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