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How tall is a squat rack? [Article, Video]

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Nov 6, 2019 9:00:00 AM

How tall is a power rack

How tall is a squat rack?

 
Squat racks are usually between 90” to 108”. Most vendors offer customizations for them to order. If you opt for customization you usually pay extra.
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When to watch out for height 

 
Most home setups need special attention to the height. Garage and basement gyms need special attention. Basement gyms mainly because the ceilings are lower. Garage gyms usually have high enough ceilings. The main challenge with garage gyms is to make note of all the obstructions which are not eye level. These can conclude:
 
  • Gate mechanics 
  • Air conditioning 
  • Lighting 
  • Storage options which have been drilled to the wall 
  • Bikes garden equipment 
 
Make sure you check everything and also leave some wiggle room to each end. Barbells are wider than power racks which can easily be overlooked in the planning. The rest of this article will look into different options for a home gym. Commercial gyms should think about who they are going to target. If you have a lot of elite athletes you might want to invest in extra height. If your clients are average joes save the money for some more variety on the exercises you can provide. 
 
Here some alternatives you might want to consider.
 
 
 
You will find more detailed descriptions of each including their pros and cons in the article. If you want to know about even more options read: 
 

 

 

 

 

Overview and review of the Rogue RM6 rack

 

This review was originally posted in the longer article "Which strength equipment to buy from rogue" in which you can read about 25 products of Rogue which cost more than 1.000$. The Rogue Monster RM6 rack will either be the pride and joy of your home gym or the impressive addition to your gym for the most ambitious lifters. See the details in this article.

Overview of the Rogue RM6

 
The RM6 is the flagship rack of Rogue. If you buy a 24' Monster Rig in the racked configuration you basically buy multiple RM6 with pull up bars in between them. This is the rack for serious home warriors or small gyms who do not want to compromise. 
 
The RM6 has a length of 76'' and width of 49''. You can get the rack in three different heights ranging from 90'' through 100'' to 108''. The Footprint comes in at 80'' x 53''.  The new keyhole design also makes it easier for you to fit smaller attachments into the Monster series. You can choose from the following colors for the RM6:
 
  • Bright blue
  • Bright Green
  • Burnt Orange
  • Dark Blue
  • Dark Red
  • Gun Metal
  • Light Gray
  • Rogue Red
  • White
  • Satin Clear
  • Satin Black (Standard)
 
All of these options come in a medium gloss powder coat. Above this, you have many options to customize the top crossmembers, safeties and J Cups. The better the options you pick the higher the price. If you go for all the finest it drives the price to 2.640$. Then you have the fanciest pull-up bars, flip down safeties and J cups that money can buy from Rogue. 
 

How many clients should the RM6 bring you?


If you think that the RM6 will bring you 7 -9 new clients who pay you 50$ on a 1-year retainer it is worth the investment. This will yield 4.000$ - 5.400$ net new revenue against an investment of 2.000$ - 2.600$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.
 

Pros of the Rogue RM6

 
This rack gives you a full and a half rack in one go. With this, you can train more athletes at the same time. If you do not want to train multiple athletes on the same rack, you can use the half rack for storage. Another option is to install a Rhino belt squat Drop in at the back of this rack. This can be a very powerful configuration to attract powerlifters to your gym. 
 

Cons of the Rogue RM6

 
A lot of people will argue that this rack is completely overbuilt. The little sisters of the Rogue line, Echo, Infinity and Monster lite bear this reputation. You can definitely save a lot of money by going with other options. It depends on your needs. For myself, I only want the best to be the best. No one in the market argues that Rogue products are built to last, only price is a concern. 
 

Alternatives to the Rogue RM6

 
Based on this budget here are some alternatives you might want to consider to the RM6:
 
  • 1x RM4 1.300$ to 2.000$
 
If you do not know exactly how you are going to use the half rack at the back of the RM6 you are better of going with an RM4. Ask yourself whether your gym already has enough storage options for plates and whether your clients will use a half rack. Often the answer is that you already have enough storage and clients do not like to use half racks. Same goes for basement and garage gyms. You can use the saved space for something else. The only disadvantage of this option is that you can not install a Rhino belt squat in the back of the rack. You can remedy this by buying a racked Rhino version at a later stage.
 
