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Hybrid stone mold vs MK D ball

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Sep 21, 2020 4:00:00 PM

Hybrid stone mold vs MK D ball

This is a comparison between the Hybrid stone mold and the MK D ball including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue sandbag to get. Follow the links for more details.

 

Overview and review of the Rogue Mk D medicine balls

This is an overview of the Rogue MK D medicine balls including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

 

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Overview of the Rogue MK D balls

Price $79.95 - $399.95
 
The MK D ball series is the D ball from Rogue on steroids. These slam balls can go up to the Rubber Atlas stones ranges and are especially good for their dead bounce. This is the right tool in your arsenal when you want to bring a heavy load to the shoulder and drop it from there to the ground. This is a great option to train similar muscle groups than with Olympic weightlifting, but with fewer requirements for proper technique. The Rogie MK Dballs come in black and can be purchased in the following sizes:
 
  • 14lb
  • 20lb
  • 30lb
  • 40lb
  • 50lb
  • 60lb
  • 70lb
  • 80lb
  • 90lb
  • 100lb
  • 150lb
This is a great tool for overall body fitness, if Atlas stones are too much hassle and Olympic lifts to challenging to learn.
 
 

Pros of the MK D balls

 
The pros of the MK DBalls are:
 
  • Dead bounce
  • Good grip
  • Wide variety of weights
The MK D balls are great as they will not bounce off the floor when dropped from the shoulder. They will also not deform as much as a slam ball will do during your training. In addition, Rogue also offers a wide range of different sizes for these tools for all purposes. If you want to combine heavy lifting with agility, this is a good address.
 
 

Cons of the MK Dballs

 
The cons of the MK Dballs are:
 
  • Same diameter
  • Dead bounce 
  • Plastic 
What are the great strengths of this product are also its greatest weaknesses. Compared to medicine balls you might want some or even a lot of bounce depending on the type of exercise you want to perform. Wall balls are impossible with the D balls. It is more likely you will make a hole than for them to bounce back. If you wanted to simulate strong man training, you also want the diameter of the higher weights to increase. Strongman training is not just about how much you lift, but also that the weight you lift can be hard to find a grip on. Apart from this, these are made from plastic, which also not always simulates conditions in competition well. This is especially the case when compared with Atlas stones.
 
 

Alternatives to the MK D balls

 
Altanertives to the MK Dballs are:
 
 
The regular d balls range from 8lb to 40lb in weight, have a diameter of 9" to 10.6", and are priced from $55 to $110. This is where you start with your training or end if you only weigh 40kg yourself. 
 
The Atlas rubber stones are an alternative especially to the heavier D-balls. The 150lb Atlas rubber stone is $99 less than the biggest D ball. It comes with a bigger diameter and therefore simulates the conditions in strongman competitions better. 
 
If you are looking for something heavy that behaves more like a ball than a stone that is easy to grip, than the regular medicine balls from Rogue will do the trick for you. They are available up to 30lb in weight. 

 Overview and review of the Hybrid stone mold

This is an overview of the Hybrid stone mold including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue sandbag to get. Follow the links for more details.

 

Overview of the stone mold 

Price: $75 - $650
 
The hybrid stone mold was a solution to a problem in the strongman community. How do you save on transport cost? You just make the stones in your home or at your competition place. The hybrid molds are made from plastic and are be screwed together. They range from 35LB to 300lb and start at $75. The specifications for the molds are: 
 
  • Made in the USA
  • Designed by Rob Orlando of Hybrid Athletics
  • Durable plastic construction, lightweight and portable
  • Build multiple stones off of the same mold
  • Available individually or in sets
  • 13 different size options (10” to 19” diameter, resulting in a stone weight of 35 LB to 300 LB)
  • Will require concrete mix (not included)
  • Atlas Stones will include “H” Hybrid logo
A great way to make your stones at home and get into strongman training. 
 

Pros of the stone mold 

 
The pros of the stone molds are:
 
  • Easy to make 
  • Portable 
  • Multiple stones from one mold 
 
This is a good way of making your atlas stones from cement as long as you know how to mix it. The molds can be easily transported to wherever you want to have a strongman competition or where you want to train yourself. 
 

Cons of the stone mold 

 
The cons of the hybrid stone mold are: 
 
  • Need to know how to make cement 
  • Not see-through 
  • Takes time 
 
The process of making cement can be messy, especially when you are not used to it. It will take some practice and the cement bags to get your stone ready. As the hybrid molds are a bit see-through you will also not see how full the mold is, so the risk of spillage is a bit higher. Once done you will have to wait for the cement to set. So this is is not plug and play and needs some planning for your training or the necessary storage to keep the stones around once they are made. 
 

Alternatives to the hybrid stone mold 

 
Alternatives to the hybrid stone mold are:
 
 
The slater stone molds are also plastic molds to make your atlas stones. They are a little cheaper than the Hybrid molds and are see-through. This way you can see how the mix is settling in the mold for better results. While the slater molds are lighter and easier to handle, they bring less pressure onto the cement itself. If you want smoother results that take a little more craftsmanship the hybrid molds are the better choice. 
 
The MK d balls are the heavy slam balls from. They go up to a maximum of 150lb. As atlas stones are not great for slams these might be the better option. The only negative is that they are quite pricey is you only get one whereas a mold makes multiple stones. 
 
The strongman sandbags are a great compromise between an Atlas stone and a slam or medicine ball. They are available from 100lb to 400lb when filled with play sand. These are ideal if you want to lift heavy and be ready on the same day while still being able to transport the bags easily when they are empty. 
 

Conclusion for the hybrid stone mold 

 
The hybrid stone mold is the original idea to make it easier to create atlas stones at home. The funnel and design make it easy to create compact stones if you know how to mix cement. The only downside is that you can not see what is going on I side the mold as they are black. 
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