Power cage
Encyclopedia
A power cage is an item of weight training
equipment designed to allow for a safe free-weight workout using a barbell
without the movement restrictions imposed by equipment such as the Smith machine
. It essentially comprises four vertical posts with two movable horizontal bar catchers on each side.
The power cage serves several purposes. On the one hand, it allows for a safe free-weight workout: if for example, in the bench press
, a bar catcher is placed right above the athlete's chest, it becomes possible to load the barbell with the maximum weight, since the bar will prevent the barbell from crushing the chest in the case of a sudden muscle failure. On the other hand, the power cage is often used for limited-range exercises, in which the athlete can handle far more weight than in their full-range equivalents. Thus, in the example of the bench press, if one of the bar catchers is placed just a few inches below the point where the barbell is lifted off, the result is a small space within which the athlete can perform unusually heavy lifts. In this manner, an average lifter who can press a maximum of 225 lbs. will easily be able to advance to 250 lbs., thus getting the muscles accustomed to heavier weight.
Power cages or racks have been known for a long time. They became popular in the 1960s, when Terry Todd and Dr. Craig Whitehead used them to test their "theory of maximum fatigue." Peary Rader
then devoted a long article to the subject in his Iron Man
magazine. An updated version of the power cage was patented in 1987 by Karl I. Mullen of Portland, Oregon.
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
equipment designed to allow for a safe free-weight workout using a barbell
Barbell
A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, weightlifting and powerlifting. Barbells range in length from to although bars above 7' in length are used primarily by powerlifters and aren't commonplace...
without the movement restrictions imposed by equipment such as the Smith machine
Smith machine
The Smith machine is a piece of equipment used in weight training. It consists of a barbell that is fixed within steel rails, allowing only vertical movement. New variations allow a small amount of forward and backward movement. A Smith machine often includes a weight rack in the base to help...
. It essentially comprises four vertical posts with two movable horizontal bar catchers on each side.
The power cage serves several purposes. On the one hand, it allows for a safe free-weight workout: if for example, in the bench press
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
, a bar catcher is placed right above the athlete's chest, it becomes possible to load the barbell with the maximum weight, since the bar will prevent the barbell from crushing the chest in the case of a sudden muscle failure. On the other hand, the power cage is often used for limited-range exercises, in which the athlete can handle far more weight than in their full-range equivalents. Thus, in the example of the bench press, if one of the bar catchers is placed just a few inches below the point where the barbell is lifted off, the result is a small space within which the athlete can perform unusually heavy lifts. In this manner, an average lifter who can press a maximum of 225 lbs. will easily be able to advance to 250 lbs., thus getting the muscles accustomed to heavier weight.
Power cages or racks have been known for a long time. They became popular in the 1960s, when Terry Todd and Dr. Craig Whitehead used them to test their "theory of maximum fatigue." Peary Rader
Peary Rader
Peary Rader was an early bodybuilder, Olympic lifter, writer, and magazine publisher from Nebraska.- Biography :Rader was born on October 17, 1909. He started lifting weights at age 12, but in 1933, he weighed just 128 pounds at a height of 5'11.5"...
then devoted a long article to the subject in his Iron Man
Iron Man (magazine)
Iron Man Magazine is a publication which discusses bodybuilding, weightlifting and powerlifting. It was founded in 1936 by two Alliance, Nebraska natives, Peary Rader and his wife, Mabel Rader.-History:...
magazine. An updated version of the power cage was patented in 1987 by Karl I. Mullen of Portland, Oregon.