The RML is the Monster Lite version of the RM6. It gives you the same space and storage options with less sturdy beams. This is more than enough for most applications. If you want to save money and still have a very sturdy rack, this is the option with extra storage and a half rack at the back.
 

Conclusion for the RM6

The RM6 is one of the most overbuilt and yet impressive racks you can get in the market. When you get this you know that you did yourself and your clients proud. Even the biggest athletes will not be able to make this rack rattle.

 

 

 

 

Overview and review of the X3 Titan Tough Home Gym 

The X3 Titan home gym will put you back about $1000 - $5500. TITAN is well known for their very good prices compared to their competition and will get you started on your home gym. This review was originally posted in “which Titan rack to buy for over $500”.

 

Overview of the X3 home gym

 
The X3 Titan rack builds the center of this home gym configurator. From there you can choose several different configurations to fit your home gym to your needs without having to click everything together all over the TITAN website. The X3 has the same 3x3 uprights as the flagship Titan power rack but comes without the laser cut home numbers and big bolts. It is still a considerable piece of metal which will take a lot of abuse. The X3 comes in various depths and heights. Here are some example configurations: 
 
Base Specifications: 
- Overall Height: 80" or 90" (Short or Tall)
- Outside Width: 48"
- Inside Width: 42"
- Weight Capacity: 1,650 LB
 
24" Depth Specifications:
- Inside Depth: 24"
- Footprint: 52" x 34"
- Weight: 299 LB or 325 LB (Short or Tall)
 
36" Depth Specifications: 
- Inside Depth: 36"
- Footprint: 52" x 46"
- Weight: 323 LB or 349 LB (Short or Tall)
 
While this is the base rack for your home gym you can configure the following options with it. Depending on your needs and space you can get very tailored with the X3 home gym. 
 
 
The flat foot version of the X3 power rack enables you to put the rack up without having to bolt it to the floor. This is a good option when you don’t want to wreck the floor in your own home. You can get the flat feet for the short or tall version of the X3.
 
If you want your home gym to be a leg press as well you can use this attachment to be able to also use it as a leg press machineLeg presses can be advantageous when you either want to isolate the legs only and want to go very heavy or when you don’t particularly like the barbell back squat. It can also be used when you have a shoulder or lower back injury. 
 
The rack-mounted H PND is a back extension machine that can be directly attached to the TITAN rack. This is usually a good tool for seasoned athletes to take care of their lower backs and younger athletes to train the lower back area which otherwise can easily be overlooked. 
 
If you also want to do dips at your station you can add the Y dip bar. Be aware that the upright you attach it on will be blocked for squats, bench presses or other exercises where you would like to rack a barbell in one side. 
 
The mounted wall ball target can be used for your wall balls and conditioning. Especially helpful when there is no wall nearby to do the exercise or you are not allowed to bounce medicine balls of the walls. 
 
A Landmine rack attachment widens the available exercises you can do with a barbell. You can do T bar rows and rotation exercises with the barbell to train your core.
 
The blues city and bombshell barbells are Titans cerakote bars. Cerakote coating is a special way of treating metal so that designs can be applied. It is also less like to corrode and was originally developed in the weapons industry. The only downside is that it is more likely to scratch when it touches metal. So if you do a lot of work of the pins instead of the j cups maybe get another coating. 
 
The 86” bar is a no-nonsense bar for 1500 lbs load. It comes with a tensile strength of 190.000. The material is steel with a chrome finish. 
 
An Olympic technique bar might be of interest to you if you have many beginners in your gym or children at home. This is a lighter barbell to focus on technique and explosiveness for the Olympic lifts. For advanced athletes technique plates with a normal barbell are usually preferred. 
 
