Why I dropped TITAN FITNESS, BELLS OF STEEL and GRIFFIN! Garage gym Reviews and home gym content!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 มิ.ย. 2024
- My reasons for no longer promoting Titan Fitness, Bells of Steel and Griffin fitness moving forward. I cover each reason for each company.
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If it wasn't for Titan Fitness, Rep would be even more expensive today. Titan Fitness has a purpose and place in the home gym equipment market. Thank you Titan Fitness
Absolutely and if buying cheap equipment means working out I'm all for it. I couldn't take the constant complaints with their equipment from my followers anytime they had issues. I just don't officially endorse them is all. Most time's to buy REP over Titan isn't much more money but you get a TON more in quality.
Titan has a purpose of ripping customers off - no thanks Titan fitness
@@dc5131 never been ripped off by them.
@@eds7344 cool story bro.
One thing about titan I don’t like is I ordered a couple of items on line spotter arms and a pull up bar attachment for my squat stand but less then 30 minutes later I had to call them personally to cancel order because I found at the last minute that they weren’t going to work (my bad of course) they said they already shipped but that the arrival date was in over a week but they removed my money from my account immediately, and that when I received them I would have to pay out of pocket to return and box must be unopened (with pictures through email) a 20 percent restock fee as well.
I found Bells of Steel to be solid and very affordable... especially here in Canada where Titan doesn't operate.
Rep ships to Canada now and is a MUCH better option. Check them out!🤙🏼
@@MacStrengthCo Rep comes from china just like bells of steel, who knows might even come from same factory.
@@FPShkED Yeah it's ridiculous although right now, it's $565 ($350 for AB-3000 FID Bench, $152 for shipping, $61 tax). Bench of Steel side is $533 ($400 for FID bench, 76$ shipping, $58 tax). Planning on biting the $30 difference but waiting til closer to Black Friday. This is shipping to Western Canada.
@@FPShkED $750 for me to ship a $650 squat rack.. that shipping cost makes Rogue more affordable for me!
@@MacStrengthCo They are not at all a better option. 1/3 of what you pay is shipping when you want to buy a rack.
Love that you share detail and data for all of your videos, including why you choose your affiliates. I may not always have the same decision criteria as you, but because you share your thought process in detail, I always find your videos to be helpful. Thank !
Thanks. I need to do more videos like this.
Good for you! The reason I like this channel is that you seek quality and even during your gym tours, you list pieces you're not using at the time. Keep the channel fun for you, never let become a burden. 💯💯💯
Thanks I appreciate that!
Bells of Steel has been fantastic in every single one of my experiences with them. Rogue was a nightmare to deal with personally.
Happy to hear it and appreciate the feedback. What piece of equipment from them stands out for you as the best?
Agreed rogue makes some pretty good stuff but their customer service people need more training ,from what I can gather online and from Reddit, they have a lot of unhappy employees, I am assuming that is probably the reason why the customer service end of it sux
Unfortunately for me, a while back rogue was the only place to get a certain thing. It was a nightmare dealing with them. The item ended up not coming in because rogue couldn't get their act together with customer support and logistics.
Not to mention I've noticed how badly they treat other people and how bad some of their products are.
Agreed. Rogue has great products but their customer service doesn’t match the quality of their products.
I've ordered all my kettlebells from Rouge, over the past 5yrs, and I've not had a single issue. Good quality product, decent prices too, and I always got my orders in a couple days just using the standard shipping.
Understanding bro! Gotta do what’s best for you! Why you’re a good dude. You’re up front and honest! What we need in this world. Keep doing good things man 💪
Thanks man. This wasn't really a planned video, I just went out and shot it to give back to my followers.
Very respectable stances delivered in a tactful way. Good on you man.
I appreciate that!
Glad to see this video! I took your advice on the American barbell tricep v-bar and I absolutely LOVE IT!
right on!
Appreciate the transparency. Great vid. 👍🏽💪🏽
Always!
This is why you are my favorite. Really admire your honesty and humility.
Thanks!
I definitely recognize and respect that lack of a shill feel on your content Rylan. Keep doing what you're doing...I should probably drop a few affiliations I don't really use as well
I’m still trying to figure out how to use my camera never mind make TH-cam videos. All the best Kurt. 🤙🏼
I have plenty of Bell of Steel products and they’re great. Your reasoning for dropping the affiliation with them was because it felt like a sales pitch? Seems like there may have been something else that happened?
Just not a brand that I got into. Glad your happy with their gear!🤙🏼
Agreed. Bos seems like authentic sales
Respect man, I need to do the same.
Appreciate what you've done for the home gym community Brandon. Having walked a tiny bit in your shoes in this space I respect what you have done even more. cheers, Rylan
You are a man of integrity. That’s why I respect you and will continue to watch your content 👏
Appreciate it. 🤙🏼
Now that you are no longer an affiliate for over a year what do you think of Bells of Steel Buzz-Saw bench? I would get the REP or the Rogue but I need a leg curl/extension attachment. The only other high end bench that has leg attachment is the Ironmaster but I don't like the lack of back support when doing leg curls. I also looked at the Titan dedicated leg curl/extension machine but I really like the full range of motion laying on your chest on the bench for leg curls gives you. Is there any other high end REP priced bench with leg curl/extension attachment you would recommend? Thank you.
I'll never buy anything from BOS again. Titan maybe but BOS just blew it with me when they blatantly pay off their reviewers.
This speaks volumes about your integrity. 👊 I sold most of my Titan equipment as well, replaced it with mostly Rep Fitness. I always enjoy your content!
Appreciate it!
