Rogue Westside bench 2.0 vs TITAN T bar row machine

This is a comparison between the Rogue Westside bench and the TITAN T bar row machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN T bar row machine $489

This is an overview of the TITAN T bar row 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 T bar row machine

The TITAN T bar row machine is their take on a classic in every gym. Most movie montages with bodybuilders will include some type of the t bar row and with good reason. The T bar row is a staple in building bigger backs and putting on mass. With a dedicated station for T bar rows you save time for the setup and can go heavier. This station takes up considerable space and therefore might be not the best option for a home gym. In my opinion a commercial gym that wants to provide strength to their clients absolutely needs one of these. The full specifications of the TITAN T bar row machine are:

- Dual diamond plated footplates for grip

- Vertical and horizontal grip handles with a durable rubber grip

- Adjustable handle height

- Includes holes for bolting the machine to the floor

- Olympic sized weight plate holders

- Tough, solid steel construction is long-lasting and dependable

- Powder-coated paint job prevents rust and early scuffing

- Overall Height: 22.5-in.

- Overall Length: 39.5-in.

- Overall Width: 85-in.

- Footplate Dimensions: 15.75-in x 8.65-in.

- Grip Handle Diameter: 25 mm.

- Weight Sleeve Length: 12.7-in.

- Knurling: Medium Diamond Texture

- Finish: Powder-Coated Black

- Material: 2-in x 2-in 11-GA Steel

- Weight Capacity: 440 lb.

- Product Weight: 150 lb.

This is a great addition to any commercial gym that has the space.

Pros of the TITAN T bar row machine

The pros of the TITAN T bar row machine are:

Price
Well built frame
Easy use on heavy rows
Weight moves inside rather than outside your frame

One of the main advantages of buying from TITAN fitness is that they undercut their competition on most of their products by half. The T bar row is no exception in this. As a T bar row station is no rocket science to build, you should try to save some money on it. Where I would lean towards spending a little more are belt squat machines, barbells, and functional trainers. These take a little more care and engineering to build well.

The frame of the T Bar row is heavy and can take big weights and athletes. If you have people rowing multiple plates on a regular basis,this is the machine to get.

A big advantage of T bar rows is that you can load them very heavy fairly easy. With a barbell you always need to load on both ends, while with a T bar row you can just keep adding at the front. With the station it also means that the pin rests in a place where you can immediately add plates without the need to jack up a barbell.

Compared to barbell rows t bar rows also behave a little differently as the weight moves inside the athlete's frame rather than outside of it. It is a minor thing, but it can be nice to break the routine and row on a t bar, rather than with a barbell.

Cons of the TITAN T bar row machine

Cons of the TITAN T bar row machine:

Space requirements
Price

The main point against a T-Bar row machine is that it eats up a lot of space to only do one thing. Barbell rows can pretty much do the same thing and also leave more room for variations. This makes the T Bar row a bad choice for home gyms that need to save space. Here a landmine combined with a barbell handle for t bar rows comes in handy.

The price of a T bar row machine is hard to justify, if you already have plates and a barbell. With this equipment you can build your back and row the heck out of your body to get bigger already.

Alternatives for the TITAN T bar row machine

TITAN Chest supported adjustable row bench
TITAN Adjustable prone row machine
TITAN Plate loaded seated row
Rogue T bar row machine
Landmine attachment and barbell handle

The TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench is a very specific machine that minimizes the activation of the entire body in the row to focus on the back only. This is popular with powerlifters and strongmen, but not necesserily the best machine to get for the average commercial gym. It also puts your body at a 45 degree angle to make the exercise more stable and challenging.

The TITAN Adjustable prone row machine is a variation on the barbell row which allows full extension of the arms when rowing while lying flat. This is also a good exercise for building your back which is popular among powerlifters and bodybuilders. Therefore this machine is more geared towards the "hardcore" gyms rather than the more mainstream ones. In a home gym setting you might give up too much space for a machine that can only do one thing.

The plate loaded seated row is a classic you find in many gyms up and down the country. If you have a spacious home gym this is an option as it takes up little space compared to other machines. For a commercial setting i think one of these is a must. In very frequented commercial gyms you might want to consider a version with its own weight stack rather than a plate loaded one to save time for your customers.

