REP Ares vs REP Athena: Squat Rack Functional Trainer Showdown!
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- čas přidán 10. 07. 2024
- You asked, we listened! The definitive Ares Vs. Athena Guide is here!
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0:00 - REP Ares vs REP Athena: Squat Rack Functional Trainer Showdown!
0:19 - Overview
1:25 - REP's Recent Design Aesthetic
1:59 - General Differences Between the REP Ares & Athena
3:53 - Which is the Most Affordable Option?
4:26 - Assembly Time
4:56 - Footprint & Dimensions
6:28 - The Ares' Achilles' Heel
8:02 - Which Option Offers the Most Value for the Money?
9:53 - Pricing Out Different Options
11:00 - What Would Coop Do?
13:10 - Final Thoughts
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We need the wall mounted Athena tested!!!!
Biggest issue from a product management and marketing standpoint is the complexity of options and overlapping features. This is a classic MBA marketing problem that freezes customers in place and they end up buying nothing for fear of choosing the wrong thing and painting themselves into a corner
Due to the size of my garage I'm looking at the Ares, but seeing some of the issues I can't pull the trigger because I'm wondering if they will address them in an update. (Low row cable height)
absolutely. I am in that boat. I have money and can buy either. But after watching this and studying the products for hours, I still can't figure out which one is better for me. So I postpone the decision
@@adambenwangwhich one is better? Price is no problem. I just want the best one. Did you find out?!?!
Absolutely, their system for setups is totally buyer fear. Curious why they've made their buying system so clunky.
@@ccclaw13exactly my issue as well. Need rep to fix that low row issue
I figured it out. PR5000 + athena + weight upgrade. No center rear lat attachment. I can do pulldowns on one of the side trolleys and use a Prime prodigy lat seat + pin attachment to slap on weight plate if needed.
Great production! Has your team considered a secondary channel or a playlist that features Sam explaining how to put together some of the pieces you review?
Good idea 👍🏼
That's a great idea
That's actually a great idea.
Dang that’s a good idea
No affiliate revenue after the purchase has been made. Probably not a priority focusing on things that dont make money.
Even when they were teasing these before launch, Athena coupled with a selectorized lat pull low row was what seemed most appealing. What I'd really love to see someone try is to see if you can mount an Athena on Rogue, Titan or Sorinex racks to see if it can be done
I have a pretty week equipped home gym (rack with many attachments, functional trainer, elliptical, air bikes, dumbbells, manybarbells etc).
This rack attachment is by far the best value for money I have spent compared to everything else I own. It’s not even close. Very well built, genius design, so many uses, very impressed. This guy is light years ahead of the big boys in ingenuity, value, etc.
this is a company to watch. Can’t wait to see what else they come out with!
So glad this dropped today as I weigh my options!
I think a good option is the Athena + heavier stacks + Prime Fitness lat seat + Prime Fitness low row foot plate. You have a functional trainer and now a pull down with great set and knee brace, and a low row with the cable height where you want it, and a great foot plate that you can use while sitting on your bench. If you’re strong, you’ll need to use a GymPin to add weight to the stacks, until Rep comes out with really heavy stacks for the Athena. I have an imported rack and the Prime seat and low row foot plate both fit in the holes.
I almost bought PR5000+athena+rear lat pull-down attachment $6,000 but saw your comment and looked up those prime seats. I think I can save money and just do PR5000+ athena now.
@@Ramos51010 what did you end up doing?
Hey man just wanted to ask if everything worked well for you. Trying to decide what to do myself
@@agrewal11It works even with rogue Monster series items. I checked the gym forums.
I just found out that amazon and bell of steel sold an addon called weight stack pin where you can insert it into the weight stack, and then load the extra 2" weight plates on them. How well does work? I don't know but if Coop can try it out, it might be the game changer for the people that pick selectorized stack.
I have the Ares. I bought it when it went on preorder. I love it. I do agree that the low row could have been designed better. But, I make do.
I’d like to see more talk about the 4 post Athena option on the PR 5000 for space savings!… especially in regards to how other uses of the rack would be limited or aided by this option.
