TITAN functional trainer vs TITAN cable crossover machine
This is a comparison between the TITAN functional trainer and the TITAN cable crossover machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN cable crossover machine $459
This is an overview of the TITAN cable crossover machine including pros, cons and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which gym machine to get from TITAN. Follow the links for additional information.
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Overview of the TITAN Cable Crossover machine
The
TITAN cable crossover machine is a take on a classic which you will find in most gyms. Usually this is part of a machine with weight stacks and an included pull up
bar. This machine is great for cable pulls and chopping movements to strengthen your core and back. You can even use it for
chest presses and other pressing exercises, given that you have a bench. The full specifications of this machine are:
- Fits and stores easily in your garage.
- Unit fits in rooms with an 8 ft ceiling.
- High-quality pulleys and cables used.
- 4 Weight plate holders measuring 9.75-in each.
- Includes 2 premium cable handles.
- Footprint: 113-in W x 36-in D.
- Overall Height: 83.5-in.
- Clearance Height: 80.5-in.
- Weight Holder Length: 9.75-in.
- Weight: 110 lb.
This is machine that covers most of your pulley needs in one go if you can fit it into your gym. In my opinion it is still a makeshift and cheap solution to cover this need. If you can afford it, try to go with something more substantial like the TITAN functional trainer or the TITAN lat tower depending on the space you have at your command.
Pros of the TITAN Cable Crossover
This machine is all about getting a pulley system into your gym for a minimal amount of money. Everything about this has been optimized to achieve a low price, while still providing an industrial grate machine. If you want pulleys for your home and do not want to spend a fortune, this is the one to get.
Cons of the TITAN Cable crossover
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No Pull up bar
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Low own weight
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Makeshift solution
Most of the
Cable crossovers you will find in the industry will come with a pull up bar in the middle. That TITAN to choose to ship this one without a pull up bar already shows you how confident they are that this machine will stand by itself. If you are looking to get a fully functioning home gym for the lowest possible price, try to get a
cable crossover machine that includes a pull up bar. If you look for it on Amazon, take a close look into how to anchor it to the ground and how much it weighs.
This stations has a low weight without
plates and the construction is done in a way that it does not stand that well by itself. Be careful and do not climb on this, especially when there are no weights attached. It might fall over.
As with all complex assemblies from TITAN this pulley system makes no exception. The instructions are hard to follow and faulty and the end result does the job, but not very well. This whole station has a bit of a makeshift feeling about it, but you can also not complain a lot for less than $500 for such a big machine.
Alternatives to the TITAN Cable crossover
The
TITAN lat tower is a clone of the Rogue lat pull machine. If you want to mainly use your
cable crossover full vertical and horizontal pulls than this machine delivers it all. A seat, weight stack, beefy installation and proper pulley system. If you have the money and space beside a
rack, this is a great option from TITAN to save money compared to the competition.
The
TITAN wall mounted pulley tower is another option from TITAN for the low budget brigade. I would recommend this over the
cable crossover if you are allowed to drill into the walls of your gym. It costs less, is safer as it is mounted to the wall and you can still use it in a very similar way. The money you save you can invest in a proper pull up station, as this also does not come with this
cable crossover.
Conclusion to the TITAN Cable Crossover
I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of
cable crossovers in general and the TITAN does a poor job of being one on top of it. For the low budget you still get an OK machine, but as it most likely to be used in a home gym you can also go for something smaller and really bolt it down. This saves you space and money, and is more secure. If you love cable work, go for the
plate loaded functional trainer or the mounted pulley tower instead.
Overview and review of the TITAN Functional trainer $1.999
This is an overview of the TITAN functional trainer including pros, cons and alternatives. This article with originally posted in Which gym machine to get from TITAN. Follow the links for additional information.
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Overview of the TITAN Functional trainer
The
TITAN functional trainer is an all in one training solution for the home. It can also be used in commercial spaces which want to offer a maximum variety of resistance training on a small footprint. The design uses two vertical
plate towers which range from 10lbs to 200lbs. The weight is moved by pulleys which can be adjusted in height separately. This makes the
TITAN functional trainer a versatile machine, especially when your main training goals are toning and definition. It is not a replacement for free weight training, especially when you are aiming to build big muscles and compete in power lifting and strongman. Here the
functional trainer can be a good central space in your gym for most of your accessory movements to train all of the minor muscle groups and areas which are otherwise easily left out. The full specifications of the
TITAN functional trainer are:
- Comprehensive pulley options including lat, row, and pulldown
- Comes with tons of accessory options right out of the box
- Tough steel construction will last for years to come
- Sleek black and silver design
- Titan Fitness faceplate included
- Overall Height: 82-in.
- Overall Width: 64-in.
- Overall Depth: 44-in.
- Long Bar Length: 49-in.
- Short Bar Length: 15.5-in.
- Pulley Grip Length: 4.5-in.
- Pulley Ratio: 2:1
- Product Weight: 672 lb.
This is a good option when you and your family are the only ones training on the machine. It is also good when most of your clients are working out for leisure and rehabilitation. In a power gym or other facility where serious athletes who want to win medals train, this will be not the main training station but one where they go to for accessory rehab or work through specific weak points in their physique.
