Rogue Monster Lite Rig 2.0 vs TITAN bicep / tricep curl machine

This is a comparison between the Rogue Monster Lite rig and the TITAN bicep / tricep curl machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN bicep / tricep curl machine $329

This is an overview of the TITAN bicep /tricep 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 bicep / tricep curl machine

The TITAN bicep / tricep machine is a classic machine you will find in most gyms all over the country. The swing arm can be adjusted so that you either pull the weight up or push it away while having your arms on a preacher curl bench. There is also an adjustable seat included and the machine is plate loaded. A curl machine works to build bigger biceps and triceps. It might eat up too much space in some gyms, as these exercises can also be done with dumbbells. The full specifications of this machine are:

- Bicep curls and Tricep extensions in one machine

- Olympic style plate loadable

- High-quality vinyl padding to minimize discomfort

- Heavy-duty steel frame construction

- Intuitive adjustable pin design

- Bolt-together assembly is fast and easy

- Overall Height: 39-in.

- Overall Width: 33-in.

- Overall Length: 44.25-in.

- Loadable Sleeve Length: 9.75-in

- Handle Grip Length: 8.5-in. (each)

- Overall Handle Length: 22.75-in.

- Adjustable Seat Height: 16-in - 21-in

This is a great machine for a good price to build your arms. It can be used in a commercial setting and home gym alike as it does not eat up too much space.

Pros of the TITAN bicep / tricep curl machine

The pros of the TITAN bicep / tricep machine are:

Isolated movement
Plate loaded
Easy to use

The TITAN bicep / tricep machine is great to isolate the bicep and tricep. Compared to dumbbell movements there is a smaller likelihood of you activating other muscle groups than the arm muscles to complete your repetitions. This makes this machine great for sets with as many repetitions as possible on a lighter weight to really feel the burn.

The plate loaded design saves cost in home gyms or gyms that mainly offer plate loaded machines. This way you do not pay the weight stack in each machine and can work with the plates you already have.

The mechanics of this bicep / tricep curl machine are easy to use and robust. There are only a few moving parts which makes it easy to assemble and adjust.

Cons of the TITAN bicep / tricep curl machine

The cons of the bicep / tricep curl machine are:

Space requirements
One trick pony
Plate loaded

While this is a small machine it still takes up some footprint in your gym. If you have very little space and can only fit a squat rack in your room, this is not an option and can be replaced with dumbbells.

While the TITAN bicep / tricep curl machine is great at what it does, it still only does this one thing. There are other machines from TITAN that give you more variety with their two in one design.

While a plate loaded machine is great when you are the only one using your gym it can be tricky in a crowded public scenario. Loading plates and transporting them takes more time and also can lead to multiple tripping hazards. In such scenarios a machine with an integrated weight stack is the better option.

Alternatives to the TITAN bicep / tricep curl machine

TITAN Preacher curl station
TITAN dumbbells

The TITAN preacher curl station does the same as the bicep / tricep curl machine. You will need to get an EZ bar in addition to get the most out of this. If you are into a training station for your arms it is a par between the preacher curl station and the bicep / tricep curl machine in terms of cost, space and footprint (if you factor in the bar). Here you have to decide whether you prefer a free weight or machine type of style of training.

TITAN dumbbells are a lot more versatile than the bicep / tricep curl stations and also come at alter price point. If you want to do your curls while seated you have to factor in the price of a bench.

Conclusion for the TITAN bicep / tricep curl machine

This is a great machine and any gym that has the space should get the bicep / tricep curl machine or a preacher curl station. If you do not have the space you can do the exercises with dumbbells I stead while standing or kneeling in front of your bench.

Overview and review of the Rogue Monster Lite Rig 2.0

Price: 1.795$ - 5.095$

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 lite rig is a good start to your home gym or commercial gym targeted at the general public. See the details in this article.

Overview of the Rogue Monster lite rig

The Monster Lite Rig is the little brother of the Monster Rig. The main difference is that the bolts and holes which are used to attach equipment are smaller. Monster lite uses the same 4'-6'-4' pattern as the Monster series. You will get 3x3'' 11-Gauge steel uprights for a solid base to built your gym around.

With the 2.0 upgrade, you are now able to choose different colors for your rig. Rogue also worked on the overall stability of their rigs compared to earlier models including different beams. The double pull up bars have been swapped for single pull up bars to make muscle ups easier to perform. The main ideas of the rigs are that you customize them in many different ways to your personal needs. You will get to choose from three different editions which are:

Base 2.0 Edition
Standard 2.0 Edition
Racked 2.0 edition

which are increasing in price as more material is used in each of these versions.

