How to use the squat cage

A gym cage or better called a squat cage is a workout station that is used to perform heavy exercises such as barbells. The aim is always to train the body to keep it fit and toned.

If you’re thinking of setting up a home gym, the squat cage is definitely a piece of equipment you might want to consider.

Let’s find out together what a squat cage is and how to use it.

What is a squat cage (or power rack) ?

Squat cage also known as power rack (also known as power cage, squat cage, squat rack or power rack or gym racks) is a piece of weight training equipment. It works as a mechanical spotter for free-weight exercises without the movement restrictions imposed by equipment such as the Smith machine.

A full-size power rack weighs on average, between 90 and 225 kg. They are typically constructed of steel and designed to last for a very long time (if you buy a good quality one). They have a load capacity of around 500 kg.

Unlike the traditional equipment found in the gym, the power rack is extremely versatile and easy to use. It allows you to train with very heavy loads, greatly reducing the risk of injury.

The squat cage is useful for correctly performing squat sessions, exercises lying on a flat or inclined bench, as well as pull-ups. Recommended for professionals and beginners, gym cages are an indispensable piece of equipment if you want to train your buttocks and legs, but also for your back and abdominals. It also allows you to gradually increase the intensity of your training.

Do I need a squat cage at home ?

The answer to this question is YES. The motivations are simple, if you want to improve your skills and get to lift heavy free weights without needing a spotting partner, then you need to add a power rack to your home gym.

Another advantage of the training cage is that it allows you to perform more than a dozen exercises, for example with a CrossFit® cage you can perform an intense workout even from home.

All professional gyms usually have more than one power rack available to their members. Today, thanks to improvements in overall quality and affordable rates, you can buy a squat cage at home and train in comfort at any time at home.

Another benefit of having a squat cage is that they often include pull up bars and the ability to add accessories for additional exercises such as dips, lat pull-downs, and rows. These extra accessories can add workout variety and increase the total number of possible exercises, as well as promote better results after consistent training over time.

Squat cage exercises

There are so many exercises that you can perform with a power rack: an example of a total body workout could be the following:

• squat
• flat bench
• incline bench
• pull-ups at the high bar
• Rower with 90° torso
• seated presses
• bench presses with narrow grip
• barbell curl
• deadlifts with straight legs

The series of workouts to be performed can be varied and chosen according to your personal goal and personal degree of training, with different variations and changing the load of weights to be performed.

Training techniques with the squat cage

We have seen the characteristics of a squat cage and why to have one at home if space allows, now let’s see what training techniques can be applied with the power rack.

Enhanced workout

Enhanced training allows the athlete to train for failure, in this case his safety is put to the test. Having a gym cage, with bars as support, helps you push yourself to your personal limit while maintaining safety at a high level. It is always recommended to perform enhanced training under the supervision of a supervisor.

Partial works

The power rack has holes on the poles that allow you to insert bars to perform partial or incomplete work.

Each exercise of partial work with the squat cage can be divided into 3 zones: high, low, central.

The squat cage allows you to perform these targeted and circumscribed exercises by pushing each area to the limit and going beyond the difficulty of exercise and fatigue itself.

Low position as a training starting point

If your workout starts with the low position, using the squat cage you start from the concentric phase, instead of the eccentric phase. This allows the athlete to give a higher acceleration than in the eccentric phase of the movement.

Interrupted series

The interrupted series technique is performed by placing the balance between one repetition and another at the end of the eccentric phase. Recover a few seconds and continue training until you reach the repetitions you have set for yourself. All this can be done safely and more easily thanks to the power rack.

Conclusion

We can only conclude by saying that the squat cage or gym cage is the ideal tool for training in total safety with weights. The structure, although heavy and bulky, is very versatile and allows you to obtain a toned and sculpted physique even in a short time with constant training.