Love to see a review of the wall mounted athena. Thanks
Love the channel. My Athena is to be delivered Tuesday!
I wanted all of the bells and whistles when I built my REP rack, but their plated loaded lat/row attachment works perfectly fine.
Strong work Coop
My Athena arrives on Sunday. I am stoked
Amazing video! 👏👏
The Ares is the Rep flagship now and I think all the future attachements that implement the cables will be designed around it. Will likely work on the others too, but not as well
Love this! The PR5000 and the Ares in my future. Also, I got an email back from REP regarding the handles that come with each of the units. They are now a stainless steel knurled handle rather than that plastic crap.
Thanks for confirming my decision. :)
Perfect timing! Dual Athena 93” in stock. Gotta decide if I’ll get more use out of that setup than spotter arms and leg roller (oak club and rogue).
Gymandfitness in australia have said they are stocking the 93” pr5000 with ares attachment. This is giving me sleepless nights in anticipation. I have watched ur review about 974 times 😅
Would love to see comparison between buying a half rack and functional trainer vs a full rack with cable attachment. Cost differences, pros and cons to each. Would also love to see recommendations on luxury, best bang for the buck and budget friendly options. Love the videos you throw out. Very in-depth and entertaining
I think another decent issue is the band pegs. In my opinion the ares should have come with an easy way to attach pegs. I think the center mount low row would be much better for rowing than the low row on the ares. Also, love the compactness on the back for the ares, but if you're not getting wings for your rack, the plates will stick out almost as far as the center mount stack anyways. I'm very happy with my ares but if I waited another 3 months I think I would've ended up with your top configuration (athena+plate low row+stack upgrades). The dual bottom handles definitely have pros too (hamstring curls, etc). Its tough. Both have a ton of functionality and have their pros and cons... don't think there's a wrong choice.
Perfect timing. I have the Athena in my cart because I have the lat low row.
Great video. I think REP is creating a new Belt Squat attachment and the Ares will be more useful with the heavier weight stack.
I hope this is true that would be great
I hope so. I have been holding off from buying the current one with a hope there will be a newer model.
I ordered the Ares on a PR5000 a week ago and it's supposed to be delivered any minute. Just waiting on R&L shipping to show up so I can spend the next two days unpacking and asSAMble everything haha
Add in option for belt squat off that center stack and it would be truly mind blowing 😮
You know your winning as a company when coop is arguing which is the best rack mounted functional trainer and they're both yours. I'm glad I went with Rep two years ago. I think they're only going to continue to close that gap between rogue and the rest of the market
Great comparison!
So as someone who already owns a PR 5000 with a plate-loaded center pully system, who's been waiting for the selectorized upgrade, the decision was going to be based on cost rather than functionality - love 'em both. But Coop, you've got me all indecisive now! - Athena looks to be the better bet for me. Thanks for all the work you and the team do, sir!
Nice. Could you please give a review on Rep's Apollo Half Rack one of these days? That one has very minimal information on the internet. Thank you.
Would love to see a 1:1 comparison between the Rep Ares and the Prime HLP Prodigy Selectorized rack
Yes! Where is this?!?
Woud love to see an Ares vs Rogue Rhino comparison!
Freaking great video.
As an Ares owner, I have to agree that the standard setup for the low row isnt great... HOWEVER I love it with a pair of D handles instead of the bar connector. Idk why but that setup just feels fantastic and the bar provided is meh
Do you do incline in the rack?
@@Mjwest23 No I do it outside the rack. Doesn't bother me at all as I do most of my work outside the rack anyways but I know that is a real problem for some
I bought the PR5000 and Athena with single lat pull-down/low row and all upgraded stacks. Took advantage of the Black Friday 10% off to buy a new AB52000 2.0 and about 1,000lbs of weights. I’m excited for it all. Then of course bought the Force USA hack squat/leg press
The Ares and the Athena are both awesome, but for my personal training the lat pull-down / low row is all I need
The Athena is undoubtedly my dream gym, wish I had $5000 to spare😭 Love your channel Coop.
