Rogue ISO Leg Press vs TITAN Indoor tire flipping machine

This is a comparison of the Rogue Iso leg press and the TITAN Indoor tire flipping machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Indoor tire flipping machine $1199

This is an overview of the TITAN Indoor tire flipping 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 tire flipping machine

The Tire flipping machine is probably one of the coolest and silliest machines I have seen in a long time. The basic idea is that you get a tire on a metal frame with some loading pins inside. This is great for a very specific use, which is not to get the floor dirty while still doing tire flips, but other than this I think this is expensive and a waste of space. Get a real tractor tire instead, especially for your home gym. The full specifications of this machine are:

- Achieve a full traditional tire training workout in one stationary machine.

- 125 lb. starting weight with room for an additional 60 LB worth of weight plates.

- Compact design takes up minimal room.

- Handles and wheels for easy storage and movement.

- High quality steel construction with 3.5-in rubber stoppers for a silent drop.

- Footprint: 48-in L x 57-in W

- Recommended Floor Space Required: 108-in L x 100-in W

- Tire Width: 13-in

- Tire Diameter: 48-in

- Tire Weight: 125 lb.

- Weight Post Loadable Length: 4.5-in

- Product Weight: 315 lb.

This is a good option in an urban commercial gym that wants to offer tire flips and has no access to the road. A crossfit box or garage gym probably is better of getting an actual tire/s to flip.

Pros of the TITAN tire flipping machine

The pros of the TITAN tire flipping machine are:

No dirt
Higher safety
Loadable
Fun

Compared to a proper tractor tire the TITAN Tire flipping machine produces less dirt. There will be no track marks and less impact on the floor compared to a traditional tire. In this sense the tire flipping machine saves a lot of the problems a main stream commercial gym would have with actual tires.

As the machine makes the range of motion more controlled and leaves less opportunity to grip or lift the tire in a weird way, it is also safer with beginners. The frame is sturdy and will not go anywhere once it is installed.

To progress beginners you also have the option to load this tire with additional weight to incrementally improve. This is a big advantage to an ordinary tire which will always stay the same weight, unless you get another.

The last thing about tire flips is that they are fun. Anyone who does them, likes them. Having this machine will definitely set you apart from your average run of the mill gym with a subscription fee of $20 a month.

Cons of the TITAN tire flipping machine

The cons of the Tire flipping machine are:

Limited use
Space requirements
Price

Compared to an old tractor tire the tire flipping machine has limited use. Real tires can be dragged, pushed, flipped, and hammered. You can do only one of these with the machine. If you put a hammer to this tire it will over time warp the frame and wreck the construction as the tire has lost its integrity to be fitted for the machine.

This is definetly not an option for most home gyms. The Tire flipping machine will eat up a lot of space for very limited use and can also not be leaned against a wall to save space. Get a tire instead for your home gym.

Not everyone has the right connections, but if you do, you can get a big tire for free or the cost of the transport to you. Most people want to get rid of their old tires and it is a hassle to transport them. If you offer the transport you can usually pick them of for $20 to $100 or even for free depending on how well you know your local source. That is 11 tires for the price of one of these and they usually last forever.

Alternatives to the TITAN tire flipping machine

Alternatives to the TITAN Tire flipping machine are:

Old Tractor tire
The Volcano

An old tractor tire is cheaper, has more uses and overall is cooler and more manly. If you can source one for a decent price and do not mind that your gym gets a little dirty, get this instead.

The volcano is in my opinion the better option for urban commercial gyms who want to offer flips to their customers. The volcano is easier to move around in your local gym, triples up as a yoke and plate stand, and still lets you do flips in a secure way without tire marks. It can also be loaded with more and a bigger variety of plates. The only downside is that it is $700 more expensive than the TITAN Tire flip machine.

Conclusion for the TITAN Tire flipping machine

The use case for the TITAN Tire flipping machine is narrow and better covered by a real tractor tire or the volcano depending on whether you are in a barn or urban setting. I think there are many better ways to spend more than $1000 on your gym. I would use it, but definitely not buy it. Unless I owned a gym on the 32nd floor of a skyscraper in London or New York and wanted to keep some Yuppie clients happy who have been pestering me about tire flips for some years. Even then i would only do it If I happen to get a windfall for new, but ultimately non essential equipment.

Overview and review of the Rogue ISO Leg Press

Price: 4.750

This review was originally posted in the longer article "Which strength equipment to buy from rogue" in which you can read about 25 products of Rogue which cost more than 1.000$. The Rogue ISO leg press is a machine for the advanced athlete to perform the leg press. See the details in this article.

