My home gym is now complete!
- Treadmill - Olympic weight set - Dumbbells - Suspension Trainer - Power Rack -> CHECK!

I did a lot of research on the different brands of power racks, from Powerline, to Rogue, to PowerTec and more. Then I came across the Valor BD-7, which is a complete system, combining a power rack system and lat pull, all for one low price. Hands down...the Valor BD-7 is the best bang for your buck. This will work for basements with low ceiling heights (91 inches for my ceiling). A couple of years ago I got rid of my gym membership. Now that I have this piece added to my home gym, there is no reason for me to go back. I can perform every exercise that I need all within this space, from power clean/ squats/ bench press/ deadlift/ shoulder press. The rack is sturdy when doing pull ups, no swaying, even when weight plates are not attached on the rack. No need to bolt into the floor like some other systems. No other rack system comes with the Lat Pull, all of them are purchased separately. My main concern was the ceiling height and if I would have enough head clearance when performing pull ups.... needless to say...it is NOT an issue at all, with plenty of head room to spare.

Pros:
* No more monthly GYM MEMBERSHIP fee
* Work every part of the body in one station
* Stable enough to do suspension training, hooked up to pull up bar (i.e, TRX or Rip60)
* Suitable for low ceiling heights.
* Enough depth to bench press/ power clean, deadlift, etc inside the cage
* Package arrived two days earlier than estimated

Con:
* I'm 5'10, however, when standing doing a clean and press, the olympic bar just scrapes the bottom of the cross member bar. However, it is still manageable.
* Parts packaging for bolts/nuts/wings could be labeled better in separate compartments
* Instruction manual could be written better, however, it's not rocket science
* Hi/Low pulley bar attachments (straight bar and lat pull bar) are cheap, but will do the job for now

I would HIGHLY recommend this set to anyone looking for a power rack system.

Additions to set:
* Separately purchased chinning triangle bar attachment (which can also be used for pull ups if placed over the pull up bar)
* Lowered Chin Up bar, no longer horizontal, placed ends vertical, gives additional clearance. Plus fully helps reinforce rack load at ALL four corners versus just three corners
* Will eventually drill holes in on side cross bars (top and bottom center) to add capability of using resistance bands with workouts

Very happy with the power rack, it's quite sturdy and seems to fit me well so far for working inside the cage with lat pulldowns etc. Took me about 45 minutes to an hour to assemble by myself with a 17mm socket/ratchet and a 17mm combination wrench (use the box end of the wrench). I didn't follow any instructions, just looked at the pictures and assembled it the way it seemed it should go but building the base first, then adding the sides, etc, leaving all hardware snug or loose until final assembly. Only mistake I made was I forgot to put the weight holder on the lat slide tower beam, so had to undo a couple of the loose installed bolts at the top brace and slide it on. Overall, it works very well for squats and the lat lap beam is a nice feature too. The chin bar has good knurling, not too rough for me and is also very sturdy. I would prefer j-hooks over the barbell holder rods, but they seem to work just fine and are plenty strong; the bar does "roll" a little sometimes when racking the barbell on them. Weight plate storage pegs work great, no issue with them not being 2" diameter, same with the lat weight holder, although I will add the 8" long olympic 2" adaptor sleeves to the lat weight holder. I'm using the squat feature at the outside front of the cage so I can step back to do squats, and then using the 2nd set of barbell holders mounted below them also on the outside for safety spots, but my squat weight is not too heavy right now due to back surgery. I'm using a simple old steel folding chair for seated lat pull-downs, and have a separate station (Olympic weight bench) for bench press so I don't have to move everything around all the time, but it will work just fine for bench press too. Arrived in two large heavy packages (about 100 pounds each), everything in good condition; UPS left the boxes outside the garage door per my instructions. Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase and service from Wayfair & Amazon! Also contacted Valor via e-mail with a question about weight bench width and the owner replied within minutes and was VERY helpful! I'm considering the DD-11 weight bench to go with it, and also looked at the DD-4, which is a little narrow for me at 9" width (I'm 44" chest and 12" bench width works better for my shoulders). Now let's go lift some weights!!

My wife and I purchased the Valor BD-7 because we wanted to do a 3x5 or 5x5 program to lose weight and build muscle. You can't do those programs safely without a power rack or squat rack. I spent over a month debating whether I should get this rack or the PowerLine PPR200X Power Rack . I ultimately went with this rack because of the lat and low row cables thrown in for less price than if I had purchased the Power Line Rack plus the Lat add-on.

I have to applaud the reviews existing on this rack. They helped me to get all of the accessories I needed to make this rack useful from the moment I finished putting it together. A careful read of other reviews also allowed me to prevent problems before they might occur.

