Rogue Monster Lite Rig 2.0 vs TITAN lat tower
This is a comparison between the Rogue Monster Lite rig and the TITAN lat tower including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN Lat tower $1299
This is an overview of the TITAN lat tower including pros, cons and alternatives. This article with originally posted in Which gym machine to get from TITAN. Follow the links for additional information.
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Overview of the TITAN lat tower
The
TITAN lat tower is a low budget clone of the Rogue lat pull. You can increase the weight from 10lbs to 300lbs in increments. With this machine you can train vertical and horizontal pulls to build a bigger back. It includes a seat which is great if you want to go very heavy. If you just get a pulley tower without an attached seat you need an extra bench. This makes the setup awkward, especially when you go heavy. This is a good machine for dedicated powerlifters and bodybuilders who really want to blow up your back. Any commercial gym worth their salt should have at least one of these. A home gym might consider more versatile pulleys to make better use of space. The full specifications of the
TITAN lat tower are:
- Selector style weights from 10 - 300 LB.
- 6 Thigh pad and 8 footplate positions.
- Band pegs for adding resistance bands.
- High quality steel construction and powder coated for a smooth durable finish.
- Lat bar and low pull handle included.
- Floor Dimensions: 41" Wide x 57" Deep
- Overall Height: 87"
- Footplate Dimensions: 17" x 9"
- Lat Bar Width: 42"
- Lat Bar Diameter: 1"
- Low Pull Handle Width: 14"
- Low Pull Handle Diameter: 1"
- Weight: 530 LB
This is a great lat pull machine for this price. Compared to anything you will get on Amazon this thing is sturdy and can take a beast hanging from it going nuts. Compared to direct competitors for a similar machine you save $800. If you are in the market for one of these there is very little not to like about the TITAN lat tower.
Pros of the TITAN Lat tower
-
Price
-
Design
-
Lat bar included
As with anything from TITAN you save considerable money compared to similar products from the competition. The Rogue Lat pull down retails for $2000 and is basically the same machine with some minor differences. If you want to build a great home gym on a budget $800 can go a long way and should not be sneered at.
Even though the design is more or less copied it doesn't make it bad. With this
lat tower you get a rowing machine and a lat pull machine in one. Especially for people who already own a
rack and want to go heavy on developing their back, this is a great machine which covers all of these needs in a compact way.
On top of this the lat bar is included which can cost up to $200 if you source it separately and get a high quality bar.
Cons of the TITAN Lat tower
-
Finish
-
Space requirements
-
Price
As with many TITAN fitness products, TITAN cuts some corners to offer these at half the price of the competition. This is usually reflected in the quality of their staff, manuals and consistency of the finish of their products. As most fitness equipment is not high precision formula 1 gear this is not the end of the world but can get annoying if you are not good at DIY. Compared to Rogue the weights often do not work as smooth, some of the seating positions do not click as well. Its like the difference between an Audi RS4 and a Subaru Impreza. You will get both cars to go fast around corners. The Audi will just be more comfortable and easier to handle for the non professional.
Compared to a
functional trainer or
rack, the
TITAN lat tower takes up approximately the same amount of floor space, while giving you less versatility. If you are mainly concerned with space constraints, a
lat tower is not a great choice. It is a better choice then many other machines but is inferior to a
functional trainer or
rack depending on your preferences in training style.
At a price point of $1299 the
TITAN lat tower is still a considerable investment for a machine that is mainly geared toward accessory exercises. For less money you can get a concept 2 rower or Spin bike and make your gym more functional overall.
Alternatives to the TITAN lat tower
The
plate loadable lat tower is another option from TITAN which saves you $800 if you already own
plates compared to the
Lat tower. If you have a home gym and already own a
rack with weights and do not mind some DIY and a little more setup, the
plate loadable lat tower is a great alternative to the
TITAN lat tower. It will be more prone to break and have a more makeshift feel about it overall, but it keeps another $800 in your pocket to take your partner out or invest in more equipment.
The
TITAN plate loadable crossover machine costs less and leaves you with more options to use two pulleys with
plates. If you have the space in your gym and you do not want to go heavy on vertical pulls this is an option. I am personally not a fan of
cable crossovers unless for chops for your core, but if you are not a free weight fanatic like me, this might be for you.
The
wall mounted pulley tower is the ultimate budget option for vertical pulls from TITAN this comes in at under $200 to train your back and lats. It will need more DIY skills as it needs to be drilled into a sturdy wall. Avoid plaster walls with this one. It will do the job, but the cables are very exposed and easily tangled. Good for beginners, but if you already are 300lbs of fine muscle, do not get a machine that barely weighs more than your daughter and maybe even less than your partner (75lb).
The
TITAN functional trainer is probably the better option if you are worried about space and do not want to go super heavy on your pulls. This machine is a fully functioning gym itself, even though some of the setups, especially for squats, can be awkward. It takes up the same amount of space as the
Lat tower. If you go for the
plate loadable version it even costs less than the
lat tower, assuming you already have
plates. Otherwise you would have to factor their purchase into the overall costs.
Conclusion for the TITAN Lat tower
The
TITAN lat tower is a great option for the home gym of the dedicated Arnold or Ed Coan in wait. It is also a great option for commercial gyms that are looking for good,sturdy equipment that will take beating at a reasonable price. Anyone who needs to optimize for space should stay away from this as a
functional trainer or
rack would be a better option. If budget is not of concern, the Rogue lat pull will be more refined option but only if your of the mindset to only get the best in class or $800 is only spare change to you. This is a great buy for anyone who means business, has space, and still wants to protect their wallet.
Overview and review of the Rogue Monster Lite Rig 2.0
Price: 1.795$ - 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.