Belt Squats machine: Squatmax MD or Rogue Rhino?
I'm thinking about buying one of these due to an accumulation of upper body injuries that is making low bar squatting difficult and painful at this point. Anybody tried both of these units?
I tried out the Squatmax MD and thought it was amazing. Had never belt squatted before. It felt very natural and was easily able to pump the legs and glutes with just a single 45 and some heavy bands. This would be a $1600 - $1900 purchase depending on add-on options. In my basement gym I'd be squatting just a couple of inches below the joists in the ceiling above my head; more space between the joists. Doable, just not fun. Loading plates from a vertical position atop a loading pin may be a big PITA. I didn't try it with multiple plates to see if additional mass was just more better or more difficult balancing the loading pin through the opening at the top of the base. It appeared to be a very simple machine with the main potential point of failure that I could identify being the guide rod which helps keep the rolling pin stay on a vertical path. Easy to put together, disassemble or move around.
The Rhino is nearly $2,300 shipped to me, I have not tried it. The Rhino doesn't come with ceiling height issues, or PITA loading issues. It does come with big company support from Rogue. Does it feel like a real squat? Does it hit the glutes and the quads? It does seem like a complicated erector set of a machine where any number of things can go wrong. I've already seen a few posts from commercial gyms owners on Instagram where various repairs were needed on Rhinos to repair rollers (which are made of plastic), replace bent pins/screws, and have seen bearings which had been sheared off and needed to be replaced. The Rhino appears to have a lot more versatility.