Rogue Monkey Rig vs TITAN leverage squat machine
This is a comparison of the Rogue Monkey rig and the TITAN leverage squat machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN Leverage Squat machine $549
This is an overview of the TITAN Leverage 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.
Overview of the TITAN Leverage Squat machine
The
TITAN Leverage squat machine is a good approach to squats for anyone who lacks the ankle mobility for low squats. The bottom
plate is angled so that it is easier to go deep in the squat with less strain on the hips and feet. The full list of specifications includes:
- Add more intensity to your squats by loading up on Olympic weight plates
- Store extra plates on the base pegs to help organize your gym area & add stability
- Use the angled footplate to get leverage with your squats and calf raises
- Powder-coated steel is durable, lasts for years, and is scratch / rust resistant
- Spotter handle allows easy exit and re-entry after use
- 1,000 lbs. weight capacity
- Overall height: 62”
- Footprint: 58” x 44”
- Top sleeve length: 13 1/2”
- Bottom peg length: 8”
- Shoulder pad gap: 8”
- Weight: 200 lbs.
This is a machine for a spacious gym that has all of the other angles covered. If you want to ease people into squatting low this can be a good machine to use.
Pros of the TITAN leverage squat machine
The main reason to get this machine is to squat against an angled plate. This can be especially helpful for rehab or anyone lacking ankle and hip mobility to still squat deep.
As with all TITAN products the price you pay for a full machine as quite low. If you want to build a big arsenal of different fitness machines TITAN is one of the best places to go as your money will stretch further.
Cons of the TITAN leverage squat machine
-
Limited use cases
-
Space requirements
The main disadvantage of the
leverage squat machine is that it has not a lot o use cases. This is a common challenge with isolated machines that try to make things easier on the user. If you are strapped for cash and space the
leverage squat machine is not a smart choice. If you want to buy something to train your legs you probably wantto go for a
rack,
squat belt machine, or hack squat instead depending on your budget and preferences.
Alternatives to the TITAN leverage squat machine
The
TITAN hack squat leg press is the better option for a home gym owner looking into a squat machine from TITAN. While it costs a little more it doubles up as 2 machines in the frame of one. You will be able to do reasonably heavy leg presses and hack squats which provides more bang for your space and buck compared to the
leverage squat machine. Especially if you buy a squat machine as an addition to a home gym with an already existing
rack. For a commercial gym the TITAN hack squat
leg press might not be the right choice, as a 2:1 solution for a broader audience usually means to higher cost of instructing people how to use it or higher injury risk and insurance liabilities.
The
Rogue Rhino is the gold standard in
belt squat machines currently available on the market. Compared to the
TITAN belt squat there was more thought put in to the engineering as it works with a pulley system. This makes the lifting experience closer to the actual
barbell workload as the weight is not on a frame which wraps around you. Compared to the
TITAN leverage squat machine it makes squatting easier, but provides this result in very different way.
The Rogue leg press machine is the current gold standard for leg press machines in the market. If you need to provide facilities for a bunch of NFL linemen and you worried about that they might shred any other equipment you could buy from TITAN, than the Rogue Leg press machine will get the job done. Apart from being build like a tank you can also move the platform for each leg separately. All exciting things come also at an exciting price and the Rogue Leg press is no exception. It retails for around $4000 and is therefore not suitable for most home gym environments.
Conclusion for the TITAN leverage squat machine
The
TITAN leverage squat machine is an addition to the arsenal of professional gym that already has all of the other major machines in their arsenal. These include a
rack,
leg press, prone curl and
lat tower. Get those machines first before even thinking about a
leverage squat machine in my opinion. In a home gym this machine will be just be a waste of space unless you live in a mega mansion. Some bodybuilders like the idea of being able to attack their muscles from every angle that is humanly possible. Apart from this I do not so a lot of use cases for this machine.
Overview and Review of the Monster Lite Monkey Rig
This review was originally posted in the longer article "Which strength equipment to buy from rogue" in which you can read about 25 products of Rogue which cost more than 1.000$. The Rogue Monkey Lite rig is a gym in its own for advanced athletes. See the details in this article.