I have Rogue, Rep Fitness, Kabuki, Surplus Strength, Irwin, and The Strength Company in my gym. A Stray Dog change plate storage rack attachment is on its way. Aperture Engineering and Abmat are in the gym too.
Mark you get a gold ⭐️. You managed to avoid Titan!! Those are all great reputable companies right there.
i like this channel, keeps everything real for us common folk. good stuff here fellas
thanks! appreciate that.
Just subbed , Your a straight shooter appreciate your honesty.
Thanks. appreciate it.
My experience with Titan has been overall very good. I've had their Atlas Barbell, standard barbell, post landmine, 1.5 lb change plates, SSB 2.0. X3 short squat stand, X3 roller cups, Monster roller cups, x3 Spotter arms. 9 bar vertical storage. I've replaced/upgraded some stuff during covid.
Still have the 9 bar vertical holder, post landmine, trap bar, SSB, change plates, monster rollers cups. I always read reviews before buying.
I still have a bunch of their stuff and just can’t put my name behind them anymore. That’s it. Cheers!
@@MacStrengthCo how much Rogue paying you?
@@jeremyd2003 loved this channel but it sounds like he finally sold out. Happens to all the channels tho so I don’t blame him. My dude is gotta make a living and I can’t hate him for that.
I have 2 of their X3 wall mounted space saving racks. I used to have the X2 but sold it and got the other 2 instead just because I wanted to free up space. I also have their V3 trap bar, the V2 SSB, plate holders the 9 barbell holder, rack mounted barbell holder, their short lat/row attachment, multigrip pull up bar, safety spotters (2 pairs), roller j cups, strongman log and the leg extension machine. All of those are good quality and priced really well, neither Rep nor Rogue come close in price point. The only Rep I have is the Gladiator MX barbell (got it on sale for $179 it usually goes for $359) flat bench (FB5000) the adjustable bench (AB4100) and their flat j cups, everything else from them is either gimmicky or high priced for the quality (Apollo rack is ridiculously priced and so is the Ares). Rogue is just overpriced completely and all hype and elitist fanboys. Real quality would be Eleiko, now that’s real top of the line that makes Rogue look like it really is: trash.
Good for you on for not selling junk or being a TH-cam "influencer" keep up the good work. Can't wait to get my Irwin roller j cups. Another really good Canadian company that I would like to see reviews on is Oak club. I Like the look of there corporate rack it, and it has true monster hardware.
Yes. Oak makes some really cool stuff. I don't think they need me even promoting it. ha ha. My wallet can only buy so much equipment so I have to pace myself! cheers, Rylan
Holy shit, an honest fitness product reviewer! And one who actually looks like he lifts! Massive respect man.
thats funny! You mean reviewing is just taking
"free" equipment and selling it? cheers!
Cool vid as always.
They definitely have their place on the market for the right type of customers.
Whenever you get seriously into lifting and fitness, you'll definitely aim for the better stuff if you can spend the extra for it. Sometimes though you do pay top dollar for the brand, and the quality is not crazy better/reflecting the crazy price difference...but if I can afford it I'll still buy once and cry once...usually it's stuff that you'll keep forever. Pretty good investment that is pennies for your health/every day workout if you consider it a lifetime thing.
I'm also all about the quality and sturdiness, that said, the only things that I have from Bells of Steel is their ez curl bar and barenaked power bar. These are pretty good buys for sure, for the money it's very hard to beat. I can't talk about the other two as I have had no experiences with them.
Well said. Appreciate it. 🤙🏼
Very admirable and a good choice in my opinion. Keep up the good work!
Was the right thing to do. I’m in this for completely different reasons than most gym pages.
I'm in sales, you are one of the few TH-camrs I trust
Clearly I’m not in sales nor have any background in photography!!😂. Appreciate you.
Good for you for standing by your principles. As someone who is in the market for a lat tower, do you still recommend the Titan Lat Tower? Thanks
Yes I still recommend it. Mine arrived missing the mounting hole to bolt it together. I had to spend 3 hours drilling holes out to assemble it. Once that was out of the way it works great.
@@MacStrengthCo I watched your review on it, very well done. Glad you still recommend the machine. I am trying to decide if the Ares is worth the extra cost compared to the lat tower. I know they are different machines. My heart says Ares but my mind says lat tower. Because of the lack of space this will be my last big machine purchase. I don't have space for a lat tower and FT. Thanks for your work. I am a new subscriber.
@@gvwolf3 to me most of the lat tower stuff can be replicated with pull ups/landmine rows/db rows etc. a functional trainer adds infinite movements.
@@MacStrengthCo interesting perspective. The slight majority of people I have talked to have the opposite opinion. I’ll probably just end up buying Ares 😂
@@gvwolf3 The problem is the cable range of motion on the on the lat pull down is very short. Hard to do accessory movements "properly" on it. The functional trainer has a much longer range of motion and allows for everything. Like you said the ARES does it all.
Respect, brother. Your affiliates represent your brand just as much as you represent theirs.
over time it turned into that. People upset with those brands would message me. Just felt wrong promoting them.
@@MacStrengthCo I get it! Good for you. If it's not a fit, it's not a fit. No ill wishes, just no formal business relationship!
Thanks for the insight! Titan messaged me back when I applied for their program and their response didn't really specify if I was denied for getting product to review or the program itself. I asked for clarification and they never replied. Looks like I dodged a bullet there lol.
They still owe me $80 in commissions! I have no regrets not dealing with Titan anymore. Rest assured the big pages get paid well to sell their stuff.
Is that the reason you chose not to be an affiliate?
