Squat Stands A Go Go
March 22, 2016 7:52 AM Subscribe
I am currently torn between three squat/bench stands for my bedroom gym. Please help me make a choice.
To head a few things off at the pass that I've seen plague exercise equipment questions:
-I know that a squat stand is not the Best Option for this and I'm aware of the potential safety issues
-Prices for stands on local Craigslist are roughly equivalent to Amazon and Amazon delivers
-I am not capable of building stands from scratch even though I know it can be done
-This is just for home; I have access to regular equipment at the gym
-I do not have room for a proper power rack or a stand that has a welded connecting bar (I need to be able to easily stow this in a closet)
Here are the three stands I'm considering:
Best Choice Products
Valor Fitness BD-3 (video)
Valor Fitness BD-9 (video)
The Best Choice one seems to be essentially identical to the BD-3, which means it is probably somehow crappier considering the price difference. I like the BD-9, especially because it has the stabilizers at the bottom on which you can put weights, but it's also pretty big and doesn't look as easy to stow as the other two. I'm not lifting particularly heavy; both my squat and bench is under 100 lbs now and I don't really plan to become Incredibly Swole.
Also I have a 5' standard bar which is just about the maximum I can fit in the room. Olympic bars are totally out of the question but a 6' standard may not be if push comes to shove.
Thanks!
To head a few things off at the pass that I've seen plague exercise equipment questions:
-I know that a squat stand is not the Best Option for this and I'm aware of the potential safety issues
-Prices for stands on local Craigslist are roughly equivalent to Amazon and Amazon delivers
-I am not capable of building stands from scratch even though I know it can be done
-This is just for home; I have access to regular equipment at the gym
-I do not have room for a proper power rack or a stand that has a welded connecting bar (I need to be able to easily stow this in a closet)
Here are the three stands I'm considering:
Best Choice Products
Valor Fitness BD-3 (video)
Valor Fitness BD-9 (video)
The Best Choice one seems to be essentially identical to the BD-3, which means it is probably somehow crappier considering the price difference. I like the BD-9, especially because it has the stabilizers at the bottom on which you can put weights, but it's also pretty big and doesn't look as easy to stow as the other two. I'm not lifting particularly heavy; both my squat and bench is under 100 lbs now and I don't really plan to become Incredibly Swole.
Also I have a 5' standard bar which is just about the maximum I can fit in the room. Olympic bars are totally out of the question but a 6' standard may not be if push comes to shove.
Thanks!
All three look fine considering your restrictions.
I wouldn't trust those safeties for anything squat-related. They're only for bench pressing. A freestanding squat stand is not for catching the bar on a failure; it's for starting your squats from upper-body height rather than the floor.
This raises the question: if you're strictly squatting light, consider power cleaning the bar from the floor to your shoulders. If your wrists are inflexible then this may cause problems getting a grip to lower the weight to the floor, but it's something to consider. If you're not comfortable with learning to power clean, or your floors are delicate, then this is a no-go.
posted by daveliepmann at 9:56 AM on March 22, 2016
I wouldn't trust those safeties for anything squat-related. They're only for bench pressing. A freestanding squat stand is not for catching the bar on a failure; it's for starting your squats from upper-body height rather than the floor.
This raises the question: if you're strictly squatting light, consider power cleaning the bar from the floor to your shoulders. If your wrists are inflexible then this may cause problems getting a grip to lower the weight to the floor, but it's something to consider. If you're not comfortable with learning to power clean, or your floors are delicate, then this is a no-go.
posted by daveliepmann at 9:56 AM on March 22, 2016
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posted by mollymayhem at 8:30 AM on March 22, 2016