Category Archives: Miscellaneous

From Rogue TShirts

Even our t-shirts are American Made, printed in Columbus on American Apparel classic track t-shirts!

The Rogue Barbell Club tshirt is guaranteed to add 5KG to your max efforts!

Weekly Updates:

1) Rogue Bar – The bar and shipping price has been reduced, we keep hammering away at the pipeline to bring the best cost

2) Sorinex BaseFit rack systems are in stock and will ship within 1-3 days

3) Burg & Rip Women’s Bar is in stock and will ship within 24 hours – This bar is freaking awesome

4) Rogue Rings are in stock and ship within 24 hours with reduced shipping

We are the only place to get custom Dynamax Med Balls with Free Shipping!!

Have a great weekend!

Bill H.

From Qualifier

People always ask me who uses all this equipment we have.  This picture explains it pretty quickly.

At the MidWest Regional Qualifier, the rain came down in waves but the athletes didn’t budge.  If you ever wondered what not to do with a Concept 2 Rower, here it is!

Our Equipment Packages are second to none:

1) Rogue Rings – The most robust ring system on the market.  These rings are made in the USA, TIG welded and coated with the Rogue powder coat

2) Rogue Bar – One of few bars out there that is guaranteed for life against bending.  This bar is the workhorse of weightlifting bars.

You have the option to choose the Rogue Men’s/Women’s or the B&R Men’s/Women’s

3) Rogue Bumpers – The most durable training bumper available – Made in the US with recycled rubber and HD stainless steel inserts

4) HG Collars – Collars that don’t pop off easily during Olympic lifts

5) Dynamax Balls – Choose the weight you would like from 4-20LBs.  Made in the USA

6) Rogue SPX System – This press/squat stand system is priced perfectly with the equipment packages.  The shipping is consolidated with the rest of the gear

Much more: AbMats, Spring Collars, Concept 2 Rowers, Rogue Climbing Ropes and much more

If you would like to build your own set, we have introduced the New War Chest. This is a very unique way for you to put together a ton of gear with consolidated shipping costs

From West Side Barbell

We just finished the build of the first ever Rogue Reverse Hyper which is a patented design by Louie Simmons. This is the signature piece of equipment that Louie designed for West Side Barbell.

Expect to see this piece of equipment in a gym near you very soon. This was built with the budget in mind but as usual it will carry the Rogue name hence it will last to serious beatings. This unit is made in the USA by Rogue Fitness any other way would be a crime against the weightlifting community.

Louie has had a B&R bar at his gym for a few months now with the full intention of bending it. It is still very much straight and that is with some deadly rack jerks and bench press movements on it.

Here are some general updates:

1) The Rogue Bumper Sets are ready to ship, our bumpers are made in the US by a guy named Chuck!

2) We tripled our manufacturing capacity on the Rogue Rings ! They are in stock and will ship within 24 hours!

4) The Rogue Do Win’s are in stock finally but Do Win decided to leave out the 8.5 – 9 Sizes. We have an expedited order for those!

5) The Legend Econ GHD’s are in stock and ship within 24 hours!

6) The Sorinex GHD and BaseFit units are in stock!

From CrossFit Top 10

Dave Young of CrossFit Radio asked me what I thought were the top 10 CrossFit Garage Gym Equipment Requirements, there were a few I would swap out.

You might ask how we know, well we started running our facility in a garage(October 2006) then to the park and finally we opened our training facility in June of 2007. So I know what does and doesn’t work.

Here is a great guide for folks just getting started with CrossFit:

1) Weightlifting Bar – This is the most important piece of equipment you will have in your arsenal. Just like anything else you get what you pay for, if you buy a $125 bar it will bend and will not be built well. Here is what you will need in a bar

• Bar that won’t bend, get a bar that you can will to your grandchildren
• For CrossFit – Personal preference will determine a bar with or without center knurl. The most popular is without center knurl.
• Bar with Olympic knurling and not Power lift knurling
• Bar with either snap ring or end cap collar construction.  If you find a bar with a bolt in the end, this is a red flag and I would not recommend it.
• For women the 25MM version is preferable and for children the alumilite is preferable
• Collars – You can get the new HG collars or a pair of good old spring collars

2) Bumper Plates – Having a solid set of bumpers is paramount to your ability to workout in your garage and/or outfit your training facility. There are two families of training bumpers:

• Rogue HiTemp – Recycled rubber bumpers with HD stainless steel inserts. These bumpers are made in the USA and are hands down the toughest bumper on the market.
• Virgin Rubber/Brass Sleeve – These bumpers are offered by most weightlifting companies and have evolved quite a bit. Made in China with virgin rubber and brass inserts. The brass inserts normally don’t last as long as the steel. They are good all around bumpers

3) Pullup Rig & Rings– There are many ways to skin this cat, we will start first with the pullup bar

• You can build one with pipe from your local hardware store for your garage or you can buy a 36′ version
• If you are outside and want a portable version – We have built a simple RPG system that goes with the rings
• Sorinex has built an all in one BaseFit system that includes dip station, squat rack, pullup system and much more.  We carry these in stock now!!

