Total gym GTS vs Rogue R4 rack [Article, Video]

This is a comparison between the Total Gym GTS and the Rogue R4 power rack. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue R4 power rack

The Rogue R4 rack comes in at $960 and is one of the better options for under $1000 from Rogue. Learn more in this review which was originally published in the Article "Which Rack to buy from Rogue for under $1000".

What else to consider from Rogue

Overview of the Rogue R4

The Rogue R4 is one of the flagship racks out of the older Rogue Infinity series. With the R4 you get a full rack which is made in Columbus, Ohio. The available color is black and it weighs 250LB.

The R4 Infinity rack is 90'' high and comes in at a footprint of 53''x53''. It is compatible with the Infinity accessories and lines from Rogue. It ships with J CUps,, Pin/Pipe Safeties and band pegs for the westside method. It is also designed with Westside hole spacing to enable you to use the bands for your lifting appropriately.

If you want the best of one of the outdated series from Rogue this is the one for you. It will cover all of your basic needs, just don't expect too many product upgrades as the focus of Rogue is clearly with the Monster and Monster lite series for eh time being.

Pros of the Rogue R4

You get one of the best from a bygone era of Rogue. This is reflected in the amount of real estate you get for the price for Rogue standards. It can also be an advantage to get an R4 over a Monster or Monster rack if you have to move the racks often. This comes in at 100LB less than its bigger brothers.

Cons of the Rogue R4

Going into the Infinity series is probably not a wise decision if you want to protect your investment long term. The rack will hold for a lifetime, you just will not find a lot of new products for it to entertain your clients. For home use, this is completely irrelevant, but if you are buying this rack to use with clients you might want to reconsider.

Alternatives to the Rogue R4

Alternatives to the R4 are

The RM4 comes out of the flagship Monster series of Rogue. With this rack, you can choose the color and height of your purchase and have access to Monster accessory series. This is definitely the better option if you work with a client and want to keep adding to your rack in the future. The downside is the price.

The R6 is the big brother of the R4 in the Infinity series. This rack combines a full rack with a half rack to provide more space for plates and storage room. With this rack, you will upgrade the footprint from 53x53 to 53x80.

The R3 is the half rack version of the Infinity series. This might be a good choice for you if you want to save space and money. Especially if you are a smaller athlete this might be a really viable option as you don't need as much space around you.

Overview and review of the Total gym GTS

This is an overview of the features and alternatives to the Total Gym GTS. This article was originally published under "which total gym to get". Follow the links for more details.

Total Gym GTS $3.700 - $4.666

The total gym GTS is the flagship of the total gym generation which can be directly sold to customers. This is the top-end product with all bells and whistles included and therefore also comes with the biggest price tag of $3.700. These are the features you will be getting with the Total Gym GTS:

FREE streaming workouts with Total Gym TV Basic.
22 Levels of Resistance
Workout DVD included
Over 200 Exercises on One Home Elite Gym
650lb User Weight Capacity
Hydraulic rail lift assists with level changes & easy two-step folding.
5-year Warranty on Frame, 1-year Warranty on Parts & Upholstery, 90-day Warranty on Foam & Rubber

In addition to this, you will get a multitude of addons that lets you emulate any machine you could possibly imagine in a professional commercial gym. If you want to use this machine all day around and do not have space for a full circuit of machines, this is the machine to get.

Pros of the Total GYM GTS

The total gym GTS comes with a lot of attachments and even lets you add free weights to it so you can increase the resistance even further on certain exercises. The extended warranty and sturdiness of the 650lb capacity give it good protection against break downs under heavy use. Read this 650lb not just as a maximum capacity, but also an indication of how long the machine will last. The sturdier the material the less likely it is to break. This is the right total gym to use around the clock with many clients of different needs. If you have a rehab clinic that wants to cover from old people to recovering high performing athletes, this is a good pick.

Cons of the TOTAL GYM GTS

For this price tag, it is not really a feasible option for most home users, which is a shame as it provides the most variety of exercises. If you have space in your facility you can also seriously consider building a full gym instead of getting just one Total Gym GTS. YOu may have fewer warranties on each individual item, but more variety and the possibility to train more people in parallel.

Alternatives to the TOTAL Gym GTS

For the price of a TOTAL Gym GTS you can also get:

True form Trainer $3995
5x Rogue Echo bike $3875
Full free weight section $3530

The true form trainer is a self-propelled treadmill that will fit the needs of the top-performing athlete. It works with a slight arch to soften the impact of your feet. As it is set up with bearing it becomes easier to run at top speeds and do interval training compared to conventional treadmills. You will also not need as much power and there is no motor that can break down and needs to be maintained or replaced.

If you have space and wanted to run spinning classes you can also get 5x Rogue Echo bikes for the price of one Total Gym GTS. Admittedly you will not have the same range of exercises to build strength and tone, but if you are looking for indoor cardio you can either save yourself a lot of money or make more customers happy at the same time.

For $4.000 you can also get a top-end free weight section from a leading supplier like Rogue fitness. An example configuration can be:

Total: $3530

This will provide a full gym with weights to go into every direction. The shipping will be free with Rogue for this package. The tax might push it over $4000 depending on the country you buy from. Still, A great alternative if you have space and like to lift heavy compared to the Total Gym GTS.