Rogue power pin vs neutral grip

This is a comparison between the Rogue power pin and the neutral 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 neutral grip

This is an overview of the Rogue neutral 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.

Related articles

Overview of the Rogue Neutral grip

Price: $65

The rogue neutral grip is an addition to Rogue racks that come standard with the fat skinny bar. With this attachment, you can do neutral grip pull-ups for a small price of $65. Compared to other options it is probably one of the cheaper ones. The full specifications of the Rogue neutral grip are:

Handle Length: 7"
Handle Diameter: 1.25"
Overall Height: 11"
Not compatible with Rogue monster

This is a good quick fix if you do not mind some scratches on your equipment.

Pros of the Rogue neutral grip

Pros of the rogue neutral grip are:

Fast
Cheap
Small

This is an easy setup to quickly do neutral pull-ups on Rogue setup that otherwise would not allow for pull-ups or would need a wrench to swap cross members/attachments. Just throw them on and get going. With a little bit of tale attached to them, you can also avoid the scratching through the metal to metal contact.

Cons of the Rogue neutral grip

Cons of the rogue neutral grip are:

Unstable
Metal to metal contact
Not versatile

These grips will go into your monster lite or infinity rack but will not be as clean and secure as a proper pull-up bar. It can shift a little and therefore also scratch your rack. In addition, it will be cumbersome to attach these hooks to any other weight to lift it which makes them pretty much single-use.

Alternatives to the rogue neutral grip

Alternatives to the rogue neutral grip:

The Rogue XM43 neutral grip rotating pull up attachment is a full specialized pull-up attachment for the monster lite and monster series. Compared to the neutral grips it can be wrenched onto a cross-member, has rotating handles, and several positions to work from. This is the professional tool from Rogue for a neutral grip from a rack rather than the makeshift pins for $60. with $445 it also costs more than seven times more than the simple grips.

The crown pull up bar is an attachment for the rogue monster lite and monster series that provides a neutral grip pull up setup amongst others. You will also get several other pull up setups and two different sized spheres. If straight pull-ups are your jam, this is a very good attachment to invest in. The crown would be an investment of $225.

A multi-grip cross-member is an option that can be attached at the top of your rack. With this, you have several grip width options for a neutral grip in a stable setup. As long as your ceiling is high enough and you want to neutral grip pull-ups this comes in at $182.50 and is, therefore, great value for money option as an alternative to the neutral grips. In this setup, you will also not scratch the existing rack.

Conclusion for the rogue neutral grip

The Rogue neutral grip is a good quick fix when you have quite a few of the parallel fat/skinny bars which Rogue used to deliver with their racks in the past. With the monster lite and monster racks series this item becomes shipped far less and therefore did not age well. The fact, that the neutral grips scratch the existing material does not make it a preferred option if you can invest a little more money. I would always prefer to attach a crown pull-up bar or XM 43M multi-grip cross member to achieve the same result.

Overview and review of the Rogue power pin

This is an overview of the Rogue power pin 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 power pin

Price: $136.50

The Rogue Power pin is a simple tool for narrow grip deadlifts like the power stairs or duck walks. It is mainly a tool for strongmen training and can also be used to improve your grip in general. It can be loaded up to 500lbs and there is also a ring attachment for it for $50. This is a practical, small tool to especially train weight holds in your home gym or simulate some strongman events. The full specifications are:

Made in America
Diameter: 1.96" loading pin, 4.5" ring
Length: 12" loadable length
Weight:12.5LB, 500+LB weight capacity
10 holes spaced 1” on center for an adjustable height range of 19.75” to 28.75”
Black Powder Coat Finish
Available as Fully Assembled Unit or Just Handle (for use with original Rogue Power Pin)

A small amount of money well spent to put some variety into your deadlift training.

Pros of the Rogue power pin

Pros of the rogue power pin are:

Good price

Simple effective tool

Good finish

With these kinds of tools, it is all about making them easy to use and fit well with the plates. Rogue did a good job on the detail which otherwise can turn something simple into something useless. If you are considering a trap bar a power pin is cheaper and more fun to use.

Cons of the rogue power pin

Cons of the rogue power pin are:

Only loadable to 500lbs
Not versatile

The power pin can only be loaded to 500lb. While this is more than enough for most humans, this is a tool that will also raise interest for the strongest among us. They may want something that can take even more weight. In addition, the only thing you will do with the power pin is to pull something off the floor. For $140 you have other options like jumping ropes or slam balls that can be used in more ways.

Alternatives to the Rogue power pin

Alternatives to the rogue power pin are:

The rogue trap bar would be another way to vary your deadlift and grip training. A trap bar would still enable you to lift the weight with your arms outside the legs. This is usually a better variation for beginners. A trap bar can also be loaded with more weight. Downsides to a trap bar are the bigger price tag and space requirements.

The anvil grip attachment is an interesting twist on deadlifts and holds. You will need a power pin to make it work but it will be worth it. It is shaped like a cone and comes in two different colors, black, and chrome. This is a great tool to collect with other grip strength utensils to let nothing escape your hands.

If you want to get your core more rigid to be able to pick up things from the ground faster and stronger you can also get a decently sized MK D-ball. For the budget of the power pin, you can get a 40lb to 50lb ball. This leaves with more options for carries, slams, ball to shoulders, and similar exercises. The downside is that the ball can not be adjusted for weight and trains your grip less.

The dinnie rings are more an accessory to the power pin rather than an alternative. The dinnie rings in combination with two pins are probably the best way to simulate the famous Scottish stone lift at home and prepare for it.

Conclusion for the Rogue power pin

The rogue power pin is a cost and space-efficient way to mix up your deadlift and grip training if you already have the necessary plates. If you are only starting your grip strength journey you might be better off buying pinch blocks and cannonballs to start as you will not need Kanye’s to make them work.