to unrack and re-rack the weight. Additionally, the monolift arms are spring loaded, which is a nice feature, but seemed to only work on one of the arms we purchased.

Safety Straps

Out of the safety bars and spotter arms, Coop’s favorite was the safety straps. These straps aren’t anything fancy, but are durable and priced well. Plus, the straps have color options, which is a nice feature to have, especially when the rack itself doesn’t have color options. It’s a simple way to help make your power rack stand out.

Center-Mount Lat Pulldown

The Bells of Steel Lat Pulldown is mounted in the center of the back of the power rack, which Coop liked for its compact design. The plate-loaded lat pulldown has an additional trapezoidal rear cross member to set the pulley system and cable away from the inside of the rack. This helps keep the rack functional even with this attachment. Still, the low row foot plate is not adjustable, so it can be a little in the way at times.

Seal Row Pad

Coop said the Seal Row Pad was a standout of the attachments tested, and it probably deserved its own review. Along with a weight capacity of 500 pounds, the seal row pad has seven different adjustment angles to help you get plenty of lat and back exercises in.

Attachment Pins

The rack attachment pins Coop tested out were made of stainless steel and had the “BOS” logo laser cut into the ends. While it’s a neat and unique concept, Coop feels they could have been executed better. The edges of the pins were sharp, and certain spots of the pin were thin metal, which was pretty easy to bend in our testing.

Comparison to the REP Fitness PR-4000 and Titan X-3 Rack

REP PR-4000

REP PR-4000 Power Rack

GGR Score: 4.4

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Product Highlights

• Heavy duty 11-gauge steel
• 3" x 3" uprights
• Rated for 1,000 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Affordable, high-quality rack
• Several color options available
• Laser-cut holes and logos
• Uprights are numbered every 5 holes
• Westside hole spacing
• Can be built out to include weight storage, pull-up bar, strap safeties, etc.
• 3x3-inch 11-gauge steel

Cons

• Accessories for the PR-4000 and PR-5000 racks aren’t as good as the competition
• Some of the welds and powder coating aren’t up to par

Bottom Line

The Rep Fitness PR-4000 Power Rack is honestly one of the best value power racks on the market. This rack has garnered excellent reviews from us and others and it's largely due to how great it's features are for the price point. This is still a pretty expensive rack for those on a tight budget and trying to build a home gym, but this is the type of rack you never have to upgrade. Is it better than the Rogue Monster Lite? No, but it is cheaper and very similar quality, although it is imported. We are big fans of the PR-4000 and recommend it.

Titan X-3 Rack

Titan X-3 Series Power Rack

GGR Score: 4.3

Community Score: 4.3

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Product Highlights

• 3" x 3" 11-gauge steel uprights
• Fat (2") and Skinny (1.25") pull up bars included
• Walk through design
• Laser cut upright holes with Westside hole spacing
• Pair of UHMW padded X-3 J-hooks included
• 4 band pegs included
• 4 Olympic Weight plate holders included
• 2 Pin-Pipe Safeties included

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 11-gauge steel
• Band pegs, safety pins, and weight plate holders included
• Westside hole spacing
• Square uprights allow attachments from any side

Cons

• Can't customize depth
• Not compatible with some Titan accessories
• Some complaints of parts being scratched during shipping

Bottom Line

The Titan X-3 Series Power Rack is built with strong 11-gauge steel and high weight capacity, making it a solid choice for your gym. The rack has 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights, making it compatible with many attachments from other companies. At a lower price point, this is one of the best value heavy-duty power racks available in this style.

When comparing the Hydra Series to competitors, like the Titan X-3 or the REP Fitness PR-4000, the specs are incredibly similar, with a few noticeable differences. The Bells of Steel Hydra Series probably is the most customizable, with a streamlined checkout process as well. Still, all three racks use the same hole sizing and spacing, along with the same powder-coated 11-gauge steel to provide a large weight capacity for heavy powerlifting.

The difference between these racks is that, while all three power racks use imported steel, the Hydra Series uses true 3-inch-by-3-inch uprights and crossmembers, whereas REP and Titan both use metric measurements, so their measurements are not truly 3 inches. This can lead to some slack when using American-made rack attachments from companies like Rogue and Sorinex. Bells of Steel won’t have that slack, but also won’t fit REP and Titan attachments well either.

Still, the value may lie with the Titan and REP options. Coop challenged Operations Manager Sam Presley to compare rack prices across the brands, customizing each rack the same: a six-post rack with the same height, safety straps, and J-cups. After comparing prices, the Bells of Steel Hydra Rack came out the priciest, about $300 more than the REP PR-4000, and $500 more than Titan’s X-3.

