REP fitness OMNI rack vs PR-1100 rack

This is a comparison between the REP fitness OMNI rack and the REP fitness PR-1100 rack. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the REP fitness PR-1100 rack

This is an overview of the REP fitness PR-1100 rack including the pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in which rack to buy from REP Fitness. Follow the links for more information.

Overview of the REP PR 1100 Rack $269

The REP PR-1100 gives you a choice of color for your low budget rack and a multi grip pull up bar. Unfortunately it strips the 1000er series of the plate storage at the back which makes it my least favorite rack out of the 1000er line. Some of the specifications are:

Height Adjustable Multi-Grip Pullup Arch
Laser Engraved Numbered Uprights
Plastic-Lined J-cups
Extended Safeties

A solid rack if you want a multi-grip bar and a rack for $300. Otherwise I personally would go for the PR-1000.

Pros of the REP PR 1100 Rack

The pros of the REP PR-1100 are:

Choice of color
Multi Grip bar

The main distinguishing parts to the other 1000er racks are the choice of color and the multi grip bar. If that is what you want, go for the 1100. Otherwise i think that the PR-1000 is the better package because of the plate storage at the back.

Cons of the REP PR 1100 Rack

Cons of the REP PR-1100 are:

No included plate storage
700lbs capacity
Imported

The PR-1100 has no included plate storage in the base configuration, which in my opinion makes it inferior to the 1000 and 1050 for the low budget market it is addressing.

With 700 lbs capacity this is not a rack for big guys who move a lot of weight regularly on awkward bar paths. If you are a seasoned strength athlete this rack is too small and flimsy and you are better off with the PR-4000 or PR-5000.

The last con is that this rack is imported from China. If you don’t care, you don’t, but if local production is important to you then REP fitness needs to be ruled out and you need to go with Rogue Fitness or Sorinex.

Alternatives to the REP PR 1100 Rack

I personally think that the PR-1000 is the better option for the same price as you will need plate storage more than a multi-grip pull up bar. That is just based on my personal experiences where flooring and storage is usually being underrated when building a home gym.

The Rogue HR2 is a solid option for a half rack from Rogue under $1000. If you want a locally produced US alternative to the REP 1000er series which is beefier than the HR2 is a great choice.

The TITAN T2 Series is one of the lowest cost racks Form the lowest cost vendor in the market. If you want to go as cheap as possible for your rack TITAN is a good address. TITAN comes with a higher risk of quality issues than the other vendors mentioned in this article.

Conclusion for the REP PR 1100 Rack

The REP 1100 rack is great if you are looking for a rack with a multi-grip bar out of the box. Otherwise, I think the other 1000 racks are a better choice for your hard-earned cash.

Overview and review of the REP fitness OMNI rack

This is an overview of the REP fitness OMNI rack including the pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in which rack to buy from REP Fitness. Follow the links for more information.

Overview of the REP OMNI Rack $934

The Rep OMNI rack is a flat foot version of the REP PR-5000 series which has gained quite some popularity recently. It is a solid rack from a vendor who imports their parts rather than making them in the US as Sorinex and Rogue Fitness would. The main difference to the PR-5000 is the flat foot base and the numbering on the uprights. The full specifications of this rack are:

3x3 11-Gauge Steel with 1” diameter holes on upright.
Compatible with most 5000 Series attachments including the Lat/Low Row.
Up to 15 potential configurations when paired with the Omni Plus.
J-cup, color options, and attachments are fully customizable.
A long, flat-footed base helps promote stability, no need to bolt the rack down.
Large stainless steel logo plate for additional rigidity and lateral stability.
Includes: Multi-grip pull-up bar, six-band pegs, and hardware to connect up to six uprights to the base.
Enough hardware will be provided for all possible configurations, which means that extra hardware may be left over after the build.
Lat attachment adds 23" depth to the 4-post half-rack or adds 5" depth to the 6-post power rack is mounted to the interior uprights.

This is a good option when you do not want to bolt down your rack and start with a half rack that you will later upgrade. If you are looking for the most space-efficient option in the market it is probably not the best rack you can get.

Pros of the REP OMNI Rack

The Pros of the OMNI rack are:

Flat foot design
Slightly lower price than their main competitors
Upgrade options

The main point about this rack is the flat foot design which means that you do not need to bolt it to the ground to make it stable. The bottom has quite some weight to it and a bigger footprint than a regular 4 post-half-rack would have. This is great to keep it from tipping over when you only have four posts and want to work with banded resistance on the deadlift, bench press, and squat.

As REP imports their material they can get away with lower costs for racks that compare in quality to the market leader Rogue Fitness. This means you get a similar quality rack for a lower price. This is one of the most appealing aspects of the REP fitness as they generally seem to do a better job on quality control than TITAN fitness but use overseas to keep costs down.

