Common Accessories for Squat Racks

The squat rack itself is an extremely versatile piece of equipment. It is simple, easy to use, and requires very little space and equipment. A barbell, maybe a bench, and some determination and you can get a very powerful workout out of a squat rack. However, add in some accessories and you can change a basic multi-joint workout into one that hits, and even isolates, many more muscles.

Squat Rack Accessories

Olympic plate free weight holders
One of the most common accessories for the squat rack is the Olympic plate holders. This keeps the weights close by and makes for easy loading. Some racks come with a holder for an Olympic bar, as well. Some come with, or it can be purchased separately, a floor mat to protect the floor from the rack and the weights. They are traditionally rubber, but could be vinyl or even wood. A stand alone bench is also a very common accessory. It allows for bench presses, military presses, and if adjustable, even incline bench presses.

Dip Bar
A squat rack/power rack may come with a pull up bar attached to the top. This often serves as an additional support across the top, as well. This is fairly standard on power racks today. Also standard on most power racks are the adjustable safety bars for spotting. These vary from a two or three position adjustment, to full top to bottom adjustments.

Pulldown Bar
The pull down is a popular exercise for people who are unable to do pull ups. It allows a person to do the same motion with less than their own bodyweight (lat pulldowns). Some racks come with a pull down option. Most of these are plate loaded, however a few come with selectable weight stacks. Along the same line is the low pulley attachment available on some models. It has the same features, except in a low pulley set up.

Slant Board
A slant board for abdominal work may be attached to a corner. This is usually adjustable using the same system as the safety bars. A hyperextension or glute/ham bench may also be available for the rack. Dip bars may also be attached to some stand alone squat racks or as an extension of some power racks. These are traditionally found on narrower racks. Some racks allow for a dip bar to be added in the adjustment holes for the supports.

Calf Raise Attachment
An attachment for a calf raise, often with a toe block, can be found for many racks. It is usually attached to a pole between the uprights and swivels with weight attached to the arms that extend out to the shoulders. A new accessory that can be fit into many racks is used for developing leg, hip, core, shoulder, and arm strength in one exercise. It goes by a few different names, but it consists of bars that extend down from the top of the rack with handles to grasp at the bottom. The handles are pushed forward and upward in an arc motion from lower chest level to an anterior overhead position.

The squat rack/power rack is a must have for any home gym, and should be in every commercial gym, as well. By itself it provides numerous exercise options, but add in a few accessories and that one piece of equipment can provide a total body workout that will deliver rock solid muscle.