The Rogue T bar machine is the direct competitor of the TITAN T bar row. The price difference between the TITAN and Rogue version is $200. If you only want to do T bar rows, get the TITAN version and save yourself $200. The main difference in design is that the Rogue version also allows for band pegs to be used so you can do banded rows. If you are big into the west side method in your gym, get the Rogue one instead, as attaching bands to the TITAN version is awkward at best. Remember to add the band pegs to your order with Rogue as there are none included on the T bar row order (on rack orders this happens automatically).

If you want to T bar row in your home gym, try to get the cheapest landmine attachment for your rack and a handle for your barbell. Also keep the handle relatively small so that it is easy to store. Otherwise it will just be in the way most of the times. For a homegym that only fits a rack, this is the best option to do T bar rows. In a home gym you also do not have to worry that you will wreck the equipment for setting it up for the T bar row.

Conclusion for the TITAN T bar row machine

The TITAN T bar row machine is a great option for any commercial gym to save cost and still provide a proper t bar row to their clients, I personally think a T bar row machine is a requirement for a commercial gym that has the necessary floor space. Get rid of one of the many bench stations most of the big gyms have and install a T bar row instead. The general gym rat population should do more rows anyway. In a home gym scenario the T bar row is a massive one trick pony that eats into your space. Attach a landmine to your rack instead and get a handle while minimizing cost on thise. If you are not careful you might shell out up to $500 on these two items in total so try to keep it cheap, unless money is not an issue for you.

Overview and review of the Rogue Westside bench 2.0

The Westside 2.0 comes in at $725 and are a great addition to your existing gym to widen the possible exercises you can do. This article was originally published in "Which bench to get to from Rogue".

What else to consider from Rogue

Overview of the Westside bench 2.0

The Rogue west side 2.0 is a bolt-together version of the Westside bench to bring down the cost in production and shopping. You will have more moving parts, but it is still a 1000+ pound bench press set up for the serious athletes. One of the main features of this bench is that you can adjust it in 1” increments and use it with bands and chains effectively. If you are a fan of the west side training method and benching big this is a great option. The specifications of the Westside 2.0 bench are:

Made in the USA
2x3" 11-Gauge Uprights with Westside hole spacing
Total Height: 54.625"
Bench Height: 17.5” (adjustable up and down by 1" increments)
1000+LB weight capacity
Your choice of either a 12" wide standard bench pad or a 14.5" wide Thompson Fat Pad™ (at additional cost)
NEW Bolt-Together Design with 0.625" Hardware
NEW 7-Gauge Reinforced Steel Spine Under Pad
NEW Laser-Cut Rogue Side Panels
Infinity J-Cups with UHMW inserts to protect the bar knurl
24" Pin/Pipe Safety Set
4 Adjustable Band Pegs
NEW Optional Spotter Decks (at additional cost)
Color: Black

If you are into the Rogue setup for west side benching, this is the way to go.

Pros of the Westside 2.0

This is a lower-cost version of the west side bench and is probably one of the most cost-efficient setups in the market I which you can comfortably go to 1000 pounds for the bench press.

Cons of the West side 2.0

Compared to other bench stations or combos you will have little to no plate storage and no support for heavy incline or decline bench presses. If you care about a 1000 pound bench press you will probably more than this.

Alternatives to the Westside 2.0

Alternatives to the Westside Bench 2.0

If you care about a west side bench I would conveniently assume that you already own a normal bench press setup or just don’t care about getting a portable bench.

The west side bench is the big brother of the 2.0. You will have fewer moving pieces and bigger beams which brings the cost up but also means that you get more integral stability. If you have the money and do not want to transport the bench often, why compromise?

The reflex incline is an alternative to consider or even an additional purchase to the west side bench 2.0. If you are equipping a gym with a west side bench I know you mean business, so where are your freaks going to do their incline bench presses? Same goes for the decline.

Summary for the Westside 2.0

The west side 2.0 is a great option for the serious athlete who wants to train at home with a buddy. If you are equipping a professional gym you might as well go for the big one.