TITAN Cast iron plates vs Rogue machined Olympic plates
This is a comparison between the TITAN cast iron plates and the Rogue machined Olympic plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which titan plates to get. Follow the links for more details.
Rogue fitness vs TITAN fitness
Rogue Fitness is the current market leader when it comes to a functional home gym and commercial gym equipment. They have one of the widest portfolios including racks, barbells, benches, dumbbells, and apparel for the weekend warrior and dedicated athlete. The biggest downside of Rogue Fitness is their comparatively high prices to the competition.
TITAN Fitness is the clear cost leader when you want to build a home gym on a budget that is still similar to what Rogue offers in function, look, and feel. While you will save about half on the sticker price you will run a higher risk of inconsistencies in quality compared to a purchase from Rogue. The equipment will be safe but is more likely to have blemishes, quality issues with welds or that pieces will not easily fit into place. That makes TITAN a good option for a DIY enthusiast who does not mind tinkering with their equipment, but not the first choice to get the best equipment and treat yourself.
Overview and review of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates
The Rogue machined olympic plates will set you back about $582 dollars or $5.24 dollars per kg. These plates are especially good to use for home gyms who want some extra precision. This overview has originally been published in the article "Which rogue plates to buy" which you can find on this blog.
Overview of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates
These plates are Rogue take on the standard metal plate. They have come up with a great design which combines grey hammertone with black writing. Many lifters love the sound of multiple metal plates clanging together when they post a new pr. These plates are made to precision with a 2 to 3% tolerance which sets them apart from the rest of the industry. These are the type of plates which a no-nonsense dungeon gym will hold. You get quite a lot of weight for your dollar with these ones.
Weight / Diameter / Thickness / Price per pair
45LB / 448mm / 1.50'' / $160
35LB/ 360mm / 1.50'' / $128
25LB / 300mm / 1.50'' / $ 105
10LB / 228mm / 1.22'' / $48.50
5LB / 195mm / 0.83'' / $32
2.5LB / 162mm / 0.63'' / $23
Available sets
245LB one pair each size $582
Pros of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates
The biggest pros are the price and machine precision. Compared to the
calibrated steel plates and high-end bumpers you get the same amount of weight for roughly half the price. Metal also feels different when you move it around. It makes more noise and just feels rawer. You will also be able to fit more weight onto your
barbell.
Cons of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates
These plates have no color coding and you can not always be sure what you put on the
bar. This makes it more likely to
misload
a lift. If you do not have a platform these plates are also a lot more likely to eat into your floor on deadlifts than
bumpers. They will also not sustain constant dropping of the weight from overhead. Especially your
barbell will suffer and deform quickly if you use them for Olympic lifts. In addition, they will also not age well in damp places as they will oxidate.
Alternatives to the Rogue Machined Olympic plates
If you still want that metal feel, can tolerate a bit more variance on the finish and prefer black, the Rogue
Olympic plates might be for you. They will also come in at an even lower price point.
Bumper plates are the alternative for the home gym warrior who wants to protect their floor and lift overhead. You will fit less weight on the
barbell, but you can train without a platform without wrecking the floor.
The
calibrated steel plates come with color coding and are IPF approved. If you want to prepare for your next
powerlifting meet and train like the pros, this is the option for you.
Overview and review of the TITAN Cast iron plates
This is an overview of the TITAN Cast iron plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which titan plates to get. Follow the links for more details.
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Overview of the TITAN Cast iron plates
Price $24.99 - $419.99
Cast Iron plates are some of the cheapest and most durable plates you can buy if you tread them well. TITAN has a full range of plates from 2.5lb up to 45lb. Take care that the biggest plates are sold as singles and not in pairs when you fill your cart. There is nothing really fancy about
Cast Iron plates. They are reliable, do not take up a lot of space, and make a nice clanging and banging sound. The full specifications of these plates are:
Simple, classic design built tough for daily use
Fits standard Olympic barbell sleeves
Durable silver hammered finish
Collar Opening: 50.5 mm
Material: Cast Iron
Weight Tolerance: +/- 2%
2.5 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 162 mm
Plate Thickness: 15 mm
5 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 178 mm
Plate Thickness: 21 mm
10 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 228 mm
Plate Thickness: 29 mm
25 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 300 mm
Plate Thickness: 38 mm
35 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 360 mm
Plate Thickness: 38 mm
45 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 448 mm
Plate Thickness: 38 mm
These are great plates to start a budget gym if you do not intend to do any Olympic weightlifting. They can also be a good addition to your plate collection if you start training with more than 400lb on a regular basis and want to save sleeve space.
