Rogue R-4 Power Rack

Rogue R-4 Power Rack

The Rogue R-4 Power Rack is the largest 4-post rack in the R-series lineup. This rack is constructed with 2×3 11-gauge steel with 5/8″ holes and Westside spacing. It’s compatible with Rogue’s Infinity attachments as well as some attachments from other companies.

This rack is similar to the very popular Rogue R-3 (also 4-post), but it has a deeper interior area which allows for front and back pull-up options. It’s also similar to the R-6, but it doesn’t have the rear storage section.

I owned an R-series rack for years and I thought it was a great bang-for-the-buck rack.

Read more below.

Features & Highlights

• Steel Size – The R-4 rack from Rogue is a part of their R-series (formerly known as the Infinity Series) family. It’s constructed with 2×3 11-gauge steel and it’s easily assembled with a bolt-together design. 2×3 steel is very sturdy and it’s capable of handling virtually anything you can throw at it.
• 4-Post Design – As a 4-post rack, you’ll save some space compared to a 6-post rack. There are two other differences worth considering: plate storage and stability. On a 4-post rack, while you can store plates on the back upright, you may find that the plates can interfere with your setup when lifting inside the rack. This is particularly true on the bench press. The workaround is to bench press from the inside of the opposite upright. In terms of stability, this rack will need to be bolted into the ground or onto a platform unless you buy the optional stabilizer. The stabilizer attaches to the bottom of the back crossmembers. Even still, if you’re lifting heavy on the outside of the front uprights or if you’re doing heavy pull-ups, bolting down is recommended (not required).
• Hole/Hardware Sizing – This rack uses 5/8″ hardware, which is one of the most common hardware sizes used on power racks. The rack will accommodate all of Rogue’s Infinity Attachments/Accessories as well as some from other companies (read more in the compatibility section below).
• Hole Spacing – The R-4 offers Westside hole spacing, which is a popular feature on 5/8″ racks. The holes are spaced 1″ apart through the bench zone, allowing for finer adjustments on your J-cups and safeties. This can be useful for people who are “in-between” sizes. Above and below the Westside section are holes with standard 2″ spacing between them.
• Exterior Rack Dimensions – This rack is the second-to-largest in the R-Series family with a total length of 53″ and a total width of 53″ (includes footplates). In terms of the uprights themselves, the dimensions are 49″ deep and 47″ wide. One of the main benefits of a 2×3 rack is the 47″ width. This gives you more room to cleanly un-rack and re-rack your bar without concern of clipping the uprights with the plates on the bar. For instance, Rogue’s 3×3 racks have a 49″ outside upright width, which makes a bar sit 2″ tighter to the uprights. The uprights stand 90″ tall, but with the footplates, the total height is slightly higher at 90 3/8.”
• Interior Rack Dimensions – The interior lifting area measures 43″ deep, which is more than enough room to lift comfortably. This is the same depth as the 6-post R-6 from Rogue. The main difference between the two is the missing storage section.
• Safety Options – This rack includes pin & pipe safeties as standard, which are common for this style of rack. This safety system is a bit cumbersome to set up and it has a powder-coated exterior, which isn’t great for barbell protection. Rogue does not offer full interior safeties with UHMW lining (more protection) for their R-series racks. They do, however, offer safety arms with UHMW for the front of the rack.
• No Color Options – One of the downsides to the R-series lineup is that they only come in standard black powder coat. If you want something with color, you’ll need to upgrade to the RML-490C or the RM-4.
• Made in America – The R-4 is made in Ohio.

What’s Included in the Box

The Rogue R-4 includes several notable attachments as standard:

• (2) Infinity J-Cups
• (2) Pin & Pip Safeties
• (4) Band Pegs
• (1) Fat (2″ diameter)/Skinny (1.25″) Pull-Up Bar
• (1) Skinny Pull-Up Bar
• (4) 43″ Crossmembers with Side Holes
• (4) 90″ Uprights with Side Holes

Optionally, you can add a concrete anchor kit (bolting recommended, but not required with stabilizer). You can also add from a selection of barbells (includes HG collars), benches, and plates right on the product page to save on shipping and build out a complete setup.