$5000 for Athena? You must be counting price of rack
@@Albinodragon80 yeah you have to include price of rack. When I went online I saw it was over $5000 for weight stack and maxed out
Thanks Coop! Super helpful as always. Definitely leaning towards the Athena for my home gym. But- have you ever heard of Hudson Steel? They make a very similar functional trainer/cage which they sell out of a distributor fitness store near me in NJ. Their price is about 15% cheaper and build quality feels super solid in store. Next to zero information about them online has me a skeptical..
Both look like absolutely sick products! The question is when will these bad boys be available internationally (i'm from Australia)?
I note REP are now partnered up with Gym and Fitness Australia but no Athena or Aries line products? I'm a big believer of buy once, cry once and these just nail all requirements with an ideal footprint (unlike the force usa myrack which is available here). Keep up the great work GGR Team!
Nice comparison Coop! Would love to hear your thoughts on the Straydog Strength ATR Functional Trainer as a option?
Before the Athena came out, I was dead set on the Ares. But I’m leaning more towards the Athena now with the in rack spacing considerations for benching & squatting. Luckily I live near the PA showroom so I’ll give both a try!
Well...we're waiting...
I think for me it's the Athena. I love doing incline.
Hey Coop! Love the content! Please, please, please if you get a chance try to do a review on the Bulletproof Fitness Equipment Isolator - looks like a potentially game-changing rack-attachable piece for a home gym! 💪🏼 hopefully you can test it on racks like these to see if they work well with the cable systems
I was set on the Athena + lat pull-down until I saw people using Ares with the isolator and jammer arms. Game changer
Would really like the Prime Prodigy rack with height extension to enter the chat…. Give us what we want Coop! 😊
I’ve been thinking about the options myself.
Hey Coop one of your best reviews! Been debating which version to get. Can you comment on the plate loaded center lat pull-down. Pros/cons? Love the new set up.
Got the PR-5000 + Ares. Best rack configuration available for a power rack hands down. You don't really show it, but your feet only really get in the way if you adjust the post all the way out AND use a single pull point. Otherwise, it's a non-issue for your feet if you're using it with the post recessed OR using both pulley points. Got two options to make it work.
take a look at the force usa g20/g15 and x15/x20
@@TasimanaOGcrap quality
@@gunsmokezz the quality is really amazing, the whole thing I assembled weighs 350kg (like 700lbs) without the weights and uses 11 GAUGE STEEEL!!!! ssooo good man :)
Do you do incline in the rack?
Great review! I would love a video about how to best accomplish Ares-like functionality in a Rogue rack. A lot of your viewers have Rogue racks, and are jealous that Rep has innovated so much. You talked about this a bit in your Coop squat rack video, but how does something like the Rhino + Surplus Strength UPS compare to the lat pulldown and low row of the Rep systems? Is there a way to get a functional trainer in there space-efficiently? Are there other methods that you'd recommend? I'd also be curious to hear you speculate about what you think is coming from Rogue, since a bunch of people seem to be selling their Rogue gear and getting Rep instead. As a customer, it does sort of feel like Rogue is asleep at the wheel / constantly playing catch up, and I wonder if that's because they've become complacent or whether they just stopped focusing on the home gym market in favor of the commercial market.
Dude, exact same thought. Rogue has always been my go-to. I adore their brand and styling. But the slinger is NOT it. It's garbage. I'm about to put in a massive order to replace my Rogue setup with ALL Rep. It's crazy that Rogue is just sitting on their hands.
See I actually like my Ares low row since I predominantly do single arm cable rows. Now I can do both at once 😃
Anyone doing direct biceps work in a gym is just wasting time.
That’s not what he is saying…
I love the idea and look of this. Super slick. But whenever I price out doing it, I look at my plate-loaded Titan system (rack, lat/row attachment, two pulley towers), that I pieced together for ~$1000 pre-pandemic, and I just can't justify it. Weight stacks continue to be the great separator. I'd love to be able to move a pin and go. But I'm not going to drop thousands, replace all my attachments, deal with selling my stuff via CL/FBM, and disrupt my training just to look cool and save a few seconds each workout.