Pros of the TITAN Cast Iron plates
- Price
- Sound
- Space efficient
- Long-lasting
As with all TITAN fitness products, one of the main reasons to consider is their price. On almost all items they undercut the direct competition from Eleiko and Rogue by about half. That is their strategy is a company and if you do not mind minor and occasional major quality issues with your purchase, TITAN is a good bet. You definitely will get a lot more stuff from TITAN for the same budget, that is guaranteed.
Cast Iron plates are also nice compared to rubber plates as they make that clanging and banging noise when you train. Some people just love the dungeon feel and sound about these plates. If you get a particular pump and motivation out of training with iron plates, do not hesitate. They are not expensive and will at forever if treated well.
Cast iron plates also have an advantage in being space efficient. As they are made from iron they can be cut thinner than rubber to achieve the same amount of weight. The result is that they will take up less space on a plate tree and instead of maxing out most barbell sleeves at about 400 to 500 pounds you can now easily go up to 700 - 800lbs. That is not relevant for many athletes, but if you are a beast, this becomes very important.
The last thing about
cast iron plates is that they will last forever if you treat them well. Competition and rubber plates will come apart at some stage between the different materials.
Cast iron steel plates are just one big lump. If you do not drop them on the floor constantly or leave them in the rain over the weekend, this is a purchase for life.
Cons of the TITAN Cast Iron plates
- Finish
- Not all weather compatible
- Harsh on your body
- Design
If you push your product out at half the price of the competition you will need to cut some corners to still make a profit. Therefore you will find a higher rate of negative reports about TITAN fitness equipment than about Eleiko and Rogue. TITAN fitness equipment is more likely to have sharp edges, inconsistent finishes, or loose ends where the material is put together. There are also more reports about incomplete deliveries or rude customer services. This being said, you have to expect some shortfalls if you want to save half of your money. All of these aspects do not mean that you can not train, you will only have to either live with minor quality issues or apply some elbow grease to your equipment to oil, sand or adjust it.
All
cast iron plates do not very well in damp environments. If you keep them outside or in a basement with moisture they will start to rust and turn weird
colors. They are also not great for use outside as they either get damp or too hot to touch, depending on where you use them. Of course, hardcore training enthusiasts will say just get on with it, but it depends on who you are and what you want to use the plates for.
Cast iron plates are very unforgiving on feet, toes, fingers and other body parts they get in touch with. While rubber plates give in a little and therefore do not hurt as much when you land them on your toes or get your fingers between the in plate tree,
cast iron plates surely will. If you have little ones at home who have access to your home gym or if you run a commercial establishment where it is sure that some idiots will handle the equipment, rubber is usually the safer bet to make injuries less likely.
The last point about
cast iron plates is their design. It is basically non-existent unless you like the Brutalist approach. If you like raw metal that makes clanging noises you will feel like in heaven. Everyone else will get that kind of dungeon Rocky Balboa torture chamber vibe of them, which is not for everyone.
Alternatives to the TITAN Cast iron plates
If you do not want to spend more than $500 on a good set of plates your options are the
Cast Iron plates and the two
economy rubber plates from TITAN. If you do not work with more than 400lbs on a regular basis the rubber plates will probably be the better purchase. These are more forgiving on the users and also do not rust. Between the black and colored ones, it is mainly a matter of taste as the price does not defer a lot.
Conclusion for the TITAN Cast Iron plates
The cast-iron plates from TITAN are a great budget option for anyone who starts their home gym and already moves a lot of weight. If you are a complete beginner the
economy rubber plates might be a better choice, as you will not max out your bar sleeve anyway and might want to use the plates outside and not always start to curse when you get your fingers between them.