Rogue Y2 Yoke vs Rogue Butcher V2

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Sep 18, 2020 4:00:00 PM

Rogue Y2 Yoke vs Rogue Butcher V2

This is a comparison of the Rogue Y2 Yoke and the Rogue Butcher V2 including pros, cons, and alternatives. This was originally posted in Which sled to get from Rogue.

Overview and review of the Rogue Butcher V2

This is an overview of the Rogue Butcher V2 including pros, cons, and alternatives. This was originally posted in Which sled to get from Rogue.

Overview of the Rogue Butcher

Price: $265

The Rogue Butcher is a simple design for a sled that holds a lot of plates. This is the right tool to get if you want to do heavy-duty sled pushes and pull.s The Rogue butcher has two uprights on which you can place plates. This makes the capacity a lot bigger than for the Dogsled from Rogue. The full specifications of the butcher are:

Made in the USA
2x3” 11-Gauge Steel
Weight: 74LB / Weight Capacity: 500LB+
Rogue Signature Matte Black Powdercoat finish provides grip on all handles
Bolt-On Steel Feet can be used on any surface, fully replaceable
Multiple bars for different pushing positions
Compact footprint (42.25" x 47.25") and removable handles allows for easy storage, portability
Protective UHMW plastic skis can be added to order and come with all necessary hardware

The butcher is a solid and simple design. The only downside might be that it can damage the floors you are working on, even though Rogue started to provide plastic skis for it.

Pros of the rogue butcher V2

Pros of the butcher V2 are:

Simple and robust build
Two possible plate stacks
Bolt-on feet

This is a simple t build with two metal rods stuck on to the top. Nothing fancy just good old metal and bolts. This is exactly what you want when you want to go heavy on the sledding. Rogue also learned from the past and made the feet detachable in case they break. This way you can easily swap them out, without having to replace the entire unit.

Cons of the Rogue butcher V2

Cons of the V2 butcher are:

Only one operational mode
Possible damages the floors
Harder to store than the dogsled

The butcher only comes with one configuration which gives you less use for your buck compared to a yoke or the rogue Dogsled 1.2. As with all sleds, it will also possibly damage your driveway, gym floor or any other surface you will use it on. The butcher uprights are also welded onto the t construction. This makes it harder to put it away into a small corner compared to the Dogsled 1.2 which has removable uprights.

Alternatives to the butcher V2

Alternatives to the Rogue butcher V2 are:

The XPO trainer 2 has the same training effect as the butcher, except it runs on wheels. This way you will not hurt the surfaces you train on as much and still get a good workout in. The XPO works with a type of flywheel to make the resistance higher the faster you go. If you like the missing momentum of deadweight than the butcher is probably better for very heavy sled pulls or pushes.

The dogsled 1.2 is the most versatile option out of the Rogue sled line up. While it is less bulky and big than the butcher, it makes up for in different attachments to train in different ways. Especially the many ways to use a carabiner and rope in combination with the Dogsled 1.2 makes it the better tools to move lower payloads around fast to become more agile. The downside is that it is not made for holöding a ton of plates like the butcher is.

The last option is a Rogue Yoke 2. The Rogue Y2 has also been equipped with plastic feet. This way pushed and pulls as with a sled can be done. The Yoke triples up as a yoke, squat stand, and sled in this configuration. At a price point of roughly $500 to $700 dollars you get an all in one gym. The downside that the Yoke is a lot clunkier than the Rogue sleds for speed work. If you go slow and heavy the yoke is adoption, but not if you want to accelerate and change directions fast in your training.

Conclusion for the Butcher V2

The Rogue butcher V2 is a great tool for heavy sled pushes. Rugby players and football players will enjoy them to train how to block and tackle. If you are more into agility or 4-5 plates are more than enough for your strength endeavors, then the Dogsled 1.2 is possibly the better choice for your training needs.

Overview and review of the Rogue Y2 Yoke

This is an overview of the Rogue Y2 Yoke including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details

Overview of the Rogue Y2

Price $535

The Rogue Y2 is the next step up from a squat stand from Rogue. The additional plate storage and the adjustable cross-member on the stand make it a great all in one gym option. You can use it as a sled, rack, and yoke at the same time. For $535 you will find yourself a good deal, as long as you have the footprint to fit it into your commercial gym or home space. The full specifications are:

Made in the USA
Height: 92" with base
Total Weight Capacity: 750+LB (two side storage and four corner-post weight storage options)
Applications: Strongman Yoke Training, Pushing, Pulling, Carrying, Zercher, Squat, Press, etc.
(2) Uprights: 2 x 3" 11-Gauge Steel
(2) Bases and (4) Skid/Storage Feet
Adjustable Crossbar: 3" OD
(2) J-Cups

If you are looking into a budget rack option from Rogue this is probably one of the best you can get, as long as you do not want to work with a lot of attachments in the future.

Pros of the Rogue Y2

The pros of the Rogue Y2 Yoke are:

Great value for money
Multiple-use cases
Adjustable height

You will be hard-pressed to find more options in one rack for this price from Rogue. If you want to be space and budget efficient, this is the way to go. You will get the use cases of equipment that can cost up to $5000 in this one rack. Especially if you are a single user and do not have to worry about waiting times, this is great.

The cons of the Rogue Y2

The cons of the Rogue Y2 Yoke are:

Limited safety
Clunky for sled work
Big footprint

While the Y2 saves a lot of space as it combines a lot of functionality, it still has a larger footprint than a half rack, squat stand, RM3 rack. Compared to the purpose-built sleds it is also clunkier to move. While bench pressing and squatting are possible, you will need spotter arms to be safe. Spotter arms just have the habit of being missed or making the whole structure fall over when you drop the weight. Safety üins and straps in a power rack are easier to handle and more secure.

Alternatives to the Rogue Y2

Alternatives to the Rogue Y2 are:

The Rogue Y1 is a smaller version of the Rogue Y2. If you do not have very tall athletes or do not need to practice any sandbag throwing, the smaller version will do and save you a little bit of money.

The SM2 squat stand is an alternative that saves some space compared to the Yoke and only focuses on functioning as a squat stand rather than a yoke and sled. With the SM2 you also get the bigger steel tubes from the Monster series and can upgrade at a later stage to the big racks that Rogue is currently focusing on.

The volcano costs about 4 times what the yoke costs but has its applications especially for very mature strongman. If you want to flip or carry very big weights the Volcano is probably the better option than the Rogue Y2.

Conclusion for the Rogue Y2

The Rogue Y2 is an often overlooked option for home gym owners that does it all. It is relatively low priced and you can get a lot of mileage out of it. If you are not considering a folding rack for your home gym, definitely look at this instead of bolted down power racks. Professional gyms with space can cover a lot of needs with just one or two yokes. Think of what you can get out of these two yokes for your clients instead of being one more treadmill.

View full post