TITAN Pro sled system vs Trueform Runner

This is a comparison between the TITAN Pro sled system and TrueForm Runner 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 and review of the TrueForm runner

The TrueForm Runner comes in at $5695 - $6195. 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 trueform runner

The TrueForm runner is the latest and greatest in the treadmill industry. Compared to other treadmills it has the advantage that it is not motorized and propelled by your own weight. In addition, the surface you run on is curved so the impact of your footfall is not as hard as on a flat surface. This dynamic is achieved by a conveyor belt that runs on bearings. Think of the conveyor belt at the airport but moved by your own bodyweight. It has been used at the CrossFit games and has gained popularity since then. The dimensions of the TrueForm runner are:

Height 57’’
Width 36’’
Running surface 54’’ x 17’’
Weight 325 LB

You can choose from two different options, Enduro and Performance. Both options come in at the same price and with the same dimensions. The performance model provides a higher railing. This is especially useful when you have athletes who run very fast on the machine.

Apart from this, you can pay $500 extra to get grass or track and field topping on the running surface. If you use the TrueForm runner to train track and field or football athletes you might want to go with one of these options.

Pros of the TrueForm runner

There are several pros to the TrueForm runner

Better posture
Easier adjustment of speed
No power supply needed
No programming needed
Less impact
Good resell value
Low maintenance

Based on the setup of the Trueform runner it actively helps your clients and athletes to have better running form. If you strike with the heel the curve of the machine will help to remedy and correct this over time as you push the belt from the front to the back.

With the Trueform runner, you can adjust the speed at any given time yourself without worrying about faceplanting. Doing interval training on motorized treadmills can be really annoying as the acceleration and decelerations come in jumps rather than continuously when you program them in at the start of your workout. If you adjust them while exercising it is almost impossible, especially at high speeds.

If you deploy a whole row of these (10 - 20 machines) you might also be pleased that you do not need to plan for cabling when the gym is built and powering these treadmills all year around.

As mentioned before you can free run on these machines to your hearts contempt. No buttons or panic stops needed. Just slow down and the belt slows down with you. You will not be catapulted into the wall behind you.

The curve will also be helpful to have less strain in the ankles and knees from the impact of the food. This helps you to train longer for harder.

As with most things which are "hip" and high price you usually get a higher resell value out of them than for the lower range options. While this is mostly less important for individual buyers it can be important for a chain that regularly closes off unprofitable subsidiaries and wants to shuffle equipment around.

As there are no motors which can break down you will also have fewer maintenance needs. Although you are probably more likely to need a welder rather than an electrician when this beast breaks.

Cons of the TrueForm runner

The cons of the TrueForm runner are in my opinion:

Hard to do pace training
Not for beginners
Price tag
A big piece of equipment
Poor monitor

When I prepared for my marathons there was one thing I liked about treadmills, you could set an exact pace for some of your long runs. This is actually a strength rather than a weakness of a motorized treadmill. For me, it was handy to plan my splits and hit my target time as the pace I chose was slightly challenging. I would do one of these a week slightly above the planned pace for the marathon and add distance each time. The rest of my training would be outdoors. This raised my confidence to reproduce the exact pace I needed on race day. With the TrueForm Runner, it would have been hard to have that reference, but it would have been better to do Interval runs indoors.

Tell me what you want but this thing is not for beginners. This is designed for people who want to go like cheetahs and could not do it properly on normal treadmills. Fast acceleration and breaking are where this is at home. Not for beginners or someone who is wobbly on their feet because they do rehab or are overweight. A slow motorized treadmill is the better option here.

With $5000 a piece, this is a steep price. If you want to signal to your clients that you are doing well and justify the membership of $300 a month, this is a strategy. For two of these, you can get a 10 pack of concept 2 rowers, skiergs or bikes. 10 x $100 in membership fees from a spinning class is more than 2x $300 with a bigger spread of risk in your income.

Last but not least these are big. If you have a garden or basement gym I would almost consider this no option unless you live in a mansion. If you want to maximize floor space in your commercial gym this is also not the way to go. CrossFit boxes might like this, especially if they are in the middle of a busy city.

