Power rack exercises..
Power rack exercises..
Hey guys...I'm doing rippetoes program and it is pretty simple with compound exercises...
I noticed that there aren't many exercises I can actually do in my power rack other than squats (since I bench on a seperate bench rack)
I cannot do standing military presses in my rack because the bar always hits the top of the rack...I cannot do rows comfortably--I prefer doing them outside the rack...I don't even find it convenient to do deadlifts inside the rack...
Anyone else have this problem?
Keep in mind that the idea of a rack is basically to just eliminate the need for a spotter. So, any exercise that doesn't need a spotter doesn't really use the rack, either.
Keep in mind that the idea of a rack is basically to just eliminate the need for a spotter. So, any exercise that doesn't need a spotter doesn't really use the rack, either. True lol...but a military is an exercise that should be spotted no?
As for rows and deads I don't need to do these in the rack...
At the time I do my MIlitary presses outside the rack, but I might not have a spotter every workout...I use to have a weightlifting partner but he graduated and is gone now, and my friends I lift weights with now aren't dedicated and will probboly give up after not seing results after a few weeks...and they don't mind skipping a workout...so this doesn't help my case
Ah well, screw em lol
True lol...but a military is an exercise that should be spotted no? Well, you can always throw the weight away from you, so it doesn't need to be spotted like say a barbell bench press needs to be spotted, but I can see that you might want it to be spotted. You have a powertec rack, right? If you wanted to do standing military presses that were somewhat spotted you could put the hooks that come with it on the outside at the lift off height and get a pair of these and put them a notch or two below that.
http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/92578.html
--For me its 3 main classes of exercises that use the rack:
-Barbell bench press (includes incline, decline, flat)
-Seated Barbell overhead press
-Squats (includes front, back)
Beyond that, there are some miscellaneous exercises I like to mix in:
-Rack pulls (basically a deadlift that starts on the spotter bars)
-Good mornings
And some things that don't use the spotters, but still use the rack in one way or another:
-Pullups
-Dips
-Cable exercises
-DB bench press with power-hook liftoff
-General bar loading/racking (for deadlift, rows, etc)
I'm probably forgetting some.
X2 -Plus, Shrugs and Standing calf raises. I also use my curl bar off the dips handles.
--For me its 3 main classes of exercises that use the rack:
-Barbell bench press (includes incline, decline, flat)
-Seated Barbell overhead press
-Squats (includes front, back)
Beyond that, there are some miscellaneous exercises I like to mix in:
-Rack pulls (basically a deadlift that starts on the spotter bars)
-Good mornings
And some things that don't use the spotters, but still use the rack in one way or another:
-Pullups
-Dips
-Cable exercises
-DB bench press with power-hook liftoff
-General bar loading/racking (for deadlift, rows, etc)
I'm probably forgetting some.
X2 -Plus, Shrugs and Standing calf raises. I also use my curl bar off the dips handles. Damn, what a good idea. Curl bar off dips handle. Thanks for sharing that.
X2 -Plus, Shrugs and Standing calf raises. I also use my curl bar off the dips handles. I've been thinking about doing standing calf raises in the rack. Do you notice any balance issues or is it pretty easy to do? Do you basically just lean forward a bit into the uprights and use them as a guide?
How far off is the height of the rack vs your extended arm with weight? Maybe raise the rack or raise the upper supports, that wouldnt be too difficult, join it with a piece of equivalent steel tubing and weld or maybe bolt on....or just go outside :)
why would you need to do anything except squats and bench in it? to be fair squats are a pretty crucial component of the program. haha
why would you need to do anything except squats and bench in it? to be fair squats are a pretty crucial component of the program. haha Yeah i'm not sure if you realise this JiP but a power rack is a spotting device...note that when doing military presses it would be nice to be spotted...this is why I am asking...
And have you read what everyone else said... alot of guys even do their curls in their racks...they'll do just about any exercise in there...
And your question was: why would you need to do anything except squats and bench in it? well it depends on the person...call me crazy but I wouldn't mind having a spotter when doing military presses...then again this is just me...
