Titan T3 short rack - Westside hole spacing?

[TimK]

I saw it mentioned back in egypt (I think by @iamsmu ) that titan stupidly cuts off the bottom of their uprights, instead of the top, to make the short version of the T3 rack. This puts the 1" holes lower on the rack than normal. Screenshots from their website seems to confirm this.

I'm wondering how big a deal it is. I've never used a rack with westside spacing but it seems like the main benefit would be precise positioning of the safeties for stuff like pin benching or pin squatting. I think (but I'm not positive) that the short rack would still allow for that in my case. Buying the full size rack for $75 more and cutting it down to fit my basement does not sound like a good time.

Anyone able to shed some light on this?

[Wilhelm]

I'll throw in that positioning the j-hooks for your bench could come into play if the westside holes are too far down.
It's nearly an issue for me w/ my Monster Lite stand because my makeshift platform is elevated between the feet.
I end up using the very last westside hole during bench. Looks like about 45" with my platform, and 47" if set up with a platform flush with the bottom of the feet. Different brand, different arms on each of us, so maybe not useful numbers.
But possibly something to consider.

[gtl]

Idk if that's still an issue. They've had several runs of their products now. Based on that pic, I'd say it's not an issue.

[cwd]

I have a Rogue S1 stand, it has 1" hole spacing in the range of heights used for bench J-hooks, but not for where the safeties go.

So you get 1" precision for the lift-off, but 2" for the safety/pin setting. This is backwards for how I bench, I'd rather have precise safety/pin settings. Having an extra inch on the liftoff is not a big deal.

Maybe lifters using max-width grips and 2-ply shirts can't lift-off an extra 1 inch?

[TimK]

Idk if that's still an issue. They've had several runs of their products now. Based on that pic, I'd say it's not an issue.

But the holes are clearly at different heights in the photo... left side is the full size T3, right is the short rack.

I saw some people mention j-hooks for benching, but I'm used to benching in the rack at my gym with standard spacing so I've never thought of that as being super critical. I guess I see how it could make a difference in staying tight while unracking.

[TimK]

I have a Rogue S1 stand, it has 1" hole spacing in the range of heights used for bench J-hooks, but not for where the safeties go.

So you get 1" precision for the lift-off, but 2" for the safety/pin setting. This is backwards for how I bench, I'd rather have precise safety/pin settings. Having an extra inch on the liftoff is not a big deal.

Maybe lifters using max-width grips and 2-ply shirts can't lift-off an extra 1 inch?

Yeah I'm with you on safety height being more important to dial in.

[iamsmu]

Yeah I'm with you on safety height being more important to dial in.

I have the short, the full size, and the fold out. (I need to sell the full size. . . .) The hole spacing on the short rack isn't that big of a deal. The 1" spacing is there for the safeties. But you'll be in the 2" zone for the hooks. Even my wife has to set the hooks for bench one above the last 1" hole. . . . It's fine. It's not like it's 3" spacing, which can be a pain. . . .Though it was stupid of them to cut off the extra height from the bottom. They can be a little clueless.

[broseph]

I can definitely see what you’re talking about.

For both squat and bench, my safety pins are toward the middle range of the 1” spaces holes on my R3.

So if the Titan matches a bottom-chopped version of a Rogue, the 1” holes would still PROBABLY span an appropriate area for the safety pins (but maybe not the J-cups).

[damufunman]

Hold the phone!! I just checked my setup which is a full height rack, plus the shorty T-6 extension, so a pair of short uprights. The hole spacing is the same on these which were ordered in August. I believe they fixed which end they were chopping for the shorty version (might have even seen a thread back in Egypt about them having fixed it, but not sure), based on what I have. @iamsmu, when did you get the shorty one, you've had it for quite a while now right?
My small chest and (I think) average to below-average arm length (or effective length when lying down, I had some trouble getting bar out of the top hooks on a Hammer Strength fixed bench without having to protract shoulders a bit - bad for tightness) has the safeties into the one inch section, and J-hooks just above the half-way point of the one inch section. That's with a Rep Fitness AB-3100 bench, which is 17.5" high. I would guess that the vast majority of lifters would have both safeties and J-hooks in the one inch section on all Titan racks these days, possibly even with a setup like Wilhelm's with the platform top higher than the rack feet.
I can provide pictures if anyone wants.

[iamsmu]

I can definitely see what you’re talking about.

For both squat and bench, my safety pins are toward the middle range of the 1” spaces holes on my R3.

