Sick of your Gym, Part III
The Rack
By Jim Wendler as told to by Dave Tate 
for EliteFTS.com


The power rack is the most important investment a strength coach or athlete will ever have to make. This piece of equipment can be thought of as the shrine of the weight room. It is versatile, sturdy and if one has a limited budget, probably the only piece of equipment they will ever need. The rack is where all the real strength gains happen. It should be the one item that will be specked into the floor plan first with all other equipment to follow. In short, the power rack is the king of the weight room.

So why do so many companies build them incorrectly? In the six years of traveling and conducting seminars I have yet to see one weight room or rack that would meet all the needs of the serious strength athlete. This is the main reason we began building and stocking racks. I am convinced that those that build racks are close stance squatters that do not believe in low pin pulls, floor presses, isometric training and have no idea how to unrack a weight. I listed many of these problems in the first two "Sick of Your Gym" articles but feel it is important to review some of them here. 

Pin hole spacing - How many times have you found yourself in a foreign gym for a tough squat workout and then went to set up the J hooks and found that the bar was going to either be too high or too low. You decide it is better to go too low as you will not clear the hooks if it is too high. You then get under the bar and find you have to do a half squat to get the bar out of the rack. At this point you can forget all about arching the bar out of the rack and have no choice but to squat it out and then reset your torso after you get set. This is fine with light weights but how do you do this with the heavy loads? Have you ever wondered why you can't feel your hamstrings working when you squat? 

Safety pins - This is another thing that I have never understood. I have seen two types of pins over the years. The "over kill" pin and the "under kill" pin. The over kill pin is the one that weighs about 100 pounds and is solid as a rock. It is not your average steel rod but rather a large steel beam that wedges into the rack. While this set up will never bend, we can't say the same about your bars! So much for that nice new squat bar you have. One missed lift and it is done, or better yet, a few sets of pin presses and you can say good by to your bench bar. The "under kill" set up is the small rod. Regardless of the rod used it will bend over time and you will find you are doing uneven extensions on your pin presses and uneven pulls on the pin pulls. Fortunately, there is a better way. It is called a rod and pin set up. This way the pipe absorbs the shock of the bar and saves the pin and your bars. 

Sumo base - The first thing I do when I walk into a weight room is walk over to the rack and see if I could squat inside of it. I am a wide stance squatter, but not the widest I have ever seen. On most power racks the bottom brace is so narrow that even when I take a medium stance, my feet are touching the sides. This is why I believe a close stance squatter is designing these things because there is no way you can squat wide in there. The solution is to squat outside of the rack. While this will work, you lose the effectiveness of the safety pins and thus the whole purpose of squatting in a power rack. At this point you have to wonder why squat stands wouldn't be a better choice. 

There are many other things such as paint or powder coating, if the holes are punched or drilled, the gauge of steel, rack height, width and accessories that drive me nuts. These things would take me pages to explain and argue and I will not bore you with them. Understand that the purpose of the power rack is that it should be extremely versatile. For example, you should be able to squat, bench and dead lift inside of it. Pretty simple don't you think? Then why do so many get this wrong! My theory is that those that do design these power racks do not lift and are not aware of the importance of this piece of equipment. It is no mystery about how I feel about strength coaches who do not train. Well I feel the same about those that design strength equipment. You would think that at the very least they would consult a qualified coach or athlete to help them design what will work best. At EFS, we have the best of both worlds. We have the best equipment designers in the industry working with our Elite lifters to come up with the best products available. Some of the best rack training movements are listed below

Great Power Rack Movements

There are a few standard movements you should be able to do with every power rack. These basic movements are the building blocks of any strength program. 

Squats and box squats - Both movements are performed the same way except with one you use a box and pause for one second while the other is a typical free squat. You will start with setting the J-hooks. These are the hooks the bar rest on that you will unrack and re-rack the bar. These hooks should not be too deep and should allow you to move the bar from side to side so you can center the bar. Set these pins up at mid chest level or lower. This is a personal preference so go with what feels right for you. Once you have the bar set, you will want to test the bar setting by getting under the bar with you feet in a close stance or medium stance position. While under the bar you want to arch the bar out of the rack with out moving your feet. If the bar comes out of the J-hooks then you are ready to go. If not, then your hooks are either too deep (and will have to squat the bar out) or you will have to increase the height of the J-hooks one position. After you have the bar set you will want to set your box. You want to take the minimum amount of steps to set yourself up. With this in mind, set up your box in such a way that a few short steps will put you in the correct position. You want to make sure that when you sit back on the box the bar does not hit the rack. To determine your box height squat down on a 14 inch box using the same stance that you will squat with. Have someone determine if this is parallel. Parallel is defined as being a straight line from the top of the knee to the crease of the hip joint. If your box is too high then lower it one inch and check it again. If the box is too low increase it one inch and check again. Make sure to use the same stance you will be training with. Your squat depth will vary greatly depending on how wide or narrow your stance is.

