REP fitness Equalizer plates vs TITAN wagon wheels
This is a comparison between the REP fitness Equalizer plates and the TITAN wagon wheels. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN wagon wheels
This is an overview of the TITAN Wagon wheels including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which titan plates to get. Follow the links for more details.
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Overview of the TITAN Wagon wheel
Price: $223.99
The
Wagon wheel is an idea that I have first seen from Mark Bell who has perfected it with Rogue. TITAN than adopted it for its own portfolio. The idea is to have a deadlift pulling block that is easy to store and also easier to use. Pulling blocks can be tricky, especially for deadlifts. They are cumbersome to set up, have a single purpose use, and eat up quite a bit of space in your gym. The
wagon wheels to take care of most of these problems. The full specifications are:
A great substitute for pulling blocks, Titan’s
Wagon Wheel Pulling Blocks are larger in diameter (26”) than your standard Bumper Plates allowing for a partial range of motion deadlifts.
Makes loading and unloading your barbell a breeze without the need for a jack or wedge.
Perfect for taller athletes or powerlifters that are suffering from knee and lower back issues.
2” collar opening makes Titan’s
Wagon Wheel Pulling Blocks compatible with most standard Olympic barbells.
Titan Laser Cut Logo.
Weight: 45 LB Each | 90 LB Total
Diameter: 26”
Wheel width: 2”
Black Powder Coat
Sold in Pairs!
This is a good option if you have been deadlifting for a long time and need to get a lot of volume in without wrecking your back. It can also be used for block pulls that are often part of more advanced powerlifting programs to address weak points in the deadlift.
Pros of the TITAN wagon wheel
- Price
- Easy to store and handle
- Same weight as regular 45lb plates
As with all TITAN products, the price is very attractive. If you want to get
wagon wheels for the lowest price possible TITAN is probably a good bet. However, undercutting the competition by half usually comes with some corner-cutting on labor. TITAN products usually show this in the finish of their coating and/or their welds. That is nothing that keeps you from training, it is just disappointing when you buy something new and the finish is not perfect. Still, something has to fall short if you save yourself half the money.
Compared to pulling blocks these are easier to store and to handle. You can lean them against a wall which makes their footprint in the gym quite small. They will not fit on most plate trees or storage pins on a rack due to their bigger diameter. For the deadlifts themselves, they are also great as you do not have to worry too much about hitting the blocks on the way down. Attaching them to the bar is a lot easier than finding the right spacing between two blocks.
Another bonus is that they are almost the same weight as a regular 45lb bumper or
cast iron plate. With this, you do not mess too much with the weight distribution and the dynamic of your usual pulls in terms of symmetrical load.
Cons of the TITAN wagon wheel
- Inconsistent finish
- Can not be adjusted in height
- Not great for drops
You will usually find more reports about inconsistent finishes on the coating and welds of TITAN fitness than you will for Eleiko or Rogue. That is not the end of your world for your training but can be annoying when you decide to buy something new rather than used. With TITAN you save money but also take a little more of a gamble with getting something delivered that is not perfect. It happens on Rogue deliveries too, but it is less common.
Wagon wheels themselves have one big disadvantage compared to good quality pulling blocks. They can not be adjusted in height. A pair of good quality pulling blocks usually costs between $500 - $1000. These can usually be adjusted in height which makes some more user friendly when you have a lot of different athletes using them for different purposes. These can be hip belt squats, box jumps, or block jerks.
If you would like to do
Olympic weightlifting partials with blocks, the
wagon wheels are not an option. Dropping them from a height will damage the floor, barbell, and the
wagon wheels themselves. If you are looking for a more versatile tool for partial lifts, adjustable blocks are the way to go.
Alternatives to the TITAN wagon wheel
- TITAN adjustable metal blocks
- TITAN wood jerk blocks
The Titan adjustable metal blocks are an alternative to the
wagon wheels which are slightly more expensive. For about $100 more you get a tool that will eat up more space in the gym but has a lot more applications. This is the better buy for a commercial gym that has a lot of floor space and wants their equipment to do more than one thing. These blocks are still not for
Olympic weightlifting as they do not go high enough to start training from the front rack position.
Titan wood jerk blocks come in at $999 and for this, you get 3 pairs of blocks in various heights. If I was a professional gym owner looking into blocks for partial lifts i would bite the bullet and get these. They are good quality and apply to many of the partial movements required to address weaknesses in the
Olympic lifts. If you all you care about is your deadlift performance, these are overkill.
