The
RM-3W completes the setup of foldable Rogue racks bringing it to the monster series. The most distinguishable part of this foldable rack is the 3x3" 11-Gauge steel uprights. This is combined with the excellent finish of Rogue racks, laser-cut hole numbers on the uprights and a unique hinge and pin system. The
RM-3W comes in at a base price of $760. The specifications of the rack are:
With this rack, you will not have any problems once it is locked in place. If you want to do kipping pull-ups at home or move a lot of weight and still want a foldable rack, this is a good choice. It will also be less likely to warp and budge than the smaller brothers and sisters out of the Rogue foldable line-up.
Another big advantage is the laser cut numbers which help you to find your setups for a decline, incline bench press or rack pulls. This is a great convenience in everyday training at home.
While I am a huge fan of the Monster series and would always buy a Monster rack of a monster lite rack, this logic does not really apply for a foldable rack. With a foldable rack, you have already accepted to not bolt to the ground or hang too many attachments from the structure as you still will want to fold it. This makes the argument for buying the Monster version based on thicker uprights obsolete in my opinion. Based on this I think the monster lite version of the Foldable rogue rack is a better option as it is cheaper. Rogue also has recently announced laser cut numbers for the monster lite series which was not available in the past. With this, I think you are better off going for the lower price foldable racks from Rogue.
Overview and review of the FL2
The
FL-2 Monster Lever arms come in at $715 and is the cheaper version of the LT 1 lever arms. The arms are fixed in place with a wrench. With them, you can simulate most of the machines you find in a regular commercial gym with your rack. The
FL 2 are only compatible with the Monster line of Rogue. The specifications of the
FL 2 are:
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Designed and Manufactured in the USA
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Compatible ONLY with Rogue Monster Series Rigs and Racks (UNIT MUST BE BOLTED TO FLOOR)
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Space-efficient Bolt-On design
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Arms: 3x3" 11-Gauge Steel Arms with laser-cut holes, MG Black finish
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Arm Length Options: Short (35”) or Standard (48”)
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Mounting Brackets: 3/8" Thick Steel Mounting Brackets with pin and bushing design, MG Black finish
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Handles: choice of Standard or Articulating
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Weight Posts: 11.625" loadable length
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Safety: Arms are capped at the ends and feature rubber bumpers along the edges to protect both the user and the rack/rig. UHMW Plastic further prevents damage to uprights.
This is one Of the best and most versatile attachments you can get for the rack.
Pros of the FL-2
The pros of the
FL-2 are:
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Versatility
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Price
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Stability
The
FL-2 is versatile which will turn your rack into a full home gym with push and pull machines. Compared to getting all of the machines you can simulate the
FL-2 is a steal. It is well crafted and stable and worth the money. However, I still think that if you have the no way you might as well go for the LT-1.
Cons of the FL-2
The cons of the
FL-2 are:
-
Hard to adjust
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Price
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Only monster compatible
If you want to get the
FL-2 you also have to get or already own a rogue Monster rack. These do not come cheap even though I think they are worth the money. The
FL-2 can not be adjusted on the fly like the LT-1. The price is still steep as you can get an entire rack for the price of the
FL-2 if the look in the Infinity or Echo range.
Alternatives to the FL-2
Alternatives to the
FL-2 are:
The
LT-1 is the same idea as the
FL-2 but easier to adjust. I personally think that it worth the $200 if you are considering the functionality of the
FL-2 already.
The
monster slinger comes in at $300 and adds pulley exercises to your rogue rack. If you prefer the flexibility of pulleys and want to save some money the
slinger is a good alternative to the
FL-2.
As a comparison of what you are spending on the
FL-2 you can look at the
RM-3W. For roughly the same price you get the top of the line foldable rack from Rogue.
Summary for the FL-2
The
FL-2 is a great tool if you want people not to mess too much with the setup. For a home gym, the
LT-1 is a better option. If you already think about this upgrade make the $200 jump and do it properly unless you buy in bulk.
