Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

When I decided to put together a small home gym, I knew to be able to train like I wanted, I would need a squat rack or a power cage of some sort. However, I had very limited space as I only had a small area in the basement of my townhome to use. A smaller half rack became my focus. I did lots of shopping around before deciding on this squat rack. Here are they key reasons I chose this Hulkfit rack: 1. Height. I needed a shorter rack as I have low ceilings. I wanted to make sure I could at least get my head over the pull-up bar. I believe this rack is 81" in height. 2. Sturdiness. This rack, while a smaller option, still has a 700 lb load capacity, which is plenty for my needs. 3. The price. It was already reasonably priced but I happened to get it even cheaper around black friday. 4. The reviews. Everyone said it was a quality rack, especially for the price. I was unsure of the brand but the favorable reviews made me willing to take a chance on a brand I'd never heard of. Here are a few things I'd like to note: 1. The rack seems to be well made and it was easy to put together. Make sure the bolts are on very tight so the rack won't wobble. You can use the wrenches that are included but It'd be much more efficient to use a ratchet set. 2. I only used the thinner of the pull up bars included. It seems like having both would be unnecessary and would probably get in the way when doing pull ups. Also be aware there is no knurling on the bars. I used some hockey grip tape to wrap around it. This works just fine and is not an issue for me. 3. If you want to do dips or use resistance bands to wrap around your rack to do pulling movements like chest flys or face pulls, make sure you weight down your rack. With no weight on it, it will start to tip. 4. If you're looking to add accessories like different J hooks or anything that attaches similarly, you should know the vertical beams are not 2"x2". They're more like 2.5x 2.5. This was disappointing as I had bought some larger aftermarket J hooks that don't fit and it is too late to return them. However, I'm sure the thicker columns add to the rack's sturdiness and overall weight capacity. Also, I noticed HulkFit now offers accessories that fit their larger columns such as dip bars, plate holders, etc. 5. I must say, I wasn't crazy about the yellow when I saw it online but I figured it was something I could live with. After setting it up, it looks better than I anticipated. Any of the "negatives" I mentioned above are minor things to me and aren't enough for me to deduct any stars. Just things I thought I'd mention. Overall, I'm satisfied with this Hulkfit squat rack because it suits my needs. I'd recommend this rack to anyone on a budget or with limited space for a home gym. I'll update my review if anything changes. ***UPDATE*** 4/27/19 After using this squat rack for the past couple of months I'm still satisfied with it. I still believe it was a good choice for my needs. However, if I ever move or have more space to work with, I will most likely upgrade to something more sturdy and versatile. Here are some cons I've encountered over the past couple months: -I've had to retighten the bolts at the T joint at the bottom a couple times. I don't think I've racked more than 225 but I guess over time it begins to loosen a bit. This is a slight annoyance. -The included "dip bars" are virtually unusable and really shouldn't be named as such. They just don't adjust wide enough for me to use. A slimmer person may be able to use them but not me (I'm 5'11" 200lbs). I purchased the other dip bars they offer separately which attach to the columns instead of the safety bars. These work much better for me and are sturdy even when I add weight. -The j-hooks are small and cause me to have to be a little more careful when re-racking weight. As of now, Hulk fit doesn't offer larger j-hooks. -The grip on the j hooks and safety bars are essentially just stickers. They've begun to peel up a little and my barbell has started to tear them up a bit. I expect these to come off completely eventually. For these reasons along with the fact that the rack is not quite as sturdy and durable as I'd originally thought, I'm deducting 1 star. It's said to have a 700 lb weight capacity but I wouldn't feel comfortable racking that much. Still, it serves its purpose and I'm happy with it for the most part, especially for the price. ***UPDATE 9/3/20*** This rack is still holding up well and serving it's purpose. I've used it several times per week since i got it. The grip stickers on the j-hooks and safety bars I replaced with left over 1/4 inch floor mats cut to size and super glued to protect my barbells. I weight my rack down with weight plates on the back and with the weights stored on the plate holders I bought separately. I also bought the dip attachments, and barbell hangers. The dip bars are worth it, the hangers, not so much. I haven't had anymore issues with the bolts loosening after I re-tightened them with my ratchet. My main gripe with this rack, is the way the j-hooks and safety bars attach to the rack. There is no mechanism to secure them once in place. Therefore, if you move your barbell from side to side the j-hooks can move with the bar. This can be dangerous especially when racking heavy weight. Also, the j-hooks a very small and you must pay close attention when re-racking weight. Other than that, this has been money well spent.