The box squat - To take the bar out of the rack, the hands must be evenly placed on the bar. Secure the bar on the back where it feels the most comfortable. To lift the bar out of the rack, push evenly with the legs, arch the back, push your ABS out against your belt, lift the chest up while driving the head back. A high chest will ensure the bar rests as far back as possible. Slide one foot back, followed by the other and assume a position to squat. Set your feet up in a wide stance position. Point your toes straight ahead or slightly out. Make sure you keep your elbows pulled under the bar. When one is ready for the descent, make sure to keep your low back arched in the same position. Pull your shoulders together and push your abs out. To begin the descent push your hips back first. As you sit back push your knees out to the sides to ensure maximum hip involvement. Once one reaches the box, you need to sit on the box and release the hip flexors. At this point it is important to keep the back arched and abs pushed out while driving your knees out to the side. To begin the ascent, push out on the belt, arch the back as much as possible, and drive the head, chest, and shoulders to the rear. If you push with the legs first your buttocks will rise and force the bar over the knees. This will look like a good morning, cause stress to the low back and thus diminish the power of the squat. 

Deadlifts - There really is no reason to do these two full range movements inside of the power rack except for space limitations. Regardless of where you perform these movements the form will remain the same: 

Sumo style deadlift - Use a moderate stance and a close hand grip. To start the lift, you will rock into the bar, and the hips come up fast toward the bar. This requires a strong back because the legs lock out long before the bar is completely locked. The most common style is with the feet very wide, out to the plates. The lifter should not lower the hips any more than necessary. The back must have an extreme arch. The most important thing to remember is to push your feet out to the sides and not down. Why is this? By pushing down with a sumo or wide stance, your knees will come together, which is the most common mistake in the sumo. By pushing the knees out forcefully, the hips will come toward the bar faster, which makes for favorable leverage. This places most of the work on the hips, legs, and glutes. Also, don't stay down too long. It will destroy the stretch reflex.

Conventional deadlift - To perform the conventional dead lift you have to have to understand the line of the pull. The bar should travel in a straight line or back toward the lifter, NOT away from the body. The best way to check dead lift form is to look at the lifter from the side. The shoulders should be behind the bar at the start of the lift and the bar should not drift forward at all. Other key points with the dead lift are to keep the upper back rounded and the lower back arched. In summary, set up in front of the bar in a position where the barbell is lined up directly in line with the top of the quads, round your upper back, arch your lower back, grab the bar and pull back toward you. 


Bench presses - Much has been written at EliteFTS.com about form and technique on the bench press. What most people don't realize is that many of these things can be corrected by simply having the correct J-hooks on the power rack or bench press. As stated before, most J-hooks are too deep. This is very difficult when trying to correctly and safely lift the bar off to perform a bench press. The bar should not be pushed off the hooks but rather it should be pulled out. This will help keep your lats and upper back tight and in the correct position. This will solve many of your technique problems. If your power rack or bench press has J-hooks that are too deep, try wrapping an old knee wrap to lessen the depth. This is only a partial solution, but it can work. 

Bodyweight Movements

Chin-ups and pull-ups - This is a very simple movement, but one that has been lost in most training programs. It is a great way to develop lat and upper back strength. If you find it hard to a single rep of chins try using a Jump Stretch band to assist you. In order to do this, choke a band around the chin bar and step with both feet on the end of the band. The band will de-load some of your bodyweight and allow you to perform this movement. 

Leg raises - This is a great exercise to develop your abdominals and hip flexors. To perform a leg raise hang from the chin up bar or use straps to keep the stress off your shoulders. From this position, you can do one of two things. If you have weak abdominals, keep your knees bent and bring them up to your chest. For the stronger athlete, keep your knees locked and bring your feet to the chin-up bar. Make sure you control yourself on the way down to avoid swinging.

