TITAN smith machine vs TITAN Glute and Hamstring developer
This is a comparison between the TITAN smith machine and the TITAN Glute and Hamstring developer including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the TITAN Glute and Hamstring developer $414
This is an overview of the TITAN Glute and hamstring developer 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 Glute and hamstring developer
The
TITAN Glute and hamstring developer is a clone of the similar product from Rogue, but for about half the price. A
glute and hamstring developer helps with attacking the lower back and hamstring in a way that is only hard to do with usual machines and free weights. On this the TITAN GHD delivers with minor subtractions for product quality. The full specifications of the TITAN GHD are:
- Wide adjustment range
- Extra large pads for comfort
- Heavy-Duty steel construction
- Wide base to eliminate tipping
- Includes wheels for mobility or storage
- Height: 41-in.
- Width: 45.5-in.
- Length: 70-in.
- Weight Capacity: 350 lb.
- Product Weight: 190 lb.
- Packaging: 2 boxes
This is a good addition for a home gym with extra space or a commercial gym for athletes and strength focused clients. Be preapred that this machine will need some instructions to be used properly, if you put it in a public space as it is not as straightforward to use as other machines you will find in commercial gym.
Pros of the TITAN Glute and hamstring developer
The pros of the TITAN GHD are:
This machine does what it says on the tin for half the price. It is build like a tank and if you are the only one using it you also do not have to worry about the minor design flaws this machine has compared to the Rogue GHD. If you want to save money for your home gym and at the same time train the heck out of your posterior chain than this is the weapon of choice.
Cons of the TITAN Glute and hamstring developer
One big point against the TITAN GHD is the space requirement. In addition to the big footprint you also have to factor in that you will be hanging out of the construction to do the exercise. This makes it an unusable solution in many small spaces which barely fit a
rack.
TITAN did not fully think through how to adjust this machine for multiple users. In a home gym scenario this is irrelevant and you can just take the savings made compared to the Rogue GHD. If you run a commercial gym and expect the machine to be adjusted often for several users, than you might want to go for their machine as the mechanics work easier.
TITAN also has machines in their portofolio which are a GHD and reverse hyper in one. If you want to save money and space I would encourage you to look into these options before making your final purchase decision. Especially if you have limited space.
Alternatives to the TITAN Glute and hamstring developer
The
TITAN H-PND was the first go from TITAN at a reverse hyper. This machine is heavily overbuilt and therefore great for very big individuals who have the space for a dedicated Reverse hyper machine. If you have multiple athletes that want to move tons of weights on a reverse hyper this is the one for you.
The
TITAN Economy H-PND is a budget optimized version of the Original reverse Hyper from TITAN. To put a lower price tag on it it has been shrunk on most aspects. It has a smaller pad and the steel it is built of is thinner. It is still a massive machine that can be used by most average joes. If your gym is swarmed by individuals the size of MIke O Hearn, Stan Efferding, and Brian Shaw, you might want to go for the
H-PND instead.
Conclusion for the TITAN Glute and Hamstring developer
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
-
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.