TITAN smith machine vs TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench
This is a comparison between the TITAN smith machine and the TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench $464
This is an overview of the TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench 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 supported Adjustable row bench
The
TITAN chest supported adjustable row bench is a very specialized piece of equipment to isolate the back and use a
barbell for rows. This is a great exercise for anyone who wants to build a big back and deadlift. You will find this exercise among the most successful deadlifters as an accessory workout. The construction is simple and effective. It rests a
barbell higher than ground and supports your body by laying on a pad. With this setup you can protect your spine while you load the
barbell heavier for massive rows. The specifications of the
TITAN chest supported adjustable row are as followed:
- 3 x 2 steel tubing
- 6 different seat height adjustments
- 5 different chest pad angle adjustments
- Heavy gauge steel construction
- Diamond plated footplate for grip.
- Customizable seat height and chest pad angle
- High quality vinyl chest pad.
- Width is adjustable to fit your barbell
- Weight: 128 LB
- Adjustable Seat Height: 30 1/2” to 37 1/4"
- Adjustable Depth: 68 1/2" to 65 1/2”
- Adjustable Width: 55 1/2” to 42”
- Seat Length: 18”
- Seat Width: 9 1/2"
- Seat Thickness: 2 3/4”
- Band Peg Length: 5 1/2”
- Footplate Dimensions (per side): 21 1/2” x 24”
This is a great extra machine in a commercial gym that works with a lot of barbells and his the right clients for it. In a home gym it will be a lot of space to give up to a one trick pony.
Pros of the TITAN supported Adjustable row bench
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Price
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Focused training
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Uses a barbell
As with most pieces of equipment from TITAN the price is excellent for what you are getting. This is an industrial grade exercise station at a consumer price. TITAN's strategy is to undercut the competition at about half the price for the same product. The low prices are achieved by cutting some corners in quality management and customer services.
The
chest supported adjustable row bench is great for athletes who develop a massive row and are concerned about their back. With this machine you get the extra support and also do not need to move the
barbell from the ground into position. This helps to focus entirely on your back and either go heavy or squeeze out the last few reps on a hypertrophy set.
This machine is also interesting as you can use a
barbell instead of
plate loading it or having a weight stack. This makes the experience closer to the
barbell training youmight be focusing on, depending on your preferences in training.
Cons of the TITAN supported Adjustable row bench
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One trick pony
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Intimidating for most
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Space requirements
While this machine is excellent for what it does, it only does this one thing well.
Barbell rows can also be done from the floor, or, if they get too heavy, they can also be done from
rack pins. You will not have the same chest support, but still get your rows in. You will also mimic the three big lifts even closer with that setup. Based on this the chest supported row bench is not ideal for home gyms or commercial gyms with limited space.
The broad public does not necessarily like to use a
barbell as it is perceived to rough on the hands. If you are already getting a dedicated machine for rows, you might want to get one that is a bit more convenient for the user and includes a weight stack.
Alternatives to the TITAN supported adjustable row bench
The
Titan T bar row is more palatable for the general public as a chest supported row which uses a
barbell. With this you can use more grip variations and it is also easier to get the
plates on and off to get started. If you run a commercial gym for the general public, go with the
T bar row instead of the
chest supported adjustable row if your space does not allow for both.
The
TITAN plate loaded functional trainer is the budget option of a functional trainer for home gym users. This is a great addition when you have limited space and want to do all of your accessory movements on one machine or implement a home gym that can be used by the entire family. This version of the
TITAN functional trainer saves $1300 compared to the functional trainer which comes with included weight stacks. If you already own a
rack and
plates, this is probably the better choice.
The
TITAN functional trainer comes with two weight stacks included and covers most accessory movements or a full body workout which is lighter compared to heavy
barbell free weight training. This is a good option ina home gym or commercial gym where you want to make things save. It is also a good choice when you want to get started right away without having too invest into
plates.
Conclusion for the TITAN supported adjustable row bench
This machine is great for an Iron den where people want to use the
barbell row in many variations to blow up their backs to lift heavy. If you have this at home, in a college dorm or other private gym and do have the space, I highly recommend getting one of these as the results speak for themselves. If you have a very small home gym or a commercial gym for the general public this is a gimmick and you should focus on other items to build out your gym first like
racks with proper safety pins and a
seated row machine.
Overview and review of the TITAN Smith machine $1069
This is an overview of the TITAN smith 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.
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Overview of the TITAN Smith machine
A
smith machine can be used to train your entire body with
barbell presses, squats, bench presses and other movements. The main distinguishing feature of a
smith machine is that the
bar path is fixed as the
barbell is attached to the frame. This makes a
smith machine less intimidating for beginners than a
rack with free weights. The
TITAN smith machine is competitively priced and has some extra features that many other
Smith machines do not have. The full feature list includes:
- Knurled barbell with 13.25-in of loadable space on the sleeves.
