Sorinex XL Power Rack Review

By Adam - Garage Gym Lab - November 1, 2019
Sorinex XL - Angle 2 - Garage Gym Lab - Cover

You ever owned something that you’re just downright proud of?

A house, maybe a car, an engagement ring possibly?

Those are certainly worthy purchases – I’m even proud of a couple of them myself.

Another thing I’m proud of…

My Sorinex XL Power Rack.

This is a very special piece of equipment to me – It’s the literal centerpiece of my gym. It exemplifies so much more than just being an impressive power rack, which it is.

It embodies my journey.

In this article, we’ll take a deep look at the rack itself as well as all of the reasons why I chose to purchase from Sorinex.

Buckle up friends, this one’s a doozy.

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Why I Picked SorinexSorinex HQ

Sorinex is known as being one of the premier equipment manufacturers in the world. They are showcased in some of the best facilities you’ll find, including professional sports teams, collegiate sports teams, high-end clubs, and even home gyms.

You can find them in 33+ NFL, MLB, and NBA weight rooms, over 70 NCAA collegiate facilities, and dozens of high school weight rooms. You’ll see them in professional soccer rooms, professional hockey rooms, and even in the UFC Performance Institute. You’ll even find them in the JW Marriott in Edmonton, making it one of the best hotel gyms I’ve ever heard of.

Historically, Sorinex has primarily been a commercial player, but over the last few years, they’ve been found in some beautiful home gyms.

My decision to go with Sorinex in my home gym actually dates back 15 years ago. Here’s a full list of the reasons I chose them:

Hometown Team

Gamecocks Weightroom - Garage Gym LabI’m a born and raised South Carolinian, which is also home to Sorinex and many of its team members. In 2004, I left my small town of Pawleys Island to move to Columbia to attend the University of South Carolina. Located in neighboring Lexington, Sorinex was a stone’s throw from campus. A lot of the guys, including Sorinex president, Bert Sorin, attended USC, and some even participated in collegiate sports there.

As a freshman, USC unveiled this state-of-the-art fitness center. At the entrance, it had freakin’ palm readers to verify your admission permission – some real space-age stuff back in ’04. Well, forgotten in this transition was the old gym… the “Blatt”…  it was the one with all of the old-school-cool equipment. It was a big space and virtually nobody used it.

Blatt Gym - Garage Gym Lab

While training at the Blatt, I got my first taste of Sorinex. It wasn’t anything particularly crazy either – just a basic rack. But I always gravitated to it and then I started learning more about them. I found out they were Gamecocks, discovered they outfitted the football team’s weight room, etc…

And so from then on, I’ve always been a fan of Sorinex. They’re the hometown team for me.

Customization

If you’ve seen some of Sorinex’s work, you’ve probably noticed how awesome their racks look. Custom multi-layer arches, beautiful color schemes, branded hardware… all sorts of cool stuff. They’re basically works of art.

Sorinex XL - Details 2 - Garage Gym Lab

This was very important to me because I wanted to brand my rack to Garage Gym Lab and I wanted to have a sleek, one-of-a-kind color scheme. There are some other companies out there who can add custom elements, but the execution by Sorinex is superior from what I’ve seen. The cost (which will be discussed later) was also a factor. By the time the custom elements were added from other companies, the price difference wasn’t as large as some might expect.

Footprint

Sorinex XL - Side - Garage Gym Lab

Going into this, I knew I wanted a 6-post rack. I was coming from a Rogue R-3 (which I enjoyed), which had a tiny footprint, but which also had to be bolted down. Because I didn’t want to bolt into my concrete, I had it mounted to an 8’x8′ platform. After a certain amount of time, I realized that was pretty inefficient. I wanted to ditch the platform and I wanted on-rack plate storage.

Enter the 6-post rack.

Even with a much larger rack, I ended up GAINING space and creating a more efficient layout by ditching the platform. I could roll my bench around effortlessly and I generally just didn’t have to worry about the platform step-up.

Sorinex XL - Squatmax-MD - Garage Gym Lab

Even still, I wanted to maximize the space, especially since I knew I was mounting my Squatmax-MD to it. I’ll specifically break down the footprint compared to a Rogue RM-6 below, but I realized the XL Power Rack offered one of the smallest footprints for this style rack.

The Experience

The Sorinex experience is pretty special. It’s unlike anything you would likely receive if you were going with some other companies who push higher volume. When I first went to John Damon’s house in Charlotte, NC I was blown away by his setup. I was also blown away by his experience with Sorinex.

