| Unit | Dimensions | Assembled weight | Weight capacity | Workout stations | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valor Fitness BD-7 Check Discounted Price | L:59" W:63" H:86" | 135 lbs | 500 lbs catchers, 800 lbs safety bars, 350 lbs pullup bar, | High pulley, Low pulley, Pull-up bar. | Frame: 3 years Cables: 2 years Pulleys: 1 year Other parts: 1 year |
Valor Fitness offers quite a few power rack versions, more or less inclusive. One of the highest rated models so far is the BD-7, and that’s because it comes with an excellent price / quality ratio, includes several workout stations, and of course, offers the possibility to perform a wide array of exercises.
Technical Details and Specifications
- Assembled dimensions: 59L x 63W x 86H inches (150L x 160W x 218.5H cm)
- Assembled weight: 135 lbs (61.2 kg)
- Max. weight capacity:
- 500 lbs (226.8 kg) for the bar catchers outside of the cage;
- 650 lbs (294.8 kg) for the bar catchers inside the cage;
- 800 lbs (362.8 kg) for the safety bars;
- 350 lbs (158.7 kg) for the pull-up bar.
- Possible exercises: 40+
- Warranty: Frame 3 years / Cables 2 years / Pulleys 1 year / Other parts 1 year
Frame and parts
The frame of this home gym system is made of 12 gauge square steel tubing, with a metallic pewter finish. The assembled machine is heavy enough (approx 135 lbs) on its own providing required stability for exercises, thus you won’t need to bolt it to the floor. Its 
bases don’t have holes for bolting it down, however if you do wish to secure it to the floor or pavement, you can always drill a few holes in it. The bases are also finished with rubber base caps, thus the frame features an excellent “grip” onto the floor; it shouldn’t slide or tilt, in case you will perform exercises such as around the world pull-ups.
The frame is rather large. Its footprint is approx. 47″ (120 cm) wide, and 59″ (150 cm) long. However, the machine’s total width is approx. 63″ (160 cm), due to the lateral weight plate support pegs. On top of that, it does require at least 2′ (61 cm) of clearance on each side, 2′-3′ at the front and at least 1′ of clearance at the rear, for usage safety. The inner space of the cage is rather spacious, the distance between the vertical bars being approx. 44″ (112 cm).
When it comes to its height, the assembled frame reaches 86″ (218.5 cm). In other words it’s taller than 7′ so you will have to place it in a room with at least an 8′ ceiling.
The vertical bars of the frame feature 17 adjustment positions for the catch bars and safety bars. The first adjustment hole is placed at 17.5″ (44.5 cm) above ground, while the top one is at 68″ (173 cm). The distance between the adjustment holes is approx. 1″ (2.5 cm).
There are 4 catch bars supplied with this power rack, which you can install on the inside 
and outside. Also, there’s a set of two safety bars supplied with the machine. The number of the weight plate storage pegs supplied is 4, 2 for each side of the frame. They’re 1″ pegs, for Standard weight plates, each one being 8″ (20.3 cm) long. Evidently, you can store Olympic plates on them too, even if you won’t use a 2″ peg adapter. The Olympic plates will be loose on the supplied standard pegs, but if you secure them with springs, they shouldn’t fall off or rattle. The weight bar attached to the cable of the machine also features 1″ sleeves.
A bar with a 4″ thick foam roller is supplied with the rack. This bar is meant to be attached to the safety bars of the machine. It’s actually a helper bar for lat pulldowns. Knees go under it, therefore if you’re going to perform lat pulldowns with a heavy load, it will prevent you from lifting yourself up from the bench. Also, if you’re not too heavy, and will perform lat pulldowns with a less heavier load, you can actually sit on the foam support, if you won’t be using a bench.
The pulleys equipped on the machine are made of heavy-duty nylon material, not steel. However, they shouldn’t wear out for at least 2-3 years of use, even if you workout every day. They also integrate sealed ball bearings for prolonged use. Needless to say, the cables are steel-made, coated with a sheet of PVC.
