TITAN plate loadable functional trainer vs TITAN cable crossover machine

This is a comparison between the TITAN plate loadable 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.

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

The pros of the TITAN cable crossover machine are:

Price
Plate loaded

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

Cons of the TITAN Cable crossover:

No Pull up bar
Low own weight
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 plate loadable functional trainer $749

This is an overview of the TITAN plate loadable functional trainer 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 for the TITAN Plate loaded functional trainer

The TITAN plate loaded functional trainer is a great budget option to get a multi directional functional trainer into your home. Especially if you have already a rack and barbell setup at home and just not to reuse the plates for this machine. Functional trainers are great to pack a lot of exercises in one space. With this machine from TITAN you can get in your rows, vertical pulls, flyes, and even use it for deadlifts and squats. All the needed handles and accessories are included in the shipping. The full list of features includes:

- Comprehensive pulley options including lat, row, and pulldown

- Two 9 1/4” Olympic plate sleeves

- Tough steel design will last for years to come

- Pull-up bar installed at the top

- Sleek black and silver design

- Titan Fitness faceplate included

- Max user load: 390 LB

- Overall Footprint: 61” Width x 53” Depth

- Loadable Sleeve Length: 9 1/4”

- Overall height: 81”

- Side handle length: 5”

- Side handle diameter: 1”

- Row handle length: 14 1/4”

- Row grip length: 5” (each)

- Row handle diameter: 1”

- Lat pulldown handle length: 37 1/2”

- Lat pulldown grip length: 5”

- Lat pulldown handle diameter: 1”

This is a great budget option for a functional trainer for home gym use. In a commercial setting there might be too many moving parts.

Pros of the TITAN Plate loaded functional trainer

Pros of the TITAN plate loaded functional trainer are:

Price
Multi purpose training
Exercises per square foot

The best thing about the TITAN plate loaded functional trainer is the low price. Functional trainers can cost up to $5000 depending on the make, quality, and mechanics used. With this you can have an entire gym in your basement for $700 assuming you already own plates. If you do not a set of TITAN plates can be had for $375. TITAN is already budget orientated as a manufacturer and this is a budget design. If you are strapped for cash, this is a good investment.

The pulley system on this functional trainer works in many directions. You can pull up, down, and also use the machine for horizontal pulls. You get everything you need to build muscle and build an attractive physique. It goes above and beyond home trainers that only use your body weight as you can use the plates to continuously get stronger.

If you look at how many exercises you can do in small space, this machine is also great. It takes up the same space as a leg press machine, but you can do so many more exercises on it. This makes it a good choice for rehab centers, yoga instructors and other lifestyle and health out fits that want to add some gentle strength training to their services.

Cons of the TITAN Plate loaded functional trainer

The cons of the TITAN plate loaded functional trainer are:

Plate loaded
Makeshift
Many moving parts

The fact that the plate loaded functional trainer is plate loaded makes it cheaper, but also means that you have to have plates and storage for them first. Also handling the plates can be a pain, as you need to fit them onto the pins and get them off. If you like to "run the rack" in your exercises, this machine is more of a pain than a gain. The many plates can also be a hindrance when you are working with a client and create a trip hazard.

The hole construction has a bit of a makeshift feel about it. This is often the case when the exercise machine is majorly a combination of pulley which have been connected on a frame. That is the entire idea of this machine, but it doesn't make it something that I want to use on a regular basis. If you are not strapped for cash, you might want to opt for the functional trainer from TITAN that includes to weight stacks. If your commercial gym wants to convey a slick and hip image to your clients this might also not be the right choice. This model screams iron den.

The many moving parts also make the assembly of the TITAN plate loaded functional trainer complex. TITA is known for bad manuals and occasional missing out in small parts in the shipping. If you are missing a small part in your shipment it is next to impossible to source it separately from the vendor. You will either end up with more big parts to just get one small part or at your local DIY store.

Alternatives to the TITAN Plate loaded functional trainer

Alternatives to the plate loaded functional trainer are:

The TITAN functional trainer is the big brother of the plate loaded functional trainer. It ships with two 200lbs weight stacks. While these can have their own challenges, this is the cleaner and more stable installation once it is set up. If you buy a functional trainer as an addition to a health/spa or yoga gym, this is the better choice. This is also the better choice in a gym with high footfall as it creates fewer opportunities to break the machine while loading the plates. The only disadvantage is that you have to fork out about $1300 more to get this version of the functional trainer.

The TITAN lat tower is a great addition to any home gym that means business. Usually you will already have a couple of kettlebells, dumbbells, and a rack with plates and a barbell before considering this. As a second purchase to add a sizable machine to your home gym the lat tower is a better choice than the plate load able functional trainer. The quality of the pulleys is better, you can load it with up to 300lbs, and it will provide a weight stack to your for a different form of training for you.

The TITAN hack squat leg press is also slightly more expensive, but provides a good focus on your legs. If you have the space and prefer dedicated machines over multi functional machines in your training, than you can consider the hack squat leg press machine as a 2 in 1 for your home gym. For commercial gyms this is not necessarily the best option as 2 for 1 always means you need more instructions for the machine or higher injury risk due to using it incorrectly.

Conclusion for the TITAN Plate loaded functional trainer

The TITAN plate loaded functional trainer is a great solution for a dorm basement where everyone chips in. Especially if there are already some plates available. If you are building a garage gym in your home and you have the spare change I would lean more towards the TITAN functional trainer or the lat tower as an addition to your already existing rack or as a training station for the entire family.