Rogue RM8 vs TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench

This is a comparison of the Rogue RM8 rack and the TITAN chest supported adjustable row including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench $464

This is an overview of the TITAN chest supported adjustable row 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 supported Adjustable row bench

The TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench is a very specialized piece of equipment to isolate the back and use a barbell for rows. This is a great exercise for anyone who wants to build a big back and deadlift. You will find this exercise among the most successful deadlifters as an accessory workout. The construction is simple and effective. It rests a barbell higher than ground and supports your body by laying on a pad. With this setup you can protect your spine while you load the barbell heavier for massive rows. The specifications of the TITAN chest supported adjustable row are as followed:

- 3 x 2 steel tubing

- 6 different seat height adjustments

- 5 different chest pad angle adjustments

- Heavy gauge steel construction

- Diamond plated footplate for grip.

- Customizable seat height and chest pad angle

- High quality vinyl chest pad.

- Width is adjustable to fit your barbell

- Weight: 128 LB

- Adjustable Seat Height: 30 1/2” to 37 1/4"

- Adjustable Depth: 68 1/2" to 65 1/2”

- Adjustable Width: 55 1/2” to 42”

- Seat Length: 18”

- Seat Width: 9 1/2"

- Seat Thickness: 2 3/4”

- Band Peg Length: 5 1/2”

- Footplate Dimensions (per side): 21 1/2” x 24”

This is a great extra machine in a commercial gym that works with a lot of barbells and his the right clients for it. In a home gym it will be a lot of space to give up to a one trick pony.

Pros of the TITAN supported Adjustable row bench

Pros of the TITAN supported adjustable row bench are:

Price
Focused training
Uses a barbell

As with most pieces of equipment from TITAN the price is excellent for what you are getting. This is an industrial grade exercise station at a consumer price. TITAN's strategy is to undercut the competition at about half the price for the same product. The low prices are achieved by cutting some corners in quality management and customer services.

The chest supported adjustable row bench is great for athletes who develop a massive row and are concerned about their back. With this machine you get the extra support and also do not need to move the barbell from the ground into position. This helps to focus entirely on your back and either go heavy or squeeze out the last few reps on a hypertrophy set.

This machine is also interesting as you can use a barbell instead of plate loading it or having a weight stack. This makes the experience closer to the barbell training youmight be focusing on, depending on your preferences in training.

Cons of the TITAN supported Adjustable row bench

Cons of the TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench are:

One trick pony
Intimidating for most
Space requirements

While this machine is excellent for what it does, it only does this one thing well. Barbell rows can also be done from the floor, or, if they get too heavy, they can also be done from rack pins. You will not have the same chest support, but still get your rows in. You will also mimic the three big lifts even closer with that setup. Based on this the chest supported row bench is not ideal for home gyms or commercial gyms with limited space.

The broad public does not necessarily like to use a barbell as it is perceived to rough on the hands. If you are already getting a dedicated machine for rows, you might want to get one that is a bit more convenient for the user and includes a weight stack.

Alternatives to the TITAN supported adjustable row bench

The Titan T bar row is more palatable for the general public as a chest supported row which uses a barbell. With this you can use more grip variations and it is also easier to get the plates on and off to get started. If you run a commercial gym for the general public, go with the T bar row instead of the chest supported adjustable row if your space does not allow for both.

The TITAN plate loaded functional trainer is the budget option of a functional trainer for home gym users. This is a great addition when you have limited space and want to do all of your accessory movements on one machine or implement a home gym that can be used by the entire family. This version of the TITAN functional trainer saves $1300 compared to the functional trainer which comes with included weight stacks. If you already own a rack and plates, this is probably the better choice.

The TITAN functional trainer comes with two weight stacks included and covers most accessory movements or a full body workout which is lighter compared to heavy barbell free weight training. This is a good option ina home gym or commercial gym where you want to make things save. It is also a good choice when you want to get started right away without having too invest into plates.

Conclusion for the TITAN supported adjustable row bench

This machine is great for an Iron den where people want to use the barbell row in many variations to blow up their backs to lift heavy. If you have this at home, in a college dorm or other private gym and do have the space, I highly recommend getting one of these as the results speak for themselves. If you have a very small home gym or a commercial gym for the general public this is a gimmick and you should focus on other items to build out your gym first like racks with proper safety pins and a seated row machine.

Overview and review of the Rogue RM8 Power rack

The Rogue RM8 power rack is the new flagship of the rogue rack portfolio for $7.350. It combines the new LT1, Rhino Belt and RM6 into the Rolls Royce of racks.Here are the pros and cons and alternatives to this beast.

Overview of the RM8

The RM8 is the newest edition to the Rogue Monster line up. After publishing the 50cal, Rhino belt squat and a multitude of new bar designs using the Cerakote finish Rogue out it all together and went even bigger. This is the ultimate station to get stronger, especially for anyone who wants to squat heavy up until older age.