Overview and review of the duffalo bar
The duffalo barbell has been designed by renowned strength coach and powerlifter Chris Duffin. The single idea was too reduce strain for lifters on their shoulders and back for the squat and bench press by forcing the into better movement patterns. The duffalo is the best of this kind of barbell currently on the market and Rogue attests to that by not copying the original design but rather letting the manufacturer seeking it on their online shop. The specifications of the duffalo bar are:
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Diameter: 32mm
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Overall Length: 96”
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Heat Treated and Cold Worked Alloy Steel – 195,000 KSI Tensile Strength
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Unloaded Bar Weight: 55 LBS
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Load Capacity: 1,500 LBS
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Three Options: Clear Zinc, Black Oxide, Bright Nickel
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Attachment point included for optional Band & Chain Handle Attachment*
Pros of the duffalo bar
Kabuki strength is a real American dream come true. This is a well-executed piece of engineering that gets the highest marks in most reviews. It has been designed by a pro for pros to protect them from injury and bring up their exercise volume. If you are serious about strength, look into this bar.
Cons of the duffalo bar
The price of the Duffalo bar is relatively high for a specialty barbell. It ranges in the realms of Eleiko and the top-line Rogue barbells. It is a good use piece of equipment but has fewer uses than these options in the gym.
The high specialization makes it almost exclusively interesting to powerlifters and strongman. It is definitely not the first buy for your home gym. Members of commercial gyms might even feel a little intimidated by this massive piece of steel.
Keep in mind that this bar will help to build volume in your training while doing less damage to yo ur body. You will still need to practice on a straight bar in your cycle to perform on stage.
Alternatives to the Duffalo bar
The camber bar has no curvage and places the weight for the squat closer to the center of your body. It also has a tendency to make the plates swing. If you want more activation in your squats this is a good bar but it is not for bench pressing like the duffalo bar.
The safety bar is the classic bar to have less strain on the spine for heavy lifting. The Duffalo bar is basically a combination of the ideas of safety and Olympic barbell. Compared to the duffalo bar you will save money. This is the better bar for a commercial gym. As an am I Tinnef home gym owner I would still go for the duffalo bar.
The earthquake bar is partly made of bamboo and okays with the idea of weights which shake uncontrollably when moved. While it can not take as much weight as the other bars and needs bands and kettlebells to function, this can be an interesting squat variation based on lovers of the west side method.
Summary of the duffalo bar
The duffalo bar is a very interesting second purchase of a barbell for very ambitious home gym owners who start to feel the pains of age but still lift very heavy.
Overview and review of the IWF Olympic women bar
The IWF Olympic women barbell is the IWF approved women bar from Rogue. The main differences to the men’s bar are the weight, the diameter and the price of $525. This bar meets the standards to be used by Olympians. I n addition rogue added a design with Cerakote which makes it one of the first barbells with IPF approval which is just not plain steel. The specifications of the bar are:
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Made in Columbus, OH, USA with US and EU Steel
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Women’s Bearing Bar (International Weightlifting Federation standards)
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Bar Weight: 15KG
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Shaft Diameter: 25MM
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215,000 PSI Tensile Strength EU Steel
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Olympic Knurl Marks (no center knurl)
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Bar Length: 79.14"
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Distance Between Sleeves: 51.50"
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Loadable Sleeve Length: 12.50"
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Black Cerakote Color Finish w/ Chrome Sleeves
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Official IWF branding on center of shaft and endcaps
If you always wanted some an Olympic barbell with some extra design this one is for you.
Pros of the Cerakote IWF women bar
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IWF approval
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Price
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Design
The Cerakote women bar is one of the few bars of Rogue which Cary the prestigious IWF approval. This means that it is build to the highest demands which live up to the bar being used by Olympians. The IWF has the strongest demands on sticking to their specifications with a minimum margin for error to keep competitions fair and comparable. Compared to Eleiko bars the Rogue bar is comparatively cheap to achieve the same goal.
Cons of the IWF Cerakote bar
-
Cerakote coating
-
Cost
-
Design
The Cerakote coating is not an ideal combination with steel plates. These bars also do not will with metal rack pins. Cerakote tends to scratch a lot faster than stainless steel on metal to metal contacts.
