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Rogue RM8 vs TITAN plate loaded fly machine

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Dec 25, 2020 5:00:00 PM

Rogue RM8 vs TITAN plate loaded fly machine

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

 
 

Overview and review of the TITAN plate loaded fly machine $474

This is an overview of the TITAN plate loaded fly 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 plate loaded fly machine

 
The plate loaded fly machine is a classic in bodybuilding and an exercise that is frequently done in gyms all over the world. Flyes will build your back and chest. They are a great accessory to any chest day after you have finished your bench presses. The full list of Features for the TITAN plate loaded fly machine includes:
 
- Develops pectoral, chest, shoulder, and back muscles.  
- Dual overhead cams offer independent and collaborative conditioning.  
- Swiveling handles for exceptional range of motion.  
- Thick, comfortable seat and back pads.  
- Fully adjustable to accommodate users of all sizes. 
 
 
- 2-in x 2-in, 12-gauge steel frame. 
- Plate Sleeve:  2 Posts that fit Olympic sized plates. 
- Dimensions: 65-in x 32-in x 28-in.  
- Weight Capacity: 300 lb.
- Assembled Weight: 91 lb.
 
This is a solid machine for a home gym or a private gym where people k ow what they are doing and want to train flyes.
 

Pros of the TITAN plate loaded fly machine

 
The pros of the TITAN plate loaded fly machine are:
 
  • Price
  • Plate loaded
  • Seat and position
 
As all TITAN products the plate loaded fly machine comes in at an excellent price. TITAN usually undercuts the competition by about half and this is no exception. If you want a fly machine with warranty and a reliable vendor behind it than TITAN is a good address for you.
 
If you are building a home gym plate loaded machines are great as they safe you money for paying for the weight you train with multiple times over. If you are all about cutting cost than getting some plates and a bunch of plate loaded machines to go with them is a good strategy.
 
For training it is always great to have a proper machine with a good frame to sit in to target the smaller muscle groups. This fly machine delivers on that concept.
 

Cons of the TITAN plate loaded fly machine

 
The cons of the plate loaded fly machine are:
 
 
  • Plate loaded
  • One trick pony
  • Makeshift
 
While plate loaded is great if you are building a gym for yourself and training buddy in your basement it is less than optimal in a commercial setting. Plate loading machines makes your workouts longer, creates trip hazards and exposes your clients to higher injury risk. If you run a heavily frequented gym that gets crowded in rush hours, than go with a fly machine that includes a weight stack.
 
This machine is also a one trick pony whic makes it less attractive for use in a home gym compared to other products from TITAN. If you want to optimize your money and space, steer away from this machine and look into the ones that are more multi functional.
 
The last point against the TITAN plate loaded fly machine is that the pulleys are exposed which gives the machine a makeshift feel. It does not feel like you could throw a truck at it and it will hold. It wi do the job, but if you are big and intend on putting a lot of abuse on it, you might want to look elsewhere.
 

Alternatives to the TITAN plate loaded fly machine

 
 
If you have the space you can get a complete training unit with the cable crossover machine from TITAN. You can also perform flyes with this and many other exercises you might want to do. The only downside is that the frame is very large and you get no seat with the machine. To get a similar experience you would also need to buy a bench from TITAN. In return your setup will be more modular and flexible.
 
The Titan plate loaded functional trainer is a good option for a home gym that wants to add a multitude of cable pulley exercises. If you already have a rack and bench in your home and want for to do more accessory movements to stay fit and support the big weights, than this is a good budget option. It might not be the ideal solution for a commercial gym as it is plate loaded. In those scenarios a machine with a weight stack is a better option.
 
The TITAN functional trainer does basically the same as the plate loaded with the difference that it comes with two 200 lbs weight stacks in addition to the frame. This makes it easier to load and get a quick workout done. This is the less messy functional trainer from TITAN but comes at the hefty price of $2000.
 
A set of TITAN dumbbells can also be used if all that you are interested in are flyes. In combination with a bench you are in the same ballpark as the price for the fly machine.
 

Conclusion for the TITAN plate loaded fly machine

 
The TITAN plate loaded glute machine is a great option for a spacious home gym than can afford your have multiple machines. If you have an Iron den where all of your clients know what they are doing and are few in umbers this can also work. In highly frequented gyms a fly machine with a weight stack might be the better choice. Home gyms with small space should stay clear from this single purpose machine and optimize your space better.
 

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:
 
 
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. 
 
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