I actually prefer the dual attachment points on the Ares low row. The adjustable pulleys on the front uprights don't go as low as I'd like (the cross members get in their way), so for some exercises (especially ones where I have a cable attached to my feet/ankles), the attachment points being almost on the floor is really nice. It's also really nice when I have the safeties installed and can't easily slide the front adjustable pulleys down without removing the safeties. Or for super setting at two different heights and with two different attachments.
This is even more true when you attach the ISO arms. Front pulleys only go so low, having the low pulleys in the back of the Ares is a bonus for the exercises you mention.
Wondered about this... do you happen to know the height at the cable exit point, when the trolleys are all the way down? I'm concerned the highest and lowest points won't be enough for me, especially with an 80" (ceiling is 93" exactly).
Feel the same 6 months out? Trying to decide between Ares or Lat pulldown/low row & athena.
Coop still my go to for these comparos... Still torn but leaning towards just spending the extra $700 for the Athena. Over the life of this, i feel it will be worth it. Affiliate link click coming!
Coop. What option do you think would be best for military that have to move every few years? Which one would require less deconstruction? I’m in the market for either. Just conflicted
I hate the low row on the ares. I use a method where I use the two front pulleys plus a bench as the low row alternative. Works so much better.
For the Ares, why not use individual handles for the two connection points for low row and/or lat pulldown? I would actually prefer individual D-handles for a low row to get a good stretch at the bottom and then squeeze the scapula together at the top. If you only like single bars for low rows, then I understand the disadvantage.
the individual handles are also better for hypertrophy, that just seems like a nitpick to me
I have the Rep PR 5000 and Ares extra weight stack. I have only used my low row with unilateral D-handle rows. (Rep Fitness sent me some better D handles for free instead of the crappy plastic ones they originally sent with the Ares.) I also have a stand alone Elite FTS Lat machine that I do my low rows with. I have never tried using the low row 2 hand cable attachment on the Ares? I suppose you are correct it may get awkward with that bar attachment in the way? I suppose I should try it at some point? Also I can do Incline Chest Press (Barbell) inside my Power Rack, I just use my Griffin Fitness Monolift attachment and I can do incline presses fine, at least low incline presses.
Before I watch the video, I just wanna say I've built up the Ares on my PR4k. It's one of my favorite purchases I've ever made for my home. I've got a very high level of versatility in a relatively small space (maybe 9'x9' during workout, more as I move items in & out like the bench). Highly recommend if you've make enough moneys and are already committed to working out anyway.
Any regrets for not going Athena & lat pulldown/low row? Kind of stuck myself on which option to go with.
@@eszlsk No regrets. :-)
@@identitynotwithstanding3553 thanks
@@eszlskI should also mention one big concern for me that really threw me off the Athena was the rear space consideration. I didn't want to have to scoot my rack a foot or too off the wall and have that much negative space behind it.
See here: 7:35
I actually prefer the ares, Id use the two lower or upper pulleys for my lever arms resistance.
I'd love a review on the Fray fitness functional trainer power rack combo!
Same here, hard to find reviews on that company. All the comments about Fray seem to mention very long lead times and little customer service.
I'd like to see a demonstration of adjusting the j cups and other attachments around the cables.
You tested the Titan Fitness leg extension and curl machine, version 1. Have you tested version 2? If so, what do you think of it? Is it effective? Is it a good value?
I got the Ares and absolutely love it. No regrets at all
Do you do incline in the rack?
I can incline in the rack. I hear a lot folks saying they can’t. I think it depends on your bench. I have an earlier version of the Rep AB 3000 I got in 2019. It fits nicely in the rack and I have no issues doing incline bench press in the rack while having the ares weight stack. If I could post a picture I would showing.
They should attempt to design lever arms that accept cables.
Very well done. I would LOVE to hear Coop’s feedback, as he’s in a unique position with these manufacturers, as to where he thinks Rep’s innovation leaves Rogue and whether Rogue should start similarly innovating **their existing customer base** (critical) to prevent market share loss.
