TITAN Chest supported row bench vs Rogue combo rack

This is a comparison between the TITAN chest supported row bench and Rogue combo rack including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which TITAN bench to get? Follow the links for details.

Overview and review of the Rogue combo rack

The video above summarises my personal opinion for purchasing a Rogue combo rack for a home gym. If you want to just lean back and get information, watch it and then dig into the details below. In the following paragraphs you will find details on dimensions and alternative choices. I invite you to leave a comment on Youtube if you have direct questions.

The rogue combo rack comes in at a price of $2500 and is the ultimate rack for your powerlifting meet. 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.

What else to consider from Rogue

Overview of the combo rack

The Rogue combo rack is the gold standard from Rogue for powerlifting meets. It has been designed for the environment of a powerlifting meet where you have professional athletes of different sizes stepping up to the platform. The Rogue Combo rack is IPF certified and manufactured in Columbus Ohio. Special features are the lever arm jack, telescoping uprights which can be angled and the removable bench.

The rogue combo rack comes in black and weighs 505lb. It is 77.25'' long when the bench is attached. The total width is 80.25'' and the inside width comes to 43.5''. When it is fully extended the maximum height is 78'' for the squat and 17.5'' for the bench press. The Notes are cut from 3x3 Gauge steel as with all products from the Rogue Monster series. The overall footprint of the combo rack is 77.25'' x 80.25''.

This is the flagship rack of Rogue that has been built for showing off the best national and international athletes. That the IPF put its stamp of approval on it shows that Rogue means business. If you want to organize one big meet or multiple meets throughout a year this rack is for you. If you are serious about competing on an international level you might want to get this for your home or local gym, so that you can simulate competition as close as possible.

Pros of the combo rack

This rack is sturdy and can be easily adjusted. It also does not need to be bolted down to the ground as Rogue is making use of their flat foot design. This is handy if you are putting up a competition in a local hotel or on any stage where you are not allowed to bolt a rack into the ground. Another advantage is that the uprights can be angled. This is great when you have very big athletes competing who want to grip the bar outside of the J Cups as they are so massive. The removable bench will safe time for your meet is you do not have to haul off one piece of equipment of the stage and replace it with another. You will also get a westside Monster bench and squat stand in one purchase. This saves money if you are serious about power and strength and know what you are doing.

Cons of the combo rack

The first con is the price. For 2.500$ you can also get an RM6 from Rogue or two midrange RM4 or R4 racks. This rack is also not user-friendly. It has been designed with a powerlifting meet in mind. To operate it most effectively you need 2 - 4 spotters who get everything ready for the athlete. Great in a powerlifting meet. Suboptimal when you are training by yourself or have a gym where beginners will just wreck themselves with the setup. There are also no safeties for the squat as a spotter crew is assumed. This is the right piece of equipment for someone who wants to get a powerlifting meet organized and done with as little waiting time for the crowd and athletes between lifts as possible. The home gym or commercial gym owner will make their lives unnecessarily hard.

Alternatives to the combo rack

For 2.500$ you can get the following other options from Rogue

If you are looking at the Combo rack I am quite sure that you are serious about lifting and probably already own a gym or seriously consider to build a massive home gym. If you are not planning to become the local powerlifting meet go to point or you do not have a serious team of powerlifters around to work the combo rack while someone lifts, consider getting something else.

The Rogue RM6 rack is a great option for anyone starting a home gym who wants storage and rack space combined in one rack. You can also upgrade this rack with the Monster Lat pull down and Rhino belt Squat Drop in. Innovation at Rogue also always comes first for the Monster line and trickles down from there. If you have the budget and want the best for your home gym, this can be an excellent choice instead of the combo rack.

The Rogue Rhino monster Belt Squat saves you money compared to the combo rack and is a great option for someone who has space and already owns a rack to squat and bench press in. If you own a gym think about what your clients need. If your clients are mainly powerlifters who compete often, you might want to get the combo rack. If your gym has a more mixed clientele and many older powerlifters with lower back problems, you definitely want to get the belt squat.

If you are opening your first gym or a new gym you will probably be better of investing the money in a Monster or Monster lite rig. For 2.500$ you will get one of the shorter ones. This will give you more options to create revenue streams, as the rig can be used for more different styles of training. A rig sets you up for powerlifting, CrossFit, Weightlifting and Tabata classes. The combo rack is for powerlifters only.

