Ultimate Power Tower Guide: Benefits, Features, Exercises

Power towers are one of the most popular gym workout tools. The simple design, large exercise variety, small footprint, easy maintenance, and low average cost make it ideal for home and garage gyms.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything there is to know about power towers – from exercises to benefits and features to look for when choosing a power tower.

What are the Benefits of Using Power Towers?

✅ Workout Variety

The four basic calisthenics workouts you can perform with most power towers are pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and stomach exercises like knee raises. However, those exercises have infinite varieties that can be changed by which direction you face the tower, how you grip it, adding weights for extra load or support, etc.

✅ Improved upper body strength

The four main power tower exercises – pull-ups, dips, knee-ups, and push-ups – are some of the most beneficial and highly recommended upper-body exercises for all fitness levels. Regular exercise will not only strengthen your arms, shoulders, back, and chest, but you’ll see improvement in your grip strength and firmness as well.

✅ Regular pull-ups improve your posture, making you look taller

You might have heard rumors that exercising on your power tower can help you grow taller. While I’m sad to tell you that height increase from exercising is a myth, regular power tower exercising will stretch any tensed up muscles. They will also help straighten your back and neck, which can and will lead you to appear taller.

✅ Improved Coordination and Balance Between Sides

Power tower exercises are excellent for improving your hand-to-eye coordination and side balance. Most people are dominant on one side, left-handed or right-handed, for example. Professional athletes have minor differences, as many of them specifically train for this.

However, beginners can have a big imbalance that stops them from doing exercises that require the use of both arms at the same time.

When you do exercises such as pull-ups, your maximum is always limited by how much you can do with your weaker side. To better improve that side, focus on one-handed exercises such as the one-arm dead hang. Just remember to raise your chin and keep your eyes to the front when you exercise, and you’ll see improvement over time.

Athletes doing pull-ups with weighted vests

What to Look for in Power Towers?

1. Design

The two factors I considered when rating power tower design are the overall aesthetic as well as functional design choices such as space-saving or ergonomics.

For example, a product that has all the extra features possible will still lose points for me if it makes it overly large, especially compared to similar products. Comfort features are also important as they make exercises easier on the body, so things like comfortable padding on the arm rest, back rest, and handles increase the design rating too.

2. Adjustability

All of us come in different shapes and sizes, and no single manufacturer can make the perfect tower for everyone. For that reason, many companies opt for adjustability features, such as height adjustment, that help offer the product to a larger customer base.

Adjustability is a nice feature to have, and it becomes more important the more different people intend to use the tower. However, if you’re the sole user, it may not make a huge difference if it’s adjustable or not, if you find one that fits your proportions.

3. Reliability

Power towers are used for what is known as calisthenics exercises. These are exercises that use your own body weight and gravity as a point of resistance – so things like different grip pull-ups and dips.

For this reason, reliability is extremely important, as losing balance or shaking-mid exercise is inconvenient at least, and dangerous at worst.

Before you make your choice, first consider the maximum carry capacity VS your own weight. If you’re larger than the maximum weight the manufacturer specified, or you intend to use weights to increase exercise difficulty, consider getting something with more capacity.

Also, consider where you’re going to place your machine. For example, the suction cups on the Relife tower may not stick to something like a carpet or concrete garage floor as well as flat surfaces like tiles or parquetry.

4. Multifunctionality

Fitness equipment manufactured for home use and garage gyms typically has more things packed into one product. When it comes to power towers, a pull-up bar, knee raise handles, and dip station are standard finds.

Most models also add the push-up extension too, since it’s easy to fit into the construction. These are the main features you should look for in power towers, and they should be more than enough for your calisthenics exercises. The 1-10 ratings are focused primarily on how good the power tower is for those four basic exercises.

Extra features, such as the flat bench in my top pick, can extend the multifunctionality beyond the power tower. But at that point, we’re stepping into different exercise territories, such as weighted workouts.

Tips From the Champ

Adjustability is a nice feature to have, and it becomes more important the more different people intend to use the tower.

Oleksiy Torokhtiy

Olympic Weightlifting Champion

5. Price vs Quality:

All products on the list are rated for price VS quality based on my and other people’s experiences with them. The higher the ranking, usually the more value for money you’ll get from buying it. Every product I mention is of good quality and will serve you well with proper use and maintenance.

However, I should note that not every “10” means the products are of equal build quality. For example, the budget pick gets a “10” because it will do a great job for the money spent, but that doesn’t mean it’s equal to my top pick, for example. Before you decide on a product, I suggest you read each individual review, as your opinion may differ on the matter depending on your budget.

