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Overview and review of the Rogue Thompson fatbell [Article, Video]

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Nov 29, 2019 9:00:00 AM

 
 
Rogue Thompson Fatbell
 

Overview and review of the Rogue Thompson fatbell 

The Rogue Thompson fatbell combines the design of a dumbbell and kettlebell. This saves space and cost to have a full set at home.The price ranges from $27-$215. This article has been originally posted in "which dumbbell to get from Rogue".

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Overview of the Rogue Thompson fatbells

 
The Rogue Thompson fatbell has been designed by powerlifter Donnie Thompson. This design places the handle of the kettlebell inside the body of the weight. This creates a hybrid design between a kettlebell and dumbbell. You can do all of the swings and Turkish get-ups of a kettlebell, while still also being able to use them as a dumbbell. The Rogue Thomson fat bell is available from 9lb to 150lb. Additional specs are:
 
  • Based on an original design by Donnie Thompson
  • Interior Handle and Center Mass reduce shearing force, add more load distribution on muscle & connective tissue
  • Solid Cast Iron construction
  • 9LB - 18LB Bells: 32MM diameter Ergo Handle
  • 26LB - 88LB Bells: 37MM diameter Ergo Handle
  • 97+LB Bells: 40MM diameter Ergo Handle
  • Flat machined base (open-ended on 18LB bell)
  • Black Powder Coat Finish
  • Rogue and Thompson branding w/ color-coded stripe for quick recognition
  • Applications: Presses, Swings, Lunges, Snatches, Cleans, Rows, and more

Pros of the Rogue Thompson fatbell

 
The Rogue Thompson fatbell saves you to buy a full rack of dumbbells and kettlebells as long as you like the idea of them or you think that your clients will actually like them. To have your hands in the center of mass also creates a different experience for the lifter. The fat bell puts different strains on the hands and moves differently from dumbbells and kettlebells. All good when you want to offer a variety of training options for your clients or for yourself to keep things interesting.  I do see these working well in a gym with a lot of clients who are interested in to strongman and powerlifting exercises. 
 

Cons of the Rogue Thompson fatbell

 
The fat bell will take up more space on a standard dumbbell rack than regular dumbbells or kettlebells. You will also not be able to stack them as well on an angled surface. So if you want to replace your current rack with fat bells, make sure you can actually store them on the surface. There is also no loadable option so the fat bells might not fit into a home gym if you want a wide variety of different weight options in a small space. The look and feel of them is very strongman. I think it will be unlikely that average customers will use them regularly as they might be intimidating and dumbbells are preferred. People usually don't like sticking their hands into something which they don't know. 
 

Alternatives to the Rogue Thompson fatbell

 
 
The Rogue loadable dumbbell is basically a shortened barbell that can be loaded with weights. Rogue also offers smaller weights to go with the loadable dumbbell. This is a great option when you want to be able to have a load of different weights on one dumbbell without eating too much space. Ideal for home gyms. For a commercial gym, it might be better to stick with a rack of dumbbells as they are more convenient to use and cover more clients at the same cost. 
 
The rubber hex dumbbell is pound for pins the cheapest dumbbell with a rogue logo on it. They are also sold in pairs. If you like the hex design for your commercial gym I think this is the one to go for in bulk.
 
The Power block dumbbell is a classic design for home use. It follows the same idea as the loadable dumbbell to save space in a home setting. This is the most compact it can get for lifting dumbbells with many options in denominations. The only downside is the clicking mechanic to change between weights which is prone to break and that the block can a little too big when moving big weights. Here the loadable dumbbell might be less error-prone if you have the space to store the change plates. 
 
Kettlebells are always a good alternative to dumbbells. You can do almost all dumbbell movements with kettlebells while kettlebells also offer the Turkish getup and kettlebell swing as great conditioning exercises. The only negative with kettlebells is that I haven’t seen a great loadable Design for them yet to save space. If I was in the market for a big set I dumbbells I would get a wall of kettlebells instead. Especially if you have very heavy kettlebells it will set you apart from other gyms. It all depends on the clients you want to target as bodybuilders usually prefer dumbbells

Summary for the Rogue Thompson fatbell

 
The Rogue Thompson fatbells are a good alternative to very heavy kettlebells as they can also be used as a dumbbell in these ranges. Kettlebells just get too big. In lower ranges, I don't see a lot of people preferring the fatbells to dumbbells.

Topics: Rogue