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As mentioned by others, a full rack is the best get to start with. I long ago got a half rack which is fine for benching alone (has spotting arms) but not for serious squats.

Advise making sure whatever bench you buy to make sure the height off the floor is comfortable for you. I had one that was a little too tall and believe that contributed to some lower back stress.

I'm in a rural area now and once again stuck with no spotter, also older with assorted old lifting and snowboarding injuries. I picked up a hack squat machine to enable me to safely work on squats again while also not having the load sitting on top of my spine.



I've been considering the Rogue SML-1, which I think is not considered a full rack.

What's wrong with with a half rack with spotter arms for squats? Is it a matter of not being able to handle very heavy weights?

Thanks for the input, btw - super helpful!

https://www.roguefitness.com/sml-1-rogue-70-monster-lite-squ...


My half rack spotting arms are really only meant for benching, quite short. The advantage of a full cage is safety in multiple directions.

This guy has a good write up of the plus/minus of the different types. https://www.setforset.com/blogs/news/squat-stand-vs-half-rac...




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