Dips - This is a great exercise to develop your triceps and shoulders. Place a bar on the safety pins at about waist height. Grab the bar from behind your back and place your feet on a bench. Slowly lower yourself until your triceps are parallel to the floor and raise back up. 

Push ups with bar in bottom of rack - Set the bar on the bottom of the rack and make sure it is secure so it does not move. A great way to do this exercise is to do as many reps as you can in a 10 minute time span. For example, perform a set to failure, rest 10-20 seconds and go again. You can also do this in a 3 or 4 man rotation for time. You can also bring the bar up to higher levels to make the exercise easier.

Prone pull-ups - This is another great exercise to develop lat and upper back strength. Set a bar at waist level, lie on the floor and grab the bar. With a rigid torso, row your chest to the bar, hold and lower yourself back down. 

Triceps extensions - Place a bar at about waist height and again secure it against the rack so it does not move. Place your hands on the bar with a medium grip (index finger about 1" from the smooth part of the bar). The beginning position of your body is similar to a pushup and be sure to keep your torso straight. Perform a triceps extension like you normally would, bringing your head, chin or throat to the bar. Remember, the lower you place the bar in the power rack, the more difficult the exercise becomes.


Strip The Racks

The following movements involve the power rack to be used almost like a smith machine. Using the uprights of the rack, push or press the bar into the rack thus stripping the paint off the rack.

Triceps extensions - This movement is great for triceps size and strength. The difference is while you are pushing up the rack you are also trying to push into the rack at the same time. 

Stiff leg dead lifts - I have used this one when I screw my back or hamstrings up. I find the motion I can do without pain and start doing tons of reps. You stand in front of the rack with the barbell against the pins right. Push your hips and glutes back and keep a tight arch in your lower back. The bar should be close to your body and go down until you start to lose the arch in your lower back. 

Close grips - This is killer and works much better if you start the bar on the mid belly position and drive into the rack hard. Add a band and you will smoke the crap out of the triceps. 


Shoulder presses - This is best done seated with a support for your back. Place the bar against the rack and push and press up and into the rack.

Curls - The beach guys will love this one. While using a straight bar, perform curls with your body close to the rack. Make sure you slide the bar up the rack as you curl and pull the elbows back. This can done with reverse curls, also. 


Band Movements

By now, most that are reading this probably know about Jump Stretch bands. There are an unlimited amount of exercises, stretches and rehabilitation that can be done with bands. While in a power rack, there are generally two ways one can use the bands. The first involves the deload effect. They can help take much of the load off of the bottom of the lift and help over load the top portion. The other involves accommodating resistance. When using this method, the bands offer two advantages. First, the bands will overload the top of the movement. Because of this, you will learn how to press with more force as you teach your body to push to accommodate the additional resistance. Second, during the eccentric portion, or lowering phase, of the lift, the bar is moving faster than gravity. This translates into a faster raising, or concentric, of the bar. 

Reverse band bench press - Choke two Jump Stretch bands to the top of the power rack and place the bar in them. Lie on the bench and perform the bench press like you normally would. This is like using a bench press shirt; it helps the bar off of the chest and over loads the lockout. You can use either the light, average or strong band when performing this exercise. 

Box squats against bands - Choke the bands around the bottom supports of the squat rack. You may have to tape a 2x4 to the supports to increase the tension on the bar. Take each band and place them over the sleeves of the bar. I highly recommend using this method with the box squat and the dynamic effort method. For the bands to work properly make sure that there is tension at the bottom of the lift. For more information on how to do this, what kind of band to use, and what sets and reps to perform check out the articles at EliteFTS.com as well as the FAQ to help you get started. 

Reverse band deadlift - This is like the reverse band bench press but the bands are set up slightly differently. Place the safety pins at the highest level and hang the bands from them. Place the bar in the bands and deadlift. This will help the bar get started from the bottom and over load the lockout. Use the average or strong bands when performing the reverse band deadlift.

Bench presses against bands - When performing this exercise the mini-bands will be used. Place one end of the mini-band around the sleeve of the bar, run the other end around the bottom support of the rack and back around the sleeve. For a better picture of this set up, check out the exercise index at EliteFTS.com. You can use this exercise for the dynamic method or the max effort method. Again, for more information check out the articles and FAQ.

Reverse squats - Set up the bands similar to the reverse band bench press set up. Place the bar inside the bands and squat. This will deload the bottom portion of the squat. 

