Some of the best exercises that you can perform if you want to strengthen your body and build your muscles are squats, dips, deadlifts, pull-ups, and bench presses. If you want to achieve these fitness goals but don’t have enough time to go to the gym, then you may want to invest in a lifting rack. In fact, this exercise equipment will allow you to perform all the exercises that can help you in strengthening your body and building muscles from the convenience and comfort of your home safely. 

Lifting racks, however, come into two different options, half-rack, and full rack. Some choose a full rack, while others are more comfortable using a half rack. If you can’t decide which one should you use, then read on. In this article entitled half rack vs full rack side by side comparison, we will show you everything that you need to know about these pieces of exercise equipment. Let’s get started! 

 

HALF RACK VS FULL RACK: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

HALF RACK

CFF Pro Series Half Rack

To find out which one is perfect for you, it is best that you have an idea about the difference between half rack vs full rack. A half rack comes with a solid base that has two metal bars that outspread up to the top. Most of the time, the bars connect at the top with a 4th bar that is responsible for giving enough stability. When you lift a weight in your home gym, usually, you do not have a present stopper. This stopper in case you didn’t know would catch the weight when something goes wrong.

The good thing is that a half rack features small bars on the front that may catch the weights and even the barbell. This will then prevent any injury from happening. However, it is worth mentioning that some half racks don’t have this feature so be careful when choosing.

FULL RACK

Body Power Deluxe Rack Cage System

 

Also known as a power rack, a full rack is a big cage that will easily fit inside your gym at home. Similar to a half rack, it also comes with a solid base. But it has four bars rising up from the base. There are also connecting bars on the top for additional stability. Also, a full rack is much safer as it comes with safety bars.

 

WHAT ARE THE EXERCISES THAT YOU CAN DO?

 

 EXERCISES FOR HALF RACKS

A half rack is relatively smaller than a full rack, it can only handle a few exercises. In fact, it is one main difference in the half rack vs full rack | side by side comparison. For this exercise equipment, you will be able to perform luges as well as squats that have weights. You can also perform bench presses, as some models come with barbell support.

EXERCISES FOR FULL RACKS

When it comes to exercises that you can perform at home, a full rack is more diverse since you can easily place a weight bench inside the equipment. But this does not mean that it wins the half rack vs full rack side by side comparison competition automatically. Nevertheless, with a full rack you will be able to do a lot of weight training workouts from lunges to squats, barbell fits, pull-ups, deadlifts, and among others.

 

TOP 4 BEST HALF RACKS REVIEWS

CAP BARBELL FM-800F DELUXE POWER RACK

 

CAP Barbell FM-8000F Deluxe Power Rack

 

For sure you are curious why we categorized this working out as a half rack when the name is the power rack. Irrespective of the name, CAP Barbell FM-800F Deluxe Power Rack a half rack. In fact, it is 60-inch wide and 74-inch deep. The arms, on the other hand, extend up to 85-inch.

The topmost bar will serve as a pull-up bar. One more thing, this half rack can support a person weighing up to 300lbs. CAP Barbell FM-800F Deluxe Power Rack comes with 3 band posts on every side to add more resistance, 2 plate posts, 2 safety catches, 2 j-cup bar catches, pull-up bar, and bar holders that have ABS sleeves in order to prevent scratches.

Also, you can use a half rack to perform various exercises such as pull-ups, bench presses, and squats. Last but not least, this product is constructed using powder-coated steel as well as comes in a combination of black and silver accents.

 

HI-MAT ADJUSTABLE POWER TOWER SQUAT RACK

HI-MAT ADJUSTABLE POWER TOWER SQUAT RACK

 

This half-rack from HI-MAT comes with 40.5-inch by 41-inch U-style base as well as four non-skid foot sets in the bottom making it more durable and stable. With this working out equipment, you will be able to do a lot of exercises such as squats, knee raises, push-ups, dips, and pull-ups.

The dip stands, on the other hand, comes with elbow pads for a more comfortable working out experience. There are also six levels of adjustable backrest that will protect your elbow and spine. What’s more, it can support a user weighing up to 1000 pounds. The dumbbell rack can be also adjusted to suit your height. One more thing, this half rack is very easy to install. As a matter of fact, it comes with assembling instructions as well as tools.

 

Fitness Reality Multi-function Adjustable Power Rack Squat Stand

Fitness Reality Multi-function, Adjustable Power Rack Squat Stand

 

Made with thick, durable, and sturdy steel pipe, this multifunctional exercise equipment is reliable and safe to use. In fact, you can use this as a squat rack, dumbbell rack, and barbell rack. Moreover, EFGS squat rack is very easy to use and install. The width and height can be also adjusted making it ideal for any age and height.

The footpad, on the other hand, is non-slip which is beneficial to prevent damage to your floor and will also improve safety. This half rack is ideal for seniors, adults, kids, and even fitness enthusiasts who want to exercise from the comfort of their homes effectively.

 

HulkFit Multi-Function Adjustable Power Rack

HulkFit Multi-Function Adjustable Power Rack

With this heavy-duty half rack, you will be able to do muscle-ups, kipping, pull-ups, deadlifts, squats, bench, and other exercises that will help you in strengthening your body and building muscles. Much like other half racks in this list, Hulkfit can be also adjusted to suits your personal need.

Further, it also uses a pinning system, a system that will allow you to disassemble and at the same time transport the machine with ease. What’s more, there are four bolts on every side of the half rack that will hold the uprights to the skis and horizontal cross-members. Another good thing about this product is that it comes with a lifetime warranty. However, it is quite expensive, but considering its features it is indeed a worthy investment.

