If you are a beginner on your fitness journey, enjoy working out in the comfort of your home, yet don’t have much space in your home, half-rack fitness gears are an excellent choice for you. If you are having trouble choosing the accessories for your half-rack, this article will help you.
The half-rack accessories generally depend on what kind of fitness routine you follow. The most common accessories used in half-rack are:
- Bar holders / Band attachments sets
- Weight plate horns
- Storage trays
- Dip stations
- Monkey bars
- U-links/ Battle rope hooks
- Cannonball grips
- Ball rebounders
- Foldable footplates
Let’s review how these accessories work and give you better access to your half-rack fitness gear.
Half-Rack Fitness Gear Accessories
Half-racks consist of two parallel metal bars positioned on a stable and solid base. Depending on product style, it can be a complete square or “U” shaped. Additional metal bases can also stabilize some half-rack at the top part.
These racks are more economical in case of space and price. You can perform simpler exercise routines in your half-rack, which makes it perfect for beginners. So, if you have a limited budget and have restricted space, half racks can be a good fit for you.
You can customize your half-rack to elevate your fitness routine. Here are a few accessories to choose from depending on your fitness routine:
1. Bar Holder / Band Attachment Sets
Almost all half racks come with safety bars to help you with your fitness routines. These bars can help a lot during bench presses and squats. If you are losing balance or failing a repetition, you can hold on to the bar holder and safely disengage from your routine without hurting yourself.
If you are weight lifting or working with a barbell, you can retire your equipment safely on the bar and reduce the chance of an accident.
2. Weight Plate Horns
Weight plate horns are designed to store weight plates on your half rack. Some half-racks feature unique locking systems to prevent accidents due to accidental falls of weight plates.
However, some half-racks can be made of light material. So, storing heavier weights may pose some problems for those light materials half-rack.
3. Storage Trays
Some half-rack users prefer to have storage racks to store their kettlebells. It helps in keeping the workout space sorted and clean.
Other than kettlebells, medicine balls and dumbbells can be stored in these storage trays to easily access while maintaining distance and space from the half-rack.
4. Dip Station
A dip station or dip bar is a workout prop that helps you with upper body fitness exercise. You can use dip bars for tricep dips, push-ups, arm raises, dip stand, and several other fitness routines.
These exercises help you to build your abs and triceps. Therefore, you can shape your body without lifting heavyweights.
5. Monkey Bars
In many instances, the top bar of half-racks is replaced with monkey bars. It can make the half-rack more stable and give you access to several workout routines.
Monkey bars can help users strengthen their handgrip with appropriate workout routines. You can work on your upper arm strength and flexibility when swinging on monkey bars.
6. U-Links / Battle Rope Hooks
If your fitness routine includes working with battle ropes, you can easily hook it up with your half-rack. Simply add an u-link with your half-rack and hook your battle rope with the u-link.
However, you need to ensure that your half-rack is sturdy enough to withstand the intense workout routine. If the half-rack is not sturdy enough, it can cause severe accidents.
7. Cannonball Grips
Cannonball grips help you with forearms, arms, shoulders, and chest gain. One can get these accessories for their half-rack and elevate their exercise routines, especially pull-ups. Some also associate these with rock climbing as it strengthens the grip.
You need to ensure that your half rack is stable before pulling-ups with cannonball grips. Also, using chalk while using a cannonball grip is highly recommended.
8. Ball Rebounders
Half-rack accessories mostly help in building your upper body. There are some half-racks that allow you to incorporate ball rebounders with your fitness gear.
Ball rebounders contain a bouncy surface where you can throw a ball, and it will bounce the ball towards you. This type of exercise helps you shape your reaction time and hand-eye coordination while toning multiple muscle groups.
9. Foldable Footplates
Foldable footplates are an optional accessory for half-racks. It helps you to reach the chin-up handles of your half rake easily.
Pros and Cons of Half-Rack Fitness Gear
Although half-rackers can help you get started with your fitness routines, they also pose limitations. Half-rack abstracts your potential to perform complex exercises and can cause accidents if they are not made of solid materials. Here are the pros and cons of half-rack fitness gear:
- Less space-consuming
- Acts as a personal spotter when working out with weights
- Good for lunges, squats, bench presses, and chest presses
- Allow better flexibility to barbell exercises
- Provides better access
- Cost-effective
- Can be made of less sturdy material that can cause instability and accidents
- Allows limited number of workouts to perform
- Needed to add accessories to perform targeted exercises
Bottom Line
Here are the most used half-rack accessories that can elevate your fitness routine. Although half-racks are not multifunctional like full-racks or professional ones, they can definitely help you start your fitness journey. Moreover, half-racks don’t take much space, so you can easily fit them in your home.
If you are working with barbells, kettlebells, or any other weights, half-racks can be suitable for you. With half-racks, you can train your upper body properly and can customize your fitness routines within a limit.
When adding accessories to your half-rack, make sure that these accessories compliment your fitness routine. Otherwise, these additional accessories will not give you the best benefits.
