Which power towers are best?
Power towers are a staple in every commercial gym, and for a good reason. You can use them to perform a wide range of body weight exercises for toning and building muscle mass. You can work out almost every upper-body muscle on a power tower without the need for any other pieces of equipment. And, with the addition of resistance bands, you can also use them to target leg muscles.
When choosing a power tower, there are several things to consider, including how many stations it has and the variety in hand grips. Above all else, build quality needs to be one of the deciding factors. Power towers need to be both sturdy and stable to ensure they won’t tip over or fail in any other manner during use.
What to know before you buy a power tower
Benefits of body weight exercises
There are many benefits to performing body weight exercises. We would need to dedicate an entire article to that topic alone to explain them all. Instead, we will just touch on some of the most notable.
Those putting together a home gym will appreciate that body weight exercises don’t require you to purchase a variety of dumbbells and barbells in various weights, which is costly and demands a lot of storage space. Instead, you’ll be relying simply on your body weight and various handholds when performing exercises in the case of a power tower.
Body weight exercises are very good for building functional strength since they tend to work multiple muscles simultaneously. These are called compound exercises, and they better translate to overall conditioning for activities you do in your daily life. Additionally, unlike when working out with dumbbells and barbells, you won’t have to waste time switching weights when moving from one exercise to the next, making your workout more efficient.
Though body weight exercises may seem difficult at first, you can augment nearly all of them in some way to match the difficulty with your current fitness levels. Also, as body weight exercises get easier, you’ll naturally begin to do sets of higher reps, which builds muscle endurance and adds an element of cardio that you don’t get when always stopping at six, eight or 10-rep maxes.
Do you have space in your home for a power tower?
There is no arguing that power towers have a large footprint, so it is vital to make sure you have enough space in your home to dedicate to one before purchasing it. Along with the overall dimensions of the power tower, including the floor space and the ceiling height it requires, you’ll need to factor in how much additional space is needed around the tower to perform all of the various exercises. For example, if doing pushups off it, you’ll need at least five feet of clear space in front of it. During pullups, your head may reach several inches above the top of the machine, even more if you are performing muscle-ups.
Assembly
All power towers require assembly, and you can expect this to be more involved than putting together a standard workout bench or door pullup bar. Also, while most power towers come with the tools required for assembly, these are often low quality and can make the process more difficult than it needs to be. You’ll find the assembly process less of a hassle if you have some of your own wrenches on hand. Even then, expect to dedicate at least an hour or more to put it together.
Features to look for in a quality power tower
Pullup station
A pullup station is one of the main components of a power tower, so you can expect every model to include one. That said, some pullup stations are better than others. The more grips a pullup station has, the more you can vary your hand placements to place greater emphasis on specific parts of a muscle group.
Dip station
A dip station is another main component of a power tower that all models will include. As with the pullup station, some dip stations have more grips than others. For example, some models feature angled bars or handholds that you can flip inward or outward, so you can vary between narrow and wide grips to emphasize the triceps or the chest, respectively. Additionally, some dip stations feature wide pads where you can rest your forearms while doing leg raises.
Pushup station
Some manufacturers equip them with a pushup station to increase the number of exercises you can do on your power tower. These may include handholds for incline pushups, footrests for decline pushups or both.
Bench
You can also find power towers with attached workout benches. These will require more space than your average power tower, but they also increase the number of workouts you can utilize. This will also eliminate the need to add a separate workout bench to your home gym. On some models, these may fold up against the machine to free up some floor space when not in use.
Attachment points
The ability to add straps and resistance bands to your power tower can further increase its versatility. Some models feature small hooks or holes that act as safe attachment points for these accessories.
Padding
Padding is essential for comfort on any piece of workout equipment. There should be adequate padding on the handholds and anywhere else your body will be coming into contact with the power tower with any weight behind it.
Adjustability
Some power towers allow you to adjust the height of the dip station, and if it has one, the pushup station. This can help increase the number, type and difficulty of the exercises you perform on the machine. It is also useful for making the power tower more approachable for people of varying sizes.
How much you can expect to spend on a power tower
Power towers cost $75-$200 for models from lesser-known brands and $200-$400 for reputable and well-known brands.
Power tower FAQ
Do power towers need to be bolted to the ground?
A. Most power towers do not need to be bolted to the ground. Instead, they feature a wide stance that allows them to offer sufficient stability without the need to be bolted down.
How much weight can a power tower support?
A. Every power tower has a different weight capacity, so it is critical to read the product details carefully of any model you consider. That said, most power towers support at least 200 pounds, and some can support over 350 pounds.
What are the best power towers to buy?
Top power tower
What you need to know: This versatile power tower is perfect for everyday upper, core and lower body workouts.
What you’ll love: This tower offers four different functions: pushups, dips, knee raises and pullups. It’s built tough, with a weight limit of 300 pounds. It offers both pushup and pullup stations for upper- and lower-body exercises. The gripping areas are padded for extra comfort.
What you should consider: It’s challenging to assemble.
Top power tower for the money
Steelbody Strength Training Power Tower STB-98501
What you need to know: This power tower is packed with features not found in many other models, including a situp station and a dip station that doubles as a barbell rack for performing squats.
What you’ll love: The high pullup bar and height-adjustable dip station make the STB-98501 suitable for users of all sizes.
What you should consider: Some people have received units with missing bolts and other vital hardware.
Worth checking out
What you need to know: This feature-packed power tower’s durability and solid frame make it a good choice for fitness enthusiasts.
What you’ll love: It has a high weight capacity of up to 400 pounds. It has an H-frame design, making it extra durable. It has very adjustable features, making it easy to customize your workouts. It has a comfortable, padded backrest and elbow bars.
What you should consider: The handgrips can sometimes slip.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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