TITAN lat tower vs TITAN T bar row machine

This is a comparison between the TITAN lat tower and the TITAN T bar row machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN T bar row machine $489

This is an overview of the TITAN T bar row 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.

Overview of the TITAN T bar row machine

The TITAN T bar row machine is their take on a classic in every gym. Most movie montages with bodybuilders will include some type of the t bar row and with good reason. The T bar row is a staple in building bigger backs and putting on mass. With a dedicated station for T bar rows you save time for the setup and can go heavier. This station takes up considerable space and therefore might be not the best option for a home gym. In my opinion a commercial gym that wants to provide strength to their clients absolutely needs one of these. The full specifications of the TITAN T bar row machine are:

- Dual diamond plated footplates for grip

- Vertical and horizontal grip handles with a durable rubber grip

- Adjustable handle height

- Includes holes for bolting the machine to the floor

- Olympic sized weight plate holders

- Tough, solid steel construction is long-lasting and dependable

- Powder-coated paint job prevents rust and early scuffing

- Overall Height: 22.5-in.

- Overall Length: 39.5-in.

- Overall Width: 85-in.

- Footplate Dimensions: 15.75-in x 8.65-in.

- Grip Handle Diameter: 25 mm.

- Weight Sleeve Length: 12.7-in.

- Knurling: Medium Diamond Texture

- Finish: Powder-Coated Black

- Material: 2-in x 2-in 11-GA Steel

- Weight Capacity: 440 lb.

- Product Weight: 150 lb.

This is a great addition to any commercial gym that has the space.

Pros of the TITAN T bar row machine

The pros of the TITAN T bar row machine are:

Price
Well built frame
Easy use on heavy rows
Weight moves inside rather than outside your frame

One of the main advantages of buying from TITAN fitness is that they undercut their competition on most of their products by half. The T bar row is no exception in this. As a T bar row station is no rocket science to build, you should try to save some money on it. Where I would lean towards spending a little more are belt squat machines, barbells, and functional trainers. These take a little more care and engineering to build well.

The frame of the T Bar row is heavy and can take big weights and athletes. If you have people rowing multiple plates on a regular basis,this is the machine to get.

A big advantage of T bar rows is that you can load them very heavy fairly easy. With a barbell you always need to load on both ends, while with a T bar row you can just keep adding at the front. With the station it also means that the pin rests in a place where you can immediately add plates without the need to jack up a barbell.

Compared to barbell rows t bar rows also behave a little differently as the weight moves inside the athlete's frame rather than outside of it. It is a minor thing, but it can be nice to break the routine and row on a t bar, rather than with a barbell.

Cons of the TITAN T bar row machine

Cons of the TITAN T bar row machine:

Space requirements
Price

The main point against a T-Bar row machine is that it eats up a lot of space to only do one thing. Barbell rows can pretty much do the same thing and also leave more room for variations. This makes the T Bar row a bad choice for home gyms that need to save space. Here a landmine combined with a barbell handle for t bar rows comes in handy.

The price of a T bar row machine is hard to justify, if you already have plates and a barbell. With this equipment you can build your back and row the heck out of your body to get bigger already.

Alternatives for the TITAN T bar row machine

TITAN Chest supported adjustable row bench
TITAN Adjustable prone row machine
TITAN Plate loaded seated row
Rogue T bar row machine
Landmine attachment and barbell handle

The TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench is a very specific machine that minimizes the activation of the entire body in the row to focus on the back only. This is popular with powerlifters and strongmen, but not necesserily the best machine to get for the average commercial gym. It also puts your body at a 45 degree angle to make the exercise more stable and challenging.

The TITAN Adjustable prone row machine is a variation on the barbell row which allows full extension of the arms when rowing while lying flat. This is also a good exercise for building your back which is popular among powerlifters and bodybuilders. Therefore this machine is more geared towards the "hardcore" gyms rather than the more mainstream ones. In a home gym setting you might give up too much space for a machine that can only do one thing.

The plate loaded seated row is a classic you find in many gyms up and down the country. If you have a spacious home gym this is an option as it takes up little space compared to other machines. For a commercial setting i think one of these is a must. In very frequented commercial gyms you might want to consider a version with its own weight stack rather than a plate loaded one to save time for your customers.

The Rogue T bar machine is the direct competitor of the TITAN T bar row. The price difference between the TITAN and Rogue version is $200. If you only want to do T bar rows, get the TITAN version and save yourself $200. The main difference in design is that the Rogue version also allows for band pegs to be used so you can do banded rows. If you are big into the west side method in your gym, get the Rogue one instead, as attaching bands to the TITAN version is awkward at best. Remember to add the band pegs to your order with Rogue as there are none included on the T bar row order (on rack orders this happens automatically).

If you want to T bar row in your home gym, try to get the cheapest landmine attachment for your rack and a handle for your barbell. Also keep the handle relatively small so that it is easy to store. Otherwise it will just be in the way most of the times. For a homegym that only fits a rack, this is the best option to do T bar rows. In a home gym you also do not have to worry that you will wreck the equipment for setting it up for the T bar row.

Conclusion for the TITAN T bar row machine

The TITAN T bar row machine is a great option for any commercial gym to save cost and still provide a proper t bar row to their clients, I personally think a T bar row machine is a requirement for a commercial gym that has the necessary floor space. Get rid of one of the many bench stations most of the big gyms have and install a T bar row instead. The general gym rat population should do more rows anyway. In a home gym scenario the T bar row is a massive one trick pony that eats into your space. Attach a landmine to your rack instead and get a handle while minimizing cost on thise. If you are not careful you might shell out up to $500 on these two items in total so try to keep it cheap, unless money is not an issue for you.

