Rogue RM8 vs TITAN neck machine

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

Overview and review of the TITAN neck machine $399

This is an overview of the TITAN neck 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 Plate loaded neck machine

The TITAN plate loaded neck machine is a special machine that is a good choice, if you have the need to build extra strength in your neck. It can be used in four directions to develop your neck muscles. This is a niche machine that will not get a lot of use in your commercial gym and also only is a good choice in a home gym with a lot of space. The full specifications are:

- Left, right, front and back; this 4-way machine works all the neck muscles.
- Arm pivots on precision flange bearings to provide a smooth action.
- Removable pin is used to restrict direction of head movement.
- Fully adjustable seat height.
- Includes 2 weight sleeves

- Overall Height: 59-in.
- Foot Print: 38-in x 26-in.
- Roller Pad Length: 11-in.
- Roller Pad Diameter: 4.9-in.
- Seat Dimensions: 12-in x 12-in x 2.4-in.
- Seat Adjustment Height: 22-in to 34-in.
- Grip Diameter: 29mm
- Sleeve Diameter: 48mm
- Loadable Sleeve Length: 8-in.
- Finish: Powder Coated Black
- Material: 2-in x 2-in 11-GA Steel
- Finish Color: Black Powder Coating
- Material: 2-in x 2-in 11-Gauge Steel
- Weight Capacity: 175 lb.
- Product Weight: 86 lb.

Pros of the TITAN Plate loaded neck machine

The pros of the TITAN plate loaded neck machine:

Focused training
Plate loaded
Seat included

The TITAN plate loaded neck machine is a great tool to train your neck in multiple directions. If you are a wrestler or mma fighter this might be a machine to consider to get your neck into shape.

Plate loaded machines save cost, especially if you are the only one using them, as you do not pay double or triple for the weight stacks which are included with most other machines.

In addition this machine also includes a seat and therefore can function by itself without having to buy a separate bench. This can be interesting for commercial gyms who buy this in bulk all over the country as there is fewer items to ship and itemize.

Cons of the TITAN plate loaded neck machine

The cons of the TITAN plate loaded neck machine are:

Health hazard
Niche use
Some other options out there

While this machine is not a health hazard when used correctly it become one quite easily if there no proper instructions given. The fact that it is plate loaded perpetuates this problem even further. If you run a commercial gym with very little instructions given to the clients you might want to steer way clear of this machine to not expose you to any kind of risk.

Even if the machine is used properly it has a very niche application and will not be used many clients in your gym. If you have the need to build a string neck for your sport you might also find other gadgets that can help with that that take up less space.

Alternatives to the TITAN plate loaded neck machine

The TITAN plate loaded functional trainer is a great choice for home gym owners who want to cover all bases and not pay too much money to so. The plate loaded functional trainer comes in at $700 and is therefore quite affordable. This is a great option for a home gym that wants to save space and yet still train all muscle groups with pulley resistance. If you want to provide this service in a public space the TITAN functional trainer with weight stacks might be the better option, as this creates less risk for tripping up or injury for loading the plates onto the machine.

The TITAN plate loaded deltoid machine is the better machine to build the neck and upper body in a safe way. With this machine there is less risk of serious injury when it is not used correctly. It also is a two in one machine for seated shoulder presses and deltoid work. If you want to build a big neck without risking serious injury and giving up too much space, this is a great alternative.

Conclusion for the TITAN plate loaded neck machine

I personally think that the TITAN plate loaded neck machine comes into the same bracket as a smith machine. Yes it has it benefits, but there is other machines and equipment that do the same thing in a safer and better way. One of these would be a head harness that you can attach weight or a band too. Less space taken up even though a good one of these will cost roughly the same as the TITAN neck trainer.

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.