Versatility is key when building a home gym, and the REP Fitness PR-1100 may be the best budget-friendly option on the market. Some power racks are affordable but can’t handle a lot of weight, while others have the ability to add extra features, but take up entirely too much space. This power rack is designed to handle more weight than the average rack, fits in the majority of spaces you may choose to use for a home gym, and is compatible with add-ons for more exercises. The PR-1100 Power Rack can accommodate pull-ups and dips, as well as your standard squatting and benching — since this is in fact a power rack, it offers more versatility than a squat rack can.
The PR-1100 is able to withstand up to 700 pounds, which is great for the majority of recreational weightlifters — excluding powerlifters who may want or need more weight than that. It is worth noting that this is a portable power rack and there can be a bit of a wobble while lifting weights. The 84” x 48” x 47.5” framework should allow this rack to fit in a garage without taking up your whole parking area. The PR-1100 can accommodate a wide variety of add-ons but still leaves a fairly small footprint, making it a great option for homeowners who are looking to add a personal gym at a reasonable price point, but are limited on space.
Main Takeaways
- The multi-grip pull-up bar features four grip variations for doing pull-ups, and comes equipped with a 1.25 inch bar in the front, as well as a 2 inch bar in the back. Plus, the pull-up band attachments allow assistance with progressions, mobility, and even resistance.
- The dimensions of the PR-1100 can make it a great fit for the majority of home gym spaces. At just seven feet tall and four feet wide, this rack can squeeze into pretty much any room.
- Rated at 700 pounds, this power rack can be a good option for recreational athletes — many racks share this same max weight, but not the same low price point.
This power rack is sturdy, compact, and a great choice for adding multiple kinds of pull-ups to your workout regimen. It’s designed to accommodate low ceilings, so if you’ve got a low-hanging garage or room to work in, this power rack is made for you.
REP Fitness PR-1100 Video Review
Our Reviews Writer, Jake, puts the PR-1100 to the test during his in-depth video review. You can get a firsthand look at one of the best value power racks on the market as he takes you through a full walk-around of this rack, and dives into the specs and build.
REP Fitness PR-1100 Power Rack Highlights
Whether you’re a beginner looking to lift weights for the first time or a lifetime gym rat, this power rack offers the ability to meet a lot of the goals you may have set. Priced at just under $400, this rack is on the lower end of the spectrum, making it an even better deal when you consider the included attachments, which makes adding extra attachments more approachable.
There are many add-ons you can purchase to maximize the potential of this equipment. In addition to the standard benches, barbells, and weight plates, you can add dip handles and a landmine attachment. You also have the option to add attachments for lat pull-downs and rows, enabling you to perform cable curls, leg extensions, and more.
Adding weight storage horns or the full weight storage add-on allows you to keep your equipment organized and save space. This isn’t entirely necessary though, and could actually take up too much space for those who are really limited. Be sure to have your personal space measured, so you don’t run into any problems with the dimensions of this rack.
Who Should Buy the REP Fitness PR-1100
- Anyone who wants the ability to pick and choose what attachments to add to their power rack at an affordable price point.
- Those who want their rack to have high durability, functionality, and stability will appreciate this build and steel frame.
- Anyone looking for added safety features. This rack includes safeties and has a flat rack, meaning you don’t need to bolt it down.
Who Shouldn’t Buy the REP Fitness PR-1100
- Powerlifters who need more than 700 pounds of weight at their disposal — this rack cannot accommodate more than that.
- People who do not have enough space to fit this equipment in their home. The dimensions of this rack are 84” x 48” x 47.5”.
- Those who are looking for a rack that bolts in the ground may want to look elsewhere. This rack is not able to be bolted down, and because it is portable, it tends to wobble slightly while in use.
Price
The REP Fitness PR-1100 is listed at just under $400, and includes a pull-up bar, j-cups, and chrome safety arms. These attachments are not always included with power racks from other brands, which forces you to spend more money on things that are essential to lift safely. REP Fitness also offers eight individual attachments that you can add on to this power rack at any time, including the 14 attachments that are compatible with the lat pulldown. These prices vary depending on which attachment you want, but thanks to the low original price, adding on to your rack is much more approachable.
