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TITAN Series power rack vs Rogue RM8 [Article, Video]

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Jul 10, 2020 9:00:00 AM

TITAN Series power rack vs Rogue RM8 [Article, Video]

This is a comparison of the TITAN series power rack and the Rogue RM8. Follow the links for more details.

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Rogue fitness vs TITAN fitness

 

Rogue Fitness is the current market leader when it comes to a functional home gym and commercial gym equipment. They have one of the widest portfolios including racks, barbells, benches, dumbbells, and apparel for the weekend warrior and dedicated athlete. The biggest downside of Rogue Fitness is their comparatively high prices to the competition.

 

TITAN Fitness is the clear cost leader when you want to build a home gym on a budget that is still similar to what Rogue offers in function, look, and feel. While you will save about half on the sticker price you will run a higher risk of inconsistencies in quality compared to a purchase from Rogue. The equipment will be safe but is more likely to have blemishes, quality issues with welds or that pieces will not easily fit into place. That makes TITAN a good option for a DIY enthusiast who does not mind tinkering with their equipment, but not the first choice to get the best equipment and treat yourself.

 
RM8 Banshee

Overview and review of the Rogue RM8 Power rack

The Rogue RM8 power rack is the new flagship of the rogue rack portfolio for $7.350. It combines the new LT1, Rhino Belt and RM6 into the Rolls Royce of racks.Here are the pros and cons and alternatives to this beast.

 

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Overview of the RM8 

 
The RM8 is the newest edition to the Rogue Monster line up. After publishing the 50cal, Rhino belt squat and a multitude of new bar designs using the Cerakote finish Rogue out it all together and went even bigger. This is the ultimate station to get stronger, especially for anyone who wants to squat heavy up until older age. 
 
As part of the Rogue monster series, you will get the 3x3 Gauge steel with the big bolts. The finish is currently only Cerakote black also I am quite positive that this will change in the foreseeable future. The RM8 has the following dimensions: 
 
  • Length 10’6”
  • Width 6’4”
  • Width Rack inside 43”
  • Height 100.375”
  • Footprint 10’6” x 53”
 
You will basically get an RM6 on steroids with all the plate storage you need and extra functionality to attack your muscles from every angle. Here is the list of items:
 
 
The Rhino belt squat is one of the most interesting new developments in the Rogue portfolio. It is especially good to train heavy for squats without putting too much strain on your lower back. An older lifter will appreciate it, you get lifters will be able to get more volume in. The stand-alone version of the Rhino comes in at roughly $2000 and I have already written about the Rhino belt squat it on my blog. 
 
The loadable weight trolleys are two lever arms with the 50cal mechanism. Again Rogue has shown innovation on these. They revised that the original lever arms were cumbersome to adjust and can up with these. Footballers and Rugby players will appreciate the tackling training which can be done with them. Strongman athletes will have a good piece of equipment to simulate car deadlifts or uneven loads. Bodybuilders will have options to simulate all kinds of rowing and pressing machines when combined with an adjustable bench. Finally, powerlifters can use the setup to create a mini monolift. 
 
The pull-up bar with knurling gives you extra grip. It is one of the newer additions to the rack options of Rogue. Still, it is a bar, not a lot to be said about it. 
 
The custom rogue nameplates look cool, but that is about it. It’s a pity that Rogue does not allow the configuration to be changed to a simple cross member. The nameplate renders the beam almost unusable for any attachments. Still, it looks dang cool. 
 
That plate pins are great as they safe you the extra hassle and cost to provide for plate storage. If you have children in your home I recommend getting spring collars to make the plates safe. Some like to put the plate pins as high as possible. I would not do that as the plates will drop from a height into anything below if they come off the rack. Most children won’t be able to move the spring collars, so at least you have some safety. 
 
The band legs can be used to train with the west side method. You attach bands to the pegs and barbell for added resistance. You can see an example of how that works in the two videos below.  
 

Pros of the RM8 

 
The RM8 is the one-stop-shop for the latest and greatest that Rogue has to offer. The Rhino belt squat will give you many variations to train while keeping your lower back safe. You can switch from resisted jumps to band assisted squats. The potential is limitless. It is really great to see that products can still be made better in a market which you thought was saturated. If you have the money the Banshee won’t disappoint. 
 

Cons of the RM8

 
$7000 is a big price tag for a rack. You can get 7 Fortis racks for this price if you were to equip a commercial gym. Another option would be a monkey rig which gives many more options to run classes of them. This beast is aimed at in e or two people. Of course, you can have more people train at it, but this is definitely the ultimate celebrity or athlete home gym, not the commercial option. Unless you are an NFL team and do not care about multiplying out the 7000 over half the numbers of players you have. 
 