 

It’s a truly personal experience. I introduced myself to my rep, Dustin Riddle, who was recommended to me by a mutual friend. I shared my vision with him, and together we turned that into a reality. We shared well over 50 emails and we chatted multiple times on the phone… all while he and the rest of the team were putting together professional facilities that amounted to multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars, dozens of racks, etc…

Sorinex XL - Experience 2 - Garage Gym Lab

And here I am with just one rack in my garage… and not even their highest-end rack either. That level of attention made a large impression on me.

One thing to consider is that with this experience comes a longer lead time. These are completely made-to-order and custom. I ordered my rack in October 2018 and I received it in mid-January 2019.

Sorinex XL Power Rack

Sorinex XL - Front - Garage Gym Lab

Now that you get the ‘why’ of my decision, let’s get into the review of the rack itself. I’ve broken this article down into sections to go over every detail in an easy-to-read format. Starting with the design of the rack and working down to pricing, no stone will be left unturned.

Let’s dig in.

Rack Design & Footprint

Steel Gauge: 11-Gauge
Steel Size: 3″x3″
Hole Size: 1″
Numbered Holes: No (optional)
Height: 95.4″
Depth: 71″ (73.75″ total dimensions with feet)
Width: 47″
Weight: 561 lbs

Sorinex XL - Angle 1 - Garage Gym Lab

One of the reasons I went with Sorinex, and specifically the XL rack, is for the design and overall footprint. If you look at the rack offerings from Sorinex, there is the Base Camp rack, which is the largest and most expensive; the Darkhorse rack, which is the most economically equipped, sized, and priced; and the XL rack which falls somewhere in the middle.

The Base Camp Rack is one of the most impressive modular racks you’ll find. You’ll notice these when you look at the majority of the large-scale facilities Sorinex delivers. They’re highly adaptable, extremely customizable, efficiently built, and just absolutely awesome to look at. The Darkhorse, on the other side of the spectrum, is a great rack in its own right, but it doesn’t offer the bells and whistles or design qualities of the Base Camp or XL racks.

Sorinex XL - Laser - Garage Gym Lab

Aside from the incremental price, what made me choose the XL over the Base Camp was the overall height and the fully modular design. Unlike the Base Camp which has welded sides, the XL rack is 100% bolted together. This gives me a little more flexibility down the road if/when we decide to move. In my current space, I could have installed a Base Camp rack and even saved on the overall depth, but in the future, I may not have a space that accommodates it as well. I’m also only 5’8″ and I have to jump slightly to reach the pull-up bar on the 95.4″ tall XL rack… this is probably the one time an extra 5″ (Base Camp is 101.4″ tall) wouldn’t serve me very well (hey nooooow).

Yes, you can cut the Base Camp down in height, but it’s an upcharge and I just didn’t see it personally benefiting me enough to justify it.

Sorinex XL - 3x3 - Garage Gym Lab

One of the things Sorinex is known for is being the creator of the 4-way hole design, which you see on many racks today. This framework is very efficient and it allows for the use of many types of attachments & accessories throughout the rack. Additionally, it’s very easy to add on to the rack or otherwise adapt it by using the side holes. For example, I have spotter arms extending off the front of my rack, storage on the sides, roller pads on the sides, utility seat extending vertically from the bottom cross-member, glute ham roller storage on the top cross-member, etc… Down the road, I can bridge a rack-mounted functional cable column, lat pulldown/low row, or even an entire 2nd rack. It opens up a lot of possibilities (more on this later in the attachments section).

Sorinex XL - Details - Garage Gym Lab

To reiterate, this isn’t particularly uncommon with racks being produced today from the likes of Rogue Fitness, Rep Fitness, etc… but most of them aren’t lined-up in all four directions and they may offer fewer side holes than front/back. My old Rogue R3 is a prime example of this – it had around a 3:1 ratio of front/back holes to side holes, and those side holes weren’t spaced the same. Some of this had to do with Westside spacing on the front/back, but even without it, the ratio would be heavily skewed. On the more commercially-ready Rogue Monster series racks, Rogue “uses” keyholes in the sides, but they sit in between the holes on the front and back. The New Rep Fitness PR-5000 v2 rack uses 1″ holes in all 4 sides, but they too are slightly offset from side to front/back.