Makes sense man. I honestly start to check out once I start to get the sales pitch vibe from these accounts.
Ya I don’t follow nor watch the “big” accounts for that reason. Except B. he told me not to buy a reverse hyper and I still did!😂
@@JoeyAme I’ll leave that open for people to decide on their own.
Good on you, brother. Lead with integrity. I’ve owned a fair amount of BOS stuff and have sold nearly all of it. They have their niche in the market, and I’ve always been treated reasonably well by their customer service, but I think spending a bit more of higher quality products is worth it.
That's how I feel now. BOS just isn't my jam and would rather buy Rogue/REP.. or from a smaller company to get better quality.
I also have a lot of BoS stuff and will eventually move on but probably not for awhile as in Canada, we don't really have much options. It's nice to see REP make inroads to Canada but when you account for shipping, Canadians are paying like 40%-50% more for the equipment that we can pick up from BoS if you live in Calgary or Toronto. And as great as Rep and Rogue are, it's hard to justify paying that much more. We need more options up here with better shipping rates. It's terrible trying to outfit a gym here.
@@yaomeezy Having lived in Canada I feel your pain my friend and REP shipping to Canada along with Rogue gives you some better options but like you said if you live close the BOS warehouse that's a plus. No argument from me on that. cheers!
@@yaomeezy U guys have Oak club, and Irwin Fitness which R on par with Rogue, and r probably a lot better than rep. Maybe even better than Rogue in some ways.
@@dirtdog5045 I looked at Irwin but after shipping, its about a 150% in extra costs just for a rack. Are the racks a lot better? Yeah, but are they more than twice as good as BoS? Ehh, probably not.. So, I ultimately went the route of getting a BoS rack with a lat pull down, SSB and open trap bar for the same overall cost of just a standalone rack.. Then, once you add in accessories for the Irwin rack, you can purchase a functional trainer on top of that to add in the variety into your home training. However, if I was in the US, I could get similar amount of equipment, but from REP which is still a significant upgrade from BoS which is my original point.. I see a lot you guys south of the border outfitting amazing quality gyms for the same price we can outfit ours using mediocre equipment. #jealous lol
I appreciate your approach.
Too many people pushing products on youtube now. I don't do FREE reviews or get paid to sell products. Just review gear I tend to buy. Appreciate the feedback!
Thanks for the heads up I was minutes away from buying a bells of steel utility bar.
I bought wrap plates that are rubber coated last week. I decided to go with their barbell but didn’t know how the whole points thing goes so I called them a couple hours ago. The lady told me that my $20 off worth of points ($480 worth of plates)that I earned does not kick in for another two weeks. I have a budget pretty much of $200 for this barbell and just can’t do Rep at this point because I’m not waiting two weeks.
I'm not against BOS or Titan just had to stop promoting them due to the amount of negative issues people where having. Fair play to BOS I only have their arch nemesis bar but Titan's customer support was dismal at best.
Just minutes ago I just ordered the rep fitness sabre bar in 20 kg in the plain version. I wanted the black phosphate bad but I didn’t think $50 extra was worth it. With a 5% off discount code I found a total was $185.29 after tax and shipping Now I’m gonna spend the next two hours on researching collars. I am leaning towards the lockjaw aluminum with magnet for $55.
Titan has a bad reputation with many and a good reputation with some. Most of my gym is Titan and don’t regret any of my purchases.
Griffin Fitness, is a pretty good company from the inside out. They’re local to Riverside county, and I’ve taken advantage of picking up items at their store even at the height of COVID when they were allowed to do so.
I don’t have anything to say about Bells of Steel, with the exception of the build quality issues with their combo GHD and Reverse Hyper.
Finally, I’ve seen some quality issues come from Rogue during COVID, due to possibly trying to meet demand with just pushing out equipment.
I like your honest review and why you’re no longer an affiliate, it’s always good to hear about someone else’s experience with some of these companies.
Appreciate the support and feedback!!
Even though they aren't popular in this space, I've used pretty much all budget equipment for my home gym. I'd argue, most if it is better than Titan. Or, has some comparable options- same or slightly more, and consistent quality. Customer service is A1
Better than Titan is key!
So besides Rep Fitness what about Rogue or any other companies you’d recommend? I’m thinking of getting a bench and was looking at either BoS or Rep for a flat bench.
For a flat bench you have a ton of options. I've been using the FB-5000 from REP and have used the Thompson bench from Rogue. Both very similar. Look for a wide pad i you like more support. BOS has a new one out too can't remember the name (the names they choose are cheesy)lol. Check out Gluck's channel as he does a pretty good job reviewing the BOS benches.
I bought the bells of steel F.I.D bench and that one has been amazing for me
Less than 2:00 in and I feel the same about social media. I have Facebook only for the marketplace I literally have no friends on it. I use to have my wife as my only friend (her doing) but thankfully she got of it so now I can't get any friend requests which is glorious.
ya this was more of a "one take" honest ramble about how I feel. I think we are all sorta over the fake reviews and constantly being sold supplements and energy drinks! ha ha.
Love this video. You, my friend, have a new subscriber.
Welcome aboard!
This a great video and it's amazing how much similar feelings I have with my own channel as well.
I've found out the well known reviewers are taking payouts and free gear filming infomercials calling it a "review" sad to say but that's the only way they can make money in this game. I don't blame them just the way this youtube review thing is set up.
@@MacStrengthCo I can totally see that and I also think some people assume everyone doing a review is getting some immediate kick back or is getting paid for the review. I've gotten people accusing me of getting paid when I really like or feature something I'm interested in. I genuinely love doing reviews and walk that line of promoting / sharing products, being respectful to the company, but also giving an honest review. Other than a handful of free products, smaller channels like ours aren't getting any paid endorsements. Great channel BTW!
