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Rogue Monster Lat pull down stand alone vs TITAN seated leg curl machine

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Dec 27, 2020 5:00:00 PM

Rogue Monster Lat pull down stand alone vs TITAN seated leg curl machine

This is a comparison of the Rogue Monster Lat pull 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.

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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

 
 
  • 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

 
 
  • 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 Rogue Monster Lat pull down stand alone 

 

Price: 2.950

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 Monster lat pull down will create more bats in your gym. See the details in this article.

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Overview of the Rogue Monster Lat pull down

 
The Monster Lat pulldown Standalone is a lat pulldown machine for the expert athlete. As with all Rogue equipment this machine is built like a tank. The lat pulldown machine is a great example of how Rogue takes pride in what they do and takes their customer feedback series. 
 
If you read between the lines you can see that the pulley, the bar, cable, and Steel eye were not up to Rogue's standards in the V1 of this machine. All of these parts have been consequently brought in-house and are not bought from 3rd parties anymore. These things are normal when new production lines are being built, a new market is tested and new processes build around them.
 
At least Rogue took the right learnings from this and perfected their Rhino launch. The prone leg curl and the ISO leg press have not gotten a V2 overhaul yet whereas the Lat pull down has. Be aware of this when you buy from Rogue. I am positive they will accommodate valid feedback, especially on big orders. If you buy for your home gym, maybe wait on the leg press and curl until there is more feedback available or find a gym nearby to test them.
 
The Rogue Lat pulldown weighs 605lb and offers up to 300lb resistance in plates in 10lb increments. It has a footprint of 40'' by 60''. It is 60'' long, 40'' wide and 96'' high. The steel notes are 3x3 11-gauge steel just like the rest of the Rogue Monster series.
 

Pros of the Rogue Monster lat pull down

 
This lat pulldown is also a rowing machine so you get two for the price of one. The difference to many other rowing machines is that Rogue came up with an idea that does not make the bench longer. By positioning a footrest under the seat this lat pulldown machine turns into a rowing machine without adding extra length. 
 
Another big pro is that this machine allows the use of bands with the lat pull. This is very unique and I have not seen many machines like this. Especially when you have experienced athletes you will appreciate that you can work with bands.
 

Cons of the Rogue Monster Lat pull down

 

A lat pulldown is a big machine. It will take up quite a bit of space where a pull-up bar might create a similar effect. Especially in a home gym scenario, you might be better off getting dumbbells and a pull-up bar which takes up less floor space. As with other machines, the pulley system takes maintenance. Oiling this system and keeping it in check might not be for everyone.
 

How many clients do you need for the lat pull down?

 
If you think that the Lat pulldown will bring you 10 new clients who pay you 50$ on a 1-year retainer it is worth the investment. This will yield 6.000$ net new revenue against an investment of 2.950$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.
 

Alternatives to the Lat pull down from Rogue

 
Here are some alternatives to the Rogue lat pull down
 
1x Rhino belt Squat Rack @ 2750$
 
The Rhino belt including the half rack will give you a better pulley system and the necessary rack to play around with it. It will not exactly be the same and the workarounds might be not ideal, however, it is possible. I would also be very surprised if Rogue did not capitalize on the opportunity to deliver a system that combines the RM6 and Rhino to a fully built all-purpose gym station. Stay tuned for that one.
 
1x Monster Lite Rig @ 2.495$
 
A monster lite rig will provide you with
 
  • 4 Squat/ Bench Stations
  • 8 Pull up Stations
 
For less than the price for one lat pulldown machine. If you are aiming to open a small CrossFit gym this is the way to go. This also shows you that Rogue still has to work on optimizing their costs on building machines. The upshot is that you will get a machine that is fully made in the US. If you work for the government this might even be a requirement for purchase. 
 

Conclusion

The Rogue Monster lat pull down is a very solid machine for your gym. If you do not want to compromise and attract the biggest and best athletes to your gym, this is the one to go for. 
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