Sorinex XL - J-Cup Angle - Garage Gym Lab

On higher-end commercial racks from the likes of Hammer Strength, Legend Fitness, PowerLift, etc… that you will see in similar facilities as Sorinex, they often use the drop-in style fronts without side holes at all. They’re awesome racks in their own way – it’s just a different style. In my experience from lifting on a UCS rack for several years, they’re actually faster to adjust, but they’re not as versatile/adaptable as a modular rack. Additionally, if you ever get hung up when trying to re-rack or if you accidentally hit the j-cups from underneath, the drop-in style could actually pose a danger since the cups may slide in or even out of the slot. This is rare, but it’s a distinction nonetheless. Hammer Strength and some others also have certain racks with hole designs, but they offer a similar layout as mentioned above (i.e. offset).

Sorinex XL - Bolts - Garage Gym Lab

The rack itself is built using 3×3 11-gauge steel and, as you would expect, it’s built like a tank. My rep Dustin came to my house with former University of South Carolina offensive lineman, Mike Jones, to install it (awesome experience) and it took the three of us at times to get it into the right position. It weighs over 550 lbs without any attachments. The hardware compared to my old Rogue R3 is a stark difference. It’s like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in ‘Twins.’

Sorinex XL - wrench - Garage Gym Lab

Sorinex does provide a set of wrenches to tighten the bolts, but I really can’t imagine putting this rack together with them alone. They’re only about 10″ long, which makes them less-than-ideal for cranking with leverage. Thankfully Dustin brought a massive impact wrench and it made the job much easier I imagine. I would highly recommend one if you’re assembling this at home, even if you just rent it from Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc…

Sorinex XL - Width - Garage Gym Lab

The width of this rack is 47″, which is another reason I elected to go with Sorinex over Rogue, etc…, which offer 49″ wide racks. Aside from the space savings, the 47″ width serves a practical purpose. With a 49″ wide rack, it’s not uncommon to hit the uprights with your plates when racking or unracking a loaded bar. At best, it’s annoying – at worst, it’s potentially dangerous. A 47″ wide rack largely eliminates this concern altogether.

You’re now starting to see more companies utilizing the 47″ width. For example, Rep Fitness offers 47″ widths on their higher-end models (PR-4000 & PR-5000). Rogue, on the other hand, exclusively offers 49″ widths on their 3×3 racks and, based on their attachment pipeline, it appears as if that will be the case going forward.

To be clear, I’m not railing against 49″ racks – there are many awesome 49″ racks – I just prefer the 47″ width.

Sorinex XL - Jammer Arm - Garage Gym Lab

Another nice consideration by Sorinex is the use of a three-tab cross-member inside the lifting space. What this means is Sorinex removed the front top bolt portion of the lower cross-member to create some additional clearance for the Jammer Arms. Technically it shaves 3″, but the way the holes are situated, you can’t drop the Jammer Arm all the way down, so you’re only getting around 2″ of additional clearance. If you like to do Jammer Arm deadlifts, for instance, you’ll have a slightly negative angle that you’ll either have to live with or resolve with a block or a shim of sorts.

Sorinex also provides a three-tab on the top cross-member, where the bottom portion is cut off. Unfortunately though, you don’t get the extra 3″ of space here because the bolt that attaches the front cross-member prevents the adjustable bracket from getting there.

Overall, The Sorinex XL rack is an absolute unit. It’s well designed, it’s efficiently laid out, and it’s a damn tank.

It’s also stunning to look at, which brings us to the next section: custom elements.

Custom Elements

Sorinex XL Custom Arch - Garage Gym Lab

When you buy a Sorinex rack, you’re buying more than an off-the-shelf rack. Like a bespoke suit, a rack from Sorinex comes with complete design discretion, if you wish. Having control over these custom design elements was one of, if not the biggest reason I went with a Sorinex XL rack. I wanted a rack that was consistent with the Garage Gym Lab brand, and we designed it as such. With exception of the custom J-cups and the numbered uprights, all of this was included in the price of my rack. I’ll discuss in a later section what this means in terms of overall cost compared to a customized Rogue RM-6.

Let’s take a look at each of the areas I had customized:

Colors

Sorinex offers 13 standard colors for their racks in addition to a clear coat and a clear grind. They also offer the option to color-match, although this is an expensive upcharge. For big brands like sports teams, etc… with dozens of racks, I think it makes total sense to color-match. For my single rack, their standard color options gave me a very close match.