So if the Titan matches a bottom-chopped version of a Rogue, the 1” holes would still PROBABLY span an appropriate area for the safety pins (but maybe not the J-cups).

Yes. For bench I'm on the 3rd 2" hole for the jhooks. I'm in the middle of the 1" spacing for the safeties. Here's a video. I couldn't find a good place for the camera. . . .

[iamsmu]

Hold the phone!! I just checked my setup which is a full height rack, plus the shorty T-6 extension, so a pair of short uprights. The hole spacing is the same on these which were ordered in August. I believe they fixed which end they were chopping for the shorty version (might have even seen a thread back in Egypt about them having fixed it, but not sure), based on what I have. @iamsmu, when did you get the shorty one, you've had it for quite a while now right?

I got it in August of 2016, not long after they started selling it. I complained on the site about the hole spacing. Maybe the fixed the issue.

They were in the process of changing things. I got mine in some hybrid form, where the two boxes didn't make a complete rack. They had to send me yet another box. I now have 2 extra uprights and some extra jhooks, I think. . . .

[damufunman]

Did some video-sleuthing, and based on this post's video, a small female lifter (our very own @chromoly!) would be just into the bottom of the one inch spacing with pin-pipe safties (might be different for a swing-in type, I think the bottom might have a pin (though possibly not needed) so you could only do a two inch increment for it to line up if it is out of the one inch section).

Also, here's where I have my bench set up (safety in 3rd hole from bottom of one inch section):


And a head-on view (J-hooks in hole 13.5):


So maybe a REEAALL big dude might have the J-hooks >6" higher, but I think unlikely.

[TimK]

Thanks guys, sounds like maybe they fixed this. I might try emailing them to confirm.

[laikabear]

Did some video-sleuthing, and based on this post's video, a small female lifter (our very own @chromoly!) would be just into the bottom of the one inch spacing with pin-pipe safties (might be different for a swing-in type, I think the bottom might have a pin (though possibly not needed) so you could only do a two inch increment for it to line up if it is out of the one inch section).

I have the Titan 82" power rack (purchased in 9/2017) and I have a 16" tall Adidas flat bench. The 1" hole spacing starts just above where I need it for the pin-pipe safeties on the bench. I prop the bench on 2 pieces of leftover butcher block countertop. The safeties for squatting and the J-cup setting for bench are within the 1" hole spacing.

I am 5'10", so... not really all that small.

[iamsmu]

Did some video-sleuthing, and based on this post's video, a small female lifter (our very own @chromoly!) would be just into the bottom of the one inch spacing with pin-pipe safties (might be different for a swing-in type, I think the bottom might have a pin (though possibly not needed) so you could only do a two inch increment for it to line up if it is out of the one inch section).

I have the Titan 82" power rack (purchased in 9/2017) and I have a 16" tall Adidas flat bench. The 1" hole spacing starts just above where I need it for the pin-pipe safeties on the bench. I prop the bench on 2 pieces of leftover butcher block countertop. The safeties for squatting and the J-cup setting for bench are within the 1" hole spacing.

I am 5'10", so... not really all that small.

That sucks. Maybe it is better to chop off the bottom rather than the top.

Rather than having to mess around with elevating the bench, you might want to get the spotter arms. They are so much easier to move around and they have UHMW on top to save the knurl. The spotter arms will insert at least 1 hole higher than the pin pipes. [Why does the stupid mention auto insert thing keep popping up on this forum????]

I don't even know where my pin pipes are. I hate using them.

[damufunman]

Did some video-sleuthing, and based on this post's video, a small female lifter (our very own @chromoly!) would be just into the bottom of the one inch spacing with pin-pipe safties (might be different for a swing-in type, I think the bottom might have a pin (though possibly not needed) so you could only do a two inch increment for it to line up if it is out of the one inch section).

I have the Titan 82" power rack (purchased in 9/2017) and I have a 16" tall Adidas flat bench. The 1" hole spacing starts just above where I need it for the pin-pipe safeties on the bench. I prop the bench on 2 pieces of leftover butcher block countertop. The safeties for squatting and the J-cup setting for bench are within the 1" hole spacing.

I am 5'10", so... not really all that small.

I stand corrected...
Though I was referring more to front-back thickness since laying down for benching height is only loosely correlated to safety height (in that taller people are often thicker).

@laikabear, how is your arch while benching? It's possible that more arch could get the safeties up to the tighter spacing, though iirc you've had some back issues, and understand if that's not something you want to mess with right now. FWIW, I herniated a disc at L5-S1 in 2013 and have no trouble with a pretty decent arch, which is really helpful to make sure I can even use the safeties.

