TITAN functional trainer vs TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine

This is a comparison between the TITAN functional trainer and the TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine $229

This is an overview of the TITAN plate loadable seated dip 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 plate loadable seated dip machine

The TITAN plate loaded seated dip machine is a simple and effective machine to train your triceps. If usual dips are not enough anymore or are too hard for you than you can use this machine to start with the benefits or push them even further. It also a machine that is very easy to use for beginners or anyone who has to rehabilitate. The full specifications of the TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine are:

- Add weight to your tricep presses

- Adjustable seat height to fit athletes of all sizes

- Powder-coated paint job gives rust resistance

- Heavy-duty steel construction will last for years

- Optional bolt-down holes at the base, to add stability

- Installation is fast and easy – assembles in minutes!

- Footprint: 27.5-in x 30.25-in.

- Seat Back Height: 51-in.

- Seat Height: 17-in.

- Sleeve Length: 10.75-in.

- Handle Length: 16.75-in.

This is a good small machine for accessory work to your main goals if you can fit it into your gym.

Pros of the TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine

The pros of the TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine are:

Easy to use
Plate loaded
Small footprint

This is a straight forward machine which is easy to use and beats a very low injury risk. This makes it an ideal machine for a gym where you expect a lot of beginners to be present.

The TITAN seated dip machine is also plate loaded which makes it a good option for the budget conscious home gym owner as you do not pay for the integrated weight stack that comes with other machines.

Another pro of the seated dip machine is that it takes up a relatively low small footprint on your gym for a machine that includes a seat. If you already have a chair in your home you might as well turn it into an exercise machine.

Cons of the TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine

The cons of the TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine are:

Space requirements
Plate loaded
TITAN quality control

The TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine will take up more space in your gym than a dip attachment to your existing rack. If you have to work with a limited space than you will want to make the best of use and a dip attachment is probably the better option than putting another machine into a tight space.

Plate loaded machines are a great option if you are the sole user of your gym. If you have to provide facilities for many people at the same time plates can become a trip and injury hazard. Depending on who you are targeting and the average fitness level of your clients you might want to lean towards machine that already have a weight stack attached to them. These cost more, but are usually safer to use and expose you to less risk as the owner of the gym than plate loaded machines.

Another con is the quality control from TITAN. While it is existent it is not as tight as with other vendors in the marketplace like Rogue fitness and Eleiko. That is natural result of competing at the low cost end of the market which TITAN decided to do. Also TITAN has several businesses across different verticals rather than focusing on fitness only. The result is that TITAN fitness is under a higher pressure to ship every unit that has been produced, even if it has minor quality issues. If you are fine with forcing some parts and applying some DIY to machines you have bought new, that is no issue. If you do not like this prospect, buy from another vendor.

Alternatives to the TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine

Alternatives to the TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine:

TITAN dip rack attachment
Rogue matador
TITAN power tower bench

The TITAN dip rack attachment is an alternative to be used with your existing TITAN rack. These are easy to use and not that expensive. With this you can turn your rack in a dip station when needed and also get the dip attachment off when you want to do something else. This is a good solution in a home gym with space contraints. Ina commercial gym you might want to have the dip station permanently installed and the dip seated machine becomes the better solution.

The Rogue Matador is a dip attachment for your Rogue rack. If you have a Rogue rack in your commercial or home gym you might eant to look into this option first before investing in an additional machine that does the same thing.

The TITAN power tower bench is a full gym for calisthenics including dips. If you are planning a home gym, but do not want to use weights, this might be the better option for roughly the same budget as getting a TITAN seated dip machine.

Conclusion for the TITAN plate loadable seated dip machine

This is a great addition for any gym that has the space to get dedicated machines for accessory work. It is easy to use and maintain and therefore will not create an additional headache in your gym like some pulley options can do. In a tight space you might want o look into rack attachments that will do the job rather than eating up more square footage with another machine.

Overview and review of the TITAN Functional trainer $1.999

This is an overview of the TITAN functional trainer including pros, cons and alternatives. This article with originally posted in Which gym machine to get from TITAN. Follow the links for additional information.

Overview of the TITAN Functional trainer

The TITAN functional trainer is an all in one training solution for the home. It can also be used in commercial spaces which want to offer a maximum variety of resistance training on a small footprint. The design uses two vertical plate towers which range from 10lbs to 200lbs. The weight is moved by pulleys which can be adjusted in height separately. This makes the TITAN functional trainer a versatile machine, especially when your main training goals are toning and definition. It is not a replacement for free weight training, especially when you are aiming to build big muscles and compete in power lifting and strongman. Here the functional trainer can be a good central space in your gym for most of your accessory movements to train all of the minor muscle groups and areas which are otherwise easily left out. The full specifications of the TITAN functional trainer are:

- Comprehensive pulley options including lat, row, and pulldown

- Comes with tons of accessory options right out of the box

- Tough steel construction will last for years to come

- Sleek black and silver design

- Titan Fitness faceplate included

- Overall Height: 82-in.

- Overall Width: 64-in.

- Overall Depth: 44-in.

- Long Bar Length: 49-in.

- Short Bar Length: 15.5-in.

- Pulley Grip Length: 4.5-in.

- Pulley Ratio: 2:1

- Product Weight: 672 lb.

This is a good option when you and your family are the only ones training on the machine. It is also good when most of your clients are working out for leisure and rehabilitation. In a power gym or other facility where serious athletes who want to win medals train, this will be not the main training station but one where they go to for accessory rehab or work through specific weak points in their physique.