One other thing Sorinex is known for is their clear grind, which is a clear coat on top of bare steel that’s been scored with an angle grinder. It creates a unique look that reflects light beautifully. This was the foundation from which my other colors would be based. As such, all six uprights are finished in clear grind. One thing to note is that clear grind is now an upcharge, which wasn’t the case when I purchased my XL rack. I don’t know the exact amount, as this will depend on a proper quote based on your rack specs.

Sorinex XL - Colors - Garage Gym Lab

A dark blue is my primary brand color, so it has a prominent position on my rack. Each cross-member is coated in blue along with the Sorinex Jammer arms.

A bright green is my secondary color, but I didn’t want to get too loud with it, so I elected to use the green only as an accent color on my J-cup frames, strap shackles, and rear arch.

As the third and final color, I went with a crisp white to create a clean look. You’ll see this on both sets of safeties, on the Jammer arm brackets, and on the face of the rear arch.

The colors themselves I think are beautiful. The powder coat is heavy-duty, evenly applied, and it offers just the right amount of sheen. The white is especially impressive, in my opinion.

By the end of it, Dustin and I ran through several design iterations before landing on what you see.

Rear Arch

Sorinex XL - Full Arch Render - Garage Gym Lab

As of the date of this review, I haven’t seen anyone else produce comparable arches to Sorinex. They’re in a league of their own here, in my opinion, and while some are making strides (Williams Strength and to a lesser extent, Rogue), Sorinex is king in this department.

You’ll notice some of their custom arches have extremely complex designs with detailed nuances. They’re able to get very precise laser cuts that, when combined with multiple layers of material and colors, creates a multi-dimensional look. My alma mater is a great example of this intricacy.

Sorinex XL - Arch Close - Garage Gym Lab

As for my specific arch, it includes four layers of material to capture all of my logo’s elements. We looked at a couple of variations of this including a clear grind face but ultimately landed on the white.

Custom J-Cups

Sorinex XL - Jcup Render - Garage Gym Lab

Sorinex used to create their J-cups with a lasered ‘S’ for Sorinex. That isn’t standard anymore, but you do have the option to add a custom lasered top for an upcharge. I first became interested in this after seeing the University of Oregon and the University of Tennessee J-cups.

Because space is limited, I ended up going with the beaker from the Garage Gym Lab logo, and I just love the way it came out. This is another unique touch that Sorinex is capable of, and I’m really glad I did it.

Lasered Uprights

Sorinex XL - Numbers - Garage Gym Lab

The XL rack doesn’t come with numbered uprights. For the price, I think it should. But, if you want them, you can add them for an upcharge.

Are they necessary? Not really. Are they helpful? I think so. Especially if you’re moving your attachments around a lot with this many holes.

I’m glad I added them, but again… I believe numbered uprights should come standard on a rack of this price and quality.

Other Custom Elements

While that concludes the custom touches on my particular rack, you have the option to customize many other things. Some of it is pretty straightforward, like adding numbered holes to cross-members, colored washers, increasing/decreasing rack height, etc…. Others may require a more thorough design process.

 

One of my favorite examples of this is Omar Avila’s rack. Omar was injured in a military event that left him severely burned and required the partial amputation of his right leg. On his Sorinex rack, he has charred uprights and one of the most unique post designs I’ve ever seen: a steel prosthetic leg with a gun barrel as the tibia. Aside from looking awesome, the rack is an extension of him and his story… and that’s the kind of stuff that makes Sorinex unique.

Base Package vs. Uber Package

With the Sorinex XL rack, you have the option to purchase the rack as a base package or with the Uber package. You can always purchase attachments/accessories individually, but the Uber package includes a nice variety and it will save you money compared to a la carte. I chose to go with the Uber package on my rack since it comes with the custom arch, upgraded sandwich cups, and a few other pieces I use frequently. I also purchased two additional attachments that I’ll detail in the next section.

Sorinex XL Rack - Garage Gym Lab

With the basic rack, the following items are included:

  • Safety straps
  • 2 single chin pull up bars
  • 1 double chin pull up bar.
  • 1 pair of XL J-cups
  • 1 barbell storage attachment
  • 10 XL series storage pins

Sorinex XL Uber - Garage Gym Lab

With the Uber package comes the following attachments (it also includes everything listed above except for the XL J-cups):

  • 2 pairs of sandwich J-cups
  • Full safety bars
  • Half safety bars
  • Utility seat
  • Utility seat storage with storage for 2 barbells
  • 2 roller pads
  • 4 adjustable urethane pins
  • Landmine
  • Custom arch

Accessories & Attachments

In this section, we’ll take a look at each of the attachments that come with the Uber Package as well as the Adjustable Jammer Arms and Batwing Arch that I purchased separately. I have added some available customization options, but please note that these don’t represent the limits of customization. Sorinex will just about customize anything you can think of.

