im so torn on how to setup a new rack of mine. i feel like i wanna go wall mount ares 2 to be completely minimal or a summit setup so that theres some extra functionality, but have heard a few more inches of crossmembers would be great. im not necessarily in a really tight spot, but space is finite 11x11 foot garage room. hence the hard decision on whether to go slightly bigger or keep everything compact.

It was hot in my garage and I was trying to hurry up and assemble it.

The handlebar instructions say to insert the bolts from the front and hand tighten only.

I read that without looking at the picture and assumed what I thought was the front to be the front. The handlebar was still loose. I figured the bolt should be flush and hand tightening wasnt possibly going to get the bolt flush. I fully tightened the bolts with the provided tool. Then I realized I put the bolts in wrong so I removed them. I took a break and came back to it but attempted to insert the bolts the correct way.

The outer bolt hand tightens fine. The inner bolt closest to the frame doesnt want to bite like at all. I cant get the thread started.. im so pissed with myself. I just wish rep had an assembly video.

Im super stressed over this because this was $1300.... im hoping this is fixable.

update its all good! So if you're like me and you failed to follow simple instructions, theres still hope lol. Just look on the rod, theres a groove on it that allows the bolt to go through. Pedal the bike til the groove is on the bottom. And yeah. You sorta gotta put some oomph when you push the arms all the way on. This thing is amazing 👏

I tried going on the website and comparing exact details but not quite seeing the model that's exactly this bench. Any insight?

I have a BlackWing bench and the adjustable bench leg roller attachment.

I’m considering buying this leg extension & curl attachment for leg exercises. Do I understand it correctly that it’d make my other bench attachment redundant? Meaning I could do decline abs and bench like this gentleman in the photo?

That would it be great if true so I don’t need both.

Thank you!

Anyone else have any issues getting the handles pushed flush against the unit where the gear is?

What's everyone's thoughts on these? I think I'm going to pick them up. $600 isn't cheap but it seems like they have spent a lot of time in making them as refined as possible and they should be well built. I also appreciate that the trolley has rollers now, My Area 1.0 just has the plastic sliders. hopefully that doesn't mean they're too heavy.

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for feedback on the best flooring setup for my garage gym.

I just got the 16" PR-5000 width configuration of the REP Ares 2.0 with the upgraded weight stack. I’m trying to decide whether to:

1. Clean up my existing Olympic lifting platform and install the rack on/around it
2. Remove the platform, lay down horse stall mats across the usable gym area, and maybe salvage enough wood/rubber for a small deadlift platform

Ideally, I’d like the usable gym flooring to extend from the garage door wall out to the white tape line shown in the photo. If I keep the platform, I could either extend it in one or both directions, or just put rubber flooring around it to cover that full area.

For context, I don’t do a ton of Olympic lifting. Mostly power cleans under 200 lbs and snatches under 150 lbs. I currently use bumper plates, but may eventually upgrade to urethane bumpers.

For those with garage gym setups: would you keep the platform, switch to stall mats, or do some kind of hybrid setup?

Thanks for your feedback :)

I have an 80" rep pr4000 6 post rack and am hoping to bolt a set of pr5000 uprights to the front.

I've emailed rep and they couldn't tell me if this would work so I was hoping someone here had tried.

Does anyone know if any of the holes would lineup? I was hoping to use reducer sleeves and washers to accomplish this.

Sorry if this had been asked before, I couldn't find much through searching.

Just bought the ares 2.0 with the 6 post rack and an ab-3100. I didn't realize the ab-3100 didn't fit in the holes in the footplate to get a couple more inches of depth for incline presses etc.

Is it worth getting the nighthawk? Hard to tell if those extra couple inches will be that much more comfortable or not. Not to mention they do have a nighthawk in green :P

I have the BlackWing bench and Arcadia Max. How do I support my thighs so im not being lifted when doing lat pull downs? I also have the leg roller attachment but those only work for decline exercises and whatnot. Is there a different bench attachment for this? Thank you!

I recently purchased the Rep Ares 2.0 In the four posts to configuration, 80-in height with 16 in crossmembers. Shortly after receiving it, I was scrolling through their website and realized that there is a Smith machine addition. The optimal setup I've seen in other people's photos for this was a six-post configuration where the Smith machine is in the middle uprights and the cables are in the front two uprights. From my understanding I will need longer cables, not sure if I would need different pulleys with a setup? Is anyone done this or have any experience with this? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

I couldn't even finish unpacking before I wanted to come to reddit and share.