Another difference between the R-4 and the R-6 is that the R-4 does not come standard with the X-43M Multi Grip Pull-Up bar. You can, however, add it for an upcharge.

Attachment Compatibility

The R-4 Power Rack is constructed with 2×3 steel and 5/8″ hardware, which is compatible with Rogue’s Infinity Attachments.

Here you can add additional accessories to your rack or you can upgrade the ones that come standard with the R-4. Some attachments that I think are worthy of considering include the Rogue Matador, the Rogue Landmine, and the Safety Spotter Arms.

The Matador allows for a portable dip station, the landmines open up a ton of barbell movement versatility, and the safety spotters are better than Pin & Pipes and they allow for outside rack lifting.

As for attachment compatibility outside of Rogue Fitness, two notable places to look are Titan Fitness and Fringe Sport. Both companies offer attachments that will fit 2×3 and 5/8″ hardware. One thing to keep in mind is that imported racks use the metric system vs. the imperial system on USA-made racks. 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.

What They’re Saying at Rogue Fitness

The Rogue R-4 Power Rack receives very positive feedback from users. With an average rating of 4.9/5, here are some of the things people have said at roguefitness.com.

Positive

• “I have had this rack for a couple of years and it is the most used piece I have. I love the fact that it takes all risk of getting hurt from a lift gone wrong away when used properly. This beast is solid and well made right here in good ole usa which is one big reason I bought this. It is expensive but I do not regret the purchase one bit. The only regret I have is not getting one that had the hole numbers etched in the metal but I use tape to mark my most used holes and just count the rest. I bought the spotter arms total waste of money so far I do everything inside the rack and it works just fine. The pin and pipe takes a little getting used to but works just fine and is fast enough to change holes. If money is no object get the r-6 for the storage space. This rack has holes all over the place for different applications like bands and such. Still looks brand new I use it 4 times a week pretty much every week so that lets you know about how well the coating holds up. If your in the market for a well made rack then look no further.”
• “Bought this 2-3 months ago to upgrade from a cheapo squat stand I’d been using forever. Was hard to decide to spend the money at first but I’m so glad I did! This thing is a beast and feels indestructible. Plenty of room for my buddies and I to work on it at the same time (which is why I chose this over the R3). 10/10 would buy again if I needed another rack.”
• “I’ve had this rack for about 5 months now and have been using it very consistently since its arrival. Busy schedule–having the rack saves the time that would be wasted traveling to & from a gym, meaning that I actually lift a lot more often. It provides the safety tor lifting alone at home, which is key; expecting my wife to spot me would be delusional. I’m older–highly unlikely that I’ll ever much exceed a 300 lb bar/plate combination load–and this rack is capable of handling far more. I bought the stabilizer bar so I wouldn’t need to bolt it to the floor. It has absolutely no movement with pullups on the front skinny bar, or when putting a loaded bar into its J-cups, inside or outside the frame. Fit/finish/workmanship are superb. Assembly was simple.”
  
• “Chose over the R3 due to the extra depth. Allows for 2 people to workout at the same time. I can put a flat bench in the middle and me and my wife can lift on both ends without having to change weights, with 2 bars obviously. Same with squats and/or pull ups. Comes with two pull up bars and band pegs making it super versatile. Didn’t bolt down have the extra cross member and works great, no wobble.”
• “Had this for 5 months and love it. Easy to build and very sturdy, I weigh 200lb and have tried to tip it by swinging pull-ups (kips) and it doesn’t budge.”
• “I got this for my garage gym. It is solid and can handle anything. A lot of great accessories for it too, like the dip attachment. Overall really happy and Rogue has fantastic customer service! 10/10”

Critical

• “Hate the safety bars so much that I don’t even use them, pain in the butt to move to different heights”

Garage Gym Lab Review

Garage Gym Lab has not yet reviewed the R-4 Power Rack.

Other Options

The below racks were picked as alternatives to the Rogue R-4 Power Rack.