Sandwich Cups

Sorinex XL - J-Cup Side - Garage Gym Lab

Compared to regular J-cups, sandwich cups offer a couple of distinct advantages. One advantage is the rounded profile of the bottom/back portion of the actual cup. If you look at a traditional J-cup, it’s typically 90 degrees from the back to the bottom, with a gap between the UHMW. The rounded edge creates a much smoother experience when you’re racking the bar. The bar doesn’t immediately become dead energy like on a traditional J-cup. Now, this isn’t unique to Sorinex, but it’s a useful feature on sandwich cups in general.

Another advantage is the UHMW is quite a bit thicker and it covers the front lip on both the inside and on the outside edges. On traditional J-cups, you generally don’t get this additional coverage. Therefore, your bars and cups are fully protected from every angle.

Sorinex XL - J-Cup 2 - Garage Gym Lab

Concerning the Sorinex sandwich cups, they’re very well made and they fit like a glove on the upright. There is very little front-to-back movement since they sit flush against the frame. There is also UHMW on all sides of the inner bracket of the cup assembly so your rack is fully protected. Lastly, you can remove the fasteners on the sides of the cups to replace the UHMW if you ever needed to.

Customization options: Colored frame, colored top layer, lasered logo

Safety Straps

Sorinex XL safety straps 1 - Garage Gym Lab

The safety straps from Sorinex are what I use the most when it comes to the safety systems they offer. They are well made and painlessly easy to set up and position. By using a shackle with a bump-out that fits right into the upright hole, all you have to do is simply pull back on the shackle and re-position. It’s all self-locking. If you look at the old Rogue model, it was secured by a full-length pin through the back and another one through the loop of the strap. To move it around, you had to remove the loop pin and detach the bracket entirely to re-position. They have since redesigned their strap system to accomplish what Sorinex has, but their shackle is much bulkier.

Sorinex XL - Shackle Close - Garage Gym Lab

The straps themselves are very heavy duty. They’re reinforced and capable of handling a combined 20,000 lbs of weight.

Customization options: colored shackle

Full Safety Bars

Sorinex XL - Full Safety - Garage Gym Lab

The Sorinex XL full safety bars are useful not only as a protective measure but also as an application for other attachments. Certainly, you can use these as your primary safety system, but I think the more relevant use lies with the holes through the sides. Since the 1″ holes persist throughout the entire rack and all attachments, you can use the full safety bars in a variety of ways. Attach your utility seat, set up bands, use the utility pins as an adjustable dip station, etc…

Sorinex XL safety bars 2 - Garage Gym Lab

The bars attach quickly with a pin and they and swing-in easily. They include a thick piece of UHMW on top that can be replaced if ever needed.

Customization options: Colored bars, numbered holes (standard on Base Camp)

Half Safety Bars

Sorinex XL - Half Safety -Garage Gym Lab

These are essentially the same as the full safety bars and they’re meant to be used on the outside of the rack. Some people like to lift on the outside of the rack. If that’s you, these are helpful.

Similar to the full safety bars, the half version has holes that will allow you to set up a variety of uses. You can also use them in conjunction with the Jammer arms to create some cool uses. For example, my friend Elmer from The Fit Boss uses them upside down to perform a Jammer Arm decline bench press variation with the safety bars acting as a platform.

Sorinex XL - Spotter Arms Close - Garage Gym Lab

Each spotter arm includes full UHMW coverage on the inside for complete rack protection.

Customization options: Colored bars, numbered holes (NOT standard on Base Camp)

Utility Seat

Sorinex XL - Utility Seat -Garage Gym Lab

The utility seat from Sorinex is a rather useful tool if you’re someone who performs box squats, box jumps, step-ups, etc… It’s easy to set up anywhere on the rack with the pins on each side of the bracket. On the inner edge of the mounting bracket is a nice piece of UHMW to protect the sides of your safety bars.

Sorinex XL - Utility Seat UHMW - Garage Gym Lab

Where I think the seat can be improved is with the addition of UHMW on the inside edge of the top portion. If you’re only using the seat on the safety bars, it’s inconsequential since the bars have UHMW on the top… but if you ever wanted to mount to your Jammer Arms for a leg press platform, to your rack for wall ball throws, etc… you’re only getting protection on the side of your beautiful uprights.

