Every dedicated lifter knows that there is absolutely nothing like a good ol’ heavy back squat. Seriously, nothing. Having your gym buddy standing behind and encouraging you to do ‘one last rep’, with further support coming from your lifting belt, and your grunts being a little too loud — man, those were the days.
At least a silver lining is, you don’t need to listen to that annoying and repetitive default playlist that plays in every single commercial gym.
Anyway, while isolation has taken the beloved iron smelling, chalk covered free weights rooms away from us, we want to try and bring all your favourite gym elements into your own home. Basically, It’s time for ISWOLation. We’ve gotten creative with household item gym equipment swaps, we’ve done our best to bring the whole vibe of the gym to your backyard, and now, we are leveling it up again and reaching for our next creativity PB.
So, get ready, because we are going to teach you to make your own squat rack at home. If this doesn’t embody the Ryderwear mantra ‘take it to the next level’, then we don’t know what does.
Is this dangerous? Look, that's on you and your handy work skills. Just kidding. But we do suggest being careful and testing your DIY squat rack to ensure that it is sturdy enough.
If gains are your game, then this should be top of your priority list! So get ready to Power up in your squatting shorts because it’s time to get on the gains train again.
We have chosen 3 budget friendly options that will show you how to create your own squat rack.
A simple, quick and easy method.
This absolute genius used as little materials as possible to create a heavy duty squat rack. Using only 2 buckets, a few planks of wood, concrete, and a couple of other materials, to create a sturdy squat rack pictured above. Sure, it may not look like your typical gym squat rack, but at this point, we’ll take anything to be able to do a back squat.
To construct it, this dedicated gym goer cut the pieces of wood into three different sizes and glued them together to make a holder for the bar.
Then whipped up the cement and filled the buckets, placed his constructed glued wood pieces in the cement, then waited for it to set. BOOM. You got yourself a squat rack.
Hot tip: Make sure you put the wood in the middle of the bucket and cement so it’s all even.
Want this innovative creation in your house? Watch this step by step tutorial here.
Squat rack and pull up bar made out of pipe and wood? Now that’s a dream combo.
It’s going to be gains galore with this bad boy. This is a method for those who are wanting a squat rack that supports a heavier weight. It has a stronger infrastructure by using both wood and pipe, meaning you can smash PB’s while at home.
And as an added extra, there's no more worrying about losing your back muscles, because there are also instructions to make a pull up bar out of the piping you purchase. We’ve gotta say, this is pretty next level.
This one is a little more pricey than the previous, but it will be worth it, trust us.
Along with the materials, you’re also going to need some tools to assemble this bad boy. Make sure you have these on hand:
- Power drill
- Measuring square
- Miter saw or hand saw
- Xacto knife and brush
Once you’ve got all the required materials, it’s time to drill holes into the planks of wood for spotter arms. You need to first mark on the planks of wood where you are going to drill. Make sure the markings are in a straight line and not slanted, it’s easier to put the pin in. Once they are marked, drill away!
After that, you’ll need to sand the freshly drilled areas to make sure that the pins can pass through seamlessly.
For sturdiness, you’re going to need to cut four cross pieces to add to the structure of your squat rack.
After that, it’s time to put the rest together. Start off by attaching one post at a time to the structure and go from there.
Sounds good to you? Be sure to check out the full in depth instructions that include photos right here!
If any of these aren't your style, then we have found a few others that might work for you here, here, and here. Okay Ryderwear family, that’s five different squat rack tutorials, so get your handy skills on, because there is no excuse now. Not that you should need an excuse to do a back squat.
Who would have thought isolation would bring us lifters to the DIY and crafts community on YouTube to create at home gyms? Lockdown has us smashing back squat PB’s and getting our craft on.
Get squatting in some of our favourite gear, whether you wanna get low in a pair of seamless tights, or the comfortability of a pair of shorts, we’ve got you covered!
