How to Build a Power Rack

Get in shape at home by using free weights with a power rack. A power rack is that setup you find in a gym that has four uprights, two horizontal metal bars and adjustable metal pins used to hold a barbell. Exercises like squats, military presses and dead lifts can all be done on a power rack. Build your own power rack using thick pine boards and metal pipes for holding your barbells. A solid wood construction will work well for the home, since there is less metal to bang around and cause noise.

Things You'll Need

  • Tape measure
  • 4 pine boards, 4 inches by 6 inches by 84 inches
  • 4 pine boards, 2 inches by 6 inches by 36 inches
  • 3 pine boards, 2 inches by 6 inches by 48 inches
  • Drill
  • Drill bit, 1 inch
  • Screw gun
  • 80 wood screws, 3 inches
  • 2 metal pipes, 1 inch by 42 inches
  • 2 metal pipes, 1inch by 8 inches
  • 2 elbows, 1 inch
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Drill 14 holes through each 84-inch board spaced 6 inches apart and centered on the board, 3 inches away from each edge on the 6-inch sides. These are the uprights to your homemade power rack.

    • 2

      Lay two uprights on edge and parallel, so the outside edges are 36 inches apart. The holes are aligned. Lay two 36-inch boards on top of them at right angles, so they're spaced 73 inches apart and flush with the ends of the uprights. Screw the 36-inch boards to the uprights using 10 screws for each board. Repeat this step using the last two upright and 36-inch boards. These are the sides to your power rack.

    • 3

      Position the sides upright and parallel so the outside edges of the uprights are 48 inches apart. Screw a 48-inch board to the top of a pair of uprights using 10 screws, so it is flush with the sides and top ends of the uprights. The 48-inch board is at a right angle to the top 36-inch boards. This is the front of your power rack. Repeat this process on the back side using another 48-inch board. Screw the third 48-inch board to the bottom-back side of the rack, so it is parallel with the 48-inch board above it and 73 inches away.

    • 4

      Insert the 42-inch pipes through any pair of aligned holes provided by the uprights. These pipes are a safety feature to catch your weights if you drop them or do not have enough strength to lift them again. Screw an 8-inch pipe into each elbow, and insert the pipe into the holes on the back side of the rack, so the elbows bend up and are on the inside of the rack. The elbows will hold your barbell.