anybody here squating heavy without a rack?

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awomaame25
awomaame25 Posts: 189 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So all along i have been squating without a squat rack. My husband bought this 'bench rack"/Lat attachement which i use for bench presses and Lat pull downs. i have been progressing really well. I load up my barbell with 45kg(90pounds) and step away farther from the bench rack and do my squats in the open. As i progress, i sort of feel i might not be on the safe side once i start hitting 70kgs and above for squats.
Anyone else squatting without a squat rack? How heavy are you squating. Should i be concerned or just chill and progress?:flowerforyou:
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Replies

  • awomaame25
    awomaame25 Posts: 189 Member
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    bump
  • rogerOb1
    rogerOb1 Posts: 318 Member
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    Without a rack, I wouldn't back squat more than I can comfortably OHP or Id Zercher squat.
    If youre planning to progress and lift alone, its obviously safer to get a cage or something similar
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I was squatting without a rack at first too...I was comfortable with the weight...then I wasn't...

    I failed hard...but I was prepared for it and hadn't collared the plates. My first fail was at 115lbs...one month into lifting. The next time I failed was at 180lbs and boy was I glad I had my rack...it was an epic fail...but the rack is there for safety and reassurance therefore I can push myself harder knowing it's there...

    my husband built me a squat rack that weekend...it bothered him and he is still making it better for me...

    There are lots of plans online for homebuilt cages etc...

    If you know a welder con him into helping out...my son is a welder so I just told him he had to build me one for my birthday as my current rack is good but I am out growing it and I need something for benching as well.
  • CrouchingWayne
    CrouchingWayne Posts: 2
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    Hi, it's pretty unsafe to squat heavy without a rack. One option is to attempt to do it with DB's but that's not very effective.

    In my view, you need a power rack in your gym for a number of reasons, I actually wrote a blog piece on it:

    http://www.peckmeout.com/need-power-rack-home-gym/
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    I was squatting without a rack at first too...I was comfortable with the weight...then I wasn't...

    I failed hard...but I was prepared for it and hadn't collared the plates. My first fail was at 115lbs...one month into lifting. The next time I failed was at 180lbs and boy was I glad I had my rack...it was an epic fail...but the rack is there for safety and reassurance therefore I can push myself harder knowing it's there...

    my husband built me a squat rack that weekend...it bothered him and he is still making it better for me...

    There are lots of plans online for homebuilt cages etc...

    If you know a welder con him into helping out...my son is a welder so I just told him he had to build me one for my birthday as my current rack is good but I am out growing it and I need something for benching as well.

    My hubby also built me a squat rack. I would be to afraid to hurt myself without it.
  • TexasGal1
    TexasGal1 Posts: 65 Member
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    Hi, it's pretty unsafe to squat heavy without a rack. One option is to attempt to do it with DB's but that's not very effective.

    In my view, you need a power rack in your gym for a number of reasons, I actually wrote a blog piece on it:

    http://www.peckmeout.com/need-power-rack-home-gym/

    Excellent article! Thank you for sharing the link.
    We are in the process of setting up a home gym for me. Today, we'll begin building my rack with plans from www.home-gym-bodybuilding.com. :smile:
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    I have always squatted heavy without a rack. Due to space, I use Squat Stands and have never had any issues. You just need to know how to get out of a lift if you have to.. That said of course you'll be better off using a Squat or Power Rack.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I'm not saying it's safe, it's just a question, why is it not safe? I have always done squats in a rack or power cage. But, I've always wondered what the big deal is. As long as you have space to drop the bar behind you if you can't lift it up, then why is that unsafe? How is it different than dropping it on the safety bars on a rack or power cage? Again, I'm not arguing the point, I just don't understand why it would be considered unsafe.

    Oh, and just because it's MFP, I don't have a rack, but still squat. :bigsmile:

    it's bad because most people donl't know how to fail a lift. They don't practice and they hold on to the bar long past when they should have let go. Many topple forward instead of just sitting down and bailing the weight behind them.

    Also once inertia gets involved you never know where the weight will pull you. People have a bad habit of holding on to things when they shouldn't- so instead of letting it go-and getting away from the weight they hold and get pulled with the weight and either pull something- or get bonked by the weight.

    Also if you are lifting alone without a rack- you are probably lifting at home- and droppiong 250+ on your concrete floor might crack it.

    it's just better to squat with a rack or a power cage- but yes- you can absolutely squat without it. It's just not a great idea.

    (LOL that being said- have you seen some of the epic squat fails IN racks? could you imagine how bad those would be without the rack??) LOL
  • EllaIsNotEnchanted
    EllaIsNotEnchanted Posts: 226 Member
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    I was squatting without a rack at first too...I was comfortable with the weight...then I wasn't...

