Rogue LT1 50 cal lever arm vs Squat MAX MD
This is a comparison between the Rogue LT1 50 cal lever arm and Squat max MD including pros, cons, and alternatives. The Original was published in which accessory equipment to get for your rogue rack. Follow the links for details
Overview and review Squat Max MD
The Squat Max MD comes in at $950 and is a great addition to your existing rack to widen the possible exercises you can do. This article was originally published in "which accessory equipment to get for your rogue rack".
What else to consider from Rogue
Overview of the Squat Max MD
The
squat max MD is a Hip belt squat setup which can be attached to your rack. The main benefits of hip belt squats are rehab and simulation of certain exercises. If you have athletes with shoulder injuries which keep them from barbell squatting this is an alternative. It also helps with decompressing the lower back when athletes are challenged with lower back problems.
Compared to other pulley systems this is free weight and therefore has a more direct transition of the weight to the athlete.
Pros of the Squat Max MD
The
Squat Max MD has a lower cost than most other comparable machines with pulleys or a platform. It is also a safer setup than Boxes combined with a dip belt. I personally also see a good application for Strongman athletes as the Squat max closer simulates Strongman events than a pulley solution. The narrow stance plate is a nice addition to vary your training.
Cons of the Squat Max MD
An elevated platform means trip hazards and higher injury risk. You have to get on and off the platform and in case of a malfunction you fall off the platform. Compared to the
Rhino Belt machine I can also imagine that the
Squat max MD is more prone to break if you bang it around too much.
Alternatives to the Squat Max MD
In my opinion, the
Rhino belt squat is currently the best option in the market for any kind of hip belt work. It is secure, allows for many setups and is easy to get in and out off. The only downside is that the weight will not be central below the lifter which for some training scenarios might be preferred. Still, I think that is rather the exception than the rule. The downside of the
Rhino is the price tag. If you are mucky and already own an
RM6 rack you can go for the Drop-In option which is roughly $500 more than the Squat max. If you need to get the standalone version we are taking twice the price of the Squat max.
If you already have boxes, a hip belt, and plates you can build your own hip belt squat. Stack the boxes to the desired height. Attach the plates to yourself with a hip belt. Work away. While most gyms have the necessary equipment this setup has two major disadvantages. It is almost impossible to do this reasonable by yourself so you need a coach to help you in and out of the setup. The setup is as makeshift as they come. The good news is that you have to invest exactly zero additional dollars if you already have the equipment. The bad news is that you are creating a health and safety hazard that probably won’t hold in a court case, but check with your insurance and lawyers.
Summary for the Squat Max MD
The
squat max MD is a low budget option for a safe hip belt squat. Especially when you already have a Rogue rack.
Overview and review of the LT1 50 cal lever arms
The LT1 50 cal lever arm kit comes in at $995 and is a great addition to your existing rack to widen the possible exercises you can do. This article was originally published in "which accessory equipment to get for your rogue rack".
What else to consider from Rogue
Overview of the 50 cal lever arms
The
LT1 50 cal lever arms are one of the latest innovations of Rogue. The idea is to press most of the machines you find in a gym into a rack. The lever arms can be used for lunges, snatches, squats, rows, incline bench presses, and many more setups. If you want to get the maximum out of your rack these are a good addition. I especially like the snatch and push movements which can not be performed with a barbell in this way. The uniqueness is the ease of adjusting height without using a wrench.
The lever arms are available for the Monster and Monster lifelines from Rogue. The monster version has a stainless steel finish, while the Monster lite version is powder-coated. There are two versions in 48” and 35” length. Be aware that you can only use the short arms inside a 43” rack. The specs are:
The package includes
If you want to hold your plates in place you will need to purchase some axle collars as regular spring and HG collars will not work with this setup.
Pros of the LT1 50 cal lever arms
The LT 1 cal lever arms are a great addition to a home gym, especially if you are a bodybuilder. With the help of these arms, you can recreate most of the isolated machine exercises in your home gym without increasing its footprint. It will also add some interesting push variations to your repertoire of you play football or rugby.
Cons of the LT1 50 cal lever arms
As with all Rogue innovations, the price is usually a hump to get over. With $995 you have some alternatives you can get instead to simulate some of the activities. But there will be no full replacement and these items will take up more space in your gym.
Alternatives to the LT1 50 cal lever arms
These are the alternatives for the
LT1 out of the Rogue portfolio.
If you are mainly interested in the
LT1 to keep deadlifts safer for beginners you can also use a trap bar. Rogue has updated its trap bar design and there are two different designs available.
If you find the
LT1 appealing to create a monolift for bench presses you can also get the adjustable monolift kit for a third of the price.
If you want the
LT1 and you have the spare change in your first Rogue order you might as well go for the rolls Royce of Racks from Rogue. The
RM8 includes the lever arms and the
Rhino belt squat with a Cerakote finish. If you only want the best, that is your place to go.
Summary for the LT1 50 cal Lever arms
The
LT1 is probably the most versatile attachment you can get for the Monster and Monster Lite series as long as you are willing to pay the price of a full rack for them. The
RM4 fortis and the
LT1 are almost the same price. The
LT1 will probably not be your first purchase unless you go for the
RM8 which includes the lever arms.