Rogue Monster Lat pull down stand alone vs TITAN t bar row machine
This is a comparison of the Rogue Monster Lat pull and the TITAN T bar row machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN T bar row machine $489
This is an overview of the TITAN T bar row 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 T bar row machine
The
TITAN T bar row machine is their take on a classic in every gym. Most movie montages with bodybuilders will include some type of the
t bar row and with good reason. The
T bar row is a staple in building bigger backs and putting on mass. With a dedicated station for
T bar rows you save time for the setup and can go heavier. This station takes up considerable space and therefore might be not the best option for a home gym. In my opinion a commercial gym that wants to provide strength to their clients absolutely needs one of these. The full specifications of the
TITAN T bar row machine are:
- Dual diamond plated footplates for grip
- Vertical and horizontal grip handles with a durable rubber grip
- Adjustable handle height
- Includes holes for bolting the machine to the floor
- Olympic sized weight plate holders
- Tough, solid steel construction is long-lasting and dependable
- Powder-coated paint job prevents rust and early scuffing
- Overall Height: 22.5-in.
- Overall Length: 39.5-in.
- Overall Width: 85-in.
- Footplate Dimensions: 15.75-in x 8.65-in.
- Grip Handle Diameter: 25 mm.
- Weight Sleeve Length: 12.7-in.
- Knurling: Medium Diamond Texture
- Finish: Powder-Coated Black
- Material: 2-in x 2-in 11-GA Steel
- Weight Capacity: 440 lb.
- Product Weight: 150 lb.
This is a great addition to any commercial gym that has the space.
Pros of the TITAN T bar row machine
One of the main advantages of buying from TITAN fitness is that they undercut their competition on most of their products by half. The
T bar row is no exception in this. As a
T bar row station is no rocket science to build, you should try to save some money on it. Where I would lean towards spending a little more are
belt squat machines,
barbells, and
functional trainers. These take a little more care and engineering to build well.
The frame of the
T Bar row is heavy and can take big weights and athletes. If you have people rowing multiple
plates on a regular basis,this is the machine to get.
A big advantage of
T bar rows is that you can load them very heavy fairly easy. With a
barbell you always need to load on both ends, while with a
T bar row you can just keep adding at the front. With the station it also means that the pin rests in a place where you can immediately add
plates without the need to jack up a
barbell.
Compared to
barbell rows
t bar rows also behave a little differently as the weight moves inside the athlete's frame rather than outside of it. It is a minor thing, but it can be nice to break the routine and row on a
t bar, rather than with a
barbell.
Cons of the TITAN T bar row machine
The main point against a T-Bar row machine is that it eats up a lot of space to only do one thing.
Barbell rows can pretty much do the same thing and also leave more room for variations. This makes the
T Bar row a bad choice for home gyms that need to save space. Here a landmine combined with a
barbell handle for
t bar rows comes in handy.
The price of a
T bar row machine is hard to justify, if you already have
plates and a
barbell. With this equipment you can build your back and row the heck out of your body to get bigger already.
Alternatives for the TITAN T bar row machine
The
TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench is a very specific machine that minimizes the activation of the entire body in the row to focus on the back only. This is popular with powerlifters and strongmen, but not necesserily the best machine to get for the average commercial gym. It also puts your body at a 45 degree angle to make the exercise more stable and challenging.
The
TITAN Adjustable prone row machine is a variation on the
barbell row which allows full extension of the arms when rowing while lying flat. This is also a good exercise for building your back which is popular among powerlifters and bodybuilders. Therefore this machine is more geared towards the "hardcore" gyms rather than the more mainstream ones. In a home gym setting you might give up too much space for a machine that can only do one thing.
The
plate loaded seated row is a classic you find in many gyms up and down the country. If you have a spacious home gym this is an option as it takes up little space compared to other machines. For a commercial setting i think one of these is a must. In very frequented commercial gyms you might want to consider a version with its own weight stack rather than a
plate loaded one to save time for your customers.
The Rogue T bar machine is the direct competitor of the
TITAN T bar row. The price difference between the TITAN and Rogue version is $200. If you only want to do T bar rows, get the TITAN version and save yourself $200. The main difference in design is that the Rogue version also allows for band pegs to be used so you can do banded rows. If you are big into the west side method in your gym, get the Rogue one instead, as attaching bands to the TITAN version is awkward at best. Remember to add the band pegs to your order with Rogue as there are none included on the T bar row order (on
rack orders this happens automatically).
If you want to
T bar row in your home gym, try to get the cheapest landmine attachment for your
rack and a handle for your
barbell. Also keep the handle relatively small so that it is easy to store. Otherwise it will just be in the way most of the times. For a homegym that only fits a
rack, this is the best option to do
T bar rows. In a home gym you also do not have to worry that you will wreck the equipment for setting it up for the
T bar row.
Conclusion for the TITAN T bar row machine
The
TITAN T bar row machine is a great option for any commercial gym to save cost and still provide a proper
t bar row to their clients, I personally think a
T bar row machine is a requirement for a commercial gym that has the necessary floor space. Get rid of one of the many bench stations most of the big gyms have and install a
T bar row instead. The general gym rat population should do more rows anyway. In a home gym scenario the
T bar row is a massive one trick pony that eats into your space. Attach a landmine to your
rack instead and get a handle while minimizing cost on thise. If you are not careful you might shell out up to $500 on these two items in total so try to keep it cheap, unless money is not an issue for you.
Overview and review of the Rogue Monster Lat pull down stand alone
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.
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.
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.