I expect a lot from Rogue this year. They’re very competitive and have a lot of resources. Ultimately, the home gym owner benefits from these and other companies fighting it out. I’m here for it. - Coop
@@GarageGymReviews I'm selling my rogue rm6 rack and investing in the pr5000 with ares, rogue simply has taken too long to play "catch up" and by the time something from them DOES come that can do all that the ares can offer it'll 2-3x the price MINIMUM...I love my made in USA Rogue products but I just can't justify it any longer... rep's quality is 8/10 to rogues 9/10 quality but the price/options from rogue just isn't there, for instance their new Manta Ray bench is over $1000, probably extra $200 with shipping 💀
Only question left for me is which color to go with for the PR5000...clear coat, black, or white?? 🤔
@@mikeworkman1759 I'm with you Mike. Tired of waiting on Rogue to provide something that'll be twice as expensive and two years behind Rep. Selling our Rogue rack for a massive Rep install.
@@staticzV2 I just got my rogue rack last year, I've sold it for the exact price I paid for it since the price has increased so much from when I bought it from Rogue (actually coming ahead by like $30).
@@mikeworkman1759 I sold my Rogue RML-690C and bought a PR-5000 and Ares. Just got tired of waiting on Rogue.
My ares just came in thanks to your reviews.
Enjoy! - Coop
Do you do incline in the rack?
@@Mjwest23 I do it outside the rack with spotter arms.
Which of these options would you buy with the center lat pull down? I was trying to make sure I understood that, and which set up has the higher weights?
I was originally going for the Ares, but thanks to you, I have changed my decision to the Athena. Can you please tell me the dimensions of the rack that you installed the Athena on?
What is the depth between the side posts on your rack in the video. Thanks very much.
If you just get the center lat pulley and not Athena, are you just giving up cable flys? What other exercises would you be missing?
Is the low row issue with the Ares solvable by adding additional carabiners to help clear your feet easier?
I have the Ares with the PR-5000 and I agree that the low row is a pain. I think a banana attachment for the row pulleys would help though instead of the current heavier and cumbersome bar that one has to attach a close grip row handle.
Do you do incline in the rack?
@@Mjwest23 I assume you mean incline bench press. No,there isn’t enough room on the back side with Ares there. You can if you put the bar on the front of the rack
Which stand alone lat pull down would you recommend? I already have a functional trainer, so I just want to get a stand alone lat pulldown.
How well do either of the low rows (standalone or via the Ares) work as a belt squat? And I don't mean using the rep belt squat attachment...I mean just standing on the rear base stabilizer just above the pulley (or pullies for the Ares).
Ares looks maybe better only with the addition of the non Rep aftermarket center pulley that’s available which is another $200. Also, Ares doesn’t have band pegs and might make incline and squatting inside cramped.
Athena dual stack setup can do lat pulls with a double eyelet lat bar connecting both cables. Also seen someone do lats on the Athena and use the dip bar to keep thighs down.
Athena might be hard for seated rows I guess.
Ares takes up less depth than the lat high low row But sacrifices space inside.
Hey, Coop! What's the build out options for the Athena in this review. Was not sure once I clicked affiliate link and ended up on rep site. So many options...
A comparison of the Athena, prime prodigy or Straydog atr would be awesome.
I am looking to get one of these this year but I have a basement gym with an 80 inch height restriction. I had to carve out a little bit of the ceiling beams in order to fit my current squat rack in there. So Looking at both it looks like the Athena lat pulldown adds 3.3 inches to the height where as the Ares only adds 1.2 inches. Doesn't seem like much but when you have to cut into a beam without your house falling down it matters. I would love the single pulley for low row but if it is actually that tall I don't think it would work :( Also you should do a video of putting together the best gym with height restrictions for people that don't have all that height in a garage!
Y'all be crazy not to go with the Ares. Those duel cables on the bottom are priceless if you use them effectively
I have the pr5000 6post with ares and love it
Most of the athena options are back order now in Canada, I guess that ares will be the to go option for them in the futur.
