Rogue block sandbag vs Rubber atlas stone

This is a comparison between the Rogue block sandbag and the rubber atlas stone including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue sandbag to get. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue Atlas stones

This is an overview of the Rogue Rubber Atlas stones including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview of the Rogue Rubber Atlas stones

Price $125 - $915

The Rogue Rubber Atlas stones are another take on Rogue's team to make hardcore strength equipment more accessible for the mainstream. These Atlas stones are basically big medicine balls with a rubber mold and an iron core. This makes them more accessible for beginners and easier to maintain than concrete Atlas stones. The specifications of these Atlas stones are:

Construction - Overmolded Rubber, Cast-Iron Core
Sold a la carte or in full sets (225 LB or 450 LB)
5 Available Weight Increments: 50, 75, 100, 150, 200 LBS
Embossed Weight Indication and Rogue logos on one side
Recessed edges to prevent rollaway
Color: Black

The different models are available in:

50 LB (10" diameter)
75 LB (12" diameter)
100 LB (14" diameter)
150 LB (16" diameter)
200 LB (18" diameter)

and can be purchased in two different sets. One is lightweight up to 100lb while the other is heavyweight up to 200LB. These are great tools if you do a lot of Atlas stone movements and you are getting fed up with remolding the ones you break on a constant basis.

Pros of the Atlas Rubber stones

The pros of the Atlas rubber stones are:

Easy to maintain
Lower injury risk
Ready-made

Compared to concrete Atlas stones this is a step forward to make Atlas stones a mass marketable product. In the past, you would get a concrete mold and make the stones yourself with cement and/or concrete. Not everyone is familiar with this process and the quality of the result can suffer. In addition, concrete is very unforgiving on the hands and anything you drop it on. Therefore the injury risk is higher. Concrete Stones also take less abuse, especially if you drop them directly on the floor. You usually need to pair them with some gymnastic mat which makes the setup cumbersome. The rubber Atlas stones take care of this problem.

Cons of the rubber Atlas stones

The cons of the rubber Atlas stones are:

Not an official strongman competition tool
Get hot in the sun
Can not be changed in weight
Storage

If you are a strongman who is looking to prepare for competition, there is no way around using actual stones rather than rubber. The handling of a concrete ball is different from getting a grip on rubber. If you have a home gym and just want to simulate strongman training, these are a great option. If you are a strongman who wants to compete, get a mold.

As these stones are black rubber they can be a problem in the hot Californian sun. They have a big surface to soak up the heat and you might burn your hands if they are left outside for too long. Of course, you have the same problem with all equipment, but as these are likely to stay outside for a long time because they are hard to store and the fact they are black does not help.

Compared to other options for a home gym that just wants to simulate strongman training, rather than create competition like conditions, the rubber Atlas stones have the disadvantage that they can not be loaded with different material. If you buy a set of different strongman sandbags from Rogue it leaves you with a lot more options to play around with the weight. They are also easier to store after use if you can dispose of the sand or led you filled them with.

The last disadvantage of Atlas stones is that they are hard to store. Most racks and storage options offered by Rogue or you already have will not fit them. Therefore you will most likely keep them on the ground and they are not small. Combine that with the fact that they are more often than not a gimmick rather than the main staple of your daily training, this can get annoying. Unless you throw them about every single day.

Alternatives to the rubber atlas stones

The alternatives to the Rubber Atlas stones are:

Slater stone molds
Rogue Strongman sandbags

The Slater stone molds range from 8" - 24" in diameter, 23lbs to 586lbs in weight, and $50 to $220 in price. With these molds, you can make your own stones for use in your gym or anywhere in the world for competition purposes. Usually, it is cheaper and easier to make the stones for a competition on the spot, rather than transporting the heavy stones across the country. If you do not know your way around mixing concrete and pouring it into a mold, this might not be for you. There are good instructions out there, but it is a DIY job.

