Back widow vs Rogue stainless lat bar

This is a comparison between the back widow and the Rogue stainless steel lat bar 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 stainless lat bar

This is an overview of the Rogue stainless lat bar 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 Stainless lat bar

Price: $165

The Rogue stainless lat bar is made from stainless steel by the professionals at Rogue who know how to work metal. This lat bar comes standard with the Rogue Monster Lat pulldown machine. If you are buying from Rogues you will most likely already have this bar. The specifications of the stainless lat bar are:

Made in the USA
Width: 48"
Diameter: 1.125"
Knurled Stainless Steel
Laser-cut Rogue “R” branding
(1) Black Carabiner Included

This is a solid lat bar either as a replacement when some of your existing equipment breaks, or you want to upgrade a bargain you got from the internet on a lat pull machine. As it comes standard with the Rogue machines that it attaches to, it is not often seen by itself in the wild.

Pros of the Rogue Stainless lat bar

Pros of the Rogue Stainless lat bar:

Stainless
Made in USA
Good craftmanship

The team at Rogue knows how to work metal and the brand is carried by the reputation that everything they make is overbuilt. The stainless lat bar is no exception and is an upgrade to most lat bars out there. If you bought a cheap weight stack tower, at least give some proper love to your hands and get a good lat bar.

Cons of the Rogue Stainless lat bar

Cons of the stainless lat bar are:

Heavy
Aggressive knurling
Price

As this is an overbuilt bar some might say that makes it overpriced. I would not belong to that group, as I love overbuilt things, but f you do not care about that you can get a bar like this for a third of the price. As it is stainless steel this lat bar is also heavier than most other lat bars and has more aggressive knurling. This might not appeal to the general public as well, as one of the mass-produced Chinese lat bars.

Alternatives to the Rogue Stainless lat bar

Alternatives to the Stainless lat bar are:

The Rogue Multi-grip cable attachment is a massive lat pull that gives you multiple grip variations at a different angle to a straight lat bar. This is especially interesting for big athletes and those training for strongman competitions. It is only $10 more than the stainless lat bar and worth looking into if you want to buy a second attachment.

The back widow is a great option if you can afford the $299 and want a very versatile attachment for your lat pull that triples up as a T-Bar row and deadlift jack. This is a great option for a home gym that wants to save space and still have many options. For a commercial gym, this might not be the best bet, as you can get 5 Rogue Monster grip triangles, or a mix of attachments, for the same price for multiple users.

The Rogue Monster grip triangle is a good option if you want a little variation and you are happy with your current lat bar. It only costs $60 and is therefore something easy to throw into bigger orders to make it to an even amount. It is also not as massive as the Multi-grip or pricey as the back widow.

Conclusion for the Rogue stainless steel lat bar

The Rogue stainless steel lat bar is a great upgrade for a lat pull that has not been bought from Rogue. If you did not want to spend the $3000 on an original Rogue Lat pull-down, then at least you can get the lat bar for $165. If you are looking to purchase a second attachment for your lat pull, the stainless bar is rather pointless, as you already have one at home. Try to vary things then.

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.