Partial Movements 

Partial movements have been part of strength training for many years. By overloading certain portions of a lift it will help to overcome sticking points and develop confidence by handling heavier weights. The durability and versatility of the power rack allows one to do partial movements with safety.

Deadlift pin pulls - Place the bar inside the power rack at knee level or below. Perform the deadlift as usual.

Bench presses off pins - These can be done at any level; from a short lockout to having the bar at chest level. This is a great way to improve your lockout as well as getting the bar off of your chest. 

Floor presses - This is simply a bench press done while lying on the floor. It is a great way to strengthen your deltoids and triceps. It also takes your leg drive out of the lift. To ensure this place your legs straight out in front of you. Make sure to pause slightly when your triceps hit the floor. 

Squats and good mornings off pins or chains - Place the bar on the safety pins at about waist level. Squat under the bar and push. You can also perform good mornings in the same manner. This helps eliminate the lowering phase and thus the stretch reflex. This technique is a great way to develop the deadlift because the deadlift is a concentric-only lift. A better variation is to hang a heavy-duty set of chains from the top of the power rack and place the bar in the chains. This will allow you to position the bar correctly.

Isometrics

Isometric concentric exercises are simply pushing or pulling an object (the bar) against an immovable object (the safety pins of the power rack). The most popular way to perform these is to use the bench press and the deadlift. Isometric exercises are not recommended for pre-pubescent lifters and should be progressed slowly. The time and tension of the isometric exercises should be increased slowly. Isometric exercises develop the greatest strength at the angle in which the muscles are held and should not be the only the method used to develop strength. 

As you can see the power rack is by far the most versatile piece of equipment in the gym or your home. I have always said that the first piece of equipment that any serious athlete should buy is a power rack. Unfortunately, the majority of power racks on the market have been designed by people who have never lifted a weight. This is what makes Elite Fitness Systems different. Not only are our racks made to take a beating but they have been designed and redesigned by lifters who want the best. We know what a lifter wants and what makes a power rack POWERFUL. 

Some good "bad power rack" stories

[Note from Jim Wendler: After spending some time with Dave over the past year, I have heard some outrageous stories from his past. I asked Dave to write about some of particular experiences with power racks. As you will see, Dave has quite a history and it's no wonder why his racks have been made for the lifter. Judge for yourself.]

Knock some sense into your training 

While in high school, I was squatting alone and my workout called for me to use my squat suit with the straps up. Unfortunately, I was alone and couldn't get the straps up by myself. I went across the street to the local drug store and asked the cashier to help me. After that fiasco, I got ready to lift. I got all fired up, stormed the bar and started shaking it. In typical Zippy-fashion I knocked my head on the bar and there was blood everywhere. The next thing I know the power rack, bar and my body was falling forward. There was shit every where and I was all pissed off because I had my wraps and suit with straps up. I pulled my straps down, cleaned up the mess and set the bar up. I went back over to the drug store and get the poor lady to pull the straps up again. I never realized just how funny this incident was until now. Can you imagine some big, sweaty guy dressed in a tight singlet, work boots and a doo-rag walking across the street, waiting in line and asking for perhaps the strangest favor in the world?

A message from above

There was a time I was doing chins with a power bar that was set on the top of a power rack. After I was done with my first set, I was staring into space and the bar rolled off the top of the rack and hit me in the head. I was knocked out for a few minutes and woke up not knowing how I got on the floor. This happened while I was in high school and may explain a bunch of stuff. 

Jumping into action (or why bouncing pin pulls are not a good idea)

I once had this great idea where I would pull 80%, drop the bar and try to bounce it off the pins for reps. To make a long story short, I did not use collars, I made a whole lot of noise and the plates fell off one side. The bar flied into the air and dumped the plates off the other side. 


Split personalities

I once had to squat in a bad rack and could not get my stance wide enough. So I had this idea to unrack the weight and step over the bottom of the rack so one foot was inside and one was out. Well this worked well until I went to rack the weight. Once again plates all over the damn place and another reason why I recommend collars.

Building the platform

Here is another good one. I had to do pin pulls and the holes did not go low enough. So I had this idea to grab a bunch of boxes and mats and build a platform inside the rack. What I did not think of was the cross post on the rack. On my first set with 135 I was so fired up because I figured out how to set it up that I ripped the bar off the floor and cracked my head on the post. I played it off like it didn't hurt but it about knocked my head off.