TITAN functional trainer vs TITAN plate loaded chest press
This is a comparison between the TITAN functional trainer and the TITAN plate loaded chest press including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN plate loaded chest press $464
This is an overview of the TITAN plate loaded chest press 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 plate loaded chest press machine
The
TITAN plate loaded chest press machine is a chest press machine with a foldable bench which makes it unique. Again TITAN designs a machine with the spacious home gym in mind that saves money and space. The
plate loadable chest press can be used with regular
Olympic plates. The bench is adjustable for incline presses and has multiple grip variations. The full specifications of this TITAN machine are:
- Fits Olympic plates and features (2) 9.5-inch loadable weight posts
- Fully adjustable bench for the incline or flat reps
- (13) Bench depth positions to easily adjust to any size athlete and to accommodate hand placement for presses
- (5) Lifting arm positions to easily adjust the angle of your lift
- Bench easily stores on top of the frame when not in use to
- Minimum Footprint: 64-in. W x 63-in. L
- Maximum Footprint: 64-in. W-in. x 23-in.
- Seat Pad Dimensions: 11 - 8-in. x 12.5-in.
- Lifting Arm Length: 34-in.
- Vertical Handle Spread: 26.5-in.
- Weight Post Length: 9.5-in.
- Weight Capacity: 1,000 lb.
- Weight: 155 lb.
This is a great machine for bench presses and replacing a dumbbell rack, if you have the space for it.
Pros of the TITAN plate loaded chest press machine
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Multiple grip variations
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Foldable bench
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Plate loaded
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Price
Compared to a
barbell,
rack and bench setup this machine provides you more grip variations. This could also be done with
dumbbells and a
rack, but then you have to factor in the storage space for multiple
dumbbells and that they are awkward to work with by yourself once it gets heavy.
The foldable bench saves some space when you want to free up the center of your gym for stretching exercises, runs or other stout ones which need space. The footprint gets smaller, but you still have the metal frame to consider.
Plate loaded machines are great for home gyms as you can use one set of
plates for all the machines you own. This saves cost in getting your little park of machines together as you not pay the weight stack for each and every machine.
As with all TITAN products you will have a hard time to find something that is priced better. Especially as this machine already includes an adjustable bench which already can easily cost $500 or more by themselves.
Cons of the TITAN plate loaded chest press machine
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Plate loaded
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Space requirements
-
Bench is attached
While
plate loaded designs can be great in smaller gyms it can turn into a trip hazard and bottlenecks in high frequency commercial gyms. If you have a lot of footfall with a varying level of experience combined with little supervision, than go for a
chest press machine with an included weigh my stack.
If your home gym is very crammed you might not have the space to get another machine in like the
Titan plate loaded chest press. In this scenario you might want to get three pairs of
dumbbells (light, middle, heavy) and spotter arms for
dumbbells for your
rack. This makes the setup more modular.
A further disadvantage of the
TITAN plate loaded chest press is that the be cj is attached. This means that you can not move things around in your and might even need to get a second bench for that purpose. Just keep that in mind based on the plans you have for your gym and the exercises you want to do.
Alternatives to the TITAN plate loaded chest press machine
The
Titan functional and
plate loaded functional trainer can also be used as bench press stations as long as you get an additional bench. With the different grips you can have more variety than with a
barbell. These two machines have $1300 between them. In a home gym scenario you might want to use the
plate loaded version to save considerably.
Conclusion for the TITAN plate loaded chest press machine
The
TITAN plate loaded chest press machine is a serious consideration to get instead of a full
rack of
dumbbells. If you have the space for a full
rack of
dumbbells you can most likely also fit this machine. You can do all of the
dumbbell exercises you need with this machine and load it with
plates instead. For a home gym this is a definite alternative. In a commercial setting you can not replace a dumbbell
rack with this machine as you have to cover more people at the same time. It can however be used to make the bench press more accessible toi wider community of your clients.
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.