Rogue RM 390F Flat Foot Monster Rack vs TITAN T bar row machine
This is a comparison between the Rogue RM 390F Flat foot rack and the TITAN T bar row machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN T bar row machine $489
This is an overview of the TITAN 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 T bar row machine
The
TITAN T bar row machine is their take on a classic in every gym. Most movie montages with bodybuilders will include some type of the
t bar row and with good reason. The
T bar row is a staple in building bigger backs and putting on mass. With a dedicated station for
T bar rows you save time for the setup and can go heavier. This station takes up considerable space and therefore might be not the best option for a home gym. In my opinion a commercial gym that wants to provide strength to their clients absolutely needs one of these. The full specifications of the
TITAN T bar row machine are:
- Dual diamond plated footplates for grip
- Vertical and horizontal grip handles with a durable rubber grip
- Adjustable handle height
- Includes holes for bolting the machine to the floor
- Olympic sized weight plate holders
- Tough, solid steel construction is long-lasting and dependable
- Powder-coated paint job prevents rust and early scuffing
- Overall Height: 22.5-in.
- Overall Length: 39.5-in.
- Overall Width: 85-in.
- Footplate Dimensions: 15.75-in x 8.65-in.
- Grip Handle Diameter: 25 mm.
- Weight Sleeve Length: 12.7-in.
- Knurling: Medium Diamond Texture
- Finish: Powder-Coated Black
- Material: 2-in x 2-in 11-GA Steel
- Weight Capacity: 440 lb.
- Product Weight: 150 lb.
This is a great addition to any commercial gym that has the space.
Pros of the TITAN T bar row machine
One of the main advantages of buying from TITAN fitness is that they undercut their competition on most of their products by half. The
T bar row is no exception in this. As a
T bar row station is no rocket science to build, you should try to save some money on it. Where I would lean towards spending a little more are
belt squat machines,
barbells, and
functional trainers. These take a little more care and engineering to build well.
The frame of the
T Bar row is heavy and can take big weights and athletes. If you have people rowing multiple
plates on a regular basis,this is the machine to get.
A big advantage of
T bar rows is that you can load them very heavy fairly easy. With a
barbell you always need to load on both ends, while with a
T bar row you can just keep adding at the front. With the station it also means that the pin rests in a place where you can immediately add
plates without the need to jack up a
barbell.
Compared to
barbell rows
t bar rows also behave a little differently as the weight moves inside the athlete's frame rather than outside of it. It is a minor thing, but it can be nice to break the routine and row on a
t bar, rather than with a
barbell.
Cons of the TITAN T bar row machine
The main point against a T-Bar row machine is that it eats up a lot of space to only do one thing.
Barbell rows can pretty much do the same thing and also leave more room for variations. This makes the
T Bar row a bad choice for home gyms that need to save space. Here a landmine combined with a
barbell handle for
t bar rows comes in handy.
The price of a
T bar row machine is hard to justify, if you already have
plates and a
barbell. With this equipment you can build your back and row the heck out of your body to get bigger already.
Alternatives for the TITAN T bar row machine
The
TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench is a very specific machine that minimizes the activation of the entire body in the row to focus on the back only. This is popular with powerlifters and strongmen, but not necesserily the best machine to get for the average commercial gym. It also puts your body at a 45 degree angle to make the exercise more stable and challenging.
The
TITAN Adjustable prone row machine is a variation on the
barbell row which allows full extension of the arms when rowing while lying flat. This is also a good exercise for building your back which is popular among powerlifters and bodybuilders. Therefore this machine is more geared towards the "hardcore" gyms rather than the more mainstream ones. In a home gym setting you might give up too much space for a machine that can only do one thing.
The
plate loaded seated row is a classic you find in many gyms up and down the country. If you have a spacious home gym this is an option as it takes up little space compared to other machines. For a commercial setting i think one of these is a must. In very frequented commercial gyms you might want to consider a version with its own weight stack rather than a
plate loaded one to save time for your customers.