Overview and review of the TITAN Lat tower $1299

This is an overview of the TITAN lat tower 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 lat tower

The TITAN lat tower is a low budget clone of the Rogue lat pull. You can increase the weight from 10lbs to 300lbs in increments. With this machine you can train vertical and horizontal pulls to build a bigger back. It includes a seat which is great if you want to go very heavy. If you just get a pulley tower without an attached seat you need an extra bench. This makes the setup awkward, especially when you go heavy. This is a good machine for dedicated powerlifters and bodybuilders who really want to blow up your back. Any commercial gym worth their salt should have at least one of these. A home gym might consider more versatile pulleys to make better use of space. The full specifications of the TITAN lat tower are:

- Selector style weights from 10 - 300 LB.

- 6 Thigh pad and 8 footplate positions.

- Band pegs for adding resistance bands.

- High quality steel construction and powder coated for a smooth durable finish.

- Lat bar and low pull handle included.

- Floor Dimensions: 41" Wide x 57" Deep

- Overall Height: 87"

- Footplate Dimensions: 17" x 9"

- Lat Bar Width: 42"

- Lat Bar Diameter: 1"

- Low Pull Handle Width: 14"

- Low Pull Handle Diameter: 1"

- Weight: 530 LB

This is a great lat pull machine for this price. Compared to anything you will get on Amazon this thing is sturdy and can take a beast hanging from it going nuts. Compared to direct competitors for a similar machine you save $800. If you are in the market for one of these there is very little not to like about the TITAN lat tower.

Pros of the TITAN Lat tower

Pros of the TITAN lat tower are:

Price
Design
Lat bar included

As with anything from TITAN you save considerable money compared to similar products from the competition. The Rogue Lat pull down retails for $2000 and is basically the same machine with some minor differences. If you want to build a great home gym on a budget $800 can go a long way and should not be sneered at.

Even though the design is more or less copied it doesn't make it bad. With this lat tower you get a rowing machine and a lat pull machine in one. Especially for people who already own a rack and want to go heavy on developing their back, this is a great machine which covers all of these needs in a compact way.

On top of this the lat bar is included which can cost up to $200 if you source it separately and get a high quality bar.

Cons of the TITAN Lat tower

The cons of the TITAN lat tower:

Finish
Space requirements
Price

As with many TITAN fitness products, TITAN cuts some corners to offer these at half the price of the competition. This is usually reflected in the quality of their staff, manuals and consistency of the finish of their products. As most fitness equipment is not high precision formula 1 gear this is not the end of the world but can get annoying if you are not good at DIY. Compared to Rogue the weights often do not work as smooth, some of the seating positions do not click as well. Its like the difference between an Audi RS4 and a Subaru Impreza. You will get both cars to go fast around corners. The Audi will just be more comfortable and easier to handle for the non professional.

Compared to a functional trainer or rack, the TITAN lat tower takes up approximately the same amount of floor space, while giving you less versatility. If you are mainly concerned with space constraints, a lat tower is not a great choice. It is a better choice then many other machines but is inferior to a functional trainer or rack depending on your preferences in training style.

At a price point of $1299 the TITAN lat tower is still a considerable investment for a machine that is mainly geared toward accessory exercises. For less money you can get a concept 2 rower or Spin bike and make your gym more functional overall.

Alternatives to the TITAN lat tower

The plate loadable lat tower is another option from TITAN which saves you $800 if you already own plates compared to the Lat tower. If you have a home gym and already own a rack with weights and do not mind some DIY and a little more setup, the plate loadable lat tower is a great alternative to the TITAN lat tower. It will be more prone to break and have a more makeshift feel about it overall, but it keeps another $800 in your pocket to take your partner out or invest in more equipment.

The TITAN plate loadable crossover machine costs less and leaves you with more options to use two pulleys with plates. If you have the space in your gym and you do not want to go heavy on vertical pulls this is an option. I am personally not a fan of cable crossovers unless for chops for your core, but if you are not a free weight fanatic like me, this might be for you.

The wall mounted pulley tower is the ultimate budget option for vertical pulls from TITAN this comes in at under $200 to train your back and lats. It will need more DIY skills as it needs to be drilled into a sturdy wall. Avoid plaster walls with this one. It will do the job, but the cables are very exposed and easily tangled. Good for beginners, but if you already are 300lbs of fine muscle, do not get a machine that barely weighs more than your daughter and maybe even less than your partner (75lb).

The TITAN functional trainer is probably the better option if you are worried about space and do not want to go super heavy on your pulls. This machine is a fully functioning gym itself, even though some of the setups, especially for squats, can be awkward. It takes up the same amount of space as the Lat tower. If you go for the plate loadable version it even costs less than the lat tower, assuming you already have plates. Otherwise you would have to factor their purchase into the overall costs.

Conclusion for the TITAN Lat tower

The TITAN lat tower is a great option for the home gym of the dedicated Arnold or Ed Coan in wait. It is also a great option for commercial gyms that are looking for good,sturdy equipment that will take beating at a reasonable price. Anyone who needs to optimize for space should stay away from this as a functional trainer or rack would be a better option. If budget is not of concern, the Rogue lat pull will be more refined option but only if your of the mindset to only get the best in class or $800 is only spare change to you. This is a great buy for anyone who means business, has space, and still wants to protect their wallet.