How reliable are compact squat racks and foldable benches

Question

I live in an apartment, am in decent physical conditions, have done 4 straight months of workouts with dumbbells and body-weight exercises. I'm looking to move to simple barbell workouts to see where it gets me, including squats and bench presses.

Towards this end, I'm interested to learn whether I could store a squat rack and bench in the space I have available, and what options I would have for this.

I have found that squat racks exist which may be more easily stored than most, such as: http://www.forcefitnessequipment.com/force-usa-squat-stands.html

I'm aware that the highest quality equipment would be welded and not adjustable, but has anyone had any experience with this kind of equipment and can offer information regarding how safe and reliable it would be?

The same would go for benches, though I've only heard so far of benches which may be folded to be place under a bed.

If such equipment does exist, or the closest thing to it, and is reliable to be used for a beginner in weight training, where could quality equipment be bought from to be delivered to Romania?

Answer 1

The primary concern to keep in mind with squat stands for squatting and benching is that you have to place the bar back in them carefully. This is different from squat racks and power racks used for benching, which allow you to slam the bar into a resting place with next to zero control at the end of a set. This would make it hard to go truly heavy, since you can't drop the weights and you need to save a bit of energy for putting the bar away safely. That doesn't rule these out as a solution, because it could still be a big improvement over your current situation.

Answer 2

Hi Dirk,

That rack you mentioned in your question is great, especially for people who have limited space.

You can use it for both squat and bench presses. It also comes with a safety hook towards the bottom portion that keeps you safe.

However, it's mainly useful for low weights. The recommended load weight for these equipment is between 200 and 250 pounds. So, once you start lifting more than those, it won't really be beneficial for you.

For the bench press, here's a recommended equipment also. It doesn't take much space and can even be stored vertically against the wall.

I bought my equipment on Amazon and I believe they can be shipped to Romania; however, you might need to confirm that before making your purchases.

Answer 3

To add a few more details to the other excellent answers:

I've heard of and vicariously seen folding and adjustable benches fail, so I can't really recommend them. A plain old bench doesn't really take up that much room and it works just fine as general seating.

There's a variety of pretty legit one-legged squat movements that will keep you busy under 100kg of load, if that ends up being a concern.