TITAN T-3 Series Yoke vs Rogue SM1 squat stand

This is a comparison between the TITAN T-3 series Yoke and Rogue SM1 squat stand including pros, cons, and alternatives. The Original was published in Which Strongman equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for details

Rogue SM1 Squat Stand

The Rogue SM1 squat stand comes in at $595 and is one of the low-range options for under $1000 from Rogue. Learn more in this review which was originally published in the Article "Which Rack to buy from Rogue for under $1000".

Overview of the SM1

The SM1 is the smallest of the Monster series Squat stands and does not include a pull-up bar. It comes in black and is manufactured in Columbus, Ohio. This stand bridges the gap between power racks and squat stands and can be built into a full rack over time if you have the funds available. It has the flat foot design, which enables you to use it without bolting it to the floor.

The SM1 is 73'' high and has a footprint of 50''x54''. The steel notes are 3x3'' 11 gauge steel. Based on this the SM1 is fully compatible with Rogues' Monster series and accessories. The delivery includes J Cups and has a weight capacity up to 1000LB.

If you want a simple squat stand which is built like a tank, this is the option for you.

Pros of the SM1

The SM1 is made from the most sturdy design you can get in the market. This stand won't break on you and is built like a rack. If you want the best from the lowest price range of Rogue, this is the one to go for.

Cons of the SM1

Squat stands are great for weightlifting. When it comes to powerlifting buying one might be false economy thinking. For the bench press, you will need spotter arms to train by yourself. Adding these to the price tag brings the squat stand price including the arms in the range of a rack. Then you might as well get a rack and save yourself the hassle.

Alternatives to the SM1

Alternatives to the SM1 are:

The SM2 and SM3 are variations of the Monster squat stand which come with a pull-up bar. The SM2 has a height of 103'' while the SM3 is around 108''. Depending on your needs these might be a better option to cover all the exercises you want to do.

The RML3WC is a foldable rack at roughly the same price as the SM1 which can be bolted to the wall. As a nice extra, it also can be folded in. This way you have more options to transform small spaces based on your needs.

Overview and review of the TITAN T-3 Series Yoke

This is an overview of the TITAN T-3 series Yoke including pros, cons, and alternatives. The Original was published in Which Strongman equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for details

TITAN T-3 series Yoke $380

Overview of the TITAN T3 series Yoke

The TITAN T3 series Yoke is the Yoke version of the best selling TITAN T3 rack. With the yoke you get an additional fat crossbar to use it as a yoke, feet, and four uprights four plate storage. This unit also easily breaks down for storage and is very space efficient. Yokes are often overlooked as a very good, cheap alternative to a squat stand or rack. What you will need to purchase in addition is a pir of spotter arms and J cups to use the Yoke in this way. That bring the overall investment nearer to the $500 to $600 mark. Still, I highly recommend yokes, especially if you place it in a garage gym. The full list of specifications for this yoke is:

- Great alternative to a Power Rack - Serves the same purpose with other functions in one.

- Use as a Squat / Press Stand, Push or Drag Sled, or Yoke.

- A staple for Strongman training.

- Adjustable crossbar to custom fit your height.

- Integrated vertical plate storage.

- 2" hole spacing on uprights | 1" Westside spacing through the bench zone.

- Compact 72" design means you can use the Titan Yoke anywhere you train.

- 2.95" Crossbar Diameter.

- Now compatible with competition plates!

- Weight: 166 LB

- Height: 72"

- Inside width: 45"

- Footprint: 51" x 52"

- Uprights: 2"x3" 11 gauge steel

- Weight capacity: 750 LB

This is a great budget option for a commercial gym or home gym, that wants to get the maximum out of their dollar. Apart from yoke carries this yoke can be used for stone lifts over the bar, be used as a regular squat stand and plate storage. It also comes with feet so that you do not need to bolt it to the ground to be safe.

Pros of the TITAN T-3 series Yoke

Pros of the TITAN T-3 Yoke are:

Versatility
Price
Compact design

The TITAN comes with a wide range of possible exercise you can do it with it. You can use it as a squat stand, pull up bar, plate storage and create a complete gym in itself at a lower cost than a full rack. The price of TITAN T-3 Yoke is great compared to other rack options from TITAN, but also compared to the Rogue Y1 which costs $495 instead of the $380 ask price from TITAN. The compact design also helps to collapse and store it away quickly if you need to. This makes it a good option for a garage gym setup, where you also want to use the garage for its original purpose or as a workshop.

