Muscle Power storage systems

Why choose a Muscle Power storage system?

Two things set Muscle Power apart in this category, and the first is simply the breadth of the range. This is the only brand here with something for every type of equipment: dumbbells, kettlebells, plates, bars, mats, power bands and cable attachments. That sounds like a detail until you fit out a room from scratch. You then do not have to order from three different brands to get everything off the floor, and you do not end up with a black powder coated rack next to a grey frame next to something in chrome. Racks from one range match in look and finish, even if you add another one two years from now.

The real difference is the Wall Line. A bracket for ten to fifteen power bands and ropes, a wall holder with hooks for six to eight cable attachments, a wall bracket for around ten gym mats and a wall pin for plates: none of those models costs you a square metre of floor. And floor space is where a home gym runs aground, not budget and not motivation. It is also exactly the kit that creates the mess, because a dumbbell rack stays tidy by itself while loose bands, handles and mats never do. So the order we recommend is straightforward: start at the wall, then fill in with floor standing racks.

Be honest about where this range sits, though. It is broad and practical, but it belongs in the mid segment rather than the commercial top segment. For a gym floor where twenty people pull at the same rack all day long you may want heavier, thicker steel. For a home gym, a personal training room or a corporate gym this is more than enough, and what you get in return is a reach that the heavier alternative rarely matches. Also take a look at the other fitness equipment from Muscle Power to see what these racks belong to.

The Muscle Power storage system range

More than fifty products in six groups, together enough to cover an entire room.

• Dumbbell racks: a compact hex rack for sixteen sets, two tier racks for ten to twelve pairs, a heavy three tier rack for fifteen to eighteen pairs, a vertical rack for ten pairs, a deluxe rack for five sets and a rack with trays for five sets. For light vinyl dumbbells there is a compact model with contoured tiers.
• Kettlebell racks: a two tier rack for roughly eight to twelve kettlebells and a deluxe version with three contoured tiers for fifteen to twenty pieces. Those contours hold each bell in place instead of leaving them loose on a flat shelf.
• Plate storage: a light vertical tree with four pins, a heavier tree with six pins plus a tube for two bars, a wall pin and a side storage bracket for wall mounting. That way your weight plates can go on the floor or on the wall.
• Bar storage: a wall bracket for six bars and a horizontal rack with J hooks for ten fixed barbells. The wall bracket is the space saving option, the horizontal rack is meant for a fixed set you want to pick up in sequence.
• Wall Line: the wall mounted line, with a bracket for ten to fifteen power bands and ropes, a wall holder with hooks for six to eight cable attachments and a bracket for around ten mats. Exactly the small kit that otherwise lies everywhere, and it costs you no floor at all.
• Multi storage rack: a multi level rack with bins, hooks and shelves for mixed equipment. The answer when you own a bit of everything and do not fancy five separate racks.

Which Muscle Power storage system suits you?

Walk around your training space first and look at what is lying on the floor, and the model usually picks itself.

You have hardly any floor left: start with the Wall Line and the wall pin for plates. Bands, cable attachments, mats and part of your plate collection go on the wall, and the square metres you free up go into the exercise itself.

You own ten to eighteen pairs of dumbbells: take the two tier rack for ten to twelve pairs or the heavy three tier rack for fifteen to eighteen pairs. Everything sits side by side at lifting height, so drop sets do not turn into searching and deep bending.

You are starting small but want to grow: choose the rack with trays for five sets. There is a separate single tier extension module for it, so later you add a level rather than a whole new rack.

You train with light vinyl or neoprene dumbbells: the compact rack with contoured tiers is built for those. The recesses hold round, light dumbbells in place, where a flat saddle simply lets them roll away.

Your kettlebell set keeps growing: begin with the two tier rack for eight to twelve pieces and move to the deluxe with three contoured tiers as you head towards twenty bells. Kettlebells sit badly against each other on a flat shelf, and the contoured tiers solve that.

You mainly own plates and bars: take the six pin tree with bar tube as your base and hang the rest on the wall with a wall pin or the side storage bracket. If you have a fixed set of barbells, the horizontal rack with J hooks for ten bars is tidier than leaning them against the wall.

What to look for when buying a Muscle Power storage system

Take stock of what is actually there

This brand has a rack for almost everything, so the mistake here is not too little choice but choosing too fast. Walk through the room with a notepad and count: how many pairs of dumbbells, how many kettlebells, how many plates and in which diameter, how many bars, how many bands and mats. Only when that list is complete can you see whether two racks will do or whether the multi storage rack is the smarter buy. It often turns out that half the clutter is small kit that could just as easily hang on a wall.

Wall or floor, and what your wall can carry

The Wall Line and the wall pins are the reason to buy here, but they do need a wall that holds. Concrete, sand lime block and brick are fine; plasterboard or a metal stud partition is not automatically suitable, because the load then hangs on the board rather than on the structure. Tap the wall, and if in doubt drill a test hole and see what comes out. If your wall cannot take it, go for the floor standing versions instead: the vertical tree rather than the wall pin, the horizontal bar rack rather than the wall bracket.

