Rogue Donkey vs TITAN standing back extension machine

This is a comparison between the Rogue Donkey and the TITAN standing back extension machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN standing back extension machine $381

This is an overview of the TITAN standing back extension machine 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 standing back extension machine

The TITAN standing back extension machine is a simple and robust design from TITAN. With this machine you can do back raises and side raises to train your core and back. The pad is adjustable in height and can also be tilted in different positions. This is a machine for accessory work that can not be done with a lot of other machines. It is great for what it does if you have the space for it. The full list of specifications is:

- Strengthen your posterior chain

- Fully adjustable unit to fit a wide variety of exercises and athletes

- (8) adjustable foot roller and round pad positions in 1-inch increments

- (4) adjustable angle positions for the rounded pad

- High-quality 2 x 2-inch steel frame for a solid and stable design

- Footprint: 65-in x 28-in (39.5-in with band pegs)

- Footplate Dimensions: 24-in x 24-in.

- Rounded Pad Height: 28-in – 35-in.

- Foot Roller Diameter: 3.5-in.

- Product Weight: 112 lb.

Simple, elegant and effective. This is a machine that is easy to use and can be used in many different ways. Compared to a reverse hyper or GHD it delivers similar results but in a more accessible way for the general public.

Pros of the Titan Standing back extension machine

The pros of the Standing back extension are:

Price
Easy to use

As with almost all TITAN products you get an industrial grade machine for a consumer price. TITAN undercuts their competition by about half and the standing back extension machine is no exception.

This is a great machine for a commercial gym to provide options to train g your back and sides. In a home gym you might want to go for a GHD and reverse hyper combo as it offers you more options while it takes up roughly the same footprint.

Cons of the TITAN back extension machine

The cons of the TITAN back extension machine are:

Footprint
mainly suited for bodyweight exercises

For a bodyweight exercise machine the standing back extension takes up quite a bit of foot print. For this big a machine you might want to get something else instead that enables you to add resistance to your exercises via plates.

Alternatives to the TITAN standing back extension machine

Alternatives to the standing back extension machine are:

The TITAN H-PND is TITAN’s Monster Reverse hyper. This thing is built like a tank and will have enough padding for even the biggest of athletes. If you want to train your lower back with a reverse hyper than this is the best you can get from TITAN.

The TITAN economy H-PND is the little brother of the original H-PND from TITAN. The steel gauges and the padding have been downsized to offer this reverse hyper at a lower price. The economy H-PND also builds the base for the Glute and hamstring combo, which is a great choice to train your posterior chain in a spacious home gym.

The Rogue donkey is the gold standard in the market for posterior chain development. Rogue came up with a clever design and executed it perfectly. Especially the lad on this machine is very high quality and supports even the biggest athletes. Good quality also comes at a high price as the Donkey puts you back close to $2000.

Conclusion for the TITAN standing back extension machine

The standing back extension machine is a great addition to any commercial gym with space. You might even want to get multiple of these and create a back area. In a home gym the glute and hamstring combo might be better use of your space.

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.