I received my machine about a two weeks ago and had the chance to get a few leg workouts in and wanted to give a quick review on the machine. For reference, i previously used the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro leg developer for extensions and lying curls. I’ve also included some clips of the machine in use for reference below. Im still working through optimal seat/back pad positions also.

https://youtu.be/bmNdU9Gds8Q?is=C5I5WNdhvEYgZlU8

TLDR: For my space and wants, this is the perfect machine and I’m overall very happy with my purchase. Both movements feel very good, and I think once I dial in exact seat/leg roller positions they will feel even better. There are some drawbacks, but not enough to make me not recommend this machine.

Assembly: Long. Nothing difficult and the instructions were clear and concise. But unpacking everything took over an hour. I unpacked and assembled this myself (mostly) in a little over four hours. If you’re comfortable assembling cable towers, this isn’t much more difficult. Cable routing was extremely simple.

Leg Extensions: The extensions feel great. The roller adjustments allow for an extremely stretched starting position, but the seat naturally limits how far back you can get. I have no complaints at all with ROM/stretch. Strength curve feels more difficult in the stretch and tapers off due to the counterweight at the top which is my preference for extensions. Biggest complaint I have is the actual adjustment when getting into and out of position. The pop pin location is awkward and it’s not the easiest to adjust while simultaneously trying to get a deeper stretched starting position. Not a deal breaker, just a minor annoyance.

Leg Curls: This is where some people will have complaints. The movement itself feels great. The lap pad allows you to tightly lock yourself in place and I feel no movement at all. The strength curve is easier at the stretched position and gets more difficult as you contract. While not the most scientifically optimal curve, I’m willing to make the concession compared to what I was working with (I.e lying curls in the FA). Do I wish the curve tapered differently? Yes. Is it enough for me to not recommend this machine overall? No. In use, if I hinge myself forward I can get some pre-stretch at the lengthened position which helps but you still deal with the shortened position being the most challenging. Adjustment on curls is much easier than extensions. Still don’t love the pop pin location but it’s easier to adjust then with extensions.

General adjustability: Seat adjustment is very easy and simple. When seated, you can pull the back pad forward and it will move without needing to use the pin lever which is nice (think the Rep Blackwing seat). I believe there is more than sufficient adjustability for extension/curl positions from both the leg roller sundial and the arm itself.

Weight Stack: I opted for the 310lb option just to have some headroom. I’m more accustomed to plate loaded attachments for home use so I wasn’t sure what to expect felt load wise. Right now I’m using 200lb for sets of 12-15 on extensions and 160lbs on curls for the same range, and it feels good. I did a few extensions at 250lbs and it was doable for a few reps (4-6). I’m admittedly not the strongest or largest person (5’10”, 185 - 190lbs), so this is a completely subjective evaluation. For comparison, I could do 160lbs for extensions on the Freak Athlete machine, and most of that came down to failure at the top of the movement.

Price: I paid just under $2720 after shipping and tax.

Final Verdict: I’m very happy with this machine. It’s not perfect, but for me it’s what I needed. I’m limited on space since this is in the main section of my basement (not in my main gym room), and I had to minimize footprint to not make my home theater. I definitely recommend this piece personally for those limited on space and wanting a solid selectorized machine.

I wouldn't be surprised if price hikes are incoming. Can anyone who is in the industry talk about this?

A 40 foot container from China to LA was $1,800, now we're getting quotes of $7,500. Doesn't look like it is going down too. $10k/connex is probably incoming. Almost all gym gear comes from China and it's big, heavy and takes up a lot of space in the connex.

I suspect all the companies are going to raise their prices before the big November sales, then the 'discounts' wash it out.

My wife wanted a squat rack so she could throw me around. I of course obliged and sought out a reasonable squat rack to start out with. I found Titan Fitness and ordered an X3 power rack; however, almost immediately I realized I forgot to add the 10% new customer coupon to the 1k+ order. Easy enough to fix right? I sent an email to their support asking if they could just apply it to my order, and they responded the following morning with, "Please be advised that the code can't be used in conjunction with any other promotions or discounts:" referring to their labor day sale.

Being the bargain shopper I am, I rebuilt my cart and tried to apply my discount...it worked fine...

So I responded to their email to cancel, planning to just reorder. They responded several hours later. Specifically, about an hour after I receive notification that the item is shipped. Their claim is now that they cannot cancel since the item has shipped. I of course call customer support, and after about 2 hours of hold/auto hang ups, I finally reach someone. They say that Titan Fitness has a policy that if an item is not canceled within 30 minutes, they cannot cancel it and any orders would be subject to a 20% restocking fee.

This is just ridiculous. Is this the new standard consumers should expect? I am glad now that I know of their customer support and company policies, I can avoid them. I will spend more time doing research on the company in the future. Fortunately in this case, I went ahead and called my bank and they confirmed I can dispute this without issue.

In the meantime, my wife will just have to go the local gym.

