We test and review fitness products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. If you use our links to purchase something, we may earn a commission. Read our disclosures.
The best squat racks and power racks used to be so simple. When I started Olympic weightlifting over two decades ago, the squat cage was just where you did squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. But with the rise of home gyms came a need to create all-in-one trainers to help save space in garage gyms. Lat pull-downs, landmine attachments, dip and pull-up stations, and pulley systems have all become commonplace on a power rack.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not upset about this progression. Companies have innovated by making cable attachments and more to add to power racks, as well as creating power racks with every rack attachment you can imagine—from premium all-in-one racks, to budget-friendly machines.
RELATED: REP Fitness Athena Review
One of the newest additions to the fold of power racks is the Major Fitness PLM03 Power Rack. This multipurpose rack comes with all sorts of attachments, and uses high-quality materials while still keeping a budget-friendly price—or close to it, at least.
In our Major Fitness Power Rack review, we’ll get into this product and see if this piece of fitness equipment is a good addition for your home gym. We’ll look at this product both as a rack and as a trainer, so you can get a well-rounded view of the good and bad of this squat rack.
We “Major”-ed In Expert Equipment Testing
OK, I don’t really think there’s a school degree like that, but cut me some slack: I was going for the pun. But seriously, our team of testers really are experts in the field, composed of certified personal trainers, coaches, and competitive athletes. When we aren’t trying out equipment and writing about it, we’re in the gym using that equipment and helping others learn to do so.
The Major Fitness Power Rack was heavily requested by our Home Gym Community, and we answered the call. Both GGR founder Coop Mitchell and GGR Everything lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele tried out the Major Fitness PLM03 Multi-Functional Power Rack, noting aspects of the attachment-ridden machine, both as a power rack and as a functional trainer, such as:
- Stability
- Construction
- Accessory compatibility
- Materials
- Versatility
Additionally, we look at aspects of the customer experience, including customer reviews, the ordering process, delivery, and assembly.
Major Fitness PLM03 Power Rack
Major Fitness PLM03 Multi-Functional Power Rack
Product Highlights
- Power rack that includes various attachments
- Cable crossover has max capacity of 300 lbs
- Safety bars support 700 lbs
- 15 adjustable holes along uprights
- Steel shaft pulley
- Comes in red, black, or white
- Comes with cable bar, pin and pipe safety set, J-hooks, landmine, dip bars, T-bar, lat bar attachment, band pegs, and an extra standard barbell holder
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Lots of attachments included
- Precision laser cutting and robotic welding for accuracy
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- 14-gauge steel may not be strong enough for powerlifters
- Some reviews reported minor scratches from shipping
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly home gym in the form of a power rack, the Major Fitness PLM03 is a viable option. At under $1,000, this power rack includes a cable crossover as well as various other attachments, allowing this rack to be a compact all-in-one gym. The 14-gauge steel may be too weak for loads from an elite powerlifter, but the power rack should hold up for most consumers.
A Quick Look at the Major Fitness Power Rack
A pretty new company in the industry, Major Fitness, formerly Major Lutie Fitness, started in 2020 with the power rack we’re reviewing, the PLM03, which also happens to be a best seller on their website. Their goal from the start has been to create multi-functional and effective squat cages at competitive prices.
The Major Fitness Power Cage is definitely a multi-functional rack, with quite a few attachments. Outside of the typical J-hooks and pin-and-pipe safety set, the power rack includes:
- A cable crossover
- A multi-grip pull-up bar
- A cable bar
- A landmine
- Dip bars
- A T-bar
- A lat bar attachment
- Band pegs
- A barbell holder
And to tell the truth, I may have missed a thing or two. With all these attachments, you can easily get a full-body workout in the space of a power rack.
RELATED: Best Full-Body Workout Machines
Although the rack is made to be budget-priced, it’s still made with quality materials. The uprights are 3 inches by 2 inches and built with 14-gauge steel. The J-hooks are rated for 1,000 pounds, while the safety bars have a max capacity of 700 pounds. Even as a “budget” rack, this is able to support most people’s heavy lifting.
Before You Buy
- First things first: If you’re looking at their website, you may have noticed that they’re a marketing-forward company. As Coop notes in his video review, “If you read some of the language on their website, they’re either using ChatGPT or a good copywriter to hit every pretty detail.” Hopefully, our reviews can cut through the power words and give you an honest take on this rack—which we’re mostly fans of, honestly.
- With 2-inch-by-3-inch uprights, typically the thin side of the uprights are facing the front of the rack, like on the Titan T-3 Power Rack. However, Major Fitness has the wide side facing forward. While this shouldn’t affect the weight capacity of the cage, it definitely gives it a bulkier, beefier look than other budget-priced racks.