Another con is that for the biggest price tag you get no color option. That is a shame and hopefully changes soon. They probably assemble it by hand and coat it as they don’t have a production line for the RM8 yet. Stay tuned in this space. 
 

Alternatives to the RM8 

 
There are no alternatives if you want all the best toys of Rogue in one rack. But not everyone has 7000 to spend on a rack. Here are some alternatives to spend your hard-earned money on excellent Rogue equipment: 
 
 
If you have the same amount of money to spend but also think about how to make that money back in a professional gym setup the monkey Rig or a monster rig might be a better choice. A Rig leaves you with more options for circuit training and positing people up. You can read more about rigs in my monkey and monster rig articles
 
If you want to spend money on a very good rack for your home gym you can go for the RM6 instead. The RM6 comes with different height and color options and leaves you with more choice rather than the take it or leave it approach of the banshee. If you were to come to money at after stage you can still upgrade with the Rhino Drop in and the 50cal trolley arms separately. You can learn about the RM6 in my review. 
 
The RM4 fortis is the best rack option from Rogue under 1.000. If you wanted to equip a commercial gym with seven racks rather than one rolls Royce that is the option to go for. The RM4 is still a great rack and your customers will be happy. 
 
3WC is a rack option which can fold in and be snug against the wall. This way it is an ideal setup for a garage gym when you still want to park your car. It also comes in at around $500. 
 

Summary of the RM8 

 
The RM8 is the best to be had from Rogue. You can use the Rhino when your lower back is at you or do resisted pull-ups while the rest of the rack offers everything for plate storage to a pull-up station. Of course, it is over the top, but that’s the whole point. 
 
 

Overview and review of the Titan Series power rack

The Titan Series power rack will put you back about $1000. TITAN is well known for their very good prices compared to their competition and will get you started on your home gym. This review was originally posted in “which Titan rack to buy for over $500

Overview of the TITAN power rack

 
The Titan series power rack is the flagship rack from TITAN which is currently available. You will get an overbuild cage with a lot of space inside to play around with. If you are a massive athlete or just like big, star things, this is a good option for you. It also includes all of the its and bits and plate storage to get you started. A barbell and plates would have to be purchased separately to make a full set. The specifications of the TITAN power rack are: 
 
  • 3” x 3” 11 Gauge Tubing and bolt-together design.
  • Includes (2) 1” Diameter Pins w/ 1.5” Pipes for
  • Includes (4) Bolt-On Weight Plate Holders
  • Includes (4) Band Pegs.
  • Includes a pair (2) Sandwich J-Hooks.
  • numbered laser cut holes
  • Keyhole side spacing 
  • 1” bolts 
  • Max height of 94” for pull-up bar. 
  • Overall Weight: 388 LB
  • Overall Height: 100”
  • Footprint (including bolt-down plates): 53” x 55.5”
  • Overall Depth: 48”
  • Inside Depth: 42
  • Overall Width: 48”
  • Inside Width: 42”
 
This rack will make a fine centerpiece of your gym for years to come. 
 

Pros of the Titan power rack 

 
You will get a massive rack for a very competitive price. TITAN also offers a wide arrange of attachments to tend to all of your own or clients needs in the future. Once bolted down this thing does not move anywhere. Ideal for big guys lifting big things.
 

Cons of the TITAN power rack

 
As Titan seems to operate on lower margins than their competition you might find that the finish or welds of racks can be inconsistent. If you make less money per transaction you usually have to make up for it by cutting corners by buying different quality material from different suppliers on the cheap or pay your staff less. As we are talking racks here, this might not be as bad as with medication. However, if you get furious about little cosmetic blemishes or less than perfect craftsmanship, don’t buy from TITAN. 
 

Alternatives to the TITAN power rack 

 
Here are some alternatives to the TITAN power rack: 
 
 
The X3 is basically the same model as the Titan rack with two differences. It doesn’t have numbered holes on the uprights and the keyhole design. This means that you can use fewer attachments with it which you have not necessarily bought from Rogue. 
 
The T2 model comes in various shapes and heights and can be configured differently for your home gym to make it fit your space. The main difference to the other Titan racks is that the uprights are 2x2 instead of 2x3 or 3x3. 
 
The T3 rack model is also very similar to the Titan rack but comes at a lower cost. It is the same as the X3 except that it has 2x3 Gauge uprights instead of 3x3. 
 

Summary for the TITAN power rack

 
If you only want to buy a rack from TITAN and want the best, this is the one to go for. Also if you want to buy a lot of racks and don’t care about the finish that much, TITAN is a great option. If you are a smaller athlete and want to save money you might want to look at the other TITAN models as well, especially the X3. 
 
 

Topics: TITAN