Missed the Power Rack Seminar?

As many of you know from our previous blog posts, Tweets, and Facebook posts, we have a new piece of equipment here at the club.  It's called a power rack and it is a universal machine for many different types of free-weight exercises.

Many people have confused the new power rack with our Smith machine.  While there are many similarities, the two pieces of equipment are quite different.  Both allow for the machine to be a "spotter" to catch the weight if you put too much on or fatigued too much to finish a set alone.  However, the Smith rack can cause problems while performing a squat if your feet are aligned in front of or behind the plane of the bar.  As Brian explains in the video, if your feet are aligned in front of the bar, it places undo stress on your lower back, causing it to curve (YIKES).  If your feet are aligned behind the bar, it places undo stress on your knees, as you will tend to lean forward more (you never want your knees tracking past your toes).  

There is little difference between the machines for performing the chest press and other arm exercises except that the bar weighs less on the Smith rack (15 pounds), and therefore you push against less resistance than you will on the power rack.

Keep in mind that you'll get a better core workout while using the power rack, as your stabilizer muscles will have to fire in order to help you maintain your balance and keep the bar balanced for the exercise you are performing.

If you're still confused after reading this post and watching the video, contact one of our personal trainers for a one-on-one session.  They'll be sure you get it right!