If you were to add the lat pulldown attachment, weight storage, weight horns, and dip attachment, your final price tag would be around $1,000. While these attachment prices are high, they are standard for power racks, and are similar to most competition. However, the price for the rack and included attachments may just be the best deal on the market, especially since this is a sturdy build with 14-gauge steel. REP Fitness also offers the option to pay four interest-free payments every two weeks for those who want to spread their purchase cost out over time.
Overall Build and Quality
With a 84” x 48” x 47.5” frame, the PR-1100 is built to fit in the majority of home and garage gyms. Highlighted by its versatility, you are able to customize the rack to meet your fitness goals by adding attachments — like the landmine attachment to train multiple muscle groups, and the lat pull-down attachment, allowing you to target your arms and legs. Holding up to 700 pounds, the REP Fitness PR-1100’s weight capacity is average for home gyms.
Some can only handle 500 pounds, while the strongest can hold up to 1,200 pounds. To put that into perspective, power racks at professional gyms usually hold over 1,000 pounds. In addition, anyone looking for a power rack that is easily portable will enjoy that we were able to move this rack around our gym with only one person.
Features
With numerous attachment options, the PR-1100 allows you to target every muscle group in an effective way. Highlighted by the multi-grip pull-up bar, and the ability to add lat row and pull-down attachments to go along with your standard squat and bench, the PR-1100 really offers the potential to ramp up your workouts.
Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar
Built for traditional, neutral, close, and wide-grip pull-ups, the PR-1100 comes equipped with a standard 1.25-inch bar in the front to go along with a two-inch bar in the back. The inverted design accommodates not only low ceilings, but also athletes of various heights. You should be able to use this rack unless you are standing eye-to-eye with the top of the pull-up bar (which is about seven-feet).
Since there is not enough room between the pull-up bar and the back of the frame, you will need to unbolt the bar and flip it around in order to properly use the two-inch bar. With the addition of band attachment points, you can also potentially see an increase in progression, as well as mobility and resistance.
Laser Engraved Numbered Uprights
There is no need to worry about whether your J-cups are in the correct spot on this rack — engraved numbers allow you to make quick and accurate adjustments when switching from squatting to benching.
Plastic-Lined J-Cups
The inside of the J-cups are lined with UHMW (ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene) plastic, ensuring your barbell stays quiet and scratch-less.
This plastic has the highest impact strength out of any other thermoplastic available on the market. Its durability is ideal since you will be repeatedly placing a barbell on it — plus, it’s common practice with power racks.
Storage Attachments
With chrome-plated safety arms that extend from the rack, you are able to store an extra barbell. You can also add weight storage horns, or the full weight storage add-on to store your extra plates in an organized manner.
Spacing
The spacing between each hole on this power rack is three inches. This may prove to be difficult to find the “sweet spot” for your lifts — something you wouldn’t find if it featured Westside Spacing. Westside Spacing has a hole for your safety arms or j-cups at every inch, making it much easier to find a comfortable position to rack your barbell.
When using this power rack, you may need to slightly overextend, or not reach full extension in order to rack the bar. With that being said, we didn’t feel as if it was a big hassle during our time with the rack.
Add-Ons
This power rack offers plenty of versatility — the addition of dip handles and a landmine attachment, as well as the lat pull-down and row attachment allow you to train different muscle groups. With these additions, exercises like cable curls and tricep push-downs are readily available. In total, you can add eight individual attachments to the PR-1100, with the option of adding 14 attachments that are compatible with the lat pulldown attachment.
Chrome Safety Arms
The chrome safety arms that are on both sides of the PR-1100 offer added security. They fit in the pinholes and are able to be adjusted to fit your desired height. This is ideal for when you are lifting and may prevent injury, especially when lifting without a spotter.
