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The Rogue R-3 Power Rack is by far one of the best squat racks available in terms of both quality and value. When rounding out a home gym with a rack, the Rogue R-3 Power Rack should be near the top of anyone and everyones list.
Rogue Fitness
Rogue R-3 Power Rack
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The Rogue R-3 is one of the most well-liked squat racks in the world. Featuring 100+ reviews with a 4.9 star rating, there are few that can match it.
- The 2"x3" upright is compatible with a wide range of standard accessories from a myriad of companies.
- The R-3 utilizes 11-gauge steel that is strong enough for just about anything you can throw at it.
- The rack is listed as having a 1,000+ LB rating, but it can likely handle 3-4x that amount.
- The side panels of the rack are welded rather than bolted which is often considered to be stronger.
- The R-3 comes standard with a double pull-up bar that is skinny on one side and fat on the other to really tax your grip.
- The R-3 is designed to be bolted down to concrete or a wooden platform. Bolting the rack down will allow it to be secure during heavy squats or even allow kipping pull-ups if you compete in CrossFit.
- Pin Pipe Safeties allow you to bench alone without worrying about being visited by an ambulance.
- The R-3 was the first power rack to feature Westside Hole Spacing which is 1" spacing through the bench and clean pull zone that makes it easier to get the safeties dialed in.
- The R-3 is made in the USA of US-sourced steel.
- It comes in multiple heights including 90" standard or a shorty version that is 84"
Cons
- If you don't plan to bolt the rack to the floor, then you'll want to avoid the R-3 as it's too unstable if not bolted down.
- Due to the rack being made in the USA, it's more expensive than imported competitors like the Titan Fitness T-3, although it is a superior product.
- The R-3 utilizes stickers instead of laser-cut logos like on some of it's other racks.
- There's only 24" of open space between uprights that makes some people feel claustrophobic.
Bottom Line
The Rogue R-3 is one of the most popular power racks in the world, and for good reason. We're big fans of the rack, so much so in fact, that Coop owns three of them (they're in his personal training gym.) If you want a power rack that doesn't take up a ton of space, has the ability to bolt to the ground, and has an endless amount of available accessories, then the Rogue R-3 is what we suggest.
Video Review
2×3 vs. 3×3 Upright
This is a very common question we get with people purchasing racks for their home gyms.
“Do I order the 2×3 or do I go big with the 3×3?”
“Is there really that much advantage with the 3×3 power rack?”
My quick and easy answer is, if we are putting cost over aesthetics…2×3. Rogue has produced some of the best value squat racks on the market today.
They offer 3×3 uprights in the RML-3 Monster Lite Rack, which will be a little more stable from the simple fact that it is built with 3×3 11-gauge steel compared to the Rogue R-3 Power Rack 2×3 11-gauge steel.
The 3×3 steel will give the RML-3 a beefier look, and it will have a more aesthetically pleasing look overall. But, like I said, if we are putting cost above aesthetics, the 2×3 upright is a great price point option.
2×3 racks should, in reality, be just as sturdy as 3×3 uprights AND not to mention, all of the accessories a person will have to purchase will be cheaper with 2×3 uprights.
Rogue R-3 Squat Rack Review
Once upon a time there was a young boy who was starting his garage gym.He didn’t want to spend a large amount of money, but wanted equipment that would last. Like a boy at Christmas scanning the store fronts leaving a trail of mucus along the windows, this boy scanned the internet, clogging bandwith speeds searching for the best value squat rack.
Finally, the boy stumbled upon Rogue Fitness and their line of Squat Stands. They were powder-coated black, Rich Froning used them, they had a skinny/fat combination pull-up bar, and had Westside Hole spacing. In his mind, they were perfect.
So he bought the Rogue SML-2 Squat Stand. He being me. I bought the SML-2 and loved it; I loved it so much I reviewed it here. But, as with anything, all good things come to an end and you feel you need a real power rack. (Who am I kidding, nobody needs a full size power rack, but it’s ‘Merica and I wanted one.)
So, like a tadpole growing into a frog, or the wimpy kid in Charles Atlas ads who grows into a man wearing a leopard print speedo, I went and purchased a Rogue R-3.
And it is mean!
If you’re going to spend money, you want to spend it on something that appeals to all of your senses. It has to feel solid, when you drop weights on it, you want to hear it, but you don’t want to worry about it collapsing, and you want it to look sweet.
To me, the R-3 is one of the best looking racks out there. It’s powder-coated black, and has the Westside Barbell logo of a dog with weight chained to it’s neck on the side of the uprights. It doesn’t get much cooler than that.
It also takes up a lot smaller footprint than some of the larger racks that, in my opinion, too much unused space. The goal of the barbell is to go up in down in as straight a path as possible, therefore deeming larger racks mostly unnecessary.
