TITAN Circus dumbbells vs TITAN farmer's walk handles
This is a comparison between the TITAN Circus dumbbells and TITAN farmer's walk handles 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 TITAN Farmer's walk handles
This is an overview of the TITAN Farmer's walk handles including pros, cons, and alternatives. The Original was published in Which Strongman equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for details
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Farmer's walk handles $100
Overview of the TITAN farmer's walk handles
The TITAN farmer's walk handles are a classic and simple design to strengthen your grip and core. Standard plates can be attached at each end and you lift them to carry the weight as far as you can. As the weight is not fully centered with your body it will challenge your core to avoid straying of the a straight line. The farmer's walk has been a solid part of many strongman competitions for years and if you are serious about Strongman training it should be a regular part of your schedule. The full specifications for the TITAN Farmer's walk handles are:
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Overall length 60 in.
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Handle length 5.5 in.
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Handle diameter 31mm
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Sleeve diameter 50mm
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Loadable sleeve length 12-in.
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Powder Coated Black
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Capacity 500lb per handle
This is a good product to buy in bulk for group training for a commercial gym. Home gym owners might want to upgrade to a upright handle frame as they can invest a little more per item.
Pros of the TITAN farmer's walk handles
The pros of the TITAN farmer's walk handles are:
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Price
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Simplicity
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Storage
The TITAN Farmer's handles are simple, compact, relatively cheap and easy to store. This makes them a great option for anyone who wants to have multiple pairs to compete against each other. Most people have seen and used one of these in their fitness journey, or at least have seen someone else using them. Not a lot you can do wrong at this price point if you have the space for them.
Cons of the TITAN farmer's walk handles
The cons of the TITAN farmer's walk handles:
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Wreck the plates
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Not easy to adjust
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Can not be build into a frame
The cons of the TITAN farmer's walk handles are that they wreck the plates you use with them as you can not easily adjust. What usually happens with these handles is that they got set up once with a certain weight and rarely adjusted. After that they will stand on these plates for days and also get dropped on different surfaces. Over time the plates will suffer and ultimately break. As you put the plates at the front and the back, you will also not adjust often as it is inconvenient. Especially if you are by yourself. Compared to Upright farmer's walk handles this is inferior as these are easier to adjust and can also be built into a deadlift /carry frame which becomes more common in Strongman competitions for carry events.
Alternatives to the TITAN farmer's walk handles
Trap bars are a good alternative to farmer's walk handles as you can also use them as a deadlift training tool. Using the frame of a Trap bar it is a bit safer to go at speed than with the farmer's walk handles. The Rogue trap bar and TITAN trap bar are two alternatives which have about $100 in price between them while the Rogue one has the higher quality finish.
The TITAN Upright farmer's walk handles are my personal favorite. They keep the nature of the farmers walk alive by putting the plates further away from your body while making the setup safer and more convenient. As a bonus you can also build them into a deadlift / carry frame if you get some extra parts from TITAN. I personally think, especially for a home gym, the few extra bucks are worth considering.
The TITAN rickshaw farmer's walk as a cheaper alternative to a trap bar which is also more convenient to load. If you have been considering a trap bar to do carries and deadlifts you might look int the rickshaw as a cheaper alternative which is also more convenient to use.
Heavy kettlebells are always a great alternative to to farmer's walk handles as they can be used for so much more than just carries. You can use them for swings, Turkish get ups, and floor presses alike. Only a few tools give you as many possibilities as kettlebells in this compact size. To be fair, for carries they are not an accurate representation of a farmer's walk, yoke or frame carry as the center of gravity is close to your body and the handles are usually more convenient to grip.
Conclusion for the TITAN farmer's walk handles
Cheap and cheerful for carries.
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.
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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:
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Low price
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Fits the requirement
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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:
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Warp easily
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Do not fit most Storage units
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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:
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TITAN Loadable dumbbell
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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.