I will probobly put my rack on some block or something...something solid that will raise it 5-6 inches...this way I will get to lift the bar completely over my head...
Any ideas of what I could use to raise the rack?
True lol...but a military is an exercise that should be spotted no? Sure, but why can't the rack be used for that? Just set the bar holder to your starting height, then set the safety bars where they need to go, most likely somewhere around the height of your shoulders.
--For me its 3 main classes of exercises that use the rack:
-Barbell bench press (includes incline, decline, flat)
-Seated Barbell overhead press
-Squats (includes front, back)
Beyond that, there are some miscellaneous exercises I like to mix in:
-Rack pulls (basically a deadlift that starts on the spotter bars)
-Good mornings
And some things that don't use the spotters, but still use the rack in one way or another:
-Pullups
-Dips
-Cable exercises
-DB bench press with power-hook liftoff
-General bar loading/racking (for deadlift, rows, etc)
I'm probably forgetting some. What I've done in the rack so far is:
Flat Bench
Incline Bench
Squat
Military Press
Shrugs (with the bar resting on the safety bars)
I'm sure I could come up with more if I use a little imagination.
A 90 degree utility bench would be nice for seated military press.
A 90 degree utility bench would be nice for seated military press. That is what I do in my Ptec rack. You can't do standing inside the rack because the bar will hit the cross members of the uprights. They are only about 7feet high.
Yeah i'm not sure if you realise this JiP but a power rack is a spotting device...note that when doing military presses it would be nice to be spotted...this is why I am asking... Joey,
I have the same problem, only worse. I'm tall enough, or my house is short enough, that I can't do a standing press indoors. I "settled" for doing seated presses, but that costs a lot of core-stability work. :(
Depending on the type of rack you have, you might consider taking off the front-to-back cross pieces at the top. (Some racks have enough stabilization at the bottom that you can get away with this.)
And your question was: why would you need to do anything except squats and bench in it? well it depends on the person...call me crazy but I wouldn't mind having a spotter when doing military presses... Alternatively, as someone suggested you might consider using the "front" of your rack as a spotter. You'd have to face the rack, and then set your bar hooks outside to start. You could pull the safety pins about 12 inches out, and "collapse" onto those if need be.
(Possibly damaging your rack, but rescuing your floor, house, etc.)
I will probobly put my rack on some block or something...something solid that will raise it 5-6 inches...this way I will get to lift the bar completely over my head...
Any ideas of what I could use to raise the rack? The thing that springs immediately to mind is a railroad tie. Old railroad ties are pretty routinely sold (in the US) as gardening/landscaping props. You could probably find one for cheap, as long as you can move it yourself.
You want something good under sudden compression, so standard hollow concrete blocks are not going to be a good choice. You might just make your own concrete blocks, filling in the holes in standard ones.
Or you could build towers out of dimension lumber (2"x4" most common). This stuff is cheap, and you only need to cut it into ten inch lengths, so you can recycle lumber from other uses. Just build four towers "log cabin style."
Let us know what you do,
Dem Curious Gnomes
How tall is your ceiling compared to your power rack? Because just to keep in mind that along with the advantages you gain by raising the rack, there are potential trade-offs. Would you still be able to do pull ups with the chin bars being closer to the ceiling? Also keep in mind that the lowest safety pin holes will also be raised, so for example if you do floor presses and rack pulls would you still be able to do them? Maybe you could get someone to make new lower holes for the safety rods. If you do raise the rack, consider raising it just under the four corners instead of the whole length of the base, because then there would be room to attach bands at the bottom and also would allow you to use a wider stance if you want like the sumo racks. Those modifications might be worthwhile regardless; however for me I feel safe and happy enough doing overhead presses either seated inside or standing outside using the pegs/j-hooks and just re-racking when done.
Thanks for the all the help guys this helped me alot...For now I am going to do them outside the rack since the weight I use isn't very heavy...when I go heavier I will call a friend over to spot me for a bit or whatever...that shouldn't be a problem
BTW, as for the actual military press goes...I feel like my back is forcing a little bit, I am wondering if my form is correct...
I have my feet at about shoulder width apart, my legs are locked and slightly bent...my hands are inside the knurling on the bar and I lift over my head and bring it down to the chest area...