There is a dense piece of rubber that is inset into the seat to serve as the landing surface.

Customization options: Colored frame

Utility Seat/2 Bar Storage

Sorinex XL - Utility Seat Storage - Garage Gym Lab

With the Uber package also comes a storage unit for your utility seat and two barbells. This is secured on your rack via the on-rack holes within the storage section. It’s easy to get to, out of the way of lifting, and it works well. I don’t personally use the barbell storage since it’s oriented towards the inside of my rack – It’s a bit awkward trying to avoid hitting any of the uprights/cross-members.

There are also four holes that you can use to store things like pins, band pegs, etc…

Customization options: Colored frame

Roller Pads

Sorinex XL - Rollers - Garage Gym Lab

The Sorinex Roller pads are a nice option if you do a lot of unilateral leg work and they can also be adapted to create setups for 45-degree hypers, sissy squats, hip thrusts (w/ Jammer Arms), etc… To get really creative, having two helps, and that’s exactly what you get with the Uber package.

The pads themselves are 16″ long and they’re upholstered in artificial leather that is comfortable and nice looking. They’re held in place with a pinned end.

Customization options: Colored upholstery

Landmine

Sorinex XL - Landmine - Garage Gym Lab

The Sorinex landmine, like most other landmines, is a great way to introduce barbell movements across multiple planes. It’s well made, it swivels in every direction you’d expect, and it’s securely mounted to the side of the rack.

Customization options: Color

Adjustable Urethane Pins

Sorinex XL - Adjustable Urethane Pin - Garage Gym Lab

I’m a big fan of the adjustable urethane pins, and I use them frequently. These 16″ pins have a 2″ diameter and they’re easily adjustable. You can set them up in a variety of ways using the existing holes in the rack. I most frequently use them for dips on my spotter arms. This is particularly nice because you can vary the grip width, unlike conventional dip bars. I also use them attached to my top cross-member above my squatmax so I can get lower back traction. By holding onto the pins and allowing the weight to hang directly from the hips, I’m able to get great traction.

You can also use them as storage pins, band pegs, neutral grip chin bars, etc…

Plate Storage

Sorinex XL plate storage 2 - Garage Gym Lab

The storage posts that Sorinex equips standard with the XL rack use two bolts and a post that’s angled slightly upward. By accident, Sorinex sent me the upgraded urethane pins that come standard with the Base Camp. The urethane pins use a single bolt at the end of the pin and they’re very nice. I would recommend upgrading to the urethane posts if you can spare the extra coin. I’ve had over 350 lbs loaded onto a single pin for months now, and there is zero concern over its integrity. I’m confident it could hold much more.

Batwing Arch

Sorinex XL Batwing 3 - Garage Gym Lab

The Batwing arch doesn’t come with the Uber Package, but it’s available for individual purchase. I chose this over a traditional chin bar just for the extra variety/grip options. As you will see, the bar has a unique shape that allows for multiple types of chins and pulls. I most frequently use the middle section with a neutral/slightly supinated grip. You can go as wide as 60 inches for the more classic lat-pull feel, and you can even use pure neutral grip handles where that taper begins.

The textured powder coat offers a nice, secure feel.

Customization Options: Colored arch

Adjustable Jammer Arms

Sorinex XL - Jammer Handle - Garage Gym Lab

Sorinex is the pioneer behind rack-mounted Jammer Arms, which are really useful tools for generating explosive power, replicating certain movements normally limited to machines, and performing other sport-specific movements.

You have the option to buy stationary Jammer Arms, which are bolted into the rack; or adjustable Jammer Arms, which can be moved up and down the uprights.

Sorinex XL - Jammer Bracket - Garage Gym Lab

The adjustable bracket is extremely heavy duty. It’s held in place with a single pin through one side hole and a large clamp on the back. Adjusting them is straightforward enough, but it’s heavier than you might expect at first. My initial adjustment took me by surprise as it nearly plummeted to the ground.

You really can do a lot of things with the Jammer Arms including various presses and pulls, hip thrusts, leg presses, and a lot of other creative movements. The handle offers several hand positions, but I think it could be improved with the addition of a purely neutral grip on the inside.