 

TOP 5 BEST FULL RACKS REVIEWS

 

BODY POWER DELUXE RACK CAGE SYS

Body Power Deluxe Rack Cage System

When it comes to a full rack, one of the most common features you will see is the pull-up bar. As soon as you have laid out down the set up for holding the barbell and allowing for a simple squat exercise, then you can add the pull-up bar with ease.

If you are the type of person who loves to combine the full-body squats as well as the bodyweight pull-up then you should use a full rack that is capable of supporting a wide variety of pull-up alternatives. This is where Body Power Deluxe comes into play.

This equipment can help you in doing dips, pull-ups, and among others. It comes with 2 dip bars, 15 height levels that can be adjusted, and 2 pull-up bars. It also features 2 j-hooks, safety catches, and 4 flour floor anchors to guarantee secure and safe squats. Another good thing about this full rack is that it can support 300lbs during pulls and an additional 500lbs in the squat racks. 

 

FITNESS REALITY 810XLT SUPER MAX POWER CAGE

Power rack - Fitness Centre

This list will not be completed without mentioning the Fitness Reality 810XLT Super Max power cage. In actual fact, once you have this high-quality full rack in your gym at home you will be motivated to do workouts. Fitness Reality 810XLT can hold more than 800 pounds, meaning you will be able to work out irrespective of your body size.

With this equipment, you will be able to a lot of exercises such as lifts, bench presses, squats, sit-ups, and more. The full rack comes with both stable features as well as multipurpose features. On the other hand, Fitness Reality 810XLT comes equipped with a pull-down bar accessory. There are also weight holders and dip bars hooks.

Furthermore, this unit is made from a durable steel bar, and in fact, its tubular structure designed for safety purposes. One more thing, the wide walk-in area guarantees sufficient room for horizontal and comfortable movement.

Papababe Power Cage with LAT Pulldown 1200-Pound Capacity

Papababe Power Cage with LAT Pulldown 1200-Pound Capacity

The papababe Power Cage is a perfect combination of value and quality that will allow you to enjoy the same weightlifting experience from the comfort of your own home. This full rack, on the other hand, is specially designed to help every weightlifter when it comes to firing up their work out effectively and safely.

It comes with full-length safety bars and 2 adjustable lift-offs which are ideal for solo lifting. Its 2×2 inch and 14-gauge steel frame will provide a strong 500lb weight capacity, allowing you to use the equipment for a wide variety of free weight as well as bodyweight lifting workouts.

You can use papababe Power Cage for shoulder shrugs, flat bench, incline presses, and squats. With this equipment, you will be able to pick from 23 adjustment levels that are spaced three-inch apart. You can even customize your full rack with other components from papababe Power Cage.

 

HULKFIT POWER CAGE

HulkFit Power Cage

The HulkFit Power Cage comes with a lot of great features that will surely change your perspective on full racks completely. This full rack has bar chances that will minimize chances of accidents which may lead to injuries in your gym at home from falling weights.

With that in mind, you will be able to concentrate on your workout routine instead of focusing on the falling weight. Nevertheless, if you want to achieve your weightlifting goals more rapidly and effectively then there is no reason why you should not invest in HulkFit Power Cage. This piece of equipment helps in targeting all body muscles. For example, it will allow efficient performance at your maximum potential aiding you to gain the full potential of your muscle strengths as well as back strengths. As a matter of fact, these are major contributors to stabilize the strength of your spine. 

When assembled, this one of the best full racks will have a total dimension of 81-inch by 44-inch by 47-inch. Also, the cage alone weighs 165 pounds. For safe and easy workouts, the HulkFit Power cage also has a spacious walk-in area

 

TITAN FITNESS SHORT POWER RACK (T-2 SERIES)

TITAN Fitness Short Power Rack

If you are looking for an affordable, yet high-quality and secure full rack that you add to your gym at home, then look no further than the TITAN Fitness Short Power Rack. With this exercise equipment, you will be able to overhead press, barbell shrugs, deadlifts, parallel dip, squats, bench press, and other exercises conveniently and safely.

One of the best things about this full rack is that it comes with all the benefits and features a best full rack can offer. TITAN Fitness, as the name implies, is short making it ideal for a low ceiling situation. As a matter of fact, it will fit in a 6-feet ceiling.

 

Cons

  • It is a bit heavy which is not beneficial if you want to move it from time to time.
  • If you are on a tight budget, a full rack is not suitable for you since it is more expensive as it comes with a lot of components.
  • It will consume a lot of space which can be very frustrating if you have limited space
  • It only offers a limited working out area.
  • There is a possibility that the top bars of full racks will damage your walls.

 HALF RACK VS FULL RACK: WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU?

Power racks or full rack can be identified immediately with 4 upright bars around the barbell, 2 standing poses, and safety bars. On the other hand, half racks come equipped with 2 standing posts. There is also an enforced base that is specially designed to serve as a stabilizer.

It is worth mentioning that, both full rack and half racks are quite distinct in their overall purpose a well as design. That being said, choosing between half rack vs full rack will depend on your needs, the exercises you want to perform, and most importantly, your budget. So, you need to decide carefully. Make sure to every single detail that may possibly affect your acquisition.

We hope that this half rack vs full rack review has helped you a lot in choosing the best one between the two. While a half rack is very flexible with storage ad routines, full racks, on the other hand, is perfect for beginners, secure, stable, and safe.