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Rogue RML 690C rack vs TITAN plate loadable tower V2

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Jan 2, 2021 5:00:00 PM

Rogue RML 690C rack vs TITAN plate loadable tower V2

This is a comparison between the Rogue RML 690C rack and the TITAN plate loadable tower V2 including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

 

Overview and review of the TITAN Plate loadable tower V2 $409

This is an overview of the TITAN Plate loadable tower V2 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 loadable lat tower

 
The TITAN plate loadable lat tower is a solid budget option for a lat tower. It stands by itself and is stable to use. It shops with the lat bar and row handle included which makes it a complete solution. There is not a lot you can do wring with this one if you want a lat pull tower on a budget. The full specifications of the TITAN plate loadable lat tower are:
 
- Dual 13-inch weight posts fit Olympic weight plates
- Four adjustable positions for the thigh pads will fit athletes of all body types
- A durable steel frame and powder-coated paint job deliver a sleek look that will last for years to come
- Four Bolt down holes give you the option for permanent mounting in your home or garage gym
- Includes lat bar and low row handle
 
- Overall Height: 84-in.
- Overall Depth: 56.5-in.
- Overall Width: 48-in.
- Loadable Sleeve Length: 13-in.
- Lat Handle Length: 37.5-in.
- Low Row Handle Length: 15-in.
 
This is a great budget option for any home gym or Iron den where people know what they are doing. It can even be used in a commercial with less experienced clients, as the plate loading mechanism is not as exposed as with other TITAN machines.
 

Pros of the TITAN loadable lat tower

 
The pros of the TITAN loadable lat tower are:
 
  • Price
  • Handles included
  • Stable design
 
One of the main arguments to go for TITAN products is the low price for industrial grade gym machine. The TITAN plate loaded lat tower makes no exception to this rule. For me, it is one of the better machines you can get from TITAN as it is stable and the pulley work is not as exposed as for the Cable crossover machine.
 
Another bonus is that the lat bar and row handle are also included in the price tag. You can shell out up to $200 for these items each depending  on where you get them.
 
This whole machine is more stable than some of the other TITAN machines in the lower price range. I would definitely get this any day over the Cable crossover machine from TITAN.
 

Cons of the TITAN loadable lat tower

 
Cons of the TITAN loadable lat tower:
 
  • Plate loaded
  • No push movements
  • Build for normal humans, not superhumans
 
Plate loaded machines are great when you are the only user or this is not a lot of people around who frequent the machines. If you run a gym with peak times and people falling over each other, than you want the weights on the machine rather than separately on a plate tree.
 
The TITAN plate loaded lat tower is designed for pulling motions only. You can not adjust the pulley to make push movements possible. This lmits the range of exercises you can do with this machine. This becomes especially relevant when this is the only machine you intend to buy for your home gym. Here the functional trainer from TITAN might be the better choice.
 
As with all TITAN machines they have been produced with the average human in mind to save costs. Other vendors like Eleiko and Rogue think of the biggest possible human who could use their machines and build their machines around that. If you are 6 foot tall and weigh more than 250 pounds you might not like the seat on this or even rock the entire machine when you do your berserker mode pulls.
 

Alternatives to the TITAN loadable lat tower

 
 
The TITAN lat tower is a clone of the Rogue lat pull at a substantial lower cost. This is the lat pull machine to get for the commercial gym that puts the machine through a lot of abuse or the home gym fanatic who listens to heavy metal while pulling 300 pounds for sets of 20.
 
The TITAN wall mounted pulley is in my opinion one of the best options for a budget focused home gym to get all of their pulling needs covered. It is safer then some of the other makeshift machines from TITAN and costs less. The only downside is that it does not come with a seat and needs to be drilled into the wall to work.
 
The TITAN plate loadable functional trainer is the optimal compromise between budget and functionality, especially for the home gym. The pulley work as a little too exposed for most commercial scenarios and plate loading also does not help the case here.But in a home gym where you already own the plates and want to cover all of your accessory this is ideal.
 

Conclusion for the TITAN plate loadable lat tower

 
The TITAN plate loadable lat tower is a great option for the home gym owned by the average joe, as long as space allows for it. A professional gym might be better off with the functional trainer. If you lack space in your home gym for a while park of machines you might want to consider the plate loaded functional trainer as it eats up similar space, but offers more options on exercises.

Overview and review of the Rogue RML 690C Power Rack

The video above summarises my personal opinion for purchasing a Rogue RML 690C for a home gym. If you want to just lean back and get information, watch it and then dig into the details below. In the following paragraphs you will find details on dimensions and alternative choices. I invite you to leave a comment on Youtube if you have direct questions.

Price: 1.750

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 RML 690C rack is a great option for style and storage to build your home gym. See the details in this article.

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Overview of the Rogue RML 690C

 
The Rogue RML690C Rack weighs in at 530LB. It has 76'' of length while being 49'' in width. The height comes in at 90.375''. When you want to place the RML690C into your gym the footprint will be 80''x53''. With this rack, you are getting the little sister of the RM6 rack. It is compatible with the Monster Lite series and gives you a full and half rack to work with. The half rack can either be used for plate storage or have more athletes train in the rack. 
 
The 690C is available in the following colors:
 
  • Bright Blue
  • Bright Green
  • Burnt Orange
  • Dark Blue
  • Dark Red
  • Gun Metal
  • Light Gray
  • Rogue Red
  • Satin Black
  • Satin clear
  • White
In a Semi-Gloss Powdercoat. You have Westside hole spacing at the bottom to have more options for bench pressing setups. Another big advantage of this rack is that it does not need to be bolted to the floor. 
 
The Rogue RML690C is a solid all in one solution for storage and training space for a home gym or in a professional gym to make the best of the space. 
 

How many clients should the Rogue RML690C bring you?

 
If you think that the Rogue RML 690C will bring you 6 new clients who pay you 50$ on a 1-year retainer it is worth the investment. This will yield 3.600$ net new revenue against an investment of 1.750$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.
 

Pros of the Rogue RML 690C

 
The Rogue RML 690C is a bit lighter on the budget than its bigger brother the RM6. It still provides storage options and space to train multiple athletes and hold plates at the same time. It comes in different colors to fit your taste or gym setup depending on how you want to express your branding. 
 

Cons of the Rogue RML 690C

 
The Rogue RML690C might be a bit too big for home setups. There are reports of people who purchased it for personal use and came to the conclusion that the 490 would have more than sufficed. Think about how you will use the additional half rack, as otherwise, it will only be a waste of valuable floor space. You can also not use the RML 690C with the Rhino Drop in, which is one of my personal biggest reasons not to get it.
 

Alternatives to the Rogue RML 690C

Here are some alternatives for you from Rogue for a budget of 1.750$

 
The RML4 still gives you the option to choose a color of your liking while saving you 700$ USD which can be used towards a barbell and plates on your first purchase for a home gym. For professional uses, you can also fit more 490C into your facilities if you already have solutions for string the plates. 
 
 
If you do not want to compromise on having a full and half rack at your disposal you can go for the R6. The R6 is part of the Infinity series which uses less material to build the racks. It is still more than enough to train heavy in them as the Monster Lite and Monster series bear their names for a reason. With this, you would still be able to sneak in an Ohio Bar while staying under 2.000$. 
 

Conclusion

The Rogue RML 690C is a great option for home gyms or commercial gyms for mere mortals. Be mindful about the space you have before buying the 690 versions of Rogues racks. If you do not know what to do with the half rack at the back, go for something smaller.
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