Body-Solid Pro Power Rack Reviewed & Compared

Recently, I decided that I wanted to create a serious home gym. I’m not talking about the usual bargain treadmill and hand weights. I wanted to be able to lift heavy weights – and do it safely.

One of the products I tried out was the Body-Solid Pro Power Rack. This isn’t an inexpensive product, but it (or something like it) is a must if you want to do at-home power lifting.

After trying it out, I want to share my Body-Solid Pro Power Rack review with you. Building a home gym is a big investment – so what will you be getting for your money if you by the Body-Solid Pro Power Rack? Here’s what I think.

Product Specifications

Height

80"

Length

50"

Width 

46"

Weight

225 lbs

Max User Weight

1000 lbs

Warranty

Lifetime

Adjustment Levels

20

The Body-Solid Pro Power Rack is a lifting cage designed for home use. It’s got some great features that set it apart from other racks on the market. For example:

Feature Summary
  • According to the manufacturer, this rack stands 82” high by 49” long by 46” wide. I noticed that the measurements weren’t exact – I’ll talk about that later.
  • This rack has a total of 20 adjustment levels that are spaced three inches apart.
  • It can be used to lift up to 1,000 pounds (although the manufacturer recommends a maximum of 800 pounds.)
  • A wide, walk-in design.
  • Saber-style safety rods to ensure that your workout is safe.
Body Solid Power Rack

The main thing that makes this rack special is its versatility. It’s big enough for most men to walk into (some very tall men may need to duck) and sturdy enough for almost every home lifter to use.


My Experience with the Body-Solid Pro Power Rack

I ordered the Body-Solid Pro Power Rack and was eager to see what it would do. There’s some assembly required. What I found is that the instructions could be better. They were a little confusing at times.

I’m mechanically inclined, so it wasn’t a big deal – but it still took me almost two hours to get the whole thing assembled properly. Keep in mind that you’ll need tools to assemble it, they’re not included. It requires a socket wrench and ratchet.

One thing I noticed during assembly is that the feet are plastic instead of rubber. In my opinion, that makes them a little cheap-looking, which it shouldn’t be. I also didn’t like that there are not pads on the lift-off. I ended up buying some separately.

Once I had it assembled, I measured it. The product I got only measured 79” from top to bottom. I don’t know if that’s true across the board, but I do think it’s worth mentioning. I’m not sure why the manufacturer doesn’t have the correct measurements.

When it came time to try out the Body-Solid Pro Power Rack, I was very pleased with what happened. This rack is very sturdy and mine didn’t wobble at all. That puts it a step above most home lifting equipment – and explains the price tag.


Body-Building Time!

I tried the chin-up bar and was pleased with that too. It’s hard to find a free-standing rack that’s sturdy enough to use for chin-ups, and this one exceeded my expectations. It was easy to hold on to and it didn’t shake. I felt totally secure using it. I even tried adding some ankle weights to see if it could handle someone heavier than I am, and it was sturdy with the added weight, too.

Next, I tried some squats. I did some heavy-duty squats with more than 250 pounds of weight and everything felt completely sturdy and safe. I feel confident that this rack can handle way more weight than I can – and I like that because it means I can continue to use it as I get stronger.

On the whole, I was very pleased with my experience. There were a few little quibbles, and I’ll get at those in the next section.


Pros and Cons of the Body-Solid Pro Power Rack

I always think it’s important to look at the pros and cons of any product before you buy it. Nothing is perfect – and even a great product usually has some potential downsides to consider before handing over your hard-earned money.

Pros

Let’s start with the pros of the Body-Solid Pro Power Rack

  • This is a very sturdy rack that can handle a ton of weight – more than most home lifters will ever need.
  • It’s big enough for most men to walk into without ducking. However, very tall men may need to duck slightly.
  • The price, while not cheap, is pretty affordable for what you’re getting. This is almost like a commercial-quality rack for home use and that makes the price tag reasonable.
  • It’s designed to be versatile, so you can hook it up to different machines and play with the racks to get exactly the configuration you want.

Cons

These are some pretty good pros, but here are a few potential downsides to consider:

  • The assembly instructions aren’t great. There are two sizes of screws and the instructions don’t differentiate. Also, the parts are labeled with metric measurements and the instructions are in inches – not a deal-breaker for me, but an odd choice for sure.
  • The J-hooks and safety bars don’t work in the top-most hole on the rack because the supporting pieces get in the way. That probably won’t matter for most people, but again – the design could be improved to allow for full utility.
  • The safety bar adjustments are 3” apart and some people might prefer one or two inches for greater flexibility.

Overall, I think the pros outweigh the cons here. I’ve seen some people complain on forums that the J-hooks and bars aren’t coated, but I don’t care of my Body-Solid Pro Power Rack gets a few scratches if it does what I want it to do.


My Final Recommendation

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  • Wide 'walk-in' design
  • Heat tempered Lift-Offs and saber-style...
  • 20 adjustment levels spaced 3" apart. 41"...
  • Maximum recommended weight rating 800 lbs.

Our Rating: 4.5 Star Rating 4.5 / 5

Would I recommend the Body-Solid Pro Power Rack? I absolutely would. I think this is a very sturdy and affordable option if you want to build a real home gym and I look forward to doing some serious power lifting with this rack.

If you would prefer something of a full-commercial quality, then check out Fitness Reality X-Class power rack.


Paul J

Last Updated on August 19, 2021