TITAN Circus dumbbells vs Thompson fatbell

This is a comparison between the TITAN Circus dumbbell and Rogue Thompson fatbell including pros, cons, and alternatives. The Original was published in Which Strongman equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for details

Overview and review of the Rogue Thompson fatbell

The Rogue Thompson fatbell combines the design of a dumbbell and kettlebell. This saves space and cost to have a full set at home.The price ranges from $27-$215. This article has been originally posted in "which dumbbell to get from Rogue".

Overview of the Rogue Thompson fatbells

The Rogue Thompson fatbell has been designed by powerlifter Donnie Thompson. This design places the handle of the kettlebell inside the body of the weight. This creates a hybrid design between a kettlebell and dumbbell. You can do all of the swings and Turkish get-ups of a kettlebell, while still also being able to use them as a dumbbell. The Rogue Thomson fat bell is available from 9lb to 150lb. Additional specs are:

Based on an original design by Donnie Thompson
Interior Handle and Center Mass reduce shearing force, add more load distribution on muscle & connective tissue
Solid Cast Iron construction
9LB - 18LB Bells: 32MM diameter Ergo Handle
26LB - 88LB Bells: 37MM diameter Ergo Handle
97+LB Bells: 40MM diameter Ergo Handle
Flat machined base (open-ended on 18LB bell)
Black Powder Coat Finish
Rogue and Thompson branding w/ color-coded stripe for quick recognition
Applications: Presses, Swings, Lunges, Snatches, Cleans, Rows, and more

Pros of the Rogue Thompson fatbell

The Rogue Thompson fatbell saves you to buy a full rack of dumbbells and kettlebells as long as you like the idea of them or you think that your clients will actually like them. To have your hands in the center of mass also creates a different experience for the lifter. The fat bell puts different strains on the hands and moves differently from dumbbells and kettlebells. All good when you want to offer a variety of training options for your clients or for yourself to keep things interesting. I do see these working well in a gym with a lot of clients who are interested in to strongman and powerlifting exercises.

Cons of the Rogue Thompson fatbell

The fat bell will take up more space on a standard dumbbell rack than regular dumbbells or kettlebells. You will also not be able to stack them as well on an angled surface. So if you want to replace your current rack with fat bells, make sure you can actually store them on the surface. There is also no loadable option so the fat bells might not fit into a home gym if you want a wide variety of different weight options in a small space. The look and feel of them is very strongman. I think it will be unlikely that average customers will use them regularly as they might be intimidating and dumbbells are preferred. People usually don't like sticking their hands into something which they don't know.

Alternatives to the Rogue Thompson fatbell

The Rogue loadable dumbbell is basically a shortened barbell that can be loaded with weights. Rogue also offers smaller weights to go with the loadable dumbbell. This is a great option when you want to be able to have a load of different weights on one dumbbell without eating too much space. Ideal for home gyms. For a commercial gym, it might be better to stick with a rack of dumbbells as they are more convenient to use and cover more clients at the same cost.

The rubber hex dumbbell is pound for pins the cheapest dumbbell with a rogue logo on it. They are also sold in pairs. If you like the hex design for your commercial gym I think this is the one to go for in bulk.

The Power block dumbbell is a classic design for home use. It follows the same idea as the loadable dumbbell to save space in a home setting. This is the most compact it can get for lifting dumbbells with many options in denominations. The only downside is the clicking mechanic to change between weights which is prone to break and that the block can a little too big when moving big weights. Here the loadable dumbbell might be less error-prone if you have the space to store the change plates.

Kettlebells are always a good alternative to dumbbells. You can do almost all dumbbell movements with kettlebells while kettlebells also offer the Turkish getup and kettlebell swing as great conditioning exercises. The only negative with kettlebells is that I haven’t seen a great loadable Design for them yet to save space. If I was in the market for a big set I dumbbells I would get a wall of kettlebells instead. Especially if you have very heavy kettlebells it will set you apart from other gyms. It all depends on the clients you want to target as bodybuilders usually prefer dumbbells.

Summary for the Rogue Thompson fatbell

The Rogue Thompson fatbells are a good alternative to very heavy kettlebells as they can also be used as a dumbbell in these ranges. Kettlebells just get too big. In lower ranges, I don't see a lot of people preferring the fatbells to dumbbells.

Overview and review of the TITAN Circus dumbbells

This is an overview of the TITAN Circus dumbbell including pros, cons, and alternatives. The Original was published in Which Strongman equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for details.

Circus dumbbell $150-$180

Overview of the TITAN Circus dumbbell

The circus dumbbell is a classic strongman event where you lift a cumbersome dumbbell from the floor to your shoulder. For this purpose TITAN offers four different Circus dumbbells in diameters of 10"-12" and empty weights ranging from 67 Lbs. to 94lbs. TITAN does not recommend dropping these from overhead on the floor, so you might also want to invest in some crash mats for a full setup. These dumbbells are big and cumbersome, as they should be, and provide you with the necessary equipment for this event. The full specifications are:

10" 2" Handle

- 1.9” Tube allows for Olympic Weights under 10” in diameter to be placed inside the circus dumbbell to easily increase weight.

