TITAN Drop-in rack bench vs Rogue Utility bench

This is a comparison between the TITAN Drop-in rack bench and Rogue Utility bench 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 Monster utility bench

The Rogue Monster Utility bench comes in at $265 and is a great addition to your existing gym to widen the possible exercises you can do. This article was originally published in "Which bench to get to from Rogue".

What else to consider from Rogue

Overview of the Utility bench

The monster utility bench is the workhorse in the Rogue portfolio. It is the best portable bench from Rogue which you can not adjust. The Utility bench can be customized which leaves you with six different configurations. You can choose between:

Regular height
Shorty height
Thompson fat pad
Competition pad
Standard pad

The three different pads will give you more grip when you are on the bench, depending on your size. The shorty setup enables to have the bench at the same height while having a big pad. The specs are:

Made in Columbus, OH, USA
3x3” 11 gauge steel tubing
Footprint: 44”L x 24”W
Weight (without pad): 52 lbs.
Gussets feature laser-cut Rogue "R" logo
Rubber feet for added stability
Includes hardware for assembly
Available in Standard or Shorty height
Choice of Standard, Comp Fat Pad™, or Thompson Fat Pad™
Color: Black

Pros of the Utility bench

The pros is the Utility bench is its low price and versatility. With the new pad options, there is even some individualization possible.

Cons of the Utility bench

The Utility bench can not be adjusted. Some big athletes moving very big weights might also find it to be too flimsy to bench 600 pounds on.

Alternatives to the Utility bench

Alternatives to the Utility bench are

The Rogue Adjustable bench is still budget-friendly and comes with the option to adjust the bench for incline bench presses or dumbbell exercises.

The west side bench is the ultimate station for the serious bench presser. If you aspire to or already bench more than 400 pounds, this might be the way to go.

The Rogue AB3 is the crown jewel of Rogue’s portable bench portfolio.

Summary for the Utility bench

The Rogue Utility bench is the workhorse of choice of you do not need an adjustable bench or high-performance setup

Overview and review of the TITAN Drop-in rack bench

This is an overview of the TITAN Drop-in rack 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 TITAN Drop-IN rack bench

Price: $159

A drop-in rack bench is a solution to a specific problem. It is an ok solution, but maybe not for everyone. If you already own a TITAN rack and want to have a competition-sized bench setup, this is the perfect fit your you. Especially if you own gym ith multiple racks you can sacrifice one instead of buying a combo rack for $999 to achieve the same goal. Another example is a home gym owner who is annoyed with their bench setup at home as it is always slightly off. For these two scenarios, the drop-in bench is a very cheap solution to this problem. Otherwise, it is a bit cumbersome. The full specifications for this bench are:

Installs directly into your power rack to provide increased stability
Comes with pins to install the bracket – or use your power rack band pegs
17-in height allows athletes to train with competition bench standards
Tough steel construction will last for years with proper use
Powder-coated paint job protects against rust and early scuffing
Bench height: 17-in
Bench pad length: 51-in
Bench pad width: 11-in
Bench pad thickness: 2 1/2-in
Connection bar width: 42”
Overall weight: 50 lbs.
Weight capacity: 1,000 lbs.

This is a solid drop-in bench that almost can't be beaten on price. If you have the problems mentioned, this is an easy and cheap fix.

Pros of the TITAN Drop-in rack bench

Pros of the TITAN Drop-in rack bench are:

Price
Consistent setup
Easy to install if you have two people

As with all TITAN products they can almost not be beaten on price. This also goes for the drop-in rack bench. If you want to save money and upgrade one of your racks to a competition bench press setup for temporary max tests, this is a great solution. Just pop the bench in for the weekend for your mock meet and you are ready to go.

With this bench, you have nor problems in terms of positioning towards the bar. Distances are the same as in competition and you will always be dead center under the bar. This makes training for competition easier as you do not have to go one inch left, right, forward, and backward each time you want to bench heavy.

If you have two people at hand, this is also an easy install. The pins provided slide in easily and the whole construction is easy to lift in and out of the rack.

Cons of the TITAN Drop-in rack bench

Cons of the TITAN Drop-in rack bench:

Hard to handle for one person
Takes up the entire rack
Can not be used on its own
Problems with the finish

If you are by yourself, this is an annoying setup. You have to put it in the right place, then put the pins in, then something will misalign and you repeat the process all over. With two people this is very easily fixed as you just give instructions to the other person holding the bench while you put the pins in. By yourself this can becomes tedious.

Once installed, the rack can not be used for squats, deadlifts, or most other exercises anymore. The structure stretches over the entire rack space and therefore makes it impossible to be used for anything else than bench press related exercises. To buy a power rack for $300-$400 and then to invest another $$150-$200 to make it less versatile is not good economics or space management. In these departments, the drop-in fails, even though it does address an easy competition bench press set up perfectly.

The drop-in also can not be safely used just on its own. You can not bolt it down and you will also have some balancing issues.

As this is a TITAN product that is retrofitted into their racks after they have been delivered it is ver likely that some things ill not align smoothly. This is one of these products that need attention to detail to work properly and provide the convenience you are buying with it. As these are all finishing related topics, TITAN might not be the best place to go for this kind of idea to buy a highly specialized product at a dumping price.

Alternatives TITAN Drop-in rack bench

Alternatives to the drop in rack bench are:

The TITAN combo rack is a good alternative to the Drop-in rack bench if you have a gym that is spacious. Here you can rather get a proper full competition setup, if your clients demand it, rather than sacrificing a rack to turn it into a bench setup on occasions. This strategy will give you more satisfied clients and less hassle changing setups around. The only downside is that a combo rack can be intimidating, especially if you have to operate by yourself.

The hefty bench is a good alternative to the drop-in rack bench for any home gym owner with a serious flat bench press. If you weigh over 120kg you might want to consider to beef up the bench you are pressing on. The same goes for anyone who benches more than 300lbs for repetitions.

The TITAN bench press rack is a good alternative for anyone who wants a very sturdy, competition bench press setup who does not want to shell out 1000 for an extra station and needs convenience. Compared to a combo rack you get the same bench press setup, but it is way easier to handle. Especially for board presses and other specific partial repetitions, the bench press rack is better than a combo rack.

Conclusion for the TITAN Drop-in rack bench

The TITAN drop-in rack bench is a good option if you occasionally do mock meets in your own professional gym with multiple members attending. In this scenario, you save yourself quite a lot of money, while still having a good bench press setup to work with. When you are not doing a competition you can remove the drop-in and make the rack more versatile. Home gym users might find this to be too cumbersome, even though the very low price is tempting. Anyone who regularly benches heavy and has space might want to consider the bench press rack instead. It costs a little more, but basically takes up the same space if not dissembled and is a lot more convenient.