This is probably the best rack from REP fitness you can get, if you do not want to bolt down your rack but have big plans for it in the future. You will basically get a PR-5000 with a flat foot design and can add to the base to your heart's contempt with further uprights.

Cons of the REP OMNI Rack

The cons of the OMNI rack are:

Space requirements
Numbering on uprights
Website ordering system

The flat foot base of the OMNI rack is laid out to accommodate a six-post design. While this makes it one of the few flat foot designs in the market for a six-post rack, it eats up too much space in a home gym with limited space. If you want to optimize for space a folding rack or a regular half-rack are the better options.

The numbering on the uprights does not go through every hole. While this saves cost in production it is a little inconsequential for ease of use. Either have no numbers to maximize my savings or number all holes to maximize the ease of use. This is especially true if you are buying in a commercial setting rather than a home gym.

Ordering an OMNI rack is a little tricky and I wouldn't recommend it for first-time rack buyers. With these modular systems, it is better to really have an idea of the dimensions and accessories you are buying before configuring it. Compared to their main competitor rogue the configuration system on the website is also not as easy to use. But that is just my personal taste.

Alternatives to the REP OMNI Rack

Alternatives to the REP Omni rack are:

This selection of racks is based in 3x3 11 Gauge steel uprights to avoid presenting too many options to you. If you want to save more money you can also look into 2x3 Gauge uprights. The smaller you are and the lighter the weights you move, the more likely it is that you should try to save some money for your home gym by going with a smaller frame. Commercial buyers should go as big as they possibly can on their budget based on insurance questions and that you can not predict as well who will use your equipment.

If you stick with the idea of "I want a Rogue quality rack at the lowest possible price" then the REP-PR 5000 and the REP PR-4100 are two other options to consider. The REP PR-5000 has been hailed as one of the best, if not the best, rack for home gym users based on its good value for money. You can configure it as a 4 post or 6 post rack. The main difference to the OMNI rack is that it does not come with a flat foot design. The REP PR-4100 would be the folding rack option from REP Fitness. This is a good way to go if you still want to park your car in your garage when you are not training.

If you are toying with the idea of a flat foot 6 post rack the OMNI rack is one of the few, if not the only option out there. Another option would be the RM6 rack from Rogue which needs to be bolted to the ground. Go with the RM6 if you are planning to get a belt squat, as currently, the Rhino Drop-in is the superior option to the belt squats from REP Fitness. The Rogue RM3 is the half rack option from Rogue with 3x3 Gauge steel. If you have the budget for an Omni rack you can probably also afford the RM3. With the RM3 you are saving footprint compared to the OMNI rack, as it comes with four uprights without a flat foot design. The uprights will also have all the holes numbered instead of just a few on the OMNI rack. With this rack, you will be buying from the current market leader in home gym equipment in terms of quality and units sold. Rogue also goes to lengths to make sure that their product is as American as possible by sourcing metal and staff locally and keeping production lines in Ohio. This comes at a higher price than their competitors to the consumer. The Rogue RM3W is the folding variation of the RM3. If you want the best and can afford it and you are not that much into the flat foot idea, this can be a good route to explore.

The TITAN series rack is the flagship of the TITAN rack lineup. This is TITAN's go at being like Rogue Fitness. You will also get a 3x3 11 Gauge steel uprights setting, but this is a full rack, rather than a half rack. If you were toying with the idea of a full rack that does not need to be bolted to the ground, then this might be the right option for you. If you want a 3x3 folding rack then the X-3 from TITAN would be the right choice. TITAN is known to undercut most of the other vendors on the market considerably when you compare like for like. This is why I am presenting you with their top-line rack as an alternative to the OMNI rack. The downside of TITAN is that the same to have the most incidents with quality issues between Rogue, REP Fitness, and TITAN fitness. This makes sense as you need to cut some corners to undercut everyone else in the market. If you don't mind a potential risk of minor blemishes, some inconsistency in paint, or on the drilling of the holes, then TITAN is right for you. A good option for the DIY enthusiast who wants to save money for a new drill to fix their rack setup and then have it for other home projects.

Conclusion for the REP OMNI Rack

The REP OMNI rack is in my opinion the REP fitness approach to tailoring their portfolio to universities. This is the right rack for the strength coach that does not want to explain to the dean why he has to drill holes into the resurfaced gym floor that was paid out of taxpayer's money. The same goes for someone who is renting a mansion and wants to put a six-post rack into it without damaging the 100-year-old original floor. For anyone who can drill into the floor or just uses a rack without bolting it to the ground, I think it is not the ideal option. Why create an unnecessary unused footprint in your limited home gym space for a half-rack?