But I feel like my back is forcing a little bit...Is this normal or do I have a bad form or maybe should I decrease my weight?
Thanks alot guys, your help was very useful, JM
I cannot do standing military presses in my rack because the bar always hits the top of the rack... If you want to do MP in the rack, switch it up to seated MP.
I'm 6'4", there's no way I can do standing presses unless I want to bust up some drywall. I think I'll take my barbell out in the driveway and try to impress some chicks driving by. Wait...only chicks in this neighborhood are all fat hefers. Nevermind.
I'm 6'4", there's no way I can do standing presses unless I want to bust up some drywall. I think I'll take my barbell out in the driveway and try to impress some chicks driving by. Wait...only chicks in this neighborhood are all fat hefers. Nevermind. LMAO...yeah and if I started doing exercises out here I would get dirty looks for trying to keep fit and stay healthy (small town--1200people lol)
They would be like: HE THINKS HE'S BETTER THAN US, GET HIM!
lol
My wife & I moved to southern country(N FL) 2 years ago. Most of the women here are as fat as the cattle they feed. Too much chicken & dumplins' I suppose.
:D
My wife & I moved to southern country(N FL) 2 years ago. Most of the women here are as fat as the cattle they feed. Too much chicken & dumplins' I suppose.
:D LOL...there's 2 types of women here:
A. The ones you can't have because they think they are superior to everyone
B. The ones that make your food come up just by looking at them
And of course we have the girls that look like they cause a Famine and the ones like they survived one lol
Of course there are some hot chicks here, but they think they are goddesses lol
I've been thinking about doing standing calf raises in the rack. Do you notice any balance issues or is it pretty easy to do? Do you basically just lean forward a bit into the uprights and use them as a guide? This is exactly what I do. It has worn the paint off where I lean against the rack, but it works excellent, and over time I have gotten good balance wise so nowadays I am barely touching the rack when I do them.
Hey guys...I'm doing rippetoes program and it is pretty simple with compound exercises...
I noticed that there aren't many exercises I can actually do in my power rack other than squats (since I bench on a seperate bench rack)
I cannot do standing military presses in my rack because the bar always hits the top of the rack...I cannot do rows comfortably--I prefer doing them outside the rack...I don't even find it convenient to do deadlifts inside the rack...
Anyone else have this problem?
Answer:
Keep in mind that the idea of a rack is basically to just eliminate the need for a spotter. So, any exercise that doesn't need a spotter doesn't really use the rack, either.
Answer:
Keep in mind that the idea of a rack is basically to just eliminate the need for a spotter. So, any exercise that doesn't need a spotter doesn't really use the rack, either. True lol...but a military is an exercise that should be spotted no?
As for rows and deads I don't need to do these in the rack...
At the time I do my MIlitary presses outside the rack, but I might not have a spotter every workout...I use to have a weightlifting partner but he graduated and is gone now, and my friends I lift weights with now aren't dedicated and will probboly give up after not seing results after a few weeks...and they don't mind skipping a workout...so this doesn't help my case
Ah well, screw em lol
Answer:
True lol...but a military is an exercise that should be spotted no? Well, you can always throw the weight away from you, so it doesn't need to be spotted like say a barbell bench press needs to be spotted, but I can see that you might want it to be spotted. You have a powertec rack, right? If you wanted to do standing military presses that were somewhat spotted you could put the hooks that come with it on the outside at the lift off height and get a pair of these and put them a notch or two below that.
http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/92578.html
Answer:
--For me its 3 main classes of exercises that use the rack:
-Barbell bench press (includes incline, decline, flat)
-Seated Barbell overhead press
-Squats (includes front, back)
Beyond that, there are some miscellaneous exercises I like to mix in:
-Rack pulls (basically a deadlift that starts on the spotter bars)
-Good mornings
And some things that don't use the spotters, but still use the rack in one way or another:
-Pullups
-Dips
-Cable exercises
-DB bench press with power-hook liftoff
-General bar loading/racking (for deadlift, rows, etc)
I'm probably forgetting some.
