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TITAN Chest supported row bench vs Reflex flat bench

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Oct 22, 2020 9:00:00 AM

TITAN Chest supported row bench vs Reflex flat bench

This is a comparison between the TITAN chest supported row bench and Reflex flat bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which TITAN bench to get? Follow the links for details.

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Reflex flat bench
 

Overview and review of the Reflex flat bench 

The Reflex flat bench arm kit comes in at $1674 and is a great addition to your existing gym to widen the possible exercises you can do. This article was originally published in "Which bench to get to from Rogue".

 

What else to consider from Rogue

Overview of the Reflex Flat bench

 
The reflex flat bench is the sturdy design of the reflex line applied to a regular flat bench setup. You will get a solid piece of equipment with little moving parts apart from the barbell. This is a good setup for your big athletes who are moving big weights. The specifications of the Reflex flat bench are: 
 
  • Combination of 3×3 11ga. & 3/16-walled fully Welded Tubular steel construction.
  • Powder Coated finish.
  • Plastic lined weight bar saddles.
  • Adjustable Saddles w/ 11 positions.
  • Weight storage.
  • 7 position adjustable safeties.
  • Weight storage.
  • 1in high-density foam pad.
  • Weight 167 - 470LB
  • Length 60” - 70”
  • Width 48”
  • Height 58” - 64” 
 
The reflex flat bench will stay where you place it and go nowhere. This is especially good when you want to ensure the same setup each and every time you bench
 

Pros of the Reflex Flat bench

 
A sturdy setup that keeps you safe, even when moving big weights around. Can also be used as central plate storage in the middle of multiple racks.
 

Cons of the Reflex Flat bench

 
Single-purpose use and not a lot of flexibility to change. Needs more floor space than other solutions you might come up with for the bench press. 
 

Alternatives to the Reflex Flat bench

 
Alternatives to the reflex flat bench are
 
 
The reflex competition bench comes in only slightly more expensive than the flat bench version. In return, you get an IPF approved machine to practice for the real thing. Of you are considering a bench press setup like this you might as well spend the few extra to get the competition version. 
 
The reflex decline bench press is the piece of equipment that I would get if I had the floor space left. Out of the different bench press variations, the decline is the one I feel most uncomfortable with when done on a free-standing bench. The reflex decline would address this. 
 
The AB3 bench is Rogues portable bench which can be used for flat, incline and decline setups. As it is on rolls it might not be as stable as the Reflex series, but if you are not a beast, this will be more than sufficient to get your work done. 
 

Summary for the Reflex Flat bench

 
The reflex Olympic flat bench is not something I personally would consider. I would either go for the decline or competition bench press if I was in the market for a bench machine. 

Overview and review of the TITAN Chest supported row bench

This is an overview of the TITAN chest supported row bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which TITAN bench to get? Follow the links for details.

Overview of the chest supported adjustable row bench

Price: $464.99
 
The chest supported adjustable row bench is a machine that specifically isolates the back muscles and prevents lower back pain when you work with barbell rows. It also allows you to do weighted back raises, especially if you go very heavy. Some of the international elite powerlifters recommend this exercise to build a stronger back. Some bodybuilders also recommend it. This makes the chest supported row bench a niche product for individuals or gyms who work a lot with barbells and have serious lifters in their midst. If your rows are a little lighter, you can also achieve similar results with a simple free-standing barbell row. The full specifications of this machine are:
 
  • Weight: 128 LB- Adjustable Seat Height: 30 1/2” to 37 1/4"
  • Adjustable Depth: 68 1/2" to 65 1/2”
  • Adjustable Width: 55 1/2” to 42”- Seat Length: 18”
  • Seat Width: 9 1/2"- Seat Thickness: 2 3/4”
  • Band Peg Length: 5 1/2”
  • Footplate Dimensions (per side): 21 1/2” x 24”
 
This is a good addition to your home gym or commercial gym if you have to work on your back and space. Still, I personally think there some better purchases you can make for your gym for $400 like a set of good kettlebells, especially some heavy ones for swings, sumo deadlifts, split squats, and front squats. 
 

Pros of the TITAN chest supported row bench

 
 
  • Spine protection
  • Goes up to very heavy setups
  • Works with a barbell
 
This is a great machine to make heavy rows with the barbell a lot safer. You will also isolate your muscles in the back a lot more. So if you want to work on your lower back and back with heavy loaded rows and back raises, this is a good machine to get. If you want to cut out any kind of activation from the hips or lower back you might want to up for a seal row bench. 
 

Cons of the TITAN Chest supported row bench

 
The cons of the TITAN chest supported bench are:
 
  • Limited use
  • Space requirements
  • Cumbersome setup
 
The chest supported row bench has a very limited range of exercises you can do at that particular station. You will also need to get a barbell in place and load it. This needs to be lifted on the two pins in the starting position. While it is not a lot of setup, you might as well to regular barbell rows, especially when you do it for mass rather than maximum strength. In a home gym scenario, this machine will eat up space where you can place a GHD or a rack. If you need to decide between this and a GHD, I personally think the GHD is the better option as it gives you a similar effect in your training, but more variety for exercises. 
 

Alternatives to the TITAN Chest supported row bench

 
Alternatives to the chest supported row bench are:
 
  • Seal bench
  • GHD machine
  • Adjustable bench
  • Rogue donkey
 
If you want to use an extended range of motion for rowing exercises while eliminating the lower back motion, the seal row is a very good option. To perform these rows you need a bench or station that enables you to elevate yourself so that the arms are fully extended while you lie on the bench. Then you start rowing. 
 
A GHD machine helps you to do back extensions, situps and Glute ham raises. This machine has roughly the same size as a Chest supported row bench. They are usually slightly more expensive but more versatile. Definitely the better pick for a home gym that has that extra space beside a rack, but not much more. 
 
An adjustable bench with a good pair of dumbbells can be used in a similar way to the chest supported row. just lay on the bench on your stomach and bring it to an incline bench press position. It is not the same thing, but a lot more space-efficient. You just have shell out more money for a proper adjustable bench.  
 
The Rogue Donkey is a combination of a reverse hyper and a GHD machine. While it is quite pricey, I think this is the machine to cover all over your lower back development needs in one station. You still won't be able to do very heavy back raises or work with a barbell, but I think the trade-off is there. If you have tons of space, these questions become less relevant and you can get cheaper, specific one purpose equipment and spread them out over your floor space. 
 

Conclusion for the TITAN chest supported row bench

 
The chest supported row bench is a good tool in a strength-focused commercial gym with a lot of space. There you have space and clients who can get good use out of the heavy rows to form massive backs. Home gym owners will probably just use the barbell for rows. If the basement or garage is bigger, you can look at the Rogue Donkey for all of your lower back needs, as long as your wallet allows for it. 

Topics: TITAN