The Rogue T bar machine is the direct competitor of the
TITAN T bar row. The price difference between the TITAN and Rogue version is $200. If you only want to do T bar rows, get the TITAN version and save yourself $200. The main difference in design is that the Rogue version also allows for band pegs to be used so you can do banded rows. If you are big into the west side method in your gym, get the Rogue one instead, as attaching bands to the TITAN version is awkward at best. Remember to add the band pegs to your order with Rogue as there are none included on the T bar row order (on
rack orders this happens automatically).
If you want to
T bar row in your home gym, try to get the cheapest landmine attachment for your
rack and a handle for your
barbell. Also keep the handle relatively small so that it is easy to store. Otherwise it will just be in the way most of the times. For a homegym that only fits a
rack, this is the best option to do
T bar rows. In a home gym you also do not have to worry that you will wreck the equipment for setting it up for the
T bar row.
Conclusion for the TITAN T bar row machine
The
TITAN T bar row machine is a great option for any commercial gym to save cost and still provide a proper
t bar row to their clients, I personally think a
T bar row machine is a requirement for a commercial gym that has the necessary floor space. Get rid of one of the many bench stations most of the big gyms have and install a
T bar row instead. The general gym rat population should do more rows anyway. In a home gym scenario the
T bar row is a massive one trick pony that eats into your space. Attach a landmine to your
rack instead and get a handle while minimizing cost on thise. If you are not careful you might shell out up to $500 on these two items in total so try to keep it cheap, unless money is not an issue for you.
Overview and review of the Rogue RM 390F Flat Foot Monster Rack
Please also note that there is a Monster ltie and monster version of the flat foot rack in the Rogue line up. This video explains the differences very well:
Price: 1.211
This review was originally posted in the longer article "Which strength equipment to buy from rogue" in which you can read about 25 products of Rogue which cost more than 1.000$. The Rogue Monster Flat Foot will save you bolting down the rack. You will have no holes in the floor with this one. See the details in this article.
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Overview of the RM 390F Flat foot
The
RM390F rack is a special rack in the Rogue Line up. IT is one of two racks with the flat foot design. The flat foot design makes it possible that you do not have to drill the rack into the ground to anchor it. This makes the flat foot a very popular option in scenarios where a wood, carpet or rubber floor have already been installed and should not be damaged.
The Flat Foot weighs 335LB and comes in with a width of 24''. It is 93'' high and therefore has a footprint of 54''x'50''. The flat foot is compatible with the accessories of the
Monster series. The only thing to consider is that Band pegs and safety spotter arms should not be used with the Flat Foot Monster rack. Get safety pins instead.
How many clients should the Rogue RM390F bring you?
If you think that the
Rogue RM390F will bring you 4 new clients who pay you 50$ on a 1-year retainer it is worth the investment. This will yield 2.400$ net new revenue against an investment of 1.211$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.
Pros of the 390F Flat foot
The biggest pro of this rack is the flat foot design. This means you can install this rack anywhere where there is space. No nasty holes in the floor which need to be refilled once you want to move the rack somewhere else.
Cons of the 390F Flat foot
If you get a h
alf rack you have to think about where to store your
plates. In addition, not everyone likes to train in a
half rack. IT can be a bit tight for a three-step walk out.
Alternatives to the 390F Flat foot
For the same budget of 1.211$ you have the following alternatives with Rogue:
- 1x RML 390F Monster Lite @795$
The Rogue RML 390F is the
Monster Lite version of the flat foot design. This is a very viable option to save about 500$. You are already in the market for a solution with a small footprint for home use and small athletes. You might as well save a bit more money by going for the slightly less sturdy construction of the same product.
If you want a full rack that gets you close to the champions this is the rack to go for. Think of the fittest man on earth while training to set new PRs in a full rack dedicated to the greatest CrossFitter of all time.
Conclusion
The 390F Flat foot is a great half rack to use at home which does not need to be bolted down. With this you can train and move whenever it is convenient.