Rogue Monkey Rig vs TITAN plate loaded deltoid machine

This is a comparison of the Rogue Monkey rig and the TITAN plate loaded deltoid machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN plate loaded deltoid machine $479.99

This is an overview of the TITAN plate loaded deltoid 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 Plate loaded deltoid machine

The TITAN plate loaded deltoid machine is another two in one machine from TITAN. With this machine you can do seated presses and deltoid raises. The machine is solid, but nur overbuilt. Resistance is added by loading plates on the respective pins. The machine fits standard Olympic plates. This is a great machine for a home gym with more than average floor space. In a commercial gym you might wan to get two separate machines with their own weight stacks. The full list of features for the TITAN deltoid machine includes:

- Independent arm movement

- Shoulder press sealed bearings

- Olympic sized plate sleeves

- Adjustable seat height to fit athletes of all sizes

- Square steel tube frame construction

- Shoulder press has (2) sets of stationary handles

- Delt raise has 10-in. forearm pads with fixed handles

- Includes rubber feet for secure contact

- Overall Height (U-Frame Extended Up): 65-in.

- Overall Length: 39-in.

- Overall Width: 35-in.

- Back Pad Dimensions: 18-in x 9.75-in x 2.25-in.

- Seat Pad Dimensions: 10.5-in x 11.25-in x 2.25-in.

- Arm Pad Dimensions: 10-in x 5-in x 1.75-in.

- Sleeve Diameter: 50 mm.

- Weight Sleeve Length: 9.75-in.

- Handle Length: 5.25-in.

- Finish: Powder-Coated Black

- Material: 2-in x 2-in 11-GA Steel

- Weight Capacity: 700 lb.

- Product Weight: 149 lb.

Great machine for anyone who has the space in their backyard or basement gym and does not want to shell out money for two separate machines.

Pros of the TITAN Plate loaded deltoid machine

The pros of the TITAN deltoid machine are:

2 in 1 design
Price
Plate loaded

The two in one design of this machine saves space and cost. This is especially interesting for anyone who wants to but a big home gym for themselves. If your clients are into loading plates on a machine it might even be for a commercial gym.

As with all TITAN products the deltoid machine is optimized for price. This means that it undercuts the competition by almost half and therefore makes your dollars last longer.

The fact that this machine is plate loaded means that you also save on paying for the weight stack that normally comes with machines. If you already have plates and do not mind loading and loading them in the machine, this is another welcome saving.

Cons of the TITAN plate loaded deltoid machine

The cons of the TITAN plate loaded deltoid machine are:

Plate loaded
Build
Space requirements

Having a plate loaded machine is great when you are a single person in a basement. It is also ok in a that has a few people around who know what they are doing. This would be a private gym or dedicated powerlifting and weightlifting gym where the general public feels too intimidated to train. In a commercial gym for the masses you are better off with a weight stack for your machines. This results in fewer opportunities to trip up, the clients are in and out quicker and fewer plates for the staff to clean up.

This machine is been built with the average make in mind, which also holds true for almost all TITAN products. As TITAN uses as much material as necessary, but not more that makes things cost effective. That does not mean that TITAN has the most stable and durable equipment in the market. Rogue and Eleiko follow the philosophy of overbuilding their products. This means you pay more but your stuff is also bullet proof. This is a other reason why TITAN is a great choice for the average Joe who builds a massive gym. If you are a monster, professional lifter, or run a gym with a crowd of roid rage fanatics, than you need to step up a little.

Alternatives to the TITAN plate loaded deltoid machine

TITAN plate loaded neck machine

The TITAN plate loaded neck machine is an alternative to the deltoid machine to train your your neck. It comes in at roughly the same price as the deltoid machine and therefore might be something to think about for anyone who wants to strengthen their neck.

Conclusion for the TITAN plate loaded deltoid machine

This is a great 2 in 1 machine for the spacious home gym and fits right in this TITAN strategy. TITAN has multiple of these plate loaded machines that downtown things to save time and space. For a commercial gym this machine might be a little too haphazard but for home use it is ideal, as long as your basement, garage, of attic is big enough to take a rack and a couple of machines.

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.

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:

1x Monster Lite rig 24' @ 3595$
1x Metal Jerk Blocks @ 1.150$

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.