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TITAN Circus dumbbells vs TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Dec 29, 2020 9:00:00 AM

TITAN Circus dumbbells vs TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk

This is a comparison between the TITAN Circus dumbbells and TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk 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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Overview and review of the TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk

This is an overview of the TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk 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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Titan Rickshaw farmer's walk $150

 

Overview of the TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk

 
The TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk is a frame  for farmer's walks with handles. The design is simple and effective. The main benefits are that the weight is closer to your body compared to regular farmer's walk handles and that the plates do not touch the ground. This makes them last longer and the plates easier to load and unload. The full specifications of the TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk are:
 
 
- With weight sleeves off the ground, easily load and unload plates in between sets. 
- Great for deadlifts, shrugs, and farmer’s walks to give your legs, back, and shoulders a grueling workout!
- Rubber feet protect the Rickshaw and your floor from damage when setting down the Rickshaw between reps or sets.
- Inside dimensions of 24-in x 17-in allows ample amount of room for farmer’s walks.
- 13-in of loadable sleeve length.
 
- Overall Height: 15.5-in.
- Overall Width: 56-in.
- Overall Length: 19-in.
- Color: Powder-Coated Black
- Weight: 50 lb.
 
This is a great alternative to farmer's handles and a trap bar if you only buy one or a few of them. Especially the loading of the plates is a lot more convenient than with a trap bar or traditional farmer's walk handle setup.
 

Pros of the TITAN Rickshaw Farmer's walk

 
The pros of the TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk handles are:
 
  • Easy handling of plates with a deadlift jack
  • Weight more centered than with farmer's walk handles
  • Plates will not get damaged
  • Price
 
The Rickshaw farmer's walk handle is all about convenience for farmer'a walks. Especially if you are beginner or seasoned athlete you will appreciate that it is not a lot of hassle to get this thing loaded and ready. At a price point of $150 you will get 2 for the price of one saving on a trap bar and farmer's walk which will use put you back $300 to $400 if you get both. Definitely an insider purchase if you are not too nit picky about some details.
 

Cons of the TITAN Rickshaw Farmer's walk

 
The cons of the Rickshaw farmers'walk are:
 
  • Awkward to store
  • Higher Starting point than regular trap bar
  • Not a real simulation of farmer's walks
 
The Rickshaw farmer's walk is not as easily stored against a wall than as a trap bar. It will also not fit into most barbell stands, which is also harder with trap bars, but at least possible. If you have a very small home gym you might stay clear os this one. In comparison to a trap bar the starting point for a deadlift is also a little higher.Keep that in mind depending on your training goals. In comparison to farmer's walk handles it will also be hard to store multiple sets for group training in your commercial gym and the weight distribution is different. If you want a true farmer's walk, this is not the right product to get.
 

Alternatives to the TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk

 
 
The TITAN trap bar is a good alternative to the Rickshaw farmers walk if your goal is too go heavy in deadlifts as a supplement for straight barbell deadlifts. The sleeves are a bit longer for a trap bar and you also have more variations on the grip. If you use a trap bar for farmer's walks the distribution of weight is very similar to the Rickshaw. If you only care about carries for grip strength and core work, rather than simulating strongman events, than a trap bar Rickshaw are both viable options. Multiple trap bars will be easier to store than multiple Rickshaw frames.
 
The TITAN farmer's walk handles are a classic of strongman training and the cheapest to get for this amount of training. They are also very easy to store in bulk against a wall, if you do strongman training for groups. The only downside with the classic handles is that your plates will get more damaged and it can be quite inconvenient to change the weight on these handles. This is the right choice for a commercial gym that wants to buy in bulk and already has some trap bars and barbells.
 
The TITAN upright Farmer's walk handles are in my opinion the best option for an individual who wants to train the farmer's walk and go heavy. The weight distribution  is the same as for the classic farmer's walk which makes it harder than having it close to your body. You still do not damage the plates as they will not be in direct contact with the floor. The upright farmer's walk handles will also be easier to store than the rickshaw. The downsides are that they are not as good for deadlifts and it is a little more work to load them.
 

Conclusion for the TITAN Rickshaw farmer's walk

 
The Rickshaw farmer's walk is a great option if you want to save some money on buying a trap bar and farmer's walk handles. This does both as long as you have a dedicated space in your gym to store it. Its hard to just push in a corner or some nook and cranny like you can do with Farmer's walk handles. Overall for a single user this is a superior choice to regular farmer's walk handles. If you are aiming to train groups and buy in bulk, the classic handles are a better choice.

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:
 
  • 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.
 

Topics: TITAN