3 of the Best In-Rack Home Gym and Commercial Gym Storage Solutions That Work With the Athena™ Cable Attachment

Athena isn't just a magical and mythical Greek goddess. It’s also the name of a pretty magical piece of gym equipment.  

The Athena™ attachment is a low-profile functional trainer that attaches to the side of your PR-4000 or PR-5000 power rack – so you can have all the benefits of a cable machine without taking up much extra floor space in your gym.  

But with so much going on inside a single power rack, you may be wondering how to add shelves and storage without getting in the way of your workout.  

It’s easy with the Modular Storage System, which you can mix and match to meet your home gym equipment needs. Here are three different configurations to add storage onto your power rack’s uprights without interfering with the Athena™ cable attachment.    

Option 1: In-rack, three-tiered storage on the back  

• Pick your shelves. Maximize space by incorporating storage inside your power rack (on the uprights). Choose three levels of storage to attach to the back of the PR-4000 or PR-5000 racks with the Athena™ attachment. Pick the shelving style you need. Mix and match a Ball and Plate Shelf (for plates or Medicine Balls), the Kettlebell Storage Shelf (best for kettlebells and accessories), or the Dumbbell Storage Shelf. If you have a large set of dumbbells, choose three Dumbbell Storage Shelves; you can fit a 5-50lb dumbbell set on three shelves by staggering the heads.  
• Get three pairs of Elbow Brackets. These brackets allow you to add in-rack storage on the back of your rack so it doesn’t interfere with the weights of the Athena™ attachment. 
• Add a Mini Foot Extension. This is necessary when using the Elbow Brackets, because it helps stabilize the rack – unless the rack is bolted down. Then you don’t need the extension. Note: The Mini Foot Extensions are not compatible with any flat-footed rack (the Athena™ attachment is not flat footed).  

Option 2: In-rack, four-tiered storage on back   

• Pick your shelves. For this in-rack configuration, pick three Dumbbell Storage Shelves to hold a 5-50lb set of dumbbells. Opt for the Kettlebell Storage Shelf as the top shelf for Medicine Balls and accessories.  
• Get four sets of Elbow Brackets. This will allow you to add in-rack storage on the back of the rack without interfering with the cable machine’s weights. These brackets are required for both selectorized and plate-loaded Athena™ attachments. The brackets make it possible for you to store up to 100lb dumbbells without interfering with the Athena™ attachment.  
• Add a Mini Front Foot Extension or Storage Foot. These help stabilize the rack when adding the Elbow Brackets. This is only necessary if the rack isn’t bolted down. 
• Attach Weight Horns. Add even more on-rack storage for plates (especially useful for the Plate-Loaded Athena™ attachment) when you add Weight Horns on the side. 

Option 3: Off-rack storage on side  

• Start with an L-shaped Bracket. This allows you to extend the storage alongside the side of your rack (off-rack) with the Athena™ attachment. This way, you can use the existing rear upright for storage (with weight horns, for example). You can also mount the Athena™ attachment the L-shaped Bracket. If space allows, you can add an L-shaped Bracket to both sides of the rack for a winged design with even more storage. Note: The L-shaped setup isn’t compatible with any flat-footed rack, like the Apollo™ half rack or Omni.  
• Pick your shelves. If you want shelves, you can add them onto the rear upright attached to the L-shaped Bracket. Pick the style of shelves that meets your equipment needs. You can install up to four levels of shelves, depending on the vertical spacing. You’ll need to get a second upright to support the other end of the shelves, too.  
• Add Weight Horns. You can attach Weight Horns to the uprights for additional plate storage. If you don’t need shelves, you can just attach weight horns to the outside of the rear upright attached to the L-shaped bracket.  

Note: For the simplest in-rack plate storage option, you can also just put Weight Horns on the back of the fifth/sixth uprights behind the Athena™ attachment without the L-shaped Bracket; that won’t interfere with the functionality of the cables.