In addition, the Titan and REP racks offer colorway options, whereas Bells of Steel offers only the classic: Black. In Coop’s words, “If I’m looking at all of these across the spectrum, and I’m like which [power rack] do I want with a 5/8-inch hole, I would have a hard time recommending this one over, say, the REP PR-4000.” 

With an abundance of attachments and customization options still, Titan and REP bring strong value with lower prices than the Bells of Steel Hydra Series. Unless true 3-inch-by-3-inch measurements are important, you may not get enough value out of the Hydra Series.

See more of our thoughts on the REP power rack in our REP Fitness PR-4000 Power Rack review.

Customer Experience 

Bells of Steel allows for 30-day returns; in addition, the product can still be returned after use, so long as it’s sent back in the original packaging. The company will send you a return label as well, meaning you shouldn’t have to pay any extra shipping costs.

The Hydra Series Racks are backed by a limited lifetime warranty. This “lifetime” warranty ends when the product becomes unusable for reasons outside of manufacturer defects. Also, the warranty can be voided by misuse on the customer’s part. Regardless, that’s a pretty solid warranty.

Bells of Steel has an email and phone number to contact them, as well as a contact form on their website. Those in Indianapolis, Indiana, or Calgary, Canada, can also stop by their showrooms to view products and ask questions.

Ordering and Assembling the Bells of Steel Hydra Rack

The ordering process is great from what Coop saw and emphasizes the amount of customization available to the consumer. First, you choose the style of rack you’d like—four-post, flat feet, six-post, folding racks, half racks, collegiate, and squat stands. From there, Bells of Steel gives you over a dozen customization options (the exact number depends on the rack you choose to start with).

Coop enjoyed that you could order the modular rack and its attachments all on the same page. The options being there all in front of you can be great. Coop compares it to fast food, “Similar to Sonic drive-thru, you have over a hundred thousand combinations of different accessories, cross-members, depths, widths, and heights of racks that you can choose, which is a good thing for the consumer at times if they know what they want.”

Still, it can certainly cause some paralysis by analysis if you don’t know what you’re getting into. “Sometimes people just like going to Five Guys and saying, ‘I want a burger,’ which is nice,” Coop jokes. Still, the same applies here. The customization is great, unless you aren’t sure what you want exactly.

The product is ordered from the Bells of Steel website bellsofsteel.com and comes unassembled, but assembly wasn’t tough in our experience. Additionally, most reviews said instructions were clear and assembly was simple enough. Shipping is free in the continental U.S.

The price of the modular rack will depend largely on the dimensions and rack attachments you choose. With that said, Bells of Steel does offer financing options through Affirm, as well as Paybright, although the latter is an option open only to Canadian customers.

Customer Reviews

Surprisingly, there aren’t many reviews on the Bells of Steel website. By my count at the time of this writing, there were five reviews for both the Hydra 4-Post Rack and the Flat Foot Rack, with all of the reviews at five stars, except for one 3-star review on the 4-Post Rack.

Most customers enjoyed the build of the rack and construction of it, saying it was “overbuilt in a good way.” The one 3-star review had positives about the power rack itself as well, but the complaint was in customer service. His rack was shipped late and came missing attachment pieces for straps. Bells of Steel did respond to this and said that there was an inventory issue at the warehouse that has been resolved, and shouldn’t be an issue anymore.

Final Verdict of Our Bells of Steel Hydra Rack Review

Overall, the Bells of Steel Hydra Series is a solid, good rack, with lots of customization options available. The checkout process was smooth and streamlined for getting any and everything you needed for your rack, and almost every rack attachment you can think of is ready and available for it. The true 3-inch-by-3-inch dimensions for uprights and attachments makes it a great fit for high-end rack attachments from Rogue and Sorinex.

However, there are comparable products from competitors like REP Fitness and Titan that offer similar perks for less money—plus colorway options. Because of that, we’re not sure if it has as much value as those other racks. Still, the Canadian company might be the better choice if you’re in Canada, as that’ll cut down on shipping costs.

Bells of Steel Hydra Rack Rating

Bells of Steel Hydra Rack

A well-built power rack with solid durability, but is it worth the price? Find out in our Bells of Steel Hydra Rack Review.

Product Brand: Bells of Steel

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 1179

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.25

Bells of Steel Hydra Rack FAQs

The RitFit Power Cage is a versatile machine that comes at a good price. Is it worth the money? Read on in our RitFit Power Cage review.

