Griffin GR3 Power Rack

Griffin GR3 Power Rack

The Griffin GR3 is a high-quality power rack constructed with 3×3 11-gauge steel with 1″ hardware and 2″ spacing. It can be purchased as a 4-post rack or as a 6-post rack in two different heights.

This rack is compatible with Griffin’s attachments as well as attachments from several other companies. See the below section of full compatibility.

If you’re looking for a versatile, well-priced, and well-reviewed 3×3 rack, the GR3 is a solid option.

Read more below.

Features & Highlights

• Steel Size – The GR3 rack from Griffin is their high-end rack offering. It’s constructed with 3×3 11-gauge steel and it’s assembled with a bolt-together design. 3×3 steel is becoming increasingly popular for its strength, attachment compatibility, and its overall aesthetic. One thing to keep in mind is that while this rack is advertised as 3×3, it’s actually around 2.95×2.95 since it uses the metric system being an imported rack. This may have an impact on attachment compatibility from American-made companies. More on this in the below attachment section.
• 4 or 6-Post Design – This rack can be purchased in a 4-post or 6-post design. With the 6-post option, you have an option for plate storage and you don’t have to bolt the rack down. With the 4-post rack, you save space and money, but it does require front post stabilization (more below) or it needs to be bolted down.
• Hole/Hardware Sizing – This rack uses 1″ hardware, which is also increasing in popularity. 1″ hardware racks tend to get the best, most refined attachments. The rack will accommodate all of Griffin’s GR3 Attachments/Accessories as well as some from other companies (read more in the compatibility section below).
• Exterior Rack Dimensions – The GR3 has a total length of either 36″ (4-post) or 56″ (6-post) and a total width of 50.5″, which includes the footplates. One of the biggest benefits of this rack is that it offers a 47″ outside width vs. a 49″ width that some other companies use. This narrower width provides more room for your barbell & plates, which makes for a cleaner walk-out/re-rack. The GR3 can be purchased with an 80″ or a 92″ height.
• Interior Rack Dimensions – The interior lifting area measures 30″ deep, which provides ample room to comfortably lift in. It’s also 41″ wide inside-to-inside. The 6-post option of the rack comes with a 16″ depth storage section and an extra set of uprights. This provides enough depth to store plates without the concern of them interfering with any lifts.
• Safety Options – This rack includes safety straps as standard, which is an excellent feature. Safety straps are much nicer than pin & pipe safeties commonly found on racks as the standard offering. Straps help to protect your barbell and they’re more adjustable. Griffin also sells spotter arms as separate. These are commonly used to lift outside of the rack and they include a UHMW top layer to help protect your barbell’s finish.
• Laser Cut Hole Numbers – The GR3 includes laser cut numbers, which is a great feature for easy adjustments on J-cups, safeties, etc… It’s also much more aesthetic than non-numbered uprights, in my opinion.
• No Color Options – This rack is currently only available in black powder coat and a red branded rear arch. While this is a popular and beautiful scheme, it’s a limitation compared to some other comparable racks with multiple color options. I will add that the all-black hardware looks killer.

What’s Included in the Box

The Griffin GR3 includes several notable pieces as standard:

• (2) Flat Sandwich Cups – This is a great feature since many companies sell these separately as a premium option.
• (2) Strap Safeties – This is also a great feature over the common pin & pipe safeties that come standard on some other racks.
• (1) Multi-Grip Pull-Up Bar – This is yet another nice feature, as this is a premium offering on some other racks
• (10) Weight Storage Pins – 4 6″ pins and 6 12″ pins come with the 6-post rack option (must select w/ weight storage)
• (1) Rear Arch
• (4) 30″ Crossmembers with Side Holes
• (4 or 6) 80″ or 90″ Uprights with Side Holes

Attachment Compatibility

The Griffin GR3 is constructed with 3×3 steel and 1″ hardware, which is compatible with Griffin’s attachments.

Here you can add additional accessories to your rack or you can upgrade the ones that come standard with the RM-3 (as above). In general, the Monster accessories are the best that Rogue offers.

Some attachments that I think are worthy of consideration include the stabilizer feet, the spotter arms, and the landmine.

The stabilizer feet prevent having to bolt down the 4-post rack option, the spotter arms are a great safety feature, and the landmine opens up a ton of barbell training variety.

As for attachment compatibility outside of Griffin, notable places to look are REP Fitness, Rogue Fitness, Sorinex,  Titan Fitness, Fray Fitness, and Fringe Sport. Each of these companies offers attachments that will fit 3×3 and 1″ hardware (REP PR-5000, Rogue Monster, Various Sorinex, Titan Series, Fray Savage, Fringe 3×3). One thing to keep in mind is that imported racks use the metric system vs. the imperial system on USA-made racks (Rogue and Sorinex). This means that hole spacing will be slightly shorter. If you find an attachment that has two pins (or a single pin with a second hitch pin) then it may not fit properly. Single-pin attachments tend to work fine.

Another thing to consider is that Rogue has a 49″ width vs 47″, so any attachment that spans the width of their racks will not fit the REP PR-5000v2 without modification.

