I bought the Bulletproof 3D Handles as an accessory to the VTS, which is important context to preface this review, as the experience may be different with the ISO Arms. I have to say, I love my VTS and admire the ambition of Bulletproof’s designs, but this was a huge letdown. The 3D handles promise to unlock a wide range of different angles and movements, and while this may be true, the quality of these movements is compromised by the abysmal build quality of these handles. Every joint has significant issues with excessive play. When a piece of equipment has numerous joints as this one does, the excess movement compounds, and is made worse under heavy load. I wouldn’t go as far as to call this a safety concern, but let’s just say I’d have a hard time believing that these would last very long in a commercial gym setting. Not only are the 3D handles unstable, but the powder coating is flaky, the knurling disappointingly passive, and the setup between different positions takes a decent amount of time. Don’t get me wrong, these handles are genuinely great for setting up some creative exercises, like iso shrugs and different row/press variations, but given the price tag I would expect a lot more for my money.

Rogue is often lauded for its ‘overbuilt’ engineering. This is great for stationary equipment or fixed accessories, but when you’re mounting and dismounting a heavy accessory to/from your rack with every use, the heft of a piece like this can become more burdensome to assemble than it’s worth. I added the Multi-Use rack roller to my setup to perform hip thrusts, as a leg pad for lat pulldowns, and for a number of other accessory movements. It’s a high quality accessory that performs well once in place, but its achilles heel is in the same robust build that allows it to stay firmly in place during heavy movements like split squats and hip thrusts. At >30 lbs, mounting the roller to your rack is made difficult due to its mounting method, which requires you to line up the pins to the same hole on either upright. This can be difficult since most rack uprights don’t have side markings. The redeeming qualities include quality vinyl upholstery, a consistent rotation, and extremely rigid fitment for minimal play. I think this is the perfect accessory for someone who already owns the Rogue Rhino, especially if they can keep it attached to the uprights when not in use. For those with a rack setup, I see less value. This is made less appealing as it’s also a challenging accessory to store. If I were to offer any advice to Rogue for future iterations, I would prioritize weight reduction over heft and perhaps stitching the padding/upholstery together ant the ends instead of using a drawstring with a cord lock. This would improve functionality and finish, without requiring significant re-engineering. Overall it’s a high quality piece that offers decent value (less so for those of us who don’t own a Rhino). If I had to do it all over, I probably wouldn’t order this one again.

I bought the JD Reversible Hollow Lat bar as a replacement for my Rogue SS LPD Bar. While the Rogue bar was considered a premium LPD bar, I have grown to prefer lighter, more nimble cable attachments so long as they don't compromise on other important features/benefits like build quality, knurling/grip, and versatility. The biggest frustration I had with the Rogue bar is that during lat pulldowns it effectively reduced the working weight by ~16lbs. It would also hit my uprights quite often due to the excessively long width. This bar from JD has exceeded all of my expectations. The lightweight hollow design makes it easy to attach to my cable, while the semi-aggressive knurling provides the perfect amount of grip/bite without chewing through my hands. While I prefer to use the standard 'down' angled position, the reversible option is a nice touch as well. The only potential downside is the price, but as a staple cable attachment, this is the only LPD I plan on ever owning go-forward.

The Strive Air Bike is a home run by REP. While the Rogue Echo bike has long been regarded as the gold standard Airbike, this exceeds the reigning champ in all categories. The standout feature is of course the VPR technology, allowing the user to adjust the pitch of the fan blades to increase or decrease air resistance. The lower settings are easy enough to accommodate long, steady state riding with or without generating output with the arms. In the higher settings it’s noticeably more difficult than any other Airbike I’ve used. This opens the door to different modes of progression and adaptation for different goals. The bike has a number of thoughtful design and usability details, from the ratcheting seat, to the intuitive display, and knurled handles, pegs, and knobs throughout. I have no regrets spending the extra money for this over the Echo bike, and hope the durability measures up with prolonged use.

I purchased a custom Watson Adjustable Bench as a secondary bench to compliment my Rogue Manta Ray, as I was looking for something more lightweight and nimble. As a bench, it performs exactly as you would expect from a true "commercial grade" piece. It's stable, fairly easy to adjust via the ladder system, and maneuvers well around my space. In addition to its reliable performance, it's (in my opinion) the best looking bench on the market. Watson does an exception job with their materials (steel & leather upholstery), welds, powder coating, and moving components. The standout feature of this bench is definitely the degree of customization offered by Watson. I selected a gold frame, clear coat moving parts, stainless ladder system, black leather with gold "church window" stitching, and my gym's logo in gold stitching. While I wouldn't select this as my first or only bench, it is a true work of art, and a beautiful centerpiece to my gym. It's not versatile compared to FID adjustable benches with attachment ecosystems, and it certainly wouldn't be classified as "affordable" given the very steep price tag of nearly $3,000 CAD before shipping... but it's very nice nonetheless.

The Oak Club Don is a truly innovative rack attachment that offers easy setup during dumbbell press variations. It accepts a wide range of dumbbell types and sizes, while offering a smooth swivel under heavy loads via the oiled bronze bushings. The 1/4” UHMW protects your dumbbells, which is an important consideration when your dumbbell heads are frequently brushing against the concave cradle while racking/unracking. While I don’t use the Don often, it’s a nice option to have, especially for heavy decline presses and standing overhead presses where getting into position for the movement is especially difficult.

If I had to choose one bench (and one bench only) to use for the rest of my life, it would be the Rogue Manta Ray. All FID adjustable benches I’ve tried have produced some degree of wobble under load, especially in incline/decline positions - all with the exception of the Manta Ray. Not only does the bench remain stable while in use, but the wide/grippy vinyl also allows you to lock into position for exceptional control during heavy presses. In terms of movement and adjustments, modifying the degree of incline/decline via the ladder system is incredibly easy. With all of the great qualities of the Manta Ray it isn’t without its minor faults. The first is the weight, which could make maneuverability difficult for some trainees. With that being said, the felt weight is not as significant due to the wheel base taking the bulk of the load. The only other minor issue is the bench’s versatility. While many competitors have invested in a bench attachment ecosystem, the Manta Ray has just one attachment, and that’s the decline foot catch. It would be great to see Rogue expand this bench’s compatible attachments, which would likely be enough to increase my value rating.

I purchased the Oak Club Monroe (with Dual Voltra Mounts & 11" gap foot plates) as a solution for doing belt squats. While heavy and somewhat difficult to maneuver, the Monroe performs exceptionally well as a belt squat platform. The grip tape on the platforms offers a tactile and secure stance, while the adjustable angle feet allow for greater variation, similar to using squat wedges. For Landmine rows it provides the same stability, extends the bottom range of motion, and offers a perch to load and unload the barbell sleeve. A big improvement over rowing from the floor. The only criticisms I have of the Monroe would be the non-existent assembly instructions and level of difficulty when propping the unit up to adjust the feet. Otherwise it's an excellent product.