The monitor is poor compared to some of the concept 2 options where you have leaderboards implemented to keep yourself motivated.

Alternatives to the TrueForm runner

There are the following alternatives to the TrueFrom runner:

The assault air runner is one alternative to the TrueFrom runner if you still want a self-propelled treadmill. The assault air runner comes in at a lower price point than the TrueForm runner. The mechanics are also a little different which makes running easier on this one.

The Versa Climber is often referred to as one of the hardest things you can do in endurance on a machine. It simulates climbing a steep wall with a good grip. It comes in at about half the price and takes up less footprint than the TrueForm runner. If you want a good machine for your home to knock you out this is can be a great pick. For a commercial gym, you might not have the uptake as many people just want their treadmills.

The Rogue Echo bike is a solid choice for the home gym that wants to kick your butt. Combined to the Versa Climber and the TrueFrom Runner it comes in at a fraction of the cost. A good air bike workout will still challenge you and is highly recommended.

Summary for the TrueForm runner

This is a well-built piece of equipment which is worth the price if you have the need and space for it. Athletes who know how to pace themselves, have balance and want every workout to be as challenging and adaptable as possible will love this.

For the average gym with average clients it is probably a bit too intimidating and high performance. I do not see overweight stay at home moms or retired manly beer bellies stepping on the TrueForm runner first thing through your gym doors.

Overview and review of the TITAN Pro sled system

This is an overview of the TITAN Pro sled system 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 Titan Pro sled System

The TITAN Pro sled system is a lower-priced clone of the Rogue Dogsled 1.2. This sled is versatile, compact, and can be loaded with plates. You can use it on concrete, grass, or any other medium. With the wide arrangement of options for attachments, you can keep your conditioning training interesting and vary throughout the year. The full specifications for this sled are:

- Multi-function system translates to multiple workouts/exercises with one sled.

- Works as a push, pull, or drag sled with the ability to offer much more!

- Additional accessories transform the sled into a high/low push sled, wheelbarrow, or lawn boy push sled (accessories sold separately).

- UHMW plastic ski liners protect your sled

- Can be used on grass, turf, concrete, or asphalt.

- Two 1.9-in diameter poles included

- Fits 2-in Olympic plates (bumper or steel plates) with plenty of clearance.

- Weight: 111 lbs.

- Footprint: 24-in x 40-in

- Skid width: 3-in- Steel: 2-in x 3-in 11 gauge and 1/4-in plate steel

- Plate tube height: 20-in

- Push Pole Height: 39 1/2-in

- Weight Capacity: 750 lbs.

Attachments

PROSLED - Titan Pro Sled System

- MSLEDARCH - Single Arch

- MSLED2ARCH - Double Arch

- MSLEDHIB - High Bar

- MSLEDLOB - Low Bar

- MSLEDDHA - Double Handle

- MSLEDLAWN - Lawn-Boy Handle

- MSLEDWBA - Wheel Barrow

- MSLEDRAIL - Wrap Around Rail

- PROSLEDSH - Replacement Shoes

Pros of the TITAN Titan Pro sled System

The pros of the TITAN Pro sled system are:

Compact
Modular
Price

Compared to a butcher or other bigger sled, this sled is fairly small and easily be stored upright against a wall or in some nook or cranny in your home gym or professional gym. It can also easily be thrown on the back of a trailer to train somewhere else where the view is nice or you have more space to do your exercises. Just bring a plate or two with you depending on what you want to do.

With a wide range of different attachments, you can challenge yourself to push and pull this sled from various angles and positions. This keeps the interaction with this tool fresh and fun, especially if you have a big lawn or area in your commercial gym where you can move this thing about.

Compared to other competitors in the market you pay the lowest price in the market for a comparable product with the TITAN Pro sled. If you want to build an entire home gym on a budget, but do not want to compromise on how much stuff you are getting, then TITAN fitness is one of the most complete addresses you can currently find.

