Total Gym XLS vs TITAN X3 home gym
This is a comparison between the Total Gym XLS and the TITAN X3 home gym. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the X3 Titan Tough Home Gym $978 - $5445
The X3 Titan home gym will put you back about $1000 - $5500. 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”.
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Overview of the X3 home gym
The
X3 Titan rack builds the center of this home gym configurator. From there you can choose several different configurations to fit your home gym to your needs without having to click everything together all over the TITAN website.
The X3 has the same 3x3 uprights as the flagship Titan power rack but comes without the laser cut home numbers and big bolts. It is still a considerable piece of metal which will take a lot of abuse.
The X3 comes in various depths and heights. Here are some example configurations:
Base Specifications:
- Overall Height: 80" or 90" (Short or Tall)
- Outside Width: 48"
- Inside Width: 42"
- Weight Capacity: 1,650 LB
24" Depth Specifications:
- Inside Depth: 24"
- Footprint: 52" x 34"
- Weight: 299 LB or 325 LB (Short or Tall)
36" Depth Specifications:
- Inside Depth: 36"
- Footprint: 52" x 46"
- Weight: 323 LB or 349 LB (Short or Tall)
While this is the base rack for your home gym you can configure the following options with it. Depending on your needs and space you can get very tailored with the
X3 home gym.
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X-3 Series Flat Foot Short Power Rack
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X-3 Series Flat Foot TallPower Rack
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X-3 Y Dip Bar
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Mounted Wall Ball Target for T-3
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Landmine Rack Attachment
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5' Olympic Weightlifting Technique Bar
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The flat foot version of the
X3 power rack enables you to put the rack up without having to bolt it to the floor. This is a good option when you don’t want to wreck the floor in your own home. You can get the flat feet for the short or tall version of the
X3.
If you want your home gym to be a
leg press as well you can use this attachment to be able to also use it as a
leg press machine.
Leg presses can be advantageous when you either want to isolate the legs only and want to go very heavy or when you don’t particularly like the barbell back squat. It can also be used when you have a shoulder or lower back injury.
The
rack-mounted H PND is a back extension machine that can be directly attached to the
TITAN rack. This is usually a good tool for seasoned athletes to take care of their lower backs and younger athletes to train the lower back area which otherwise can easily be overlooked.
If you also want to do dips at your station you can add the Y dip bar. Be aware that the upright you attach it on will be blocked for squats, bench presses or other exercises where you would like to rack a barbell in one side.
The mounted wall ball target can be used for your wall balls and conditioning. Especially helpful when there is no wall nearby to do the exercise or you are not allowed to bounce medicine balls of the walls.
A Landmine rack attachment widens the available exercises you can do with a barbell. You can do T bar rows and rotation exercises with the barbell to train your core.
The
blues city and
bombshell barbells are Titans cerakote bars. Cerakote coating is a special way of treating metal so that designs can be applied. It is also less like to corrode and was originally developed in the weapons industry. The only downside is that it is more likely to scratch when it touches metal. So if you do a lot of work of the pins instead of the j cups maybe get another coating.
The
86” bar is a no-nonsense bar for 1500 lbs load. It comes with a tensile strength of 190.000. The material is steel with a chrome finish.
An Olympic technique bar might be of interest to you if you have many beginners in your gym or children at home. This is a lighter barbell to focus on technique and explosiveness for the Olympic lifts. For advanced athletes technique plates with a normal barbell are usually preferred.
The
atlas bar is the bread and butter barbell from Titan. A solid 20kg barbell for all purposes.
Pros of the X3 home gym
With this home gym, you get 3x3 uprights for a very reasonable price compared to other options in the market. Compared to the flagship
TITAN rack you also have some other attachment options like wall balls and landmines. If you a bit more into CrossFit or Powerlifting, you might have more options for attachments with the smaller bolts used on
the X3. The flat foot option also enables you to have a home gym without having to drill holes in the ground, even though most rack owners say it isn’t really needed. Still, every vendor recommends it for safety reasons.
Cons of the X3 home gym
Compared to the TITAN flagship power rack you will not be able to use the lever arms. If you are into bodybuilding specifically, this might be a downside for you. A full rack might also be to be for some. In very small spaces you might want to opt for a half-rack instead.
Alternatives to the X3 home gym
If you want to take it slow or already have quite some equipment at home you can get the
Titan series power rack by itself. This lowers the cost and puts you at a lower risk to overspend because you are getting excited. If you purchase your equipment in drips and draps you will end up sinking more dollars into shipping costs.
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 of the X3 home gym
The
X3 home gym is a good value for money option from TITAN. You get a product that has been around for longer than the TITAN power rack and still has the 3x3 uprights. If you are ok with not always getting the biggest and best this is a reasonable alternative which still ticks most of the boxes.
Titan is raising the bar on the garage gym without raising the price. Set your own gym rules with the Titan Tough garage gym package.
Overview and review of the Total Gym XLS
This is an overview of the Total gym XLS and alternatives. This article has been originally published under "Which total gym to get". Follow the links for more details.
Total Gym XLS $799 - $2000
The
total gym XLS is my recommendation for home use when you get a
total gym. You can stay under $1000 and have a full gym at home. Especially older beginners can consider this option as it can be stored away, does not challenge the lower body too much and still keeps you fit. The specifics are:
- FREE streaming workouts
- 6 Levels of Resistance
- Over 80 Exercises on One Home Gym
- 400lb User Weight Capacity
- Arrives Fully Assembled
- Lifetime Warranty on Frame, 6-Month Warranty on Parts
This will cover you for a long time to work out at home and improve your fitness to be healthy.
Pros of the total gym XLS
The pro of the
Total Gym XLS is the price point. This is the best value for money options from the total gym you can get for a home user. You only lose little on the exercises compared to the
Total gym Fit while saving about $700.
Cons of the total gym XLS
The
total gym XLS has a very low warranty on parts. You will also get fewer increments in resistance compared to the
total gym fit. If you are a heavy user or expect to train a lot to get stronger you might be better off with the
Total gym fit.
Alternatives of the total gym XLS
The
Rogue Echo bike will be a good alternative if you want to save space and focus on cardio. compared to the
total gym you will give up the option of doing any pulley exercises.
The dealt CrossFit package will give a starter set for CrossFit with a few things to be desired. You will get
bumper plates, a bar, rings, and a medicine ball. You might want to add some
kettlebells for more variety.
A
Y2 yoke is a great option if you want to build a home gym quick and easy without having to bolt anything to the ground. You will not have the safety options of a rack or squat stand and trade-off for plate storage and extra exercise options as you can use the Yoke for yoke carries and sled exercises.