TITAN Combo rack vs Reflex decline bench press

This is a comparison between the TITAN combo rack and Reflex decline bench press including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which TITAN bench to get? Follow the links for details.

Overview and review of the Reflex Olympic decline bench

The Reflex Olympic decline bench press comes in at $1882 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 Decline bench

The Reflex decline bench provides you with a sturdy decline bench press setup for the big boys. This bench is going nowhere no matter how big the weights or athlete. You will have the bench set up steady so that you will always have the same setup. There are also safeties in place. Overall a solid piece of equipment, especially when your gym is specializing in big guys or bodybuilding. The specifications of the Reflex decline bench are:

Combination of 3×3 11ga. & 3/16-walled fully Welded Tubular steel construction.
Powder Coated finish.
Plastic lined weight bar saddles.
7 position adjustable roller pads.
Adjustable Saddles w/ 11 positions.
Weight storage.
7 position adjustable safeties.
1in high-density foam pad
145 - 450 LB
Length 62”-92”
Width 48”
Height 47”-53”

This is a good addition to your gym when you have a lot of space and many big guys or very new athletes.

Pros of the Reflex decline bench

The sheer size of this will make it a favorite for all your athletes who don’t fit into other machines. Once a transportable bench becomes too small, you probably want to graduate to this beast. Some might also appreciate that the bench will always be set up at the same distances. This is hard to achieve with a transportable version. The reflex decline also provides space for plates and is a good addition to any gym with plenty of floor space.

Cons of the Reflex decline bench

The reflex decline bench press is not very versatile. If you do a lot of circuit training and have little room, it probably won’t be the best investment. It takes up a lot of floor space and can be intimidating to some clients. If you are planning a home gym it is pretty much out of the question, unless you live in a mansion.

Alternatives to the Reflex decline bench

Alternatives to the reflex decline bench are

The reflex incline basically does the same as the decline setup, just for an incline bench setup. Again you need a lot of space in return for security.

The reflex military bench takes the incline and decline approach and uses it for the military press. Again you are taking up more space in return for being able to move bigger weights more secure.

The Rogue AB3 is a portable bench from Rogue which can be set up for incline and decline benches presses. This will probably the tool of choice for anyone who wants to build their home gym.

Summary for the Reflex decline bench

The reflex decline bench machine is probably the piece of equipment I would consider the most from reflex. The decline bench press is the one where you most need a secure setup. All other forms of bench presses I am personally happy to do with a bench and barbell in a rack. I might feel different if I did those with more than 300 pounds for repetitions.

Overview and review of the TITAN Combo rack

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

Overview of the TITAN combo rack

Price: $999

The TITAN combo rack combines a solid bench press and squat setup in one place. If you want a competition set up in your own home for a low price the TITAN combo rack is a very good option. TITAN copied the roller J-hooks from Ghost strong and safety pins from Rogue fitness to put together the best ideas for combo racks while not fully executing on them. Still for half or one-fifth of the price of the competition the TITAN combo rack is not to be scoffed at. The full specifications of the combo rack are:

Adjustable Squat Height: 49.5 - 61-in.
Adjustable Bench Press Height: 33.5- 45.5-in.
Bench Seat Height: 17.5-in.- Bench Length: 4 ft
Spotter Footplate Height: 8.75-in.
Spotter Arm Length: 17-in.- Footprint Width: 81-in.
Footprint Depth: 59-in.
Weight Capacity: 1,000 lb.
Product Weight: 225 lb.

This is a solid combo rack to exercise at home or to have in a commercial gym with some occasional powerlifting meets to separate from the masses. It is not necessarily the best for professional powerlifting meets or as a multipurpose station in a home or commercial gym.

Pros of the TITAN Combo rack

The pros the combo rack are:

Low price
Roller cups
Easy bench setup

For the low price, you are getting a solid simulation of a real powerlifting meet for your home or in a commercial gym that wants to mix up things a little. Compared to other models it is also great that the roller cups pioneered by ghost fitness have been implemented into the design. These make sure that the bar will always be centered dead in the middle when you start your lift without having to inch it around. When you are moving more than 400 pounds for doubles and singles on a regular basis, this does make a big difference to your bench and squat setup. The bench itself is also easy to roll in and out which can be cumbersome with other designs, where you need two people to drop the bench setup in and lift it out of the frame.