I would love to see rack/functional trainer combos compared across companies so I can see which one is the best
With the plate loaded Athena going in between the weight storage uprights, would you still be able to use weight horns for the Athena? It looks like the plates would get in the way of that. Perhaps you may be able to load the weight horns facing towards the back of the rack?
Appreciate your videos. Can you give me a comparison on the smoothness of rep ares cables vs your free motion cable cross? I love my free motion bc of how smooth the cables are but I am very interested in rep ares. Thank you!
I got dual selectorized Athena. I just do lat pull downs on one of the stacks. If I wanna add more weight, I put weights on the resistance band part. Also, the gym pin 30" d handle can attach both weight stacks together. I can pick the perfect height for seated rows with the gym pin. And lat pull downs up to 220lbs without using any plates on the resistance band portion.
And with the athena, someone can still spot me in the power rack if a friend comes over.
Both awesome squat rack functional trainers, for me I'm going to buy the Athena ONLY, because of my space, I need to be able to move thru the rack. The Ares will not allow me access to rear of my garage (two car linear garage with different heights) freely move front to back. REP IS BLOWING THE ROOF OFF ROGUE. Rogue needs to step it up and fast. I'm buying almost everything Rep instead of Rouge.
I love my ares, although I do hate the low row so much that I really don't use it
I think a lot of us are going to go with the Athena because we already have the center lat-pulldown
Hmm, you guys think a single-sided selectorized Athena, or the center selectorized lat pulldown, would be a better purchase? Also if I were to purchase the single-sided Athena, I may check if the Rogue lat seat may work...
I would like a review on jacked up fitness all in 1 smith/functional trainer and review on atlas strength all in 1 with jammer arms.
So you're saying that the new rear base stabilizer makes it so you can actually use the incline bench inside the rack? What bench do you think fits well without having too much footing off the back to get in the way with the low row and rear base stabilizer?
I would like to know this answer as well. Considering putting the lat/low row off the back of the 6 post but would prefer to keep the footprint smaller if this is possible now with a new RBS 2.0
Ultimately I went with the selectorized lat low row and will buy the athena later. That low row would just bother me too much for the amount of money I’m spending. Also, me and my wife could use the athena and lat low row at the same time unlike with the ares. To me the extra price is worth it
Excellent point regarding partner workouts. I’m debating getting it all at once or Athena or Low row. I think I can do lat pull downs on the Athena until I sell some crap to pay for the low row 😊
@@rpclance my biggest thing is figuring out if I even need the Athena. It would be nice to have but that price is a hard one to swallow with the weight upgrades. A little easier for the lat low row due to me saving for already having the plate loaded lat low row
I debated this but realized no need for rear lat attachment if I get Athena. Prime prodigy sells a lat pull-down seat that attaches to PR5000 rack and I'll do lat pulldowns on one of the side trolleys. With weight upgrade up to 110lbs then add some plates with a pin attachment if needed.
What is that wall decor behind the rack? Are those adhesive? Cost? Link?
I wonder if it would be possible to rig up something to the lat pull-down portion so it would connect to your back so you could also squat with it. So I could just buy the Ares by itself.
Question, what if I go with a single sided Athena instead of the dual? What are the benefits of having both sides of the functional trainer? Or is a single sided one just as good?
Can you compare both of these in 4 post form? Trying to figure out which would be best with minimal footprint.
@garagegymreviews what handle attachment (the one in lime green color) are you using for your lat pull downs?
For the low row I wish they had an option for a pulley on top of the RBS.
I already have a REP PR 5000 with the plate loaded lat pull/low row, would the Athena work with it if I just wanted to get the side functional trainers?
So glad I bought my hoist PTS3 years ago. Even then Hoist was ahead of the game for garage gym builders. After watching the review of the Ares and Athena they are still infirior to quality and functon of the Hoist PTS3.
Hey do you review the mikolo multi-function power cage 1500lbs seems like a good set up for price
Please review the Get RX’D functional trainer.