REP fitness SR-4000 squat stand vs TITAN X3 home gym

This is a comparison between the Rep Fitness SR-4000 rack and the TITAN X3 home gym. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the X3 Titan Tough Home Gym $978 - $5445

The X3 Titan home gym will put you back about $1000 - $5500. 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 the X3 home gym

The X3 Titan rack builds the center of this home gym configurator. From there you can choose several different configurations to fit your home gym to your needs without having to click everything together all over the TITAN website. The X3 has the same 3x3 uprights as the flagship Titan power rack but comes without the laser cut home numbers and big bolts. It is still a considerable piece of metal which will take a lot of abuse. The X3 comes in various depths and heights. Here are some example configurations:

Base Specifications:

- Overall Height: 80" or 90" (Short or Tall)

- Outside Width: 48"

- Inside Width: 42"

- Weight Capacity: 1,650 LB

24" Depth Specifications:

- Inside Depth: 24"

- Footprint: 52" x 34"

- Weight: 299 LB or 325 LB (Short or Tall)

36" Depth Specifications:

- Inside Depth: 36"

- Footprint: 52" x 46"

- Weight: 323 LB or 349 LB (Short or Tall)

While this is the base rack for your home gym you can configure the following options with it. Depending on your needs and space you can get very tailored with the X3 home gym.

X-3 Series Flat Foot Short Power Rack
X-3 Series Flat Foot TallPower Rack
Power Rack Leg Press
Rack Mounted H-PND
X-3 Y Dip Bar
Mounted Wall Ball Target for T-3
Landmine Rack Attachment
Women’s Olympic Bombshell Bar
Blues City Olympic Barbell
86” Olympic Weight Bar 1500 lb
5' Olympic Weightlifting Technique Bar
The Atlas Bar - Men's 20KG Barbell

The flat foot version of the X3 power rack enables you to put the rack up without having to bolt it to the floor. This is a good option when you don’t want to wreck the floor in your own home. You can get the flat feet for the short or tall version of the X3.

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.

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 mounted wall ball target can be used for your wall balls and conditioning. Especially helpful when there is no wall nearby to do the exercise or you are not allowed to bounce medicine balls of the walls.

A Landmine rack attachment widens the available exercises you can do with a barbell. You can do T bar rows and rotation exercises with the barbell to train your core.

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 usually preferred.

The atlas bar is the bread and butter barbell from Titan. A solid 20kg barbell for all purposes.

Pros of the X3 home gym

With this home gym, you get 3x3 uprights for a very reasonable price compared to other options in the market. Compared to the flagship TITAN rack you also have some other attachment options like wall balls and landmines. If you a bit more into CrossFit or Powerlifting, you might have more options for attachments with the smaller bolts used on the X3. The flat foot option also enables you to have a home gym without having to drill holes in the ground, even though most rack owners say it isn’t really needed. Still, every vendor recommends it for safety reasons.

Cons of the X3 home gym

Compared to the TITAN flagship power rack you will not be able to use the lever arms. If you are into bodybuilding specifically, this might be a downside for you. A full rack might also be to be for some. In very small spaces you might want to opt for a half-rack instead.

Alternatives to the X3 home gym

Alternatives to the X3 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 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 X3 home gym

The X3 home gym is a good value for money option from TITAN. You get a product that has been around for longer than the TITAN power rack and still has the 3x3 uprights. If you are ok with not always getting the biggest and best this is a reasonable alternative which still ticks most of the boxes.

Titan is raising the bar on the garage gym without raising the price. Set your own gym rules with the Titan Tough garage gym package.

Overview and review of the REP fitness SR-4000 squat stand

This is an overview of the REP fitness SR-4000 squat stand 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.

