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TITAN plate loadable functional trainer vs TITAN plate loadable tower V2

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Dec 26, 2020 5:00:00 PM

TITAN plate loadable functional trainer vs TITAN plate loadable tower V2

This is a comparison between the TITAN plate loadable functional trainer and the TITAN plate loadable tower V2 including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

 

Overview and review of the TITAN Plate loadable tower V2 $409

This is an overview of the TITAN Plate loadable tower V2 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 loadable lat tower

 
The TITAN plate loadable lat tower is a solid budget option for a lat tower. It stands by itself and is stable to use. It shops with the lat bar and row handle included which makes it a complete solution. There is not a lot you can do wring with this one if you want a lat pull tower on a budget. The full specifications of the TITAN plate loadable lat tower are:
 
- Dual 13-inch weight posts fit Olympic weight plates
- Four adjustable positions for the thigh pads will fit athletes of all body types
- A durable steel frame and powder-coated paint job deliver a sleek look that will last for years to come
- Four Bolt down holes give you the option for permanent mounting in your home or garage gym
- Includes lat bar and low row handle
 
- Overall Height: 84-in.
- Overall Depth: 56.5-in.
- Overall Width: 48-in.
- Loadable Sleeve Length: 13-in.
- Lat Handle Length: 37.5-in.
- Low Row Handle Length: 15-in.
 
This is a great budget option for any home gym or Iron den where people know what they are doing. It can even be used in a commercial with less experienced clients, as the plate loading mechanism is not as exposed as with other TITAN machines.
 

Pros of the TITAN loadable lat tower

 
The pros of the TITAN loadable lat tower are:
 
  • Price
  • Handles included
  • Stable design
 
One of the main arguments to go for TITAN products is the low price for industrial grade gym machine. The TITAN plate loaded lat tower makes no exception to this rule. For me, it is one of the better machines you can get from TITAN as it is stable and the pulley work is not as exposed as for the Cable crossover machine.
 
Another bonus is that the lat bar and row handle are also included in the price tag. You can shell out up to $200 for these items each depending  on where you get them.
 
This whole machine is more stable than some of the other TITAN machines in the lower price range. I would definitely get this any day over the Cable crossover machine from TITAN.
 

Cons of the TITAN loadable lat tower

 
 
  • Plate loaded
  • No push movements
  • Build for normal humans, not superhumans
 
Plate loaded machines are great when you are the only user or this is not a lot of people around who frequent the machines. If you run a gym with peak times and people falling over each other, than you want the weights on the machine rather than separately on a plate tree.
 
The TITAN plate loaded lat tower is designed for pulling motions only. You can not adjust the pulley to make push movements possible. This lmits the range of exercises you can do with this machine. This becomes especially relevant when this is the only machine you intend to buy for your home gym. Here the functional trainer from TITAN might be the better choice.
 
As with all TITAN machines they have been produced with the average human in mind to save costs. Other vendors like Eleiko and Rogue think of the biggest possible human who could use their machines and build their machines around that. If you are 6 foot tall and weigh more than 250 pounds you might not like the seat on this or even rock the entire machine when you do your berserker mode pulls.
 

Alternatives to the TITAN loadable lat tower

 
 
The TITAN lat tower is a clone of the Rogue lat pull at a substantial lower cost. This is the lat pull machine to get for the commercial gym that puts the machine through a lot of abuse or the home gym fanatic who listens to heavy metal while pulling 300 pounds for sets of 20.
 
The TITAN wall mounted pulley is in my opinion one of the best options for a budget focused home gym to get all of their pulling needs covered. It is safer then some of the other makeshift machines from TITAN and costs less. The only downside is that it does not come with a seat and needs to be drilled into the wall to work.
 
The TITAN plate loadable functional trainer is the optimal compromise between budget and functionality, especially for the home gym. The pulley work as a little too exposed for most commercial scenarios and plate loading also does not help the case here.But in a home gym where you already own the plates and want to cover all of your accessory this is ideal.
 

Conclusion for the TITAN plate loadable lat tower

 
The TITAN plate loadable lat tower is a great option for the home gym owned by the average joe, as long as space allows for it. A professional gym might be better off with the functional trainer. If you lack space in your home gym for a while park of machines you might want to consider the plate loaded functional trainer as it eats up similar space, but offers more options on exercises.
 
 
 

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.

Related articles

 

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.