Sorinex XL - Jammer Handle Straight - Garage Gym Lab

That said, I virtually never use my Jammer Arms. It’s not because they aren’t well made and great for some people – they just don’t fit my training style right now. Maybe one day I’ll incorporate them more frequently but, until then, they’ll just have to keep looking cool on the rack.

Customization options: Arm color, bracket color, arm length

Pricing

Although Sorinex has recently started putting prices on their website for certain items, including the XL power rack, you will need to speak with a Sorinex Rep to complete your large-ticket purchases. That’s because this isn’t an off-the-shelf rack offering. Due to the custom, made-to-order nature of these racks, getting a proper quote is necessary. Some will find this cumbersome and unappealing, and others, like me, will like it for the experience and the overall process.

Sorinex XL - Plates - Garage Gym Lab

Sorinex isn’t a value-provider. Their racks are/can be rather pricey. How pricey largely depends on your package and overall customization. When I put together a Rogue RM-6 build that closely matched the build of my Sorinex rack, the price difference wasn’t extreme by any means (depends on shipping – see below)… and I maintain that if someone is willing to spend $5,000+ on a rack, that a few hundred extra in the grand scheme isn’t going to be a major deterring factor.

Disclaimer: The biggest price difference doesn’t actually come from the rack itself, but rather it comes from the shipping. Depending on where you live, the shipping costs from Sorinex could be WELL over what you would receive from Rogue or certain others. The figures below are based on my bill with tax – it does not include shipping since this will fluctuate based on location. I will add, Sorinex ships their equipment with extreme care on freight.

Disclaimer #2: The figures below are based on my specific quote. You will need to obtain your own quote, which may or may not line up with mine. Since I placed my order, the prices HAVE increased, much as they have elsewhere. This is largely due to rising raw materials costs. I have estimated what today’s pricing would look like based on the website prices, which didn’t exist when I placed my order. Again, you should obtain your own quote.

Sorinex XL upright - Garage Gym Lab

My custom Sorinex XL power rack with Uber package ran me $6,403.85 after tax. It included the following:

  • Sorinex XL Power Rack w/ Uber Package
  • Adjustable Jammer Arms
  • Lasered Uprights
  • Custom Sandwich Cups

If I were to estimate based on today’s pricing, I think it would be closer to $7,000. This is due to the Uber package running roughly $350 more and the new clear grind upcharge.

In the next section, I will compare my Sorinex XL rack to a Rogue RM-6 with a similar build and we’ll see where the pricing shakes out.

Sorinex XL Power Rack vs. Rogue RM-6

Sorinex XL vs. Rogue RM-6 - Garage Gym Lab

If you’re considering a higher-end Sorinex rack (XL or Base Camp), a very common comparison will be made against the popular Rogue Monster Series. In this example, I’ve chosen the RM-6, which is an excellent rack by nearly all accounts.

In terms of the actual racks, they’re both 6-post racks with 11-gauge 3×3 steel, and they will both perform very nicely… but each does offer some pros over the other. Let’s have a look at a few:

Pros for Sorinex XL Power Rack

Dimensions

One of the biggest advantages of the Sorinex XL rack, especially for the home gym owner, is the smaller footprint. The XL rack is nearly 5″ shorter in height, over 6″ shorter in depth, and 2″ shorter in width. Knowing I was going to be attaching my Squatmax to the rack, that extra 6.25″ in depth was meaningful. Sorinex accomplished this primarily by using a shorter storage space (21″) than Rogue and also a shorter lifting space (41″ vs. 43″), both of which I prefer. Rogue can certainly cut down some space in the storage area, but this is a customization that comes with an upcharge.

Finish Level

Sorinex offers a more refined & polished product, in my opinion. Both are great, don’t get me wrong, but the Sorinex rack just has a higher-end look and feel to it, from my perspective.

Customization

Sorinex is the clear winner in the customization department. They have the manufacturing capabilities to produce some very unique things that Rogue hasn’t yet demonstrated. I think Rogue is improving, but they aren’t as sophisticated in this arena, and their custom upcharges essentially wipe out any price savings compared to Sorinex’s standard “custom” offerings (more on this below).

Sorinex XL j-cups 3 - Garage Gym Lab

Pros for Rogue RM-6

Price

Rack-to-rack, the RM-6 is a less expensive option compared to the Sorinex XL. If budget is a primary factor, this is certainly something to consider. With that said, if you look at the base package XL rack vs. the base package RM-6, the price difference is only $44 ($2,199 XL vs. $2,155 RM-6). Shipping, however, may lead to a larger total dollar discrepancy, as Rogue appears to be much cheaper overall (depends on location). Rogue does offer nicer plate storage pins as standard compared to the XL (single bolt vs. double-bolt), but the XL offers bar storage standard, which Rogue does not. When you start adding things, like the Uber package, the Sorinex also gets incrementally more expensive.