The base 2.0 edition comes with double pull up bars at the top for stability and to do pull-ups. This version is the most cost-efficient and leaves the most room around the beams to allow free movement. If you are on a budget and do a lot of cardio drills which are mixed with weightlifting and pull-ups. This is great for a gym with members who do are not much interested in powerlifting and whose fitness levels are not very high. The downsides of the base edition are less stability compared to other versions and obstructions when you want to do muscle ups. You also have fewer options to upgrade in the feature as the top beams do not provide holes to attach additional equipment too.

The standard edition mainly changes the top part of your rig. The double pull-up bars are swapped for beams. This frees up space for muscle ups along the rig, gives it more stability and options to attach extra equipment at the top of the rig. Examples can be climbing ropes and the Rogue climbing boards. You still keep the option to move freely around at the bottom. This is the right choice for gyms that have a bit more budget, want more upgrade possibilities while still being able to move around freely. If your members are gradually getting fitter you also might consider changing a base model to standard model.

The racked edition gives you the most amount of metal for the Monster Lite rig. You will create half racks at the back of each squat/bench station. This also provides more options for storage and more stability to the entire rig. If you have a lot of big football players around who move heavy weight and do little to no pull-ups or running around in the gym, this is the configuration to get. The downside of the racked edition is that any kind of running inside the rig for circuit training is not possible. You will also have a harder time to maximize the number of people doing pull-ups in parallel.

The Rig is available in 10', 14', 20', and 24' from Rogue. It can be prolonged to whichever length you want based on your available space. The combination of the edition and length will determine the price. The longer the Rig and the more material is used, the higher the price tag will be. With these various lengths you can create the following stations for your gym:

10'
- 2 Squat/Bench stations
- 5 pull up stations
14'
- 4 Squat/Bench stations
- 6 Pull up stations
20'
- 4 Squat/Bench stations
- 9 Pull up stations
24'
- 6 Squat/Bench stations
- 10 pull up stations

The more clients you have in the same session, the longer the rig should be.

Take some time to think about what you are planning in advance.

How many clients should the Monster lite Rig bring you

If you think that the Monster lite Rig will bring you 6 -17 new clients who pay you 50$ on a 1-year retainer it is worth the investment. This will yield 3590$ - 10.190$ net new revenue against an investment of 1.795 - 5095$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.

Pros of the Rogue Monster Lite Rig

The monster lite rig gives you the freedom to play with many different configurations. It also comes in at a lower price than the Monster series Rig which can help if you want to save costs. Most of the accessories for rigs also cost slightly less in the Monster Lite version than the monster version. It will be easier to transport and disassemble than the Monster rig if you have to that often.

Cons of the Rogue Monster lite Rig

The Monster Lite rig is not compatible with all Rogue equipment. As Rogue is pushing into the machines space now expect that most of the heavy machinery will be only or firstly available for the more stable monster construction. Also, some of the accessories you can get for the Monster series might not be available. If you exactly know what your gym should look like and you will have no needs for future upgrades, go for Monster Lite to optimize your price. If you are unsure how your gym and client base will develop, go with Monster to leave you with more options.

Alternatives to the Monster lite series

Here are some alternatives to the Monster lite series which you can consider:

1x Monster Rig low end @ 1845$

This is the minimum configuration of the big brother of the Monster lite series which includes:

Base edition
Rig length of 10'

You get the same rig, just a bit more sturdy and with more upgrade options for the future. I am always a fan of overengineering when possible. Especially when you do not buy a long rig this upgrade makes sense as you only spend about 100$ more. The longer the rig gets, the more it hurts your purse to go for Monster.

1x Monster Rig High End @ 6.095$

This is the maximum you can go to on the Monster Rig. As you can see the difference in price between the maximum config for Monster Lite and Monster is 1.000$. Pay special attention to these economies of scale when you are outfitting a very big gym. You also might want to consider buying separate RM6 racks instead of a Rig, when you already see a need for so many heavy duty squat/bench stations. That leaves you with more options to utilize your space as you are probably not going to run around a lot in this config anyway.

1x RM6 @ 2.000$

The rogue RM 6 might be an alternative for home gym owner. Think about how likely it will actually be that all of the family will train at the same time in the garage or basement gym. It is probably a lot less than you think. In this case, it might be a better alternative to get an RM6 instead of a 14' Rig to accommodate the needs of your family. If you run your personal trainer business from home ask your self how many clients will you have at the same time and what are their needs. You can get up to three people on an RM6 to train in parallel and save some depth in your basement.

Conclusion

The Rogue Monster lite Rig is still a very sturdy build, even though it has a bigger brother with the Monster Series. When you want to build a very long rig this might be the better option than the Monster series. This is the go to option for mere mortals who do not weigh 140kg and deadlift 900 pounds.