Pros of the TITAN functional trainer

The pros of the TITAN functional trainer are:

Price
Size
Full range of equipment
Versatility

As with all TITAN fitness products the price point of the functional trainer is very competitive. Functional trainers like this come in many forms and shapes ranging from $1000 to $5000. On the higher end you usually find more technological gadgets in the machine itself to track your fitness levels and workouts. The same goes for the mechanics which become more comprehensive the more you pay. I personally used most of them and a simple machine will almost always give you the same results as a complex machine will. Therefore the main reason to buy something in the higher price class is the design which might fit your high end home better than the rough and ready basement look of this machine. At the lower end you will find the machines you can buy via Amazon. Often these are produced in China or are independent companies that run fitness month / week like TESCO or Walmart. While these are cheaper, they usually have less warranty and no customer service when something goes wrong. If you buy a functional trainer like this used, you usually need to touch up the pulley and / or cables. This places the TITAN functional trainer in the middle, ticking all of the boxes at a reasonable price while delivering customer support and warranty.

For a fully functioning gym including multiple directions of work this machine is quite small. If you are a hotel, local sports club or leisure center that wants to offer their clients some extra fitness, this is a great option. If you have a home gym in your two car garage, basement or attic this can also be a good use of your space. There are some designs which are more space efficient, but they often do not address both arms or legs at the same time.

Another great add on is that this machine comes pre-packaged with a range of handles and pulleys. If you buy these separately you can easily end up with another $500 out of your pocket as these range from $20 - $50, sometimes even $100 a piece. It is also practical that these items ship together and you can get started right away after assembly.

A big bonus of this machine is that you can simulate almost any resistance exercise you will find in most fitness books with this. There is nothing you can really not simulate. Whether a pulley is always the best form of resistance for your training goals is another question. For having everything in one place it is versatile and has everything you need.

Cons of the TITAN functional trainer

Plate stacks and pulley
Price
Space requirements
Leg exercises
2:1 ratio

Generally speaking plate stacks and pulley are prone to break. This is not just true for TITAN functional trainer, but for any kind of plate stack machine. One major error area are the holes and the pins. The pins can get easily get lost or broken. The holes can be misaligned on production and not run smooth. The same goes for the pulley mechanics. There is a lot that can break in any pulley mechanic and it need mores attention than simple free weights. As you are buying this item from a vendor who needs to cut corners to stay competitive in price and makes no secret about that low price is their strategy, you are entering a risk area. If you are good at DIY, unscrewing and oiling things, this is not a big issue. But if you are not a handyman some breakage in the machine usually means that it will not be revived or at least not used for months on end. You will not run into this problem with kettlebells, dumbbells and barbells.

While the price is great value for money for a fully functioning gym with all the bells and whistles, $2000 is still a lot of money if you compare it to a yoga mat and some little free weights. If you do not want to define and shape yourself to the highest standards and only lose weight, a yoga mat, a good pair of runners and kettlebells will often do. This can be had for $500 and you will get some of the best shoes, kettlebells and yoga mats within this budget.

The TITAN functional trainer is a great use of your space if you compare it to a full gym with 10 - 20 different machines. You might need be able to go as high in weight on each single exercise compared to a dedicated, but this is more than made up for the space you save. Compared to a pair of kettlebells and shoes, which can be stored under a bed or in a closet, you will need a dedicated corner somewhere in your house, where this rack lives.

Functional trainers biggest weakness is the amount of resistance you can put on your legs and the TITAN functional trainer is no exception. Even though it is advertised to be used for front squats and lunges, the setup with the pulleys is usually terrible. Heavy squats, deadlifts and bench presses can not be simulated on a machine like this. The same goes for heavy dumbbells work. If you want to become the next superstar lineman or rugby player this machine will not be enough for your home gym.

The last challenge with pulleys is that the weight you put on it usually does not translate 1 to 1 to resistance. In this case it is a 2:1 ration so if you go full stack on this machine you will be effectively training with 100lbs per rep on each pulley. Currently the gold standard for 1 to 1 weight transition has been set by the Rogue Rhino, if the reviews are to be believed.

Alternatives to the TITAN functional trainer

The TITAN plate loaded functional trainer only costs around $700 and saves you $1300 to effectively offer a very similar training experience. If you are building a gym for yourself and also get a rack, barbell and weights, this is a strong option to consider. Especially if you are young and fit and do not mind to o an occasional repair on the pulleys. If you already have plates or consider to outfit an entire garage I would save the money and go for the plate loaded option. I would not recommend the plate loaded version for a commercial setting or in a home where multiple generations will use the functional trainer.

If you are buying for your home gym and you do not have the space for a functional trainer and a rack you might want to consider getting a rack instead. For $2000 it is possible to source a rack, barbell, and plates from TITAN. You will also be able to get the better variations on the items . If you train mainly heavy in the gym and have to decide between a rack or a functional trainer, you might want to build a metal den instead.

If your main interest is to look pretty and get toned, you might consider the outdoor power tower. You do not need to give up any space in your home and will still get results. It is amazing what you can achieve with calisthenics and the Titan Outdoor power tower delivers all the basics for this form of training at about $400.

Conclusion for the TITAN functional trainer

The TITAN functional trainer is a great option for the home, if you train regularly with resistance to support your main sport. This sport might be track and field, martial arts or soccer. If you are mainly into bodybuilding, powerlifting or heavy impact sports like football & rugby you will need some free weights in addition to complete your training schedule in your home. If you run a spa, hotel or retirement home, this can also be a good option. If you need a high polished design to match the rest of your interior to impress your affluent you might want to invest around $4.000 to $5.000 in a similar machine which comes with an in built instructor, screen and looks better. Might even save you on staff cost. If you own a gym full of Jarheads who lift heavy, grunt and like to throw stuff, you need a sturdier machine like the Rogue lat pull machine. I personally managed to break two of these functional trainers in gyms and I am not even that big.