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Overview of the Monkey Rig
The Rogue
Monster Lite Monkey Rig is an impressive piece of hardware
which will catch the eye of anyone who will cast an eye on it. The main addition to the normal Rogue setups are the Monkey bars at various heights. If you want to prepare your athletes for CrossFit competitions or to compete in the Ninja warrior series, this is the way to go.
The
monkey rig is constructed by 3x3 11- Gauge steel with 0.625 holes and
Westside spacing. Its length is 24', width 6' and height 9'. This makes for a total footprint of 24'-3'' x 6'-8''. On this space, you will create 6 squat/bench stations and more than 10
pull up stations. It comes in black and ships in 6-8 weeks.
Be aware that it does not ship with
barbells or
plates when you purchase it. These are additions to your budget. You can read up on my blog if you are not sure yet
which rogue barbell to buy. to get an overview of the portfolio.
Pros of the Monkey Rig
The
Monster lite Monkey Rig makes a big statement. If you want to differentiate yourself from other CrossFit boxes in an area where you have a lot of fit people around it makes sense. If your clients are also collectively moving into a direction where they want to compete in CrossFit team sports, this is a good bet. It will also open your gym up to clients who are more interested in climbing.
In addition to the Monkey bars, you will also get a fully functioning 24'
Monster Lite Pull-up rig. This is already a full gym. It is ideally suited to training
which incorporates a lot of kipping
pull-ups and muscle ups. The middle also creates a corridor
which can be used for sprints and other aerobic ideas like bear crawls.
Cons of the Monkey rig
This thing is massive! Most gyms will not have enough space. If I was to open a gym I would think of the
Monster lite Monkey Rig as something to aspire to rather than a first purchase. Most of your clients will not be able to do
pull-ups, muscle-ups or climb the entire Rig. This is something that the fitness community you will build has to grow into. The 5.000$ might be invested more wisely in other
equipment in a first purchase unless you have unlimited sources, space and want to build the most impressive gym in the entire city (
which is also a valid business strategy, if you have good financial backing).
It is a pity that you can not get the
monkey rig in individual colors and that there is no conversion kit available at the moment for already existing 24' rigs. Also be aware that the
Monster Lite series is not compatible with all of the Rogue accessory. Think about what additional
equipment you want to get before you hit the purchase button. In my opinion, it also does not make sense to have beams at the lower end of this setup. Therefore you will not be able to use band pegs for the squat/bench stations. You will also have to store the weight
plates away from the rig. To protect your clients from injury you want to take special care that this setup is not cluttered with
plates.
How many clients should this rig bring you?
If you think the
Monkey Rig can attract 17 new clients
which you can sign up for 50$ a month on a 1-year retainer, make the purchase. This equals net new revenue of 10.200$ against 5.000$ in the first year. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.
Alternatives to the monkey rig
Depending on
which clients you serve and how much floor space you have here some alternatives from Rogue based on a 5K budget excluding
barbells and
plates:
This configuration will give you more opportunities to generate revenue from beginning weightlifters and gives you some color options.
- 2x RM6 @ 2095 each
- 2x Monster Single Post Shelf @ 95$ each
- 2x Monster Single Post Kettlebell Shelf
This configuration will give you more options in terms of training styles, especially when most of your clients cannot do
pull-ups yet. This configuration leans more towards a powerlifting gym or an upgrade of the free weight section of a commercial gym. The Single Post shelves are often overlooked when buying the 6er series of Rogue. If your clients are used to
half racks you can leave the back free. More often than not new additions to the Rogue portfolio are made exclusively or earlier available to the Monster range and not to the
Monster lite range. Keep that in mind when making your investment.
Conclusion
The monkey rig is a great piece of equipment if you have space and money to afford it. It is the right addition to your gym, if you have advanced athletes who are looking for a bigger challenge. If your gym mainly has recreational weekend warriors on the roster this beast of steel and bars might be a little too intimidating.