Cons of the TITAN Titan Pro sled System

The cons of the TITAN Pro sled are:

Looks more useful than it might be
TITAN finish
The cost can balloon quickly

As long as you are not a professional coach or team member with easy access to a pitch, then this sled might look more useful than it will actually be. Are you really going to be hauling this thing through the neighborhood risking that someone calls the police because you are damaging the precious lawn or pavement? If you have a massive garage or basement where you do not run into the wall after you accelerated just a tiny bit, be my guest. Otherwise, you might get something stationary to take care of your conditioning needs.

As with all products from TITAN they can have some minor to major issues on quality control on their products. When your tactic is to be the cost leader for any product you put into your portfolio you will need to cut some corners. This usually comes in the form of using lower quality paints, sharp edges on drilled holes, no or poor manuals, thinner plastics on buffer zones, etc. When you observe TITAN across their products you can see that there are several reports of this happening. This does not mean that what you get has to have minor to major defects, it just means that it is way more likely than with other vendors. Especially with a sled where you will abuse the material quite a bit, you might want to consider something that will live longer. Racks and barbells are harder to break, therefore you might consider these from TITAN.

Another risk with the Pro sled is that the cost can balloon quickly. Once you start looking into the attachments you can easily rack up $500 for this sled. For this price, you can almost get a fan bike from TITAN or a Rogue Echo bike which I would recommend over a sled for a home gym.

Alternatives to the TITAN Titan Pro sled System

The heavy-duty HIgh low Push-pull weight sled from TITAN is a clone of the Rogue butcher. This sled uses a tripod/tricycle design instead of a sled design. It is bigger than the Pro sled and can therefore take a bigger load. This is the type of machine you want to get when you want to practice pushing trucks or other Rugby / NFL players. It is not great for sprints or any kind of running exercises and also harder to store than the sled.

The low bar push pull drag sled is a simple design to add weight to your sprints and comes with a small loading pin to add the weights. With $100 the price tag is very reasonable and you get everything you need to add a bit of resistance to your runs. The frame is stiff and has not any holes for attachments so you will only be able to use the sled as is without any modification. You will also drag the sled directly on the surface as it does not have any plastic buffers, so it is better to be used on grass than asphalt.

The power weighted sled with leash and harness is the cheapest sled you can get from TITAN. The plate pin is higher than for the low bar push pull drag sled so you can put more weight on it. The pin can also be collapsed for easier transport in a car or on a truck. This is a great little sled if you want to drive to the next hill in your area and do some sprints with resistance. This sled has no buffer so you will rub it directly on concrete or grass, depending on how you use it.

The XPO trainer 2 is the current gold standard in push-pull sleds on the market. It has an innovative resistance wheel in the construction which makes it heavier to push the harder you are pushing. This means that the resistance will increase the more you put into it. It also has wheels attached which makes it more palatable to use in a residential area without someone calling the cops or local counsel on you due to noise or damage to property. The downside is the high price and that you can not simulate a heavy resistance start to overcome a block. It will roll nicely from the start and get harder rather than you having to overcome the first resistance.

The Rogue Dogsled 1.2 is the current flagship sled from Rogue. This is the most expensive sled from Rogue with the most attachments available. If you are planning on really abusing the heck out of the sled you are getting this might be the better choice. The finer details are usually better in Rogue products which are relevant to a tool like a sled. That being said you will also pay a higher price than for the TITAN Pro sled.

The Rogue Echo dog sled is Rogue's toned-down version of the Dogsled to be more cost-competitive. It is not as fancy and has not as many attachments as the Dogsled 1.2 but will do the job.

Conclusion for the TITAN Titan Pro sled System

The TITAN Pro sled System is a good alternative for anyone who wants to save money, has space, and will mainly use it on grass rather than asphalt. Anyone who will use their sled on asphalt on a more regular basis, wants their attachments to tightly fit, and has a little extra money to spend might want to go for the Rogue Sled 1.2. If all you are looking for is a throwaway sled to keep on the back of your truck, go for the Power weighted drag sled with the harness.