Overview and review of the Rogue 5 Econ package
You can buy the 5 Affiliate package from Rogue at $5000 to set up for 5. It will provide the infrastructure and material you need to get going. This article was originally published in "which equipment package to buy from Rogue".
What else to consider from Rogue
- Which belt to buy from Rogue
- Which barbell to buy from rogue
- Which rack to buy from Rogue over $1000
- Which rack to buy from Rogue for under $1000
- Which plates to buy from Rogue
- Which strength equipment to buy from Rogue
- Which conditioning equipment to buy from Rogue
- Which Equipment package to buy from Rogue
- Which accessory to get from Rogue
- Which jump rope to get from Rogue
- Which knee sleeve to get from Rogue
Overview of the Econ 5 package
The five Econ is a package which aims at saving you some money to put for your gym to run classes if five in parallel. The shortened list of items is
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1 Stopwatch
This set switches the Ohio bar for the echo bar, HG collars for spring collars and the Rogue echo timer for a stopwatch to be easier on your purse compared to the Alpha and affiliate packages. That you will only get one concept rower might lead to traffic jams if you do not have other conditioning equipment in your arsenal.
Items of the Econ 5 package
This is a more detailed overview of the items which also shows you some alternatives you can pick from.
1) 1000LB ROGUE HG Bumper sets for a total of 1000LB of Bumpers - You choose the weights you want up to 1000LB
Bumper plates can be used either indoors or outside. You can drop them from overhead and are forgiving on the fingers and toes if they get between the plates. There are only two disadvantages to bumper plates. The first is that they are not as accurately manufactured as competition plates and steel plates. This can lead to up to 1kg variance per plate. The other disadvantage is that you will have a hard time to fit more than 500 pounds on the barbell if you have only bumper plates. This is why you might need some competition and calibrated steel plates for your gym in a second round of investing to accommodate all needs.
(1) Echo 5 Bar Set-28.5MM Bar
The Echo bar is the budget option of the Ohio bar. This bar is bare steel which makes it more exposed to sweat, water, and air. This is why they might not last as long as Ohio bars and need more maintenance to look nice. Talking bar lifetime we are in the years rather than months.
(1) 200LB Rogue Kettlebell Set - Choose your own variants up to 200LB
Rogue offer up to 200LB in kettlebell weight with this set. These Kettlebells are cast iron. Make sure you think of the fitness level of your clients rather than your own when you pick the Kettlebells. What you deem light might be too heavy for them. These Kettlebells are great if you mainly do swings. If you work a lot with Turkish get-ups, kettlebell cleans and s arches you might want to opt for the rubber coated or competition Kettlebells instead. The cast iron version can be hard in the arms and wrists.
(5) Sets of Spring Collars
Spring collars keep your plates in place for Olympic weightlifting and very heavy powerlifting attempts. These collars are the cheapest option you can get and you can find them in many gyms. They are harder on the barbells as they are more likely to leave scratches.
(2) Set of ROGUE Wood Rings
The rogue wooden rings give you the opportunity to perform gymnastics in your gym. You can either use it for muscle ups and pull-ups for your more advanced athletes or to help the newcomers to progress to their first pull up. The rings come with the necessary straps to be hooked up to a rack. If you want to get extravagant with the rings make sure you let them hang from the ceiling and get the right anchor in place.
(5) Rogue Medicine Ball - Can choose the weight up to 20LB
Medicine balls have been a great tool for conditioning for a long time. Again, take care that you don’t order them in too heavy for your clients. If you do mainly slams and not a lot of throws you might want to get slam balls instead. These are less likely to bounce back on your face.
(2) Games Multi Side Boxes with 20" / 24" / 30" Sides
The multi side boxes are a great option to have three options in one tool for jumps. Resin boxes are an alternative which can be stacked for easier storage.
(1) Concept 2 Rower with PM5
The concept 2 rower is the industry standard for indoor rowing. This is a reliable machine which is operating all over the world. With the PM5 monitor also get a great monitor to go with it. An alternative is a concept 2 model E which has a higher seat. A good option for very tall athletes or people in rehab.
(2) S-1 Squat/Press Stands
The S1 is the smallest option for a squat stand or rack you can get from Rogue. This piece of equipment is a good fit for fast workouts with little weight or for very experienced weight lifters who know how to drop a heavy squat correctly.
For inexperienced powerlifters, this is not a great option and you might want to consider a full rack like the RM4.
(2) Rogue SR-3 Speed Rope
The SR 3 has quickly become the go-to rope for double unders in the CrossFit community. It is designed to spin fast and in one direction. This makes it great for CrossFit but might fall a little short for boxing routines which focus more on timing and coordination. There are also newer versions of the Speed rope which spin even faster.
(5) Abmat
The Abmat brings your sit-ups to the next level. They are also a solid building block of many WODs. As these are prone to lead to chafing you might also want to look into the x wrap or upgraded Abmat.
(1) Stop Watch
Any coach needs a stop watch. Otherwise it isn’t fun.
Pros of the econ 5 package
The Echo package saves you money while still providing all of the essentials for 5 Crossfitters. You will be able to run classes and charge for them.
Cons of the Econ 5 package
The Echo package has no rig, technique bars, and only once rower. For pull-ups, you might need a solution unless the main part of your groups cannot do pull-ups yet. Teaching beginners the Olympic lifts without technique bars can also be a struggle as they might not be strong enough to handle a 20kg bar. Having only one rower will force you to run classes as circuits. Races will be no option as you will get traffic jams.
Alternatives to the Econ 5 package
Alternatives to the 5 Econ package are
Summary of the Econ 5 package
The 5 Econ package is a great start, especially when you want to get started with CrossFit classes in a small boutique gym. If you are starting from scratch you might come up a little short changed to provide the best possible service.
