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Power Racks and Squat Racks are an essential bit of kit in home gyms and commercial gyms alike. And of course, the holes in your rack uprights are essential to helping you work out, allowing for the use of safeties, spotter arms, J-cups, and other attachments.
On the vast majority of power racks and squat racks, the holes in the uprights are spaced 2 inches apart (50mm). Power rack hole spacing is measured from the centre of one hole to the centre of the next; so the centre of each hole is 50mm from the centre of the hole above or below it. Some people can get confused, assuming that the hole spacing refers to the distance between the holes, and so think the measurement is taken from the top of one hole to the bottom of the next. However, where gym equipment suppliers list power rack hole spacing, they are almost certainly referring to the centre-to-centre spacing distance.
Again Faster Power Racks are no exception to these rules, with this standard hole spacing featuring on all three of our power rack ranges: Evolution, Team, and Competition.
However, our Team Squat Stand Rack, Team Pull Up Squat Stand Rack, and Team Individual Squat Stands also feature what is known as "Westside Hole Spacing".
Westside hole spacing is when the hole spacing on your rack is 25mm or 1 inch. It's not an especially common feature on most racks as it tends to greatly increase the cost of the rack. However, it is becoming common for racks to feature Westside, 1-inch spacing towards the bottom of the power or squat rack, especially in the benching area. Some of our range of Team Squat Racks feature this spacing towards the middle/bottom of the rack, with standard 2-inch spacing above and below.
The simple answer is that you want the ability to set your safeties, J-cups, spotter arms, and any other accessories you want to use at exactly the right height for you. For the overwhelming majority of people, 2-inch spacing is entirely suitable for getting their positionings perfect, or at least they can get as close to perfect as makes very little difference. Most will find that the 2-inch spacing gives more than enough scope to set, for example, safeties just below the lowest point of their motion, or their J-cups at just the right height for lifting off.
However, as you begin to progress and the incremental improvements to your strength and performance begin to get smaller and smaller, you may be looking for small changes you can make to your lifts to make a difference and take you to the next level.
Especially once you start to lift really heavy, an extra inch up or down can prove to be a big challenge to overcome when we're talking about such fine margins between your new PR and a failed rep. Having everything just right is extra-important for safety reasons if you're working out alone without a spotter, too.
Let's take pressing as our example. As you get better and better, you'll quickly learn how everything from your foot placement to the exact angle of the arch in your back can seem like a small thing at the outset, but can have a big impact on your performance in the long run. If your hole spacing isn't at the exact, perfect height for you, you'll find yourself compromising on your potential power if your motion is in any way impeded, or in a sticky situation if you're lifting heavy and fail a rep without safeties at the right height.
On top of that, having to reach slightly too high for lift off from your J-cups will mean you could lose shoulder stability and tightness, affecting performance. If you set your J-cups too low, you could find yourself wasting precious triceps strength pressing the bar up to your starting position. Just 10mm - 20mm may not seem like much, but when you're pushing to your limits, every little bit of wasted effort and small detail can count!
This is where Westside hole spacing can be the game-changer. Westside hole spacing gives you more precise control over your range of movements and for setting up your accessories.
The closer spacing means you'll be far more likely to be able to find the perfect position for your J-cups or safeties, or the worst-case scenario will mean you can be just 2mm or 3mm away from perfect, compared with being anywhere up to a full inch wrong for you with standard, 2-inch spacing. Plus, having safeties at just the right height means you'll have the perfect balance between peace of mind on those failed reps, and not having to worry about having your motion impeded.
The only answer we can really give to this is: it depends. It's highly likely you're reading this and have been happily using power racks for years, whether at home or in your local gym, while never feeling restricted by 2-inch hole spacing. Maybe the next time you attempt a bench or squat, really think about how you're performing that movement and scrutinise whether your safety/J-cup positioning could be moved just a fraction to be perfect. If the answer is no - or even if it's a yes but you feel it doesn't really make enough of a difference - then any rack with standard, 2-inch (50mm) hole spacing will do the trick for you.
But if you're finding yourself at a plateau in your training and are looking for small changes that could make a difference to your performance, then Westside hole spacing could be worth a try. Or, if you want the peace of mind that imperfect hole spacing and accessory positioning will likely never become an obstacle to your training, then look for Westside spacing from the outset.
Ultimately, you can almost certainly live without a rack with Westside hole spacing. However, chances are high that you'll benefit from having it; unless you're one of the lucky ones who can get perfect safety and J-cup positioning even with standard power rack hole spacing.
After your first power rack or looking to upgrade? Check out our full range of power racks. If you're especially interested in a squat rack that features Westside hole spacing around the benching area, you will find this on our:
Beyond that, be sure to check out our social media channels and subscribe to our newsletter for offers, gym advice, stock information and more! If you have any AF gear, send us your best images - we love seeing it in action and we'll even send you a free t-shirt if we use your picture. . .
Happy lifting!
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