A power rack is a safer and more natural alternative to the Smith machine for weightlifting. It allows for a more advanced lifting motion and can be used for bench presses, squats, and abdominal exercises.
A power rack is a piece of equipment used to lift weights. It uses a slight deviation from the approach that the Smith machine uses in the exercise. To understand the importance and use of a power rack, one must first understand the function of the Smith machine. A Smith machine is a bar rack in which the bar is enclosed between a metal frame at each end of the bar inside where the plates are placed. The Smith machine was designed to be able to give the lifter a greater sense of control and confidence with the weight, because the Smith machines feature bar grips to protect the lifter from crushing their chest on the lowering portion of the lift.
The Smith machine has a few shortcomings that the power rack was meant to improve. The power rack is basically an open metal cage, with four vertical beams set in a square, and two horizontal bars on opposite sides of the square that can be set at different but always equal heights. The horizontal bars serve as the bar catcher, making it equal to the Smith machine in terms of its safety features.
The power rack is considered vastly superior to the Smith machine because the bar is not encased within a metal frame, allowing the lifter a more natural lifting motion. A more natural lifting motion without the restrictions of the closed frame of the Smith machine is important because weightlifters looking to increase their strength and lift more weight must first become familiar with the weight before lifting the target a full lift. A power rack can be used to familiarize the lifter with a more advanced weight than he or she is used to lifting, as they can place the weight pickers on their chest in a bench press, for example, and just practice doing half of the regular lift motion. There is no risk of injuring yourself by dropping the bar on the chest.
The main lifts that can be accomplished on an electric rack are chest and leg exercises, and more specifically, bench presses and squats. Both heavy weight bench presses and squats require more safety precaution than a spotter could provide, which is why horizontal bar catchers are such an important feature. A flat bench, which may or may not have the incline/decline feature, can easily be placed inside the rack for bench pressing. Power racks can also be used to work out the abdominal muscles with the addition of abdominal straps on top of the cage.
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