Rogue Monster Lat pull down vs Flip down safeties

This is a comparison between the Rogue Lat pull down and Rogue Flip down safeties including pros, cons, and alternatives. The Original was published in which accessory equipment to get for your rogue rack. Follow the links for details

Overview and review of the Rogue Flip down safeties

The Flip down safety comes in at $385 and is a great addition to your existing rack to widen the possible exercises you can do. This article was originally published in "which accessory equipment to get for your rogue rack".

Overview of the Flipdown safeties

The rogue flip down safeties are the rolls Royce of the safety pins you can get from Rogue. They are easy to adjust in height and provide a better platform for your rack pulls and pin pulls than safety pins or belts. They can be combined with the utility seat and LT1 50 cal short arms to create many different applications. The full set includes:

Made in Columbus, Ohio
Sold in Pairs
3 x 3" 11-Gauge Steel
Holes 2” on center
Protective UHMW plastic to protect the bar
Easy slide-in and lock-down installation
Includes (2) Monster Hitchpins
Can also be used as a pulling platform
Color: Black
Length 43”
Width 3”

If you want to secure yourself in a rack with style this is the way to go.

Pros of the flipdown safeties

The flip-down safeties will take many beatings before they break. While the safety pins will warp slightly after a full drop of a weight, the flip-down safeties will stand tall. For pin squats and rack pulls they will also provide a better and more stable platform than pins and belts.

Cons of the flipdown safeties

The flip down safeties are more expensive and weigh more than the safety belts and pins. This can be of disadvantage when you have to buy multiple units or have many beginners working out at your gym.

Alternatives to the flipdown safeties

Alternatives to the flip-down safeties are

Most rogue racks ship with safety pins as a standard. Pay attention to the detailed descriptions and if you are in doubt ask their customer support before the purchase.

Safety belts are another variation on pins. Their advantage is that they will not warp when you drop a weight from a high height in them. I personally find them hard to adjust for pin squats and rack pulls and prefer the pins or flip down safeties.

Summary of the Flipdown safeties

The flip-down safeties are a great investment, especially if you do not have to but multiple racks and can use the budget for yourself only.

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.

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.