Valor must be reading these reviews, because as of September 2013 when I received this model, the instructions started with several pages of diagrams, but also included 4-5 pages of step by step suggestions to make the installation easier. The printed instructions helped make this a pretty simple experience. Just pay attention to where the various holes should face on the main beams and almost anyone can out this thing together. I am not exactly gifted in the common sense department, and I was able to put this together with my wife over about an hour and a half. It might help you to pull everything out, slap a small piece of tape on each piece, and label it. My wife did this and it made the job easier.

In addition to the above, here are some hints gathered from other reviews here and put to use by me on how to make installation and use a pleasant experience:

1. This rack has six plate holders, two on the lat pulldown and four total along the sides. However, they are STANDARD size plates holders. I would recommend getting 6 Body-Solid 8 Inch Olympic Adapter Sleeve w Hex Nut Locks . These are inserted over the plate holders and convert them to Olympic plate holders. I am impressed with the quality.

2. There are small balls with tiny metal cups on either side on the cables just before you attach bar attachments like tricep ropes or a lat pulldown bar. These exist both on the top cable and the bottom cable. Take some duct tape or electric tape and tape the cups to the balls on both sides so they don't accidentally strip your cable. Do this BEFORE attempting to use the cables.

3. You might want to purchase some kind of teflon spray or graphite to coat the pulley system with. Some reviews complained about the lack of smooth operation on the cables, but I did not seem to have this problem, even before I sprayed some lubricant on the pulleys and cables.

4. Use duct tape on the lat pulldown foam pad. It apparently flakes off. I purchased some black duct tape and wrapped it immediately upon installation.

5. Depending on your needs, you will probably want to purchase some more attachments for the lat pulldown and row. A really good one on Amazon is the Champion Cable Attachment Package Pack . You get a better quality straight bar, a triceps rope, and a v-bar. If you go heavier on the lat pulldown, I'd pick out a new lat pulldown bar too.

6. You will need to purchase weights and a barbell to go with this power rack. I'd suggest shopping locally, because the cost of shipping a 300 lb Olympic Weight set usually drives the price up online.

7. If you are planning on deadlifting off the floor, make sure you make yourself a solid platform to cushion the weight as it hits the ground. I used some 7/8 inch thick matting and I also hope to make a platform out of several pieces of 4 x 8 plywood in the near future.

8. Purchase shoes with flat soles or lift barefoot. You DO NOT want to try to squat or deadlift heavy with cushioned soles, the type found in running shoes and cross trainers. If you don't want to buy expensive weightlifting shoes, get some Chuck Taylor's. They'll do the trick on the cheap.

That's about it. I have myself an extremely solid power rack which should allow my wife and I to do heavy olympic lifts as safely as possible. Compared to doing heavy squats, this installation was a piece of cake!

I just received this today starting with the boxes unopened it took me 2 hours 30 minutes to assemble (this also includes stopping a couple times to deal with my 7 year old daughter who did try to help by holding directions upside down :))

This comes in two boxes with parts intermingled but is not hard to figure out if you study the diagrams and pictures.
You will need a 17mm socket and 17mm wrench. I used a 3" extension for my 3/8" drive ratchet to save my knuckles.
I put the washers and nuts in solo cups and separated the bolts. They came shrink wrapped on cardboard and separated.

I am 5' 10" and did not need a stool but did have to get on my toes a couple times so if you are shorter a stool will help.

With the Lat Pull attachment it measures a height of 7' with out, it is 82". The base is 46" in depth add an extra 17" for the Lat attachment that comes out the back side. I gave my self 2' from my back wall and this is perfect. The width from the out side of the support beams is 47.5".

This fits a 7' Olympic bar good, the weight rack that are on the back side will hold Olympic sized plates. I did not account for those in my total width measurements. I did not realize a pull up bar was incorporated into the frame, the knurling is also pretty good.

I was shorted washers and I will probably change out some of the bolts for the pulleys because what they provided were completely threaded which makes no sense. I would say metal pulleys would be a good upgrade. This is not designed to do serious weight but enough to get a good work out. It was painted a gray/silver not all the welds seemed to be complete either.

With the bolts on the front of the base and in other key areas I reversed the way they are inserted. I did this one for safety reasons, I didn't want the threads facing inwards where shoe laces or pant legs might snag on, or where knuckles or hands could get caught on. I also think it is more appealing from an aesthetic view point. I did notice that it appeared that there were some small bubbles in the paint. Not a big deal to me and this is made in China so I didn't have high expectations. If it turns into something I can sand it down and paint it. For the price I think this is a good rack. I am using a Rogue Bar and bumper plates. If I get real serious I will upgrade and pass this onto a beginner such as myself.

We use it regularly in our garage and it provides us a ton of different workout options"¦A couple things I did notice while putting it together:
1. If you completely assemble the power rack first you will have to take some of the screws back out to add the two side cable stands. And they are different screws.
2. It is meant to be used with 1" standard plate holes. If you're wanting to use the 2" Olympic size, you will have to buy adapters that screw on and make the shafts wider.
But, no complaints. Love being able to get a good workout in at home.