Rogue Monkey Rig vs TITAN seated leg curl machine

This is a comparison of the Rogue Monkey rig and the TITAN seated leg curl machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN seated leg curl machine $469

This is an overview of the TITAN seated leg curl 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 seated leg curl machine

The TITAN seated leg curl machine is a simplified version of the seated curl you find in almost any gym across the country. This seat curl is plate loaded instead of weight stack loaded. This drives down the cost of acquisition and keeps more money in your pocket. The Titan seated leg curl machine is a good fit for home gyms with space or a private / commercial gym with a few members who know what they are doing. In large scale commercial setup you might want to invest in a beefier machine including a weights stack. The full specifications of the TITAN seated leg curl are:

- Perform leg curls and leg extensions from the same seated position.

- Adjustable thigh pad design makes getting in and out of the machine much more efficient than the competition's cumbersome tube adjustment design.

- Rotary leg clamp mechanism and pop pins allows for easy adjustment and achieving full reps every time.

- Adjustable seat depth and seat angle positions to suit different size athletes.

- 4 Bolt down holes for concrete anchors or take advantage of the counter-balance weight post for stability without permanent mounting.

- High quality steel construction for a solid, long lasting design.

- Footprint: 36-in W x 34.5-in L.

- Floor Space Required: 4' W x 5' L.

- Thigh/Foot Roller Diameter: 5-in.

- Thigh/Foot Roller Width: 17-in.

- Seat Depth Positions: 7

- Seat Angle Positions: 3

- Weight Post Diameter: 1.95-in.

- Weight Post Length: 10-in.

- Weight Capacity: 220 lb.

- Product Weight: 117 lb.

This is a good addition to a home gym of a bodybuilder who has a barn or two space garage for the gym. A big basement also helps. If you are a commercial gym focused on rough, hard iron this plate loaded machine will use do well with your clients. If you have high footfall and want to appeal to the general population you might want to invest into something a little more upmarket.

Pros of the TITAN seated leg curl machine

Pros of the TITAN seated leg curl machine are:

Price
Plate loaded
Extension and curl possible

As with all TITAN machine the Titan leg curl has been minimized to save cost and keep money in your pocket. Compared to professional grade machines from precor or other vendors you save more than half. Especially when you are the only one using the machines this is a good strategy to follow to keep yourself and the family happy while still training hard at home.

The fact that this machine is Plate loaded also saves further cost. You are not paying for weights for each of the machines, as you will reuse the plates you already own. If you do not you can purchase a set of plates from TITAN for $375.

This machine also works in both directions for curls and extensions. While this has become an industry wide standard you can still find some machines where you can only do one thing based on how the lever arms are made.

Cons of the TITAN seated leg curl machine

The cons of the TITAN seated leg curl machine:

Space requirements
Plate loaded
Build

The Titan seated leg curl machine will take up extra space in your gym. In a home gym that might not even be an option or you have to compare it to other smaller machines. These could be a preacher curl machine or calf machine. In a bigger gym you can always find a corner to place a smaller machine like this.

While plate loaded is a good approach for home gyms and to save costs it is not ideal for gyms with many clients. If you have high traffic it is better to the weights with the machine permanently to create fewer trip hazards and make the exercises more beginner friendly.

This seated leg curl has been built with the average person in mind. It is not overbuilt for massive athletes like the Rogue and Eleiko equipment. If you are 2m talk and weigh more than 125kg you might want to look something more upmarket.

Alternatives to the TITAN seated leg curl machine

Alternatives to the TITAN seated leg curl machine are:

The TITAN lying prone leg curl machine is a 2 for 1 machine for leg development. If you can fit it, it might make a better choice for your home gym as the lying prone leg curl I closes the seated curl option.

If you have covered all of your leg requirements already you might want to look into the TITAN tibia Dorsi calf machine. This will also train the calves and not eat up too much into your space as it does not swing like the leg curl machine.

The TITAN smith machine is a good option for anyone who does not trust free weights. It provides storage for plates and takes up the footprint of one rack. I am personally not a great fan of smith machines, but if you mainly train for shaping up rather than maximum strength they are an option.

Conclusion for the TITAN seated leg curl machine

The TITAN seated leg curl machine is a nice small machines for a spacious home gym. The plate loaded design saves cost. The Titan design is also learned back to realize additional savings. In a commercial setting you might want to get something beefier that includes a weight stack.

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.