Recently I got a couple of emails where you guys ask me about New York Barbells C92563W squat rack. Questions were mainly concerning rack construction and stability. This was one of them:
I was wondering if you felt the New York Barbell rack was sufficient to hold (and not move) a 6′4″ 200 pound man doing chinups…
Well, in this case the answer must be twofold. I weight around 180 lbs but I know and workout with really heavy guys, some are even well beyond 300 lbs. Our NY rack is holding up pretty well, even when doing some major explosive barbell bouncing during partial squats or deadlifts. Now, as for the chinups, I have never seen this power rack move, but I guess it depends on how exactly you perform them. I bet if you swing like crazy you would be able to move it back and forth. But, what’s the point with such technique anyway?
Nevertheless, this got me thinking about stability. I remembered a piece of equipment I used in the past for heavy good mornings and my lower back. This one was actually intended for squats with either narrow or wide (sumo) stance – New York Barbells C92565W Sumo Rack.
Rack Dimensions and Feature Description
Dimensions of this squat rack are: 52.5 inches x 48.5 inches x 66 inches of height. It weighs 112 lbs, which is pretty solid. There is 26 inches of distance between side posts which I believe is enough room to wiggle, even with leaning forward too much while squatting.
As always with New York Barbells, there are two strong self locking “J” hooks and solid steel 1 inch side catcher pins to grab the bar. This model is actually shorter than its brother C92563W, which may be more suitable for low ceiling rooms. Because of the wide base, extra wide end caps and short construction, swinging is reduced to a minimum.
Price: $320
Although this model may be a sturdy and stable enough solution, I think that higher price makes it less appropriate for normal budgets. As always, it depends on your goals. If for some reason you need a wider stance base for your squatting, then go for it. Set of Olympic plates would go great with it.
All in all, New York Barbells seems never to disappoint, at least not in my experience with their squat racks and related leg workout equipment.
