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- Verified Buyer
I have been working out at home and in the gym for years; I have used a wide variety of equipment. My last bench (with uprights for the bench press) literally fell apart, so I set out to find a replacement. Having gave up on the crowded gym scene, I decided to do some research to find a complete home-option. I have all of the weight plates, standard and Olympic, as well as a chin-up bar, so the only thing I needed was a power rack. I wanted a power rack (a rectangular box with adjustable barbell supports designed for squats, chins, bench presses, etc); however, I didn't really want the large piece of furniture in my garage.There are a variety of power racks and squat stands on the market. The power rack does it all if you want to spend at least $300 (for a cheaper model), but it does require some square footage. Be careful, some models may be too tall to open your garage door. They often weigh in at 100 pounds or more, so they don't slide out of the way with ease. Most racks, however, are extremely stable.You could purchase a bench with integrated uprights; however, those uprights are not tall enough for squats, which should be included in every program. I prefer equipment that can be used for multiple exercises. These stands can be used for bench presses, squats, standing presses, and just about any other barbell exercise. These racks are rated to a total of 600 lbs--more than plenty for 99% of us!The DB-9 ("Squat Stands Plus") model, on the other hand, weighs about 25 pounds each; therefore, I can easily store them on either side of my plate tree. There are a few other models by Valor Athletics; the DB-9 is, in my opinion, the best option. First of all, the cheaper models (BD-3) do not include plate storage, which is not only convenient but useful--a little extra weight increases stability. Also, many the less expensive models (DB-8, DB-3, other brands) only go up to 56" (~4.5 feet). I'm 6'4", which means that 56" is not tall enough for a squat or barbell press (the barbell should be at your clavicle or just a little lower for squats). The DB-9 goes to 6.5 feet. The manufacturer mentions that you could even set the racks up high and do chin-ups/pull-ups from your barbell. I tried it--it is a viable alternative, but I still prefer a traditional setup (bar up well overhead). If you can't install a chin-up bar, this is a great way to do another indispensable exercise (chins & pulls).The DB-9 includes a separate bench press barbell rest as well as separate "safety catches." The safety catches are a nice idea--set them just right, and you could use them to dump the barbell if your bench press turns out to be too ambitious. The safety catches can be used for squats, too, but note that dumping a heavy barbell to these catches (or to a power rack safety catch) is something that requires a little practice.The racks were easy to assemble; I had both together in less than an hour thanks to the socket wrench. If you like step-by-step instructions or find that you have trouble assembling furniture, you may not like the single-page diagram of every part.I keep 60 or 70 pounds on each storage peg. This keeps the stands firmly in place, especially if your garage/basement floor is somewhat slick. Also, the extra weight allows you to confidently place a heavy barbell back on the rack (especially when you are fatigued). The review of other models mentioned that the squat stands are not stable or even "wobbly." No, they are not as stable as a $1,000 commercial-grade rack at the gym. Yes, they are plenty stable to get in a great workout--these reviewers probably passed judgment without really trying the equipment. They racks were intelligently designed so that the wobble is primarily "left-to-right," which has very little affect on squats or bench presses. The left-to-right movement, which translates to an inch or two at the top of the stands, occurs because the tubing of the "feet" slides into the upright tubing. The fit is not perfect, so there is some wobble; I believe this design was intentional for two reasons: 1., a perfect fit would cost much, much more and, 2., the design greatly limits movement "front-to-back" where it counts. When you re-rack the barbell, the stands do not move away when you hit the rack with the barbell.The squat upright "claws" are well designed--the back is just high-enough to allow you to place a heavy barbell back in the rack by letting it rest against the back (rather than trying to set it perfectly in the middle when you're fatigued).The pins to secure the bar rests seem very secure. The pins use spring-tension to release, and you turn the knobs to prevent the pins from moving during a workout. The stands come with an additional pin to secure the stands for squats or shoulder presses. The pins are easy to adjust and secure.Overall, five stars. Great value at $220 or so. I have thought of only one minor (very minor) complaint: the paint/finish on the plate storage pegs is scratching off on the top from the frequent sliding of the plates. This really doesn't matter, but, since the pegs were specifically designed for plate storage, the finish could be a little more durable. The weight pegs on my 10+ year old storage tree look better than the pegs on the rack that are only a few weeks old.