Numbered Holes

The RM-6 comes standard with numbered holes, which the XL does not. If this is important to you, it’s something to consider. Sorinex will laser in numbers for an upcharge. As I mentioned earlier, I think Sorinex should offer this as standard as well.

In terms of the physical rack, there isn’t much from Rogue that I would take over the Sorinex XL. The racks will perform similarly, but the dimensions of the XL are very attractive, in my opinion.

Price Breakdown: Sorinex XL Power Rack vs. Rogue RM-6

Now that we’ve had a look at some of the pros of both racks, let’s now have a look at how the total pricing may shake out if you build a Rogue RM-6 to comparable specs to my Sorinex XL Power Rack.

For the sake of this comparison, again, I’m not including shipping. It’s safe to assume that Sorinex will be more expensive. I’ve also adjusted the Sorinex amount to reflect the overall price increases, although you should obtain an actual quote. Since Rogue doesn’t offer a clear grind like-for-like, I have assumed a traditional powder coat for both. I also used the 100″ RM-6 as a comparison. Lastly, I built the RM-6 as efficiently as possible. For instance, it’s cheaper to add the flip-down safeties in the build than it is to add the straps and then add the flip-downs separately.

You can refer to the above section to see what all is included in the Uber package. The RM-6 build shown below includes all of those attachments. With the XL Uber, the colors and the custom arch are included in the price. That is not the case with Rogue. Each item is charged an additional $150 for custom color. For instance, if you want custom safeties, it’s $150 for both. The same exists for others (j-cups, etc…). Furthermore, a custom lasered arch is $350.

Here is the breakdown:

Sorinex XL Power Rack vs. Rogue RM-6 Pricing - Garage Gym Lab

As you’ll notice, the price difference between the actual racks isn’t as drastic as you may think. Now, if you just want an RM-6 without all the customization, then the price difference is definitely more substantial (~$900 in additional savings), but this comparison is to a rack that does include several custom elements.

Said another way, had this vision been taken to Rogue, the difference would have primarily been in shipping. I also don’t think I would have received quite the same product. Sorinex’s custom arches are superior, the Rogue price doesn’t include custom lasered J-cups, and Rogue also doesn’t come with a utility seat storage setup or the adjustable urethane pins.

The bottom line is this: Both the Sorinex XL Power Rack and the Rogue RM-6 are fantastic racks. The price difference may or may not be significant depending on your location and your customization requirements. If you like what Sorinex is throwing down, I’d encourage you to get a quote to compare. My rep, Dustin Riddle, will take great care of you – tell him Adam from Garage Gym Lab sent you. The other reps are very helpful also from what I’ve heard.

Sorinex XL Power Rack – Pros and Cons

Sorinex XL - Hero - Garage Gym Lab

Pros

  • The Sorinex XL is a very high-quality modular power rack.
  • The rack itself is efficient and it has favorable dimensions.
  • 47″ width essentially eliminates the risk of hitting plates on the uprights when un-racking/re-racking.
  • The customization options are top-tier and the execution is virtually flawless.
  • There are numerous attachment options available, and the 3×3 tube size with 1″ holes makes it compatible with a few other companies.
  • I really appreciate the relationship aspect of working with Sorinex.

Cons

  • The shipping costs from Sorinex are high… in some cases, they’re very high. Their shipping quality is some of the best I’ve ever seen, however.
  • I think a rack of this price and quality should include lasered hole numbers as a standard offering.
  • The utility seat offers versatility when it’s mounted vertically on the rack uprights, but the lack of UHMW under the top lip means it can cause damage. I would love to see this added.

At the end of the day, Sorinex is making some of the nicest equipment on the market. The XL Power Rack is a great option if you’re looking to invest in a beautiful rack that will last you years and years. Furthermore, if customization is important to you, Sorinex does an outstanding job.

Yes, it’s expensive… and yes, it takes longer… but the product speaks for itself. I’m proud of my Sorinex rack and I’m thankful for the people I’ve met along the way. It’s been a great experience for me, and I would recommend anyone to check Sorinex out if you’re in the market for this level of equipment.