ARMAC Power Rack Review
I'm 6'3", 245 lbs and this 2,000 lb rack didn't sway on pull-ups. Here's what the dual pulley system actually gets you at home.
The ARMAC Multi-Functional Power Rack is worth buying if you want one station that covers squats, bench, dips, pull-ups, rows and cable work at home. The dual pulley system runs each side independently, which is the feature that sold me. Buy it if you have the floor space and 3 hours to build it.
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How this review was made: written from my own video review of this product. Every opinion here is my own, from using it myself.
| Weight capacity | 2,000 lbs |
|---|---|
| Post steel | 50 × 70 mm, 2 mm thickness |
| Cage size | 61.9″L × 67.9″W × 83.6″H |
| Plate compatibility | 1″ standard and 2″ Olympic |
| Ships as | 3 separate boxes |
I Rocked On the Pull-Up Bar at 245 lbs. Nothing Moved.
That was the moment I stopped worrying about this rack. I’m 6’3″, 245 pounds, and I was swinging pretty good up there, and the cage just sat there. No sway. I’m 6’3″, 245 pounds, and I was swinging pretty good on the pull-up bar when I realized the cage didn’t move, no sway, no bounce, and that’s when I knew the 2 mm steel posts were the real story.
The posts are 50 by 70 millimeter with a 2 millimeter wall thickness. That’s the number that matters. If I’m making weight move, I need the rack to be steady, and 2 mm is where this one lands. Same story on the dip bars. Usually those things are shaking and moving all over the place with a bigger guy on them. Not the case here.
The Dual Pulley System Isn’t a Gimmick
Each cable side runs independently, one side’s weight stack doesn’t touch the other, so single-arm isolation work is real, not simulated. A lot of people look at a multi functional power rack with cables and assume it’s one weight stack splitting the load. This isn’t that. I’ve got weights on this side, weights on that side, and each one does its own thing.
I’m somebody that likes isolated movements. So I did tricep pushdowns on one side only, and you can watch the plates on that side move while the other side just sits. That’s huge for making sure both sides of your body get an equal workout instead of the strong side quietly doing all the labor. Hook up the included tricep rope to the included chain and you’ve got a proper pushdown station. Don’t want the chain? Go higher up the post and run the rope straight.
The front posts are numbered, which sounds boring until you want symmetry. I dropped one side to number three, walked over, matched number three on the other side, and went into raises and bicep curls knowing both cables started level. ARMAC also pitches this as two people training at once, and the independent sides are exactly why that works.
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Three Hours, By Myself, Three Boxes
Assembly took me about three hours working alone, and ARMAC’s own instructions recommend 2 to 3 people. That’s the real cost after you click buy: a weekend afternoon and ideally a second set of hands. What saved me was the hardware packaging. It’s bagged by step, so step one in the bag matches step one in the booklet. No digging through a pile of bolts guessing.
The three boxes may land on different days, which is worth knowing before you clear your garage and plan a build day. Storage-wise there’s nothing else to buy. Four spots for plates, a slot back there for a 2″ barbell (I’ve got a preacher curl bar in mine), and hooks up top for every attachment it comes with. The accessories live on the rack, not on your floor.
Where It Won’t Work For You
The footprint is the limit, not the strength. At 61.9″ long by 67.9″ wide by 83.6″ tall, this needs a garage or a dedicated room with ceiling clearance, and the cable arms want space on both sides to be useful. A low basement ceiling kills the pull-up bar, which sits elevated above the main part of the cage.
The other thing is sales volume. This sits around #559,798 in Sports & Outdoors, so it’s not a product thousands of people are buying every week. That doesn’t make it worse steel, but if something fails at month 18, you’re calling ARMAC support directly, not finding a Reddit thread with 400 people who already solved the same problem.
Every Exercise I Ran On It
Rows first, down on the foot plate with the T-bar. I love those, and I love the stretch on them. Then dips, then over to the barbell with the safety arms for bent over rows and shoulder shrugs. Flat bench on the J-hooks, a few reps, then I moved the same J-hooks up for incline. It’s called a squat rack for a reason, so J-hooks went to the top of the post and I squatted.
Then the landmine, my favorite part of the whole rack. ARMAC built the sleeve to accept both 1″ and 2″ bars, which matters because most sleeves are 2″ only and leave standard-bar owners out. Tighten the knob, grab the right clamp from the box, and you’re in.
That 1″/2″ thing runs through the whole rack, by the way. Some racks do 2″ only, or 2″ on the main posts and 1″ somewhere else. Every post and every storage spot here takes both. If you’re carrying over a set of standard plates from an older setup, you’re not buying new plates.
Cage space surprised me most. At 6’3″ I’ve been in racks that felt like they were squeezing me, too tight to do what I needed. Plenty of room here, on the sides and at the top.
What I’d Sort Out Before Ordering
Measure your ceiling first, then your floor, then line up a helper. In that order. The pull-up bar sits above the 83.6″ cage height, so ceiling is the one that stops people. After that, decide whether the dual cable setup is actually what you want, because that’s what you’re paying for over a bare squat rack. If you only bench and squat, a simpler rack does it. If you want cable crossovers, pulldowns, pushdowns and a landmine without driving anywhere, this covers it.
You don’t need to shop accessories either. Lat bar, cable bar, two handles, J-hooks, safety bars, dip bars, the 360° landmine, foot plate, band pegs and clamps all come with it. If that sounds like your situation, stop deliberating and order it, nothing in this price range ships with independent dual pulleys and a full attachment kit already in the box.
Pros
- Each cable side runs independently, so single-arm isolation work is real, not simulated
- No sway at 245 lbs rocking on the pull-up bar; dip bars stayed solid too
- Every post and storage spot takes both 1″ and 2″ plates
- Hardware bagged by step and matched to the instruction booklet
- Numbered posts make matching cable height on both sides instant
Cons
- Three hours solo on assembly, and ARMAC recommends 2 to 3 people
- Ships in three boxes that can arrive on different days
- Pull-up bar sits above the 83.6″ cage height, so low ceilings are out
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to bolt it to the floor?
I didn’t bolt mine down and it held steady through pull-ups, dips and squats at 245 lbs. If you’re doing explosive kipping work or loading near the 2,000 lb ceiling, anchoring is cheap insurance, but it wasn’t needed for normal training.
Does a barbell or weight plates come with it?
No. You supply the bar and the plates. Everything that attaches to the rack is included, including the clamps in both 1″ and 2″.
Can two people actually train on it at the same time?
Yes, that’s the point of the independent pulleys. One person can work a cable side while another uses the opposite side, since neither pulley interferes with the other.
How do I keep the cables and pulleys in shape?
Wipe sweat off the posts and cables after sessions, and check that the landmine knob and J-hooks are seated before you load up. Sweat on steel is what starts rust in a garage gym, not the lifting.
Will it fit a standard 8-foot garage ceiling?
The cage is 83.6″ tall, so it clears 8 feet with a few inches to spare. The question is whether you have head clearance above the elevated pull-up bar once you’re hanging. Measure before you order.
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ARMAC Multi-Functional Power Rack
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