We’ve Tested Functional Trainers Like No One Else

If it goes in a home gym, then we’ve had our hands on it. Our testers include weightlifters, athletes, certified personal trainers, and more who have used dozens of the best functional trainers, squat racks, and all other types of fitness equipment. We’ve had the chance to put premium functional trainers, like the nearly $5,000 Inspire Fitness FT2, to the test, and even much sought-after top-value options like the Bells of Steel Functional Trainer. Thanks to our vast experience, we can give you a realistic account of what you can get with your hard-earned money. 

GGR’s founder and equipment expert, Coop, took the time to extensively review RitFit’s budget-friendly functional trainer in a full video review to see if it’s worth the buy for cost-conscious consumers. 

RitFit Functional Trainer

RitFit Cable Crossover Machine

GGR Score: 3.9

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Product Highlights

• 3-in-1 home gym machine
• Heavy duty 2x2” steel, square frame
• 16-sq ft footprint
• Comes in black or orange
• Max capacity of 1,000 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 12 included accessories to complement the base machine
• High-grade steel J-hooks hold up to 1,000 lbs
• Rubber liners protect the bar rod and absorb noise
• 5-degree incline design helps to prevent the weight from dropping
• Beam has multiple grip positions
• High-quality pulleys for smooth training

Cons

• Machine may be small for larger body frames
• Some customers had trouble putting together

Bottom Line

Each side support on the machine can hold up to 330 pounds, providing great built-in storage and keeping your gym more space-efficient. Most reviewers found the machine fairly simple to put together and reported it to be a solid structure that met their expectations. If you’re looking for something to add to your home gym that will expand its range, this would be a great way to get started. This machine’s versatility lets you perform cable flys, bench press, and pull-ups, just to start.

A Quick Look at the RitFit Power Cage

The RitFit Power Cage is technically called the RitFit PC410CC. “It’s a lame name but possibly a sick rack for those of you looking for a budget squat rack,” Coop says. 

This machine combines a power rack with a plate-loaded functional trainer. And, bonus: “This is actually one of the only on the market that is within this price range,” Coop says, as you can get it for just under $700 at the time of this publishing. 

In use, it resembles some of the best home gyms: “It mimics the function of many of the more expensive options that we see and we’ve reviewed on the market, like the Rogue Slinger or the REP Fitness Athena and Ares,” Coop says. 

This squat rack comes in two colors: matte black and orange. It sports a standard cage rack with 2-inch-by-2-inch uprights (though the gauge steel is not listed anywhere; our guess is that it’s around 14-gauge steel). RitFit claims its rack can hold up to 1,000 pounds. However, Coop has some natural skepticism about this weight claim and suggests keeping it lighter than this upper limit to maximize your safety. Realistically, though, it is sturdy enough for almost any lifter out there who never comes close to the thousand-pound threshold.

Before You Buy

• Measure your ceiling height to ensure you have enough space to use a pull-up bar; this is 85” tall. 
• Consider that most parts of the RitFit Power Cage are only under warranty for a year, which may not be enough for people who are tough on their equipment. 

Video Review

Is the RitFit Functional Trainer Worth It?

Generally speaking, yes, we think this product is worth the price, which is around $700. While it doesn’t have a high-end feel, it gets the job done and for an affordable cost. 

Like all the best home gym equipment, what’s worth it for some might not be worth it for others. Based on our review, here’s who might think it’s hot and those who might think it’s not. 

RitFit Functional Trainer Specs

Using the Plate-Loaded Functional Trainer

One of the most interesting things about the RitFit Power Cage is that it offers a functional trainer. “You’re not buying this rack just because you like the way it looks or design or some of that stuff,” Coop notes. “You want this because you want it to function like a functional trainer. You just want something that’s going to get it done.” 

This is not something you’d typically see on budget power racks. As a result, you can pack more punch into strength training because you’ll have a space-saving rack and functional trainer. The RitFit is plate-loaded, which means you can use your own weight plates and save on the shipping that a weight stack would cost you. 

RitFit notes that each plate holder can support up to 165 pounds and claims you can use 2-inch Olympic plates or 1-inch plates. In our own testing, we found that the weight carriage system is one of the strengths of this product. It has a low start weight of 2 pounds per side, which is ideal for rehab/prehab exercises. Also, the rods are slightly slanted, which means that as the weights move up and down, you don’t need to worry about them sliding off.