- On the website, the rack can be bundled with their weight bench, or with the bench and barbell, or bench and bar and plates. We haven’t tested out all of these pieces of home gym equipment, but this may be a great entry into starting your own home gym.
- There’s no Westside spacing along the bench zone for bench press. Sorry, powerlifters.
Major Fitness Power Rack Video Review
Is the Major Fitness Power Rack Worth It?
Compared to other budget-friendly power racks with cable pulleys and attachments, Major Fitness is a bit pricier at about $829, but with free shipping. The REP PR-1100 with a center-mounted lat pull-down attachment comes in at about $640 with free shipping. The Fitness Reality 810XLT Super Max Power Cage has a lat pull-down and low row attachment that can be bought together for $550. Also, the RitFit PPC03 Power Cage and cable crossover is just under $700.
RELATED: Best Power Racks with Lat Pull-Downs
The thing that sets apart the Major Fitness rack from the other budget racks is that the cable system is set behind the back of the power rack, enabling it to still be used as a power rack—squatting on the inside of the cage. The RitFit and other options have the cable systems along the back crossmembers, which gets in the way of the back of the power rack. “Essentially, you have to use these cages as half racks, and squat from outside of the cage,” Coop explains,
If you want the full functionality of a power rack, along with all the multipurpose use of the cable system, the Major Fitness rack is designed better, and may indeed be worth a little bit more money.
Keep in mind, however, that the hole spacing of the Major Fitness Power Rack won’t be compatible with other rack attachments, due to the hole sizing, along with the orientation of the uprights. If you have a collection of power rack attachments that need a home, this won’t be the best option.
Great for:
- Beginners looking for a budget-friendly home gym
- Fitness enthusiasts wanting an all-in-one trainer that still acts as a power rack
- Those looking to save space in their garage gym
Not recommended for:
- Powerlifters needing a heavy-duty squat rack for heavy weights
- Home gym owners who want a rack compatible with their current attachments
- Those not needing a functional trainer with their squat cage
Major Fitness Power Rack Specs
| Price | $829 |
| Weight | 255 lbs |
| Footprint | 63” W x 66.9” D x 84.3” H |
| Weight capacity | 1,000 lbs (J-hooks) |
| Frame material | 2” x 3” 14-gauge steel |
| Pulley ratio | 2:1 |
| Color options | Red, Black, White |
| Attachments | Cable Crossover, Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar, Cable Bar, Pin And Pipe Safety Set, J-Hooks, Landmine, Dip Bars, T-Bar, Lat Bar Attachment, Band Pegs, Extra Standard Barbell Holder |
Using the Major Fitness Power Rack
The rack performs pretty well, both as a rack with attachments, and as a functional trainer. The cable system is set off the rack, which means the inside of the power rack can be used for your strength training. The rack remains pretty stable due to reinforcing tabs throughout the frame. Lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele rated the stability of the rack a 4 out of 5.
The power rack comes in red, black, and white, and comes with the cable system and countless attachments. Let’s look into the finer details of the power rack.
Cables and Attachments
With the cable system, most power racks will either go with a center-mounted lat pull-down and low row cable attachment, or a functional trainer cable system which splits the cable along each upright. Major Fitness went with the latter, but made sure to add a foot plate and lat bars so that each upright could be used for rows, triceps push-downs, or lat pull-down.
The thing to remember is that each upright’s cable has a pulley ratio of 2 to 1, meaning that 10 pounds will feel like 5 pounds. So load your weight plates on the cable pulley appropriately.
The pulleys are plastic, and the carriage for the cables on the front uprights use guide rods and plastic bushings, which will be smoother than ultra-budget options. Aluminum pulleys would be nice, but would also shoot the price up. One thing to note is to tighten the carriages on the upright completely before using them; in our testing they would pop out of their hole placement otherwise.
The swivel pulleys rotate 180 degrees, allowing for a range of exercises, and also to move them out of the way when using the rack. The pulley has a ball stop on the end of the cable, which can cause some wear and tear on the carriage.
Additionally, the rack has a multi-grip pull-up bar, which is an angled bar with multiple neutral grips to use as well. The bar has what Coop calls “primo-looking handles” on the end, which just aren’t good; they rotate while gripping them. So while doing chin-ups, Coop recommends taking them off.
RELATED: The 8 Best Pull-Up Bars
Also for your upper body is a dip bar, which is two separate bars on two separate uprights. Coop says on these, “The two different handle widths feel OK…they have rubber on the handles, but it’s just a little thin. But the width of the dip bars is actually good.”
Durability and Construction
With some of the choices made on materials, this feels almost as an in-between for a high-end and ultra-budget option. The cable system uses plastic pulleys, but also has a fairly smooth carriage system.
