How to set up pin squats in a power rack

Pin squats use the rack's safeties or pins as a defined bar stop. They need more setup than simply placing a bar above two supports. First confirm the rack's safety system is compatible with the rack and rated for its intended use. For example, Rogue's Monster Lite spotter-arm specification applies to that product line, not every upright with a similar hole pattern.

Choose the pin position

Set both sides in the same numbered hole. The position should correspond to the bottom point you intend to test, not a random low setting. Decide whether the bar will touch the pins lightly and reverse, pause briefly on them, or fully settle for a dead-stop version. These are different variations and should not share one vague label.

With an empty bar, descend slowly to the pins. Watch whether both sides arrive together and whether the bar stays level. If one side contacts first, check pin height, rack level, and bar centering before adding plates.

Test the rack path

The pins must be inside a rack or system that leaves enough room for a normal walkout, descent, and return to hooks. Test an empty-bar unrack and re-rack after setting them. A pin height that works at the bottom is not useful if the bar catches a hook during the return.

The Straub and Powers review is relevant to the movement comparison: changing the bottom stop can change the position and timing of the whole squat. Keep stance, footwear, bar placement, and descent pace stable while testing pin height.

Worked example: a light pin touch

Illustrative example: Avery chooses pins at hole 12 and performs two empty-bar reps. The left end of the bar reaches first. Avery discovers the right pin is at hole 13, corrects it, and repeats the test. Both sides now touch together. Avery then adds a light load and records “high-bar pin squat, hole 12, touch and reverse,” rather than only writing “pin squat.”

Load after the contact is repeatable

Start conservatively because contact with a rigid support changes the repetition. Do not crash the bar into pins or use them as a bounce. If the intended touch becomes noisy or asymmetric, reduce load and recheck the rack. Log rack model, safety type, hole number, contact definition, and load. Those details make a pin squat reproducible and make the next setup much faster.

Do not assume another rack's hole number creates the same position. Hole spacing, safety thickness, and bar diameter differ. When training away from home, repeat the empty-bar check and record the visual bar height rather than transferring only the old number.

After changing pin height, also check that the pins remain below the bar's route during a normal re-rack. Setup is complete only when the whole repetition and return path work together.