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DocSpachemmen

New member
Hey all,

As you can see by my post count, I'm new here. I have a background of fairly high-level training in the past, as an adjunct to other sports (mostly rowing and rugby), but it's been a long time since I've lifted weight seriously. I thought it was about time to re-start.

As I've just undertaken the fun process of selecting equipment to set up a solid, but basic, home weights setup, I thought I'd post my experience here in case it'll help others in the same position.

The whole setup really revolved around the decision of power rack. And like most threads here, I oscillated between Powertec, Muscle Motion, Barbarian, Force USA and the other few options in the medium budget range. I'd excluded the 'cheapies' by virtue of prior experience and a knowledge that I'm not likely to remain enthusiastic with kit that is cheap feeling. I couldn't quite justify going completely crazy and getting a hardcore rack like Ironedge, etc; mostly because of diminishing returns for my level of experience.

So really I was mostly looking at the entry-level 'commercial' racks.

At the entry level, there are a number of cheaper packages around the $1500 mark that include smaller non-'commercial' cages. Although probably honestly these would be fine for me, I was content to spend a little bit more and get a kit that (for an amateur like me) will likely never need upgrading (apart from more weight). So, I began to hunt around with a budget somewhere between $2000-2500 - this was to fully fit out myself with everything I needed to get lifting again.

I ended up settling on the Muscle Motion Commercial Power Rack as the core of the kit:
http://www.gymdirect.com.au/shop/commercial-equipment/power-racks/commercial-power-rack/

Mainly because it was substantially cheaper than the brand-names (eg. Barbarian, Force USA etc), but I'd read good things about build quality compared to other 'no-name' brands, as well as my desire to have included weight storage (as the pics will show, I was working with limited space).

I rounded out the rest of the kit via GymDirect, with enough weight to keep me going for a while, as well as a decent-enough bar and bench. Some rubber matting rounded out the package and have made my garage a little more presentable as a workout space. Again, I probably went a bit over-kill for a 'beginner', but getting solid kit that'll keep me satisfied for the foreseeable future was important to me and I don't think it'll take me too long to get back to previous lifts, when the nicer kit will make it all that much more pleasurable.

I have to say, thank you to GymDirect for being super easy to order through. My bar and bench are backordered, so haven't had a chance to test them out yet, but the rest of the kit arrived less than a week after ordering and communication was superb at every point in the process.

Putting it all together was super straight-forward - even my 2 year old was able to help fit a few bolts. It feels over-engineered for a home setup, which is kind of what I was hoping for by spending a bit of extra cash; there's nothing worse than kit feeling cheap or fragile, and this definitely feels indestructible! The concrete floor in my space is a little uneven, but even a little rocking (before some cardboard under one leg fixed it) didn't feel unstable, and there was no flex in the frame at all even with my weight hanging and swinging off the bar. Once I evened up the floor surface, the rack feels like it'll stay put no matter what I throw at it.

Before:
AYp4DwSh.jpg


The package:
4A3vBWqh.jpg


Built:
co0uBm7h.jpg


SUMMARY:

So far I'm very happy. The rack is as solid as other reviews have commented. The multigrip chinup/pullup bar is my preference over other available bars. I don't have any strong preferences about J-hooks or sabre safeties, but the included pieces are rock solid and give me faith they'll keep me safe when I'm working out alone. The price was right, and delivery was superb. The bumper plates, although only cheapies, were such a good deal it was easier than regular Olympic plates and they'll do me for a while yet before I need to spring for more plates - for a more advanced lifter, the width of these bumpers would probably be a problem as they'll limit the weight you can fit on the bar.

Overall the package was around $2.5k, give or take (including the items not yet arrived). It's a lot of money for a 'first' kit, but I think there are advantages to getting the heavier grade stuff from the outset, including not having to upgrade later when I'm moving decent weights. Given the expected life span of this stuff, I'm happy with the quality and would buy it again in a heartbeat.

Although I haven't used the other racks in recent times, this one compares favourable to any that I've used in gyms, and really does feel genuinely 'commercial' grade.

Thanks for reading my rambling! I'll provide an update once the rest of the kit arrives and see how it feels a few weeks into my program, but at this stage very happy and look forward to posting some real weight progress! Happy to field any questions from people in the same situation as I was, hope this has helped! (it's a big field of choice out there)
 
Last edited:
As promised, an update a week or two into it.

The bench and bar arrived:
YyZ3A7lh.jpg


So after over a decade hiatus, I'm lifting again. I have to say, it feels good!

And the lasting impression of this bit of kit is that it was worth every penny. Feels like it'll outlive me, and apart from upgrading the weights and maybe the bar as I get into bigger weight ranges, I wouldn't change anything else.

Cheers!
 
Nice set up, I like the plate storage and solid look of it.

Is the bench adjustable??
 
Nice set up, I like the plate storage and solid look of it.

Is the bench adjustable??

Thanks - as you can see, I didn't have much space to work with, so the included plate storage was the thing that tipped me over the edge to buying this rack, compared to others. Very convenient!

The bench is just the stock standard 'commercial' flat bench from gym direct, which for about $200 feels as steady as any I've used. But no, it's not adjustable.
 
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