Rogue HR-2 Half Rack Review: A High-Quality, Compact Rack for Home Gyms

Half racks are a compromise between a power cage and a squat rack. 

Selecting equipment for your home gym often presents challenges, mainly when space is limited. Many aspire to include a power cage in their setup but opt for a squat rack due to spatial constraints. The Rogue half rack emerges as a solution, offering a compact yet robust alternative seamlessly integrating into your home gym.

Rogue Fitness has designed this half rack to bridge the gap between a power cage’s sturdiness and a squat rack’s minimal footprint. Its size allows for easy placement in a garage or designated gym space at home, enabling a wide range of exercises. This guide explores the features of this versatile piece of equipment, highlighting its value to athletes and ensuring that you make the most informed decision for your home gym setup.

Overview — What Is a Half Rack? 

A half rack is a squat rack, which is slightly larger and more effective in holding weights, especially when performing exercises. Many home gyms use squat racks as they can fit in limited spaces. However, one major drawback of this equipment is that it can be less stable and fall over if you put heavy weights on it.

The power rack, also known as a power cage, is a more sturdy option for holding heavier weights and offers opportunities for performing more exercises. Power racks include add-on attachments, like pull-up bars, landmine attachments, pulleys, and cables. However, the major drawback of this equipment is that its bulky nature makes it challenging to fit into any home gym space.

The half rack is a halfway compromise between the power cage and the squat rack. While similar to the squat rack, it has a more reinforced base, making it more stable. It’s also not as bulky as the power cage because it removes the upper half.  

For home gyms, the half rack is an effective space-saving option. It’s also less expensive than a power cage. Most half racks offer exercise versatility, too. Here’s a list of exercises you can perform with the half rack: 

• Barbell Back/Front Squats
• Deadlifts
• Shoulder Presses
• Rows
• Pull-Ups/Chin-Ups 
• Bicep Curls
• Pulldowns
• Hanging Leg Lifts 
• Barbell Lunges 
• Overhead Presses

The Rogue Half Rack

Rogue as a brand started from a garage in 2006 but has grown to a world-class name synonymous with class and quality. They collaborate with the USA Weightlifting, CrossFit Games, World’s Strongest Man competitions, and the Arnold Strongman Classic. The Rogue half rack is a quality product from this brand for home gyms. 

The Rogue half rack is American-made with top-quality 11-gauge steel. It also offers two size options, a 108in uprights with back 90in uprights or a smaller 90in with 70in back uprights. The price difference between the two is just $35!

Note

• If you already have a squat rack from Rogue Fitness’ SML-1 or SML-2 squat stand line, Rogue offers a half-rack conversion package that adds cross members, back uprights, and weight horns to your stand.
• The half rack comes with J-cups, but safety pipes and weight storage horns are available at an additional cost.

Highlights of the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack

Rogue HR-2 Half Rack

Rogue HR-2 Half Rack

Whether you are putting this in a garage gym, basement gym, or commercial gym, the Rogue HR-2 Half Rack is a great way to get in those big lifts without taking up too much space.

Shop Rogue

The Rogue half rack is available on order and comes in multiple easy-to-carry boxes. It comes with a branded wrench and is easy to assemble. One person can assemble this device in under an hour. Below are more benefits the Rogue half rack offers.

Affordability

The Rogue half rack is relatively affordable gym equipment. While the Rogue brand is a bit pricey, it offers quality to meet this price. Plus, the pricing is fair, and it offers multiple exercises similar to the power rack. 

Smaller Footprint

The Rogue half rack is 48x49in and compact, so it doesn’t take up as much space as the power rack. The four uprights are also towards the back of this rack, which frees up its front for performing many more exercises. However, users enjoy another space advantage the most: its two-size options to fit in with your home space. 

Stability

The Rogue half rack is relatively sturdy and stable because its 11-gauge steel base is constructed with 2x3in steel tubing. It can carry relatively heavier weights than a squat rack, making it safer. Due to its well-reinforced base and quality steel build, you won’t worry about the rack falling off.

Versatility

This equipment offers many opportunities for exercise. It provides installation options like cables, pulleys, pull-up/chin-up bars, and landmine attachments. You can also easily upgrade it to a power rack (if you move and have more space) or downgrade it to a squat rack. 

Product Specifications

Is the Rogue Half Rack Worth It?

Yes, the Rogue half rack is worth it for every athlete looking for versatile home gym equipment. It can handle heavy weights, is stable, and requires relatively small installation space. You can easily set this up in your home or small commercial gym.

Our Verdict of the Rogue Half Rack

The Rogue half rack is an excellent home and commercial gym option. Its 11-gauge steel base makes it sturdy and more stable for training than a squat rack. This rack also provides versatility and stability, allowing users to perform multiple exercises. 

Though this brand’s pricing might be steep, it’s worth it for the quality and assurance offered. Plus, this half rack is still cheaper than the power rack, and you can easily upgrade or downgrade it to meet your spacing needs.

Finally, the Rogue half rack is compatible with many accessories, so you can do multiple routines on it. It only comes in black, but black is a versatile color that fits many gym themes. The Rogue half rack meets this need if you’re looking for an American-made squat rack alternative to a bolted-down power rack. 

Follow Generation Iron on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more equipment reviews!