Conclusion for the TITAN wagon wheel
The
TITAN wagon wheels area good tool especially for home gym powerlifters who want to vary their training or give their backs a break. As this is a very specialized tool, it will probably not one of the first purchases for your home gym and especially is not essential. Prioritize change plates over
wagon wheels any day. A professional gym might consider there jerk blocks instead of the adjustable metal blocks or
wagon wheels. Especially if you have quite a bit of floor space. The wooden blocks are the best for dropping the barbell on without it jumping all over the place.
Overview and review of the REP fitness Equalizer plates
This is an overview of the REP fitness Equalizer plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. The original was published under which plates to buy from rep fitness. Follow the links for more details.
Rep Equalizer iron plates $10
The
REP Equalizer plates are a great option for your home gym, if you think that simple round
iron plates are boring and too hard to pick up from the ground. These plates have a low entry price, interesting design, and can be very practical if you like them. The full specifications of these REP plates are:
Features:
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Machine drilled center hole (not cast) for tight fit on bar.
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Sand blasted and machined for smooth surface.
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All surfaces rounded, no sharp edges.
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Sandblast before painting to ensure no surface rust is painted over.
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Powdercoated and baked for 1 hour for superior toughness and resistance to chipping.
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Symmetrical grip holes for easy lifting off the ground, and for using individual plates in exercises.
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Weight tolerance guaranteed within 2%
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"X" centered in between grip holes on 45, 35, and 25, as pictured on main image.
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255 lb set includes: (1) Pair of 45, 35, 25, 10, 2.5 lb plates. (2) Pairs of 5 lb plates.
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275 lb set includes: (2) Pair of 45, 5 lb plates. (1) Pair of 25, 10, 2.5 lb plates.
Plate Dimensions (width/diameter)
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2.5lb - 0.5"/6.25"
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5lb - 0.75"/8"
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10lb - 0.75"/9"
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25lb - 1.5"/12.25"
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35lb - 1.5"/14.25"
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45lb - 1.5"/17.7"
Pros of the Rep Equalizer iron plates
-
Sleeve space
-
Holes
-
Iron sound
-
Price per kg
A big plus of
Iron plates is that they take up less sleeve space on the bar compared to
bumper plates. This makes them especially good for powerlifters as they can get more weight on the barbell than with
bumper plates. If you have limited storing space and want to max out your barbell then these plates are a good choice.
The holes in these plates mean that they are easier to move around your gym than regular
Olympic iron plates. You can also pick them up from the ground very easily. In the convenience department, these plates point big in day-to-day use.
Depending on your preferences these plates make the sound of clanging metal that some love so much. If you want to pump
iron and like the good old Ronnie Coleman days, then these are the plates for you.
Another attractive feature of these plates is that they have a decent design even though they are at the lower range of the price per kg spectrum of REP fitness.
Cons of the Rep Equalizer iron plates
One of the disadvantages of this pate is that it is
iron. This means it can corrode and also damages your floor and equipment when dropped from overhead.
Iron plates also bear a higher injury risk as the metal won't give in when it comes into contact with skin or bone. It is a lot more likely to break the skin or a bone when you collide with an I
ron plate than with a
bumper plate.
As these plates have holes in them their integrity is compromised. This means that there are a lot more opportunities for the plates to crack or catch rust than with a smooth round
bumper plate. They are also more likely to chip than a round
Olympic iron plate.
Finally, you do not have color options with these plates except grey and
black. Although these i
ron plates are easier to coat with a different color than
bumper plates if DIY is your thing.
Alternatives to the Rep Equalizer iron plates
The
REP Urethane coated equalizer plates are in my opinion the better choice as they are more forgiving on your equipment and body than the full
iron plates. If you like the idea of plates with holes in them to make them easier to carry, go for the Urethane coat instead.
If you don't care about design and convenience and all you want is the most possible amount of weight for the cheapest price that you can fit on your barbell, then go with
Olympic Iron plates. They are not as convenient as the
Urethane plates but cheaper. You also might like to go retro and just focus on lifting the weights rather than how they look in your basement.
The
Rogue 6 shooter plates follow the same idea as the
Equalizer plates. The only difference is that the holes are round rather than hexagonal. If you are leaning more towards Rogue as a brand than REP fitness to build your home gym, but like the concept of easy transport
iron plates, then the
6 Shooter is the option for you.
The Rogue Olympic Iron plates are the simplest version you can get of a plate from Rogue. Steel that fits on a barbell. Nothing more, nothing less.
If you want to be as cheap as possible then go with
TITAN and load your cart up. They also have
Iron plates in stock.
Conclusion for the Rep Equalizer iron plates
The REP Equalizer iron plates have a great design and are practical in use. If I liked them and were to buy some I would go for the
Urethane coated ones instead as they are minimally more expensive but are easier on my skin and equipment when training. They will also last longer as they are not as susceptible to rust.