The Cable System

Right off the bat, we don’t love that RitFit doesn’t state what the cables are rated for. Because this is plate-loaded, you need to be sure you don’t load up too much weight and snap the cable. “I would assume looking at the cables and comparing them to others that I’ve seen, these are probably rated around 300 to 350 pounds,” Coop says.

Coop noted that even though many parts, like the pulley system, on the functional trainer, are made of plastic and are not particularly solid, the functional trainer actually feels smooth when you’re using it. The front pulleys, which swivel, don’t move incredibly smoothly. Also, due to the design, the ball on the cable grinds into the pulley.

“If you really want just like an ultra smooth functional trainer, you could replace the pulleys with aluminum,” Coops suggests. 

RELATED: The Best Cable Machines for a Home Gym

Attachments

There are 12 extra accessories, including cable attachments, that come with the RitFit Power Cage. Those include:

• A multi-grip pull-up bar
• 2 j-hooks
• 2 cable handles
• 2 plate holder racks
• A landmine
• 2 plate storage tubes
• 2 safety spotter arms

The J-Hooks

The j-hooks on the RitFit Power Cage are V-shaped instead of the classic J. They are made of a high-grade steel on the outside but feature a rubber lining to protect your barbell.

“The weight capacity on the uprights really doesn’t matter so long as you have j-cups that can hold it,” Coop explains. “These j-cups are actually quite nice, especially compared to other products in this price range.”

The Spotter Arms

Another important part of any squat rack training system is the spotter system, whether it’s safety bars or straps. The RitFit comes with two safety arms, though in our testing, we found them to be a little short. “This is average at best, because they’re not very long,” Coop says. He felt that the safety spotters do not appear to be set up to support 1,000 pounds of weight due to their length and thinness, which is something to keep in mind if you squat or bench press heavy.

Multi-Grip Bar

We do like that this rack comes with a multi-grip bar, because that tends to be an expensive add-on with other rack systems. This bar gives you angled, neutral, and wide-grip hand placement options for pull-ups and chin-ups. 

“These bars are very thin,” Coop warns, “and I personally prefer a thicker girth so I get a better pump on my forearms.” However, you could always use something like Fat Gripz if you wanted to add a thicker grip. 

RELATED: The Best Pull-up Bars

Footprint and Portability

Equipment like the RitFit Power Cage is not small. It has a 16-square-foot footprint. However, you’re getting a lot of use out of that space, because this is a functional trainer and a squat rack that can work in most home and garage gyms. 

RELATED: RitFit Smith Machine Review

By our measurements, the depth of the cage is 29 inches, and it’s 44 inches wide. “From a functional trainer standpoint, it’s pretty narrow,” Coop says. However, he said he didn’t mind it much, you just may not get the deepest possible range of motion.

The RitFit is a little over 7 feet high. “The thing adding extra height is the multi-grip pull-up bar,” Coop explains. Therefore, you’ll need enough clearance in your space above the rack if you plan to do pull-ups.

At just shy of 200 pounds, this isn’t a machine that moves around easily. Therefore, assemble it where you plan to put it. 

Durability and Construction

Given the price point that the RitFit checks in at, its durability and construction are pretty good. However, one of the biggest questions is whether it can sustain the 1,000 pounds it is rated for. “We’ve tested other racks that are listed at similar widths and similar gauge steel, and they hold up,” Coop says. However, would he recommend someone load this up with 1,000 pounds? No.

Many pieces of equipment are made of plastic. This may be most obvious with the pulleys that are made of plastic instead of smoother gliding aluminum ones. However, we still did feel like the cage was sturdy in our use.

RitFit Power Cage vs. Fitness Reality 810XLT

Fitness Reality 810XLT

Fitness Reality 810XLT Squat Rack

GGR Score: 4.2

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Product Highlights

• Rated for 800 lbs
• Comes with weight storage, landmine attachment, and spotter arms
• Priced under $300
• 1-year warranty

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Affordable
• Compact
• Comes with a number of attachments
• Extra long spotter arms included
• Fairly sturdy
• Has a pull-up bar

Cons

• Short 1-year warranty
• Rated for 800 lbs

Bottom Line

The Fitness Reality 810XLT Power Rack is a good option for those looking for an affordable, durable squat stand with lots of extra attachments included.

It’s hard to compare RitFit to other similar products, because the truth is that there aren’t many other squat-rack-functional-trainer combos on the market in this price range. So we are going to compare it to another affordable product.

Both the RitFit and the Fitness Reality 810XLT have a reasonable price tag. While RitFit is more than twice the cost, you do get a cable crossover along with the rack. You do have the option to add a lat pulldown attachment to the Fitness Reality product, though it still doesn’t offer as much versatility as RitFit.