This smells like integrity. Keep it up, brother.
Just a dad ranting about life! ha ha. cheers!
Agreed. Both things I bought from Titan arrived damaged. The second item was roller j-cups - one worked, the other didn't. They wouldn't stand behind their product. They even suggested that I take the item to a local metalworker for repair! I had to pay for return shipping and a 20% re-stocking.
after all these years and buying several titan equipment im just not a fan.
I'm looking for some decent pole barn gym equipment. Something of good quality, but not commercial prices. What do you recommend?
Buy the best quality you can afford and depends on how much you workout etc. If your using your gym 7 days a week with multiple people try to save up and get quality stuff. I made the mistake of buying cheaper stuff early on like Titan and at the time it fit my budget but 3 yrs later regretted it and the re sale on cheaper brands is next to nothing.
I used to workout everyday for 20+ years. Took a 3 year hiatus. Want to get back into it regularly. Looking at something is an all in one trainer. Cable pulley system. So many out there that I don't want to spend $1500 on something that rattles and is awkward. Or I'd like something that is plate loadable. My budget is around $3000-$3500.
@@chetpierzchala9557 for all in one machines check out Prime Fitness, force USA and Bolt fitness.
Rep makes ares cable system worth looking into also.
This channel is great because it comes across as normal guy showing you his badass gym without this being his identity and job. He doesn't pander to anyone, including his audience. And at least Rylan is fit. I am not a fan of fitness or gym review channels where the presenter doesn't even look like he/she lifts much.
Is a Corvette a better value than a Ferrari? There is no right answer, ultimately the buyer decides for themself. I have many different brands of gym equipment and I've been lucky enough not to regret a purchase, yet. But I relied on quality user reviews when making most of my purchases and I feel like everything except the treadmill I own will last well beyond my life and still be functioning at the same level as today.
Ultimately, we are just pushing and pulling weights around. Look at the gym Ronnie Coleman worked out at. Do you think he thought "the knurl on this trap bar isn't quite good enough." Nope, just grip it and rip it.
I couldn’t have said it better. The name on the squat rack doesn’t matter. Keep it simple and train hard. I’ve had some regrets and will do a video on stuff to avoid soon! Thanks for the comment and support. Cheers🤙🏼
What do you think of the Xmark FT9040? It is 90" tall and $2800
Love how real he is about peoples equipment
I'm trying.. Thanks for the support.
I really understand that, I got equipments from lot of diffrent brands...maybe 10 or more (with pros and cons) from cheap chinese to medium expensive like Powergear (maybe one of the best but expensive brand for powerlifting in italy) or kingsbox and strenghtshop, two european companies with both excellent quality and not so good quality products depending on what you choose in the catalogs in my opinion...but if you're buying from known cheap companies you have to be lucky to get good equipment (at half the price of known brands sometimes) you got what you pay for for the majority of cases
It’s more putting my name behind the lower quality equipment was a problem because I get to hear about all the issues! I don’t get paid to review so clearly not worth it. 😂
Just bought rep over titan because it seemed like they were higher quality. Glad I did so!
I think you will be happy you did. I have plans to do a video on some Titan products that aren't that bad actually but overall REP much closer to Rogue quality.
Titan is getting better, so is BOS. There’s a big need for them from most folks who can’t afford Rogue or even REP.
The only thing BOS and TITAN has got me is regret. Save up a month longer and buy REP. The quality difference is noticeable.
In terms of a 3x3 5/8th power rack, Titan is the only one that is actually a good value. Rep and Griffin are charging just as much as Rogue at this point. Why spend that much on something made overseas when virtually the same money gets you a made in US product?
I would highly recommend you go 1” if you can. More accessories etc.
@@MacStrengthCo Only important if you want a bunch of accessories. Otherwise you are paying more for really no benefit.
What rack do you have?
@@MacStrengthCo I sold my home gym equipment during a big move :( So now starting to look at options again. Previously I had the Titan X3. Absolutely not the best quality - but it served me well for several years.
I have BoS deadlift jack and their machined steel plates in 2.5 and 5, as my change plates as they have +/- 1% accuracy (they are also made in Vietnam vs China). Unlike EVERY single piece of equipment I have ordered from Rogue (3x barbells, RML power rack (members missing, and the rest scrubbed heavily with a lot of coating damage), j cups, bumper plates), they didn't come damaged to my location in Canada. And, I'm not seeing the big names beat their weight tolerance which I can vouch for, and they are tiiiiiiight on my Rogue bars. At least in my location, and with my experience so far, I would have no issue whatsoever ordering a full set of steel plates from them (~$2400 CAD shipped), which I will likely as the most cost effective solution by more than $1000. The DL jack has been perfect also, and was hugely more affordable than the rogue equivalent, and actually fits inside my Rogue rack... anyway, that's been my experience with them. That being said, two REP benches are on my Christmas list now that they ship to CAnada.
Awesome to hear! 🤙🏼
Good for you. Thanks
Thank you too!
Big fan of your channel, i’ve commented before. A word about Titan; I get what you’re saying, some of their equipment is just ok- but some of it seems to be right up there with Rogue. I have 3 pieces: The lat pull/seated row, the GHD, and the reverse hyper. all 3 are tanks. The lat pull was $1300 new; it’s Rogue equivalent was over $3K. So for me, the critique on Titan is that their quality is not consistent depending on which piece it is. Maybe i’ve just been lucky.
Excellent!👍🏻
Love the honesty
you bet
I really like this channel. It really doesn't feel like you're trying to sell us stuff.
