The Titan X-2 Power Rack is currently the latest in the ever-expanding line of Titan power racks.

It came out in mid-October of 2017, which was a few weeks after the X-3 Sumo Base Power Rack was dropped. Before that was the X-3 Flat Foot Power Rack, which I own and love, and it came out in early 2017.

The Titan X-2 is unlike the X-3 Sumo Base and X-3 Flat Foot power racks. In fact, it is quite different than ALL other Titan power racks up until now.

I think it's actually pretty damn cool rack, and broadens the Titan power rack lineup, making it even more likely that any lifter can find a Titan rack that meets their needs and wants.

In this Titan X-2 Power Rack review, I'll tell you what's unique about it and whether or not it's the right choice for you.

The frame is VERY strong. Despite the uprights being just 2" x 2" compared to the X-3's 3" x 3" uprights, the frame is significantly more robust. This is due to the steel being 9 gauge thick (5/32" or 0.156"), which is REALLY thick as far as power racks go.

Compare it to the X-3, which is a very heavy duty rack: it is 11 gauge (1/8" or 0.125").

And the thickness of the super expensive high-end power racks you'll typically find in any given Gold's Gym or 24 Hour Fitness (e.g. Hammer Strength power racks) is 7 gauge (3/16" or 0.188").

So the X-2 frame gauge falls right in the middle between these two examples.

NOTE: For gauge, higher is thinner; lower is thicker

This is by far the highest weight capacity of all the Titan power racks. The power rack with the next highest capacity is the Titan X-3, which is rated for 1500 lbs. So, the X-2 is twice as strong in that respect.

Now, for pretty much everyone on the planet, anything more than 1500 lbs (heck, even 1000 lbs) is overkill and won't make a difference from a practical standpoint. Still, it's nice knowing that IF you did need that extra capacity, you'd have it. Plus, it gives you something to brag about to other power rack owners! ;-P

If you haven't inferred how the X-2 has this ridiculously high weight capacity, it's thanks to these two key characteristics:

This is quite possibly the cheapest (in price) light commercial quality power rack with Westside hole spacing on the market. I looked and couldn't find a comparable rack for less.

The prices for the short and full-height versions of the X-2 as of the time of writing this (November 2017) are:

I'd say this is best rack if you're on a tight budget, assuming you'll be able to bolt it into the floor.

Besides the smaller yet thicker frame size and greater weight capacity, the X-2 Power Rack shares all other major features that the Titan X-3 and flagship Titan T-3 power rack also share...

...I'll discuss all of these features below:

The X-2 has a sumo base. If you're not familiar with the concept, it's this: the crossbeams on lower left and right of the rack are raised a few inches above the floor.

This gives you enough space to slide you feet underneath if you want to use an extra wide (sumo-style) stance.

The most common exercises where this is used include: 

An incidental, but nonetheless important benefit of the sumo base is that it these lower beams have holes across their entire length. These are where you can insert band pegs if you want to do any band resisted exercises such as:

Compare this to the X-3's flat foot base, which doesn't have these holes on the feet (necessary for structural integrity). There are workarounds for installing lower bands on a flat foot rack, which I will discuss in my upcoming X-3 power rack review.

However, the simple fact is that it's simply not as convenient or straight forward as with the a sumo base like the on the X-2 power rack.

Westside hole spacing is a must-have in my book if I'm going to invest in a power rack for my home gym.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept, it refers to 1" hole spacing in the region where you need the greatest precision (i.e. where you'll be setting the j-hooks and/or spotters for bench and rack deadlifts); and 2" hole spacing where you don't need quite as much precision (e.g. for squats).

Luckily, the X-2 has this feature, as does every other Titan power rack--except for their lowest end T-2 power rack model.

As you should expect, you get a pair of j-hooks standard with the X-2. After all, you need somewhere to rack and unrack the barbell, right?

The X-2 Power Rack has the same type of well-designed j-hook that comes standard on the X-3/X-6 and the T-3/T-6 power racks, except they have one noteworthy improvement:

Other than that, the X-2 J-hooks share these key characteristics with the aforementioned Titan racks:

The X-2 comes standard with 2 different pull up bars:

The inclusion of both a fat and a skinny pull up bar is standard on the X-2 as well as all other Titan power racks (except for the T-2, which comes with just one skinny pull up bar).

No power rack is complete without a pair of safety spotters. After all, safety is one of the primary functions that power racks serve.

The pin & pipe safety is a particular style of safety bars that is designed with 2 primary objectives:

It achieves the first objective of high weight capacity/minimal profile by having a 1/2-inch diameter solid steel pin that gives the safety a very strong base. However, a 1/2-inch pin would not be strong enough by itself. Not to mention, if you were to use just the 1/2-inch pin, it would cause lots of damage to the barbell when dropped, since it's so narrow.

This is were the pipe comes in. After the pin is inserted into one upright, you then slide it through the pipe and then through the other upright. So, the pipe acts as pin's the sheath, completely covering it in the the area between the two power rack uprights.

