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Weight
Lifting Power Rack Review
Weight Lifting Power Rack - Back To Basics
Thus far, in our series of articles covering
home gyms, we covered some important factors to help you choosing
an ideal gym. In it, I mentioned power racks quite a few times.
Even though power racks aren't the "conventional" or
even ideal choice for a home gym, it's way up on my wish list
for a home gym. ;-)
So if I think it's so great, then why so few
people actually buy it for their homes, and you only mostly see
power racks in gyms? Well, simply, power racks aren't ideally
suited for people in general (the majority of people) who're just
after overall physical fitness. Power racks are better suited
for individuals who're after nothing other than size, strength,
and muscles. |
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Let's consider an average person's point of
view: "if I'm just after fitness, better health, and more
toned muscles, why the heck would I want a power rack?"
- it's huge (takes up a lot of room)
- I have to buy weights with it, and specifically
olympic style weights and bars
- I'll also have to spend money to get a bench
of some sort (flat benches with incline are ideal)
- I'm gonna have a hell of a time loading and
unloading weights between exercises
- and, heck, I might end up injuring myself
Gee, that doesn't sound too promising. ;-) Perhaps
not for the average person, but for someone who has limited time
to hit the gym, and who wants real muscle gains, the power rack
is by far the best workout station in my opinion. Actually, funny
thing is, the power rack is not even really a workout station
- it's just a rack with some very basic, but nifty features that
you can take full advantage of for gaining muscles.
Quick note: on average, setting up a power rack
in your home will cost your about as much as buying a workout
station. The trade off is convenience and ease of use for basic,
multi-joint, power movements, and thus greater strength and muscle
gains.
Power Racks - The Ideal Home Gym For Muscle
Gains
I'm gonna tell you this ahead of time, the greatest
setback (in my opinion) of having a power rack is that you're
somewhat limited to the number of exercises you can do as compared
to a machine workout station.
So, why do I keep on ranting about the power
rack? Simply because it's absolutely the best piece of equipment
you can own for helping you do the most basic, power movements
(like squat, bench etc..) without needing a spotter. This is the
very reason why I think the power rack is the ideal equipment
to have at home for people who're after muscles. Other probably
won't agree, but hey, this is just my opinion. ;-)
Understanding Power Racks Setup
If you've been to a gym, you've probably seen
a power rack. But if you're not sure what a power rack is or looks
like, here's a quick overview.
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On the
left is a picture of a Powertec power rack, and this is how power
racks look like. They're quite large, usually around 6 feet long,
5 feet wide, and 7 feet tall.
It has a set bar bars on the sides that can be adjusted and used
to hold the weight at different heights, or more importantly,
used as a safety spotter for heavy exercises. It has these holders
that look like upside down hooks in the front to hold the weights.
Most power racks also has a chin up bar. |
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Sounds
pretty simple right? What makes the power rack ideal, is
that with a decent set of weights and a flat/incline bench,
you can perform almost all the major, heavy duty lifts like
the bench press, dead lifts, squats, jerk/press etc... These
are the fundamental movements to build true muscle and strength,
and fast.
So for this to work out, it's just as important
to have a set of olympic weights and a good bench.
Click
here for part 2: power rack exercises and review
>>
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Bowflex & Total Gym Home Gym |
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Bowflex Ultimate Home Gym
The Bowflex Ultimate 2 Home Gym is a total-body solution that delivers everything you could possibly imagine for great fitness results. It offers 95 exercises and includes a lat tower, leg extension/leg curl station, preacher curl attachment, integrated squat station and more. Click here for the BowFlex Ultimate 2 |
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Bowflex Revolution Home Gym
The Bowflex Revolution home gym comes with over 100 exercises with a built-in cardio rowing workout. It includes preacher curl attachment, 5 position foot harness, hand grips, leg press plate, instructional manual, and much more Click here for the Bowflex Revolution |
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Total Gym Home Gym With Total Gym, you target all major fitness areas with just one workout: resistance training, cardio training and stretching. Everything your body needs on just ONE machine.
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