Rogue RM8 vs TITAN leverage squat machine

This is a comparison of the Rogue RM8 rack and the TITAN leverage squat machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN Leverage Squat machine $549

This is an overview of the TITAN Leverage Squat 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.

Overview of the TITAN Leverage Squat machine

The TITAN Leverage squat machine is a good approach to squats for anyone who lacks the ankle mobility for low squats. The bottom plate is angled so that it is easier to go deep in the squat with less strain on the hips and feet. The full list of specifications includes:

- Add more intensity to your squats by loading up on Olympic weight plates

- Store extra plates on the base pegs to help organize your gym area & add stability

- Use the angled footplate to get leverage with your squats and calf raises

- Powder-coated steel is durable, lasts for years, and is scratch / rust resistant

- Spotter handle allows easy exit and re-entry after use

- 1,000 lbs. weight capacity

- Overall height: 62”

- Footprint: 58” x 44”

- Top sleeve length: 13 1/2”

- Bottom peg length: 8”

- Shoulder pad gap: 8”

- Weight: 200 lbs.

This is a machine for a spacious gym that has all of the other angles covered. If you want to ease people into squatting low this can be a good machine to use.

Pros of the TITAN leverage squat machine

The pros of the TITAN leverage squat machine are:

Angled foot plate
Price

The main reason to get this machine is to squat against an angled plate. This can be especially helpful for rehab or anyone lacking ankle and hip mobility to still squat deep.

As with all TITAN products the price you pay for a full machine as quite low. If you want to build a big arsenal of different fitness machines TITAN is one of the best places to go as your money will stretch further.

Cons of the TITAN leverage squat machine

The cons of the TITAN leverage squat machine are:

Limited use cases
Space requirements

The main disadvantage of the leverage squat machine is that it has not a lot o use cases. This is a common challenge with isolated machines that try to make things easier on the user. If you are strapped for cash and space the leverage squat machine is not a smart choice. If you want to buy something to train your legs you probably wantto go for a rack, squat belt machine, or hack squat instead depending on your budget and preferences.

In addition to the limited use cases the TITAN leverage squat machine also takes up considerable footprint in your gym. It will eat up the same amount of space as a squat rack would. So if you only have space for a rack or a leverage squat machine it is pretty clear what you need to do.

Alternatives to the TITAN leverage squat machine

Alternatives to the TITAN leverage squat machine are:

The TITAN hack squat leg press is the better option for a home gym owner looking into a squat machine from TITAN. While it costs a little more it doubles up as 2 machines in the frame of one. You will be able to do reasonably heavy leg presses and hack squats which provides more bang for your space and buck compared to the leverage squat machine. Especially if you buy a squat machine as an addition to a home gym with an already existing rack. For a commercial gym the TITAN hack squat leg press might not be the right choice, as a 2:1 solution for a broader audience usually means to higher cost of instructing people how to use it or higher injury risk and insurance liabilities.

The TITAN belt squat machine is another alternative to the leverage squat machine. It is also closer in price to the Leverage squat machine than the TITAN hack squat leg press. The TITAN belt squat is a great option for powerlifters and weightlifters who want to get more squat volume in. The belt squat will take off some load from your lower back and shoulders so that you can focus on blowing up your quads and glutes without risking injury. Belt squats are very popular with seasoned lifters who go through a lot of volume to give themselves a break. In a commercial setting a belt squat makes sense when your clients are more into heavy lifting and the iron game. If your clients are more into machines, the leverage squat machine is the better choice.

The TITAN smith machine is another alternative to the Leverage squat machine. If you are getting the leverage squat machine to appeal to beginners than the TITAN smith machine might be the better choice. A smith machine also makes squatting easier and less scary for those who are not proficient in the movement pattern. In addition the smith machine can also be used as plate storage and for other exercises than squatting. I am personally not a huge fan of smith machines due to the cumbersome raking system they provide, but I do think they are still a better option for most gyms than a leverage squat machine.

The Rogue Rhino is the gold standard in belt squat machines currently available on the market. Compared to the TITAN belt squat there was more thought put in to the engineering as it works with a pulley system. This makes the lifting experience closer to the actual barbell workload as the weight is not on a frame which wraps around you. Compared to the TITAN leverage squat machine it makes squatting easier, but provides this result in very different way.

The Rogue leg press machine is the current gold standard for leg press machines in the market. If you need to provide facilities for a bunch of NFL linemen and you worried about that they might shred any other equipment you could buy from TITAN, than the Rogue Leg press machine will get the job done. Apart from being build like a tank you can also move the platform for each leg separately. All exciting things come also at an exciting price and the Rogue Leg press is no exception. It retails for around $4000 and is therefore not suitable for most home gym environments.

Conclusion for the TITAN leverage squat machine

The TITAN leverage squat machine is an addition to the arsenal of professional gym that already has all of the other major machines in their arsenal. These include a rack, leg press, prone curl and lat tower. Get those machines first before even thinking about a leverage squat machine in my opinion. In a home gym this machine will be just be a waste of space unless you live in a mega mansion. Some bodybuilders like the idea of being able to attack their muscles from every angle that is humanly possible. Apart from this I do not so a lot of use cases for this 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.