Is Force USA’s newest power rack the answer to all home gym owner’s prayers? We’re here to find out!
With the global pandemic still wreaking havoc across the country, one area that has begun thriving is the home gym industry. Unfortunately, this has also led to the influx of shoddy fitness equipment from the less-than-legit businesses seeking to capitalize on the current trend. One of the biggest culprits is none other than the power rack.
As a result, because the power and squat racks are some of the most important areas of focus for a home gym owner, it’s incredibly important that they’re getting as good as they can get. Not only does a good power rack ensure your weights are secured, but they will often have several different athletic customization options. That’s why, today, we’re going to be taking a look at the Force USA MyRack Modular Power Rack. While we had the option to get a free set for this review, in the spirit of an entirely unbiased, honest breakdown (with real skin in the game) we broke down and bought the rack at full price.
In this review, we’ll go over what we liked and what we didn’t like. We’ll also go over much of the construction and setup processes for putting this thing together, as well as the rack’s price and warranty options.
Who is Force USA?
Force USA is a fitness equipment company that has been around for about 25 years. They’re based out of Los Angeles, California, and they sell a wide variety of workout equipment, including power racks, weight benches, barbells, dumbbells, and more.
What is a Power Rack?
A power rack is a type of weightlifting equipment that is used to help support and stabilize barbells during lifts such as the squat, bench press, shoulder press, and more. They typically have four vertical posts with adjustable safety catches and/or J-hooks, and they can be made from a variety of materials, including steel, aluminum, and even wood when people decide to do it themselves.
Spec Breakdown
Steel Gauge Thickness: 12
Height: 87 inches
Width: 47 inches
Depth: 55 inches
Interior Depth: 29 inches
Weight: 176lbs
Base Rack Weight Rating: 2,000lbs
Base Price: $399.99
Initial Impressions
When it comes to the Force USA MyRack Modular Power Rack, upon first impression, the first thing you’re going to notice is that this thing is made with some pretty impressive steel material. This is what I mean when I say that there are good companies and shady companies. There are a lot of racks out there that feel insecure pretty much just from touching them. Then there are racks like the MyRack Power Rack.
Its laser-cut design and clean-cut edges work well alongside the incredibly sturdy and resilient steel body, ensuring that you won’t be dodging out from falling weights or dealing with collapsed steel. And, while steel itself is used standardly across all companies, the same can’t be said of Force USA’s structural warranty, which is rarely, if ever, put on most other racks out there. This is most clearly proven by way of its base rack weight rating, which is just around 2,000lbs, something every person can realistically enjoy, regardless of your fitness level and what you’re trying to do.
The rack’s uprights are made using 12-gauge steel. This is pretty par for the course when it comes to the squat rack and power rack steel thickness, so you’re not missing out on anything here. The uprights are 2.4 inches by 2.4 inches each and use what is known as Westside Spacing. Westside spacing is a particularly useful form of spacing (compared to traditional spacing) due to the holes being drilled closer to each other, making determining the proper rack height considerably easier than standard rack spacings.
The MyRack Modular Power Rack is around 87 inches in length, 47 inches wide, and has a depth of about 55 inches, with an interior rack depth that sits just at 29 inches. In terms of adjustment points, the power rack comes with well over 50 different adjustment points along both the front as well as the back.
After checking out the overall build of the MyRack Modular Power Rack, it’s time to take a look at some of the different add-ons that are available, of which there is a surprisingly large number.
In addition to everything the rack naturally brings with it, the power rack also can be customized with safeties, several pull-up bars, and j-hooks. You can get up to four different types of pull-up bars at extra cost. This can range from $99.99 up to $169.99. Meanwhile, there are three safeties you can pick and two different j-hook options available to you. The safeties range between $99.99 and $104.99 while the j-hooks range between $49.99 and $79.99 respectively. There’s also the option for a monolift, which goes for $199.99.
You also have a landmine attachment, dip station, band pegs or you can go big and get the cable crossover and lat pulldown add-ons.
Below is a video from FORCE USA that shows all of the add-ons and how they work. Part of me wishes I had gotten the full package with the cable crossover/lat pulldown but it does have a pretty large footprint and I just don’t have room.
I’ll be honest here. While I appreciate that there is a pretty wide spectrum of different add-ons available, it was a bit disappointing that the base rack didn’t come with anything for it at all. Considering how much this is going for, I’d have hoped that they’d at least throw in a pull-up bar so that the setup felt complete. Still, for what it’s worth, the j-hooks feel awesome to use, and the pull-up bar is pretty resilient. I’m not a small guy, by any means, and I was able to complete several reps consistently without any issues or shakiness, so there’s that.