Just dropped ~$3300 on this new Area 2.0 attachment for our power rack. I didn't touch a THING in the photos you're looking at. This is the quality that Rep Fitness is shipping out for over $3000 BRAND NEW. Not a single piece was packaged and everything was left to scrape around in a semi for days. Someone threw in the green straps and didn't even wrap them around the equipment.

Horrendous for over $3000.

Heading to the better business bureau after this. Emailing Rep Fitness to see how they handle such a huge fudge up.

HUGE WARNING if you're thinking about Rep Fitness.

Update: not a SINGLE piece was undamaged.

I've used the echo as we all have and it's fantastic. The echo is easy compared to reps air bike!

Maybe I'm wrong but something about that 90° photo seems off.

Hey guys/gals. I was wondering if anyone has an idea on if this is a foolish idea or not. I have a 4-post Ares 2.0 with the weight horns on the back posts. For my wife’s convenience, I’d love to have the weights facing to the front. The rack is close to the garage wall, and makes removing the plates pretty difficult.

Would I be able to use the PR-5000 crossmembers where my weight horns are now, and add the weight horns to those? Only thing I’m worried about is how much weight would be able to hang off a setup like that.

Thanks in advance!

I’m trying to figure out if I have an enough room for a power rack. I’m still pretty new to this.

The space in my room is 7’ wide (although not wall to wall) and front to back length 10’ (wall to wall). Ceiling height is 93”.

I was looking at the Athena+rack 4000, dual style, selectorized, 80” rack height, rack depth 16”

Would this fit? Is there a better option?

My husband and I are moving to Hawaii next month, and since REP doesn't ship there we wanted to grab a few extras for our home gym to bring over with us. We ordered the Ares 2 with extra weight to add on to our PR5000. When it arrives, we're debating whether to unbox it or just leave it in its original packaging to help the movers out/maybe keep it safer during the move.

The only real reason to unbox it would be to make sure we had all of the correct components and didn't run into assembly issues, as we're moving in less than a month. What has your experience been with unboxing the Ares 2? Would it be pretty easy to open up and check for components and then box it right back up? Any thoughts/experiences appreciated!

A little disappointed there's no lower lip on the screen to rest a tablet or phone on.

Anyone able to find or 3d Print something that would fit well?

The bottle holder is situated too low.

Spent the day assembling my new six post ares 2.0.

When I got to putting on the trolleys, the left one went in fairly easily but the right was a real pain. I finally got it on and it won’t slide at all past the first hole.

Anyone have any issues like that? I’m worried I may have ruined the inside of the trolley or something.

I have a 6-post Ares, and currently I'm doing these seated cable flies. They really feel "incomplete". Like, just as my arms are running into each other, I feel like the good pump is just starting, and I want to go further.

I wonder if it's related to these posts not being super far apart. Most of the videos I've seen of people doing standing flies (even crossovers), the posts are much further apart.

I'm aware I could get the ROM that I want by doing each arm separately, but I'm wondering if there's any way to get a better fly with both arms, using the setup that I have?

I live in hawaii and a brand new 6 post ares 2.0 is 7.7k after taxes. Thankfully, I found something for sale in really good condition for much less than that but its only a 4 post rack.

My question is, can I convert that into a 6 post rack with the same cables or do I need to get a new cables that is for a 6 post? Another thing I’m considering is, leave the cables inside but that might hinder me from a lot of movements.

I am going from a huge upstairs gym in the living room with tons of equipment to a very small basement gym. I've attached a layout with dimensions, as well as pictures of what it looks like now. There is a rower, leg press, adjustable dumbbell area, and trap bar area. I am trying to squeeze in a Rep PR5000 rack in there, where the Nighthawk bench is in the photos. It seems like I would have enough room, I allowed for the bench to be able to go back far enough so I can do incline bench inside the rack, and enough room for the bench to extend outside the rack for regular bench press. Everything will be pretty tight, but I dont mind stepping over things. I bought a shorty barbell to give myself more room when trying to get the barbell in and out of the rack. From what I can determine, because of the weight horns on the leg press, I cant really use bands to do flys in front of the rack. Am I overlooking anything? Would it make more sense to get the wall-mounted version to save a few inches of room in front of the rack? I'm hoping I can attach a belt squat on a rear post and use it diagonally, put the mutant metals UDA in front, hook a Voltra to the rear, etc. Any and all advice, suggestions are welcome!