You Need This Cheap Squat Rack

Exercise, target practice, skinning animals…what can't it do?

I recently bought a CAP Barbell Power Rack for $100 on Prime Day, and it’s been one of the absolute best purchases I’ve made in a long time. I first learned about these racks from Jerry Teixeira, who recommends them for outdoor calisthenic workouts. However, it’s versatile for far more than just working out.

Ostensibly, the CAP Barbell Power Rack is a squat rack, and for that purpose, it’s pretty sub-par. It’s lightweight and easy to move around (or tip over), so if I wanted to use it for its intended purpose, I’d want to weigh it down and anchor it, as well as add some safety catches.

However, as a cheap outdoor pull-up bar, it’s amazing. If it rusts, I’ll spray paint over it, and if it gets ruined, I’ll just replace it.

Throw on some cheap gymnastic rings, and you can do all sorts of other bodyweight workouts, like ring dips.

And you get to work out in the sun and fresh air. Given how pale I am this summer, I’m in desperate need of that.

But as it turns out, having a sort of hanging platform is useful for so many other things on a farm. I took an old wooden plank, drilled a couple of holes, added a couple of cheap thin s-hooks from Walmart, and boom, instant hanging gun target.

I placed it in front of a hill, so it has a perfect backstop.

It will also come in handy when it’s time to process rabbits and chickens. It’s a perfect platform to hang their carcasses and process them, much preferable to using the kids’ swing set or a ladder. I could probably hang a whole deer from it.

It also includes rudimentary holders for a barbell and a stack of weight plates. Maybe one day I’ll buy some to use the rack for its intended purpose. Cheap ones though, since they’ll be out in the elements.

Overall, the CAP Barbell Power Rack is a super-handy item to have on your property, and for just a little over $100 even when not on sale, it’s a great value.