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Overview and Review of the Rogue RML 690 Power rack [Article, Video]

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Apr 1, 2019 9:30:00 AM

Overview and review of the Rogue RML 690 Power rack

 

The video above summarises my personal opinion for purchasing a Rogue RML 690 for a home gym. If you want to just lean back and get information, watch it and then dig into the details below. In the following paragraphs you will find details on dimensions and alternative choices. I invite you to leave a comment on Youtube if you have direct questions.

Price: 1.568

This review was originally posted in the longer article "Which strength equipment to buy from rogue" in which you can read about 25 products of Rogue which cost more than 1.000$. The Rogue 690 bring storage and rack space to your basement or local gym at a resonable price for Rogue. See the details in this article.

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Most popular Rogue racks in 2020

Attached you find which Rogue racks have been most popular on Marathon-Crossfit.com in terms of views of their reviews and click through rates to Rogue Fitness for purchases. If you want to learn more about the details of the composition of the data you can read the full analyses under what were the most popular Rogue products in 2020.

 

Most popular Rogue racks in 2020

 
The most popular rogue racks based on views of their reviews on Marathon-CrossFit in 2020 are:
 
 
The Rogue HR2 rack is part of the Rogue Monster lite series. What it has going for itself is its moderate place and lower space requirements compared to other racks of Rogue. I can also see how this rack can be a best seller as it is practical, not pricey and ticks most boxes. You can learn more about the details and alternatives in the review of the HR2 rack.
 
The Rogue RM8 is one of the most expensive items you can get from Rogue. The RM8 incorporates all of the major developments from Rogue like cerakote coating, a Rhino drop-in unit, and the LT1 50 cal lever arms. Its high price helps with popularity but I do not think that it is a high volume sales product based on its sheer size and high price tag. You can read a full review of the RM8 on this blog.
 
The RML 390 F is a half-rack from Rogue that does not need to be bolted to the ground. This makes it a very likely candidate from Rogue to have a very high sales volume. The small footprint and reasonable price further underpin this. Compared to the RM8 it is affordable so popularity is more likely to directly transfer to sales. You can read the full review of the RML 390F on my blog here.
 
The RM4 Fortis is a cheaper version of the RM4 Monster rack from Rogue. You will have fewer color options and get fewer pins and extras with your order. This is a good option if you want more space in the rack than with a half rack without shelling out thousands of dollars. You can ted the fu review of the RM4 fortis rack here.
 
The RML 390c is a half-rack from Rogue with a color option. Compared to the 390F it needs to be bolted to the ground to avoid sliding while it comes in at a similar price. You can read the full review of the 390c on my blog by following this link.
 

Rogue Monster vs Monster lite series 

 

If you are torn between the Rogue Monster and Rogue Monster Lite Series then this video is for you. Commercial buyers should lean more towards the Monster Series as it gets more attention from the Rogue Product development team and will also take a bigger beating due to the sturdier nuts and bolts. Home gym buyers ought to have a good look at the upgrade paths and accessories for the Monster and Monster lite line.

 

Personally, I am a huge fan of the RM3 as it puts you at the entry-level of budget to get into the Monster line. However, with the 3.0 upgrade of the Monster lite series, there is not a lot to compromise anymore between the two lines. So, if you are not into the big upgrades and just want to upgrade a Monster lite rack to the max with your available budget, then that is also a great road to travel.

Overview of the RML 690

 

The RML 690 is a hybrid of the Rogue R6 Power rack and the RM6 Monster rack. The RML 690 is compatible with the Rogue Monster lite series and provides you with a full and half rack in one go. The half rack can either be used for storage or to train additional athletes/clients. 
 
The RML 690 comes in at 530 LB with a length of 76'''. It is 49'' wide and has a height of 90.375''.  The entire footprint comes to 80'' x 53''. It can be mounted to a wall with the Monster Lite Rack Wall mount kit. IT comes in black and therefore retails at a lower price than the RML690C. 
 

How many new clients should the RML 690 in bring you?

 
If you think that the Rogue RML690 will bring you 6 new clients who pay you 50$ on a 1-year retainer it is worth the investment. This will yield 3.600$ net new revenue against an investment of 1.568$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.
 

Pros of the RML 690

 
The RML690 gives you the needed storage and training capabilities to have multiple clients or athletes train at the same time. As long as you have space this full/half rack combo provides a gym in itself. If you will use it for your home gym you can also convert the back rack into shelving for your kettlebells and dumbbells. 
 

Cons of the RML 690

 
In many applications, the half racks at the back are poorly utilized and therefore a waste of space. If you already have good plate storage options or have a home gym with limited space you might be better of saving many and space by going for a 490 instead of a 690. 
 

Alternatives to the RML 690

 
For the same budget of 1.568$, you can get the following alternatives from Rogue
 
With this alternative, you can save 500$ and get to choose your favorite color for your rack. If you do not have specific plans for the back half rack, this is a great option to save money and still get better value out of your purchase. 
 
If you are running a gym and want to run more classes to maximize revenue the USMC Pull up rig might be a better choice for you than the RML 690C. You can have more people train at the same time at this rig, as long as they do not want to lift heavy at the same time.
 

Conclusion

If you want to save some money on Rogue products and do not care about the color of your rack this is a good option. Make sure that you know what you want to do with the half rack in the back of the RML 690 before you purchase. Otherwise go for something smaller as it is likely that the space will be left unused.

Further reading

Topics: Rogue

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