- 2” diameter handle.

- 10.75” loadable sleeve length.

- Comes with a pair of weight retainers.

- Empty Weight: 77 LB

- Length: 30.125”

- Loadable Sleeve Length: 10.75”

- Dumbbell Diameter: 10”

- Handle Diameter: 2”

10" 2.5" Handle

- 1.9” Tube allows for Olympic Weights under 10” in diameter to be placed inside the circus dumbbell to easily increase weight.

- 2.5” diameter handle.

- 10.75” loadable sleeve length.

- Comes with a pair of weight retainers.

- Empty Weight: 78 LB

- Length: 30.125”

- Loadable Sleeve Length: 10.75”

- Dumbbell Diameter: 10”

- Handle Diameter: 2.5”

12" 3" Handle

- 1.9” Tube allows for Olympic Weights under 12” in diameter to be placed inside the circus dumbbell to easily increase weight.

- 3” diameter handle.

- 10.75” loadable sleeve length.

- Comes with a pair of weight retainers.

- Empty Weight: 94 LB

- Length: 30.125”

- Loadable Sleeve Length: 10.75”

- Dumbbell Diameter: 12”

- Handle Diameter: 3”

12" 2.5" Handle

- 1.9” Tube allows for Olympic Weights under 12” in diameter to be placed inside the circus dumbbell to easily increase weight.

- 2.5” diameter handle.

- 10.75” loadable sleeve length.

- Comes with a pair of weight retainers.

- Empty Weight: 67 LB

- Length: 30.125”

- Loadable Sleeve Length: 10.75”

- Dumbbell Diameter: 12”

- Handle Diameter: 2.5”

With these bis dumbbells you can train and get better to move cumbersome weights which is one of the main requirements in strongman competitions. It is also a rather cheap option for a loadable dumbbell compared to other models which come in around $300 to $600.

Pros of the TITAN Circus Dumbbell

The pros of the TITAN Circus dumbbell are:

Low price
Fits the requirement
Loadable

This is one of the cheapest possible ways you can get into the strongman sport. Circus dumbbells are in my opinion a bit easier to get overhead than axle barbells and also provide a different experience from anything else you usually move around in the gym. Especially if you have been looking for a loadable dumbbell for a while, this might be a cheaper option compared to a full adjustable dumbbell system and a bit more fun. Compared to Atlas stones they are a lot less hassle to get ready.

Cons of the TITAN Circus dumbbell

Cons of the TITAN Circus dumbbell are:

Warp easily
Do not fit most Storage units
Con only be loaded with smaller plates

The main point against these dumbbells is that they warp quite easily when dropped from overhead. Original circus dumbbells are usually solid an round at the end. Therefore they are not adjustable, but virtually indestructible. That you have to take a little more care with these circus dumbbells is a bit counter intuitive. All you want to do when this beast is overhead is to drop it, not gently put it back down to avoid damage. Be prepared to get a thick gym mat together with your purchase for lasting fun.

Another disadvantage is that you will most likely not be able to fit these dumbbells on any rack you already have. If your gym is very spacious that is not a huge problem. If you crammed your gym into your home, every inch counts and these dumbbells do not help your space management if you already have plates, kettlebells and some bands lying on the floor.

The last thing is that if you want to go heavy, you might need some specialist plates. With heavy I mean strongman heavy around 100kg and more. For mere mortals the weight of the Circus dumbbell itself might already be enough to work with.

Alternatives to the TITAN Circus dumbbell

Alternatives to the TITAN Circus dumbbells are:

TITAN Loadable dumbbell
Rogue Loadable dumbbell

TITAN Provides loadable dumbbells which range from 15" to 36" in length and $45 to $75 in price per piece. As they do not have an outer rim like the circus dumbbells you can use most of your plates with these. The lifting experience is more convenient and close to what you are used to with normal dumbbells. If you put big plates on them they feel a little more like circus dumbbells depending on your preference. They are also easier to store.

Rogue also provides loadable dumbbells on 10" and 15" length which cost around $135 a piece. These loadable dumbbells are shortened versions of the classic Rogue Ohio barbell and feel more than a shortened barbell rather than just a loadable dumbbell. Rogue also provides special bumpers that have been made for the loadable dumbbells. If you want to save space in your gym while still having a full dumbbell rack, this is a very space efficient, yet pricey way of getting there. They also look really stylish.

Conclusion for the TITAN Circus Dumbbell

The TITAN Circus dumbbell are a cheap entry point to strongman overhead lifts. Especially if you already have the space and mats available they can be a fun addition to your regimen. If you are a serious contender for strongman competitions who weighs more than 100kg or even 140kg than you might go for the solid core circus dumbbells instead. These are more expensive and less suited for the mass market, but simulate the real life event closer. For smaller athletes or every day training to spice things up they are still a good alternative to most loadable dumbbells you can get, if you have the space and some protection for the floor.