Cons of the TITAN Combo rack

Cons of the TITAN combo rack:

Finish
Space requirements
Not for beginners
Not very versatile

As with all TITAN products you have to cut corners to offer a similar product at half or even one-fifth of the price. Where other vendors go down the route of purposely overbuilding their products for extra safety and comfort, TITAN takes the approach of just enough. This means that the lifetime of their products is usually shorter and they take less abuse, while still being functional. In the TITAN combo rack, this comes to show in the roller j cup design and the height adjustments. While Rogue and Ghost are testing to make the adjustments as smooth as possible you will need more elbow grease or a bit of sandpaper with the shipped TITAN combo rack. If you hold the rollers used in the TITAN setup against the ones from Ghost fitness you will also notice a vast difference in detail and beefiness. Especially in these small items that are designed for convenience, this makes a difference of day and night. So really think about what kind of user you are before buying a TITAN or other product in the market.

While you will think at first that this is a good 2 in 1 option to save space you might be wrong. What is elusive about higher prices squat stands is that they create more stability by placing a frame on the ground. The TITAN combo rack is no different. While it is easier to move around this combo rack than a full rack, it still takes up the same footprint. This is an easy mistake to make, especially if you do not spend a lot of time planning your purchase. For home gym owners you also have to be aware that you can not use the combo rack for storage of plates and other plates to the same extent as a full rack. So think twice when you buy for budget r space reasons, as this is not what the TITAN combo rack has really been designed for.

The TITAN combo rack is also not really suitable for beginners. The height adjustments are technical and assume a team of people at a powerlifting meet to make adjustments. What is a great set up in a competition where four to five people can quickly weasel around the rack and make the necessary adjustments can turn into a right nightmare when you have to do it by yourself at home. Traditional J-Cups in a normal rack are a lot easier to adjust.

The last disadvantage is that a combo rack is not very versatile if you want a fully functioning gym. The spotter arms are a little short and not great for pin squat, rack pulls and other partial movements on the big three. You will also have a hard time setting this rack up for pull-ups, band-aided work, or using it as a yoke or sled. Combined with the fact that it is also not foldable it is not what you first would think it is. Especially if you buy for space and money-saving purposes only.

Alternatives to the TITAN combo rack

Alternatives to the TITAN combo rack are:

Folding rack
Full-size rack
Squat stands
Bench press rack

A folding rack is a good alternative if your main reason for considering the combo rack is to save space and money. These racks are available at the same or even a slightly lower price point and are a lot more versatile. They can be folded up and also be used for other exercises except for the big three lifts. If you want to build a garage gym that still needs to compromise space with cars, bicycles, and tools, this is a lot better than a combo rack.

A full-size rack would be the better option for the uncompromising garage or basement gym or commercial gym. It is safer to exercise in this and you can also store a lot of your equipment, especially plates and bands, directly on the rack. A full-size rack will also leave you with more options for upgrades in the future for attachments like pull up bars and other toys to mix up a training a little. Pin squats and rack pulls are also easier performed in a full-size rack.

Simple squat stands can be a good option if you already have some bench press setup and want to add the possibility to squat. If you get some unconnected squat stands you can create a very cheap and space-efficient squat setup. The only downside to this is that you really need to know what you are doing as the injury risk goes through the roof if you are not careful with the pins and where you place the uprights. These uprights are usually very light and not attached to the ground. Inexperience, a low budget, and ego lifting are a great recipe to have a serious home accident. Therefore, I only recommend this setup to people who know how to squat, how to drop a heavy weight safely, and take the trouble of putting some markers on the floor for their ideal setup. Duct tape will do but mark how far these uprights will go apart.

The TITAN bench press rack is a good alternative for your home gym if you ready have a rack and the space to add another bench station to your line up. This is also a good alternative for a professional gym instead of the traditional bench pressing stations, as the bench press rack leaves more options to work with bands and partial range of motion.

Conclusion for the TITAN Combo rack

The TITAN combo rack addresses a very specific niche of powerlifters with a small budget who want to simulate competition at home. If you fit that nice, I think you will be happy with a TITAN combo rack. You will not shell out $2000 to $5000 dollars for getting that little edge in competition because you know your setup. Especially if your training partner lives close or even in the same house with you, this is a good purchase. You will also need to transport the combo rack and adjust it as much, so the minor quality issues will not weigh in as much as for someone who holds powerlifting meets on a regular basis. If you are a small and light athlete, this does plenty for you. Bigger athletes might want to opt for the Rogue combo rack as it has been built sturdier. he same goes for commercial gyms that have regular usage of a combo rack and can foresee that the TITAN might not hold up to the abuse of 10-20 members that use it regularly in a week. If you regularly train with beasts of various sizes and hold meets the Ghost strong combo rack HD is the gold standard. It is overbuilt in every way and smooth, but also comes at a ridiculously high price, as the labor is not standardized or offshored.