Squat rack for low ceiling

The general power rack will come in between 90' to 108'. Ask the supplier whether they have an option to cut it down for you, as they usually do for some extra money. The best power racks for small spaces out of the box are fold racks, half racks, and squat stands.

Where to place your gym

There are different places around your house in which you can place a gym. It all depends on the layout and what has already been put inside. Some of the options to build your own little place are:

Basement
Attic
Garden
Garage

Basement gyms are one big option to get a very nice gym. Especially if you are currently using the basement as a storage for all things which are crap anyway. Get your antique show hat on, sell the clutter which you are not using anyway, and built a nice gym from the proceeds.

The big advantages of a basement gym are as soon as the clutter is out, you actually have quite a bit of space to work. You also will be able to access the gym directly without having to walk through the snow or rain. For safety for children's access, it is quite easy to lock the door from the inside. The disadvantages of a basement gym are that it is hard to get light in and you will also face damp patches or no heating. The ceiling can also be very low. If you want to know more about a basement gym, here is some inspiration for you:

The attic can also be an option for a gym. Usually, the noise from heavy lifting will be Heard through the entire house. It is also hard to get the necessary equipment into the attic. Access to the attic can also be awkward. So all in all, I think the attic is not the ideal place to put your gym.

If you have the money and time to purpose-built a structure for your home gym, I personally think the best option is a garden gym. This will be your place away from the house, maybe even including a desk. The advantages of a garden gym are the light, space and built to spec. The disadvantages are the time and money you have to put in the built and that you have to step outside to access it. If you are considering a garden gym, here is an in-depth post on how to go about it:

How to design a 3.6m x 4m garden gym with Rogue

Garage gyms have recently gained a lot of popularity. Especially if the weather is nice in your area and there is not a lot of need to park the car inside, this can be a good option. Also, if your car is too big for the garage anyway or you don't feel comfortable parking in there as you might scratch it, you might as well use the garage for something else. The space and direct access to the street can be a great advantage for crossfitters for certain exercises. Direct access from the house without getting wet is also possible. The only downside f a garage gym is that more often than not you will have bikes and other utensils stored in there which others have to access. You might feel like that there is too much traffic in there for using it comfortably when you want to.

Fold racks

Fold racks are a great compromise when you have to combine space efficiency with heavy loads. They can be folded to the wall when they are not used. Especially for a garage gym, this might be the right use. Here are two models to consider.

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".

What else to consider from Rogue

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.

T-3 Folding rack

Price: $300 - $450

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

41 folding rack
X2 power rack
X2 and incline combo

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.

Power rack

Full power racks can be had at different sizes. Just make sure hat you exactly now the height of your ceiling and give the manufacturer the right instructions. The following two come with a 90", 100" and 108" option out of the box.

Overview and review of the Rogue RM6 rack

Price: 2.000 - 2.640

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.

1. RML-690C 1.750$ - 2.350$

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

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 Rogue RM-4 Monster Rack

Price: $1.300 - $1765

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 RM4 rack gives a cage for your powerlifting needs without providing a lot of storage options. See the details in this article.

Overview of the RM4

The RM4 is the core of the Rogue Monster rack series. This is the full rack that can be built onto in many ways. As it is part of the Monster series you can choose between 90'', 100'' and 108'' in height. The RM4 is 49'' long and wide. The overall footprint comes to 53''x53''. You get westside spacing and a multitude of colors to choose from. These are:

Bright Blue
Bright Green
Burnt Orange
Dark Blue
Gun Metal
Light Gray
Rogue Red
White
Satin Clear
Satin Black

With the MOnster rack, you are entering Rogue's flagship series of construction. This protects your investment for the future. You can choose from multiple options like Flip down safeties and 2'' Monster Sandwich J cups for your own comfort.

How many clients should the Rogue RM4 Monster Rack bring you?

If you think that the Rogue RM4 will bring you 5 new clients who pay you 50$ on a 1-year retainer it is worth the investment. This will yield 3.000$ net new revenue against an investment of 1.300$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.

Pros of the Rogue RM4

This is a rack that can be upgraded easily while still being in the Monster series of Rogue. This is one of the most cost-effective options to get into the Monster portfolio with a relatively standard product to build upon. There are less costly options in the Monster series, but they are specialty racks which might lead to challenges when upgrading.

Cons of the Rogue RM4

The biggest con for the Monster series is the price tag. You can get a lot more rack for the same price out of the Infinity series.

Alternatives to the Rogue RM4

Here are some alternatives within the Rogue portfolio based on a budget of 1.300$

1x Rogue RML 490C @1.075$

With the Rogue RML 490C, you basically get the same amount of rack space at a lower space. The Monster Lite series is built a bit less sturdy than the Monster series. Some of the bigger machines also do not attach to the Monster Lite series. Apart from this, you save 300$ for more or less the same effect.

1x Metal jerk Blocks @ 1.150$

If you are considering to upgrade your existing gym you might want to consider metal jerk blocks instead. This will help to attract professional weightlifters to your gym who usually pay more and stay for longer. This is only an option when you have the basics already covered. #

Conclusion

The RM4 is a bit friendlier on your purse than its big brother the RM6. You still get a good option out of the Monster series to do your workouts in. Be mindful of where to store your plates when you buy the RM4 as it is very unlikely that there will be enough room on the rack itself.