You’re generally going to hear that question from people that are more recreational with their fitness – or beginners -, and that’s well enough. If you’re doing it right, home gym equipment can be pretty pricey and is certainly an investment if you’re not planning on getting things at the local yard sale.
As it pertains to the MyRack Modular Power Rack, I’d say that it does a pretty good job pleasing both crowds. If you’re someone that is just starting, the base rack is good enough to cover all of your basics. Not only that, but the Westside hole spacing makes things much easier to use compared to your standard rack spacing situation.
On the flip side, if you’re a serious home gym athlete, the rack itself is priced competitively enough to warrant checking out, while also having a plethora of different add-ons and additions that you can get to supplement your workout.
How Easy Is It To Setup?
When it comes to the setup process, I was pleasantly surprised by just how simple the MyRack Modular Power Rack was to put together. When we purchased it, the power rack came in three separate boxes. This was easier than some of the other racks we’ve bought, that have come all together in a single box. When you consider that the combined total weight is around 176lbs, the fact that they broke it up into three boxes was pretty useful (though you may potentially end up taking an extra trip or two getting everything).
As far as the actual setup time is concerned, the power rack took just short of an hour to go from start to finish (though part of that is probably because I had help). Now keep in mind, while I’m not necessarily a “stranger” to putting together a power rack, I’m by no means a master at the craft. I say that to say that you don’t need a ton of experience to put this thing together.
The instructions and tools pretty much break everything down step-by-step, so it’s just a matter of having some help to speed the process along. Even if you don’t have anyone helping out, you’re pretty much just adding an extra thirty minutes to an hour to the process. Again, nothing too crazy. You’ll need a pair of wrenches, but that’s pretty much it.
Price & Warranty Options
The Force USA MyRack Modular Power Rack has a base price of $499.99. Now, if you’re comparing this to other racks out there with the same overall construction makeup, you’ll probably note that they’re slightly more competitively priced and reasonable. For me, however, I’d have liked the price to be just a scooch less, considering just how bare-bones the base rack is. I’m not going to sit here and say you’re getting screwed and skewered over the price, but I will say that, for $499.99, I’d have hoped to at least have a pull-up bar thrown in. Still, I can’t complain “too” much, considering everything is fairly top-notch quality all on its own.
When you factor in the add-ons, again, while I’m not happy that they’re all priced where they are, and there isn’t a single piece added for good measure (especially when you consider how many additional customizable pieces there are), I can’t stay too mad. The prices are certainly competitive, and you can build up an entire fully-equipped power rack for under a grand, which is pretty impressive when you put it in perspective.
Force USA’s Warranty
If you’ve shopped at Force USA in the past, you know that they excel in their warranty options. Offering a lifetime structural warranty alongside an additional two-year coverage for any cable or pulley breakage and a 90-day “wear-and-tear” warranty on all rack accessories, Force USA is leaps and bounds above their competition in all of the right ways. This, more than anything, is one of the huge selling points of Force USA’s racks. Their lifetime structural warranty is something that always seems to put me at ease whenever planning to do a squat on this thing since a part of me knows that no company would be stupid enough to give crappy, shoddy rack equipment a lifetime warranty.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Rack Uprights Use Westside Hole Spacing
Over 50 Adjustment Points
Comes With Structural Warranty
Setup Process Is Fairly Straightforward
2000 lb weight capacity
Cons
Base Price Is A Smidge Higher Than I’d Like
Many Add-Ons; All Of Them Pricey
Conclusion
The Force USA MyRack Modular Power Rack, simply put, is a great option. Because of the current global situation, it’s quite unclear when lockdown restrictions will be lifted, loosened, or tightened. Having a viable and effective home gym is an awesome way to keep in shape and stay healthy.
Whether you’re just getting into the home gym fitness world, you’ve been in for a while and are looking to upgrade your equipment, or you’ve suffered a power rack collapse in the past, the Force USA MyRack Modular Power Rack is something that you’ll love. Play with it in its base form, or go all the way in and bring some of its different add-on features to maximize your workout routine.
Ryan is a former college wrestler and lifelong fitness fanatic. He has run half marathons, done mud runs, placed in body transformation contests, coached wrestling, and now coaches girls’ soccer. Not to mention he has also tried literally hundreds of supplements over the years and has a vast and thorough supplement knowledge. He has written for Muscle & Strength, Testosterone Junkie, The Sport Review and other publications. He is also the editor-in-chief of this website and has over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry. Feel free to connect with him on his LinkedIn page below.