As part of the Rogue monster series, you will get the 3x3 Gauge steel with the big bolts. The finish is currently only Cerakote black also I am quite positive that this will change in the foreseeable future. The RM8 has the following dimensions:

Length 10’6”
Width 6’4”
Width Rack inside 43”
Height 100.375”
Footprint 10’6” x 53”

You will basically get an RM6 on steroids with all the plate storage you need and extra functionality to attack your muscles from every angle. Here is the list of items:

Rhino Belt squat
Loadable weight trolley
Knurled Socket pull up bar
Custom Rogue Nameplate
6 long plate storage pins
4 short plate storage pins
Monster Sandwich J Cups
4 Monster band pegs

The Rhino belt squat is one of the most interesting new developments in the Rogue portfolio. It is especially good to train heavy for squats without putting too much strain on your lower back. An older lifter will appreciate it, you get lifters will be able to get more volume in. The stand-alone version of the Rhino comes in at roughly $2000 and I have already written about the Rhino belt squat it on my blog.

The loadable weight trolleys are two lever arms with the 50cal mechanism. Again Rogue has shown innovation on these. They revised that the original lever arms were cumbersome to adjust and can up with these. Footballers and Rugby players will appreciate the tackling training which can be done with them. Strongman athletes will have a good piece of equipment to simulate car deadlifts or uneven loads. Bodybuilders will have options to simulate all kinds of rowing and pressing machines when combined with an adjustable bench. Finally, powerlifters can use the setup to create a mini monolift.

The pull-up bar with knurling gives you extra grip. It is one of the newer additions to the rack options of Rogue. Still, it is a bar, not a lot to be said about it.

The custom rogue nameplates look cool, but that is about it. It’s a pity that Rogue does not allow the configuration to be changed to a simple cross member. The nameplate renders the beam almost unusable for any attachments. Still, it looks dang cool.

That plate pins are great as they safe you the extra hassle and cost to provide for plate storage. If you have children in your home I recommend getting spring collars to make the plates safe. Some like to put the plate pins as high as possible. I would not do that as the plates will drop from a height into anything below if they come off the rack. Most children won’t be able to move the spring collars, so at least you have some safety.

The band legs can be used to train with the west side method. You attach bands to the pegs and barbell for added resistance. You can see an example of how that works in the two videos below.

Pros of the RM8

The RM8 is the one-stop-shop for the latest and greatest that Rogue has to offer. The Rhino belt squat will give you many variations to train while keeping your lower back safe. You can switch from resisted jumps to band assisted squats. The potential is limitless. It is really great to see that products can still be made better in a market which you thought was saturated. If you have the money the Banshee won’t disappoint.

Cons of the RM8

$7000 is a big price tag for a rack. You can get 7 Fortis racks for this price if you were to equip a commercial gym. Another option would be a monkey rig which gives many more options to run classes of them. This beast is aimed at in e or two people. Of course, you can have more people train at it, but this is definitely the ultimate celebrity or athlete home gym, not the commercial option. Unless you are an NFL team and do not care about multiplying out the 7000 over half the numbers of players you have.

Another con is that for the biggest price tag you get no color option. That is a shame and hopefully changes soon. They probably assemble it by hand and coat it as they don’t have a production line for the RM8 yet. Stay tuned in this space.

Alternatives to the RM8

There are no alternatives if you want all the best toys of Rogue in one rack. But not everyone has 7000 to spend on a rack. Here are some alternatives to spend your hard-earned money on excellent Rogue equipment:

If you have the same amount of money to spend but also think about how to make that money back in a professional gym setup the monkey Rig or a monster rig might be a better choice. A Rig leaves you with more options for circuit training and positing people up. You can read more about rigs in my monkey and monster rig articles.

If you want to spend money on a very good rack for your home gym you can go for the RM6 instead. The RM6 comes with different height and color options and leaves you with more choice rather than the take it or leave it approach of the banshee. If you were to come to money at after stage you can still upgrade with the Rhino Drop in and the 50cal trolley arms separately. You can learn about the RM6 in my review.

The RM4 fortis is the best rack option from Rogue under 1.000. If you wanted to equip a commercial gym with seven racks rather than one rolls Royce that is the option to go for. The RM4 is still a great rack and your customers will be happy.

3WC is a rack option which can fold in and be snug against the wall. This way it is an ideal setup for a garage gym when you still want to park your car. It also comes in at around $500.

Summary of the RM8

The RM8 is the best to be had from Rogue. You can use the Rhino when your lower back is at you or do resisted pull-ups while the rest of the rack offers everything for plate storage to a pull-up station. Of course, it is over the top, but that’s the whole point.