Overview of the Rogue ISO Leg press

The Rogue Iso Leg press is one of the products of Rogue which have recently appeared in the portfolio. In my opinion, you can clearly see that Rogue wants to use the Lat pulldown machine, Prone Leg Curl and ISO Leg press to gain market share in the commercial gym sector to diversify their business beyond CrossFit gyms. While Rogue has already mastered the mass production of barbells and rigs, the production of big machines is done more manual. You might get a cheaper, more refined machine from somewhere else who has specialized in these for decades. Still, this will be most likely not American made and definitely not fit the rest of your Rogue gym setup.

The future looks promising as the Rhino Belt Squat has been a great release with a positive reception in the market. I am sure rogue will take the new technological developments from the 50 cals (locking system) and the Rhino (Pulley System) to create more refined machines in the future which will take over the market.

The Rogue ISO press can load up to 2475lb and has four load pegs. Rogue claims a 60% true weight ratio for the leg press. Machines are often criticized that too much of the load gets lost and does not have an effect on the lifter. This is why you see some people on Youtube leg pressing a bunch of plates and four Chinese girls on a leg press machine. They have better leverage than in a barbell squat.

The Rogue ISO leg press weighs 708lbs with a footprint of 64'' x 98''. It is 98'' long, 64'' wide and 47'' high.

Pros of the Rogue ISO Leg Press

Rogue has paid attention to the feedback from other machines by working on the true weight ratio. The four loadable pegs will go down well with your stronger clients who like big machines and also cannot find sufficient machinery in other gyms.

The fact that each leg can be addressed individually will be interesting to rehab clients and professional athletes alike. Not many leg press machines bear this feature.

You will also get a machine that has been made by American hands in Columbus. There is quite some work to be done to finish this beast and you will always know that this has been done by an American.

A leg press machine is also less intimidating to many clients than a barbell squat. Anyone who feels like they are hurting their back with the barbell squat can be put on a leg press machine instead.

Cons of the Rogue ISO Leg Press

The leg press machine is a single purpose machine with a relatively big footprint. This does not make it a suitable option for most gyms with a small footprint. You will also be buying outside of Rogues core business with less volume. Expect that customer services have fewer options to help you out with parts/replacements/repairs as the order volume on these is lower. There is less storage to draw from and all parts are welded together for the ISO (which means if you want to return it, they probably have to weld another from scratch or move someone else's order).

For this price, especially if you buy multiple, maybe ask Rogue whether you can inspect the machines on site before delivery. Bring your biggest and smallest athlete/client&relative, Based on the test ask whether small alterations can be made before the machines are finished (coated etc) and shipped.

How many clients should this leg press bring you?

If you think that the ISO leg press will bring you 16 new clients who pay you 50$ on a 1-year retainer it is worth the investment. This will yield 9.600$ net new revenue against an investment of 4.750$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.

Alternatives to the ISO leg press

Here are some alternatives to the Rogue Iso leg press which come in at roughly the same budget.

1x Rogue Wingspan Rig @ 5.099$ (including all options, no weights)

The Rogue Wingspan Rig only costs about 250 USD more but is an all in one gym for that price. You have a pull-up station, rack, lots of storage room, a crown pull up bar for various grip variations and space to store up to five barbells. While the ISO leg press is on one end of the spectrum as a leg training giant, this is one of the most versatile options from Rogue in the same price range.

1x Rogue Rhino Stand Alone @ 1750$ USD
6x Monster Lite SML.2C @445$

This would be an alternative for a weightlifting gym that has no need for pull up bars and has a lot of space. You have to teach your clients how to drop a bar safely when there is enough room. The Rhino belt squat can be used by athletes with shoulder injuries or for heavy squats/volume work. It still loads enough weights for mere mortals.

1x Rogue Wood Jerk Block Starter Set @ 972.50$
1x Rogue Multi belt @90 USD
1x 10lB chain @ 17$ USD

The belt squat is the poor man's version of the leg press. It does more for balance and natural movement patterns and can not be loaded as heavy as the Rhino Belt Squat or Leg press machine. If you already have jerk blocks or pylo jump boxes this is probably the most cost-efficient version to get close to a leg press. Be aware that the setup is tedious and the injury risk is high if you do not assist your clients in setting this up.

Conclusion

With the Rogue Iso Leg press you will get a fully welded, American made leg press machine. The specialty of this leg press machine is that you can work one leg at a time or both optionally. With some extra space to add plates to the leg press and special attention to a maximum carry over of the weight to the lifter this leg press is for serious gyms that do not want to compromise.