The Prone leg curl can be an option for a commercial gym or home gym owners who want to present more options for leg development. If you have a lot of bodybuilders or footballers in your gym this might be the better option than the combo rack.

Overview and review of the TITAN Chest supported row bench

This is an overview of the TITAN chest supported row bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which TITAN bench to get? Follow the links for details.

Overview of the chest supported adjustable row bench

Price: $464.99

The chest supported adjustable row bench is a machine that specifically isolates the back muscles and prevents lower back pain when you work with barbell rows. It also allows you to do weighted back raises, especially if you go very heavy. Some of the international elite powerlifters recommend this exercise to build a stronger back. Some bodybuilders also recommend it. This makes the chest supported row bench a niche product for individuals or gyms who work a lot with barbells and have serious lifters in their midst. If your rows are a little lighter, you can also achieve similar results with a simple free-standing barbell row. The full specifications of this machine are:

Weight: 128 LB- Adjustable Seat Height: 30 1/2” to 37 1/4"
Adjustable Depth: 68 1/2" to 65 1/2”
Adjustable Width: 55 1/2” to 42”- Seat Length: 18”
Seat Width: 9 1/2"- Seat Thickness: 2 3/4”
Band Peg Length: 5 1/2”
Footplate Dimensions (per side): 21 1/2” x 24”

This is a good addition to your home gym or commercial gym if you have to work on your back and space. Still, I personally think there some better purchases you can make for your gym for $400 like a set of good kettlebells, especially some heavy ones for swings, sumo deadlifts, split squats, and front squats.

Pros of the TITAN chest supported row bench

Pros of the TITAN Chest supported row bench are:

Spine protection
Goes up to very heavy setups
Works with a barbell

This is a great machine to make heavy rows with the barbell a lot safer. You will also isolate your muscles in the back a lot more. So if you want to work on your lower back and back with heavy loaded rows and back raises, this is a good machine to get. If you want to cut out any kind of activation from the hips or lower back you might want to up for a seal row bench.

Cons of the TITAN Chest supported row bench

The cons of the TITAN chest supported bench are:

Limited use
Space requirements
Cumbersome setup

The chest supported row bench has a very limited range of exercises you can do at that particular station. You will also need to get a barbell in place and load it. This needs to be lifted on the two pins in the starting position. While it is not a lot of setup, you might as well to regular barbell rows, especially when you do it for mass rather than maximum strength. In a home gym scenario, this machine will eat up space where you can place a GHD or a rack. If you need to decide between this and a GHD, I personally think the GHD is the better option as it gives you a similar effect in your training, but more variety for exercises.

Alternatives to the TITAN Chest supported row bench

Alternatives to the chest supported row bench are:

Seal bench
GHD machine
Adjustable bench
Rogue donkey

If you want to use an extended range of motion for rowing exercises while eliminating the lower back motion, the seal row is a very good option. To perform these rows you need a bench or station that enables you to elevate yourself so that the arms are fully extended while you lie on the bench. Then you start rowing.

A GHD machine helps you to do back extensions, situps and Glute ham raises. This machine has roughly the same size as a Chest supported row bench. They are usually slightly more expensive but more versatile. Definitely the better pick for a home gym that has that extra space beside a rack, but not much more.

An adjustable bench with a good pair of dumbbells can be used in a similar way to the chest supported row. just lay on the bench on your stomach and bring it to an incline bench press position. It is not the same thing, but a lot more space-efficient. You just have shell out more money for a proper adjustable bench.

The Rogue Donkey is a combination of a reverse hyper and a GHD machine. While it is quite pricey, I think this is the machine to cover all over your lower back development needs in one station. You still won't be able to do very heavy back raises or work with a barbell, but I think the trade-off is there. If you have tons of space, these questions become less relevant and you can get cheaper, specific one purpose equipment and spread them out over your floor space.

Conclusion for the TITAN chest supported row bench

The chest supported row bench is a good tool in a strength-focused commercial gym with a lot of space. There you have space and clients who can get good use out of the heavy rows to form massive backs. Home gym owners will probably just use the barbell for rows. If the basement or garage is bigger, you can look at the Rogue Donkey for all of your lower back needs, as long as your wallet allows for it.