Power Rack
Also known as: squat cage, squat rack, lifting cage
A four-post steel cage used for safe heavy barbell training. Adjustable safety bars catch the bar if a lift fails, allowing solo training without a spotter.
A power rack — also called a squat cage — is the cornerstone piece of equipment for serious home gym strength training. It is a four-post welded-steel frame with adjustable J-hooks for racking a barbell and horizontal safety bars or straps inside the cage that catch the bar if a lift fails. This safety feature is what makes a power rack the safest way to squat, bench, and overhead press heavy weights without a spotter.
Good power racks share a few quality signals: a steel gauge of 11 or thicker (lower number is thicker), 5/8-inch or 1-inch hole spacing for fine height adjustment, a footprint that gives enough clearance inside the cage for the lift, and a weight rating well above the user’s strongest lift (commercial racks are rated to 1,000 lb or more).
Many racks accept attachments — pull-up bars, dip stations, landmine attachments, weight horns, cable systems — that extend the rack from a single-purpose tool into a full strength-training station. For a serious home gym, a power rack is typically the first major purchase and the one that pays back the longest.