Growing with the extension module

The rack with trays for five sets is the only model in this range where you literally buy an extra tier. That helps if you own three or four pairs now and add one every year, because you do not have to oversize your first rack. Do check that the module fits your version before you order the base. The two tier and three tier racks do not offer that route, so there you buy the size you will need two years from now in one go.

The shape of your dumbbells against the shape of the rack

The hex rack for sixteen sets is laid out for hexagonal dumbbells that stay put, while the contoured tiers of the compact model are meant for round, light dumbbells. Put round rubber dumbbells on a flat hex saddle and they roll forward the moment you set another one down beside them. Measure the overall length of your heaviest pair and the diameter of the heads, and allow a couple of centimetres of clearance: polyurethane and rubber build up thicker than cast iron with a thin coating.

Working height with heavy dumbbells

The bottom tier of a three tier rack sits low to the ground, and that is where your lightest pairs belong. Lifting a thirty kilo pair from floor level in a bent position is something you do a few times before you rearrange the rack, or worse, before your back has an opinion about it. Keep the middle tier for your heaviest dumbbells and use the top one for the middle of the range. The same goes for the kettlebell racks: you do not want the heaviest bells on the top or the bottom tier.

Our advice: start at the wall and work towards the floor. Hang your bands, cable attachments and mats first using the Wall Line, because that is the equipment that creates the most clutter and needs the least rack. Only then put down a dumbbell or kettlebell rack, and size it on what you will own in a year rather than on what is lying there today. If you are between two sizes, take the larger one, except with the rack with trays where you simply add a module later.

Who is a Muscle Power storage system for?

• Home trainers with mixed equipment: dumbbells, kettlebells, bands and a mat all at once. This is the only range here that lets you store all of it in one style.
• Anyone short on floor space: an attic, a corner of the garage or a bedroom. The Wall Line moves your small kit onto the wall without costing a square metre.
• Personal trainers: a small studio where every metre counts and where clients pick up equipment themselves. Fixed places per weight save explaining and save time.
• Corporate gyms: a room that has to look tidy even when nobody is training. Racks from one range read more calmly than five separate brands.
• People who build up in steps: start with the rack with trays and add the extension module later instead of a second rack.
• Owners of light vinyl dumbbells: that specific shape gets its own compact rack with contoured tiers here, which most brands do not offer.

Less suitable if you are fitting out a busy commercial gym. This is practical mid segment kit, and when dozens of people pull at the same rack every day and heavy dumbbells come crashing back onto it, you want thicker steel and heavier welds. For a set of Olympic bars you want to park upright one by one, the genuinely heavy duty solutions are not in this range either.

Need help choosing?

Would you like to buy a Muscle Power storage system but are you not quite sure which rack suits your equipment and space? We are happy to help. You can reach our fitness specialists by phone on +31 85 773 00 57, send an email or visit our fitness store in Volkel, the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions about Muscle Power storage systems

Can I mount the Wall Line on any wall?

No, and that is the first thing to settle before you order. A concrete, sand lime or brick wall carries these brackets without trouble, provided you use the right fixings. Plasterboard or a metal stud partition is a different story: there you need to screw into the structure behind it or into a timber stud, otherwise the fixing works its way out over time. If in doubt, drill a test hole and look at what comes out, or choose the floor standing models from the same range.

How many dumbbells fit on one rack?

That varies a lot by model. The two tier rack takes ten to twelve pairs, the heavy three tier rack fifteen to eighteen pairs, the vertical rack ten pairs and the compact hex rack sixteen sets. There are also smaller models for five sets, including the deluxe rack and the rack with trays. So count what you have, add what you still plan to buy, and only then choose.

Will dumbbells from another brand fit these racks?

Usually yes, because the saddles and tiers are built around common dimensions. Pay attention to shape above all: the hex rack is meant for hexagonal dumbbells, and the contoured tiers of the compact model are laid out for light, round vinyl dumbbells. Measure the overall length of your heaviest pair and the diameter of the heads before ordering, because polyurethane and rubber build up thicker than cast iron. Otherwise just tell us what you own and we will check it with you.

Can I extend my rack later?

With one model you can do so directly: the rack with trays for five sets has a separate single tier extension module. With the other dumbbell and kettlebell racks you buy the capacity in one go, so there it pays to choose a size larger than you need right now. You can always expand within the range by putting a second type alongside, a plate tree or a wall mounted model for instance. Because it comes from the same line, the whole set still looks calm together.

Is this suitable for a commercial gym?

For a corporate gym, a small studio or a personal training room, certainly. For a busy public gym where people pull at the same rack all day and drop weights back onto it, you are better off looking at heavier equipment. This range sits in the practical mid segment: sturdy enough for normal intensive use, but not built for the load of hundreds of users a week. If you are unsure about your own situation, let us know your visitor numbers.