Rogue Donkey vs TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench

This is a comparison between the Rogue Donkey and the TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench $464

This is an overview of the TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench including pros, cons and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which gym machine to get from TITAN. Follow the links for additional information.

Overview of the TITAN supported Adjustable row bench

The TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench is a very specialized piece of equipment to isolate the back and use a barbell for rows. This is a great exercise for anyone who wants to build a big back and deadlift. You will find this exercise among the most successful deadlifters as an accessory workout. The construction is simple and effective. It rests a barbell higher than ground and supports your body by laying on a pad. With this setup you can protect your spine while you load the barbell heavier for massive rows. The specifications of the TITAN chest supported adjustable row are as followed:

- 3 x 2 steel tubing

- 6 different seat height adjustments

- 5 different chest pad angle adjustments

- Heavy gauge steel construction

- Diamond plated footplate for grip.

- Customizable seat height and chest pad angle

- High quality vinyl chest pad.

- Width is adjustable to fit your barbell

- Weight: 128 LB

- Adjustable Seat Height: 30 1/2” to 37 1/4"

- Adjustable Depth: 68 1/2" to 65 1/2”

- Adjustable Width: 55 1/2” to 42”

- Seat Length: 18”

- Seat Width: 9 1/2"

- Seat Thickness: 2 3/4”

- Band Peg Length: 5 1/2”

- Footplate Dimensions (per side): 21 1/2” x 24”

This is a great extra machine in a commercial gym that works with a lot of barbells and his the right clients for it. In a home gym it will be a lot of space to give up to a one trick pony.

Pros of the TITAN supported Adjustable row bench

Pros of the TITAN supported adjustable row bench are:

Price
Focused training
Uses a barbell

As with most pieces of equipment from TITAN the price is excellent for what you are getting. This is an industrial grade exercise station at a consumer price. TITAN's strategy is to undercut the competition at about half the price for the same product. The low prices are achieved by cutting some corners in quality management and customer services.

The chest supported adjustable row bench is great for athletes who develop a massive row and are concerned about their back. With this machine you get the extra support and also do not need to move the barbell from the ground into position. This helps to focus entirely on your back and either go heavy or squeeze out the last few reps on a hypertrophy set.

This machine is also interesting as you can use a barbell instead of plate loading it or having a weight stack. This makes the experience closer to the barbell training youmight be focusing on, depending on your preferences in training.

Cons of the TITAN supported Adjustable row bench

Cons of the TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench are:

One trick pony
Intimidating for most
Space requirements

While this machine is excellent for what it does, it only does this one thing well. Barbell rows can also be done from the floor, or, if they get too heavy, they can also be done from rack pins. You will not have the same chest support, but still get your rows in. You will also mimic the three big lifts even closer with that setup. Based on this the chest supported row bench is not ideal for home gyms or commercial gyms with limited space.

The broad public does not necessarily like to use a barbell as it is perceived to rough on the hands. If you are already getting a dedicated machine for rows, you might want to get one that is a bit more convenient for the user and includes a weight stack.

Alternatives to the TITAN supported adjustable row bench

The Titan T bar row is more palatable for the general public as a chest supported row which uses a barbell. With this you can use more grip variations and it is also easier to get the plates on and off to get started. If you run a commercial gym for the general public, go with the T bar row instead of the chest supported adjustable row if your space does not allow for both.

The TITAN plate loaded functional trainer is the budget option of a functional trainer for home gym users. This is a great addition when you have limited space and want to do all of your accessory movements on one machine or implement a home gym that can be used by the entire family. This version of the TITAN functional trainer saves $1300 compared to the functional trainer which comes with included weight stacks. If you already own a rack and plates, this is probably the better choice.

The TITAN functional trainer comes with two weight stacks included and covers most accessory movements or a full body workout which is lighter compared to heavy barbell free weight training. This is a good option ina home gym or commercial gym where you want to make things save. It is also a good choice when you want to get started right away without having too invest into plates.

Conclusion for the TITAN supported adjustable row bench

This machine is great for an Iron den where people want to use the barbell row in many variations to blow up their backs to lift heavy. If you have this at home, in a college dorm or other private gym and do have the space, I highly recommend getting one of these as the results speak for themselves. If you have a very small home gym or a commercial gym for the general public this is a gimmick and you should focus on other items to build out your gym first like racks with proper safety pins and a seated row machine.

Overview and review of the Rogue Donkey

The Rogue Donkey is the ultimate machine from Rogue to address your lower back and core for $1945. You have everything in one place and with 500 pounds of weight, this thing is not going anywhere, just like any good old donkey.

Overview of the Rogue donkey

The Rogue Donkey brings the reverse hyper and GHD space to a new level. Rogue thought about their designs again and combined the Z hyper and the Abram GHD into an all-purpose lower back machine.

The benefit of this is that you only need to buy one piece of equipment which fits both purposes. This means money and floor space saved. The dimensions of the Rogue Donkey aa followed:

Made in the USA
Color: Black
Weight: 500LB
Length: 73”
Width: 44”
Height:54.5”
3x3 Gauge Steel
73” x 44”

This is a great machine to have in a serious home gym or powerlifting establishment. Some CrossFit boxes might also want to consider getting one of these.

Pros of the Rogue Donkey

The Rogue Donkey has a lot going for itself, of you are interested in a machine for back extensions, reverse hypers and glute ham raises. I have yet to find a machine that is better thought through for these purposes and therefore saves space in your gym.

Cons of the Rogue Donkey

The price and weight might be off-putting for some. Not everyone wants to have a 500-pound piece of equipment in their home gym or get on one in a commercial gym. Reverse hypers and back extensions are also not the most popular movements, so watch out whether you are getting your money’s worth.

Alternatives to the Rogue Donkey

I think there are no better options than the donkey from Rogue for what it does. However, $2000 can be a hefty price tag, especially for first-time buyers. Here are some other options from Rogue for $2000:

The fortis rack is the best rack from rogue under $1000. Combined with an adjustable bench and with a little stretch of the budget an Ohio bar you have a fully functioning gym for the price of a donkey. The only downsides would be no color option and that you somehow have to take care of plate storage.

If you prefer plate storage and a color option because you already have a bench you can go for the RML 690C and Ohio bar. The budget would even allow getting one of the fancy Cerakote bars. My favorite is the Fraser bar.

If you want to build a garage gym with all of the things needed to do CrossFit you can also go for the 3WC and Alpha CrossFit package. This way you will have a foldable rack and everything including plates to get started with CrossFit.

Summary

If you already have the bases covered and you are looking into expanding your gym the donkey is a great option to be considered. It is not necessarily your first big purchase from Rogue.