Find out more in our Fitness Reality 810XLT review.

Customer Experience 

There are a few ways to buy the RitFit Power Cage: on the brand’s site for around $700; or on Amazon where you may find coupons. The RitFit website offers military discounts as well as discounts for students, first responder, or medical personnel. If you prefer to shop on Amazon, they occasionally offer a $50 coupon; of course, you get free shipping. However, do note that you also get free shipping from buying directly from their website. 

RitFit’s Loyalty Program

If you decide to order directly from RitFit’s website, you should sign up for their loyalty program first. You can earn points by liking their page on Facebook, following them on Instagram, celebrating a birthday, and more. Once you’ve racked up enough points, you could use them to redeem valuable things like a $20 off coupon, 12-lb dumbbells, an electric massager, and more. 

Does RitFit Offer a Warranty? 

Yes, RitFit provides a pretty generous 3-year warranty on its frame and a 1-year warranty on its parts that begins on the order date. But there are some caveats here. This warranty is not transferable, so you can’t utilize it if you weren’t the original buyer and someone else sold it to you. In addition, the warranty does not apply to users in Hawaii or Alaska. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that if your product is damaged by environmental factors, such as a flood, or damaged because you misused it – they won’t cover that. If your functional trainer is damaged during the shipping process, you’d need to photograph the damage, try to keep it in its original packaging, and contact their customer service department.  

Handling Returns and Exchanges

RitFit only allows returns and exchanges within 30 days of the delivery date of the functional trainer. The product must be returned unused, and the customer must return it in its original packaging. 

Before returning anything, the customer must reach out to RitFit and ask for the return process to start. Once they receive the product, they’ll evaluate whether or not it’s defective. If it’s faulty and their fault, they’ll repair it or send a different one. If the product is defective and it’s not a responsibility of theirs, your refund request may be rejected. In a scenario where the product is returned, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, you’ll be responsible for the item’s postage to their warehouse facility. 

Ordering and Assembling the RitFit Power Cage

The ordering process for the RitFit Functional Trainer is pretty straightforward. You can order it through the Company’s website directly or on Amazon. The only catch is that the functional trainer is often out-of-stock. As a result, you might have to pre-order it and wait a month or two before it’s available and ready to ship. 

Paying For The RitFit Functional Trainer 

If you order from the Company website, you can pay via debit/credit card, PayPal, and ShopPay. ShopPay may be a good choice for those who aren’t ready to split with the cost of the functional trainer upfront. ShopPay allows you to make four interest-free payments every two weeks if approved. 

The Shipping Process

If you order directly from the website, expect that it’ll take approximately 7-10 business days from the time that you place your order for the product to arrive on your doorstep. Shipment only happens within the continental United States via FedEx, and it cannot be shipped to military bases.

Assembling The RitFit Functional Trainer 

If you order the RitFit from Amazon, expect to find your product jammed into tiny boxes. We found that it made sorting out things during the assembly process problematic.

From our experience, RitFit provided detailed instructions with the equipment. Sam “AsSAMbly” from our team found it reasonably easy to assemble and could do so in two hours. It will likely take a bit longer if you’re not experienced with assembling these. We recommend bringing on an additional person to speed up the process and to have a helping hand. 

Customer Reviews

Customer reviews for the product on RitFit’s site are overwhelmingly positive. Users note that you get a lot of bang for the exercise buck and that the whole set-up seems solid, stable, and durable. 

M.W.stated, “Super sturdy! I got exactly what I saw. Strongly recommended.” And, R.W. goes on to add that it is a “Great rig for the price, install wasn’t bad at all.”

Final Verdict of Our RitFit Power Cage Review

“I do think this offers a good value for a functional trainer that doesn’t have a lot of competition within the price range,” Coop says. “If you have the space for a separate functional trainer, that’s where I would suggest doing something different.”

The RitFit Functional Trainer fills an essential hole in the market for functional trainers. Many of the functional trainers out there cost significantly more than the RitFit product and price people out of the market. Compared with the handful of reasonably priced options, the RitFit option is of higher quality and offers better functionality. 

• Great value for people who want a combined power rack and functional trainer to save on space
• It provides the functionality to do lots of different exercises 
• Some parts may not be as high quality as what you get with a more expensive option. There are lots of plastic parts. 

RitFit Power Cage Rating

RitFit Power Cage

In our RitFit Power Cage review, we’ll talk about the ups and downs of this budget-friendly home gym machine.

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 699.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.9

RitFit Functional Trainer FAQs