TITAN X3 half rack vs Rogue R4 [Article, Video]

This is a comparison between the TITAN X3 half rack and the Rogue R4 rack. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue R4 power rack

The Rogue R4 rack comes in at $960 and is one of the better 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".

What else to consider from Rogue

Overview of the Rogue R4

The Rogue R4 is one of the flagship racks out of the older Rogue Infinity series. With the R4 you get a full rack which is made in Columbus, Ohio. The available color is black and it weighs 250LB.

The R4 Infinity rack is 90'' high and comes in at a footprint of 53''x53''. It is compatible with the Infinity accessories and lines from Rogue. It ships with J CUps,, Pin/Pipe Safeties and band pegs for the westside method. It is also designed with Westside hole spacing to enable you to use the bands for your lifting appropriately.

If you want the best of one of the outdated series from Rogue this is the one for you. It will cover all of your basic needs, just don't expect too many product upgrades as the focus of Rogue is clearly with the Monster and Monster lite series for eh time being.

Pros of the Rogue R4

You get one of the best from a bygone era of Rogue. This is reflected in the amount of real estate you get for the price for Rogue standards. It can also be an advantage to get an R4 over a Monster or Monster rack if you have to move the racks often. This comes in at 100LB less than its bigger brothers.

Cons of the Rogue R4

Going into the Infinity series is probably not a wise decision if you want to protect your investment long term. The rack will hold for a lifetime, you just will not find a lot of new products for it to entertain your clients. For home use, this is completely irrelevant, but if you are buying this rack to use with clients you might want to reconsider.

Alternatives to the Rogue R4

Alternatives to the R4 are

The RM4 comes out of the flagship Monster series of Rogue. With this rack, you can choose the color and height of your purchase and have access to Monster accessory series. This is definitely the better option if you work with a client and want to keep adding to your rack in the future. The downside is the price.

The R6 is the big brother of the R4 in the Infinity series. This rack combines a full rack with a half rack to provide more space for plates and storage room. With this rack, you will upgrade the footprint from 53x53 to 53x80.

The R3 is the half rack version of the Infinity series. This might be a good choice for you if you want to save space and money. Especially if you are a smaller athlete this might be a really viable option as you don't need as much space around you.

Overview and review of the X3 half rack

The TITAN X3 half rack will put you back about $550. 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 under $500”

Overview of the X3 half rack

The X3 half-rack gives you the safety of a power rack while optimizing for floor space. You can even store your plates on it if you want to. The 3x3 steel tubes of this rack also provide Westside hole spacing which allows for smaller increments on your bench press setup. If this is the rack for you it comes with the following features and specs:

3" x 3" 11 gauge steel uprights.
Westside hole pattern through bench zone.
2" hole spacing above and below.
1,000 + lbs. capacity.
Pair of UHMW lined X-3 J-Hooks included.
Double-sided gusset plates.
Overall height: 92"
Overall width: 49"
Overall depth: 48"
Product Weight: 250 LB
Finish: Black Powder Coating
Floor Space: 16.3 sq ft (49" x 48")
Rack depth: 17"
Front upright height: 92"
Rear upright height: 72"

This is a great option for college dorms or small spaces at home. It can also be used to have high quality in a gym while saving a little in overall floor space for a line of racks.

Pros of the X3 half rack

As with most of the TITAN line up first and furthermost the price for what you are getting. Apart from that, a half rack can be a great space saver whilst still functioning as a full rack. Especially the possibility to store your plates on the second set off uprights might make it superior to a squat stand.

Cons of the X3 half rack

Squatting inside the rack might leave you constrained. Especially if you are very tall and big. Small athletes will have no problems, but if you are the next Eddie Hall or generally like a bit of space to do your exercises, go for a full rack like the T3 instead.

Alternatives to the X3

These are other options for the X3 half-rack:

If you already have a bench or just don’t need one you can invest just a little extra and get a colored rack.

Another way to go is to save on the color to have more budget for different size options on the T3 and maybe even adding some plate holders. The T3 is available in a short and tall version to adjust the height. For depth, you can choose between 24” and 36”.

If you want to stay within budget but start your gym with 3x3 tubing you can go for the X3 squat stand. This is a good option for big and/or experienced lifters who prefer the freedom and flexibility of a squat stand, yet still, move big weights. I recommend that you have enough space and experience on how to drop weights from a squat position if you opt for a squat stand. Spotter arms are nice with a stand but usually useless. You either miss them on a hardcore drop or the entire unit comes down because you didn’t bolt it to the ground.

The T3 folding rack saves you about $200 on the T3 and can be installed in your garage. If you only train on the weekends or two days a week, this is a good option so that you can still use the garage or basement for your car/ miscellaneous rubbish you think is important ( I have that stuff in my attic). The savings can be put towards a barbell like the blues city or Atlas bar.

Summary for the X3 Half rack

If you are ok with squatting outside the rack and still want 3x3 uprights and are storage this is a great option for you. If you have Eddie Hall’s size, stay away from this as you will constantly bang off the uprights of you are squatting inside your rack. This injury risk is not worth the savings compared to a T3.