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How do I set the catch pins perfect for bench? Update

Posted on 7/22/23 at 11:51 am
Posted by upgrade
Member since Jul 2011
13116 posts
Posted on 7/22/23 at 11:51 am
I had been lifting on a set up that I custom built in my shed.
This year, the summer heat convinced me to move my home gym indoors, so I bought a power rack from Amazon.

It seems like a nice rack, but on bench press, the bar hits the catch pins at the same time it hits my chest. This includes me puffing and expanding my chest out.
I tried putting boards under the bench to raise it 1 1/2 off the floor and that gives me good clearance off the catch pins, but now my feet are too high off the floor.


I don’t have a spotter BTW.
I’ve only ever missed a rep benching once in my life and it was before I built my custom set up. No collars on the bar, so I was able to dump the weights on the floor, but I’d prefer to avoid that.


Am I over thinking this?



Update. Because I know y’all were all very concerned about my problems

I had some left over horse stall mat. I cut it to fit inside the power rack. The rack is sitting on two mats side by side and I added a piece of mat on top of that inside the power rack. Seems like a perfect height for me now.
This post was edited on 7/23/23 at 6:19 pm
Posted by GeauxldMember
Member since Nov 2003
4405 posts
Posted on 7/22/23 at 12:40 pm to
Hole spacing on lower priced racks is generally less than ideal, so that’s likely the big issue. One option would be to buy safety straps that fit your rack and arrange them higher on the head side so the bar would drift downward if you lost one…
Posted by LostTiger27
Member since Aug 2019
327 posts
Posted on 7/22/23 at 2:07 pm to
quote:

buy safety straps that fit your rack and arrange them higher on the head side so the bar would drift downward if you lost one

This is the answer. Straps are so much more versatile for every lift. If your chest is out you can still touch your chest during the rep but fail without it touching your chest. Hard to explain until you just try it
Posted by OysterPoBoy
City of St. George
Member since Jul 2013
35342 posts
Posted on 7/22/23 at 3:10 pm to
How heavy are you going? I feel like I could just roll it down to my waist if I had to but I’m not going much over 200 usually.
Posted by Earnest_P
Member since Aug 2021
3543 posts
Posted on 7/22/23 at 3:21 pm to
In case you don’t already know, never bench with the weights locked on the bar, so you can just dump it in an emergency.

Also, a good power rack is IMO indispensable if you’re working out alone. Otherwise how do you ever really push the weight? I think most people without one just compensate and lift less than they would with one.
Posted by Canuck Tiger
Member since Sep 2010
1726 posts
Posted on 7/22/23 at 4:10 pm to
In addition to safety straps, you might be able to get spotter arms that are offset a bit from the holes. A ghetto solution is to put down some bumpers where your feet go if you raised the bench up on boards.
Posted by POTUS2024
Member since Nov 2022
11327 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 8:01 pm to
Back when I lifted heavy I never found a consistent workout partner. Eventually I decided to just use a smith machine. My experience was that eventually you will figure out a solution for the safety stops, whether you're on a smith machine or power rack - the thing you may need to think about is that, as you progress and can lift heavier and heavier weight, the surface the bench is on will become very important. Not enough friction and all of a sudden you will push the weight and it doesn't move, but you do, along with the bench. If that happens, the weight can quickly come crashing down. If it's heavy but easy, and you don't have the safety pins / stops inserted, then bad things are going to happen. Just something to think about.
Posted by Hu_Flung_Pu
Central, LA
Member since Jan 2013
22200 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 8:29 pm to
I have the pins at the chest on full arch. If I need to bail, I do a flat back and it’s cleared. You really shouldn’t be lifting enough that it would crash so fast you don’t have time to flatten.

I also kind of push it towards my stomach on a bail out
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