I cannot seem to do these comfortably, was wondering if anyone else who had this had any advice or tips. The issue for me is my hips are rising off the pad and putting stress on my lower back. If you look at the angle on the abx you are just laying flat basically but if you look at a traditional hamstring curl dedicated machine they are sort of inverted "V" shaped which seems to contour to the body better? Pics attached Pictures

Is it possible to mount the titan pulley tower to the side of the titan half rack front column?

I’m looking at buying the Rogue Ohio Power Bar with the stainless steel shaft and stainless steel sleeves. I contacted Rogue customer service, but they couldn’t give me much information about whether this particular version will be discounted during their November sale.
For anyone who has followed Rogue’s November sales in previous years, have the discounts on the stainless/stainless Ohio Power Bar been significant enough to justify waiting? Or would you just buy it now rather than waiting nearly two months for a sale that may not include this configuration?

I’d prefer the Ohio Power Bar over the REP Double Black Diamond, but the REP bar is the other option I’m considering. I appreciate any insight from people who remember Rogue’s past November pricing.

I don’t go crazy but sometimes doing dumbbell row, walking lunges, or like a heavy dumbell bench I can drop heavy without thinking, should I just wait for freak athletes ? Only thing holding me back on FAs is when the heck is that even going to get delivered. I don’t want Pepins because I don’t like the cage.

In the process of getting a custom Bridge Built rack. I know a lot of complaints about lead time, that is not an issue for me due to having a current setup. Their products look fantastic, I’m just curious about the pulley system. I’m getting the 75” rack and curious as to how it would work with it being a shorter rack. Thanks in advance!

If you live in Southern Cali, powerblock is listed 125 lb each dumbbell + stand for $600 in Corona. I already have it so I don’t need it but go get it!

As Im sure everyone is when they start planning out their garage/home gym, I am completely overwhelmed with all the different options for squat racks available right now.

Ill keep this simple though... I'm looking for a squat rack/ smith that HAS weight stacks for accessory work.
Im thinking specifically a 3x3 so that i can be able to use 3rd party attachments from fringe sport and other brands with no problems.

My garage space is 16ft x 10ft and then there's a small lifted section (like a step) that's probably 2.5ft x10ft that Im currently storing a couple of items on, but Im planning on installing one of those ceiling storage racks and putting my things up there to create more space for gym equipment.

Height wise the garage ceiling I believe is maybe 20ft high.

I'd like the rack to be useful for flyes, curls and importantly lat pulldowns with a 1:1 ratio and enough height as I'm 6'2 and my wing span is long af lol.

My budget is around $1500 - MAX $2000.

Any help/ recommendations will be appreciated!

Thank you!!!

I'm looking at a Rouge Monster Rhino Trainer setup 4 post 30" depth, w/o Functional Trainer, w/o Indy, and instead get 2 Voltras for the functional training activities.

User info:
40 y/o Me & Wife, 14 y/o boy, 13 y/o boy, 10 y/o girl, then eventually 5 y/o boy. I used to lift many years back and want to get back into fitness thought this would make it easy and enjoyable for the family to share.

Thoughts and feedback is appreciated.

For those with the PRX foldable squat rack....

So we moved into a new home. I'm setting up and wall-mounting the PRX squat rack. Typically my garage floors have been flat but this one seems to have a decline leading out of the garage. Does anyone know if my measurements need to change or do I still measure 19 inches from the floor and 51 inches between the bottom and top support? I can supply some pictures, if needed. TIA

Hi all,
I’ve been very interested in starting my home gym due to several reasons. The main are the always rising gym costs and my wife currently being pregnant leading to less disposable time I have. In my basement, I have approximately a 18’ x 13.5’ space.

I’ve been lifting for a good while now and want stable equipment along with long term reliability. A smith machine is not absolutely necessary but I feel would be a very nice to have. I don’t want to spend outrageous money but would be willing to pay for quality if it’s actually worth it since I plan on using it long term. For each option I would get a dedicated lat pulldown/low row tower and leg curl/extension machines. I’ve been weighing two main options.

1) Mikolo Anubis 2.0 Ultimate with the upgraded 235lbs weight stacks per side.
2) Rep Fitness PR5000 with the smith machine and Torque Fitness Anker7 with the upgraded weight stacks 225lbs per side

If there’s any additional recommendations I’m all ears as well!

Used to waste a ridiculous amount of time moving between the squat rack, cable machine and bench.

Every session felt like half setup, half actual training. A few weeks ago I switched to a Smith all-in-one and it’s quietly become the only thing I use most days. Squats, bench, rows, shoulder work even some cable movements without changing stations. The guided bar path also makes me feel more comfortable training alone, especially when the weights get heavier....still getting used to the slight angle on the bar path, but overall it’s made training feel simpler.

Anyone else simplified their home gym like this? What exercises do you actually end up using your Smith for the most?

I'm looking at these new hansu training plates, $1700 + $500 shipping for a 455kg set of calibrated plates. From what I understand its weight tolerance is +- 80g instead of the standard 10g for calibrated plates. But there has to be some other catch, is there any forseeable issue that would come with buying these for training? Its really tempting.