Pros of the TITAN functional trainer
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Price
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Size
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Full range of equipment
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Versatility
As with all TITAN fitness products the price point of the
functional trainer is very competitive. Functional trainers like this come in many forms and shapes ranging from $1000 to $5000. On the higher end you usually find more technological gadgets in the machine itself to track your fitness levels and workouts. The same goes for the mechanics which become more comprehensive the more you pay. I personally used most of them and a simple machine will almost always give you the same results as a complex machine will. Therefore the main reason to buy something in the higher price class is the design which might fit your high end home better than the rough and ready basement look of this machine. At the lower end you will find the machines you can buy via Amazon. Often these are produced in China or are independent companies that run fitness month / week like TESCO or Walmart. While these are cheaper, they usually have less warranty and no customer service when something goes wrong. If you buy a
functional trainer like this used, you usually need to touch up the pulley and / or cables. This places the
TITAN functional trainer in the middle, ticking all of the boxes at a reasonable price while delivering customer support and warranty.
For a fully functioning gym including multiple directions of work this machine is quite small. If you are a hotel, local sports club or leisure center that wants to offer their clients some extra fitness, this is a great option. If you have a home gym in your two car garage, basement or attic this can also be a good use of your space. There are some designs which are more space efficient, but they often do not address both arms or legs at the same time.
Another great add on is that this machine comes pre-packaged with a range of handles and pulleys. If you buy these separately you can easily end up with another $500 out of your pocket as these range from $20 - $50, sometimes even $100 a piece. It is also practical that these items ship together and you can get started right away after assembly.
A big bonus of this machine is that you can simulate almost any resistance exercise you will find in most fitness books with this. There is nothing you can really not simulate. Whether a pulley is always the best form of resistance for your training goals is another question. For having everything in one place it is versatile and has everything you need.
Cons of the TITAN functional trainer
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Plate stacks and pulley
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Price
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Space requirements
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Leg exercises
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2:1 ratio
Generally speaking plate stacks and pulley are prone to break. This is not just true for
TITAN functional trainer, but for any kind of
plate stack machine. One major error area are the holes and the pins. The pins can get easily get lost or broken. The holes can be misaligned on production and not run smooth. The same goes for the pulley mechanics. There is a lot that can break in any pulley mechanic and it need mores attention than simple free weights. As you are buying this item from a vendor who needs to cut corners to stay competitive in price and makes no secret about that low price is their strategy, you are entering a risk area. If you are good at DIY, unscrewing and oiling things, this is not a big issue. But if you are not a handyman some breakage in the machine usually means that it will not be revived or at least not used for months on end. You will not run into this problem with
kettlebells, dumbbells and
barbells.
While the price is great value for money for a fully functioning gym with all the bells and whistles, $2000 is still a lot of money if you compare it to a yoga mat and some little free weights. If you do not want to define and shape yourself to the highest standards and only lose weight, a yoga mat, a good pair of runners and
kettlebells will often do. This can be had for $500 and you will get some of the best shoes,
kettlebells and yoga mats within this budget.
The
TITAN functional trainer is a great use of your space if you compare it to a full gym with 10 - 20 different machines. You might need be able to go as high in weight on each single exercise compared to a dedicated, but this is more than made up for the space you save. Compared to a pair of
kettlebells and shoes, which can be stored under a bed or in a closet, you will need a dedicated corner somewhere in your house, where this
rack lives.
Functional trainers biggest weakness is the amount of resistance you can put on your legs and the
TITAN functional trainer is no exception. Even though it is advertised to be used for front squats and lunges, the setup with the pulleys is usually terrible. Heavy squats, deadlifts and bench presses can not be simulated on a machine like this. The same goes for heavy
dumbbells work. If you want to become the next superstar lineman or rugby player this machine will not be enough for your home gym.
The last challenge with pulleys is that the weight you put on it usually does not translate 1 to 1 to resistance. In this case it is a 2:1 ration so if you go full stack on this machine you will be effectively training with 100lbs per rep on each pulley. Currently the gold standard for 1 to 1 weight transition has been set by the
Rogue Rhino, if the reviews are to be believed.
Alternatives to the TITAN functional trainer
The
TITAN plate loaded functional trainer only costs around $700 and saves you $1300 to effectively offer a very similar training experience. If you are building a gym for yourself and also get a
rack,
barbell and weights, this is a strong option to consider. Especially if you are young and fit and do not mind to o an occasional repair on the pulleys. If you already have
plates or consider to outfit an entire garage I would save the money and go for the
plate loaded option. I would not recommend the
plate loaded version for a commercial setting or in a home where multiple generations will use the
functional trainer.
If you are buying for your home gym and you do not have the space for a
functional trainer and a
rack you might want to consider getting a
rack instead. For $2000 it is possible to source a
rack,
barbell, and
plates from TITAN. You will also be able to get the better variations on the items . If you train mainly heavy in the gym and have to decide between a
rack or a
functional trainer, you might want to build a metal den instead.
If your main interest is to look pretty and get toned, you might consider the
outdoor power tower. You do not need to give up any space in your home and will still get results. It is amazing what you can achieve with calisthenics and the
Titan Outdoor power tower delivers all the basics for this form of training at about $400.
Conclusion for the TITAN functional trainer
The
TITAN functional trainer is a great option for the home, if you train regularly with resistance to support your main sport. This sport might be track and field, martial arts or soccer. If you are mainly into bodybuilding, powerlifting or heavy impact sports like football & rugby you will need some free weights in addition to complete your training schedule in your home. If you run a spa, hotel or retirement home, this can also be a good option. If you need a high polished design to match the rest of your interior to impress your affluent you might want to invest around $4.000 to $5.000 in a similar machine which comes with an in built instructor, screen and looks better. Might even save you on staff cost. If you own a gym full of Jarheads who lift heavy, grunt and like to throw stuff, you need a sturdier machine like the Rogue lat pull machine. I personally managed to break two of these
functional trainers in gyms and I am not even that big.