VTS Lite Rack Attachment

I was a day 1 preorder for this and waited about 8 months to have it shipped. I knew that going in and was fine with it. At this point I've had it for years. Easily one of my favorite gym purchases. The good: Well built. Works with pretty much any bar as long as you have the correct width for it. I have 48" wide (titan) so my specialty bar use is limited. But it fits any barbell. I am currently using with a stump bar which means starting weight is 55lbs total. I have a 1" hole rack so its pretty easy to get the hooks in the holes once you get used to it. Best thing about VTS vs other Smiths is that I can fully store away at the top of my rack and use my uprights, essentially this means it takes up very little space. The bad: I have very little complaints. If I were buying again I'd probably get the hooks that use band pegs as that would be a little easier and they would be required for those with 5/8 hole racks. I do wish the trolleys were a little lighter and BPF now as the home version which solves that. Always tough being a v1 user for these smaller companies but I am really happy overall with the VTS Lite and still use it weekly, mostly its replaced a ton of my barbell work, especially incline bench, RDLs, and calf raises. Totally worth buying if you want a smith that allows you to use any bar and wont take up rack space.

The VTS Lite has been a great tool and has added smith machine functionality into my small space. I use it multiple times a week for chest, shoulderss, back, and legs and it’s truly a workhorse. I will say the only downside is the hooks. The hooks rubber material that meets the bar slides and breaks off almost weekly. I’ve used every type of glue I can think of and it’s just a continuous issue. I’ve mitigated it a bit by never removing the hooks from my designated bar but that’s only delays the issue from returning. I will also say that 75 lbs starting weight is a bit much for my wife to use but no issues with me.

Great product, I use it every workout. I have 1" holes and the latch hooks can be a little tough to get lined up but you do get better at it with time. Defiantly need to set your safety pin locations if going heavy. Since i bought this they have released a "Home" version. I'm unaware of any advantages the "lite" has over the "home" so save the money and go for the "home". Bar loading is quick and easy but i just have one that lives in it. The latch hooks hold it high enough on my rack so it is out of the way when not in use. They are 15lbs each so the the starting weight is 75lbs. There are hook points on top of the trollies so you could mitigate that if you have these mounted on the same posts with cable trollies. Overall, 0 regrets and I'm glad i went with it.

Now that I'm used to getting the hooks latched during lifts, and on getting the hooks into the exact right spot on the barbell when doing the initial setup, performance is great. I docked it a star though, as there is definitely a learning curve. It can also still be a pain occasionally, especially when you're struggling on that last rep to get the latches into the holes on the uprights. I have safeties at the bottom of the lift, and that's definitely a must if you either go heavy, or often push to failure. Finding that hole can be tough...That said, I think it's a genius design, and works really well once you're used to it. Value wise, a big part of my taking points off here is dealing with Bulletproof. I got my original unit pretty quick, but they screwed up with boxing my units and they forgot the latch hooks entirely. They took a few days to respond, and then it took almost another two full weeks before I got the latch hooks in hand. It seems like after acknowledging their mistake, they drug their feet "fixing" the mistake. I also ordered the plastic protectors for the latch hooks at the same time I ordered the VTS Lite unit. Those were projected to ship the first week of March, but didn't end up shipping until the last week of February. I realize that shipment windows pushing out are common in this industry, but just know that's something you'll almost for sure deal with when ordering anything from Bulletproof. And none of my order was a "pre-order" by the way (other than the plastic hooks, as they were just out of stock). Build quality I have zero complaints. The powder coat seems good, and the rollers are very smooth. All the adjustable pieces adjust very easily. If you don't need the unilateral aspect of a smith, the VTS Lite is a great alternative to the bulkier VTS. I kind of wish I would have waited for the "VTS Home", but if I did I probably wouldn't have gotten a unit until the end of this year. I'm happy with what I have.

I ordered these on the preorder so I got them for a pretty good deal. For things like, incline press, these are a safety game changer for me. Sometimes it can be a bit tricky racking because I’m aiming for 5/8” holes on my rack but definitely worth it! Use this with the Bridge Built Coaster Docks as safeties.