    I failed hard...but I was prepared for it and hadn't collared the plates. My first fail was at 115lbs...one month into lifting. The next time I failed was at 180lbs and boy was I glad I had my rack...it was an epic fail...but the rack is there for safety and reassurance therefore I can push myself harder knowing it's there...

    my husband built me a squat rack that weekend...it bothered him and he is still making it better for me...

    There are lots of plans online for homebuilt cages etc...

    If you know a welder con him into helping out...my son is a welder so I just told him he had to build me one for my birthday as my current rack is good but I am out growing it and I need something for benching as well.


    How nice of your husband & sounds like you lift really heavy (seriously, I want to lift that much! haha... within time...)


    I started squatting without and so forth because I didn't have a rack. I could only go so far because I had to clean and press the lift over my head. If I did that now I would probably do something wrong and ruin form because I can squat heavier than my press (as a lot of people mentioned in this forum). Our family got a squat rack really cheap on Craigslist.
  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
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    Many topple forward instead of just sitting down and bailing the weight behind them.

    Also once inertia gets involved you never know where the weight will pull you. People have a bad habit of holding on to things when they shouldn't- so instead of letting it go-and getting away from the weight they hold and get pulled with the weight and either pull something- or get bonked by the weight.

    This. If you've ever lost the weight forward, you'll know exactly why you need a rack or cage. All it takes is a split second loss of concentration.
  • scooterjay_wwis
    scooterjay_wwis Posts: 120 Member
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    I squat without a rack, but one day my lower back let go and that was it. luckily it was just a pulled muscle, and I was able to stand up, but if it was something worse It would have crumbled me. I am currently holding my squats at a manageable weight until I have a rack. SAFETY is most important.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    This. If you've ever lost the weight forward, you'll know exactly why you need a rack or cage. All it takes is a split second loss of concentration.

    indeed.

    and it doesn't take much to blow a lift- even a not so heavy lift. I was lifting maybe 85% of my 1RMP- so something managable- but i botched the set up- and I wound up dropping my bench on the safety rails (was in the power cage) I had 3 or so more sets of multiple reps- the weight was more than managable- but I messed up. and once you add weight into a mistake- things go wrong- very quickly.
  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
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    Yes, but I have a spotter who I know can help me out if I start to fail. I wouldn't do it alone without a rack.
  • geek23ka
    geek23ka Posts: 38 Member
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    squats highlight weaknesses. it's not a matter of being on your heels because you are a form freak. it's a matter of, when it gets heavy enough, how form breaks down is dependent upon how you are weak or imbalanced.

    oly lifters/crossfitters squat without racks. they learn to bail. i don't want to learn to bail because it won't help my sport (powerlifting.) if you know how to safely bail, then it's fine to squat without a rack.

    i have failed so so so many squats, and i'm glad that i have the rack so i can give each heavy squat everything i have and if i fail, i have the rack to help me.
  • JustFindingMe
    JustFindingMe Posts: 390 Member
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    Bumping for reference - thanks :flowerforyou:
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
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    Buy a rack. $200 off CraigsList. Or just break your body. I'm sure that's cheaper than $200.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    If you want to go to failure, buy a rack. If you are not really working at your full capacity, or even really very close, I guess do what you want and hope you don't have an accident. The only time I back squat without a rack is in Crossfit, where I do have someone closely spotting me. On max lifts, I have three people closely spotting me (I don't know who these Crossfitters are who learn to squat without a rack or spotter because we certainly don't go for it in our gym). Oly lifters are usually front squatting and can bail easily, which we do without spotters.
  • gweneddk
    gweneddk Posts: 183 Member
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    If you want to go to failure, buy a rack. If you are not really working at your full capacity, or even really very close, I guess do what you want and hope you don't have an accident. The only time I back squat without a rack is in Crossfit, where I do have someone closely spotting me. On max lifts, I have three people closely spotting me (I don't know who these Crossfitters are who learn to squat without a rack or spotter because we certainly don't go for it in our gym). Oly lifters are usually front squatting and can bail easily, which we do without spotters.

    I'm actually confused here about all the people who are saying they only squat in a power cage. I think a squat rack is necessary but I'm not sure I would consider a power cage absolutely essential. I always use a rack when back squatting, but most of the time I don't use a power cage. If I am going truly heavy I have a spotter (or preferably 3 spotters) but otherwise I unrack, step back, and go. The only place I ever fail a squat is in the hole, and if I can't get out of the hole I just drop the bar behind me if there's no spotter.

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