Additionally, the rack uses 14-gauge steel, and also reinforces each joint with reinforcing plates, to ensure stability. The 2-inch-by-3-inch uprights add just a bit more bulk to the machine than a typical budget rack with 2-inch-by-2-inch uprights, which overall makes it a more stable machine.
Weight capacities are given for almost every attachment and part of the power rack, but the important ones are the J-hooks, which are rated for up to 1,000 pounds. Also, the safety bars hold up to 700 pounds. For the overall construction, Lindsay rated the PLM03 a 4 out of 5.
Footprint
The power rack width from the outside of one upright to the other is 48 inches, which will suit any Olympic barbell on the rack. The actual floor space of the rack is about 63 inches by 67 inches. Keep in mind, however, that to use the cable crossover properly, you’ll need some extra open space in front of the rack as well.
The height of the rack is 84.3 inches tall, which is an ideal height that’ll probably suit most people’s needs. It should fit most gyms with lower ceilings.
Major Fitness Power Rack vs RitFit Power Cage
RitFit Power Cage
RitFit PC-410CC Power Cage with Cable Crossover
Product Highlights
- Multi-grip pull-up bar
- Safety spotter arms
- Easy to build
- 3-in-1 home gym machine
- Max capacity of 1,000 lbs
Pros & Cons
Pros
- A great starter rack
- Made for smaller gym spaces
- 360 landmine fits both 1” and 2” bars
- Attention to the details and additional options you didn’t even know you needed
Cons
- Shipments can sometimes come in 2 boxes, and might not arrive on the same day
- Some customers felt that the cables could be a little bit stronger
Bottom Line
If your budget and space are on the smaller side, this is a great rack to get your home gym started with. With the ability to do so many exercises, including bench presses, pull-ups, cable flys, squats, and more, this could be the versatile home gym machine for you.
The power rack that has the most similar feel to the Major Fitness Power Rack is the RitFit PPC03 Power Cage. Both are budget-friendly racks with cable crossover systems, offering tons of versatility all in the space of a power rack. “They are very similar both in quality and in use,” Coop adds.
However, the RitFit comes in at just under $700, while Major Fitness’ rack is over $800. Looking at the price, it seems like a no-brainer on which one to get, right?
Well, maybe not. One of the biggest design differences between the two racks also increases the functionality of the Major Fitness: the cable system is set off the back of the rack instead of on the back of the rack. This allows for the PLM03 to still have the rack used on the inside of the cage. The RitFit has the cables attached to the back, taking up the space on the inside of the rack.
So, if using the inside of the power rack is important to you, then it may make sense to spend the extra $100 for the better design. If you’re OK with using the outside of the cage for squats, then the RitFit may still work for you. You can look at this power cage more in-depth in our RitFit Power Cage review.
| Major Fitness PLM03 Power Rack | RitFit PPC03 Power Cage | |
| Price | $829 | $699 |
| Weight | 255 lbs | 193.6 lbs |
| Footprint | 63” W x 66.9” D x 84.3” H | 67.3” W x 59.1” D x 85” H |
| Weight capacity | 1,000 lbs (J-hooks) | 1,000 lbs |
| Frame material | 2” x 3” 14-gauge steel | 2” x 2” 14-gauge steel |
| Pulley ratio | 2:1 | 2:1 |
| Color options | Red, Black, White | Black, Orange, Blue |
| Attachments | Cable Crossover, Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar, Cable Bar, Pin And Pipe Safety Set, J-Hooks, Landmine, Dip Bars, T-Bar, Lat Bar Attachment, Band Pegs, Extra Standard Barbell Holder | Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar, Cable System, J-Hooks, Cable Handles, Plate Holder Rack, Landmine, Plate Storage Tubes, Safety Spotter Arms |
| Warranty | 1-year limited | 3 years (frame), 1 year (parts) |
Customer Experience
Major Fitness offers a 1-year limited warranty on the PLM03 Power Rack, as well as a 35-day no-reason return policy. The return should have the item in its original condition as well as the original packaging. The warranty is a little short for a power rack, and for this reason, Lindsay rated the warranty and other policies a 3 out of 5.
Lindsay also gave the customer service a 3.5 out of 5. “They got back to me within 24 hours,” she says, “but they didn’t really answer my questions very well.” Lindsay said it felt like the person she talked to didn’t have the knowledge of the product that a service rep from Rogue or REP Fitness would have.
Ordering and Assembling the Major Fitness Power Rack
The Major Fitness Multi-Functional Power Rack is available both on the Major Fitness Fitness website, as well as on Amazon. The price on Amazon is about $50 cheaper currently, but prices fluctuate often, so I’d recommend checking both sites before making a purchase.