Cons of the TITAN T-3 series Yoke

Cons of the TITAN T-3 series Yoke are:

TITAN finish
Bigger footprint compared to a half rack
No Full safeties, only spotter arms
Spotter arms and J-cups not included

The TITAN finish means that TITAN generally as a higher risk of the coating being not optimal or the welds being a bit sloppy compared to other brands in the market like Eleiko and Rogue Fitness. As most of the TITAN equipment costs considerably less than the competition they need to cut corners by hiring part time or summer workers, or a bit more lenient quality control. That doesn't make the equipment unusable, but if you want consistent quality with your purchase and not have a bad feeling about how it might turn out on delivery, Rogue and Eleiko are the safer bet. That being said, for a yoke it is a great price.

If space is a concern you have to keep in mind that the four uprights including the plates you might store on them make the footprint f a yoke considerably larger compared to a simple half rack. If space is a concern for you, but you still want to train heavy, you might want to look into a half rack rather than a yoke to save some space. The trade off is that a half rack can not be used for any carries or sled pushes.

The last thing is that Yokes only have two instead of four uprights. This means that you can only use potter arms as a safety. I personally hugely dislike spotter arms as this is the only piece of equipment I have manged to break with rack pulls. It was not pretty. I also find that you are easy to miss the spotter arms on a bench press or squat. The longer the spotter arms, the easier it is to actually hit them on a fail, but the more likely they become to break at the fixation point. If you want to squat heavy by yourself and know that you fail from time to time, you are better of getting a half rack or full rack with safety pins.

What is a bit of a shame is that the J-Cups and spotter arms are not included with the purchase at $380 which would make it a really sweet deal to build a home gym. The matching T-series spotter arms are an additional $100 and the J-Cups another $70 to complete a home gym setup that can also be safely used for squats and bench presses.

Alternatives to the TITAN T-3 series Yoke

Alternatives to the TITAN T-3 Yoke include

The TITAN T3 rack is made of the steel gauges than the Yoke. IT can also be purchased in color and various heights, depending on your needs. The TITAN T-3 is a long staple of TITAN and a solid option for a home gym when someone is bench pressing and squatting heavy on a regular basis. If you do not like spotter arms or dropping weights when you go all balls out, this is the better option from TITAN. The price will be about $100 to $200 higher than for the yoke as you will get more steel in your delivery.

The X-3 series from TITAN is one step up from The T series and uses thicker uprights which makes these racks more stable. Compared to the T-3 Yoke you will probably invest $200 to $300 more depending on what you ultimately decide for. The X-3 line also has racks which offer feet on the bottom of the rack so that it does not need to be bolted to the ground. This is a good option for home gym for someone who does not only lift heavy, but also will do a lot of pull ups, band pulls and other exercises where you pull the rack in different directions. The extra thickness of the tubing makes this rack more stable for these scenarios than the T-3- line. This is not relevant if you only squat and bench press as this doesn't shake the rack as much.

The Rogue RML 390 rack is a half rack from Rogue comes in various colors and starts at a price of $1.015. While the price is considerably higher than the TITAN racks and yokes, you will get some of the finest fitness equipment that money can buy. Rogue is not the best option when you are on a budget but is almost unmatched in quality, customer service and forward thinking in the market. If you want to make sure that some american veterans get paid for the making your rack, you have a way higher chance of your equipment being made by someone who is fairly paid and in a stable job by buying Rogue equipment. If you only want the cheapest price tag, Rogue is the wrong place to look.

The Rogue Yoke is the original from which TITAN made a lower cost copy. Rogue offer their Yoke in two different heights at a price point of $495 and $560. While Rogue caters a little more towards the crossfit crowd and suburban dads, TITAN caters a little more to the ones who want to build a steel dungeon in their basement for cheap. I am a huge Rogue Fan and therefore biased and would get the Rogue Yoke if it was only between a Yoke from Rogue or Yoke from TITAN as the prices are fairly close together. $100 bucks for piece of mind that a might not have to force some components, have some missing screws on delivery or any other funny business is worth the while for me. However, if you are intending to build a steel dungeon and also buy a bunch of plate loaded machines on the same ticket / outfit an entire home gym on a budget, than TITAN is a serious contender as you can save a lot and also have a wider choice in machines.

Conclusion for the TITAN T-3 series Yoke

The TITAN T-3 Yoke is a great option for building a simple home gym. In fact, Yokes are often overlooked for this purpose, especially if you have quite a bit of space to play around with. Be careful to also put the spotter arms and J-Cups into your basket when you are purchasing as it can be frustrating to buy these things piece meal and then have to wait and pay for shipping twice. It does what it says on the tin, but if you are lifting several hundred pounds of weight regularly by yourself, get a full cage instead. I know there is many people out there who do it just with a squat stand, but better to be safe than sorry.