The Rogue Strongman sandbags come in various shapes and sizes in price ranges from $85 to $155. Thes bags have the advantage that they can be filled with different materials to get different training results. You can use Play sand, Crumb rubber, and lead shot to get weights ranging from 40lb to 2000lb. The lifting experience is not the same as with stones, as you are onto military grade fabric. These bags are also more likely to deform during the lift making the structure more challenging or forgiving depending on whether it hits you or you want to wrap yourself around the bag.

Conclusion for the Atlas Rubber stones

If you are a strongman who needs to work on speed on small Atlas stone weights, then this is worth the investment. It will make the setup a lot easier, you do not have to worry as much about an injury or the stones deforming. For your maximum attempts or heavy lifts to shoulder, i think there is no way around a concrete stone to do competition justice. If you are a home gym owner who is just starting their home gym I think that these combined with boxes of various heights are a better option than a dumbbell rack. If you have the space for a dumbbell rack, you have the space for a small Atlas stone ladder. Get the loadable dumbbells from Rogue and use the saved space for the rubber stone setup. That is what I will do when I upgrade my space that currently only houses a power rack and a bench.

Overview and review of the Rogue block sandbag

This is an overview of the Rogue block sandbag including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue sandbag to get. Follow the links for more details.

Overview of the rogue block bag

Price: $100 - $137.50

The rogue block bag is another variation on the rogue strongman cylinder bag. It comes in 150lb and 200lb variations if filled with play sand. Its shape simulates the classic stone overhead press in strongman competitions. The full specifications are:

Made in the USA
Patent Pending Design
Sold Individually
1000D MIL Spec US Cordura construction
New rectangular BLOCK Shape
Filler Capacity (2 Sizes): approx. 150LB or 200LB
Built-In Filler Bag
Zipper and Hook-and-Loop Closure
Filler Material Not Included
Color: Black with White Rogue logo on flap
Recommended use on rubber or nonabrasive surface - not intended for slams

This is a great tool to add to your arsenal if you are serious about strongman training but do not want to wreck your floors.

Pros of the rogue block bag

The pros of the Rogue block bag are:

Rectangular shape
Robust build
Good for overhead presses

The main argument for getting this bag is that the rectangular shape allows you to do overhead presses. This is not as feasible with most of the other sandbag designs Rogue has to offer. This simulates the classic stone overhead press event from strongman competitions in a way that it does not wreck the floors and also has less injury potential for the athlete. Apart from that the regular advantages of a bag in terms of transport and stage apply as it can be emptied when you do not use it.

Cons of the rogue block bag

The cons of the rogue block bag are:

Rectangular shape
Price

This strongman bag has a very particular shape. With this, it is great for very specific applications or as part of a set of several bags of the same weight to practice different load distributions. By itself, it is probably not the best option for beginners as it is awkward to handle. For the price of the block bag, you can also get a cylindric bag which is better to start with as it leaves more options and is easier to grip.

Alternatives to the rogue block bag

Alternatives to the rogue block bag are:

The rogue tombstone bag is thinner and taller compared to the block bag. This makes it a little easier for carries and harder for overhead presses based on its shape. If you wanted to practice front load carries more instead of overhead presses this is the better bag to get for your home or commercial gym.

The rogue strongman bag is what started this series of products. These bags are shaped like a cylinder and range from 100lb to 400lb. They are also available in different colors to spice things up a little. This is the ideal beginner bag that can be carried, pressed overhead, and brought from ground to shoulder. If you already have atlas stones in your arsenal, you might be better off working in different shaped loads.

The rogue cube bag still has corners like the block bag but is smaller and cheaper. Therefore it is a good starting point if you have already explored the standard strongman bag and now want to work with shapes that are different.

Conclusion for the rogue block bag

The rogue block bag is a good purchase for someone who already toyed around with strongman training and wants to bring it to the next level. Ideally, you get a set of the tombstone, block, and cyclone bag in addition to the bags you already have to make things more challenging and interesting. Beginners should start with a small rogue strongman sandbag in a cylinder shape and work their way from there based on capability and interest.