Rogue Monster Lite Rig 2.0 vs TITAN chest supported t bar row machine
This is a comparison between the Rogue Monster Lite rig and the TITAN chest supported t bar row machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN chest supported T bar row machine $249
This is an overview of the TITAN chest supported 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 chest supported bar to row machine
The
chest supported to bar row machine from TITAN is the low budget version of the T bar row from TITAN. You will get a T bar row as you can find in many gyms around the country for a consumer price. This
chest supported T bar row has multiple handles to vary your workout and attack your back from multiple angles. Loading
plates is easier as with a
barbell as you can go directly from the front. The downsides of this machine are that it eats massively into your home gym space and the finish is not great. The full specifications of this machine are:
- Adjustable footplate and handle.
- Diamond plated footplate for grip.
- Fits Olympic Weights.
- High quality vinyl chest pad.
- Heavy gauge steel.
- Overall Footprint: 84-in x 43-in.
- Chest Pad: 20-in x 10-in.
- Footplate: 23.5-in x 17.5-in.
- Weight Sleeve Length: 13.5-in.
- Vertical Grip Length: 9-in.
- Vertical Grip Spread: 17.5-in.
- Horizontal Grip Length: 5.5-in.
- Horizontal Grip Spread: 20-in - 31-in.
- Product Weight: 103 lb.
You probably wont find a new T bar row machine for a lower price that still has a warranty. If you have the space at home or just want to throw an additional t bar row into your commercial gym you found the right address with this.
Pros of the TITAN chest supported bar T row machine
-
Low price
-
Multiple handles
This is a great machine for a home gym or a commercial gym to add to an already existing setup for a low price to vary the training more. T bar rows are great to build a bigger and more defined back or just go berserk after a challenging workout to finish off the day. This machine delivers without robbing you of a half months wage in the process.
Cons of the Titan chest supported T bar row machine
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Space requirements
-
Low weight
-
TITAN finish
The biggest con of this machine is that it eats up a lot of space. As it is build with relatively flimsy material to save cost it is more suited to home gym use. For that you have to give up quite a bit of space to make this one work where you could place a leg press or
belt squat machine. Those are two options I personally prefer any day over a T bar row as
barbell rows also do it for me.
The low weight of the
chest supported T bar row machine is also something to note. If you can T bar row 500 pounds and weigh 300 pounds yourself you might not want to do that on machine that only weighs 103 lbs. That is how nasty accidents happen so this machine is more suited to the general public rather than the hardcore Iron den. For this cases get the beefier T bar row from TITAN that still saves you money compared to the direct competition.
TITAN needs to cut corners to offer you the lowest possible pricing on industrial grade training equipment. This machine is no exception and some of the parts need to be forced for assembly. This does not take away from the functionality of the machine, but with TITAN there is usually some minor or even major problem for assembly. This makes this a better fit for gyms that do not care too much about optics and where the honor does not mind to do some DIY on the machines.
Alternatives to the Titan chest supported T bar row machine
The
TITAN T bar row machine is little more expensive than the
chest supported version, but weighs more. That makes it a more stable solution in a commercial setting where you have to account for extreme stupidity or performance. I personally would not feel great about leaving the smaller Tbar row unsupervised in a blind corner of the gym I own unless I use it myself.
The
TITAN plate loaded seated row is the safe option for building backs. You will get a little less back activation out of this machine while it is save and easy to use. Good option for spacious home gyms and I personally think a commercial gym without one of these is incomplete.
The Rogue lat pull machine is the current gold standard in the industry for a lat pull down. There are many variations on this machine and the one from Rogue is one of the most overbuilt you can find. As it also doubles up as a rowing machine it can address your needs to build a bigger back.
Conclusion for the Titan chest supported T bar row machine
This is a great machine for a home gym with space that wants to save money on building a full park of bodybuilding machines. When your space or limited or you have to account for stupid people who might ant to sue you, go for the bigger T bar row to be on the safe site.
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.
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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.
- 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
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$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.
Pros of the Rogue Monster Lite Rig
The monster lite rig gives you the freedom to play with many different configurations. It also comes in at a lower price than the
Monster series Rig which can help if you want to save costs. Most of the accessories for rigs also cost slightly less in the
Monster Lite version than the monster version. It will be easier to transport and disassemble than the
Monster rig if you have to that often.
Cons of the Rogue Monster lite Rig
The Monster Lite rig is not compatible with all Rogue
equipment. As Rogue is pushing into the machines space now expect that most of the heavy machinery will be only or firstly available for the
more stable monster construction. Also, some of the accessories you can get for the
Monster series might not be available. If you exactly know what your gym should look like and you will have no needs for future upgrades, go for
Monster Lite to optimize your price. If you are unsure how your gym and client base will develop, go with
Monster to leave you with more options.
Alternatives to the Monster lite series
Here are some alternatives to the
Monster lite series
which you can consider:
This is the minimum configuration of the big brother of the
Monster lite series
which includes:
- Base edition
- Rig length of 10'
You get the same
rig, just a bit more sturdy and with more upgrade options for the future. I am always a fan of overengineering when possible. Especially when you do not buy a long rig this upgrade makes sense as you only spend about 100$ more. The longer the rig gets, the more it hurts your purse to go for
Monster.
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.
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.