The cost of the Cerakote IWF women bar is considerable when you combine it to the lower Rogue ranges. If you are looking for an all-purpose bar for your home gym or CrossFit bis you can get more bars for the same money.
If you don’t look at this design it works against rather than for this bar. In commercial settings, you might also want to keel the colors and the design more neutral based on the clientele you would like to attract.
Alternatives to the IWF Cerakote bar
The Rogue Ohio bar is the workhorse option from Rogue. This is the all-purpose bar from where the entire Rogue production line started. A solid bet at a reasonable price.
The Rogue Pyrros bar has been finalized by Rogue and the finest Olympic weightlifter of all time to produce the finest Olympic weightlifting bar there is. If you want the household name of the Greek lifting god in your home or gym, this is the bar to go for.
The Rogue Thor bar is another option for someone who wants more than a plain design but leans more towards powerlifting. The Thor bar sleeves are longer and can there fit more plates.
Summary for the IWF Cerakote barbell
If you like the design over stainless steel for an IWF approved barbell this is the way to go. If you are looking for a CrossFit bar save yourself $200 and get the Rogue Ohio barbell.
Overview and review of the squat bar
The
Rogue squat bar is a special design that focuses on squatting at $445. The main differences to regular bars are
This makes it a bar that is aimed at big, heavy squatters. It could also be interesting for some deadlift experiments as the elephant bar from the Arnold has not gone into mass production yet. The specifications of the bar are:
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Made in the USA
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Weight: 25 KG
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Diameter: 32mm
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Stainless Steel Shaft - 200,000 PSI
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Aggressive Knurl Pattern along full length of shaft + powerlifting and center knurl marks
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Bar Length: 94.488
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Distance Between Sleeves: 56"
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Loadable Sleeve Length: 16.795"
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Chrome Sleeves
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Bronze Bushings
Pros of the squat bar
The pros of the
squat bar compared to other bars are in the name. The design features are inbuilt to maximize big squats.
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Longer sleeves
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Longer shaft
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Full knurling
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32mm
Longer sleeves will enable you to put more weight on the bar with rubber or
steel plates. If you see Ray Williams squatting you can get an idea of why he might run out of space on the sleeves.
32mm stainless steel will keep the whip at bay. While you want whip in an Olympic barbell to make use of momentum to get the bar overhead, it is not a desirable feature in a
squat bar. You want to minimize 1000 pounds taking a life on their own on your back.
The full knurling will provide more grip to your back. There are other bars out there with center knurls which does almost the same thing for you.
The longer shaft will make it less like for you to bump into the rack when oh are walking out very heavy weights. Depending on your setup this can be annoying. I injured myself twice because of twisting my upper body when walking out of a setup and touching off the j cups.
Cons of the squat bar
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No IPF / IWF approval
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Space requirements
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Limited use
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Price
If you are considering the
squat bar because you want to break records, keep in mind that it is not approved for the IPF or IWF. You will still earn respect for posting the first 500kg raw squat, which this bar is basically built for, but it won’t count in these federations.
If you are setting up your home gym in a very crammed place, keep in mind that this bar will protrude even further to the sides. If you have already cut it very thing with the distance of your bar to the wall or another rack, the
squat bar might just push it over the edge.
The
squat bar is mainly limited to squats. As it has bushing and knurling all across the bar it might not be the best option for Olympic lifts, the bench press, and deadlifts.
For the price you are looking at you can get more versatile barbells for your home gym with a cooler design. If you are setting up your home gym the
squat bar might not be the go-to option.
Alternatives to the squat bar
The
Rogue Chan bar is a good alternative for mere mortals who don’t squat 400kg. It is cheaper than the
squat bar, has a poppier design and can also be used for Oly lifts. If I was to spend $400 on a starter barbell for my home gym it would be this one.
The
duffalo bar is an interesting bar for people who squat 800 pounds plus on a regular basis. This bar has been invented at Kabuki strength which is headed by Chris Duffin. The design is aimed at relieving stress on the shoulder while bench pressing and squatting. This is a very interesting second bar to buy instead of the squat bar, even though it costs $200 more.
