TITAN belt squat machine vs TITAN plate loadable tower V2

This is a comparison between the TITAN belt squat machine 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.

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 TITAN belt squat machine $599

This is an overview of the TITAN belt squat 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 Belt squat machine

The TITAN belt squat machine is simple in its design and effective. You will get a metal frame that you can hook plates and a belt up to to squat away. No fuss, just simple execution. Belt squat machines are a great option for anyone who wants to build strong legs without risking a lower back or shoulder injury. High workloads on heavy barbell squats can lead to pain in the shoulders and lower back as you have to carry the weight. With a belt squat machine you do not have this problem and can train the glutes to failure before your lower back or shoulders fail you. All of this is delivered at a great price compared to other machines in the market which do the same. The full list of features includes:

- Build lower body explosion without stress on your shoulders, spine, and lower back

- (3) weight stopper positions to adjust how deep you squat

- (4) additional weight posts for storage and to counterbalance increasing stability for heavy lifts

- Diamond plated aluminum footplate for superb grip and sleek look

- Heavy-duty steel construction to handle anything you can throw at it

- Includes a weight belt for further back support

- Floor Space Required: 7 FT 6-in Wide x 5 FT Deep

- Overall Width: 83-in.

- Overall Depth: 52-in.

- Overall Height: 38.5-in.

- Footplate Dimensions: 49-in x 24-in.

- Weight Post Length: 16.5-in.

- Storage Weight Post Length: 9.75-in.

- Weight Post Diameter: 1.9-in.

- Inside Lifting Width: 42-in.

- Weight Capacity: 1,000 lb.

- Product Weight: 232 lb.

Pros of the TITAN Belt squat machine

Pros of the TITAN belt squat machine are:

Price
Simple design
High load capacity

As with all TITAN products the price of the TITAN belt squat is very attractive compared to the competition. Comparable products are usually closer to $1000 or even beyond.

The simple design with a metal stop that is adjustable in height makes this a sturdy machine that anyone can use. No complex pulleys or climbing on a high platform. Load the plates, click in the belt and put it on and off you go. Big legs in no time.

This machine scales up to 1.000 pounds which is more than enough for most athletes to get to where they want to go.

Cons of the TITAN Belt squat machine

The cons of the belt squat machine are:

Space requirements
Weight placement

The TITAN belt squat is quite wide and also adds on with the plate storage in the back. You can not fit this machine into a rack and save some space. It needs a dedicated space and therefore might not be a great option for home gyms.

With this model the weight is around you rather than beneath or in front of you. This creates an effect similar to a trap bar which is not simulating the real world of a barbell squat or sumo deadlift to the same extent. This can be fixed by adding extra weight but has a different feel about it than the rhino from Rogue.

Alternatives to the TITAN belt squat machine

The TITAN belt squat machine is not the first item you should get for your home gym. It is an accessory and tread it as such. If you do not have a rack and barbell yet, start there and build your gym around this center piece. With the X3 range you can start around $200 to $300 for a rack and add a barbell and some small plates to your shopping cart.

Another alternative is the TITAN hack squat and leg press machine. This machine provides a two in and one and can be loaded with a considerable amount of weight. Generally speaking I would recommend the belt squat more to powerlifters and weightlifters, while the leg press might be a better option for bodybuilders. Of course, all of the above is always the best option for building the perfect physique, but you might not have the money or space to pull that off.

The TITAN smith machine can be a good option if you desperately want to do lunges in a machine. I personally think that smith machines are a waste of space, money and time but most commercial gyms have one so yu might want to get one just to compete.

The Rogue Rhino is the current gold standard in the industry for belt squats. This machine can be fitted into the space of a rack and works with one of the best pulley systems in the business. If you intend to do a lot of belt squats and only want to offer the best experience, this is the one to get. The main differecne to the TITAN model is that the load is not positioned around you, but in front of you. This minimizes the support the metal frame gives you for the lift and simulates barbell work closer than the TITAN belt squat. Both will blow up your legs without wrecking your lower back as much as a barbell though. The gold standard also comes at a gold price of $1.750.

The last machine you might want to consider when you are looking at a belt squat is the Rogue leg press machine. This is probably the biggest machine I have seen in a gym and it costs around $4000. In return you get the mechanics to operate your legs separately and one of the smoothest finishes I have seen on a leg press.

Conclusion for the TITAN belt squat machine

The TITAN belt squat machine is not sophisticated, but gets the job done. If you want a belt squat for your home gym and have the space, get one. I think this is especially a better idea than a deadlift platform. With a bit of practive you can do your deadlifts on your rack. Wherever you would have placed your deadlift platform you can put the belt squat instead.