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REP fitness PR-1000 rack vs Rogue RM8

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | May 30, 2021 4:00:00 PM

REP fitness PR-1000 rack vs Rogue RM8

This is a comparison between the Rep Fitness PR-1000 rack and the Rogue RM8. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue RM8 Power rack

The Rogue RM8 power rack is the new flagship of the rogue rack portfolio for $7.350. It combines the new LT1, Rhino Belt and RM6 into the Rolls Royce of racks.Here are the pros and cons and alternatives to this beast.

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Overview of the RM8 

 
The RM8 is the newest edition to the Rogue Monster line up. After publishing the 50cal, Rhino belt squat and a multitude of new bar designs using the Cerakote finish Rogue out it all together and went even bigger. This is the ultimate station to get stronger, especially for anyone who wants to squat heavy up until older age. 
 
As part of the Rogue monster series, you will get the 3x3 Gauge steel with the big bolts. The finish is currently only Cerakote black also I am quite positive that this will change in the foreseeable future. The RM8 has the following dimensions: 
 
  • Length 10’6”
  • Width 6’4”
  • Width Rack inside 43”
  • Height 100.375”
  • Footprint 10’6” x 53”
 
You will basically get an RM6 on steroids with all the plate storage you need and extra functionality to attack your muscles from every angle. Here is the list of items:
 
 
The Rhino belt squat is one of the most interesting new developments in the Rogue portfolio. It is especially good to train heavy for squats without putting too much strain on your lower back. An older lifter will appreciate it, you get lifters will be able to get more volume in. The stand-alone version of the Rhino comes in at roughly $2000 and I have already written about the Rhino belt squat it on my blog. 
 
The loadable weight trolleys are two lever arms with the 50cal mechanism. Again Rogue has shown innovation on these. They revised that the original lever arms were cumbersome to adjust and can up with these. Footballers and Rugby players will appreciate the tackling training which can be done with them. Strongman athletes will have a good piece of equipment to simulate car deadlifts or uneven loads. Bodybuilders will have options to simulate all kinds of rowing and pressing machines when combined with an adjustable bench. Finally, powerlifters can use the setup to create a mini monolift. 
 
The pull-up bar with knurling gives you extra grip. It is one of the newer additions to the rack options of Rogue. Still, it is a bar, not a lot to be said about it. 
 
The custom rogue nameplates look cool, but that is about it. It’s a pity that Rogue does not allow the configuration to be changed to a simple cross member. The nameplate renders the beam almost unusable for any attachments. Still, it looks dang cool. 
 
That plate pins are great as they safe you the extra hassle and cost to provide for plate storage. If you have children in your home I recommend getting spring collars to make the plates safe. Some like to put the plate pins as high as possible. I would not do that as the plates will drop from a height into anything below if they come off the rack. Most children won’t be able to move the spring collars, so at least you have some safety. 
 
The band legs can be used to train with the west side method. You attach bands to the pegs and barbell for added resistance. You can see an example of how that works in the two videos below.  
 

Pros of the RM8 

 
The RM8 is the one-stop-shop for the latest and greatest that Rogue has to offer. The Rhino belt squat will give you many variations to train while keeping your lower back safe. You can switch from resisted jumps to band assisted squats. The potential is limitless. It is really great to see that products can still be made better in a market which you thought was saturated. If you have the money the Banshee won’t disappoint. 
 

Cons of the RM8

 
$7000 is a big price tag for a rack. You can get 7 Fortis racks for this price if you were to equip a commercial gym. Another option would be a monkey rig which gives many more options to run classes of them. This beast is aimed at in e or two people. Of course, you can have more people train at it, but this is definitely the ultimate celebrity or athlete home gym, not the commercial option. Unless you are an NFL team and do not care about multiplying out the 7000 over half the numbers of players you have. 
 
Another con is that for the biggest price tag you get no color option. That is a shame and hopefully changes soon. They probably assemble it by hand and coat it as they don’t have a production line for the RM8 yet. Stay tuned in this space. 
 

Alternatives to the RM8 

 
There are no alternatives if you want all the best toys of Rogue in one rack. But not everyone has 7000 to spend on a rack. Here are some alternatives to spend your hard-earned money on excellent Rogue equipment: 
 
 
If you have the same amount of money to spend but also think about how to make that money back in a professional gym setup the monkey Rig or a monster rig might be a better choice. A Rig leaves you with more options for circuit training and positing people up. You can read more about rigs in my monkey and monster rig articles. 
 