The most I’ve squatted in the R-3 thus far has been 425 lbs. At that weight, the rack laughed at me. It’s built to handle more than you or I will ever squat so I would not worry about that. It uses 11 gauge 2×3 construction, and comes with two j-cups, a pair of spotter pipes, 4 band pegs, and a skinny/fat bar.
We’ve also tested the j-cups to over 800 lbs on each hook without any issues.
One of the downfalls with the Rogue SML-2 was that if you wanted to use the fat bar, you have to unbolt the bar and spin it around. It was just inconvenient enough that I didn’t use it. When I train, I shoot for efficiency so that I’m getting in and out of the gym without wasted effort. That didn’t help.
The R-3 rack however allows you to have access to both bars all the time. And, being 5’10” I am able to passively hang on the bar without my feet touching the ground. A BIG benefit, especially when kipping.
The Rogue R-3 Power Rack also truly shines when it comes to benching. The Westside hole spacing allows you to make micro adjustments in height, which although a small design element, is actually pretty big deal when you’re benching by yourself and don’t want to die under the weight of the bar.
At this point, I really don’t feel much of a need to speak on Rogue Fitness’s equipment when it comes to durability. Everything they produce is STOUT and made to last. So much so that nearly all their equipment comes with a lifetime warranty.
Having had the Rogue R-3 for over three years now, I can confidently say it’s made to last.
The Rogue R-3 Rack is pretty much the epitome of what Rogue stands for. Strong, dependable, functional, and just absolutely, positively mean looking. My dog won’t get near the rack it’s so scary looking, which I think is perfect.
The Rogue R-3 certainly isn’t the cheapest rack for your money, but you don’t buy Rogue to save a lot of money. You buy Rogue because you want some of the best equipment that you can buy.
In my opinion, the R-3 is one of the best value racks for the money. If you’re looking for space savings, it works wonders and allows you to have spotter arms and a pull up bar.
Compared to the squat stands Rogue has, I would only buy the stand if you’re really looking to save money, otherwise, save up and go for the best. You won’t regret it.
Suggested Improvements
Even with the Rogue R-3 Power Rack being one of the top rated racks available, there can still be some minor improvements to this already amazing rack.
Something that can improve this rack would be more holes on the side of the rack. This would add a little more versatility for attaching various attachments to the rack.
Another improvement that could be made would be to add laser-cut numbers on the uprights similar to what’s offered on the Rogue Monster Racks. This would alleviate the guessing game when attaching J-hooks and other attachments to the rack.
Full Rating
Rogue R-3 Power Rack
The Rogue R-3 Power Rack is by far one of the best squat racks available in terms of both quality and value. When rounding out a home gym with a rack, the Rogue R-3 Power Rack should be near the top of anyone and everyones list.
Product Brand: Rogue
Product Currency: $
Product Price: 825
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.6
Rogue R-3 Power Rack FAQs
Does rogue r3 need to be bolted?
Regardless of the version you choose, this item must be bolted to the ground.
How heavy is a Rogue rack?
250 pounds
What gauge steel is rogue rack?
11 Steel Gauge
Where to Purchase
Rogue Fitness
Rogue R-3 Power Rack
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The Rogue R-3 is one of the most well-liked squat racks in the world. Featuring 100+ reviews with a 4.9 star rating, there are few that can match it.
- The 2"x3" upright is compatible with a wide range of standard accessories from a myriad of companies.
- The R-3 utilizes 11-gauge steel that is strong enough for just about anything you can throw at it.
- The rack is listed as having a 1,000+ LB rating, but it can likely handle 3-4x that amount.
- The side panels of the rack are welded rather than bolted which is often considered to be stronger.
- The R-3 comes standard with a double pull-up bar that is skinny on one side and fat on the other to really tax your grip.
- The R-3 is designed to be bolted down to concrete or a wooden platform. Bolting the rack down will allow it to be secure during heavy squats or even allow kipping pull-ups if you compete in CrossFit.
- Pin Pipe Safeties allow you to bench alone without worrying about being visited by an ambulance.
- The R-3 was the first power rack to feature Westside Hole Spacing which is 1" spacing through the bench and clean pull zone that makes it easier to get the safeties dialed in.
- The R-3 is made in the USA of US-sourced steel.
- It comes in multiple heights including 90" standard or a shorty version that is 84"
Cons
- If you don't plan to bolt the rack to the floor, then you'll want to avoid the R-3 as it's too unstable if not bolted down.
- Due to the rack being made in the USA, it's more expensive than imported competitors like the Titan Fitness T-3, although it is a superior product.
- The R-3 utilizes stickers instead of laser-cut logos like on some of it's other racks.
- There's only 24" of open space between uprights that makes some people feel claustrophobic.
Bottom Line
The Rogue R-3 is one of the most popular power racks in the world, and for good reason. We're big fans of the rack, so much so in fact, that Coop owns three of them (they're in his personal training gym.) If you want a power rack that doesn't take up a ton of space, has the ability to bolt to the ground, and has an endless amount of available accessories, then the Rogue R-3 is what we suggest.
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