I'm not good at selling anything. Thanks for the support!
First and probably last time i purchase form Bells of Steel. I just received two items. The flat bench and the Nemesis bar. The bench came in defective, the holes on the pad don't align with the support bar. As for the Nemesis, i bought the bar because of the description. I have a shoulder and wrist injury, according to the description its safer to use. Unfortunately the bar shakes, i don't know why, all i can say, it doesn't help with shoulder stability, it actually hurt my shoulder and wrist.
I'm with you. BOS is a garbage company and brand. They pay their reviewers to promote them which really bummed me out on buying their stuff.
Respect brother 💪🏼🇺🇸
Thanks. I appreciate it.
I ordered a bar from Bells of Steel a few months ago. They shipped it in two layers of bubble wrap.
What's wrong with that you might ask. That was the full extent of the packaging. Never saw anything like it. Opened my door and saw a strange mound of bubble wrap. Bubble wrap with a shipping label stuck on it. Turned out that my new bar was inside of the mound. I'm not even sure how UPS allowed that. So bizarre.
This was after they claimed their shipping was "next day." It wasn't. It took two weeks for the bar to ship and I was getting multiple emails a day trying to sell more stuff.
That is bizarre. I wonder how that happened? I'll even defend them by saying all the companies have sent me some funky shipping packages! ha ha.. I could tell some stories.
I think we all appreciate your honesty. I'm in Canada so equipment is not easy to come by and good stuff is even harder. I've had good luck with gorilla fitness. The shipping times are long (6 to 10 weeks) but it's made in Canada and that counts for something to me and the build quality is really good.
Yes. I'm from Canada so I know your pain more than ever. I remember the pain of getting stuff shipped to me. You now have REP and ROGUE shipping to Canada so hopefully that helps you guys out a bit more. I'm from Vancouver, BC. cheers!
have you taken a look at Bells of Steel's new Hydra line of racks?
I haven’t.👍🏻
Lol damn?!?!?! I was really interested in the new 1:1 ration lat pulldown tower bos is coming out with or going with the titan lat pulldown tower….both companies are on your hit list lol
My Titan Lat Tower arrived missing the holes to assemble it. I rest my case on the quality. After I got it drilled it out it's really not a bad lat tower for $899 that I paid for it. BOS is way overpriced and essentially the exact same as the Titan tower which goes on sale for $1399 last I checked. If your on a budget go with the Titan one.
@@MacStrengthCo hear you loud and clear! Appreciate the feedback and great content!!!!
Do you know where to get a good single cable tower?
what are you looking for?
Never had an issue with Titan. The worst customer service I ever dealt with was old Again Faster, the owner was a lil brat, and Rogue. Rogue sent me the wrong item twice and fought and fought with me. Titan's customer service always was amazing. Sent the wrong thing once, said keep it and sent the new one that day. I'll never buy from Rogue again. The way they talk to you, I guarantee they'd never act so tough in person. Bullies and cowards. Titan stuff isn't always perfect, but at least they treat you with respect. You can tell the guys at Rogue are just Crossfitters. Guys that worked for a living or trained on mats and in cages don't act like that.
I can relate to what your saying. I've seen my fair share of issues let me tell you! cheers.
@@MacStrengthCo I have bought some things from Tru Grit, which a lot of people complain about. The airbike was perfect. They sent me the wrong pullup bar. They let me keep the bar and sent the correct one. Shipping was slow, but you can't beat that. I find if you talk to people decent, they will work with you most of the time. Now, I did buy some stuff from Sports and Fitness Exchange. They have the most disrespectful customer service I ever had. Luckily, the manufacturer has fixed any issues I've had (Proform HIIT was missing a handle). Thier prices are incredible, but some of the people working for them are out of control rude. The one dude flipped out because I was nice to him.
Thank you
cheers!
Respect!
Thanks!!!
Mac Strength can you suggest other brands competitive to Rep, Rogue and such, that you would recommend of course.
Many similar brands are going out of business right now.. Titan makes wheelbarrows before they went into fitness gear. Stick with Rogue and Rep if you can.
@@MacStrengthCo I just purchased the ez curl bar from rep, quality is excellent.
I purchased from all of those mentioned. Very selective with Titan products a couple different bars but sold or gave them away. It didn’t feel cheap but didn’t feel any use for them, that I thought I would. Barbell vertical rack holder is fine. As for BOS I only purchased the deadlift pads and they are quality. Everything from Rogue is quality but you gotta pay the price. Echo, barbell, and Rogue Vertical Plate Tree is heavy duty. Most of my gym is commercial machines and equipment from Hoist Fitness. I also have a Woodway Curve and the commercial line of Total Gym Core Trainer. I’d love to go cheap when I can but if it’s equipment that can cause serious bodily injury I definitely go with high end. I try to go with Hoist as much as I can.
How do you like that woodway treadmill? I’ve been looking at those.
@@MacStrengthCo we love it! We used to use it all the time at 24 hour fitness and wouldn’t settle for anything less. It supposedly can be used for up to 150k with little or no maintenance. It is pricey but hearing that motors go out on a lot of treadmills we felt we would save in the long run. They do have other brands but we’ve seen other brands under $2k and they look and feel really cheap. I notice TrueForm has one by Woodway for half the price. We don’t know what the big difference is but did hear good reviews on the TrueForm
@@moneymagnampo3355 appreciate the feedback. its on the list.