The Valor Fitness BD-7 power rack does not include a weight bar, nor any weight plates. You’ll have to purchase these accessories additionally, or use the ones you already have. It’s meant to be used with Olympic, 7′ bars. A lat pulldown bar and a short bar for low pulley exercises are included though. Also, the top of the frame integrates a bar for pull-ups.
Last but not least, the frame is sturdy enough to support loads of 500 lbs (226.8 kg) or even more. The safety bars can actually support 800 lbs (362.8 kg) of weight, while the recommended weight for the pull-up bar is 350 lbs (158.7 kg).
Workout stations
This Valor Fitness power rack includes three main workout stations. These are:
High pulley station with lat pulldown bar – offering the possibility to perform various exercises for the back, arm and shoulder muscles;
Low pulley station with straight T bar – for stand-up curls, triceps kickbacks, stand-up rows, squats etc.
Pull-up station – consisting in a simple, solid steel bar, with a chrome finish and knurled grips. This bar does not feature curved, outer handles.
Of course, the cage is a workout station itself, as it offers the possibility to perform a wide array of weight bar exercises, or bench exercises. A bench accessory is not included with this power rack though.
Dip handles can be attached to the vertical bars of the frame as well. However, these accessories are also not included.
Possible Exercises
- Pull-ups
- Wide grip pull-ups
- Muscle pull-ups
- Behind head pull-ups
- Around the world pull-ups
- One arm pull-ups
- Cliffhangers
- Weighted pull-ups
- Chin-ups
- Close grip chin-ups
- Wide grip chin-ups
- One hand chin-ups
- Weighted chin-ups
- Hanging knee raises
- Hanging leg raises
- Lat pulldowns
- Close grip pulldowns
- Behind head pulldowns
- Aerobic rowing
- Kneeling rowing
- Biceps curls
- Triceps pressdowns
- Chest presses
- Single arm chest presses
- Wide grip chest presses
- Close grip chest presses
- Cable crunches
- Cable twist crunches
- Seated trunk rotations
- Standing trunk rotations
- Stand-up leg curls
- Calf raises
- Squats
- Single-leg squats
- Kneeling single-leg squats
- Wide squats
- Twisting squats
- Jumping squats
- Hip extensions
- Hip adductions
- Hip abductions
- … and more
Assembly and Maintenance
The whole frame of the Valor Fitness BD-7 requires assembly, however the process is pretty much straightforward. An assembly manual offering step-by-step instructions is supplied. However, tools for assembly are not included, so you’ll basically be needing two adjustable wrenches. The whole assembly shouldn’t take more than two hours.
When it comes to maintenance, there’s nothing much required. In case the pulleys begin to squeak, a little bit of lubrication should solve the problem. Also, the periodic check of the bolts, nuts and joints of the machine is required.
The Pros
- Sturdy, all-steel frame;
- Three workout stations, including: lat pulldown station, pull-up bar, and low pulley station;
- Smooth pulley and cable movement;
- 17 attachment positions for the catch bars and safety bars;
- 4 catch bars, 2 safety bars included;
- Excellent weight capacity, catch bars being able to support more than 500 lbs (226.8 kg);
- Knee stopper bar with foam roller included;
- Lat pulldown bar included;
- Short T bar for low pulley exercises included;
- Pull-up bar included;
- Over 40 possible exercises;
- Quiet operation;
- Little maintenance required;
- Fairly easy to assemble.
The Cons
- No curved handles for the pull-up bar, which might be an inconvenience for some
users; - Not meant for 6′ bars;
- Ankle strap for leg exercises not included.
Summary
The Valor Fitness BD-7 power rack is a home gym system which offers the possibility to perform more than 40 exercises. It features a very sturdy frame, with a decent weight capacity, integrating three distinctive workout stations. It comes with two sets of catch bars, one set of safety bars, the frame offering 17 positions for them. Although it may not be the best choice for a power lifter, this power rack can definitely offer an excellent training setting for beginners and intermediate level users. And finally, considering that with the current discounts it costs less than $500, it’s safe to say that this particular fitness equipment offers excellent value for the price.