I Used This Weight Rack for Almost All My Workouts for a Year

Posted by Admin September 13, 2024 Fitness

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I HAVE A HARD time feeling like a workout “counts” if I don’t, at some point, use a weight rack. That probably comes from the way I started strength training. I was taught how to lift in a basic high school weight room, where a row of racks lined the grimy rear wall. We didn’t have shiny new machines or any tech-heavy tools in the gym, so the racks were by far the busiest stations in the space.

Those rusty rigs were fairly utilitarian; they held weight plates, a barbell, and space for squats and presses. As I learned more about exercise and training, I expanded my outlook and made my way out of the rack to other stations in the gym—but I still feel the most comfortable when I can start off a session with some heavy barbell work supported by a tower of iron. That’s especially comforting when the rack is equipped for more than just the basics, like the fully tricked-out Hammer Strength HD Athletic NX Half Rack I’ve been using for nearly a year (just about 11 months, to be slightly more accurate) for workouts three days a week in the Men’s Health Fitness Hub.

To be fair, this rack is good for more than its bells and whistles. It’s as serviceable for the basics as anything I’ve ever used in my over 15 years of training, too. The sturdy frame is solid 11-gauge steel, a fair step up from the sometimes shaky setups in which I first learned to back squat.

I didn’t put the HD Athletic rack together, since Life Fitness reps handled that for us (free delivery and installation is available to anyone who buys the rack, so you wouldn’t have to either), but the whole unit feels sturdy, even when I’ve slammed a 365 pounds of loaded barbell back into the supports after a set of heavy squats or pushed the bar up against the frame doing standing calf raises the right way. The rack isn’t bolted to the floor, as some need to be so they don’t shift position during use, but it doesn’t feel like it’ll be moving anywhere on me (especially since its loaded up with a full complement of plates).

Hammer Strength Hammer Strength HD Athletic NX Half Rack

The Hammer Strength HD Athletic NX Half Rack Specs

Since this is a half-rack, it doesn’t take up as much square footage as many full cage-style power racks, which feature a closed design with a second pair of posts to form a box to train within. The official dimensions are 50’’x48’’x86’’ (DxWxH)—but if we’re talking about the “eye test,” the HD Athletic more than passes. It’s not so large that it would feel out of place in the corner of a garage or basement gym space (if you have high enough ceilings, of course), but it also doesn’t feel like you’re making any concessions and squeezing your workout into a tiny square.

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A complement of eight weight horns extrude eight inches to either side of the rack, making it a bit wider—but the storage space they provide is valuable. Each of these horns can hold up to four 45-pound Olympic plates or three 45-pound bumper plates. The top of the rack also has storage for a pair of barbells to be hung vertically, along with other assorted fitness gear (we have resistance bands stowed there at the moment).

Since I learned to squat within a power rack with safety catches, I prefer to use rigs that have them to save me from a failed rep. The HD Athletic’s half-rack design took some getting used to for me—18-inch-long safety catches allow for a smaller area to work within than the full cages I’m more accustomed to—but I acclimated quickly enough that I barely noticed by the second time I used the cage for a training session.

What It’s Like to Use the Rack

Workouts that use barbell movements are where the rack shines. I’ve squatted and bench pressed weekly using the rack for over 10 months and haven’t had any major issues. I’ve even failed a few times on the bench and been saved by the safety catches, sliding myself out from under the bar. Since the racks have 15 different slots to place the catches, I have a much wider range to position them, allowing me to work within a wider range of motion than with other racks I’ve used.

One complaint I have has to do with some of the other exercises you can do with other features of the rig. The rack’s pullup bar has a pair of grip configurations, and neither of them are my favorite. I’d rather have a straight bar for standard pullups and chinups. The way these grips are oriented, it’s tough to use for traditional grips without moving your arms out wide. I do appreciate the grips for neutral grip position pulls and hangs, though.

That covers the basics. What I really like about the HD Athletic rack are the special add-ons. There are a pair of detachable pads (one for Bulgarian split squats, one for chest-supported rows)—but the one I get most excited about (and get the most use of) is for one of my favorite exercises. Our unit came with detachable arms that swing on an axis, which can be used for jammer presses. This power-building movement was one of the highlights of my football strength and conditioning programs, and you can usually only do it properly with specialized, dedicated pieces of equipment.

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The rack’s design makes taking the arms on and off a quick process, so you don’t have to spend a long time futzing with the gear to move between, say, front squats and jammer presses. The whole process to take them on and off takes about a minute; it’s a simple catch mechanism at the top of the rack. Once they’re on, I’ve really enjoyed being able to load up some plates and explode through a few sets, no barbell required.

Ultimately, the most important part of this rack is its dependability. I know that when I step into it for a squat, roll the bench into place to press, or hoist myself up on its grips for pullups, it’s going to stay in one place. The rest of the workout is all up to me.