Product Specs
At seven feet tall when the pull-up bar is attached and inside cage dimensions of 44” x 45.5”, you can fit this rack in most places of your home without compromising range of motion. Ideally, your ceilings should be at least nine feet tall though, as it is recommended you have two feet of extra space above your power rack. As for width, you just need about five feet of space.
The PR-1100 is safe and stable rated up to 700 pounds, and it’s built from 14-gauge steel. The pull-up bar and optional dip bars are rated for 400 pounds while the lat pull-down attachment can accommodate 250 pounds. As long as you’re not an elite-level athlete, these numbers should be just fine to accommodate your training.
Materials
The PR-1100 is built from 14-gauge steel, which is plenty sturdy for home use and falls in the average range for power racks (you’ll typically find 11- to 15-gauge is the norm for these types of racks). The rack did have a bit of a wobble to it when we were testing it out, but not enough to where it felt like a safety hazard.
While 14-gauge steel is solid for home equipment, that wobble would decrease if it were forged with heavier gauge steel. Since this rack is not able to be bolted to the ground, there is not much you can do about this wobble, but we were still able to rack the barbell and safely use the pull-up bar without any problems
Dimensions
At seven feet tall, four feet wide and just under four feet deep, the PR-1100 is able to fit in most home and garage gyms. The inside dimensions being 44” wide and 45.5” deep ensure the ability to properly perform your workouts.
When we tested this power rack, we felt as if we had plenty of space inside the cage to properly perform back squats without feeling cramped. Nine-foot ceilings and a four-foot width/depth should be enough to house this rack.
Weight Capacity
The REP Fitness PR-1100 is rated to support up to 700 pounds total. This includes the weight from all possible attachments, not just weighted plates. Individual attachments are rated for less weight though individually, so be sure to check those specifications as well before you buy.
Warranties
REP Fitness offers a lifetime warranty on the frame, and their warranty on parts/attachments ranges from one year to a lifetime depending on which add-ons you buy.
Places to Buy
The PR-1100 is available through the REP Fitness website, as well as on Amazon Marketplace.
Company Information
REP Fitness — started by two brothers in 2012 in a 1,200 square foot garage — now employs over 100 people in a 300,000 square foot facility. They maintain a focus on innovation and high-quality gym equipment at an affordable price. REP Fitness offers full refunds if you return your product within 30 days, but a 15 percent restocking fee will apply to items returned without the original packaging or in used but sellable condition. For assistance, you can call 720-420-1731 or email info@repfitness.com.
Final Word
The REP Fitness PR-1100 is a versatile rack that is capable of being a centerpiece for those building out their home gym. It’s built from high-quality 14-gauge steel, and its dimensions enable it to fit in most spaces, with the exception of homes or apartments that do not offer high enough ceilings (nine feet is recommended). With the ability to add extra attachments from REP Fitness’ selection, you are able to expand this rack to fit your needs and work your entire body within a relatively small space.
If you are looking to build your own personal gym, a rack of this size and flexibility is a good place to start. A solid choice for both beginner and long-time weightlifters, this rack can meet the needs of most recreational athletes. However, if you’re a powerlifter who needs a power rack that can support over 700 pounds, you may be able to find better alternatives. But since this rack offers a low starting price point, includes multiple attachments, and offers expansion options, as well, we consider it one of the best value racks on the market.
FAQs
Can the PR-1100 be bolted to the ground?
No, neither of the Rep Fitness 1000 series power racks can be bolted down. However, there are alternative Rep Fitness power racks that can be bolted if you’re looking for a rack that you can secure.
What is the difference between the PR-1100 and the PR-1000?
The PR-1000 offers an extra two inches of workable space inside the rack. Weight horns are also included with the PR-1000. The PR-1000 is a little more stable and has two-inch hole spacing while the PR-1100 has three-inch hole spacing, and slightly less workable space.
Is a squat rack the same as a power rack?
No, a squat rack is just a half rack without the ability to add the same attachments as a power rack. Power racks offer more versatility, but squat racks can be a great option if you’re working with a smaller space.