Bells of Steel 5.1 Light Commercial Power Rack and Lat Attachment Review

[@brianm1908]

Great comprehensive review, with TimeStamps! Looks like a great power rack. Thanks for that!

[@Kelvinjan]

Thanks! Like I said towards the end, there aren’t too many competing racks that offer all the features and accessories this rack does. This rack will be more than good enough for 90% of lifters.

[@gbone13]

I got this exact setup just before the pandemic hit. I also got the spotter arms, dip attachment and lever arms/belt squat. Would recommend for the price.

[@Kelvinjan]

Definitely want the lever arms/belt squat in the near future.

[@dkmchui]

I wonder what you can do with the lever arms that you can't do with the barbell.

[@joparsons20]

@@dkmchui mimic just about any hammer strength upper body machine

[@dkmchui]

But again what it can do that a barbell can't for upper body exercises? For the rack the big lifts are just bench press, shoulder press, row, squat and deadlift.

[@theangrycanuck8331]

​@@dkmchuiisolate shoulders, lats, traps, triceps, you can attach a roller and make it a glute work out. Lots of stuff you can do.

[@gregkosinski2303]

Thanks for putting up a nice honest review

[@keithdmello]

Exactly what I was searching for

[@Kelvinjan]

Glad I could help!

[@sonnymarino7904]

I have this exact set up, wish they made a foot plate for doing lat rows. Because the rack sits flat on the floor the only part of my foot I can use to brace my self is my heel.

[@Kelvinjan]

Yeah it’s a minor inconvenience but for the most part it works okay as is. Maybe something they can improve upon.

[@JM-tw3rr]

Really nice overview. Well done. Appreciated the detail. This rack looks like a very good value. It's been about a year since you posted this and I am wondering if you are still using the rack and have you had any issues?

[@Kelvinjan]

Still using the rack regularly. I’m certainly not lifting as much or frequently as I did but still am 2-3 times a week and it’s held up well. The roller j cups have held up well, I suggest doing the lexan mod I did to keep your bar safe. The lat pull-down has been great, maybe just have to wipe it down with WD-40 to glide a bit smoother.

[@RoxnardCali]

💪🏼 Awesome vid! I have the same rack. I was thinking of buying the lat attachment once it's available. I see the issues you pointed out when doing tricep extension with the pulley system. Do you think it's something worth buying in your opinion?

[@Kelvinjan]

You can still make overhead tricep extensions work, you just have to stand closer to the lat attachment to minimize the angle. I honestly don't do oveheard tricep extensions often and don't really run into the issue I pointed out but figured it'd be worth bringing to people's attention. I'd still recommend the lat attachment as it's super versatile for the price. Could be improved design wise but that one flaw isn't a deal breaker for me.

[@wapask]

Just do JM Presses instead, problem solved.

[@CrazyCanucker14]

Great review, I'm thinking about grabbing this exact setup once stock stabilizes. Do you know if you can use 1" plates on this or is it limited to 2"?

[@Kelvinjan]

Are you asking about the lat attachment? Just went down to check and looks like it’ll work with both 1” and 2” hole diameter plates. I’ve got some pictures I took. Feel free to dm me on Instagram at kelvinjan and I can send photos.

[@BrownBarbellClub]

Great review!

[@Kelvinjan]

Thank you!

[@HPCthulhu2011]

The pulley attachment is supposed to hang over the top cross piece so that the pulldown attachment is on the inside of the cage however the bar at the bottom of the rack used to be a straight bar instead of a curved bar. If you flipped the bottom piece over than the pulley would hang inside of the cage, possibly, however a straight bottom bar was the original design.

[@HPCthulhu2011]

I have this same low ceiling in the basement, however I installed the Brute 2 Power Rack. The 450 lb rack. It's only the six corner posts that you need to have 90 inches in height for. It can fit between ceiling joists. You could do it easily by the look of it.