Answer:
X2 -Plus, Shrugs and Standing calf raises. I also use my curl bar off the dips handles.
--For me its 3 main classes of exercises that use the rack:
-Barbell bench press (includes incline, decline, flat)
-Seated Barbell overhead press
-Squats (includes front, back)
Beyond that, there are some miscellaneous exercises I like to mix in:
-Rack pulls (basically a deadlift that starts on the spotter bars)
-Good mornings
And some things that don't use the spotters, but still use the rack in one way or another:
-Pullups
-Dips
-Cable exercises
-DB bench press with power-hook liftoff
-General bar loading/racking (for deadlift, rows, etc)
I'm probably forgetting some.
Answer:
X2 -Plus, Shrugs and Standing calf raises. I also use my curl bar off the dips handles. Damn, what a good idea. Curl bar off dips handle. Thanks for sharing that.
Answer:
X2 -Plus, Shrugs and Standing calf raises. I also use my curl bar off the dips handles. I've been thinking about doing standing calf raises in the rack. Do you notice any balance issues or is it pretty easy to do? Do you basically just lean forward a bit into the uprights and use them as a guide?
Answer:
How far off is the height of the rack vs your extended arm with weight? Maybe raise the rack or raise the upper supports, that wouldnt be too difficult, join it with a piece of equivalent steel tubing and weld or maybe bolt on....or just go outside :)
Answer:
why would you need to do anything except squats and bench in it? to be fair squats are a pretty crucial component of the program. haha
Answer:
why would you need to do anything except squats and bench in it? to be fair squats are a pretty crucial component of the program. haha Yeah i'm not sure if you realise this JiP but a power rack is a spotting device...note that when doing military presses it would be nice to be spotted...this is why I am asking...
And have you read what everyone else said... alot of guys even do their curls in their racks...they'll do just about any exercise in there...
And your question was: why would you need to do anything except squats and bench in it? well it depends on the person...call me crazy but I wouldn't mind having a spotter when doing military presses...then again this is just me...
I will probobly put my rack on some block or something...something solid that will raise it 5-6 inches...this way I will get to lift the bar completely over my head...
Any ideas of what I could use to raise the rack?
Answer:
True lol...but a military is an exercise that should be spotted no? Sure, but why can't the rack be used for that? Just set the bar holder to your starting height, then set the safety bars where they need to go, most likely somewhere around the height of your shoulders.
Answer:
--For me its 3 main classes of exercises that use the rack:
-Barbell bench press (includes incline, decline, flat)
-Seated Barbell overhead press
-Squats (includes front, back)
Beyond that, there are some miscellaneous exercises I like to mix in:
-Rack pulls (basically a deadlift that starts on the spotter bars)
-Good mornings
And some things that don't use the spotters, but still use the rack in one way or another:
-Pullups
-Dips
-Cable exercises
-DB bench press with power-hook liftoff
-General bar loading/racking (for deadlift, rows, etc)
I'm probably forgetting some. What I've done in the rack so far is:
Flat Bench
Incline Bench
Squat
Military Press
Shrugs (with the bar resting on the safety bars)
I'm sure I could come up with more if I use a little imagination.
Answer:
A 90 degree utility bench would be nice for seated military press.
Answer:
A 90 degree utility bench would be nice for seated military press. That is what I do in my Ptec rack. You can't do standing inside the rack because the bar will hit the cross members of the uprights. They are only about 7feet high.
Answer:
Yeah i'm not sure if you realise this JiP but a power rack is a spotting device...note that when doing military presses it would be nice to be spotted...this is why I am asking... Joey,
I have the same problem, only worse. I'm tall enough, or my house is short enough, that I can't do a standing press indoors. I "settled" for doing seated presses, but that costs a lot of core-stability work. :(
Depending on the type of rack you have, you might consider taking off the front-to-back cross pieces at the top. (Some racks have enough stabilization at the bottom that you can get away with this.)
And your question was: why would you need to do anything except squats and bench in it? well it depends on the person...call me crazy but I wouldn't mind having a spotter when doing military presses... Alternatively, as someone suggested you might consider using the "front" of your rack as a spotter. You'd have to face the rack, and then set your bar hooks outside to start. You could pull the safety pins about 12 inches out, and "collapse" onto those if need be.
