TITAN Pivoting Reflex bar vs VersaClimber LX

This is a comparison between the TITAN Pivoting Reflex bar and VersaClimberLX including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally published in Which cardio equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for more details.

Versa climber LX Model

The VresaClimber LX comesa in at $3995 - $4200. In this article you will learn more about the product itself, its Pros and cons and alternatives you might want to consider. This article has originally been published in the overview "Which conditioning equipment to buy from Rogue".

Overview of the VersaClimber LX

The VersaClimber range has been on the market for more than four decades. The LX model is one of their mid-range options which sits between the SM and H models from a budget perspective. The machine is hand welded and has the following specifications:

Weight 150lb
Height 7’ 10’’
Footprint 48’’x48’’
Color black
Climb angle 75 degrees

The VersClimber LX comes with a computer and fully assembled to stand upright in your home gym or professional facility. For $200 you can upgrade the handles for more options. VersaClimber recommends this option for anyone taller than 6’ 3’’. For an extra $100 it comes with a branded floor mat to protect your floors from scratches and sweat.

The VersaClimber range is a great alternative to treadmills, bikes, and towers. It offers some of the highest intensity cardiovascular workouts on the smallest possible footprint with minimum impact on the joints. Everyone who ever used this hates it. This is usually a good reference when it comes to workout machines.

Pros of the VersaClimber LX

These are the pros of the VersaClimber LX series compared to other options you might consider:

Small footprint
High intensity
Adjustable resistance
Unfamiliar workout

Compared to most treadmills and elliptical machines you will be able to fit a lot more VersaClimbers into your facility. When it comes to calories burned per square foot the VersaClimber is very hard to beat. The LX offers a commercial grade machine for a lower cost than the SM model.

The Versaclimber itself offers you and your athlete a great opportunity to power yourselves out. If the weather is bad or if you want to throw them a curve ball, this is the machine. Many climbers use this is a morning routine and climbers are usually quite good when it comes to endurance. Loss of grip means death for them so they won’t mess about with the equipment they pick.

This machine can adjust the resistance from 1-500 lb which makes it better than older models from VersaClimber.

If you are planning on establishing the best gym in town you will be able to offer extra diversity with this machine. Especially in Europe, I have not seen many of these around which might swing some reliable clients your way instead of to the gym around the corner.

Cons of the VersaClimber LX

Here are some cons of the Versa Climber LX:

Not specific
Not for beginners
Old computer
Price

Most people compete in sports to which a vertical climb is irrelevant. Treadmill and cycling training is more relevant to the movement patterns for long distance runners and endurance athletes. If it is not just about burning calories but also improving technique on relevant movements the VersaClimber might not be the right choice.

As this workout is super intense it might not be for beginners. If you have a lot of beginners in your gym you might want some alternatives for people who just walked through the door. Throwing something completely frustrating at your beginners will drive them away. You have to give them some small successes and build from there. Only very few of your clients will be like “yes another machine I can kill myself on”.

The computer unit on the LX is a bit outdated. The SM has a better one as this is the most recent update to the line. Personally, I think this does not matter that much. Most of the programs are not used anyway.

The price is a big con to the Versaclimber LX. The H version comes in for $1000 less but has no commercial use warranty. The SM costs $1000 more. What I would really consider when I built my own gym is what else I could do for $4000. For two VersaClimbers I can get a ten pack of concept 2 bikes to run spinning classes. For a home gym, I can get a rack fully equipped with barbell and plates.

Alternatives to the VersaClimber LX

Alternatives to the Versaclimber LX are:

The Versaclimber SM leaves you with more freedom around the machine as less material of better quality is used to build the frame for the VersaClimber. It also has a better computer and warranty. When you are in the market to buy a lot of these for commercial use, make very sure you understand the differences of the warranty and service differences between the LX and SM.

If you are considering a VersaClimber for your home base go with the H option. It will save you a lot of money and still give you the benefits. Unless money does it really make a difference (for example if you are outfitting a house that costs 10 million I personally would not be picky between a 2000 and 5000 dollar option for the home gym and just get the best of everything).

If you are not looking at the VersaClimber for home use but for a professional setup be very mindful whether it is your first purchase. The Rogue Echo bikes are of high quality, only cost a fraction and deliver a great, challenging workout which is different from treadmills and ellipticals. This might be a better option for a bulk purchase.

