The amazing disappearing exercise equipment!
January 24, 2011 11:14 AM Subscribe
Is there such a thing as a foldable or compact squat rack/cage, and where can I find it?
I have been doing barbell back squats in a squat rack at my local gym. I was thinking it'd be awesome if I could do them at home. The problem is, I have a relatively small apartment (760 sq ft including laundry), and I regularly entertain. I would love to put a squat rack somewhere in my apartment, but I don't think I'd do it unless I could take it apart and hide it somewhere when I'm expecting company. Is there such a thing as a foldable (or quickly dismantle-able) squat rack for people like me? Based on my searches I'm guessing "no" but sometimes the internet surprises me....
Thanks Mefites!
I have been doing barbell back squats in a squat rack at my local gym. I was thinking it'd be awesome if I could do them at home. The problem is, I have a relatively small apartment (760 sq ft including laundry), and I regularly entertain. I would love to put a squat rack somewhere in my apartment, but I don't think I'd do it unless I could take it apart and hide it somewhere when I'm expecting company. Is there such a thing as a foldable (or quickly dismantle-able) squat rack for people like me? Based on my searches I'm guessing "no" but sometimes the internet surprises me....
Thanks Mefites!
Response by poster: @Loto - Interesting proposition. I'm not sure 5 minutes with a wrench and ratchet is quite what I'm looking for. I'm thinking more of the "oh, a friend I wasn't expecting has just rung my doorbell! Let me invite them in and quickly throw my squat rack in the closet while they take off their coat"-type. However, I am curious to see what you have. Do you have a link to the manufacturer's product page?
Incidentally, I don't really have an "under the bed" area either, as my bed is the sort with drawers on the bottom (similar to this one). I'm sure I could find someplace else to store something that would fit under a normal bed though. Generally I put things in my closet or in my (very very small) laundry/furnace room.
I already have a bar and some plates I've been using with dumbbells (about 150 lbs worth), I keep them in my moderately-sized bedroom closet.
posted by Vorteks at 11:42 AM on January 24, 2011
Incidentally, I don't really have an "under the bed" area either, as my bed is the sort with drawers on the bottom (similar to this one). I'm sure I could find someplace else to store something that would fit under a normal bed though. Generally I put things in my closet or in my (very very small) laundry/furnace room.
I already have a bar and some plates I've been using with dumbbells (about 150 lbs worth), I keep them in my moderately-sized bedroom closet.
posted by Vorteks at 11:42 AM on January 24, 2011
Best answer: You could use folding, stackable sawhorses as a safety catch for the bottom of your squat. The ones I linked to are rated to 1000 lbs. You could pair them with a squat stand, which would hold the bar at shoulder height to start. Or, if you're very short on space and wouldn't mind an unconventional first rep, you could just start with the barbell on the sawhorses and stand up for your first rep, then proceed with the rest of the set.
posted by JumpW at 11:48 AM on January 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by JumpW at 11:48 AM on January 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
I have this: York Press/Squat Stand. Been using it for about a year and I love it.
Another option are independent squat stands like these: CFF Squat Stands
You could easily shove those in a closet if you have a large enough closet. Stacked together, they'll take a bit under 2'x2'x4' of closet space.
posted by Loto at 12:07 PM on January 24, 2011
Another option are independent squat stands like these: CFF Squat Stands
You could easily shove those in a closet if you have a large enough closet. Stacked together, they'll take a bit under 2'x2'x4' of closet space.
posted by Loto at 12:07 PM on January 24, 2011
Response by poster: @JumpW - That's brilliant! I never would have thought of that. I think that may work very well for me. If nobody suggests something better, I think I will do exactly that. Thank you.
@Loto - I think the sort of Squat Stands you linked to along with the sawhorses JumpW suggested is a good solution. Thank you. The Press/Squat Stand isn't bad solution either, although it looks a little harder to store. I wonder what the advantages of the more "integrated" stand are over the freestanding units?
posted by Vorteks at 12:22 PM on January 24, 2011
@Loto - I think the sort of Squat Stands you linked to along with the sawhorses JumpW suggested is a good solution. Thank you. The Press/Squat Stand isn't bad solution either, although it looks a little harder to store. I wonder what the advantages of the more "integrated" stand are over the freestanding units?
posted by Vorteks at 12:22 PM on January 24, 2011
JumpW's suggested setup (sawhorses + squat stand) is exactly what I have in my living room. It's definitely a...conversation piece, but it works well and doesn't take up as much room as I was afraid it would.
posted by phoenixy at 12:27 PM on January 24, 2011
posted by phoenixy at 12:27 PM on January 24, 2011
(And my apartment is much smaller than yours, so you should definitely be able to make it work)
posted by phoenixy at 12:29 PM on January 24, 2011
posted by phoenixy at 12:29 PM on January 24, 2011
I would imagine the integrated unit is rated to a higher load and is more stable if you drop the bar on it in exciting ways. You can adjust the safety bars to different heights, too.
posted by restless_nomad at 12:53 PM on January 24, 2011
posted by restless_nomad at 12:53 PM on January 24, 2011
What restless_nomad said. I have had bad experiences with poorly built squat stands so I wanted something that could properly handle the weight I squat. Also, the conjoined stand allows more room for a proper walk-out.
posted by Loto at 1:01 PM on January 24, 2011
posted by Loto at 1:01 PM on January 24, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
Remember you'd need to find a place to store the bar and plates, too.
posted by Loto at 11:33 AM on January 24, 2011