On the Major Fitness website, financing is available through Affirm, either in four installments, or in monthly payments.
The power rack arrives in three separate boxes, disassembled like an Ikea product. We had two people assemble the Major Fitness Power Rack, and with all of its attachments and pieces, it took about 3 hours. Keep in mind that the two people building the rack build out fitness equipment for a living, so we recommend that you have a little bit of help to assemble the rack, and be prepared for it to take some time. Lindsay rated the delivery and setup a 4 out of 5.
Customer Reviews
The Major Fitness PLM03 has a customer rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on its website, from 410 reviews as of this writing. On Amazon, the rack has a 4.6 out of 5 stars, averaged from 472 reviews. Positive reviews speak highly of the rack, particularly on its performance and versatility, saying it’s a quality piece of gym equipment, even at a budget price.
Most criticism came from the assembly instructions. Even with video instructions, many felt the directions were confusing and left them having to guess at how to assemble the rack. While we didn’t have this problem in our testing, we also had two experts building it out who have built dozens of squat racks and functional trainers before, so we had experience on our side.
Final Verdict of Our Major Fitness Power Rack Review
Coop says one of the best power racks to get at a budget range is the REP PR-1000 or PR-1100, as, “It’s a higher quality rack that’s from a company that’ll probably service their warranty better.”
While this is true, if you’re looking for a functional trainer and cable system on a budget rack, Coop recommends spending a little more and going with the Major Fitness. Anyone who loves versatility in their fitness equipment will enjoy all the different exercises that can be performed here. Plus, the offset back carriage also keeps the inside of the power rack open for your squats and bench.
Major Fitness Power Rack Rating
Major Fitness PLM03 Power Rack
Check out our thoughts on the multi-functional machine making a "major" splash on the scene in our Major Fitness Power Rack review.
Product Brand: Major Fitness
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 829.99
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.6
Major Fitness Power Rack: FAQs
What height power rack should I get?
There’s no perfect rack height for everyone; a lot of it will depend on your ceiling height, as well as your own height. Most power racks for home gyms will be around 7 feet, or 84 inches, tall. For taller athletes looking to use the rack for pull-ups, you may want something a bit taller. If your home gym has low ceilings, you might need something shorter.
What should I look for when buying a power rack?
A few things to consider when looking for the right power rack for your home gym is the budget you have, as well as the construction and weight capacity you’ll need. When considering the footprint of the rack, you’ll need to consider not only depth and width, but also the height of the rack, to make sure it fits within your ceiling height. You may want to consider the versatility of rack attachments, as well.
What is the best power rack for home use?
The best power rack for home use will vary from person to person, based on floor space and on fitness levels and goals. Here are some of our top picks for the best squat racks:
Best Power Rack: Rep Fitness PR-4000 Power Rack
Best Budget Squat Rack: ForceUSA MyRack Modular Power Rack
Best Squat Rack with Pull-Up Bar: Bells of Steel Hydra Rack
Best Foldable Squat Rack: PRx Performance Profile Rack
Best Squat Stand: REP Fitness SR-4000
Best Squat Rack for Small Spaces: Titan T-3 Series Folding Power Rack
Best Squat Rack for Beginners: Fringe Sport Garage Series Squat Rack with Pull-Up Bar
Best Half Rack: Rogue HR-2 Half Rack
Further reading
If you’ve ever wondered how much protein to gain muscle you should be eating, a sports dietitian lays it all out in this article. Read more
It’s no secret that I love a quality pair of sneakers. I even made an entire video on the best training shoes for 2021with my friend Kate Meier, who is a certified CrossFit L1 trainer and CrossFit box owner. She is also a senior editor here at Garage Gym Reviews and did a deep dive into the Nike Free Metcon 4s for us. In this Nike Free Metcon 4 review, I’ll tell you the details on these cross training shoes including the price, warranty, durability, and what they’re best used for. There are tons of sneakers out there and I want to help you find the best fit for your specific needs.Why You Should Trust UsBesides testing and trying some of the best CrossFit shoes on the market, I’ve worn tons of fan favorites including the Position Weightlifting Eastwood Shoes, Reebok JJ 2 Training Shoes, Reebok Nano, and Altra HIIT XT Training Shoes. I even wrote an article about how to figure out what kind of shoes you need to wear based on the training you do! I might be a little biased, but I think I’m a very trustworthy person to talk to you about different athletic shoes. Read more
Let this year be the year you don't feel like a bowl of mashed potatoes. Use our tips and sample workouts to keep your wellness routine over the holiday season. Read more
Here are the steps for how to reset a treadmill depending on the brand you have in your home gym. Read more