Back widow vs Rogue neutral grip

This is a comparison between the back widow and the Rogue neutral grip including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which grip strength tool to get from Rogue. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue neutral grip

This is an overview of the Rogue neutral grip including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which grip strength tool to get from Rogue. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview of the Rogue Neutral grip

Price: $65

The rogue neutral grip is an addition to Rogue racks that come standard with the fat skinny bar. With this attachment, you can do neutral grip pull-ups for a small price of $65. Compared to other options it is probably one of the cheaper ones. The full specifications of the Rogue neutral grip are:

Handle Length: 7"
Handle Diameter: 1.25"
Overall Height: 11"
Not compatible with Rogue monster

This is a good quick fix if you do not mind some scratches on your equipment.

Pros of the Rogue neutral grip

Pros of the rogue neutral grip are:

Fast
Cheap
Small

This is an easy setup to quickly do neutral pull-ups on Rogue setup that otherwise would not allow for pull-ups or would need a wrench to swap cross members/attachments. Just throw them on and get going. With a little bit of tale attached to them, you can also avoid the scratching through the metal to metal contact.

Cons of the Rogue neutral grip

Cons of the rogue neutral grip are:

Unstable
Metal to metal contact
Not versatile

These grips will go into your monster lite or infinity rack but will not be as clean and secure as a proper pull-up bar. It can shift a little and therefore also scratch your rack. In addition, it will be cumbersome to attach these hooks to any other weight to lift it which makes them pretty much single-use.

Alternatives to the rogue neutral grip

Alternatives to the rogue neutral grip:

The Rogue XM43 neutral grip rotating pull up attachment is a full specialized pull-up attachment for the monster lite and monster series. Compared to the neutral grips it can be wrenched onto a cross-member, has rotating handles, and several positions to work from. This is the professional tool from Rogue for a neutral grip from a rack rather than the makeshift pins for $60. with $445 it also costs more than seven times more than the simple grips.

The crown pull up bar is an attachment for the rogue monster lite and monster series that provides a neutral grip pull up setup amongst others. You will also get several other pull up setups and two different sized spheres. If straight pull-ups are your jam, this is a very good attachment to invest in. The crown would be an investment of $225.

A multi-grip cross-member is an option that can be attached at the top of your rack. With this, you have several grip width options for a neutral grip in a stable setup. As long as your ceiling is high enough and you want to neutral grip pull-ups this comes in at $182.50 and is, therefore, great value for money option as an alternative to the neutral grips. In this setup, you will also not scratch the existing rack.

Conclusion for the rogue neutral grip

The Rogue neutral grip is a good quick fix when you have quite a few of the parallel fat/skinny bars which Rogue used to deliver with their racks in the past. With the monster lite and monster racks series this item becomes shipped far less and therefore did not age well. The fact, that the neutral grips scratch the existing material does not make it a preferred option if you can invest a little more money. I would always prefer to attach a crown pull-up bar or XM 43M multi-grip cross member to achieve the same result.

Overview and review of the Back widow

This is an overview of the Back widow including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which grip strength tool to get from Rogue. Follow the links for more details.

Overview of the back widow

Price: $299

The back widow is a versatile handle that can be used as an attachment for cable pulls and attached to a barbell for landmine rows. This makes it a very versatile tool that can be used in many scenarios to improve grip and back strength. This is an ideal solution for a home gym where the user wants to save space and money for multiple applications. In bigger gym scenarios it might be a better approach to get multiple handles for the price of one back widow. The full specifications are:

Multi-Use Attachment for Back Workouts
15+ Adjustable Positions
Length: 5.5" (Lower Handles) / 4.25" (Upper Handles)
Diameter: 1.25" (Handles)
Weight: 9.25 LBS
Carabiner Slot for Attachments: 9/16” wide x 1” tall
Color: Black

This tool is definitely worth its money when you want to have a landmine handle and an attachment for your lat pull machine at home.

Pros of the back widow

The pros of the back widow are:

Versatility
High-quality build
Weight

This attachment for a pulley and to bars has many different configurations which will help you to build a bigger back and stronger grip. It can also mix up the work with a rowing machine or lat pull so that you can stay motivated and attack all different areas of your back. With its high-quality build, you can throw almost anything at the back widow without breaking it and even use it like a deadlift jack. The weight of this handle attributes for its high-quality design. You can see that professionally wanted to design something helpful for other professionals with the Back widow.

Cons of the Back widow

The cons of the back widow are:

Price
Weight
Only one handle

With a $price tag of $300 the back widow is not cheap. for that amount of money, you can get three stainless lat bars from a low price vendor or a big assortment of smaller handles. The weight itself is also not great when your home gym setup is a bit flimsy. If you combine it with the Spud Inc. pulley or similar self-made contraption, you will have problems with keeping a smooth feed through the rollers. This is best used with a stationary lat pull or rowing machines like the Rogue CT1 or the Rogue Monster Lat pull down. In a commercial gym setting, it is also better to get multiple handles rather than one handle. Most average joes will find the adjustments on the widow annoying rather than helpful for a quick workout and as a commercial gym owner you rather have three different handles for three different towers than one handle for three towers.

Alternatives to the back widow

Alternatives to the back widow are:

Rogue Multi-grip cable attachment is a massive handle that can be attached to cable pulleys. This is a great tool for any strongmen who want to work on their grip and pull work. This attachment simulates better when you do not get the best grip on a big weight because the handles are not in the most advantageous position. With $175 it also leaves room for handles to be bought against the same budget like the back widow. The only downside of this attachment is that it is very heavy.

The Rogue Stainless steel bar is a classic lat pull bar that is straight and curved at the ends for different grip variations. This is the standard option that most gyms go with for their towers. Compared to the Back widow you can almost get two of these for the same price. The only disadvantages are that it can be quite boring and that you might get this cheaper from a different vendor than from Rogue.

The Rogue tricep strap is the better partner for home gym pulley setups that are a little makeshift. Its lower weight makes it easier to maneuver and get a smooth ride in place. It is also quite a bit cheaper than a back widow or any of the other attachments. The disadvantage is that it is not suitable for big heavy pulls where you spread your arms wide.

Conclusion for the back widow

The back widow is a great tool for the home gym owner who has some extra cash to spend, likes high-quality products, and does not want too many handles flying about. Just have a hard look at your training routine if you actually do t bar rows and lat pulls already in your local gym or desperately miss out on them. This attachment is not just a gimmick like many others. For commercial gyms, I do not see the point as it is usually more practical to have a wall or bag full of a lot of attachments where people help themselves. The back widow would need some instructions and also the versatility does not really apply to the commercial scenario. The teenagers or your strongest hulk will probably hug this attachment for two hours. Better to have more handles for others who are waiting.