What Is Power Rack Training?

Apart from dumbbells, barbells, kettles, and plates, a power rack is a weight lifter’s best friend. You might have come across trainers and people who go to the gym often who say how important it is to have a power rack and to utilize it in your exercise routine. No gym or home gym is complete without a power rack but have you wondered the best ways to utilize one? 

 

What Is A Power Rack?

Power racks, also known as power cages or squat cages, are weight training gym equipment that is commonly used for barbell workouts. As the name suggests, it consists of a cage-like structure of steel in which one can stand while exercising. It has four upright poles and two horizontal bars on each side of the poles. The power rack has an advantage over all the other gym equipment because it not only promises to help one gain muscle and mass but it also provides safety to its users. It allows the user to place the bar catches according to their exercise requirements which disables the barbell from injuring the user in case of loss of control or muscular fatigue. 

What Exercises to Perform on a Power Rack?

Power racks are usually associated with squats but there are several exercises that you can perform using these cages. Some of them are the following:

1. Barbell Squats: This exercise targets your glutes. To perform this exercise:

• Adjust the bars on the rack at a height that suits you, preferably your shoulder height. You should be able to lift the barbell to the safety catches without overstretching or tiptoeing.
• Position yourself under the bar and hold the barbell across your upper back with your feet planted on the floor
• Squat down as you remove the bar from the safety catches holding it bar across your back
• Hold this position for a second then rise again to the initial position
• Repeat
• Reps: 3 sets, 12 reps

 

2. Pull-ups/ chin-ups: This exercise targets your back muscles, biceps, triceps, forearms, and shoulders. It also helps build strength. To perform this exercise:

• In a rack, place the bars on catches that lie above your head
• Stand upright and grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart
• Keeping your elbows locked and feet crossed hang from the bar
• Pull your body up until your chin is above the bar by engaging your shoulders
• Hold this position for a few seconds and engage your upper back muscles
• Lower your body down
• Repeat
• Reps: 2 sets, 8 chin-ups

 

3. Barbell bench presses: This exercise targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps and helps gain strength. To perform this exercise:

• Lie down on the bench with your feet planted on the floor
• Position yourself such that your eyes fall directly under the bar and your heels behind your knees
• Grasp the bar with your palms facing away from your body
• Tighten your upper back muscles
• Keep your glutes on the bench while arching your back slightly and unrack the weight
• Once the weight is unracked, move the bar upwards such that it moves away from your chest
• Do not pause and bring the bar down to your chest again
• Repeat
• Reps: 3 sets, 12 presses

 

4. Close Grip Press: This exercise targets your triceps, front deltoids, and chest. It also helps in building strength. To perform this exercise:

• Lie down on the bench with your feet planted on the floor
• Position yourself such that your eyes fall directly under the bar and your feet spaced apart
• Grasp the barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart
• Tighten your upper back by retracting your shoulder blades
• Unrack the bar and lift it over your chest
• As you lift the bar over your chest, turn your elbows in to engage the triceps
• Without a pause, lower the bar down such that it touches your lower chest
• Repeat
• Reps: 3 sets, 12 presses

 

5. Rack Lockout: This exercise targets your triceps, chest, and shoulders. It also helps build and maintain strength. To perform this exercise:

• Lie down on the bench with your feet planted on the floor
• Position yourself such that your eyes fall directly under the bar
• Grasp the barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart
• Push your chest out by squeezing your shoulder blades together
• Keep your glutes on the bench while arching your back slightly and unrack the weight
• Extend your elbows to lift the barbell until your elbows are locked
• Hold this position for a second while engaging your biceps, triceps, and forearms
• Lower your bar to the catches of the power rack
• Repeat
• Reps: 3 sets, 10 presses

 

6. Barbell Shrugs: This exercise targets your trapezius muscles and helps build strength as well as gain mass. To perform this exercise:

• Stand upright maintaining a neutral spine with your feet apart
• Hold the barbell with your hands slightly outside the shoulder width and palms facing outwards
• Extend your elbows such that your arms hang downwards in front of you
• Raise the barbell by raising your shoulders as high as possible such that the trapezius muscles bear the tension. The movement should appear as if you’re shrugging.
• Repeat
• Reps: 3 sets, 12 shrugs

 

7. Inverted Rows: This exercise targets your upper back and rear deltoids. It also helps build strength. To perform this exercise:

• In a rack, place the bar on the catches higher than the arm length from the floor
• Sit under the bar with outstretched legs
• Grab the bar with hands shoulder-width apart
• Extend your elbows and hang from the arms by lifting your glutes 
• Keep your body straight and heels planted on the floor at shoulder width
• Pull the shoulders forward
• Retract your shoulder blades such that your chest touches the bar on the rack
• Hold this position for a few seconds then lower your body back to the original position
• Repeat
• Reps: 3 sets, 12 reps

 

8. Triceps Dips: This exercise targets your triceps, chest, and shoulders. It also helps build strength. To perform this exercise:

• Stand between handles that are slightly lower than your waist
• Grab the handles extending your elbows
• Your arms should be straight and supporting your body
• Keep your torso upright and legs perpendicular to the floor without bending your knees
• Extend your shoulders such that your upper arms are parallel to the floor with your elbows at a 90 degrees angle and lower your body
• Without pausing, lift your body back up to its initial position
• Repeat
• Reps: 3 sets, 12 dips

 

Muscles Affected By Power Rack Training:

Power training targets several muscles in the body making it a good choice for training. Some of the muscles it targets are the following:

• Biceps: located on the front part of the upper arm
• Triceps: it contains three points of origin and runs down the humerus (long bone of the upper arm) and ends at the ulna (long bone of the forearm)
• Forearms: formally known as the superficial anterior, forearm muscles are a group of five muscles located in the anterior part of the forearm
• Shoulders: the main muscles of the shoulders are the rotator cuff muscles which are a group of four muscles. They help keep the arm in place with the shoulder
• Trapezius: these muscles are located on the back of the neck
• Deltoids: these muscles are present at the top of the shoulder and the uppermost area of the arm
• Latissimus muscles: these muscles run down the torso
• Quadriceps: This forms the main bulk of your thigh and consists of four individual muscles; three vastus muscles and the rectus femoris. 
• Hamstrings: these muscles are in a group of three that run along the back of your thigh from your hip to just below your knee. 
• Glutes: the gluteal muscles make up the area known as the buttocks. It connects your hip bone to the side of the upper femur. 

The Benefits Of Using A Power Rack:

A power rack has many advantages over other gym equipment. Some are discussed below.

1. Safety: If you are lifting heavy weights without supervision, you need safety from crushing yourself under a barbell. Power racks provide that safety since it has adjustable safety catches that enable the users to have complete over the barbells’ position. These safety bars will catch the weight or barbell at your natural point of failure. You can add a few more repetitions to your workout without the fear of being crushed under weights!

 

2. Range of Motion: A power rack allows you to have free weights and a variety of motions. It is because you can adjust the barbell catches at a height of your choice and you can also add or subtract weight from the barbells. This not only provides you a full range of motion but also enables you to optimize your exercises. It is an effective way of exerting your weak and neglected muscles.

 

3. Variety of exercises: The number of exercises you can perform on a power rack is not limited. You can perform a variety of exercises on a power rack with safety. With adding a bench in, only more exercises can be done.  Common exercises done on a power rack are barbell exercises, presses of all kinds, squats, pull-ups/ chin-ups, etc.

 

4. Home equipment: If you have a tight schedule that does not allow you to go to the gym, the power rack has got your back! You can set a power rack machine at your home and you will benefit from having a full-body workout in your personal space.

 

Which Power Rack To Choose?

Power racks come in different sizes, weights, and specifications. When choosing one, opt for a rack that is suitable for your workout requirements i.e. how much weight you are required to lift and what muscles are you targeting. You should also consider your training level and get a power rack that is suitable for it.