Excellent delivery, fueled by honesty. Your channel is one of my faves, ended up here curious about the PR5000 months ago. Now own it and have a huge REP wishlist looking to take over 'cheap' brands bought on price without research. Have 3 Titan bars on wall full of dust bc of exact reasons. Recently purchased a Wright Next Gen barbell, once you feel quality difference you realize it's worth a few more $$. Stay true to your vision. Currently saving for an Iron Skull Power Bar, also your recommendation.
Appreciate the feedback and support. I'm hoping to help people from making the same mistakes I made. The Iron Skull bar continues to impress me to this day for what it offers at a great price point.
I’m the same way with FB I only use it for the marketplace.
yup. Social media as a whole has gotten out of control with adds and scams.
Well, I waited patiently for the Griffin GR3 Monolifts to come back in stock and now I’m the proud owner of these beauties. I didn’t realize how handy they would be til I tried them on my own rack (PR-5000v2). The hype is real and they live up to all claims. They only weigh 16 lbs ea. and take up very little real-estate on the rack. I’m no expert on monolifts, but I couldn’t be happier! Benching in the rack has never been sweeter; very nice lift-off distance… (3-29-2023) They went back out of stock a week after I got mine. I'd like to see a review on them to see what other people think of them but no one seems too interested so far...
Griffin stole that design from another company so no one wants to touch it.
They only give a few inches of clearance to the bar making them one of the worst performing monos on the market.
@@MacStrengthCo I actually measured from the front face of upright to the outer most tip to be 5-7/8" retracted and then 10-1/2" loaded with 135lbs. About 4-5/8" difference - Griffin claims 5"... I'm a finish carpenter and my Stanley Fat Max 25' tape tells no lies...Lol... I absolutely love my new Griffin Monos on my Rep 5000v2 ! They may be a stolen design, but show me a current fitness company that don't borrow other companies designs... I say try them before you knock them if you can catch them in stock Ha Ha... Thank you for answering my comment and thank-you for your previous advice on other purchases I've recently made on Titan, Rogue and Rep especially; just got their new utility bench w/pad and love it so far. My 12yr. old grand daughter made an in-rack spectator sofa out of it - HA...
@@edwardmeyer7178 First off I'm glad you like them and I have nothing against Griffin Im extremely technical person. When measured from the edge of the barbell to the nearest point of the mono when retracted they do not offer the clearance they claim. I've measured nearly all of the mono's including those Griffin ones and they ranked the lowest for clearance. Trust me I wanted the Griffin ones to work great. I was planning on ordering a set myself. I wish companies would send out prototypes to people that know what they are doing before releasing the product to make some tweaks etc. Thanks again for the comment and enjoy your monos, to me they work great on bench press. Your one of the first to get the new REP utility bench! Lot's of people have been asking for that one. cheers buddy!
I have a Titan Wall mounted rack and attachments. It is basically metal tube uprights and attachments, not rocket science. I couldn't justify spending twice as much on Rogue or REP. They have their place for those of us trying to build a home gym on an affordable budget.
I feel you and have bought a ton of Titan equipment but need to educate people it's not the best way to go. Save up a little longer and buy quality. Storage doesn't matter so much as the other gym pieces.
I think early Titan was definitely better than the current product my rack from them is solid and I have no issues but when it comes to bars and benches ill only buy Rogue or Rep
Ya I know Titan has a few things that are decent and we still have some gear in our gym. Just not putting our name behind Titan anymore. I like your plan.
Titan has good prices and quality on dumbells which are the same as REP. Got some urethane ones, but that’s the only stuff I can comment on.
No argument from me and those dumbbells are really good. I still have a ton of Titan stuff. Just was too much headache to promote them when something went wrong I heard about it. cheers.
My gym consists mostly of B.O.S , fray fitness, Get rx'd , sorinex and rogue. You can't tell the difference really on any thing and in some ways I like the bos, fray stuff more.
Aside from paid reviews from BOS influencers I can't find many people that have their gear. It's good to get real feedback like yourself. Appreciate it.
@@MacStrengthCo Absolutely brother definitely not an influencer or anything just a dude trying to stay in shape. I'm not in Canada either as many other posters here.
I just received my Griffin Monos and they are such a great product.
I have bought equipment from both of these companies and I have had good luck with it to each his own I guess ❗💪
Absolutely! Just cheap companies and low quality equipment doesn’t mean it’s bad. Just don’t need the headache when stuff is wrong!
I agree 100% with your experience on Titan and Bells of Steel but the Griffin spring mono lift issue makes no sense. I reviewed those myself, those measurements are not correct.
It's been confirmed by several people already. I wish griffin all the best and hope they get it sorted. bottom line Rogues are far superior.
I have no problem with Bells of Steels equipment given the price point and if one can pick up locally without shipping fee the price is very reasonable. However like others had mentioned I don't think they have the best value equipment in Canada. GearforFit has better value in my opinion. Rogue is better quality but it is also a lot more money. It is good to have choices for different price point.
A better option would be Rep Fitness now that they ship to Canada!🤙🏼
Gearforfit is great, got all of my weight plates from them at a great price
Ahh man how can I save all that money on all those Titan products I love to have in my gym 😉
Good work man
Think how many boneyard bars I can buy!😂🤷🏼♂️
@@MacStrengthCo 🙃
I’ve been buying from titan since 2015. They have great stuff for a great price not just good!! They allow everyone to get into fitness and build a quality home gym! Their customer service has been flawless to say the least. I get your point of view but to the everyday Joe that can’t afford every single fancy piece of equipment or even the shipping that some of these companies charge titan is a beacon of hope I pray they never change their company!!