[laikabear]

That sucks. Maybe it is better to chop off the bottom rather than the top.

Rather than having to mess around with elevating the bench, you might want to get the spotter arms. They are so much easier to move around and they have UHMW on top to save the knurl. The spotter arms will insert at least 1 hole higher than the pin pipes. [Why does the stupid mention auto insert thing keep popping up on this forum????]

I don't even know where my pin pipes are. I hate using them.

I was considering buying a flat bench that's 17" high, which would solve my problem. But the spotter arms are cheaper... maybe I should try that! Thanks for the advice.

Also, the mention thingy was floating all around when I was typing my post, too.

I stand corrected...
Though I was referring more to front-back thickness since laying down for benching height is only loosely correlated to safety height (in that taller people are often thicker).

@laikabear, how is your arch while benching? It's possible that more arch could get the safeties up to the tighter spacing, though iirc you've had some back issues, and understand if that's not something you want to mess with right now. FWIW, I herniated a disc at L5-S1 in 2013 and have no trouble with a pretty decent arch, which is really helpful to make sure I can even use the safeties.

Oh, duh. I was thinking my arms are pretty long but obviously the safety position is more about how thick your chest is.

I am definitely not very thick front to back. And my arch is terrible... so that's probably part of why I need the safeties lower. I see people doing these crazy arches in videos and I just can't do that. I try to arch as much as I can but it's not much. I don't know if there's something I should specifically be doing to work on that, or if I'll just get more flexible over time.

Recently I noted @wilhelm saying "the bench is such a technical lift." I immediately thought I might have terrible bench form because I haven't found the lift to be technical or difficult and I've assumed I'm doing it correctly. If it's too easy then I'm probably just doing it wrong.

I haven't had any back issues yet... but I've been getting some advice on my DL form because I'm probably going to give myself some issues if I don't fix it. LOL. I'm posting videos in my log and trying to incorporate advice and improve.

[Idlehands]

I saw it mentioned back in egypt (I think by @iamsmu ) that titan stupidly cuts off the bottom of their uprights, instead of the top, to make the short version of the T3 rack. This puts the 1" holes lower on the rack than normal. Screenshots from their website seems to confirm this.

I'm wondering how big a deal it is. I've never used a rack with westside spacing but it seems like the main benefit would be precise positioning of the safeties for stuff like pin benching or pin squatting. I think (but I'm not positive) that the short rack would still allow for that in my case. Buying the full size rack for $75 more and cutting it down to fit my basement does not sound like a good time.

Anyone able to shed some light on this?

Seriously
buy the full size titan
use a sawzal or angle grinder
take less than 30 minutes

[gtl]

I saw it mentioned back in egypt (I think by @iamsmu ) that titan stupidly cuts off the bottom of their uprights, instead of the top, to make the short version of the T3 rack. This puts the 1" holes lower on the rack than normal. Screenshots from their website seems to confirm this.

I'm wondering how big a deal it is. I've never used a rack with westside spacing but it seems like the main benefit would be precise positioning of the safeties for stuff like pin benching or pin squatting. I think (but I'm not positive) that the short rack would still allow for that in my case. Buying the full size rack for $75 more and cutting it down to fit my basement does not sound like a good time.

Anyone able to shed some light on this?

Seriously
buy the full size titan
use a sawzal or angle grinder
take less than 30 minutes

But if the shorty is cheaper, and less work, why not go that route?

[iamsmu]

But if the shorty is cheaper, and less work, why not go that route?

I'm now of the opinion that is doesn't really matter from what end they cut the extra. In some ways ways it might be better to cut them from the bottom. If they cut it from the bottom, then those who need low safeties are better off. Of course, you have to set the hooks in the 2" zone. But really isn't a problem. On the other hand, if they cut it from the top, then you can put the hooks in the 2" zone, but those who need low set safeties might be out of luck (I think). Who knows what Titan is doing. It doesn't really matter. . . Many people here use racks with 3" spacing and they do just fine. I think it's awful for safeties though. . . .

A tip: the Rogue J-Hooks sit about 1" higher than the Titan. If you find that the 2" spacing is off, buy the Rogue hooks. I prefer them, since I like to roll the bar to the front lip when benching. The Titan hooks are slanted back, making this impractical. . . .

I would just get the cheaper shorty. I have an angle grinder and I really wouldn't want to have to pay more and then spend all that time cutting down 4 uprights. The noise alone would be awful.