Overview of the REP SR-4000 Squat stand $449

The REP SR-4000 is REP Fitness’s flagship squat stand. It comes in two height variations and with a stable base similar to a combo rack. Here are some of the specifications from the vendor:

Two height options to suit your needs ( 96" &103").
Sturdy 3x3” 11ga steel.
Compatibility with most REP 4000 series attachments.
1” spacing throughout the bench press area.
Base-mounted weight horns for weight storage and added stability.
Long base with pre-drilled feet for optional floor-mounting.
103” height option is great for taller athletes who want to perform kipping movements.
Includes Standard PR-4000 J-cups and 1.25” pull-up bar.
5/8” holes on the uprights, 5/8” holes at the rear of the base, 1” holes on the sides of the base.
Not compatible with: The REP Belt Squat, Lat/Low Row Attachment.
Base dimensions: 73" x 53"
Weight: 96": 230lbs, 103": 237lbs
Weight Capacity: This is based on the j-cup capacity which is <1500lbs.

If you are really into squat stands for the freedom they provide and the money they save then this is good for you. I am personally not a fan, but I will get into the details.

Pros of the REP SR-4000 Squat stand

The pros of the REP SR-4000 squat stand are:

Massive built
Sturdy uprights
Compatibility with some attachments

For a squat stand, the REP SR-4000 is massive. This means a lot of security and stability for anyone who is working in it. If you are concerned about the security with a squat stand, this is a good choice.

The uprights are sturdy and beefy compared to cheap squat stands and even allow for some of the light PR-4000 attachments to be used. This makes it a more versatile option compared to cheap Amazon squat stands.

Cons of the REP SR-4000 Squat stand

Cons of the REP SR-4000 squat stand are:

Footprint
Safety
Storage
Price

The biggest con for me is the footprint of this squat stand and other ones of a similar design. If you put two uprights on the footprint of a four-post rack you might as well get a four-post rack. This is nothing against the SR 4000 per se but the design of these particular squat stands with a big base provides more security. You can also get these from other vendors like Rogue and TITAN.

While this lulls you in a false sense of security whilst saving you the cost of a four-post rack with similar steel, I think in reality it’s suboptimal. If you are in need of added security as a beginner, spotter arms and a squat stand are a good way to get injured. Many set up their spotter arms wrong, miss them when they fail a rep and the base of this squat stand can actually get in the way when you want to bail a squat. If you don’t know what you are doing, get a proper power rack. If you exactly know what you are doing, this squat stand is overkill.

Compared to other, cheaper squat stands without a base, this squat stand can not be easily stored and transported. It is also quite costly if you look at it from a squat stand perspective as you can also get a decent rack for this price.

Alternatives to the REP PR-4000 Squat stand

REP PR-4100
Rogue SML 2C
TITAN X3 Squat stand

The REP PR-4100 is in the same price range as the squat stand. If you are torn between the two, definitely go for the PR-4100. It saves space, is more secure to squat in, and provides a better base for attachments, even though you need to remove them to fold the rack.

Rogue SML 2 is the closest in build-out of the Rogue portfolio to the SR 4000. If you wanted a very similar squat stand at a higher price thatching not imported thistles a good choice. Also, keep in mind which ecosystem you are entering as Rogue has been around for longer and therefore offers a few more options in their portfolio.

The TITAN X3 squat stand is the closest you can get to the SR-4000 in the TITAN Portfolio. If you want to get this show on the road with the lowest budget possible TITAN is a good bet.

Conclusion for the REP SR-4000 Squat stand

The SR-4000 is well built for its design. There are little to no production issues with it. That is if you buy into the concept of a squat stand with a big base which I just simply don’t. You either need the safety that a power rack provides or you don’t. If you are super advanced like Clarence Kennedy, you might as well get a squat stand that is two separate uprights for easy transportation, storage, and saving cost. Be aware that this necessitates that you are either super strong and won’t fail or know exactly what you are doing when you bail a lift. Spotter arms are in my opinion useless. This is the only piece of safety equipment I ever managed to break with rack pulls. You can get a decent rack for 400 dollars or very basic squat stands for a little more than a hundred. Get one of the two, but not a squat stand that eats up 400 bucks and considerable floor space.