REP Fitness manufactures a few different types of squat racks for home gym use. From very basic squat racks like REP PR 1000 and PR 1100 to more advanced fully-equipped power cages such as PR-4000 and PR-5000, it has products that can serve recreational lifters as well as more advanced trainers, athletes, and bodybuilders. It also has a folding wall-mounted squat rack, which is as good as the ETHOS Folding Wall Rack.
Almost all products sold by REP Fitness are best at what they are meant for. We have already tested and reviewed a couple of them such as the REP Fitness PR 1100 squat rack, Rep Fitness SR 4000 Rack, and the Rep Fitness Excalibur Bar. In this blog, we will be reviewing the REP Fitness PR-1000 squat rack.
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Quick Review Summary
REP Fitness PR 1000 squat rack is made of a 2” X 2” 14 gauge steel frame that has a weight-load capacity of 700lbs. It comes with a pair of j-hooks and safety catches. You can buy additional accessories and attachments separately from REP or from any other brand that sells accessories for the said frame size. It also comes with a dual pull up bar with a thick grip and standard grip.
The PR 1000 squat rack has two weight horns at the rear end that you can use to organize your weight plates as well as for weighing it down to minimize the wobble. Assembly is easy but instructions are poorly written. Nevertheless, it is a great product for serious lifters.
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- 2” hole spacing
- Has dual pull up bars i.e. a standard one and a thick one
- Provides high value for money
- Comes with a pair of pin and pipes safety and a pair of j-hooks
Cons
- No option to bolt it to the floor
- Assembly instructions could have been better
Rating
We are giving this a rating of 4.8 out of 5.0.
Full Review
Now on to our full review.
Features and Specifications of the REP Fitness PR-1000 squat rack
- Dimensions: 48L x 48W x 83H inches
- Weight: 133lbs
- Weight-bearing capacity: 700lbs
- Frame is made of 2” X 2” 14 gauge steel
- Accessories include: a pair of j-hooks, a dual pull up bar, a pair of pipe and pin safeties
- Has 2” hole spacing. The holes are numbered for your convenience
- There are two weight horns on the rear stability bar
- You can buy LAT attachment and dip handles separately. Band pegs are not recommended for this squat rack
- Has limited lifetime warranty
The overall build and quality is pretty impressive for its price
To be honest, you can find many inexpensive alternatives such as Fuel Pureformance Full Cage, Hulkfit Power Cage, and the SF-XF9931 Sunny Health & Fitness power zone squat cage. But, they are very basic products and suitable only for beginners and recreational lifters. If you are serious about your workouts and need something that you can use even when you have made significant progress, the REP Fitness PR-1000 is a good option to consider.
Most affordable squat racks have 3” hole spacing which isn’t really a deal breaker if you want to use them for squats. But, the 3” gap can be too much if you want to use them for benching. The PR 1000 has addressed the issue by minimizing the gap to 2”, which helps enhance your level of comfort.
The 2” X 2” frame size is pretty standard, so you can easily accessorize it by choosing products from REP Fitness or any other brand. You might not experience any compatibility issues, which is a good thing. We recently reviewed the Rogue Echo Series Racks and we found that the only reason it didn’t get much sales is due to compatibility issues.
REP Fitness PR 1000 squat rack is coated with corrosion-resistant paint. The finish and welds are perfect with no issues of paint chipping or metal splinters. The fully assembled unit looks pretty solid and can bear a decent amount of rough use, making it suitable for intermediate to advanced trainers.
Assembly is easy but the instructions could have been better
REP Fitness doesn’t provide step-by-step written instructions with any of its products. In fact, most budget home gym manufacturers do the same thing. They just provide you with a pictograph of how and where to put the parts together. If you are good with assembly, those pictographs are usually more than enough. But, if you have never assembled anything, you may have to seek help.
Nevertheless, as we said above, most buyers have agreed that assembling the REP Fitness PR 1000 squat rack is rather easy because all parts come sorted and they line up pretty well. Depending upon your skills, you may be able to assemble it within two to three hours.
The dual pull up bars are great for people who want to increase their forearm strength
Most affordable squat racks come with just a basic pull up bar. Sometimes, the bars do not even have knurling on them. A few of them like the SF-XF9931 Sunny Health & Fitness power zone squat cage may have angled pullup bars or some like Fitness Reality 810XLT Power Rack may have multi grip pull up bars that the max you get from almost all products under $500.
REP Fitness has however increased the versatility of use of their PR 1000 squat rack by providing dual pull up bars; one has a standard 1.25” diameter and the other one is thicker with 2” diameter. If you have bigger hands or if you want to increase your forearm strength, the thicker bar will be of great help.
If not, you can simply use it for adding a cable pulley system or gymnastic rings. Since it will be a spare pullup bar, you may simply leave these attachments on it instead of adding/removing them as and when needed.
REP Fitness PR 1000 does wobble but that's common with all budget squat racks
Minor wobbling can be ignored but if a rack wobbles enough to make you feel unsafe, you shouldn’t use it.
Thankfully, the REP Fitness PR 1000 is not one of them. It wobbles a bit, which is why we recommend you to weigh it down by adding plates to the weight horns on the rear end of the rack. This should help but if you need even more stability or peace of mind, you can buy brackets from a nearby hardware store and use them to bolt the rack to the floor or to your weightlifting platform.
Difference between REP Fitness PR 1100 and PR 1000 squat racks
Both these squat racks are made of 2” X 2” 14 gauge steel frame and are rated for 700 lbs. Their footprints vary by just a few inches. They don’t have much price difference, so you might find it hard to decide which one you should go with. So, here is what you need to know-
REP Fitness PR-1100 squat rack has a multi-grip pull up bar plus dual pull up bar with diameter 1.25” and 2”. The REP Fitness PR 1000 only has the dual pull up bar.
Both these products wobble, which is a common issue with almost all affordable squat racks. And, none of them come with a floor anchoring option. But, the REP Fitness PR-1000 squat rack has weight horns that you can use to weigh it down and minimize the wobble. However, there is no such option available with the PR 1100 rack.
Another major difference between them is the hole spacing. The PR 1000 has 2” gaps between the holes whereas the PR-1100 has 3” hole spacing. If you are lifting light, 3” may work but 2” is better because you will have to travel a shorter distance to rack your barbell when done. People who lift heavy should, however, use racks that come with Westside hoe spacing i.e. 1” gap between the holes.
Read this article to find out what is westside hole spacing and why the gap between the holes really matters so much.
Rating
We are giving this a rating of 4.8 out of 5.0.
Wrap Up
REP Fitness PR 1000 squat rack is a fantastic piece of home gym equipment for serious fitness trainers and even for athletes. We highly recommend it but do not hesitate to compare it with other competitive products that we have listed in our articles on best budget squat racks and best squat racks besides Rogue’s. A thorough comparison will help you choose the one that best suits your needs.
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