Recomended Power Tower

Relife Power Tower

Item Dimensions L x W x H: 35.4 x 26.4 x 89 Inches
Handle Type: Four main handles – multifunctional pull-up bar, adjustable knee raise and dip stations grips, push-up handles
Maximum Weight: 330 Pounds
Height Adjustments: 9 levels of adjustability, from 58.5 to 89 inches
Material: Steel
Color: Gray and red
Features: Stretch bar, suction cups on base, adjustable height, handles, and back pad

CHECK LATEST PRICE

The main focus of this product is in the various comfort adjustments you can make, particularly in terms of height. This makes the gym workout station accessible and more comfortable for most shapes and sizes.

Rubber suction cups are placed on the feet to create added stability when working out and prevent the machine from scratching your floor. There’s also a stretch bar with two levels you can use for warm-ups or post-workout stretching.

customer show her power tower by relife — Photo by @alinefreemann

With 9 levels of height selection, 4 backrest positions, and movable handles, this is one of the most adjustable power towers. According to the manufacturer, the lowest level is designed for children’s comfort, making it ideal for the whole family to use.

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Which Exercises Can be Performed on Power Towers?

1. Knee raise variations

To do a proper knee raise on the exercise tower start by placing your elbows on the arm pads and grip the intended handles. Keep your back straight and look forward, then start raising your knees up to your chest, activating your ab muscles.

You can set the exercise intensity by choosing how far up you raise your knees. Beginners can start by lifting them up to slightly above a 90-degree angle to feel the abs crunching. Advanced athletes should aim for their knees to touch the chest or, for the even more advanced version, kick above their head.

This exercise is all about building muscle tension and releasing it, so remember to do it slowly and controlled. Ab exercises are very unforgiving if you rush or try to cheat, and injuries are quite common.

For a more advanced version, hand from the pull-up bar instead.

2. Pull-up variations

Pull-ups are a tried and tested exercise for improving upper body strength with many benefits. For the basic chin-up technique, perform a narrow grab on the bar and point your elbows downward. Pull up to your chin, then slowly descend back to perform the exercise.

For a more advanced version, you can pull up above your chin line, for example to your chest. This exercise primarily targets your biceps and back.

Next, try the hanging inverted pull-up. For this exercise, spread your arms out beyond your shoulders, and grab the bar with your wrists facing outwards, just like grabbing a ledge. Your grip should be spread beyond your shoulders, with your lower arm at about a 90-degree angle with your elbows. This exercise is best for triceps and shoulder development.

There are more pull-up alternatives such as the fighter, military, or L-raise. You can try them once you’re comfortable doing the two basic pulls mentioned above. If you’re having trouble doing pull-up exercises, get yourself a lift assistance band.

3. Dip variations

Dips are one of the best all-in-one shoulder, upper back, and triceps exercises. Start by grabbing the dip handles from the top down and push yourself up into a straight position. To perform the exercise, simply move up and down by bending your arms at a 90-degree angle.

It’s important to maintain a straight line when in motion, otherwise, you’re missing the point of the exercise and risk injury. To better target your shoulders, muscles, or triceps, move your chest inwards until you feel the most tension in your desired area.

4. Push-up variations

Push-ups are one of the most popular calisthenics exercises, as when done properly, they provide a near-full body workout. They exist in many variations depending on the arm and leg placement.

To do a push-up, start in a plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and your feet together or hip-width apart. Your body should form a straight line from head to toe. Then push up and down with your arms while keeping your core tight.

To reduce exercise intensity, place your knees on the floor. Use your power tower push-up extensions to spread out the tension on your wrists more evenly.

5. Stretching

Finally, you can use your exercise tower to do some stretching. As you’ve seen, some towers already come with a stretch bar with adjustable levels. But even without it, you can still perform arm extensions using the construction, do hanging stretches from the pull-up bar, etc.

FAQ

Are Power Towers Any Good?

As discussed, power towers have many benefits and should be a staple in workout routines of all athlete levels. They’re especially good choices for your home or garage gym because they’re relatively affordable and very cost-effective.

Can You Build Muscles With A Power Tower?

Power towers are excellent for building muscle in your upper body, including your arms, chest, shoulders, and back area. They also improve your grip firmness and hand-to-eye coordination.

Are Power Towers Good For Abs?

Traditional ab exercises that rely on you lying on the floor are bad for your back, and there’s research done on American soldiers to prove that. Power tower ab exercises like the knee raise don’t put pressure on your back or shoulder plates nearly as much. They use your natural weight and let you set the exercise pace and difficulty, simply by deciding the range of motion and the number of reps.

Conclusion

Power towers are an excellent choice for your home or garage gym. They’re quite versatile and easy to use for all athlete levels. Compared to other gym equipment, they also take up significantly less space.

The best power tower I can recommend is the Relife Power Tower. Beyond the basic calisthenic exercises you can do, the simple addition of a flat bench expands your training options.

Do you use power towers in your workout routine? What’s your favorite exercise to do on them? Let me know in the comment section below, and make sure to follow me on social media for more exercise tips and tricks.