How to assemble a squat rack

• Socket set and spanners
• Rubber mallet
• Spirit level
• Tape measure
• Floor anchors if the manual calls for them

Before you start, lay everything out on a soft surface (the flattened box works) and check it against the parts list in your manual.

• Uprights
• Top and bottom cross members
• Base feet or floor plates
• J-hooks and safety arms or spotter bars
• Bolts, nuts and washers

1. 1

   Step 1: Measure the ceiling: leave room for pull-ups and for pressing a bar overhead, if you plan to.

2. 2

   Step 2: Lay out the uprights and bolt the base members to them, bolts finger-tight.

3. 3

   Step 3: With a helper, stand the frame and fit the top cross members.

4. 4

   Step 4: Check the frame is square and plumb with a spirit level, then tighten all the bolts in a cross pattern.

5. 5

   Step 5: Anchor the rack to the floor or add weight-storage pegs as the manual shows, on a solid surface or lifting platform.

6. 6

   Step 6: Fit the J-hooks and safety arms at the right height for your squat, and check they are locked in before loading a bar.

• Tightening bolts before the frame is square, so the uprights lean.
• Setting the safety arms too low to catch the bar.
• Placing a rack on thin flooring that dents or gives way.