I think this is fair. You prefer to work in the higher end, in terms of QA, market. BOS in their advertising makes its clear they are not a high-end brand. Not sure if Titan does, but clearly they are known not to be high end. They both are hitting that niche below Rogue, REP and Elieko while above box store equipment. For most of us, weight is weight, bars are bars, and racks are racks. So these other brands that are more affordable are more relevant to the average home gym owner. For my money, the only time to really spend up is on cardio equipment. The more you spend the better you get. Weight plates and racks, not a factor for me since repairs are never going to be a factor. Barbells, depends on what you are doing, but for most even a basic solid Cap barbell will suffice.
Appreciate the comment and feedback. No argument from me. BOS pays other reviewers to promote their equipment. That's the reason for the rant.
Sqd8r... We'll put . If you ain't in serious competition you'll be fine with just Amazon equipment. As long as there's progressive resistance the body could care less if it's Rogue or something from Dick's sporting goods!!!! For most folks the prices on those higher end equipment are just ridiculous.
Rep, Rogue, and other US fitness companies with no Canadian base just don't provide value add for Canadians. Shipping fees is way too costly. Bells of Steel fills void for the Cdn market.
I totally get what your saying and love it! I'm canadian myself but Bells of steel is just a drop ship company that imports from China. Look at IRWIN FITNESS, PEPPIN FITNESS, OAK CLUB if you want to support local Canadian companies! My Canadian friends buy mostly from Irwin for their set ups and have been really happy with the quality. cheers!
@@MacStrengthCo I buy bells of steel now but would buy exclusively Canadian built if it was affordable!
@@mikesbigtank6015 I hear you. Canadian's just don't have many options for quality equipment without paying shipping costs associated with REP and ROGUE.
It seems like titan and rep’s prices are actually pretty similar. But rep seems to have better equipment from my experience. For value rep has been the best for me. I’ll never buy titan equipment unless it’s 15% off.
I made this video awhile ago and still can confirm your better off with REP or Rogue if at all possible. Titan has its moments.
What about Hammer Strength or Legend Fitness? They make great equipment too. I have Legend equipment
absolutely they do. Have you seen Arsenal Strengths stuff? Or Williams strength? Super solid too.
@@MacStrengthCo no I have not. Thanks for the tip!
Titans Roller j cups are 100% worth the $$
I have a good review on them but since I got the Irwin's I can't even sell them for $50 on marketplace with the front covers too! Titan's resale is terrible.
I have a Titan T3 Power Rack and it holds up well.
I had so many issues with Titan I gave up
@MacStrengthCo what issues did people have with the Titan t3 power rack?
It's always nice to have quality stuff but when it comes to gym equipment people really get wrapped around getting the best not with just what works which is fine. It's your channel but your simply going into even a smaller niche or higher end/more expensive but very quality gym equipment which i doubt most can afford for a home gym rather than what the masses are using . This channel is your hobby and do what makes you happy in the end but the average consumer still needs info on the mass produced items but I'm sure there are other channels for that now.
I really appreciate what your saying but you do realize that the most sold home gym equipment in the world is Rogue which happens to be more expensive than the brands I'm promoting? I'm here for the masses and doing it honestly. I know it's against the grain for reviewers not doing "FREE" equipment reviews but here we are. cheers!
I regret buying my Titan x3 rack, I spent $3k because I added all the options got the Olympic bar, curl bar weight set extra weights and I had a problem with one of the 16 items I ordered they refused to pay the $34.98 in return shipping! After spending that much and to receive that kind of customer service I recommend not doing business with them.
I'm sorry that happened. They owe me $80 still and after countless emails I will never see that money. enjoy your new gym!
Hello sir, great content. I was seriously considering the Griffin monolift attachment for my PR-5000, can provide any comparison between reps mono lift and griffin.
Appreciate any help you can provide.
Griffins only offer 1.5" of clearance and I wouldn't recommend them. The rogue AM2 mono's are better than REP's in my opinion and I have a review on them explaining why mono's don't work all that great to begin with.
Thank you sir, I appreciate the quick response and information. I’ll watch your video before making a decision.
@@MacStrengthCo I now own the Griffin Monos And love them. Just gotta be patient cause they're always out of stock...
Titans may fall short on a lot of stuff but their Lat Tower is solid
Agreed and I have it and use it!
Mine arrived missing a mounting hole I had to drill out to assemble it however!!😂 it’s stuff like that is why I dropped them.
@@MacStrengthCo ha! I hear you! Mine had 2 holes that weren't drilled through properly and the metal parts on my cables were super rusted and so i had to get them replaced. Now that those issues have been resolved it's been great. With that being said I dont blame you for dropping them at all
💪💯
I started building my home gym during lock down and used BoS gym builder (discount if you buy a rack, bench, and bar). I also have their SS3 bar and open trap bar. My home gym is just for me and I'm not rough with gear so it's been a good choice. If I had teenagers using it, I might have a different opinion.
I have nothing against Titan or BOS just not promoting them anymore. Sounds like a nice gym set up! Thanks for watching!!🤙🏼
Titan fitness is the reason I have a affordable good quality gym with stuff I can trust my safety with
Did I miss the “how come” on Bells of Steel? I didn’t see anything.
Bells of steel pays off their youtube reviewers. Nothing honest about it.
Sorry I just found your vids and became a follower. I didn’t notice this video was a year old…ha
thanks for the follow!
My experience with Titan is 50% rotten...even in 2023. Fortunately I'm in a situation where I can manage to support Rogue and Rep with my money, and I'm tickled pink to do that, because my experience with them has been stellar.