What They’re Saying at Griffin Fitness

The Griffin GR3 Power Rack receives very positive user feedback. With an average rating of 5/5, here are some of the things people have said at Griffin.fitness.

Positive

• “Shipment/Packaging: My shipment went out on 10/26/2020 and I received my rack on 11/3/2020. If you live all the way out on the east coast like I do, it will take some time for you to get your rack. The rack and accessories I ordered all arrived on a well made pallet. Everything was wrapped properly, boxed properly, and there was no damage whatsoever to my order. I highly recommend new buyers take everything out before transporting them to your desired gym space. There is a lot to open up and dispose of. Remember to recycle or keep the boxes for your cats and/or kids to play with for awhile.TL;DR A+ Shipping/Packaging. Installation: You won’t receive any installation instructions in the box. Don’t freak out. They will send you some instructions via e-mail after you call them. I was told at some point they will have some official documentation. It was somewhat difficult for me to setup the rack on my own but I got it done. I highly recommend grabbing a friend or family member to help out. A lot safer. It took me about 4 hours to setup everything. My forearms got a pretty good workout tightening their bolts. I was sore for a couple of days but damn was it worth it. TL;DR: Will be a long process on your own. Grab some friends. Safety: The rack is extremely sturdy after you tighten everything up. I don’t have this thing bolted in the ground but I have no concerns about it going anywhere. I feel extremely safe with the spotter arms while I bench, the front foot extensions for when I climb on the rack like a monkey, and the safety-strap system is top notch. The steel is good and they coated it well so no worries here about rust. The welds looked pretty good as well. TL;DR Super safe. Usability: It’s the real deal and worth every penny. That’s all I have to say. Looks: 1.) Pictures don’t do it justice. Black and red is just such a great combo. 2.) Your friends and family will know you are pretty serious when they see this in person. Then they will ask to come over to use it. 3.) I’m always thinking about my next workout when I look at it. TL;DR: 10/10. Griffin’s Customer Service: Top notch. I had a lot of interaction with their team and I can’t say enough good things about them all. They answered all of my questions and listened to my suggestions. They leave a nice handwritten Quality Check card in your shipment welcoming you to the family. TL;DR Griffin is like two really close friends who consider family. The big ole question: Should I buy this rack? Yes. In fact you should have bought this 2 minute ago if you read everything.”
• “Full disclosure, I was so impressed by this rack I sold my Titan x-3 flat foot to buy. This is an amazing value when you factor in all you get. The included attachments would cost you hundreds extra on any other site. DONT OVERPAY. Simply, the rack is amazing, and you can tell that the minute you take any of the pieces out of their boxes. Assembly was a piece of cake, as there are only one type of bolt/nut/washer/tightening ring combo. You’ll definitely need a friend because of how hefty it is. Two things that impressed me the most were the powder coating on the rack (I’ve had steel plates hit the rack and zero signs of damage) and the overall lack of any blemishes. I don’t have any weight attacked to the rack, and it is not bolted down, and there is zero wiggle when doing pull-ups or core work when hanging. This is due to the extension arms which are an extra, but fully worth it if you’re in slab concrete like me. The rack has plenty of room for attachments, and doesn’t take up a massive footprint. Unfortunately, Griffin doesn’t make weight horns yet, so I bought the Titan series from Titan and they work perfectly. If I had room, I’d buy a second rack. Can’t wait to see what attachments come out. 5 out of 5.”
• “I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, exactly, when I ordered this rack. I’d watched and read a lot of reviews on other companies (Rogue, Titan, REP, Fray, etc…) but hadn’t found as much in the way of reviews on Griffin. But I liked the specs, I liked the involvement I saw from a Griffin guy on Reddit, and the deal was fantastic. I’d almost pulled the trigger a few times, but the shipping was just too high to get it to me in Florida. But then you guys came out with the flat rate shipping and I saw the blemished rack was in stock and pulled the trigger (I bought one for myself and one for a buddy and shipped them together). I am beyond satisfied. This thing is incredible. It’s just as good as you might expect from the specs. The powder coat was fantastic, the holds were clean cut and well aligned, the packaging was strong and thoughtful, and even the little touches were exactly right. Things like including a set of wrenches in each pack of bolts so you aren’t looking for them or worried about losing them. The laser cut logos in the J-Cups. The laser cuts in the posts. The powder coat on the pullup bar is great. I’m incredibly happy with this purchase and have recommended it already to several friends who are looking into getting a full rack!”
• “I’ve had this rack for a few months now, and it is awesome. Quality build, and the included accessories (j-cups and safety straps) are usually priced as upgrades from other companies. I have a few of their rack attachments and I look forward to seeing what else they come out with so I can continuing upgrading mine.”
• “Had my GR3 for over 6 months. It is the heart and center piece of my gym. I like the 3×3- 1″ holes vs 5/8″. I love the 2″ hole spacing on all 4 sides of the uprights. You can really customize the rack this way. All the attachments are great and I love the logos on each one. I would definitely recommend the GR3 rack, and Griffin fitness to anyone.”

Critical

• N/A

Garage Gym Lab Review

Garage Gym Lab has not yet reviewed the Griffin GR3 Power Rack.

Other Options

The below racks were picked as alternatives to the Griffin GR3 Power Rack.