TITAN functional trainer vs TITAN Glute and hamstring combo

This is a comparison between the TITAN functional trainer and the TITAN Glute and hamstring combo including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN Glute and hamstring combo $699

This is an overview of the TITAN Glute and hamstring combo including pros, cons and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which gym machine to get from TITAN. Follow the links for additional information.

Overview of the TITAN Glute and Hamstring combo

The Glute and hamstring combo from TITAN is the Flagship version of a glute and hamstring machine in their portfolio. TITAN has many other variations of this, but this one is the most comprehensive and sturdy. It does what it says on the tin and is a great addition to any home gym or powerlifting gy as an addition to the essential items. This is not the forst thing to get for your gym but a good contender for the second purchase or third depending on your training preferences. In commercial gyms most people will not know how to use this properly and be intimidated by it. If you are working a lot with powerlifters and weightlifters, this might just be the machine to set you apart from the other gyms around the corner. The full list of features includes:

- All the exercises of a GHD and an H-PND in one comprehensive machine

- Heavy-duty steel construction guarantees years of dependability

- Fits Olympic size weight plates

- 10-inch of loadable sleeve length

- Includes (2) spring clip collars and a strap

- Adjustable footplate height and length

- Adjustable handle length

- Overall Footprint: 70-in x 42.5-in.

- Overall Length (handle extended): 79-in.

- Overall Width: 42.5-in.

- Pad Dimensions: 28-in x 16-in.

- Pad Middle Gap: 4.75-in.

- Grip Length: 6-in.

- Grip Diameter: 1.25-in.

- Arm Length: 28-in.

- Anchor Length: 25-in.

- Overall Weight: 253 lb.

- Handle Adjusts 6 holes: 2-in spacing

- Pendulum Adjusts 11 holes: 2-in spacing

- Foothold Dimensions: 7-in x 2.5-in.

- Footplate Dimensions: 19.75-in x 13.75-in.

- Footplate Adjustable Length 7 holes: 2-in spacing

- Footplate Adjustable Height: 45.5-in to 51.5-in from floor at 1-in spacing

This is the best Glute and hamstring combo you can get for its price. It is not the best in the market, but you will safe considerably compared to its direct competitor, the Rogue Donkey.

Pros of the TITAN Glute and Hamstring combo

The pros of the TITAN Glute and hamstring combo:

Price
Space efficient
Highly adjustable

As with many TITAN fitness items you pay about half of what the competition charges for a similar product. This can get very interesting for someone who buys in bulk or for their home gym. You can never argue with a good bit of saving and this also goes for the TITAN Glute and hamstring combo.

The TITAN Glute and hamstring combo saves space as the design combines glute and hamstring machines in one station. This means you have to place fewer machines in your gym to achieve the same range of exercises in your space.

What TITAN also get right about this one is that they made all the handles and levers highly adjustable. One of the main problems with these types of machines is that it can get very uncomfortable and downright damaging to your body, if you can not adjust them properly to your body dimensions. TITAN delivers on this for this model.

Cons of the TITAN Glute and Hamstring combo

The cons of the TITAN Glute and Hamstring combo are:

Padding
Space requirement
Underused
Instructions

The only thing TITAN could have paid more attention to in this design is the padding of the middle part of the Glute and hamstring combo. The padding is probably as thin as one you would find on a preacher curl machine. The difference is that you will rest your entire bodyweight on this one. That was an oversight when this was drawn up and shows that it was designed by someone who wanted to make a quick copy of the competition rather than someone who actually uses the machine.

A Glute and ham combo takes up considerable amount of space in your gym. In addition it also swings out to the back so you can not really place any other equipment right behind it. Pay close attention to your measurement and have a lot of clearance around this machine as it otherwise it becomes dangerous or unusable. IN addition the use of this machine is pretty niche. Only powerlifters and strength athletes will use it a lot which does not make it a great choice for your average commercial gym.

As with most TITAN machines with a lot of moving parts the instructions for putting this together leave a lot to be desired. What you save in cash you have to make up for in tim invested to put this thing together.

Alternatives to the TITAN Glute and Hamstring combo

The Glute and hamstring developer is slightly less expensive than the combo. It does not have the reverse hyper extension and offers fewer exercise options. In exchange the padding is superior to the Glute and hamstring combo. Both machines take up roughly the same footprint in your gym.

The TITAN H-PND is the massive reverse hyper from TITAN. It is huge and sturdy and you can not do a lot with this one for the price. The only exception is that it might not fit in your gym. If you are looking for a monster of a reverse hyper for your gym, this is it.

The TITAN Economy H-PND is the base for the Glute and hamstring combo. This has been stripped of the Glute ham options to make it a 100% reverse hyper. TITAN might consider to also make a version based on the H-PND rather than the economy only. If you only want a reverse hyper for a reasonable price that is not massive, this is the one to get.

The Rogue donkey is the gold standard for glute and hamstring developers that you can currently get. The pad is massive and everything about this machine is overbuilt. So is the price. The Rogue donkey will put you back $1.945. You can get three TITAN versions for this price.

Conclusion for the TITAN Glute and Hamstring combo

This machine is good for a home gym for someone of average size. If you are a massive powerlifter or bodybuilder you might want to tend towards the Rogue donkey. Same goes for a gym focused on the powerlifting population, even though it is massively more expensive. Also, these machines are more hype than they actually get used. More often than not you will only get very little use out of them and they just gather dust. Teaching your members how to do good mornings might be a better way for you to save money and space in your gym.

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.

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

The pros of the TITAN functional trainer are:

Price
Size
Full range of equipment
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

Plate stacks and pulley
Price
Space requirements
Leg exercises
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.