Rogue monster lite pull up spheres vs grandfather clock grip

This is a comparison between the Rogue monster lite pull up spheres and the grandfather clock grip including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which grip strength tool to get from Rogue. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue Grandfather clock grip system

This is an overview of the Rogue Grandfather clock grip system including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which grip strength tool to get from Rogue. Follow the links for more details.

Overview of the Grandfather Clock grip system

Price: $56.50

The grandfather clock grip system is part of the grip system of Rogue. This system includes the Pinch blocks, cannonballs grips, grandfather clock, and globe. The grandfather attachments are one of the easiest out of the line up to master whereas the pinch blocks and the globe are at the harder end of the spectrum. The full specifications of this item are:

Made in the USA
Length: 6"
Diameter: 1.875"
Steel tube with welded loop
Available to order with Rogue Grip System (straps and carabiners)
Color: Black
Knurling: None
Applications: Towel Grip Pull-Ups, Farmer’s Carries, and more

This is a great addition to any gym framed by the rogue grip system. Ideally, you get all components in the set.

Pros of the Grandfather clock grip system

Pros of the grandfather clock grip system:

Versatile
Easy to use
Cheap

Compared to other options to train your strength, the grandfather clock grip is relatively cheap. It can also be attached to various weights or racks using the strap and carabiner system from Rogue. This makes it easy to use, install, and transport. Not a lot you can do wrong with these.

Cons of the grandfather clock grip system

Cons of the grandfather clock grip system are:

Unstable
Shorter than a climbing rope
Easy to lose

The grandfather clock system is a great way to simulate rope climbs if you have low ceilings. Still, they are not a rope and therefore provide only a simulation and not the real thing. The grips will also be quite wobbly. If you don’t like this in your training go with an alternative that is attached to the rack like the spheres or the crown pull up bar. Apart from all of this, if you have a big gym, travel a lot, or have a lot of people using these grips, it is easy to lose them.

Alternatives to the grandfather clock grip system

Alternatives to the grandfather clock grip system are:

The Rogue climbing cross-member simulates a climbing wall on your rogue rack. A couple of these will work best when installed on a longer rig or daisy-chained racks. This setup is only minimally more expensive at $85 and provides stable grips which will be more challenging for your finger strength. This is the better option when you want to train for actual climbing and you do not want to get every tool under the sun.

A climbing rope is a classic tool to train grip and arm strength. A good rope climber always has a strong grip, too. When I used to do Judo semi-professionally we always ended the session with ten ropes in camp. They are a great tool as long as you have a high ceiling. If you do not have a high ceiling or want to avoid heights, then the grandfather grips are an alternative, but no replacement for the real thing.

The crown pull up bar is the best pull up attachment you can get for your rack. In terms of value for money, you get many different grip variations for only $225. If you were to buy all the attachments to get to the same amount of variety you would pay more. You will get narrow, wide, and neutral pull-up setups and two different sized spheres.

The cannonball and pinch blocks are better options if you already have a climbing rope and want to save money. I see the pinch blocks, cannonball grips, and grandfather as a whole to be bought together and not separately. However, that can bring the bill to $300 -$500, which not everyone is willing to pay. If you get the whole set for your home gym, you will not regret it as it is versatile and keeps grip training interesting.

Conclusion for the grandfather clock grip system

The grandfather clock grip system is the best option from rogue to compress rope climbing into a confined. Combined with the pinch blocks and cannonballs you get a powerful grip orchestra. If you have space, hang a rope from your high ceiling to get even better results.

Overview and review of the Rogue monster lite pull up spheres

This is an overview of the Rogue Monster pull up spheres including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which grip strength tool to get from Rogue. Follow the links for more details.

Overview of the Rogue monster lite pull up spheres

Price: $57.50

The rogue monster pull up spheres are compatible with the monster lite and I do its racks and rigs from Rogue. You can combine several spheres on a rig to create a nice climbing Parcours or attach them to your rack to train your grip. The spheres are available in two sizes for progression. The full specifications of the spheres are:

Made in America
Diameter options: 5"
Sold in Pairs
9-gauge Steel Construction with Black Powdercoat
Compatible with standard RML-3, RML-4, RML-6 Power Racks and Monster Lite Rigs with XML-70 Beam or 43" Monster Lite crossmembers
Thread optimized for 3" depth tubing of a crossmember/upright with 0.625" diameter holes
For safety reasons, any rack should be securely fastened to the ground before using Pull-Up Spheres

This is a little extra, especially in a facility with a long rig to switch things around a little.

Pros of the rogue monster lite pull up spheres

The pros of the rogue monster lite pull up spheres are:

Cheap
Compact
Nice switch up

The monster lite spheres are relatively cheap for Rogue equipment. At $50 you get a nice pair which will do you or your clients a great service for getting a better grip. They are easy to install and can be lit in different places, especially in a big rig or daisy-chained racks. They are also a nice alternative to a regular pull up bar.

Cons of the rogue monster lite pull up spheres

Cons of the rogue monster lite spheres are:

Need to be attached to a rack
Not compatible with monster series

Compared to other grip strength options the spheres only work in conjunction with a rack. That makes their use cases limited compared to the very similar cannonball grips. You can also not use them with the rogue monster series which is currently taking over the Rogue Production lines.

Alternatives to the rogue monster lite pull up spheres

Alternatives to the rogue monster lite pull up spheres are:

The crown pull up bar comes in at $225-$255 depending on your type of rack. With this, you get two different sized spheres and all the straight pull up setups you can think of. The only downsides are the price and that it is not great for kipping pull-ups. This is a great option for any home gym owner to make the most of their space.

The cannonball grips are al ist the same idea as the spheres with the bonus that they can also be attached to barbells, kettlebells, and dumbbells. If you are more thinking about your grip strength than developing a better pull up, these might be the more versatile option with a very similar outcome. You will also not need to have a rack to attach them to.

The rogue climbing crossmember comes in at $85 and can be attached to the monster ted lite or monster series of Rogue. If you wanted to provide climbing options for your existing rig, this is the better option than the spheres. You pay minimally more and get many more grip options. For home gyms this probably the inferior choice as they usually lack the width or height to make the climbing crossmember fun.

Conclusion for the rogue monster lite pull up spheres

The pull up spheres are a nice addition in a corner of a big rig where you do not know what else to do to make it a little more exciting. They are also a good option when you want something a little wider in diameter than the cannonball grips. Otherwise, a crown pull up bar and/ cannonball might be the better investment for a home gym and the climbing crossmember for a commercial gym.