If you are training bodybuiling, powerlifting, crossfit or even gymnastics and you want to workout at home, the Power Rack is a must have. In a traditional Power Rack you can perform Squats, Pull ups, Bench Press and some models even has a lat pull down machine.
Once I'm training bodyweight and gymnastics for the upper body, my version doesn't have the lat pull down and has two removable bars with adjustable height and width to perform dips.
Design
The design was inspired on Buff Dudes and had two main restrictions: space available in my home gym and my barbel dimensions (not Olympic). I did a 3D model on SketchUp just to see how it would fit.
My father had a great ideia for the beams joints that made steel ties not necessary and still remain very sturdy.
For the dips bars I used a wood block made of a small piece of beam to fit on the safety bar. This system is fully adjustable and very solid as well. You can even use just one bar to perform straight bar or Russian dips.
For the dips bars I used a wood block made of a small piece of beam to fit on the safety bar. This system is fully adjustable and very solid as well. You can even use just one bar to perform straight bar or Russian dips.
The racking pins were made with another piece of beam and plywood to reduce the impact when you drop the barbel on the support.
Materials and Costs
I can't provide you an accurate budget for this project because the only materials I had to buy were the lumber and the stainless steel pipes. Anyway I'll provide a list with the actual costs and estimations.
- 4 pine beams 90x90 mmm 120$
- 5 stainless steel pipes 30 mm 30$
- Plywood 1x1.2 m 5$
- Screws ~10$
Total 165$
How many gym memberships you can pay with this value? Two, maybe three? And this is half the price of the cheapest power racks you can find online.
Tools
The tools you'll need are quite simple:
- Miter saw or circular saw (hand saw works as well)
- Drill (electric or battery)
- Large drill bit (to drill safety bars holes)
- Drill (electric or battery)
- Large drill bit (to drill safety bars holes)
Construction
Unfortunately I don't have any picture os the construction process. With the help of my father and brother we did it in a few hours (I planed everything before we start).
Result
The final result looks like that.
I've been using it for a few months and until now and it works just fine. It does't even shake when I'm performing all kinds of pull ups or dips. Actually, this dips station is much more sturdy than my parallettes.
Improvements
Depending on what kind of training you are doing you might want to add some extra features. I'm going to give you some improvements that I find interesting:
- Bar support lock system
- Lat pull down/tricep extension cable system
- Weight rack to store plates
If you have any question feel free to leave a comment or check this thread on reddit: https://redd.it/4lv3f9