REP fitness PR-5000 V2 rack vs TITAN series home gym
This is a comparison between the Rep Fitness PR-5000 rack and the TITAN series home gym. Follow the links for more details.
Titan Series Home gym $1400 to $6500
The Titan Series Home Gym will put you back about $1400 to $6500. TITAN is well known for their very good prices compared to their competition and will get you started on your home gym. This review was originally posted in “which Titan rack to buy for over $500”.
Overview of a TITAN Home Gym
The Titan series home gym is Titan’s way of providing you with a fully configurable home gym with the attachments that fit your needs best. With this approach, Titan makes the ordering process easy so that you do not have to put different attachments on different pages into your basket. The base rack they are using is the Titan power rack. The Titan power rack has the following specifications:
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Overall Weight: 388 LB
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Overall Height: 100”
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Footprint (including bolt-down plates): 53” x 55.5”
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Overall Depth: 48”
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Inside Depth: 42
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Overall Width: 48”
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Inside Width: 42”
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Assembly Hardware Included
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Titan recommends bolting down your rack for added stability
And comes with the following features
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3” x 3” 11 Gauge Tubing and bolt-together design.
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Includes (2) 1” Diameter Pins w/ 1.5” Pipes for a heavy-duty pin and pipe safety system.
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Includes (4) Bolt-On Weight Plate Holders.
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Includes (4) Band Pegs.
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Includes a pair (2) Sandwich J-Hooks.
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numbered laser-cut holes throughout the uprights and lower cross members.
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Keyhole side spacing For array attachments
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1” bolts
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Max height of 94” for a pull-up bar
With this, you get a very beefy and spacious rack for all your training needs that can be upgraded at a later stage. With this center cage you can start to think about attachments. There is a wide array of different attachments available for the rack itself which come with additional cost. Here is an overview:
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TITAN Series Barbell Holder Horizontal
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TITAN Series Barbell Holder Vertical
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TITAN Series Y Dip Bar
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TITAN Series Lever Arms
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TITAN Heavy Duty Pull Up Bar
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TITAN Series Weight Plate Holder
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TITAN Series Sandwich J-Hook
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5' Olympic Weightlifting Technique Bar
Be aware that too many attachments might inhibit the possibilities to move freely around the rack. Always keep in mind when you configure your home gym that the barbell is wider than the rack and therefore might touch off attachments. Especially keep this in mind when you want to use the rack to train multiple athletes at the same time.
If you want your home gym to be a leg press as well you can use this attachment to be able to also use it as a leg press machine. Leg presses can be advantageous when you either want to isolate the legs only and want to go very heavy or when you don’t particularly like the barbell back squat. It can also be used when you have a shoulder or lower back injury.
The rack-mounted H PND is a back extension machine that can be directly attached to the TITAN rack. This is usually a good tool for seasoned athletes to take care of their lower backs and younger athletes to train the lower back area which otherwise can easily be overlooked.
The vertical and horizontal barbell holders can be used to store your barbells nicely for your home gym on the rack itself. Another possibility is to mount the barbells to the wall.
If you also want to do dips at your station you can add the Y dip bar. Be aware that the upright you attach it on will be blocked for squats, bench presses or other exercises where you would like to rack a barbell in one side.
The TITAN lever arms can be a great addition to your home gym and rack to widen the possible exercises you can do. The lever arms have a length of 39.25” so think about whether you would like to install them inside or outside of the rack. With the lever arms, you can simulate many machines from a traditional commercial gym which otherwise would take up a lot of space.
With the heavy-duty pull-up bar, you can bring a classic bodyweight exercise to your home gym. My personal opinion is that it would be an oversight not to get one when you buy your rack.
The J cups are not a necessary extra investment if you will only train for yourself as there is one pair included. If you want to use the rack with multiple people in parallel, stock up on extras.
As the base model of the Titan rack does include 4 weight plate legs I personally do not see a need to add additional ones to your order. Double-check with Titan that they are actually included. I am personally not a fan of storing plates directly on the rack where I do my workouts when they have four uprights. Titan does offer extension kits to turn the rack into a six upright version.
Spotter arms are a good investment if you want multiple athletes to use the rack in parallel. If you will be the only one using the rack stick with safety pins. They are more secure and can also be used for pin squats. In case a barbell drops they usually deform by bending, while spotter arms are more likely to break at the weld which attaches them to the upright. Ultimately I prefer to just drop the barbell if I am working outside the rack. Inside the rack I try to lower to the pins as slowly as possible.
The blues city and bombshell barbells are Titans cerakote bars. Cerakote coating is a special way of treating metal so that designs can be applied. It is also less like to corrode and was originally developed in the weapons industry. The only downside is that it is more likely to scratch when it touches metal. So if you do a lot of work of the pins instead of the j cups maybe get another coating.
The 86” bar is a no-nonsense bar for 1500 lbs load. It comes with a tensile strength of 190.000. The material is steel with a chrome finish.