If you want to spend money on a very good rack for your home gym you can go for the RM6 instead. The RM6 comes with different height and color options and leaves you with more choice rather than the take it or leave it approach of the banshee. If you were to come to money at after stage you can still upgrade with the Rhino Drop in and the 50cal trolley arms separately. You can learn about the RM6 in my review. 
 
The RM4 fortis is the best rack option from Rogue under 1.000. If you wanted to equip a commercial gym with seven racks rather than one rolls Royce that is the option to go for. The RM4 is still a great rack and your customers will be happy. 
 
3WC is a rack option which can fold in and be snug against the wall. This way it is an ideal setup for a garage gym when you still want to park your car. It also comes in at around $500. 
 

Summary of the RM8 

 
The RM8 is the best to be had from Rogue. You can use the Rhino when your lower back is at you or do resisted pull-ups while the rest of the rack offers everything for plate storage to a pull-up station. Of course, it is over the top, but that’s the whole point. 
 

Overview and review of the REP fitness PR-1000 rack

This is an overview of the REP fitness PR-1000 rack including the pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in which rack to buy from REP Fitness. Follow the links for more information.

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Overview of the REP PR-1000 Rack $289

 
The REP PR-1000 is a clever rack design for a relatively small price. It comes with two pull-up bars and what I like most about it, two plate storage posts at the back to weigh it down. This rack is a great choice if you want everything in a box without forgetting everything. If you have a teenager at home who wants to lift and you are not sure what to get, this is a great option. Some of the specifications are:
 
  • 83"(height) x 48"(width) x 48"(depth) - 58" wide at rear bottom brace
  • 26" depth inside to inside, 44" wide inside to inside
  • 2x2" steel
  • Plastic lined j-cups to protect bar knurl
  • 2" hole spacing throughout the working area
  • 1.25" and 2" Pull up bars
  • Numbered uprights every 5th hole
  • Extra bar holders on the front of safeties, great for pressing outside the rack
  • 2 Weight horns on rear base for storage and added stability
  • 700lb weight capacity
  • 400lb pull up bar capacity
  • 400lb dip attachment capacity (dip attachment is an optional upgrade)
 
Solid all in one rack out of the box at a very decent price.
 

Pros of the REP PR-1000 Rack

 
The pros of the REP PR-1000 rack are:
 
  • All in one design
  • Integrated weight storage posts
  • Flat foot design
  • Numbered uprights
 
For $300 you can not complain about what you are getting with the REP PR-1000. Out of the box you are covered with safeties, plate storage, a flat foot design, and numbered posts. For a rack in this price range, this is almost impossible to beat. Sometimes safeties cost up to $100 by themselves. Then we have not even started on storage options. The PR-1000 is a great rack for the beginner and occasional lifter.
 

Cons of the REP PR-1000 Rack

 
Cons of the REP-PR-1000 are:
 
  • Not ideal for the west side method
  • 700lb max
  • Not a lot of attachments
 
This rack does not weigh a lot and the steel frame is thinner and smaller compared to the PR-5000 and PR-4000. This makes it not an ideal rack for heavy users who put their rack through a lot of abuse. If you regularly train with more than 400lbs on the bar, use band, and chains, and do kipping pull-ups like there is no tomorrow then this is not the rack for you. If you also see your rack as an I vestment for the future and would like to make it grow you are possibly better off with a PR-4000.
 

Alternatives to the REP PR-1000 Rack

 
 
The PR-1050 is a short version of the PR-1000 to fit I to spaces with lower ceilings. If you want to fit a rack into an attic or basement the 1050 might be a better option than the PR-1000. The REP PR-1100 gives you a multi-grip pull-up bar instead of plate storage and a choice of color.
 
The Rogue HR2 half rack is the most popular Rogue rack on marathon-Crossfit.com with the most viewers out of the Rogue portfolio. This rack is Rogue’s sweet spot for value for money as it combines a half rack design with their monster lite series. The biggest bonus with this rack is the plate storage you get at the back of the rack. Whether this justifies a starting price of $600 compared to $300 of the PR-1000 I leave for you to decide.
 
The TITAN T2 rack is the lower price rack range of TITAN fitness who are themselves a price leader in the home gym market. If you want to get as much metal with holes as cheap as possible without worrying about getting ripped off on eBay, Amazon, or Craigslist than TITAN is the place to go.
 

Conclusion for the REP PR-1000 Rack

 
The REP fitness PR-1000 is a series contender if you are considering a home gym but don’t know yet whether you are fully committing. It will be relatively easy on your purse and you won’t make a mistake in the configuration and forget an annoying detail. I wish I had known about this rack when I got my first rack when I was a teenager. My mother shelled out 400 bucks on what was basically a bench with uprights. This would have been a lot better.
 
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