How to Customize Your Power Rack

If you want to build a home gym but don’t know where to begin, start with the foundation: a power rack.

A power rack is for so much more than just squats. It’s the most versatile part of any home gym, with tons of attachments (and ever more in development). Depending on which attachments you choose, your power rack can be the centerpiece for almost all work you’re going to do in your new gym.

Power Rack Customization

Power racks are incredibly customizable. Here’s a closer look at the three steps to customize your power rack.

Step 1: Pick your rack.

First, you want to decide which style of rack is best for you, based on your personal needs, goals, budget, space available – and also your future. When selecting a rack, think five or so years out. Consider your potential growth and what attachments you will want to add over the years. Not all racks have the same attachments. The more expensive racks tend to have more options for expansion. So, while it may be a bit more out of pocket today, it may have a better cost-to-use ratio and prevent you from needing a rack upgrade in a few years.

Or maybe a basic rack is all you know you’ll need, and that’s OK, too. Even the most basic racks are still super durable and versatile.

REP’s racks are organized by “series.” The 1000 Series racks are the most basic. The “PR” stands for “power rack.”

The PR-1100 is compact and reaches 7’ tall, with a multi-grip pull-up bar and a few other added features.

The 4000 and 5000 Series racks are where we start to get a lot more robust.

The 4000 Series has two unique racks for specialty needs. There is the PR-4100, which is a squat rack that attaches to the wall and folds out, ideal for home gyms with limited floor space. There's also the SR-4000, which is a squat rack – meaning it has the frame, but not the whole cage.

Then there’s the PR-4000, a hard-core cage with a 1,000lb capacity with 1” hole spacing throughout the bench area with 5/8” pinholes. The closer holes throughout the bench area allow for a more precise liftoff height when bench pressing.

The 5000 Series racks are the top of the line, designed to meet different needs. The PR-5000 is tough as heck, like the PR-4000, but it doesn’t have the closer hole spacing in the bench area, and its pinholes are larger. However, this is REP’s most configurable system, with the ability to connect multiple racks together with Rack Crossmember Connectors, and a massive attachment ecosystem.

The other two 5000 Series racks have a different naming system. They’re the Omni and the Apollo™ half rack.

The Omni is the most customizable flat-root rack on the market. Flat feet mean it’s stable enough that you don’t have to bolt it down to the floor, whereas the PR-5000 does need to be bolted down with some attachments.

The Apollo™ half rack is hefty, also with a flat foot base. Because it’s a half rack, it takes up minimal space -- 48”(L)x52.4”(W) with 16” deep crossmembers. By comparison, the Omni is 58.9”(L) with the same width and options for 16”, 30”, or 41” deep crossmembers. So, if you want the most baller rack that you will never need to bolt into your floor, opt for one of the fancy-named racks. Then decide between those based on your space.

In addition, there's one more rack option: the Oxylus™ yoke. This is a Strongman-style yoke that can be converted into a squat rack.

For more help comparing power racks, check out this article.

Step 2: Pick your higher-level details.

Now that you’ve chosen your rack, it’s time to pick the higher-level details. There are three ways to customize it:

• The virtual rack builder
• Preset options
• A manual build-out

Which option you use depends on which rack you want, as well as when and how you want it.

Rack Builder: You will use the rack builder for the highest-end power racks: the PR-4000, PR-5000, Omni, and Apollo™ half rack. This allows you to see how your rack will look as you make selections. You can test different color combos, see how various attachments will look, and even view the virtual rack in your garage or basement.

Preset Options: You will select from the preset options for the rest, the more basic racks in the PR-1000 series, as well as the squat rack and folding rack. These have fewer options, but you can still pick the color and size (for some) and add on attachments to make the rack your own. Note: The PR-1000 comes as it is, so skip this step if you choose it.

Manual Build-Out: You can do this for the PR-4000, PR-5000, Omni, and Apollo™ half rack. Pick your rack style and then manually add on crossmembers, uprights, and logo plate crossmembers through individual listings. This is useful if you don't like the rack builder or can't afford a full build-out today, but want to be able to add on over time.

Note: If doing a manual build-out, ensure you have all necessary components (uprights, crossmembers, logo crossmember, pull-up bar, safeties, and J-cups).

Step 3: Add your attachments.

Now it’s time to add on your attachments. If you’re using the rack builder, you must complete step 2 before this step. Not every attachment works with every rack, and the rack builder takes the guesswork out of it; it’s automatically synced with the attachments that fit your rack.

If you don’t see something you want in the builder, check the Rack Attachments page to see if it’s available. For example, the new Drop-in Dip Attachment only works on 4000 or 5000 series racks, whereas the Dip Station works on 1000, 4000, and 5000 series racks.

Some other attachments include: ISO arms, landmine, leg roller, band pegs, belt squat, front foot extension, spotter arms, monolift, wall ball target, barbell tube stand, utility horn, logo plate crossmember 2.0, dual barbell hanger, and cable attachments. There's also power rack magnetic position markers to help you keep track of where you place your J-cups.

With the attachments, everything is clearly labeled for rack compatibility. If you get confused, you can always reach out to customer service for help.