An Olympic technique bar might be of interest to you if you have many beginners in your gym or children at home. This is a lighter barbell to focus on technique and explosiveness for the Olympic lifts. For advanced athletes technique plates with a normal barbell are usual preferred.
Pros of the Titan Home gym
The rack has 3x3 11 Gauge tubing in a bolt-together design. This makes this rack a tank while it can also be assembled fast and transported in pieces. Titans prices are very good on this type of high-quality material. Combining your rack purchase with other pieces to complete your home gym saves shipping cost and is recommended if you exactly know what you want and have the budget for it. A high-quality home gym for one of the best prices in the market for this quality.
Cons of the Titan home gym
Configuring a while home gym on your first purchase might not lead to overspending. It is very easy to get excited and carried away. 50 dollar here and there and all of a sudden you are 2000 above what you originally intended to spend. Just make sure, that you only buy things, that you will actually make use of. These are usually the rack, a barbell, plates, and a bench. If you want to spend extra money above this get a pair of 55-pound plates extra to grow into and a gun rack for your barbells.
With a highly competitive price, you can also expect that Titan might save on customer service. If you offer a great product on this low a price, you either save on staff, finish or shipping. As shipping is free with Titan, there are only two other options left.
Alternatives to the Titan home gym
Alternatives to the Titan home gym are:
If you want to take it slow or already have quite some equipment at home you can get the Titan series power rack by itself. This lowers the cost and puts you at a lower risk to overspend because you are getting excited. If you purchase your equipment in drips and draps you will end up sinking more dollars into shipping costs.
The X3 is basically the same model as the Titan rack with two differences. It doesn’t have numbered holes on the uprights and the keyhole design. This means that you can use fewer attachments with it which you have not necessarily bought from Rogue.
The T2 model comes in various shapes and heights and can be configured differently for your home gym to make it fit your space. The main difference to the other Titan racks is that the uprights are 2x2 instead of 2x3 or 3x3.
The T3 rack model is also very similar to the Titan rack but comes at a lower cost. It is the same as the X3 except that it has 2x3 Gauge uprights instead of 3x3.
Summary of the Titan home gym
The Titan home gym is a great option for your home gym if you want to save some money compared to other options in the market. This is the flagship which will cover your needs with a barbell. If you live in Europe you, unfortunately, have not the option to order without getting your material handled by a freight company in a container, which means extra cost and hassle. Maybe Titan will expand to Europe at some stage as other companies have. The only downside is that Titan equipment is known to have inconsistencies in the quality of the finish of their equipment. Lately, they also seem to not keep up with demand as a lot on their website is sold out (status Sep 2019).
Overview and review of the REP fitness PR-5000 V2 rack
This is an overview of the REP fitness PR-5000 V2 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-5000 V2 Rack $751
The Rep Fitness PR-5000 V2 rack has gained a lot of popularity as a good quality alternative at a reasonable price to the Rogue fitness lineup. This rack can be configured as a 4 post or 6 post rack and uses 3x3 11 Gauge steel posts. It also uses bigger holes and nuts and bolts to keep the construction together, which are similar to the Rogue Monster series. The PR-5000 is the safest bet out of the REP fitness rack portfolio for a first-time buyer.
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Laser-cut numbering on the front and back of uprights and each side of crossmembers for ease of lining up j-cups, safeties, and other attachments.
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1" diameter hardware for the ultimate in peace-of-mind under heavy load.
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2" hole spacing throughout the entire rack.
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Large logo brace with stainless steel faceplate for additional rigidity and side-to-side stability.
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Stainless steel accents on j-cups and other attachments for a high-end classic look.
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Exclusive attachments taking advantage of the 1" diameter holes.
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All attachments include protective liners to protect bar knurl and/or paint on your uprights where appropriate.
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Compatibility: The PR-5000 V2 is only compatible with PR-5000 uprights. Omni uprights are not compatible with this rack.
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Rated to 1500lbs.
You can not do a lot wrong by purchasing the PR-5000 as you will get the top line rack from REP Fitness that works with most of their accessories. You will also save some money compared to the Rogue options out there. If you want to grow your setup over time the PR-5000 is also very modular. The only thing you need to think about is whether you want to bolt our rack down and buy something that is imported from China.
Pros of the REP PR-5000 V2 Rack
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Price
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Bread and Butter
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Numbering on Uprights
The biggest pro of the PR-5000 is that you are basically getting a Rogue Monster rack for a lower price as REP Fitness imports this as a clone from China. If you want to work with the accessories from Rogue that are designed for the Monster series these will also somewhat work with the PR-5000. So if you have a budget that you want to stretch to also get things like a barbell, plates, landmine attachments, and all the other toys around, then this is a great way to go.
The PR-5000 is the most hailed rack out of the REP Fitness lineup. If you go for REP fitness you usually do so because you think that Rogue is footing too big a bill and you still want more toys. The good thing about the PR-5000 is that it is a solid best-seller of REP fitness and you, therefore, can get a ton of attachments with them and the company will bank on that product line for a long time to come. If you are making continuous upgrades to your rack rather than getting everything in one big bang, then this is the bread and butter product from REP fitness to rely on.