The atlas bar is the bread and butter barbell from Titan. A solid 20kg barbell for all purposes. 
 

Pros of the X3 home gym 

 
With this home gym, you get 3x3 uprights for a very reasonable price compared to other options in the market. Compared to the flagship TITAN rack you also have some other attachment options like wall balls and landmines. If you a bit more into CrossFit or Powerlifting, you might have more options for attachments with the smaller bolts used on the X3. The flat foot option also enables you to have a home gym without having to drill holes in the ground, even though most rack owners say it isn’t really needed. Still, every vendor recommends it for safety reasons. 
 

Cons of the X3 home gym

 
Compared to the TITAN flagship power rack you will not be able to use the lever arms. If you are into bodybuilding specifically, this might be a downside for you. A full rack might also be to be for some. In very small spaces you might want to opt for a half-rack instead. 
 

Alternatives to the X3 home gym

 
Alternatives to the X3 home gym are: 
 
 
If you want to take it slow or already have quite some equipment at home you can get the Titan series power rack by itself. This lowers the cost and puts you at a lower risk to overspend because you are getting excited. If you purchase your equipment in drips and draps you will end up sinking more dollars into shipping costs. 
 
The T2 model comes in various shapes and heights and can be configured differently for your home gym to make it fit your space. The main difference to the other Titan racks is that the uprights are 2x2 instead of 2x3 or 3x3. 
 
The T3 rack model is also very similar to the Titan rack but comes at a lower cost. It is the same as the X3 except that it has 2x3 Gauge uprights instead of 3x3. 
 

Summary of the X3 home gym

 
The X3 home gym is a good value for money option from TITAN. You get a product that has been around for longer than the TITAN power rack and still has the 3x3 uprights. If you are ok with not always getting the biggest and best this is a reasonable alternative which still ticks most of the boxes. 
 
Titan is raising the bar on the garage gym without raising the price. Set your own gym rules with the Titan Tough garage gym package.

 

 

 

 

 

T3 Titan Tough Home gym

The T3 Titan Tough Gym will put you back about $500 - $3000. TITAN is well known for their very good prices compared to their competition and will get you started on your home gym. This review was originally posted in “which Titan rack to buy for over $500

 

 

Overview of the T3 Tough home gym

 
The T3 Tough Home gym has the T3 Titan rack at its heart. The main distinguishing point of the T3 is that it has 2x3 beams instead of 2x2 or 3x3. This places it right in the middle of the portfolio in terms of stability and price. Another advantage of the T3 is that it offers many variations on height and depth to better fit into your specific environment. There is currently definitely more to play around with for the T3 than for the flagship TITAN power rack, which is bigger and better, but also newer and therefore less mature in terms of options. Here are the different versions of the T3 which are available:
 
Short 24" Deep Power Rack
  • Weight: 230 LB 
  • Height: 82 1/4" 
  • Height of pull up bar: 77" 
  • Outside width: 53 1/4"
  • Inside width: 42 1/8"
  • Outside depth: 32 3/4
  • Inside depth: 24"
  • Floor space: 12.11 square feet
  • Rackable Capacity: 1,100 LB
  • Whole Rack Capacity: 4,400 LB
Tall 24" Deep Power Rack 
  • Weight: 281 LB
  • Height: 91 1/8"
  • Height of Pull Up Bar: 89"
  • Inside Width: 42 1/8"
  • Outside Width: 53 1/4"
  • Inside Depth: 24"
  • Outside Depth: 32 3/4"
  • Floor Space: 12.11 square feet
  • Rackable Capacity: 1,100 LB
  • Whole Rack Capacity: 4,400 LB
  • Material: Steel
Short 36" Deep Power Rack
  • Weight: 254 LB
  • Height: 82 1/4"
  • Height of pull up bar: 77"
  • Outside width: 53 1/4"
  • Inside width: 42 1/8"
  • Outside depth: 44 3/4
  • Inside depth: 36"
  • Floor space: 12.11 square feet
  • Rackable Capacity: 1,100 LB
  • Whole Rack Capacity: 4,400 LB
 
