Homemade Squat Racks
Many fitness enthusiasts like to build their own workout equipment so that they can train in the privacy of their own home and on their own schedule. According to Bodybuilding.com's Ben Black, the squat is a total body exercise that works every muscle of the legs and hips as well as requiring the muscles of the upper body to stabilize the barbell during the lift. A set of homemade squat racks will enable you to perform squats, military presses and overhead lifts safely and in the comfort of your own home.
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Pen
- Paper
- 5 two-by-fours, 10 feet long
- Wood saw
- Wood glue
- 8 screws, 3 inches
- Power screwdriver
- 2 bags of quick-dry cement, 60 lb. each
- 2 buckets, 5-gallon each
Instructions
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1
Measure the height at which you will want to set the barbell inside the racks. Take a tape measure and put one end under your toe. Then pull the tape up to just above the middle of your chest. Write down this number.
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2
Cut the two-by-fours into sections. Take the number from Step 1 and cut two sections of wood at this length. Then add six inches to that number and cut two more sections at that length. Then add two inches to the number from Step 1 and cut two more sections at that length. When you finish this step, you should have six pieces of wood, two sets of three different lengths, short, middle, long.
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3
Take one set of the short, middle and long pieces. Aligning them at one end, lay the longest piece on the ground, glue the shortest piece on top of the longest piece, then glue the middle piece on top of the shortest piece. This will be one post, with an end opposite the flat base that will look like a "U" with one shortened arm. Then take the remaining three pieces of wood, align at one end and glue them together in the same manner for the second post. You will then have two vertical posts, the tops of which will consist of a "U"-shaped interior where you can rest the bar in between sets or when not lifting.
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4
Use about four screws for each vertical post, evenly spaced, to connect the three pieces of wood with a power screwdriver. Then repeat for the other vertical post. Inserting these screws will provide extra durability for when you are using the racks to squat.
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5
Insert the flat end of one of the three-piece wooden vertical posts into one of the buckets. Have someone else hold the post straight up while you fill the bucket with cement. Then repeat this process with the other post and bucket.
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6
Hold the beams in position until the cement starts to harden, which for some brands of cement takes about 15 minutes. After that, allow the cement to fully harden before you start using the racks to squat.
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Tips & Warnings
You can use wood sealant to waterproof the racks in case you want to use them outside.
Also, if you plan on using these racks for front squats, you might want to decrease the number from Step 1 by about 2 to 4 inches.
If you're worried about dropping the weight while squatting, buy a pair of sawhorses, then position each of them on one side of where you will squat. That way, if you drop the bar, the sawhorses can catch the weight.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit bodybuilder 2 image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com
