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Plate Loadable Lat Tower V2 from Titan
For home gyms, this product from Titan is a solid option. Within about the size of a horse stall mat, you can add a commercial gym favorite at a budget price to your setup. More details below:
- The overall value of this unit is extremely high. At $409.99 + Free Shipping, it is a portion of the price of many “stack weight” options, including Titan’s 300 lb set, which costs $1,299.
- It’s stable, and there is no wobble or shifts when performing standard lifts. If you want to do something like curls or upright rows, you will need to bolt it to the ground or weigh it down with weights.
- Some other specs include a depth of 56.5 inches, a width of 4 feet, loadable sleeve lengths of 13 inches, and a weight capacity of 400 lbs. As previously mentioned, it takes up about the size of one horse stall mat.
- The seat is not huge, and the padding for your knees is pretty minimal, but it’s still relatively comfortable to use.
- The finish is smooth, and the welds are done nicely.
- There is a 1:1 weight ratio, which means that if you have 100 pounds loaded up, you are actually lifting 100 pounds, unlike some other pulley machines with 2:1 or 4:1 weight ratios. Cable movement is smooth.
- A basic lat bar and low row handle are included. They’ll get the job done, but you may want to upgrade.
- The setup process will take about an hour or a little more and is pretty self-explanatory.
- Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that there are 25 reviews on the Titan website for this product. All 25 include a 5-star rating.
A BikeErg + Peloton Alternative
The Diamondback 1260sc Rear Wheel Studio Cycle is a workhorse. It’s beefy, extremely smooth, versatile in size, and is ANT+ and BLE FTMS compatible so it’ll connect to many apps and other wearable technology like Zwift, Strava, Garmin, and even Peloton. You’ll need to use your own phone, iPad, etc because there is not additional screen.
More details include:
- It’s easy to move within the same room, but it’s pretty heavy weighing in at 130 lbs, which is nearly double the size of the BikeErg. The 1260sc feels like a commercial-grade bike.
- Can go in either the garage or a room in the house.
- The base is very stable. There is no worry of this wobbling even during the most intense sessions.
- It’s priced in between the BikeErg and Peloton, but there are no monthly dues with the exception to the app you pick.
- The 1260sc rotates extremely smoothly and it’s easy to adjust resistance. In addition, there are 16 resistance levels ending with a level that feels like you are riding through quicksand.
- This has the stability to be used during a HIIT or CrossFit style workout or long ride.
Hot or Not Results
Last week’s results were highlighted by some interesting matchups. These include:
- The Rogue Adjustable Bench 2.0 NARROWLY beat out the Rep AB-5200 for the #1 spot.
- The Rogue Echo Bike beat out its rival (Assault Bike) by 17%.
- The Monster Cave from Rogue took out the Apex Rack from Sorinex
Results for last week are below and you can find ALL 2021 rankings here. Do we have a new #1?
| Rank | Item | Hot🔥 | Not🥶 | % 🔥 |
| 1 | Rogue Adjustable Bench 2.0 | 9,266 | 924 | 90.93% |
| 2 | Rep AB-5200 | 9,125 | 1,008 | 90.05% |
| 3 | Rogue Echo Bike | 8,935 | 1,517 | 85.49% |
| 4 | The Monster Cave from Rogue | 9,044 | 1,549 | 85.38% |
| 5 | Savage Series F-2 Power Rack from Fray | 8,508 | 1,607 | 84.11% |
| 6 | Apex Rack from Sorinex | 8,278 | 2,087 | 79.86% |
| 7 | Assault Bike | 6,971 | 3,261 | 68.13% |
| 8 | Rugged Deep Dish Plates | 6,480 | 3,486 | 65.02% |
| 9 | Onnit Primal Kettlebells | 6,446 | 4,332 | 59.81% |
| 10 | Rex Series Economy Iso Arms | 4,790 | 4,055 | 54.15% |
| 11 | Seated Leg Curl / Extension Machine from Titan | 5,014 | 5,170 | 49.23% |
| 12 | Force USA G20 | 4,211 | 6,068 | 40.97% |
| 13 | Lying Prone Leg Curl Machine from Titan | 3,624 | 6,051 | 37.46% |
Simple Green to Clean Gym Floor
It’s been a long winter for many of us, and it’s almost time to do some spring cleaning. That starts with the flooring. Cars, feet, and pets running through your garage will take its toll.
So, “What’s the best way to clean my floor?” Simple Green is a common recommendation from those with horse stall mats. This all-purpose cleaner does a nice job removing dirt and will leave your floors feeling fresh. There’s not much more to it than that.
Benefits and Drawbacks to a Mirror in a Home Gym
Benefits include that space appears larger, you can check form, it doubles as a whiteboard, and can be a motivational factor during workouts.
Drawbacks include they are fragile, it may take some getting used to, and eats up precious wall space.
Read more in this article, which also includes some tips to purchase.
Sunday Survey Highlights for 2/28/2021
- Not many know a ton of others with “serious garage gyms.”
- 62% believe that Rogue will be the most popular equipment supplier for home strength equipment in 5 years. Amazon/Walmart came in a distant second with 19% of the votes.
- Wind Guards for a fan bike is basically a toss-up among voters
- The interest for a plate loadable lat tower is pretty high for a specialized piece of equipment. It’s a bit lower than the stack weight option asked about a few weeks ago.
- The functional trainer seems to be the most popular large piece of specialty equipment for home gyms.
View this survey along with all others from this year here.
That’s it. Thanks for reading. Please reach out if you have any questions about the topics covered or suggestions going forward!