Fitness Reality Squat Rack Power Cage with Optional LAT Pulldown, Cable Crossover

TLDR: great value for the price. Hits all the essentials and is efficiently sized.To give context of the type of athlete I am: I strength train consistently, bench 220lbs and squat 275 lbs at 181 lbs. Ultimately, I would consider myself a intermediate weight lifter who trains to be fit and look good.Due to COVID and elevated chances of getting it at a gym, I decided to invest into a home gym; with a Power Rack as my first purchase. My objective was to buy a Power Rack that will be safe to lift moderate to above moderate weight. And of course, I was looking for a product with the best value. I also did not have the option to bolt down a rack or bolt a rack to a studded wall, since it was going to be in an unfinished basement.I researched all of the top brands and read/watched many online reviews (shout out to Cooper at Garage Gym Reviews!). Pretty quick, it became clear that there were two options: go with a top brands like Rogue or go with a budget-friendly brand, many of which can be found on Amazon.The top brands come with a high price tag but you get what you pay for: sturdy and consistently build equipment with great customer service and warranties to back it up. One hiccup in the process was not many items are in stock due to the low supply in the industry. I was turned on to the FR 810xlt from a YouTube review, which concluded that this product has all the essentials needed in a Power Rack for about a quarter of the price of the top brands. I also liked the attachment options – I ended adding four plate storage pins, the dip bars, and landmine attachment. I nearly bought the lat pull down attachment too but found an alternative pulley system that took up less space and was removable (I highly recommend that too – they’re about $50; in contast to the $200 listed on Amazon for the FR lat pull down attachment).Pros:- It is sturdy… enough. There is a very slight wobble but it’s nothing to be concerned about if you are under the max weight cap. This slight wobble is expected since the rack isn’t bolted in.-The space in the power rack is perfectly sized for one person. Any less space would be too tight to comfortably lift. Any more would take up space for other equipment in your workout area. Perfectly sized for my needs.-The paint quality and finish is not cheap. I have already done my fair share of aggressive barbell reracks and would have thought by now some of the paint would’ve chipped off. I’m happy to report the rack looks fantastic still.-The Price. When I bought this rack a month back, with was ~$250 without the attachments. That’s incredible for the level of quality and costistency offered by this Power Rack. Even if the rack has increased in price due to lack of supply, this is still worth the price point.Cons:-The holes are not numbered. This honestly is not a big deal to me. I’m going to by some magnets to label which holes I use for each exercise.-The rack didn’t come with wrenches for configuration. I ended up having to buy a socket set, which I should’ve had in the first place.-The Packaging is very heavy. Fair warning… You will want someone else with you to carry it. Say sorry to the UPS guy too.-The assembly process was difficult for one person. There’s a lot of bolting and socketing. That was a work out on it’s own. It probably took twice as long for me to set it up since i did it myself. I recommend having someone help you, if possible. The manufacturer recommends that as well.-The pull up bar handles are a little slick. I wish the were knurled or had some texture for a better grip. If that’s a concern for you, you can buy pull up grips on Amazon.-The pin holes are only on two sides of the upright (front and back). Fitness Reality probably did this for the structural integrity reasons. It would be nice to have holes on all for sides. It would allow for so many more attachment options.In conclusion, this rack is one of the best values on the market. I was very close to purchasing a Rouge Monster Lite rack but I decided to take a chance on this rack. I’m very glad I did. I have a feeling this rack is going to be with me for a very long time.

Details

  • Year of production: 2014 onwards
  • Width of rotating bar: 1.18 inches
  • Model ID code: 9061

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