(Possibly damaging your rack, but rescuing your floor, house, etc.)
I will probobly put my rack on some block or something...something solid that will raise it 5-6 inches...this way I will get to lift the bar completely over my head...
Any ideas of what I could use to raise the rack? The thing that springs immediately to mind is a railroad tie. Old railroad ties are pretty routinely sold (in the US) as gardening/landscaping props. You could probably find one for cheap, as long as you can move it yourself.
You want something good under sudden compression, so standard hollow concrete blocks are not going to be a good choice. You might just make your own concrete blocks, filling in the holes in standard ones.
Or you could build towers out of dimension lumber (2"x4" most common). This stuff is cheap, and you only need to cut it into ten inch lengths, so you can recycle lumber from other uses. Just build four towers "log cabin style."
Let us know what you do,
Dem Curious Gnomes
Answer:
How tall is your ceiling compared to your power rack? Because just to keep in mind that along with the advantages you gain by raising the rack, there are potential trade-offs. Would you still be able to do pull ups with the chin bars being closer to the ceiling? Also keep in mind that the lowest safety pin holes will also be raised, so for example if you do floor presses and rack pulls would you still be able to do them? Maybe you could get someone to make new lower holes for the safety rods. If you do raise the rack, consider raising it just under the four corners instead of the whole length of the base, because then there would be room to attach bands at the bottom and also would allow you to use a wider stance if you want like the sumo racks. Those modifications might be worthwhile regardless; however for me I feel safe and happy enough doing overhead presses either seated inside or standing outside using the pegs/j-hooks and just re-racking when done.
Answer:
Thanks for the all the help guys this helped me alot...For now I am going to do them outside the rack since the weight I use isn't very heavy...when I go heavier I will call a friend over to spot me for a bit or whatever...that shouldn't be a problem
BTW, as for the actual military press goes...I feel like my back is forcing a little bit, I am wondering if my form is correct...
I have my feet at about shoulder width apart, my legs are locked and slightly bent...my hands are inside the knurling on the bar and I lift over my head and bring it down to the chest area...
But I feel like my back is forcing a little bit...Is this normal or do I have a bad form or maybe should I decrease my weight?
Thanks alot guys, your help was very useful, JM
Answer:
I cannot do standing military presses in my rack because the bar always hits the top of the rack... If you want to do MP in the rack, switch it up to seated MP.
Answer:
I'm 6'4", there's no way I can do standing presses unless I want to bust up some drywall. I think I'll take my barbell out in the driveway and try to impress some chicks driving by. Wait...only chicks in this neighborhood are all fat hefers. Nevermind.
Answer:
I'm 6'4", there's no way I can do standing presses unless I want to bust up some drywall. I think I'll take my barbell out in the driveway and try to impress some chicks driving by. Wait...only chicks in this neighborhood are all fat hefers. Nevermind. LMAO...yeah and if I started doing exercises out here I would get dirty looks for trying to keep fit and stay healthy (small town--1200people lol)
They would be like: HE THINKS HE'S BETTER THAN US, GET HIM!
lol
Answer:
My wife & I moved to southern country(N FL) 2 years ago. Most of the women here are as fat as the cattle they feed. Too much chicken & dumplins' I suppose.
:D
Answer:
My wife & I moved to southern country(N FL) 2 years ago. Most of the women here are as fat as the cattle they feed. Too much chicken & dumplins' I suppose.
:D LOL...there's 2 types of women here:
A. The ones you can't have because they think they are superior to everyone
B. The ones that make your food come up just by looking at them
And of course we have the girls that look like they cause a Famine and the ones like they survived one lol
Of course there are some hot chicks here, but they think they are goddesses lol
Answer:
I've been thinking about doing standing calf raises in the rack. Do you notice any balance issues or is it pretty easy to do? Do you basically just lean forward a bit into the uprights and use them as a guide? This is exactly what I do. It has worn the paint off where I lean against the rack, but it works excellent, and over time I have gotten good balance wise so nowadays I am barely touching the rack when I do them.