Compared to the OMNI rack and the PR-4000 the numbering on the Uprights for the PR-5000 goes all the way for each hole This is one of the most common complaints about the smaller PR-4000 and OMNI line compared to the Rogue fitness monster line.
Cons of the REP PR-5000 V2 Rack
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Imported
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Colors
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Sharp edges
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Bolted
The big one is probably that this rack is being produced, packaged, and imported in China. This brings the cost down but creates jobs somewhere else. If you are buying for a public entity from the US you might not even be allowed to buy from REP fitness because of this. If this does not matter to you and you mainly look at the money in your pocket, then REP fitness is a serious contender to make it stretch.
There can be some issues with the quality of colors and how they are mixed. Using fewer pigments in the colors and not smoothing out edges are great ways to cut the production process short and save some money, which is the goal of this rack. Not to the extent of what TITAN fitness does, which can get outright subpar, but still noticeable. Of course, if you are of the mindset that your rack will be banged up anyway, then this is not really an issue. I like my things nice and crisp.
While REP does a good job and putting their logo on the rack with metal rather than a sticker, the edges can be sharp. All around the finish of the product is not as well thought through as with Rogue Fitness, especially when you consider the parts that are not in plain sight or you rarely touch. If you buy Apple, you probably care about these things. If you don't, you probably will enjoy spending less money.
To gain full stability for kipping pull-ups or using the lever attachment this rack needs to be bolted to the ground or weighed down with plates. If you are looking to avoid this you can look into the Omni rack as an alternative.
Alternatives to the REP PR-5000 V2 Rack
The REP OMNI rack comes with a base that stabilizes it without bolting it to the ground. If you want to avoid drilling your rack into the floor, this is a good option. The only drawback is that the base takes up the footprint of a 6 post rack. If you want to save space, the OMNI rack is not really an option.
The REP PR-4000 is the equivalent of the Rogue Monster Lite series from REP Fitness. It also uses 3x3 Gauge steel but with smaller holes for nuts, bolts, and attachments. If you want westside spacing for the bench area this is the way to go. The PR-4000 is also available in a very short rack configuration to fit into smaller spaces. For any buyer who is looking for a 6 post rack setup, the PR-4000 can be a money saver with the compromise of getting fewer attachment options.
The REP PR-4100 is a great alternative when you want to save space in your garage and still be able to park in it after you are done training. Fold racks also save money as you pay for less metal than with a 4 post or 6 post setup. The only downside with a folding rack is that the use of attachments becomes cumbersome as you have to uninstall them every time you put them into the folded configuration.
The Rogue RM4 is the full rack 4 post option from Rogue which I use in my own gym. This is a solid rack with the option to upgrade to 6 post when you want that is part of the Rogue Monster series. If you want the best finish in the market with the best available accessories this is the way to go. The only downside is that Rogue will charge you more money than REP fitness and a big home gym build will translate to a couple of thousand dollars in difference for getting the same equipment.
The Rogue RM3 is the half rack option that is equivalent to the PR-5000 uprights and crossmembers. If you want to start small, but have access to the best attachments in the market, then this is the right rack for you. You can also toy with the idea of turning it into a Rhino belt squat and squat outside of it. The only downside of this rack is that it is getting quite expensive for a very little rack to go around. If you are budget and space-limited products from TITAN and rep might be the better choice for you.
The Rogue RM3W is the folding version of the RM3. This is a solid 3x3 11 Gauge folding rack with the Monster nuts and bolts. If you are worried about your folding rack becoming too flimsy as the frame is flimsy and foldable you can at least address one of these two challenges with the RM3W. The rack also has one of the smoothest folding actions in the market which you will actually enjoy using.
The TITAN series rack is the flagship rack from TITAN which is taking a stab at the Rogue Monster and REP PR-5000 line. This is TITAN's response to the trend of overbuilt racks which is emerging in the home gym space. The challenge with TITAN is that you will find the most reports about them when it comes to inconsistencies in the quality of product, service, or shipment. Sometimes even a combination of three. Rogue and REP are also not free of problems, but you hear considerably less about it. In return for the minimal quality control at TITAN, they are also the cheapest in the market when comparing like for like. There is always a trade-off.
The TITAN X3 folding series is the 3x3 Gauge steel folding version of TITAN's racks. If you want to save space and money this is a really solid option.
Conclusion for the REP PR-5000 V2 Rack
The REP PR-5000 is the ideal rack for the home gym buyer who wants to deck out an entire gym with good quality in one purchase but does not want to spend more than $5000. With this, you can get anything you could ask for at REP fitness if you are willing to use equipment that has been imported from China and that you know there might be one job ess in the American rust belt because of the choice you made to have more stuff for your hard-earned cash. If you want to optimize for space and money and go all the way you might want to look at the TITAN lineup. Rogue fitness will give you a solid home gym for $5000, but you might not get all the bells and whistles in attachments. The same thought process applies down the product lines with the Monster lite series and the PR-4000, just on a smaller budget.