Tall 36" Deep Power Rack
  • Weight: 281 LB
  • Height: 91 1/8"
  • Height of Pull Up Bar: 89"
  • Inside Width: 42 1/8"
  • Outside Width: 53 1/4"
  • Inside Depth: 36"
  • Outside Depth: 44 3/4"
  • Floor Space: 16.7 square feet
  • Rackable Capacity: 1,100 LB
  • Whole Rack Capacity: 4,400 LB
  • Material: Steel
 
To build your home gym, here are some option on barbells to add
 
 
 

Pros of the T3 home gym



A definitive pro for all TITAN products is their price compared to comparable alternatives in the market. You usually pay about half of what you might pay with others. To sweeten the deal shipping is also free with TITAN in the US. THis makes the T3 a very good option if you are on a tight budget or need to buy anything in bulk. You can also choose from multiple colors.
 

Cons of the T3 home gym



With low prices there come some downsides. TITAN has been repeatedly reported to have inconsistencies in their products in terms of finish or damage on transport. These are usually minor defects which will still make the rack work, but if you pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for products from a company you might expect them to be delivered in top condition. Still, it is gym equipment, so it will get damaged over time anyway. 

 

Alternatives to the T3 home gym

 
 
The TITAN rack is the top of the crop rack from TITAN. It has 3x3 uprights and 1” bolts. This is the heaviest and sturdiest rack you can get from TITAN. Compared to market prices it is also very affordable.
 
The X3 is basically the same model as the Titan rack with two differences. It doesn’t have numbered holes on the uprights and the keyhole design. This means that you can use fewer attachments with it which you have not necessarily bought from Rogue. 
 
The T2 model comes in various shapes and heights and can be configured differently for your home gym to make it fit your space. The main difference to the other Titan racks is that the uprights are 2x2 instead of 2x3 or 3x3. 
 
The T3 rack model is also very similar to the Titan rack but comes at a lower cost. It is the same as the X3 except that it has 2x3 Gauge uprights instead of 3x3. In this version, you get it without any extras.
 

Summary for the T3 home gym

The middle of the road approach with TITAN to save money compared to other vendors in the market for more extras. Good for anyone who keeps generally fit or is small in size. Elite athletes might want to opt for a bigger cage to throw more weight at. 
 
 

Rogue RML 3WC Fold back Wall Mount stand 

 

The Rogue RML 3WC rack comes in at $590 and is one of the low-range options for under $1000 from Rogue. Learn more in this review which was originally published in the Article "Which Rack to buy from Rogue for under $1000".

Overview of the RML3WC

 
The RML3WC is one of the best sellers of Rogue. It has some of the most Reviews of all racks on the entire website and with good reason. This rack is affordable and practical. It has been designed to be easily mounted to a standard wood stud wall. This is the quick solution for home warrior dads who want a quick solution that they do not have to negotiate a lot with their wives with. Plus this version of it comes in color. 
 
The 3WC comes with a length of 25'' or 44'' depending on which depth you choose. The width comes to 56'' on the wall, 49'' outside the uprights, and 43'' inside the uprights. It is 90'' high and weighs 190LB. You can choose between an inside depth of 21.5'' or 41.4''. In most scenarios, the rack space for 21.5'' will be sufficient according to Rogue. The Steel notes are made from 3x3'' 11 Gauge Steel. As the 3WC is part of the Monster lite series it is compatible with the accessories and beams from the Monster lite product line.
 
