Rogue Monster Lat pull down stand alone vs TITAN chest supported T bar row machine

This is a comparison of the Rogue Monster Lat pull and the TITAN chest supported t bar row machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN chest supported T bar row machine $249

This is an overview of the TITAN chest supported T Bar row machine including pros, cons and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which gym machine to get from TITAN. Follow the links for additional information.

Overview of the TITAN chest supported bar to row machine

The chest supported to bar row machine from TITAN is the low budget version of the T bar row from TITAN. You will get a T bar row as you can find in many gyms around the country for a consumer price. This chest supported T bar row has multiple handles to vary your workout and attack your back from multiple angles. Loading plates is easier as with a barbell as you can go directly from the front. The downsides of this machine are that it eats massively into your home gym space and the finish is not great. The full specifications of this machine are:

- Adjustable footplate and handle.

- Diamond plated footplate for grip.

- Fits Olympic Weights.

- High quality vinyl chest pad.

- Heavy gauge steel.

- Overall Footprint: 84-in x 43-in.

- Chest Pad: 20-in x 10-in.

- Footplate: 23.5-in x 17.5-in.

- Weight Sleeve Length: 13.5-in.

- Vertical Grip Length: 9-in.

- Vertical Grip Spread: 17.5-in.

- Horizontal Grip Length: 5.5-in.

- Horizontal Grip Spread: 20-in - 31-in.

- Product Weight: 103 lb.

You probably wont find a new T bar row machine for a lower price that still has a warranty. If you have the space at home or just want to throw an additional t bar row into your commercial gym you found the right address with this.

Pros of the TITAN chest supported bar T row machine

The pros of the TITAN chest supported T bar row machine are:

Low price
Multiple handles

This is a great machine for a home gym or a commercial gym to add to an already existing setup for a low price to vary the training more. T bar rows are great to build a bigger and more defined back or just go berserk after a challenging workout to finish off the day. This machine delivers without robbing you of a half months wage in the process.

Cons of the Titan chest supported T bar row machine

The cons of the TITAN chest supported T Bar row machine are:

Space requirements
Low weight
TITAN finish

The biggest con of this machine is that it eats up a lot of space. As it is build with relatively flimsy material to save cost it is more suited to home gym use. For that you have to give up quite a bit of space to make this one work where you could place a leg press or belt squat machine. Those are two options I personally prefer any day over a T bar row as barbell rows also do it for me.

The low weight of the chest supported T bar row machine is also something to note. If you can T bar row 500 pounds and weigh 300 pounds yourself you might not want to do that on machine that only weighs 103 lbs. That is how nasty accidents happen so this machine is more suited to the general public rather than the hardcore Iron den. For this cases get the beefier T bar row from TITAN that still saves you money compared to the direct competition.

TITAN needs to cut corners to offer you the lowest possible pricing on industrial grade training equipment. This machine is no exception and some of the parts need to be forced for assembly. This does not take away from the functionality of the machine, but with TITAN there is usually some minor or even major problem for assembly. This makes this a better fit for gyms that do not care too much about optics and where the honor does not mind to do some DIY on the machines.

Alternatives to the Titan chest supported T bar row machine

Alternatives to the Titan Chest supported T bar row are:

TITAN t bar row
TITAN plate loaded seated row
Rogue Lat pull / row machine

The TITAN T bar row machine is little more expensive than the chest supported version, but weighs more. That makes it a more stable solution in a commercial setting where you have to account for extreme stupidity or performance. I personally would not feel great about leaving the smaller Tbar row unsupervised in a blind corner of the gym I own unless I use it myself.

The TITAN plate loaded seated row is the safe option for building backs. You will get a little less back activation out of this machine while it is save and easy to use. Good option for spacious home gyms and I personally think a commercial gym without one of these is incomplete.

The Rogue lat pull machine is the current gold standard in the industry for a lat pull down. There are many variations on this machine and the one from Rogue is one of the most overbuilt you can find. As it also doubles up as a rowing machine it can address your needs to build a bigger back.

Conclusion for the Titan chest supported T bar row machine

This is a great machine for a home gym with space that wants to save money on building a full park of bodybuilding machines. When your space or limited or you have to account for stupid people who might ant to sue you, go for the bigger T bar row to be on the safe site.

Overview and review of the Rogue Monster Lat pull down stand alone

Price: 2.950

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 Monster lat pull down will create more bats in your gym. See the details in this article.

Overview of the Rogue Monster Lat pull down

The Monster Lat pulldown Standalone is a lat pulldown machine for the expert athlete. As with all Rogue equipment this machine is built like a tank. The lat pulldown machine is a great example of how Rogue takes pride in what they do and takes their customer feedback series.

If you read between the lines you can see that the pulley, the bar, cable, and Steel eye were not up to Rogue's standards in the V1 of this machine. All of these parts have been consequently brought in-house and are not bought from 3rd parties anymore. These things are normal when new production lines are being built, a new market is tested and new processes build around them.

At least Rogue took the right learnings from this and perfected their Rhino launch. The prone leg curl and the ISO leg press have not gotten a V2 overhaul yet whereas the Lat pull down has. Be aware of this when you buy from Rogue. I am positive they will accommodate valid feedback, especially on big orders. If you buy for your home gym, maybe wait on the leg press and curl until there is more feedback available or find a gym nearby to test them.

The Rogue Lat pulldown weighs 605lb and offers up to 300lb resistance in plates in 10lb increments. It has a footprint of 40'' by 60''. It is 60'' long, 40'' wide and 96'' high. The steel notes are 3x3 11-gauge steel just like the rest of the Rogue Monster series.

Pros of the Rogue Monster lat pull down

This lat pulldown is also a rowing machine so you get two for the price of one. The difference to many other rowing machines is that Rogue came up with an idea that does not make the bench longer. By positioning a footrest under the seat this lat pulldown machine turns into a rowing machine without adding extra length.

Another big pro is that this machine allows the use of bands with the lat pull. This is very unique and I have not seen many machines like this. Especially when you have experienced athletes you will appreciate that you can work with bands.

Cons of the Rogue Monster Lat pull down

A lat pulldown is a big machine. It will take up quite a bit of space where a pull-up bar might create a similar effect. Especially in a home gym scenario, you might be better off getting dumbbells and a pull-up bar which takes up less floor space. As with other machines, the pulley system takes maintenance. Oiling this system and keeping it in check might not be for everyone.

How many clients do you need for the lat pull down?

If you think that the Lat pulldown will bring you 10 new clients who pay you 50$ on a 1-year retainer it is worth the investment. This will yield 6.000$ net new revenue against an investment of 2.950$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.

Alternatives to the Lat pull down from Rogue

Here are some alternatives to the Rogue lat pull down

1x Rhino belt Squat Rack @ 2750$

The Rhino belt including the half rack will give you a better pulley system and the necessary rack to play around with it. It will not exactly be the same and the workarounds might be not ideal, however, it is possible. I would also be very surprised if Rogue did not capitalize on the opportunity to deliver a system that combines the RM6 and Rhino to a fully built all-purpose gym station. Stay tuned for that one.

1x Monster Lite Rig @ 2.495$

A monster lite rig will provide you with

4 Squat/ Bench Stations
8 Pull up Stations

For less than the price for one lat pulldown machine. If you are aiming to open a small CrossFit gym this is the way to go. This also shows you that Rogue still has to work on optimizing their costs on building machines. The upshot is that you will get a machine that is fully made in the US. If you work for the government this might even be a requirement for purchase.

Conclusion

The Rogue Monster lat pull down is a very solid machine for your gym. If you do not want to compromise and attract the biggest and best athletes to your gym, this is the one to go for.