Rogue ISO Leg Press vs TITAN plate loadable functional trainer

This is a comparison of the Rogue Iso leg press and the TITAN plate loadable functional trainer including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN plate loadable functional trainer $749

This is an overview of the TITAN plate loadable functional trainer 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 for the TITAN Plate loaded functional trainer

The TITAN plate loaded functional trainer is a great budget option to get a multi directional functional trainer into your home. Especially if you have already a rack and barbell setup at home and just not to reuse the plates for this machine. Functional trainers are great to pack a lot of exercises in one space. With this machine from TITAN you can get in your rows, vertical pulls, flyes, and even use it for deadlifts and squats. All the needed handles and accessories are included in the shipping. The full list of features includes:

- Comprehensive pulley options including lat, row, and pulldown

- Two 9 1/4” Olympic plate sleeves

- Tough steel design will last for years to come

- Pull-up bar installed at the top

- Sleek black and silver design

- Titan Fitness faceplate included

- Max user load: 390 LB

- Overall Footprint: 61” Width x 53” Depth

- Loadable Sleeve Length: 9 1/4”

- Overall height: 81”

- Side handle length: 5”

- Side handle diameter: 1”

- Row handle length: 14 1/4”

- Row grip length: 5” (each)

- Row handle diameter: 1”

- Lat pulldown handle length: 37 1/2”

- Lat pulldown grip length: 5”

- Lat pulldown handle diameter: 1”

This is a great budget option for a functional trainer for home gym use. In a commercial setting there might be too many moving parts.

Pros of the TITAN Plate loaded functional trainer

Pros of the TITAN plate loaded functional trainer are:

Price
Multi purpose training
Exercises per square foot

The best thing about the TITAN plate loaded functional trainer is the low price. Functional trainers can cost up to $5000 depending on the make, quality, and mechanics used. With this you can have an entire gym in your basement for $700 assuming you already own plates. If you do not a set of TITAN plates can be had for $375. TITAN is already budget orientated as a manufacturer and this is a budget design. If you are strapped for cash, this is a good investment.

The pulley system on this functional trainer works in many directions. You can pull up, down, and also use the machine for horizontal pulls. You get everything you need to build muscle and build an attractive physique. It goes above and beyond home trainers that only use your body weight as you can use the plates to continuously get stronger.

If you look at how many exercises you can do in small space, this machine is also great. It takes up the same space as a leg press machine, but you can do so many more exercises on it. This makes it a good choice for rehab centers, yoga instructors and other lifestyle and health out fits that want to add some gentle strength training to their services.

Cons of the TITAN Plate loaded functional trainer

The cons of the TITAN plate loaded functional trainer are:

Plate loaded
Makeshift
Many moving parts

The fact that the plate loaded functional trainer is plate loaded makes it cheaper, but also means that you have to have plates and storage for them first. Also handling the plates can be a pain, as you need to fit them onto the pins and get them off. If you like to "run the rack" in your exercises, this machine is more of a pain than a gain. The many plates can also be a hindrance when you are working with a client and create a trip hazard.

The hole construction has a bit of a makeshift feel about it. This is often the case when the exercise machine is majorly a combination of pulley which have been connected on a frame. That is the entire idea of this machine, but it doesn't make it something that I want to use on a regular basis. If you are not strapped for cash, you might want to opt for the functional trainer from TITAN that includes to weight stacks. If your commercial gym wants to convey a slick and hip image to your clients this might also not be the right choice. This model screams iron den.

The many moving parts also make the assembly of the TITAN plate loaded functional trainer complex. TITA is known for bad manuals and occasional missing out in small parts in the shipping. If you are missing a small part in your shipment it is next to impossible to source it separately from the vendor. You will either end up with more big parts to just get one small part or at your local DIY store.

Alternatives to the TITAN Plate loaded functional trainer

Alternatives to the plate loaded functional trainer are:

The TITAN functional trainer is the big brother of the plate loaded functional trainer. It ships with two 200lbs weight stacks. While these can have their own challenges, this is the cleaner and more stable installation once it is set up. If you buy a functional trainer as an addition to a health/spa or yoga gym, this is the better choice. This is also the better choice in a gym with high footfall as it creates fewer opportunities to break the machine while loading the plates. The only disadvantage is that you have to fork out about $1300 more to get this version of the functional trainer.

The TITAN lat tower is a great addition to any home gym that means business. Usually you will already have a couple of kettlebells, dumbbells, and a rack with plates and a barbell before considering this. As a second purchase to add a sizable machine to your home gym the lat tower is a better choice than the plate load able functional trainer. The quality of the pulleys is better, you can load it with up to 300lbs, and it will provide a weight stack to your for a different form of training for you.

The TITAN hack squat leg press is also slightly more expensive, but provides a good focus on your legs. If you have the space and prefer dedicated machines over multi functional machines in your training, than you can consider the hack squat leg press machine as a 2 in 1 for your home gym. For commercial gyms this is not necessarily the best option as 2 for 1 always means you need more instructions for the machine or higher injury risk due to using it incorrectly.

Conclusion for the TITAN Plate loaded functional trainer

The TITAN plate loaded functional trainer is a great solution for a dorm basement where everyone chips in. Especially if there are already some plates available. If you are building a garage gym in your home and you have the spare change I would lean more towards the TITAN functional trainer or the lat tower as an addition to your already existing rack or as a training station for the entire family.

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.