Rogue ISO Leg Press vs TITAN leg press hack squat machine
This is a comparison of the Rogue Iso leg press and the TITAN leg press hack squat machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN Leg press Hack Squat machine $1055
This is an overview of the TITAN Leg press hack squat 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.
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Overview of the TITAN Leg press machine
A
leg press machine is a classic in gyms all over the world. In any bodybuilding movie montage you will find someone sitting in a hack squat machine pushing the equivalent of a small truck around. It has also become quite popular to get all of your friends to hop on one and post the video on Instagram. If you want to get instafamous you might still be able to afford the bikini models to hop onto the machine when you buy the
TITAN leg press. A great additional design is that this machine also doubles up as a hack squat. This makes it a two for one machine which saves space in a commercial or home gym setting to train your legs hard. The full feature list includes:
- 2-in-1 Machine features leg press and hack squat positions
- High quality steel construction for a solid, stable design
- Safety hand rails for complete control and easy bailout no matter what position you're in
- Fits Olympic weight plates and features two loadable weight posts and two additional posts for weight storage
- Comfortable and adjustable for any size athlete
- Footprint Dimensions: 40-in W x 7 FT L
- Overall Height: 53-in.
- Leg Press Footplate Dimensions: 21-in W x 15-in L
- Leg Press Back Pad Dimensions: 10.5-in W x 31-in L
- Hack Squat Footplate Dimensions: 26-in W x 22-in L
- Hack Squat Footplate Positions: 4
- Hack Squat Shoulder Pad Spread: 7.5-in W
- Hack Squat Shoulder Pad Dimensions: 4.5-in W x 8-in L
- Hack Squat Back Pad Dimensions: 20-in W x 15-in L
- Weight Post Length: 11.25" per side
- Storage Weight Post Length: 11.75-in per side
- Weight Post Diameter: 1.95-in.
- Weight Capacity: 875 lb.
- Weight: 325 lb.
This is a great machine for a home gym as it does two things for the price of one. In a commercial gym you might want to provide two stations instead of one so that more people can train at the same time.
Pros of the TITAN Hack squat leg press machine
-
Price
-
Space efficient
-
Big storage capacity
As usual the price is almost unmatched in the market for a product that would deliver the same or similar specs. Especially if you take free shipping and customer service into account. TITAN manages to provide the same material at roughly half the cost of their competition. If you want to build a massive gym, especially in your own home where you dont mind minor quality issues, TITAN makes your money stretch further.
As this is a two in one machine it will save you floor space. If you want to equip a small commercial gym or a home gym with a
leg press and hack squat, this is the ideal solution sothat you can keep some floor space for other machines or strechtes.
This
leg press machine can also be the centerpiece of an entire weight room, as you can store a lot of
plates on this machine. If possible i would place it close to the middle of any arrangement so that you can save on some
plate trees. Making plates readily available in your gym can cut waiting time considerably and create a better experience for your customers. In your home it is nice to not have to haul your own
plates too far and just able to throw them on the machine at the end of your workout.
Cons of the TITAN Hack squat Leg press machine
While 2 in 1 designs are always great when there is a single user, it can become problematic for multiple users. Not everyone will understand and use the machine in the way that it is intended. Especially in a commercial setup this bears a higher risk of this machine breaking or becoming a health hazard. While 2 in 1 is great for a single users who knows what the functions are, you need proper instructions when you use such a design in a more public space.
While the
TITAN hack squat leg press is definitely sturdy it is a small
leg press. You are giving up space for placing your feet and shoulders based on the two in one design. Also it would not feel comfortable using this
leg press fur multiple tons of weight as it is flimsy for a
leg press. It is great for the average joe, but if you do 4 - 6
plates easily for reps on a
leg press, you might want to get a dedicated machine for that purpose.
As with all complex assemblies from TITAN I put a caveat out that manuals and little bits are one of TITAN's major shortfalls in quality. When you offer your products for such a low price you have to cut corners in the creation of manuals and employee training. You just hear more often about tough assemblies or missing parts with TITAN than from comparable brands like Eleiko or Rogue fitness.
Alternatives to the TITAN Hack squat Leg press machine
If you want to do lunges and do not want to do them with a
barbell or kettlebells, a
smith machine can also be a good choice. The
TITAN smith machine is also closer to free weight training than a
leg press or hack squat. I am personally not a huge fan of
smith machines as they eat up a lot of space and are not that versatile. Still, most commercial gyms have one, so you might have to bite the bullet to provide the same as the guy next door. For any home gym I personally think that a
smith machine is a waste of space and money.
The
TITAN belt squat machine is another option to train your legs hard and still keep the exercise closer to free weight training. A
belt squat machine is a great tool for weightlifters and power lifters as it takes pressure of the spine for volume work on the squat, while still not restricting your body as much as a
leg press. Usually leg presses are a little more prominent with bodybuilders, so it depends on your training style for your home gym or what kind of clients you have in a commercial gym, if a
belt squat is the better fit for your place than a hack squat
leg press.
The
Rogue Rhino is the current gold standard in the industry when it comes to belt squat machines. Rogue has combined their recent push into the world of machines with their tryouts for pulley systems and created a
belt squat that is safe, easy to use and has almost a 1:1 ration for weight to exercise. The only downside to this machine is that it comes in at $1.750 which considerably sets it apart to the higher end compared to other machines.
The Rogue leg press is the beefiest and biggest machine of its kind I have personally seen. An added feature is that this massive leg press can also be used to train each leg separately or in a type of bicycle motion. Everything about this machine is massive; the seat, the
plate to put your feet on, and the
plate storage included. So is the price. This
leg press will put you back about $4000 so you could get 4 TITAN Hack squat leg presses for the price of one Rogue leg press. The Rogue leg press is the right machine for anyone who train athletes at top levels who do not have to worry about budget. If you are massive, this is the leg press for you.
Conclusion for the TITAN Hack squat Leg press machine
The
TITAN hack squat leg press machine is great for a spacious home gym for the average joe. The price is great for what you are getting. In professional environments a dedicated
leg press and a hack squat machine are probably the better choice to serve more customers in a shorter amount of time. Professional bodybuilders, powerlifters, and huge athletes might steer away from this machine due to the space constraints on the metal
plates and the fact that for a
leg press, it is a very light and small machine.
Overview and review of the Rogue ISO Leg Press
Price: 4.750
This review was originally posted in the longer article "Which strength equipment to buy from rogue" in which you can read about 25 products of Rogue which cost more than 1.000$. The Rogue ISO leg press is a machine for the advanced athlete to perform the leg press. See the details in this article.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.