Rogue Monster Lite Rig 2.0 vs TITAN power tower bench
This is a comparison between the Rogue Monster Lite rig and the TITAN power tower bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN power tower bench 188.99
This is an overview of the TITAN power tower bench 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 power tower bench
The
power tower bench is a variation of the multiple power towers that TITAN has in their line up. This version will also make it possible to do bench press motions and flyes while lying down. Combined with a pair of
dumbbells it takes care of many of the shortfalls of a regular power tower as the bench gives you access to a wider arrange of exercises to get to your goals. The downside is that this power tower will eat up more space because of its T shape than a regular power tower. The full specifications of the
TITAN power tower bench are:
- Full size bench
- Adjustable j-cups
- Dip station
- Multi-grip pull up bar
- Push-up handles
- Length: 79 1/2"
- Width: 34"
- Height: 86 1/2"
- Bench Length: 43 1/2"
- Weight: 99 lbs
- Capacity: 350 lbs
This is a good training station if you do not go crazy with it. I would not recommend using at for barbell bench presses, especially not if you go very heavy, as the hole thing might tip over or you might get your fingers caught on the awkward hooks to rack the weight.
Pros of the TITAN power tower bench
The biggest advantage of this product is that you get a bench including a power tower. With many vendors in the market you would be ard pressed to even get a bench for this prize. Never mind an entire exercise station that can function as a gym in your home. For what it does the
TITAN power tower bench is great value for money.
Cons of the TITAN power tower bench
-
Racking hooks
-
Low weight
-
Space requirements
-
TITAN finish
The hooks for racking can be become a real health hazard. They are not optimized for racking a heavy
barbell including weights. The cups have a small metal disc in front to keep the
barbell in place. This can easily turn into a finger cutter if you have the pressure of a heavy
barbell and a metal disc with some fingers sandwiched between them.
The whole station also has a pretty low weight for hanging yourself from it. If you do not attach it to the ground or to the wall it is likely that you will topple it. Especially if you like to go apeshit when you are training. It is not a good idea to get the cheapest possible equipment and than put the maximum amount of stress on it except you want to break things and humans.
This
TITAN power tower bench will roughly take up the same amount of space as a small
power rack. As you can not put this outside in the rain based on the bench pad you might want to reconsider and save up a little longer to fill your home gym space with something proper.
In addition to all of this you always have to take the TITAN finish into account. TITAN is know for parts that won't fit or completely missing parts. If the bones of the product are already flimsy and you combine this with lax quality controls you get recipe that won't necessarily make you happy. It does not mean that you can not train with TITAN equipment, it just will not more caution and DIY to make it work compared to other vendors like Rogue and Eleiko.
Alternatives to the TITAN power tower bench
-
-
TITAN rack combo
-
Rogue jammer bar
The
TITAN outdoor power tower is built a little sturdier than the
TITAN power tower bench. It has also has been stripped off any parts that do not do well in the rain. In addition the tubing is a bit thicker as with the
power tower bench and an extra coating has been apllied. If you want to invest a little more and train outdoors this is the safer and better choice than the
power tower bench. The only downside is that you will not get a bench with your purchase.
The TITAN rack combo plays in a different league than the power tower, but you still get a bench and other options to train. Rack combos are aimed at powerlifting meets and are easy to assemble and transport. With the TITAN rack combo you save some money compared to the competition and do not take your fingers off when you are bench pressing. In return it can not be used for pull ups or dips.
The Rogue jammer bar is a great indoor pull up bar to put above your kitchen door. Whenever you walk through, you do as many pull ups as you can muster. Keeps the entire family fit, is safe and does not take up a lot of space. Nothing to not like about this product. Except the price as it costs the same as the
TITAN power tower bench.
Conclusion for the TITAN power tower bench
If you use the
TITAN power tower bench together with some light
dumbbells and do not play tarzan while hangin from it it is a good budget option to keep generally fit. Still, I am not a huge fan as the production is cheap, it takes up quite a bit of space and does none of the things it claims really well.
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.
Related articles
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.