Making the most out of your home gym squat rack

The squat rack is a staple in any weightlifters gym! With its amazing versatility and ease of use, you'd be hard-pressed to find another piece of equipment you could get more use out of.

Despite the name, squat racks don't have to be used specifically for squatting. There's a ton of exercises you can do with a squat rack to target all major muscle groups, regardless of your experience. So whether you're a beginner looking to get in shape or an athlete getting ready for your next game, here are our top 10 exercises to do on a squat rack.

Close Grip Tricep Press

Lie on a flat bench and grip the barbell with your hands around shoulder-width apart. They can be slightly closer than that, but don’t move them too close together or the set-up will become unstable and you’ll risk an injury to your wrists. Brace your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together to stabilise your body. Lower the bar slowly and press up powerfully. Keep your elbows close to your sides to emphasise your triceps and don’t arch your back.

Pull Up

Hold the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width with your hands facing away from you. Hang all the way down. Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar. Pause slightly, then lower yourself all the way back down.

Barbell Overhead Press

Stand with your core tight. Hold the barbell just above your upper chest, hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Now think of an imaginary straight line drawn from the elbows through the wrists and hands and into the ceiling. Press the bar up along this path as the elbows extend, taking the same path back down to the starting position.

Hanging Leg Raise

Hang from the squat rack's pull up bar. Inhale and engage your ab muscles to prepare for the leg lift. Bend your knees slightly and raise your legs upward until your quads are parallel to the ground. Lower your legs in a controlled movement, exhaling as you go, until you're back in the starting position.

Barbell Lunges

Choose an appropriate weight and place the barbell across your back. Step forward with your right foot and sink into a lunge, so both legs are bent with your back knee as close to the floor as possible. Drive yourself back up and repeat on the other leg.

Barbell Bicep Curls

In your home gym, you can bicep curl in the squat rack all you like!

Stand tall with your chest up and core engaged, holding the barbell with your hands just outside of your hips using an underhand grip. Keep your chest up and your elbows tight to your sides. Initiate the move by raising your hands slightly so that your biceps become engaged. While maintaining tension on your biceps, curl the bar up to shoulder height and give your biceps a one-second squeeze. Start to lower the bar slowly, keeping your biceps tensed and engaged back to the start position.

Dips

Hold the dip bars and jump up so that your feet are off the floor. Lower your body by bending your arms while leaning forward. Dip down until your shoulders are below your elbows. Lift your body up by straightening your arms. Lock your elbows at the top and then lower down to the start position.

Barbell Rows

Hold the barbell with your hands palm down, just wider than shoulder-width apart and let it hang with your arms straight. Brace your core and squeeze your shoulders together to row the weight up until it touches your belly button, then slowly lower it back down again.

Barbell Back Squat

Safely load the barbell onto your traps and shoulders. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out, core braced and chest up. Initiate a basic squat movement — hips back, knees bent, ensuring they fall out, not in. Pause when your thighs become parallel to the ground. Push through your entire foot to return to the start position.

Barbell Bench Press

Lie on a flat bench and grip the barbell using an overhand grip, placing your thumbs on the outside of your closed fist. Your arms should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Remove the barbell from the rack, locking your elbows. Inhale while lowering the bar to your chest. Exhale as you press the bar above your chest, extending your arms. Lower the bar so it is just above your chest.

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We hope this list has shown you just how versatile and useful the squat rack can be! With just one bit of kit, you can build up the majority of your muscle groups with simple workouts including the quads, calves, glutes and even core strength! 

Browse our range of squat racks if you think you're ready to deck out your home workout space with this feature-rich winner.