Summary for the squat bar
The
squat bar is a great bar for someone who actually needs it. This would be people who squat more than 300kg on a regular basis. There are not that many of them around. I personally think for a second barbell in your home gym you are better off going with safety or
duffalo bar. For a commercial
Overview and review Monster Slinger
The
Rogue slinger is an attachment to turn your existing rogue into a
lat pulldown and ranges from $225 to $290 depending on which version you are getting. The
slinger can be used with a resistance band or plate loaded option. This is an item where you have to pay special attention to the details to get the right fit. The specifications are:
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(2) Slinger Mounting Plates
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(2) 6" Cable Pulleys
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(1) 1/4" MIL Spec Cable with Rogue made hardware
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(1) Slinger Extension Strap - for 100” and 108” units
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(1) Slinger Band Sheath - 1000D Cordura
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(2) Carabiners
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(2) Black Zinc 1" Monster Bolt Assemblies
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(2) Rubber Grommets for protecting the cable
This is a cost-efficient solution for a
lat pulldown which is not completely makeshift. Rogue was smart by marketing its pulley system as a separate product while they are working on a bigger range of machines with a reflex for commercial gyms. Keep in mind that this is not as tidy a solution as a proper
lat pull and will have some downsides when you use it.
Pros of the Rogue Slinger
-
The price
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Space
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The value for money
The
Rogue slingers price and space requirements are superior to a full
lat pull machine which is ten times the cost. If you already have a rogue rack, the
slinger is an easy addition to add pulley work to your exercise regimen without breaking the bank or a wall in your home gym.
Cons of the Rogue Slinger
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Limited weight options
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Storage when not used
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Exposed mechanics
The
Rogue slinger is better than bands for resistance, but will not beat a traditional weight stack in terms of ease of use and amount of resistance provided.
The
slinger can be annoying when you are not using it. Rogue did not think about where the cables while going when you are not using the
slinger. A cheaper pulley system will be easier to remove and get out of the way fast, but also be less stable when used. Rogue has the
Spud Inc. pulley system in its shop which would fit that bill.
Alternatives to the slinger
The
Rogue lat pull-down will put you back around $2000. With this, you get a full stand-alone
lat pull and rowing machine including the weights. The
Rogue lat pull is available as an attachment to Rogue Monster racks or stand-alone. The weight stacks and mechanics are quite exposed, but storing nothing will get in the way. Compared to the
slinger it is a lot more space and money to be invested for faster and more convenient training at higher resistance.
The
Rogue LP2 is the next generation of
Rogue lat pull machines which combines the pulley from the
slinger with the components from the
lat pull down from Rogue. This machine will put you back around $3000 and will be the right choice for a commercial setting as it exposes the weight stacks and mechanics less compared to the lat pull. For any home gym, you would be overshooting the target in my opinion with this machine.
The
spud inc pulley system is a little cheaper than the
slinger. It is easier to install and remove from the rack than the
slinger but therefore also less stable. The
spud inc is the right choice of you want o transport your lat pull often or get it out if the way faster. In return, you will not go crazy on weights with this one.
Summary of the slinger
The
Rogue slinger is a good solution if you already own a rogue rack. If you do not have space or money for a
lat pull go for the
slinger. Otherwise, invest in a proper
lat pull to be proud and train without annoying cables in your way.
Overview of the Rogue IWF collars
The IWF Rogue collars are the top of the line collars from Rogue which can also be used in IWF competitions. They cost $175. Their weight is 2.5kg each and they come in with a tolerance of 10g. The specifications of the Rogue IWF collars are:
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IWF Approved
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Sold In Pairs
-
Weight: 2.5KG each (5KG total)
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Width: approx 3" (77MM) to 3.625" (92MM)
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Precision CNC milled-steel body
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Investment-cast to maximize strength and create flawless surface texture
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Advanced Ball-Lever mechanism for firm hold, easy adjustments
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Oversized Pressure Sleeve
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Hard Chrome finish
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Engraved Rogue Logo
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2 Year Warranty
These are collars for the serious athlete who wants to simulate Olympic weightlifting competition surroundings n their training at home or in the gym.