I agree. Titan's customer service was terrible when I had issues. I tried to make it work but no luck. Happy to hear your able to get some quality gear! thanks for watching
Great! you guys are making me regret ordering the new BOS lat pulldown 🤦🏻♂️
Well it's an exact copy of the Titan pulldown which I have and is decent. I wouldn't pay much more than $1350 for it however. I think BOS priced it way too high for what it is.
@@MacStrengthCo I got the pre-sale price plus first responder discount. I sold my Titan plate loaded lat pulldown.I couldn't get a full stretch, the leg padding was very narrow and I couldn't adjust it higher to fit my legs comfortably under it.
@@elopera83 Sounds like you got a better price on it! Over the plate loaded once you will be much happier I'm sure. Let me know when you get it. Cheers!
Lol I have it and you won’t regret it.
It is smooth as butter, and I too have upgraded from Titan’s plate loaded version (which I thought was fantastic by the way).
Rylan is bang on - aside from a few tweaks, it’s basically the same as the Titan one.
Aesthetically, you may prefer the roller thigh pads on Titan’s to the more classic style thigh pads on the BOS one.
The other main difference is the size of the tubing. Titan’s is 3x3, whereas BOS’s is 2.3”x2.3”. Which is sturdier? Not sure as they would both need to be side by side. On the website though, the total weight for both pieces is basically exactly the same, with the BOS one listed as being a couple pounds heavier. Also, Titan has a 300lb stack whereas BOS has a 310lb stack. The BOS one also comes with a cheap version of a gym pin - it’s a nice touch and cool to throw in - it’ll get the job done, but comparing it to my gym pin, night and day in terms of quality.
I will say, the quality of the padding on the BOS one leaves some to be desired. Will see how it holds up there but looking at perhaps addressing it down the road.
A couple other minor things vs the Titan one…
On the BOS one, there are two bolts that shouldn’t have their threads exposed. Titan covers these bolts with black plastic tubing. If someone has the Titan one then they’ll probably know which bolts I’m talking about - 1.) by the upper pulley - the bolt that’s used to keep the top attachment point in place and from unraveling over the top pulley. 2.) under the seat.
Not sure why BOS wouldn’t just go the same route and have the black plastic tubing over those bolts - and how much money did they really save by skimping here? I still wouldn’t use this lat pull down (or the Titan one), for curls though.
Aside from those few things only the super particular would notice, it is a solid piece so far. I really enjoy using it.
As an aside…I asked REP in an AMA, if they could/would release a stand-alone lat pulldown/low row - they said it would be easy as they have all the necessary parts.
I think it would be cool to see what theirs might look like. Hopefully they end up releasing one. 3x3 with 1” holes all the way around? Something like the fray fitness one, but better quality? Would be nice!
Their take on the SSB with the knurled handles is sweet - so simple, yet beautiful. If that’s an indication of the minor tweaks they could make to a stand-alone lat pull down…that would be exciting. Have you heard anything about this, Rylan?
@@g.thandi824 when did you receive yours? I emailed them Friday and they said none of the new lat pulldowns have been shipped in the USA
Does that mean your going to be changing your Titan Lat/tower to another brand?
I have some plans for it but will be keeping it for now. It arrived missing holes to even put it together. I had to drill my own holes. Titan quality right there!😂
@@MacStrengthCo thanks for replying to me!!! I appreciate your time. I’m debating between the Titan and the Rogue version. It’s just that rogue is twice the price as the Titan. But, I feel Rogue has better quality control.
@@MoeMoe-do1fd They have fixed that hole issue and once I got the Titan assembled it's worked great for us over the last few years. I actually have a full review on it and recommend it as as budget friendly lat tower. It goes on sale for $1399 often so if you can snag it fo the price do it. The BOS lat tower is a copy of the Titan and over priced so skip that one.
Rogue's are nicer no doubt but quite a bit more money with shipping. I paid around $1000 for my Titan lat tower and happy with it for what I paid.
If your looking buy once cry once go Rogue. If you just want to get training and stay on a budget get the Titan on sale.
@@MoeMoe-do1fd th-cam.com/video/w70q3QGkZs8/w-d-xo.html
@@MacStrengthCo thank you for your input. Yes, I seen your video review and I took as a consideration. However, I saw your video of terminating your affiliation with Titan Fitness and mentioning that you might replace the Titan stuff. It made me wonder that you might of change your opinion of the Titan Lat/Tower since the time you posted the review video.
Respect! I feel the exact same with the those three. I was a big fan of Titan early on but have moved over mostly to Rep, Rogue and American Barbell. I see no reason to go with Griffin, its just like a worse version of Rep with significantly less QC. For BOS, only thing i ever had was the Arch Nemesis but ended up selling it. I also feel like there is nothing new or original at BOS, no real reason for me to go that way.
I feel the same way. Cheers!
@@MacStrengthCo I will say that the BOS guys are really nice! If they had made a higher quality version of the arch nemesis, that's the one bar I may have kept!
The only interaction I had was with their social media team and it was less than stellar!😂
The only thing I have is the titan cambered multi grip bar
I tried to sell mine for $50 and no takers so I’ll keep it.
@@MacStrengthCo mine works for my small garage gym that I’m pretty much I only workout in
I bout a $900 bench from rep. Wheel is bent. So when you move bench , does not roll straight. All they were willing to do was give me 5% credit 😂. So ya, not too happy with rep. Afraid to order more products just to give me scratch and dent %. Rather order rogue and get perfect condition products or they send replacement if need be
Cool story bro. :)
Whoa. Bell of Steel is solid stuff. Most of my stuff is BOS and have never been disappointed.
Appreciate the comment man. I’ve got nothing against BOS. Just not my jam. Cheers🤙🏼