The pipe adds additional strength to the safety spotter as whole. More than that, it absorbs the impact from the barbell, spreading it more evenly over the entire length of the safety bar.

Thus, this pin and pipe safety spotter design achieves the following:

All Titan power racks with 5/8" holes and Westside hole spacing come standard with a pair of this same pin/pipe style of safety spotter bars.

Of course, the lengths of the safety bars differ depending on the depth dimension of the power rack (i.e. a 30-inch deep X-3 rack will have longer pin/pipe safeties than the 24-inch deep X-2 power rack)...

...However, the pin/pipe safeties for a 24-inch deep T-3 power rack will be compatible with the 24-inch deep X-2 power rack. I mention this because Titan currently does not sell X-2 pin/pipe safeties separately on the X-2 accessories page. So if for some reason you wanted a second pair, you could simply buy these 24-inch T-3 pin/pipe safeties.

Need a place to put your weight plates when they're not on the barbell? Well, you could buy a weight storage tree...

...Or you could just use the four plate storage pegs that come standard with the Titan X-2 power rack.

Storage pegs come standard on other Titan racks like the T-3, T-6 and X-3 Sumo Base power rack. However, you must purchase them separately on the X-3 and X-6 Flat Foot power racks as well as on the T-2 power rack.

Also, it's worth noting that the all T-3, T-6, X-3 (flat feet and sumo base) and X-6 power racks have adjustable j-hook style plate holders available. Whereas, the X-2 currently only has these bolt-on plate holders available. It's very likely that Titan will eventually come out with these in the future, as they add accessories incrementally.

Additionally, let's say you wanted more than four of these bolt-on X-2 weight holders. Unfortunately, you cannot buy more of the holders as a standalone optional accessory, which you can do for the other racks. In all likelihood, it's just a matter of time until this option is available.

So how do these bolt-on X-2 plate holders work? The idea is simple: bolt the pegs onto the sides of the uprights, then slide the weights on and off as needed.

Now, there is a potential flaw to this solution. That is, the plates, when on the holders, extend forward into the usable space of the power rack. Depending on the exercise you're doing and where you install the storage pegs, the plates may get in the way of the barbell's path...

...Here's a few ways to prevent, or at least minimize the stored plates from getting in the way:

The X-2 power rack comes standard with 4 band pegs.

They allow you to do band-resisted or reverse band exercises such as:

You insert the band pegs into the desired holes on the power rack. Typically, this means:

Once you insert the band pegs, you loop one end of a band over the peg and loop the other end around the barbell. Then do the same with another band on the other side of the rack.

IMPORTANT: You should be bolting the X-2 to the floor anyway. But this is especially crucial to do if you're doing band exercises. If not, then you can very easily slide, tilt or completely flip the rack over while you're inside doing the exercise. NOT safe!

Now that we've covered some of the more "glamorous" features, let's get into the more boring (but very important!) specs regarding the X-2 power rack's dimensions.

One of the most important specs, which I noticed is unique to only the X-2 (compared to all other Titan racks), is the height its full-height and short versions:

To summarize from the above, the X-2 racks are the shortest of all the Titan racks.

BUT, here's the cool part: The usable height (i.e. internal height) is actually comparable to the other racks.

The other racks actually much more unusable height as a result of their construction.

Here's how the X-2 is able to maximize usable height while minimizing overall rack height.

Okay, so I've told you that X-2 racks are the shortest of all comparable Titan racks in terms of overall height (though usable internal heights are similar). And I've told you why this is the case.

Now, let me explain why can make a HUGE difference for many home gym lifters:..

...If you're building a home gym in your basement or garage, chances are you won't exactly have the tallest ceilings. Depending on how tall, or rather, how short your ceilings are, even an inch of extra power rack height can make the difference between a rack fitting or not. Or it may barely fit, but you have insufficient head room for pull ups.

In other words, every inch counts when you have limited ceiling space. So the fact that both the X-2 short and full height racks are anywhere from 2 inches to 5 inches shorter than their X-3 and T-3 counterparts is a BIG deal if:

I would argue that the X-2 racks' heights vs the heights of the X-3 and T-3 racks is the most impactful difference compared to the other rack dimensions.

However, there are other dimensions that differ between the X-2 and the X-3 and T-3. Similarly, some dimensions are the same.

Here are all of the other rack specs, including those unique to the X-2 as well as though that match up with the X-3 and or the T-3 power racks:

Here are some of the negatives of the X-2 Power Rack:

Since this is such a new power rack, Titan only has a couple of optional accessories available to expand its capabilities.

Right now, this includes the X-2 Mounted Step-Up Platform and the X-2 Dual Pull Up Stabilizer Bar. I'll discuss these in detail later.

Compare this to the literally dozens of accessories available for the X-3 and T-3 racks. That said, Titan had said that they will be adding more products to the X-2 line of accessories over time. However, there is no official timeline available or any indication of which specific accessories will be released. Only time will tell.