Pros of the Rogue IWF collars
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Precision weight
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Close grip
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Durability
The collars are designed to keep plates firmly in place even if you drop very heavy weights from overhead. With their precision manufacturing, they also live up to the standards of the IWF for Olympic weightlifting competitions that allow very low tolerance on a variation on weight by the manufacturer. Both of these attributes make these collars a very durable option.
Cons of the Rogue IWF collars are
With $175 per pair, these collars are at the extreme end of the spectrum for collars. For training purposes, you can also use spring or Aluminium collars which cost and weigh less. These are usually easier to get on and off and are easier to handle due to their lower weight.
Alternatives to the IWF collars
Spring collars are the cheapest option you can get in the market. They are easy to get on and off and are sold at $9.75. Their downside is that they can scratch your barbell more than other options.
OSO and Aluminum collars are light and come in various designs. They are also easy to get on and off the bar without scratching it. Their downside is that they make it more likely for the plates to move on continuous drops.
Summary of the IWF collars
First choice for anyone who is serious about competing in Olympic weightlifting. For others, these collars are overkill in handling and price.
Overview and review of the Rogue fleck plate
The Rogue Feck plates are the newest edition to the line up of Rogue plates and range from $50 for a pair of 10LB plates to $625 for a 350LB set. This puts the price to $0.56 per pound. The distinguishing factors of the fleck plate are its claimed precision in weight and the fleck design. With this, these bumper plates add some color to your gym without breaking the bank as competition bumper plates would do. The specs of these plates are:
Plate Breakdown: Weight, Color & Width
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10LB - Black & Grey, 0.85”
-
15LB - Black & White, 1.2”
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25LB - Black & Green, 1.6”
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35LB - Black & Yellow, 2.08”
-
45LB - Black & Blue, 2.76”
-
55LB - Black & Red, 3.02”
Specifications:
-
Diameter: 450mm (+/- 3mm) / 17.72 inches
-
Collar Opening: 50.40mm / 1.98 inches
-
304 Stainless Steel Inserts
-
Weight Tolerance: +/- 1% claimed weight
-
Durometer: 90
-
Minimal Bounce
-
Black + Color Fleck Finish
-
Imported from Chin
This is a good option if you want some color, but not spend too much money on your bumper plates.
Pros of the fleck plate
-
Unique design
-
Value for money
-
Bumper
The design of the fleck plates is very unique. As long as you like you will be hard-pressed to find something comparable. I personally like them as a compromise between black bumper plates and colored competition plates.
For the color and precision, you are getting these plates are relatively cheap compared to other rogue plates available. If you insist to see easily from a distance which plates you have, this is the way to go.
As these plates are bumper plates they come with the benefit of being outdoor-friendly. You can also drop them regularly without wrecking your barbell, platform or floor.
Cons of the Fleck bumper plates
-
Sleeve space
-
Precision
-
Made in China
The challenge that all bumper plates have is that they take up more real estate on a bar sleeve than steel plates. If you want to maximize the amount of weight you can put on your barbell, this is not the right set of plates to get.
While these bumper plates claim high precision, I would be inclined to test that first. The reason being is that they are not manufactured by Rogue themselves and do not have inlets for high precision adjustments like calibrated plates. A blanket statement on shipped bumper plates from china with 1% is a tall order with no inlets for micro-adjustments. It won't matter if you buy them for your Crossfit gym or commercial gym, but if you are training for weightlifting or powerlifting competitions stay with the calibrated plates.
While the design and price are very tempting some might not want to support products that are made in China based on principle or legal requirements as a government agency. In this case, you might refer to other Rogue plates.
Alternatives to the Rogue fleck plates
The Rogue Fleck plates are the newest edition to the line up of Rogue plates and range from $50 for a pair of 10LB plates to $625 for a 350LB set. This puts the price to $0.56 per pound. The distinguishing factors of the fleck plate are its claimed precision in weight and the fleck design. With this, these bumper plates add some color to your gym without breaking the bank as competition bumper plates would do. The specs of these plates are:
Summary of the fleck plates
Fleck plates are the right choice if you want colored plates from Rogue at a reasonable price.