[@Flstudiog-d]

Love the threat what she said

[@iandeleon8132]

With the frame poles being 2.3" x 2.3", have you found any other manufacturers that make accessories to attach to it? I know you mention it in the video about not being able to use Rogue or Rep accessories, but thought since it's been over a year, you might've found some. Thanks! I just bought the budget 4.1 residential rack with lat attachment

[@Kelvinjan]

I honestly have found that I needed anything else so I haven’t shopped around. I do want the lever arms from BoS and their pricing is pretty good so I wouldn’t be upset buying it from them.

[@msguillory8996]

Nice review, quick questions regarding the flat feet... @2:14 in the video when you are talking about them and the video pans it looks like only the ends are touching the stall the ground and there is a gap between the rest of the base of the rack and the floor. I would have expected the entire base of the rack to be touching the floor for stability. Is this correct?

[@Kelvinjan]

Good catch, I didn’t even notice to be honest lol. There’s about a 1/4” between the bottom of the feet and bottom crossbar. While this may seem like a concern, I haven’t had too many issues with it sliding around on the mats. If you look at the REP PR1000 flat foot rack or the Titan fitness T2 flat foot rack, they have these rubber feet which raise the 4 corners higher than the frame so it doesn’t seem uncommon per say. If you wanted all of the frame to be touching, you’d probably have to go with something like the Rogue Monster Lite flat food rack. Nonetheless I wouldn’t say that this rack is unstable because of this. It’s longer than most of its competitors and that extra length gives it stability. The lat pull down also helps.

[@rayc5168]

Hey Kevin awesome video. I have the same rack and put it together a few days ago. Can you take a closeup pic or video of both your plate storage pages on both sides?. I recieved the pegs and it looks like they are both for the same side (ie don't have a left and right side). Do you have the same issue?

[@Kelvinjan]

I took some pictures but not sure how to send them to you. You can DM my on IG @Kelvinjan and I can send you the photos. But, you are correct that both plate pegs are the same. You will insert the pin into the front of back side of the upright in order to get the plate peg to be oriented outwards or inwards if you get what I’m saying. Pictures show it more easily, feel free to dm.

[@rayc5168]

@@Kelvinjan thanks will do

[@HughLeFitness]

How thick is the lexan and how is it holding up? I'm not sure how to cut it.

[@Kelvinjan]

I bought a small square sheet from Lowes. Looks like the website claims 0.093” thick. I measured and market the Lexan and use a box cutter and just continuously scored the line until it was cut and then sanded the cut so there weren’t sharp edges. It would have been much easier if I had a hand grinder I could attach a cutting wheel of sorts to or an oscillating too. I’d say it’s almost as painstakingly slow as cutting the stall mats with a box cutter lol.

[@ToddCBrown]

From the wall to the outside edge of the rack how much space does this take with that lat pull down? Seems pretty deep.

[@Kelvinjan]

Adds 12” of depth per BoS dimensions on the product page. Verified by measuring as well.

[@ToddCBrown]

@@Kelvinjan Thank you. Just thinking of a garage gym using one half for the car. So space is vital.

[@Kelvinjan]

@@ToddCBrown I hear you. Some people live in areas where no basements are the norm so you’re stuck using a garage spot for the home gym.

[@vz3431]

awesome video, im thinking on building my own gym, how important is the lat pull down in your opinion? im used to having a mirror infront

[@Kelvinjan]

Really depends if you think just the rack will be ok. I wanted to be able to do cable accessories after the main movements so that’s why I got it. If that doesn’t matter, then you’d be alright without it.

[@vertigo727]

Heyy! My basement height pretty similar to yours, 90" to be exact. Are you able to do pull ups with that clearance above the rack?

[@Kelvinjan]

My basement is roughly 88-90” in some areas and I’ve got no issues. Unless you’re doing chin ups or pulling a whole head height above the rack, I don’t think you’ll have issues.

[@guntassingh9432]

Do you think that this would be worth getting over the new Bells of steel hydra series rack? Would you say the attachment selection is plenty for most people for the light commercial due to the proprietary hole size?

[@Kelvinjan]

I’m not too familiar with the newer hydra series but it seems more sturdy and much more expensive. It all comes down to your budget. I think the hydra is probably overkill if you’re comparing apples to apples with the flat food rack. I’ve been ok with the lat pull-down and landline attachments. Thinking about buying the arms you can attach to the front but haven’t yet.

[@jonbe9]

one more question - can you get away with just using one pulley up top so it doesn't rub against the top crossbar when doing sets such as overhead tricep extensions? TIA (awesome informative review BTW)

[@Kelvinjan]

That might work better but the way that bar for the lay attachment is mounted above the cross member makes it an issue.

[@arnaldosola9213]

What is the space between the posts?

[@Kelvinjan]

The rack is 62.5” L x 49” W per the BoS site. Subtract the 4.6” for two 2.3” tube per side and you get 57.9” L x 44.4” W between posts.

[@Squatzinthecurlrack]

Looking at this exact set up. Was reading that the lat attachment adds a foot to the depth. Can you tell me is a foot from the base or the top of the rack? 🤔 Thanks

[@joshjones9687]

Yes the lat attachment adds exactly 12 inches of depth to the overall lower and upper footprint of the overall power rack.

[@ExpeditionaryRanger]

Ah! So it's not actually a flat foot rack? Seems like the flanges for the anchoring bolts are lower than the bottom tubes. Thought the rack actually rested on the bottom tubes.

[@ExpeditionaryRanger]

Just looked at the dimensional drawing on their website. Indeed, the bolt tabs are lower.

[@Kelvinjan]

Yep you’re right. Honestly even without any plates on the pegs, I doesn’t event shift on my stall mats.

[@jonbe9]

how's the wear and tear on the two guides for the lat pulldown - does it stay smooth over time or do you spray any type of lubricant like WD40 lithium? TIA

[@Kelvinjan]

I just occasionally spray WD40 and then it’s good as new. Been debating if I want to put some sort of grease or automotive grade lubricant but not sure if it’ll degrade the parts so I just use wd40.

[@jonbe9]

@@Kelvinjan that's why I mentioned WD40 white lithium which is used to lubricate garage door pulleys/hinges it lubricates and doesn't drip.

[@Kelvinjan]

@@jonbe9 ahhh gotcha I didn’t realize lol. I may have to give that a try, I just spray plain old wd40 on a rag and apply.

[@tomjones8235]

Great video! Very helpful. I am looking at getting either the Rep Fitness PR-1100 with lat attachment or the Bells of Steel 5.1 with lat attachment. I have a slight preference for the BOS 5.1 because it is a little heavier, but it the Rep PR-1100 doesn't have the design problem that you pointed out in your video. My concern is similar to Roxnard Cali's. Following up on Cali's question: First: Are tricep pull downs the only exercise that you had problems with with he BOS 5.1 lat attachment? Second: Are there workarounds for the tricep extensions, like doing them while seated or kneeling instead of standing? Thanks.

[@Kelvinjan]

The only time it’s an issue is if you’re doing tricep extensions over your head and you’re facing away from the lat attachment. I’d you just doing regular tricep extensions downwards it’s no issue.

[@tomjones8235]

@@Kelvinjan It seems that if you do overhead tricep extensions while facing any from the lat attachment and from a sitting or kneeling position, the angle of the cable off of the pulley would become more vertical. Can you avoid the rubbing problem by doing the extensions that way (facing away from the lat attachment and in a sitting or kneeling position)? Thanks.

[@Kelvinjan]

@@tomjones8235 I just tried it kneeing and you can make it work. Awkward since your feet have to be on the outside of the c-shaped stabilizer bar and knees on the inside. I was in a bit of a hunched over position to get the full ROM but it seems to avoid rubbing against the crossmember. I think the BOS Utility rack had a similar design to the Rep lat attachments where the pulley is inside the rack. Not sure why they didn’t to that for the residential or light commercial rack. Could be cost savings since the bar and cables are shorter. Who knows.

[@tomjones8235]

@@Kelvinjan Thanks for checking. I don't understand why BOS didn't use the same design for the 4.1 and 5.1 lat attachment as they did for the utility rack attachment. The front pulley is in front of the back cross bar on the utility rack but behind the cross bar on the 4.1 and 5.1. It seems that the lat bar for the utility rack has a better design because it avoids the problem that you pointed out. Maybe I am letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. For me, maybe standing tricep extensions are better done with a bar or dumbbells. As long as I can do lat pulldowns, tricep pulldowns, sitting rows, and plenty of other stuff with the lat attachment that should be good enough. Thanks again.

[@Kelvinjan]

@@tomjones8235 yeah I don’t understand the design choice but I also don’t think it’s a deal breaker. You can still do tricep pull downs like you said and plenty of other accessories.

[@cgoblin]

I'm looking at getting this, but some of those welds look very sloppy. How is it hold up after a year?

[@Kelvinjan]

You're not wrong, I was a bit alarmed at first. Sure, they look sloppy, but I've had nothing break or go wrong yet. *knock on wood* Hopefully the quality has gotten better since I bought. I've had no issues with anything breaking, everything still going strong.

[@elienehme_]

Does the rack wobble when you do pull-ups or racking the weight?

[@Kelvinjan]

Not too much from what I’ve noticed. Maybe if you’re re racking 300-400+ lbs really rough but I’m not like smashing the bar into the j hooks when i rerack. The flat feet design helps with overall rack stability vs a 4 feet rack.

[@elienehme_]

@@Kelvinjan Good to know, thanks!

[@antoinechabot9277]

Is it possible to do face pulls or does the cable touch the cage if you do them ?

[@Kelvinjan]

You can angle your self in a way to do it. It won’t be in as comfortable of an angle as a dedicated cable machine but still gets the job done.

[@Brayden329]

Anyone have leads on a discount code? Drives me nuts on a website when I see the option to enter a discount code and I don't have one... I put together a basic setup from the gym builder and it's like $2300 CAD with shipping. Trying to save some coin!

[@Kelvinjan]

Unfortunately I don’t have one. Not sure if they have any since their prices are already pretty low.

[@osa9719]

hey! i was wondering what the length x width is with the lat attachment. was looking to get the same setup but can’t seem to find that info anywhere

[@Kelvinjan]

Are you looking for dimension on just the base of the lat attachment? Obviously the pegs for weights extend past the base width wise.

[@osa9719]

@@Kelvinjan i mean for the whole setup. like an approximate footprint. ie. 60x55 in

[@Kelvinjan]

@@osa9719 the lat attachment adds an extra 12” in length. It doesn’t add any width to the rack.

[@elienehme_]

Do you find the FID bench to be stable? Can you do dips on one side of the bench and does it stay level?

[@Kelvinjan]

It’s stable enough but there’s definitely some movement with the way it’s designed. The back plate didn’t appear as wide as I imagined and I think that adds to the instability. But nonetheless, you can definitely do dips on one side of the bench no issues.

[@elienehme_]

@@Kelvinjan Thanks, your review has been very helpful.

[@Kelvinjan]

@@elienehme_ no problem, let me know if you have anymore questions.

[@chriscripe9477]

I would highly recommend just getting something like the rep fitness fb-4000 comp lite bench its $139 but it's not adjustable. But the padding is wider atleast I like that better vs being able to adjust the bench. And its probably cheaper

[@Kelvinjan]

@@chriscripe9477 I contemplated just getting a flat bench like the F-4000 but since it's a home gym I wanted the versatility to do other things at home. The flat bench is a more narrow use case and if I have to spend money, I want to maximize my use cases.

[@peterlord8891]

My rack is 3 years old been inside its whole life. Rusted pretty bad.

[@Kelvinjan]

I don’t have any rust on mine and it’s been in the basement all it’s life. Maybe you need a dehumidifier.

[@peterlord8891]

@aznintheoutfield by inside I should clarify, I have an attached garage fully insulated. I sprayed it with some matte black paint. My rogue wall rack is still mint, same room different purpose