Should you buy the Rogue RM4 rack?

 

The rogue RM4 rack comes in at a price of $1355 and is a good full rack with plate storage. This overview was first published in "which rack to buy from Rogue". See for yourself whether this rack is the right choice for you or you might want to steer to other options from Rogue.

 

The most popular rogue racks based on views of their reviews on Marathon-CrossFit in 2020 are:

 

 

The Rogue HR2 rack is part of the Rogue Monster lite series. What it has going for itself is its moderate place and lower space requirements compared to other racks of Rogue. I can also see how this rack can be a best seller as it is practical, not pricey and ticks most boxes. You can learn more about the details and alternatives in the review of the HR2 rack.

 

The Rogue RM8 is one of the most expensive items you can get from Rogue. The RM8 incorporates all of the major developments from Rogue like cerakote coating, a Rhino drop-in unit, and the LT1 50 cal lever arms. Its high price helps with popularity but I do not think that it is a high volume sales product based on its sheer size and high price tag. You can read a full review of the RM8 on this blog.

 

The RML 390 F is a half-rack from Rogue that does not need to be bolted to the ground. This makes it a very likely candidate from Rogue to have a very high sales volume. The small footprint and reasonable price further underpin this. Compared to the RM8 it is affordable so popularity is more likely to directly transfer to sales. You can read the full review of the RML 390F on my blog here.

 

The RM4 Fortis is a cheaper version of the RM4 Monster rack from Rogue. You will have fewer color options and get fewer pins and extras with your order. This is a good option if you want more space in the rack than with a half rack without shelling out thousands of dollars. You can ted the fu review of the RM4 fortis rack here.

 

The RML 390c is a half-rack from Rogue with a color option. Compared to the 390F it needs to be bolted to the ground to avoid sliding while it comes in at a similar price. You can read the full review of the 390c on my blog by following this link.

 

Rogue Monster vs Monster lite series 

 

If you are torn between the Rogue Monster and Rogue Monster Lite Series then this video is for you. Commercial buyers should lean more towards the Monster Series as it gets more attention from the Rogue Product development team and will also take a bigger beating due to the sturdier nuts and bolts. Home gym buyers ought to have a good look at the upgrade paths and accessories for the Monster and Monster lite line.

 

Personally, I am a huge fan of the RM3 as it puts you at the entry-level of budget to get into the Monster line. However, with the 3.0 upgrade of the Monster lite series, there is not a lot to compromise anymore between the two lines. So, if you are not into the big upgrades and just want to upgrade a Monster lite rack to the max with your available budget, then that is also a great road to travel.

The Rogue RM4 is the middle of the range rack out of the Monster series. The bigger brother is the RM6. Smaller versions are the RM3 and monster half racks in the portfolio. This rack is a good option for anyone who knows how to take care of plate storage already and wants to fit a rack into their home gym or facility. 

 

As with all monster racks you can choose between 90'', 100'' and 108'' in height. The footprint of this rack is 53''x53'' and it is made in Columbus Ohio. The length of the rack is 49'' while the width is 49''.. You can choose from following colour options for the RM4:

 

For the crossmembers, you can choose between

 

For the J Cups, you can choose from the following options

 

For your safeties following options are available:

 

 

The RM4 is a solid mid-price range rack which can be used in any gym. Especially when you already have the necessary plate storage it might be a good choice.

 

The RM4 leaves you with many options for upgrades in the Rogue portfolio as part of the Monster series. It is also overbuilt like any other rack out of this series. It is also made of 3x3'' steel notes which are bigger and more stable than their 2x3'' counterparts from the infinity series. With this rack you are looking into the future will you might currently be cash strapped for all the extras you want to get for your gym.

 

A con to the RM4 is the price. For a 53x53 rack, the RM4 is in the upper range of the spectrum. If you want to maximise your money you might want to spend it on the Infinity or Echo series to have more cash left for accessories or plates. The monster series is not made to build a gym on a budget. It is built to give you the best gym that money can buy based on good craftsmanship coming from the US.

 

Some alternatives to the RM4 are

 

 

The R4 has roughly the same dimensions but comes out of the Infinity series of Rogue. This basically means the same rack, but less metal used to build it. This choice will save you 400$ which you can put towards a nice barbell to complete your setup.

 

The R3 travels down the same path with a smaller footprint. While the RM$ and R4 have a 53x53 footprint the R3 comes in at 53''x34''. This is a half rack that you can fit into small spaces on a small budget and might be the right choice for a hard-working student with little financial back up from the wider family or a non-profit or community gym that wants to make the budget stretch. 

 

Further reading

• Rack on a budget
• Barbell on a budget