The delivery list includes:
 
  • J Cups
  • Mounting Brackets
  • Detent pins
  • Pull up bar
  • Hitchpins
  • Plastic caps to protect the floor
  • Stringer Pair
Rogue highly recommends using the included stringer pair to attach the rack to the wall. This is based on security and stability. If you want to mount the 3WC to a different wall as a standard wood stud wall, you are responsible to provide the necessary hardware. The colors you can choose from are:
 
  • Bright blue 
  • Bright Green
  • Burnt Orange
  • Dark BLue
  • Dark Red
  • Gun Metal
  • Desert Tan
  • Light Gray
  • Rogue Red
  • Satin Black
  • Satin Clear
 
This is a great rack that puts you at the heart of Rogue's innovative product lines. It also has a lot of positive reviews which is a good sign that you can not go wrong. If you are in the market for a home gym and do not want to alter your house much, this is the option to go for a reasonable budget. 
 

Pros of the RML3WC

 
The two big pros of this rack are that it is foldable and still a sturdy rack. More often than that convertible options are poorly executed either in the folding mechanism or the steel itself. With this rack, you buy the highest quality build that has been adapted to make it fit snug against a wall.
 

Cons of the RML3WC

 
As this unit does not weigh a lot and cannot be bolted to the floor you will experience more movement than with other rack options from Rogue. Especially if you want to kip a lot or when you are a huge lifter moving a lot of weight, you might want to look for something more rigid. Apart from this, you will also have to think about where to store your barbell and plates as you can not store them on the rack in this setup.
 

Alternatives to the RML3WC

 
Here some alternatives to the 3WC rack:

 
The RML 3W rack is the same rack as the 3WC without a color option. If you like black and want to save some money this is the one to go for. Apart from this, all other options are the same as described above.
 
The W4 Garage Gym is a lower cost option compared to the 3WC and does the same thing. You will get a rack that is bolted to the wall and stays there. If your garage is mostly not used because you or your wife do not like to drive the car in, you might as well go for this option to save money and hassle.
 
The R3 W is an option from the Echo series from Rogue. It has the same mechanics and logic as the RML 3The W. Biggest difference is that it is made from 2x3'' 11 Gauge steel instead of 3x3'' 11 Gauge steel.
 

Overview and review of the T-3 Folding rack

The TITAN T3 folding rack will put you back about $300 - $450. TITAN is well known for their very good prices compared to their competition and will get you started on your home gym. This review was originally posted in “which Titan rack to buy for under $500

 

Overview of the T3 folding rack 

 
The T3 folding rack is an option from TITAN which uses the 2x3 steel tubes from the T3 series to form a foldable rack. Foldable racks are very popular with garage gym owners as they give you the option to either still park your car in the garage or provide more space if you want to to do conditioning in your limited space. The features and specifics of the T3 are:
 
Rack details 
  • 2" x 3" 11 Gauge steel. 
  • Rackable Capacity: 1,100 LB
  • Height: 91"
  • Width: 50"
  • Depth: 41.5"
  • Weight: 175 LB
 
This is the optimal option for dads who have to compromise with their wife to get a man cave in the garage. 
 

Pros of the T3 folding rack 

 
The T3 folding rack comes at an excellent price compared to the competition of TITAN. You will get a functional rack which folds to the wall in case you need to get it out of the way. This saves space and money on your purchase. 
 

Cons of the T3 folding rack 

 
A folding rack will not be as stable as a full rack which you bolt to the ground. Depending on how much abuse you throw at the rack you might want to reconsider a moveable installation. If you want to use an accessory with your rack, you will also have to deinstall it every time you would the rack. Apart from this TITAN has been reported to struggle more with mi or quality issues and inconsistencies. This doesn’t impact the functionality of the equipment, but it’s appearance and longevity. 
 

Alternatives to the T3 folding rack 

 
 
The 41 folding rack is a folding rack with 3x3 Instead of 2x3 steel tubes. If you want more metal for roughly the same price this is the one for you.
 
The X2 is the one of the cheapest series in the TITAN line up. With its 2x2 steel tubes, it uses the least material to build a rack. If you want to downsize on all ends to fit a bench and rack into $500 budget comfortably, this is for you. 
 

Summary for the T3 fold rack 

 
A good option for Dads who have to compromise with Mom for garage space on a budget.
 

Topics: Squat, Rogue, Powerlifting, TITAN, Rack, Garagegym, Home Gym