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Rogue ISO Leg Press vs TITAN vertical leg press

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Jan 3, 2021 5:00:00 PM

Rogue ISO Leg Press vs TITAN vertical leg press

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

 
 

Overview and review of the TITAN Vertical leg press $349

This is an overview of the TITAN vertical leg press 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 vertical leg press

 
The vertical leg press is a low budget approach on a barbell squat or leg press machine. IT uses two uprights to and three plate pins to deliver something similar to the classic leg press machine you see in every gym. It also has a smaller footprint than most other machines which train the legs. The full specifications of the TITAN vertical leg press are:
 
- Takes the stress off of your back and isolates your lower body.
- Three weight posts for plenty of room to add weight.
- Adjustable footplate starting height to suite different size athletes.
- High quality steel construction and pads for a solid, comfortable design. 
- Dual post design lets you feel the weight on either leg. 
 
- Footprint: 48" x 38"
- Footplate Starting Height(s): 26.5", 32", 35", 38".
- Full Extension Height: 52.5" 
- Footplate Dimensions: 21.5" x 5"
- Back Pad Dimensions: 32" x 15"
- Head Rest Dimensions: 10" x 6"
- Weight Post Length: 8.75"
- Weight Post Diameter: 1.95"
- Weight Capacity: 400 LB
- Weight: 94 LB
 
This is a great machine if you want to save some space and money. It has its little flaws and I would not recommend it if you are massive yourself.
 

Pros of the TITAN vertical leg press

 
The pros of the TITAN vertical leg press are:
 
  • Small foot print
  • Small price
  • Easy to transport
 
This leg press does not cost much and also saves space in your gym. For any home gym that is pressed for space this can be a good solution to still get a leg press into a crammed space. If you take it apart there is also not a lot to transport. This makes it a good option for someone who moves around a lot and wants to take their gym with them.
 

Cons of the TITAN vertical leg press

 
The cons of the TITAN vertical leg press are:
 
  • Small footplate
  • Small area to lie on
  • No security pin
 
This machine has all kinds of issues of you are the type of person that leg presses several hundred kilos of plates.  Even though the position is less advantageous than in other leg presses, the small design without any security stops can be scary. I would not recommend this machine to anyone who already barbell back squats north of 150kg for repetitions as this machine has too many options to harm yourself in a serious way if the weight is too heavy.
 

Alternatives to the TITAN vertical leg press

 
 
The TITAN smith machine is another option in the TITAN portfolio to do squats and other exercises. While this machine comes in at a much higher price than the vertical leg press, you can also store plates on it and do more than just squats. I am personally not a huge fan of smith machines as I think that a rack with a barbell does the job better and safer once you learned how to use it properly.
 
The titan hack leg press is a good option for a home gym with a bit of space as it doubles up as two machines. The design is also closer to the common leg press machines which you see all over the world. While it is still a bit flimsy compared to other leg presses in the market, i would recommend it over the vertical leg press, if you have the space for it.
 
If you are considering a leg press machine mainly to get more squat volume in, than a TITAN belt squat machine might be the better option for you. This machine also puts less pressure on your spine than a regular barbell squat, but you are still standing on your won feet rather than laying on the ground. This is a great option for anyone who want s to blow their quads.
 
The Rogue Rhino is the current gold standard in the fitness industry for belt squat machines. This is the best you can get in terms of build and functionality if you want to get a leg machine. That also comes with a bigger price tag as the Rogue Rhino is very close to the $2000 mark which plays in a completely different league than the TITAN vertical leg press.
 
The Rogue leg press is a $4000 dollar monster of a leg press machine that even Ronnie Coleman could not break.  In addition to the large weight capacity and the amount of metal you would need to build a car it also offers the option to train each leg separately. The footplate can be unlocked in the middle and each platform runs on its own lever system.
 

Conclusion for the TITAN Vertical leg press

 
The TITAN vertical leg press is a good machine for a crammed space at home to get a leg press. Be careful when you use and do not load it up too much. It only weighs 94lbs so you might not want to put 1000lbs on top of it when all that separates you and the floor is your legs.

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.
 
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. 
 
 
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.