Rings – A good set of rings is key to performing ring dips, pushups, muscle-ups and much more

• Rogue Rings are made of steel with powder coat. The straps are 1.5″ wide with a HD cam buckle, each strap has a velcro strap to hold excess strapping. These are made in the US and are second to none.  Our straps setup in a fraction of the time that other rings take
• Plastic Rings – Tyler Hass led the way with his Elite rings and there are a few other plastic ring manufacturers out there.  This is a personal preference.
• PowerMax Fitness Rings – Very solid setup but the strapping system is very complicated, straps are short and the plastic knurl is very aggressive

4) Squat Stand – There are many different variations of this piece of equipment.  Here are a few options

• El Cheapo – You can get a very cheap version on eBay that will wobble like crazy but will work.  Normally made by the thousands in China.
• Rogue SPX – This system was designed with the thought of eliminating all the knobs, pins and threads that wear out over time. They have full adjustability for shrug through the press for a 6’5″ person. This system is made all in the US with heavy duty steel construction.  Once you see it you will know it is Rogue
• York FTS Press/Squat Stand – This is a very low-cost piece of equipment for the versatility. It has two j-cups for press and squat. The drawback of this system is that the threads wear out with heavy use which will be a pain while adjusting.
• ProMaxima – These stands are independent without connection in the back. They are sturdy and have plastic in the cups to protect the knurl

5) Kettlebell – We recommend 16-24KG for men and 8-16KG for women. This is all personal preference, here are some attributes to look for:

• Casting Seam – If it is a poor quality bell the casting seam will tear up your hands
• The finish of bell – If it is epoxy coated it will chip like crazy. Look for naked, baked paint and/or hammertone painted bells.  These have the right feel

6) Medicine Ball – Dynamax reigns king in this arena. Here are some things to consider:

• Fight Gone Bad sizing – 20 & 14LB are the sizes used for the CrossFit RX
• For gym use, we recommend purchasing lighter med balls for mixed use.
• For Slamming the d-ball is the ball of choice – The manufacturer does a relatively good job warrantying them even though no one has been able to make a slam proof med ball
• You can make homemade med balls with a basketball skin and some sand as well!!  Tons of info on the CrossFit forums about this

7) Concept 2 Rower – The Model D with PM3 is the champion here, there is no substitute for C2, here are some ways to find one:

• Email team@roguefitness.com for C2 pricing on new rowers
• Search out Craigslist for a used Model C or D – If you can land a C for $400 or less based on the condition this may be a good deal. A Model D should go for around $600 used. The Model B’s will work but are starting to get a bit old

8 ) Jump Rope – If you want a fast rope the Ultra Speed Rope is it. If you want a plain old rope the speed ropes will do the trick.

9) PlyoBoxes – You can make one from instructions you will find on the net or buy a wood or metal box

• Suggested Sizes – 16-24″ Boxes

10) GHD – One of the most under used pieces of equipment out there, this is a wicked piece of equipment.  Here are some options:

• Legend Econ GHD – Cheapest without sacrificing all quality.  We carry the black with Gun Metal in stock, we are waiting on the next batch right now. Custom colors will take 6-8 weeks
• Legend Standard GHD – This is a good GHD, 3X3 tube steel construction.  Ships built which costs more
• Sorinex M2 GHD – This is the latest and greatest piece of equipment. Hands down the best GHD in the 5-6 hundred dollar price range. Made in the USA and is by far the sturdiest of all the GHD’s mentioned here
• York GHD – This is a well built GHD with roller pads. Good commercial GHD for the price.

Stay tuned for the next 5 pieces of equipment like Dumbbells, AbMats, Bands and much more!

From Grand Canyon

We should have turned around here!

On New Years Caity Matter and Bill Henniger setoff to go down the Grand Canyon on the South Kaibab Trail then back up the Bright Angel Loop trail.  Normally hikers will do this over 2-3 days, but we decided to do it in one day. The trek starts with a 8 mile journey down the canyon, cross the Colorado River then 2 miles down the river and finally 8.5 Miles up the canyon. We made it to the river at noon and to the top by 5PM.

This is quite possibly the most brutal experience of my life and I am completely torn up.  Caity and I are both walking with broken joints.  The views were awesome and the scenery was insanely amazing.

If you ever wonder what you are training for, it is the ability to tackle any challenge laid out in front of you.  You have to just chip away at things sometimes, don’t quit!

What are you doing this year? If our training looks unique and effective, come in and try it out! Elements 1 kicks off every Monday, contact eddie@roguefitness.com if you are interested.

From A&F Challenge 9/13/08

I hope everyone had a great Christmas.  Mine was pretty special, I am now engaged to Caity Matter.  So it is now official Bill Henniger and Caity Matter have taken that step!  Look for pics from the Grand Canyon, we are celebrating by going down and up the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  I have done this once before and swore I would never do it again but here we go.

Look for great things this year as we expedite new equipment made in the USA by Rogue.  We will be manufacturing Rogue Squat Stands, Pullup Systems, PlyoBoxes and Military Obstacle Courses.  This is just a small cross section of what we will offer.  We don’t take preorders for foreign made equipment, we build it test it then test it again, then test it more, then drop it off a building.  Then we offer it in our store!  Our success is based off of the ingenuity of our team, athletes and customers that give us ideas and feedback.  If you have any product ideas or anything you believe we should modify, shoot me an email: bill@roguefitness.com

We are offering our Christmas specials 7Jan08 so make sure and take advantage of them.  We will launch our new product line right around that time as well. 

Here is the link to the Christmas Specials

We are launching a few new sites over the next month so stay tuned to the Rogue Blog!