- (6) 8-in Olympic Weight Storage Posts.
- Band pegs on either side allow for added resistance.
- Two J-hooks attached to the bar takes a quick flick of the wrist to lock into 8 safe positions when finished with the exercise.
- Two safety catches can be adjusted to set before a lift to prevent injuries in the case of failed reps.
- Counter-balance function included!
- Four rubber pads on the feet of the Smith Machine protect flooring from unwanted scuffing and provide stability.
- Overall Height: 86-in.
- Overall Width: 66.5-in.
- Overall Depth: 54-in.
- Weight Capacity: 600 lb.
- Weight: 261 lb.
This is a solid machine for any commercial gym that wants to add a smith machine in their line up. Home gym owners will be better off getting a rack with a barbell instead.
Pros of the TITAN Smith machine
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Plate storage on rack
-
Pins for band work
-
Price
Compared to other
Smith machines in the market TITAN has done a good job to maximize the use of the frame of the
rack for this
Smith machine. You will have multiple pins to store
plates on included in your shipment. This makes storing
plates easy. Some other
Smith machines in the market have massive frames and only eat up space without providing storage options.
Another great addition to this particular
Smith machine are the pins for bands. Taken from the west side method approach of training you can attach bands to the
TITAN smith machine which are provided at the bottom of the structure. Just make sure to bolt the machine to the ground of you do this as band work is one of the top reasons to topple
racks that have it been bolted to the ground.
Keeping the price of this massive
Smith machine around $1000 ja TITAN written all over it. It is their specialty to offer big fitness equipment at roughly half of the price of the competition and this
Smith machine is no exception.
Cons of the TITAN Smith machine
The mechanism to lock or unlock a
barbell on a
smith machine is in my opinion one of the biggest design flaws you can find in a commercial gym. Why
smith machines have gotten so popular is beyond me. The mechanism provides a false sense of security to the user. If you fail a rep you still have to twist your wrists under strain to lock the
bar back into position. While this is ok but not great for the bench press, for the squat it is near impossible. Combined with the fact that the
bar is attached to the frame this can lead to some nasty accidents where you are folded like lawn chair under the weight. With a free weight you can at least just dump it off your back as a last resort. In my opinion
smith machines provide little advantage for the risks they pose, especially to inexperienced trainees.
Everything you can do with a
smith machine you can do with a
rack and a
barbell. Probably even better. This is why this machine eats up to much space for any home gym. Unless you are the Rock and have a whole crew of people carrying an entire commercial gym around for you. There is something to be said for quad development out of high rep
smith machine squats. You do get a different pump out of the
smith machine as there is less room to work with the supporting muscles from the back. Still, this is only interesting for full time bodybuilders and does not justify to give up valuable home gym space where you could place a rack instead.
The fact that the
barbell is attached makes it less versatile than a
rack. The
barbell an get in the way of exercises, especially if you need to use the space inside the
smith machine because you are short on space. Again a
barbell and
rack is the better choice and you can get this for the same budget from TITAN.
TITAN needs to cut some corners to offer you consistent competitive pricing on all of their product range. This is why across the board their customer service and manuals or not as good as the ones of their competitors Rogue and Eleiko. You are also more likely to have parts missing on your shipment or that they do not fit smoothly. This can happen with other, higher priced products, too, but the likelihood is lower. Quality management and consistency in production are good ways to cut cost. These processes are expensive is they are Labour intensive and also assume that some of the production gets discarded due to lack of quality. You can not do that of your strategy is to be the cheapest in the narbet which is exactly what TITAN prides themselves one. Got for your wallet, but expect some minor issues, especially with products that have a lot of moving parts like a
smith machine.
Alternatives to the TITAN smith machine
If you want to get a machine for training your legs it think the
TITAN leg press is the better option than the
smith machine. It comes in at roughly the same price. This machine can be heavily loaded, provides security to people who do not want to use a
barbell, and you can work the ranges of motion that are hard to stay in for long in a
barbell squat. If I wanted to blow up my legs and had space and key to add to my gym above and beyond a
rack, a
leg press would be high up my list.
The
Titan belt squat machine is another way of getting more squat volume in your training without trashing your wer back.
Belt squat machines are popular for quad development with powerlifters and weightlifters. The big advantage is here that the movement pattern is not predefined and you have less compression on your spine.
Conclusion for the TITAN Smith machine
The
TITAN smith machine has a great price and some little extra features which make it an excellent
Smith machine to get. The only problem for me is that I think that all
Smith machines are a waste of space and should be replaced with a belt squat, extra
rack or
leg press, depending on what you already have. If you have the space and money to collect all different types of machines, do it. Still, a
smith machine would only enter my gym to complete a collection for the sale of it, rather than because I think it is a good idea for my clients.