Summary for the VersaClimber LX

The Versaclimber LX is a great option but suffers the pros and cons of most middle of the range of products. Unless you very specifically want this one it is better to go with the best or lowest budget option form the portfolio. Same goes here for the LX. I went for the H and I am happy. For a commercial gym, I would have gone for the SM and tried to argue with the bank for a loan extension pointing to the good warranty (basically you buy 2 for 1 if one breaks you get it replaced unless you threw rocks at It). Talk to other gym owners who wanted to make use of the warranty to be really sure.

Overview and review of the TITAN Pivoting Reflex bar

This is an overview of the TITAN Pivoting reflex bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally published in Which cardio equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for more details.

Overview of the TITAN Pivoting Reflex trainer

The Pivoting Reflex trainer is a good addition to a commercial boxing gym or a well-equipped home gym to train reaction times, blocking, and ducking. This is the speed bag that hits you back. The full specifications are:

- Wall-mounted or fits on T-3 Series Power Rack

- Swinging padded target for reflex training

- Pop-pin adjustable height

- Designed to boost fitness reflexes for boxers, fighters, karate enthusiasts, and more

- Durable powder-coated finish

- Mount Plate: 8-in x 8-in.

- Target Length: 27-in.

- Target Diameter: 3-in.

- Arm Length: 36-in.

- Height Adjustment Slots: 10

- Weight: 22 lb.

Pros of the TITAN Pivoting Reflex trainer

The Pros of the TITAN Pivoting fitness trainer are:

Price
Rack-mounted
Small
Can be wall mounted

The first thing to mention is the price which undercuts most special stores you could this item from. This is due to the strategy of TITAN fitness to be a cost leader for all of the products they are presenting in their shop at the cost of quality assurance and customer service. This means you buy it cheap and then have to figure it out yourself and if it is broken you might need to fix it up a little yourself.

This particular reflex trainer can also be mounted on a T-3 series which avoids having to drill it into a wall. With that, it is special in the market of Reflex trainers and something to be looked at for somebody who wants to build an entire home gym based on TITAN products.

Compared to a speed bag and a heavy boxing bag it takes up way less space in your gym. This can be an advantage in spaces that are already constrained.

Compared to free-standing boxing bags and reflex trainers this can be wall-mounted. This is usually better as the free-standing versions tend to be all over the place once an adult has a serious go at them.

Cons of the TITAN Pivoting Reflex trainer

The cons of the Pivotings Reflex trainer are:

Needs to be wall-mounted or attached to a rack
Can not be hit very hard
As a gimmick rather than an essential item

The first disadvantage of the Reflex trainer is that it will not work if you do not mount it properly. If you do not have the option to place a rack in your gym or mount the Reflex trainer to the wall you will not be able to use it.

This Reflex trainer is not a replacement for a heavy bag or a speed bag. You can not hit this machine as hard as a heavy bag as it does not provide the surface to place the punch or kick. While it is great for coordination and reaction times it is not an essential item to become a good boxer. These things can also be addressed by shadow boxing or having simple pieces of string in the ring.

Alternatives to the Pivoting Reflex trainer

The TITAN power strike punching bag is a good option for anyone who wants to move their punching bag around a lot. As long as you have the mount in the ceiling or in the wall you can move this bag around easier compared to other bags because of its shape. Especially good for smaller and lighter athletes that see boxing as a cardio workout rather than a sport to be taken seriously in itself.

The TITAN MuayThai boxing bag is one of the best value for money bags from TUTAN you can get. It is heavy and long and is therefore suitable to place low kicks, body punches, and uppercuts on it. The only downside is that it is quite hard to move it around by yourself, so if you want to change things around often, this might not be the bag for you.

The TItan 88 lb punching bag is TITAN's version of a heavy boxing bag. It is slightly thicker than the Muay Thai bag and they are better suited to athletes over 80kg to hack away at it. The only downside is that it does not go low enough to the ground to work for low kicks.

Conclusion for the Pivoting Reflex trainer

The TITAN pivoting reflex trainer is a great cheap option to get your hand on a pivoting Reflex trainer if you wanted to get one. It is also one of the few ones that are rack-mountable right out of the box, so if you design a gym fully around a rack rather than walls and ceilings, then this is a good option.