7 Strength Training Benefits of a Home Gym Squat Rack
It’s no secret that below this lead paragraph we’re going to wax lyrical about the benefits of training at home, afterall we wouldn't want to have a misleading blog title would we? Let's be honest though, a home gym gives us more access to one of the greatest things in the world… Time. Our own beautiful time. Personally, I’m a Husband, Dad of 3 kids and whilst my LinkedIn profile might say Brand & Content Manager it should essentially read “Uber For Kids Driver”. Between making school lunches, school drop off, school pick up, Irish Dancing practice and Soccer training, my wife and I barely have a night to ourselves, let alone time to drive to the gym and get a cheeky workout done. The value of a home gym starts to speak for itself once you begin factoring all of the barriers to maintaining consistency when it comes to your fitness and wellness.
"There is never an absolute answer to everything, except of course that you have to do your squats." - Mark Rippetoe
Depending on your training goals and budget the type of home set up you’ll have will differ from person to person. We’ve actually covered this on the Warehouse of Knowledge Blog before, if you’re in the ‘understanding my goals’ phase of building your home gym, then that is definitely a good read for you. So what do we love about having a Squat Rack in your home gym? They come in a range of different styles, sizes and price ranges. As a result, you'll be able to find something that suits your budget and allocated workout area, plus it will make you look like a badass to your friends and family. More importantly, a squat rack will give you training variety which means you will save money in the long run. You'll be able to train some big moves like pressing, pulling, plus hit some little moves too. Let's dive in below.
Fitness Warehouse's 7 Strength Training Benefits of a Home Gym Squat Rack
1. Increased Strength - This is a no brainer, squatting in your squat rack with a barbell on your back is one of the most effective exercises for building strength. Plus when you're doing it in your own space the rack isn't going to be taken up by 'annoying texting in the squat rack guy/gal'. When you do this exercise with a squat rack, you can safely add more weight than you could if you were doing it without a rack.
2. Improved Form - Now that you have more time you can use it to focus on your form. What is good form? There's two things to understand about good form that run true for all movement: Number one, it must reduce the chances of injury for the person performing the movement. Number two, it needs to deliver efficient movement or mechanics, this will allow the individual to maximise the available strength and energy of the movement being performed. Need some Squatspiration? Here's some information around squats that will help you add some variety into your workouts. Whether, its squatting, pressing or pulling, utilising the extra time you've gained to focus on form will help you maximise your lifting potential longterm and safeguard your body against injury.
3. Greater Stability - A squat rack provides a sturdy base for your barbell and equipment, after all squatting and pressing with a barbell can be unstable. The sturdy base supplied by your rack will help you lift with confidence. In those moments when you're training to failure you can trust your rack to catch the barbell on the safety arms, which means safer lifting.
4. Storage - There's nothing worse than having equipment spread out all over your gym floor. Squat racks will have some form of inbuilt storage to help you maximise your training space. This will come in the form of barbell holders and storage horns for your bumper plates.
5. Variety - A squat rack gives you more options for exercises than if you were just using a free barbell. For example, you can set up your rack pins to do front squats or overhead presses. Slide a bench into your rack, set your j-hooks up for bench pressing and you're all ready to work on your chesticles. Position your safety arms to help you start from an optimal deadlift position. Barbell lunges, box sqauts, dips, pull ups, barbell rows and you get the idea. Variety is the spice of life and a squat rack in your home gym helps you get there.
6. Better Results - When done correctly, strength training can lead to significant improvements in muscular size and strength. A squat rack in your homegym will make life that little bit easier when it comes to consistency, which in turn will help you to achieve your desired results in a safe environment for lifting heavy weights.
7. Convenience - Having a squat rack at home means that you don't have to travel to a commercial gym every time you want to do strength training exercises. This saves you time and money in the long run, as well as giving you more flexibility in your workout schedule.
Ultimately the type of squat rack that you choose will come down to personal preference, goals, budget and available training space. I know one thing thats for sure, I'm a more balanced person when I'm regularly exercising. I sleep better, can focus more, it's great for my mental health and sets a great example to my kids about being active and healthy for life.
Fired up for squat racks? Be sure to check out the range available at Fitness Warehouse instore or right here at this linky dink.
Written by Fitness Warehouse Personal Trainer, Simon Mitchell. Simon has a Bachelor of Human Movement, is a certified FMS trainer and has worked in the fitness industry since 2003. Simon started his fitness journey as a trainer with iNform Health and Fitness before moving into commercial radio and then back into fitness with Bodyism in the United Kingdom and Australia. A career highlight was being one of Daisy Ridley's personal trainers on Star Wars IX - The Rise Of Skywalker.