One of the major initial complaints from people who have bought or are considering buying the X-2, is that it only has a 10" rack extension available for purchase separately.

Now, don't get me wrong--a short rack extension like this 10" one is perfectly adequate if you goal is simply to store your weights on the rack and have them completely out of the way of the main rack section.

However, if you wanted a second section for squatting and doing any other power rack exercises, then 10" is simply not enough. The X-3 and T-3 both have 24" rack extensions available that allow you to do exactly that. They also have 10" extensions for just weight storage.

Unfortunately, the X-3 does not have a 24" rack extension. At least, not at this time. And although Titan has stated that they will be coming out with more X-2 accessories in the future, it is not clear if they will release a 24" rack extension.

The X-2 needs to be bolted down to ensure it's properly secured. This is the trade-off that comes with any rack that has a sumo base instead of a flat foot base.

For lifters such as myself, bolting the rack to the floor is not an option. I rent and my landlord wouldn't allow it. So this is a MAJOR negative.

Other lifters may be able to bolt it the floor, yet they might not want. Maybe they're terrible with tools. Maybe they can't get access to the necessarily tools (i.e. a drill). Or maybe they want to be able to easily move the rack around to a different position in the future. Whatever the reason, in these such cases, bolting the rack is a more moderate negative point against X-2, but maybe not a deal breaker.

Finally, there are also plenty of lifters who want to bolt their rack down so they can have a sumo base power rack that has absolutely rock solid stability. In this case, of course, it's not a negative at all. It's a major positive. However, I've put it in the "cons" section, because that's how I see it. And hey--it's my review after all! ;-P

The X-2 Mounted Step-Up Platform is a pretty cool accessory. Currently, the only other Titan rack that has its own version of this accessory is the T-3, and that was a very recent edition.

So what is it exactly? Well, it is basically like having a plyometric box. Or really, several plyometric boxes of different sizes, since it is an adjustable platform. Therefore, you can do just about any exercise you could do if you had a set of plyometric boxes, including:

Adjusting the height is very easy, as well. It uses the quick-pin mechanism some of the other Titan accessories use.

The process is simple: First, you line up the hole on the step up platform's support bracket with any hole on the power rack's upright. Then, you just insert the pin through. That's it--very quick.

This is an excellent accessory to buy if you want to add a lot of variety to your lower body training.

Here are all of its technical specs:

The X-2 Dual Pull Up Stabilizer Bar is a handy accessory if you're a big fan of pull ups.

It's not just for pull ups, though. As the name suggests, it also serves improve the stability of the rack by bolstering the connection at the top. However, considering most lifters would consider the rack to be plenty stable on its own, the added stability is really a secondary benefit.

The primary benefit is having a dedicated station for pull ups and related accessories.

So, what's this accessory all about? For starters, it comes with 2 pull up bars (hence "dual" in its name) welded into its structure. Here's what you need to know about them: 

Other than improved stability and getting another two pull up bars to add on your rack, there are other interesting ways you use this attachment. You can add other accessories to the stabilizer bar, which has holes spaced 2 inches apart along its full length. Here's some ideas:

NOTE: The Titan site says that you can add use the rotating pull up handles with these. However, I don't see how that would be feasible, simply because one of the pull up bars is directly below the stabilizer bar. As such, the bar would get in the way of your forearms if you were to install the rotating handles and hold onto them.

Here are the technical specs for the X-2 Dual Pull Up Stabilizer Bar:

The Titan X-2 Extension Kits are made for both the short X-2 power rack and the full-height X-2 power rack.

They attach to the rear of the rack and add on two more uprights. This effectively makes a larger power rack with six uprights and separate sections.

The X-2 extensions are made of the same 2" x 2" 9 gauge steel that the main rack is made of. They are secured to the rack with side bracings that are bolted on, at the top and the bottom.

However, it is worth noting that the top side bracings aren't actually 2" x 2" tubing, but rather a flat (yet thick) metal strip, which has the Titan logo laser cut on it. The bottom side bracings are tubing.

As I discussed earlier, the X-2 only has 10-inch rack extensions. That means the second section is just 10 inches deep. Other Titan racks all have 24-inch extension kits available in addition to the 10-inch kits.

Having the option for a 24-inch extension would be awesome, so you could set up a second section that you actually do lifts in--Basically, it'd be like having two power racks in one. But that's just not an option with the X-2. It may be in the future, but Titan hasn't indicated it explicitly.

Still, the 10" extension is still a worthwhile investment if you want:

Here are the technical specs of the X-2 10" extension kits:

Are you convinced the X-2 is the best power rack for you? If so and you're ready to buy one, then go to the Titan Fitness website for the best price.

See the links below for the relevant product pages:

Note: Prices above may vary in the future. I put the retail price at the date of publishing this review.

If you think one of the other Titan racks mentioned in this article may be a better fit for you than the X-2, then check the links below: