Rigs & Racks

My training has been SLIGHTLY more intermittent than usual for the past month or so as I relocated my home gym. This came shortly after a purple patch of good results when squatting. The product of these two facts? I have had to contend with some SERIOUS soreness in my hamstrings! Here’s why – and what I’ve done about it:  At a glance… There are THREE main causes of muscle soreness when squatting: Fatigue – your muscle is simply tired our from an effective workout DOMS – you are suffering from delayed onset muscle soreness Injuries – occasionally we can …

Getting hamstring pain from squats? Here’s WHY: Read More »

When I re-introduced high bar squats in to my routine I ended up with some red marks and bruising on the base of my neck. The cause? My form was simply NOT QUITE RIGHT as I had the bar too high up my back resting on the base of my neck. Luckily I managed to cure it – here’s what I found out: At a glance… Neck bruising is common when high bar squatting It is usually caused by resting the bar too high on your back, creating a pinch point at the base of your neck where there is …

INFAMOUS squat neck bruise: Cause & CURES Read More »

When I first started lifting at home I had a basic ‘Everest’ home gym set up in a spare room upstairs. Once my lifts outgrew the equipment I had to decide if I was going to install my squat rack on the carpet in the spare room – or if I was going to migrate to the safety of the concrete-floored garage. I went with the garage – here’s why: At a glance… Putting your squat rack on carpet is not ideal as it provides a squishy surface to lift on Carpet is also slippery – the rack may move …

Can you put a squat rack on CARPET? Yes, BUT.. Read More »

Many of us have been there – we know failure is coming, but we’re trying to work out HOW exactly to escape from under a heavy squat that has gone wrong, without getting STUCK! Having recently pivoted from hypertrophy focused training back towards strength for the ‘big 3’ I have revisited safely bailing out of squats – here’s what you need to know: At a glance… Failing a squat puts you at risk as the loaded barbell will try and works its way DOWN to the ground, stapling you in the process if you’re not careful! The safest way to …

How to bail out of a squat: WITH & WITHOUT a rack Read More »

If you’re looking for a BUDGET home gym set up in the UK then this could be the centrepiece – a competitively priced squat rack! HyGYM sell their rack complete with various attachments at a well-below-£500 price point making it a compelling offering for those of us looking to maximise the bang for our buck in a garage gym. BUT is it any good? At a glance… HyGYM squat rack is the best budget rack in the UK offering a rack + all attachments for a competitive price Spec includes a high/low pulley, ladder pull up bar, 2x pairs of …

HyGYM Squat Rack Review: UK’s best BUDGET rack Read More »

When you’re looking for home gym equipment trying to decipher the subtle differences between specifications and equipment becomes an art! One with a VERY steep learning curve! So you might know your Westside hole spacing from your standard fare, but what about rigs vs racks? Just what are the differences?! Daisy chains?  Lost? Let’s run through the key differences between squat or power racks and rigs. At a glance… Racks are typically better for home gyms Rigs are usually aimed at the commercial market, designed to have multiple stations set up side by side Rigs are also typically taller than …

What is the difference between a rig and a power rack? Read More »

So you’ve heard of a GARAGE gym – now what about a GARDEN gym?! If you’ve got more space outside than you do inside then setting up a squat rack outside might be a great way to start working out at home. Here is all you need to know about putting a squat rack outside! At a glance… The Bulldog BSSR3 is a great squat rack for your garden gym Use a tarpaulin or shed if possible to protect your squat rack from the rain as much as possible RUST can kill gym equipment kept outside Galvanised equipment is the …

Can you put a squat rack outside? Yes, but… Read More »

I’ve owned my ATX power rack since February 2017 so it’s fair to say I’ve had plenty of time to get to know it!  Having seen and tried to respond to a number of posts on various fitness forums about the ATX brand and their products which are not well known online I thought I would pull together this review to help anyone considering buying an ATX power rack and frantically Googling for reviews or experiences. At a glance… ATX PRX-830 is a high quality four post power rack which undercuts Rogue on pricing Features include numbered uprights, swing in safeties and monolift J hooks Plenty …

ATX Power Rack Review: 4 years with a PRX-830 Read More »

One of the challenges when building a home gym is trying to fit everything in! When buying equipment I always pour over the dimensions to make sure I am getting the most bang for buck in my modest gym area.  Having had three different home gym set ups (upstairs, downstairs, garage) I’m more convinced than ever that regardless of your space, there will be an ingenious way to squeeze the most out of it. Today, let’s take a look at the centrepiece of our gym by reviewing the best squat racks designed for small spaces. Some of these are really neat! At a glance… 11 awesome space-saving racks reviewed below Best overall is …

11 BEST squat racks for small spaces (2x are FOLDING) Read More »

A half rack offers a great way to maximise your options for lifting weights in a small home gym. Heck, a half rack can even squeeze in to your bedroom or dining room and not dominate as much as a full on power cage! To make the most of your space then you should plan on getting a half rack with a pull up bar as well. Not only does it let us do pull ups and chin ups on demand, but it also adds a bit of rigidity to the half rack which helps it feel a bit more stable. I think it’s even MORE important …

This is the UK’s best half rack with a pull up bar! Read More »