Bench and Power Rack arrive from Texas Strength Systems

Today, the last big key piece arrived for the gym.. the Bench and Power Rack combo from Texas Strength Systems.

 I did a lot of research before buying this setup. Considering that space is fairly limited in the two-car garage training setup, I had to be careful and make wise choices how I used the space. The last thing I wanted was to overcrowd the area, and make it difficult to use. The key was to get right core of high-quality equipment that would allow us to train all the main and accessory lifts.

I knew I needed a bench and a power rack. Originally, I was going to purchase both. Get a high-quality competition bench, and then setup a power rack separately... I knew that would take up a lot of space, but I didn't want to compromise on the quality of the equipment. Then, I found a Power Rack/Drop-in Bench combo from Texas Strength Systems.

At first, this seemed like the answer - they offered a very reasonable price on a 2.25x2.25 Power Rack with 1" hole spacing, and had an option for a drop-in bench with spotters platform. After doing some research, I found some questionable reviews on customer service and weld quality... I emailed the owner Wes, and worked with him and his manager, Eric.. I felt reassured, and made my decision to go with it.. with a few tweaks.

I checked out my federation's rule book for the exact bench specs (Height and Pad Width) because I knew it differed from what I was used to at the YMCA, and the height always threw off my leg setup on meet day. If I was going to do this, I wanted to do it right. I sent the bench specs over to Texas Strength, and also requested to using a non-slip bench covering, as well as a thick competition-style pad... I also requested to make the spotter platforms larger like a regular competition bench. From order to delivery was less than 4 weeks. They always responded to my emails, and sent me tracking numbers when it shipped. I paid half up front, and then the other half when it was ready to ship. I thought this was very fair.

When I received the shipment, it was very well packaged and wrapped in plastic, foam wrap, and peanut wrap. It had to take a couple hours to wrap it the way they did. Again, nice job. Assembly went together smooth. Everything fit well and snug. After the bolting it all together, it is very solid. I'm ultimately going to bolt it down, but honestly we could get away without it. Its that heavy and solid. (About 250lbs with the bench). The spotters platforms are super solid and held my 280lb body no problem, no wiggle. One concern I noticed online was the weld quality. Not anymore.. the welds are super solid and clean. They are even ground/smoothed down on the surface areas. Whoever did this knew what they were doing.

In the end, I can give Texas Strength Systems a positive review, and honestly say it was a great solution to my needs considering my space requirements. I would highly recommend their equipment.

Link to Texas Strength System's rack page:
http://www.texasstrengthsystems.com/products/racks-stands/galvanizedunpainted-power-rack