By Drew | Iron and Lime Fitness
Last Updated: December 2025

A No-BS Review After 365 Days of Real Training

If you are reading this, you are likely standing at a crossroads common to every garage gym owner. On one side, you have the dream of a sprawling, commercial-grade facility with specialized machines for every movement. On the other side, you have the reality: a two-car garage, a budget, and a car that still needs to park inside.

The Rogue FM-6 Twin Functional Trainer positions itself as the Holy Grail solution to this conflict. It promises to be everything: a heavy-duty power rack, a functional trainer, a lat pulldown, and a storage unit, all within a neat 49” x 49” cage footprint and 76”x80” overall footprint. It seduces you with the idea of "One Footprint. One Purchase. One Setup."

I bought into that dream. But after 365 days of heavy, consistent training, not just influencer unboxing videos, but real sweat equity, I have come to a different conclusion.

I wouldn't buy it again.

To understand why, we have to look past the spec sheet and talk about what it’s actually like to live with this machine. Watch the full Youtube video below.

The Allure vs. The Reality

When you click "Buy," you imagine a streamlined workflow. You picture yourself squatting heavy, then seamlessly transitioning to cable flys without moving your feet.

The reality is that "all-in-one" often translates to "compromise-in-all." While the FM-6 is an engineering marvel in many respects, it forces a specific style of training that may not align with how you actually move iron. It solves the space problem perfectly, but it introduces a workflow problem that slowly grates on you over months of training.

My Review Standard: Why This Matters

Before we get into the details, you should know how I approach reviews.

Everything in my gym is equipment I paid for myself. I train on it year-round. I don’t review anything I haven’t lived with long enough to see where it shines and where it creates friction. If something earns its keep, it stays. If it doesn’t, it eventually finds its way to Facebook Marketplace.

That distinction matters, because most equipment looks perfect on Day One. Very little stays perfect at Month Twelve.

What the Rogue FM-6 Does Well

Let’s start with the positives, because this rack has some undeniable strengths.

1. Build Quality and Stability

The FM-6 is solid. It is overbuilt in the classic Rogue fashion. When you unrack heavy weight, it feels planted and predictable. There’s no flex where there shouldn’t be, and no movement that makes you second-guess the lift. If you train alone, that trust under load isn’t optional. The "Rogue Standard" is a real thing. When you have 400+ pounds on your back, the last thing you want is a rack that shimmy or flexes. The FM-6 is a tank. It feels planted. The uprights are 3x3” 11-gauge steel, and the hardware is massive. This stability provides a psychological safety net that is crucial for the solo lifter. You never question if the rack can handle the load; you only question if you can.

(Note: There is some minor movement in the front uprights during weighted dips performed off the side, something I noted in my [Mutant Metals UDA review], but in practice, it’s negligible and doesn’t affect training.)

2. Smooth Lat Pulldown and Low Row

This is one of the FM-6’s biggest wins. The lat pulldown and low row feel smooth and consistent through the entire range of motion. You’re not fighting the machine friction; the resistance feels natural. For an all-in-one setup, this execution is top-tier. Many "combo" racks treat the pulley system as an afterthought—using cheap nylon bushings or low-quality cables that drag and stutter. Rogue didn’t do that. The lat pulldown and low row on the FM-6 are buttery smooth.

The Feel: There is no "break-away" force required to start the movement. The resistance is consistent from the very bottom of the stretch to the peak contraction.
The Sound: It is quiet. In a home gym, where you might be training while the family sleeps, the silence of high-quality sealed bearings is a luxury.

3. Pulley Quality

The pulleys themselves are excellent, smooth, quiet, and consistent. This is a detail people often underestimate until they’ve trained on a cheap system that drags. Good pulleys disappear when you train. These do exactly that.

4. Garage Practicality

On paper, a 49” x 49” cage footprint and 76”x80” overall footprint rack sounds massive. In practice, it’s manageable. The footprint allows the garage to still function as a garage; cars can be parked, and you can move around without the equipment dominating the entire room. It leaves perimeter space for storage shelves, a rower, or just walking room. If your #1 constraint is literal square footage, the FM-6 defends its existence brilliantly.

Where Long-Term Use Changes Your Perspective

This is where most reviews stop short, and where the reality of "all-in-one" creates friction.

The 49-Inch Width Trade-Off

Sometimes the width feels great. Other times, it becomes a distinct limitation. Plates can contact the uprights when stepping out a squat. Specialty bars feel tight. Even overhead pressing inside the rack can feel claustrophobic depending on your bar choice and setup.

Pro-Tip: Over time, you realize Sandwich J-cups aren’t just an upgrade on the FM-6; they are almost a requirement to create the necessary offset.

Standard power racks are often narrower (around 43-47 inches) or offer specific spacing to accommodate the barbell sleeves. The FM-6 is wide.

The Walkout Anxiety: When you walk out a heavy squat, you typically take a step back and settle. With the FM-6, the distance between the uprights is wide enough that if your walkout isn't perfectly centered, your plates can clip the uprights. This breaks your concentration at the most critical moment of the lift.
The "Claustrophobic" Press: Inside the rack, the width combined with the cables and trolleys creates a visual tunnel. Overhead pressing inside the rack can feel cramped. You constantly feel like you are about to hit something, a trolley handle, a cable, or the upright itself. This forces you to be hyper-aware of your environment rather than hyper-focused on the lift.
The Solution (and Hidden Cost): You almost have to buy Sandwich J-Cups. Their design pushes the bar slightly further out from the upright, buying you precious clearance. But on a rack this expensive, should you have to buy premium upgrades just to squat comfortably?

Trolleys That Limit Attachments

The integrated trolleys look clean and efficient at first. Then you start adding attachments. The defining feature of the FM-6 is the sliding trolley system for the cables. It looks sleek, but it monopolizes the uprights.

The Jammer Arm Problem: Jammer arms (lever arms) are fantastic for athletic training. They require mounting points on the uprights. On the FM-6, the trolleys occupy that space. You cannot have both. The rack decides for you: You are a cable lifter now, not a lever arm lifter.
The Setup Shuffle: If you want to use the cables, you often have to move your J-cups or safeties out of the way to slide the trolley down. If you want to squat, you have to slide the trolley up. This constant reconfiguration adds minutes to every workout. Over a year, that is hours of lost training time.

Some work awkwardly. Others don’t work at all. Jammer arms, for example, simply aren’t an option. You don’t decide not to use them; the rack decides for you. This is where the all-in-one design begins to show its compromises.

Cable Protection Shrouds: Good Intent, Real Consequences

I have kids, so cable protection shrouds made sense on paper. Protecting fingers matters. However, in real-world use, those shrouds block attachments from passing through the rack. Rogue added protective shrouds to cover the cables, a sensible safety feature, especially for those of us with curious kids.

The Unintended Blockade: These shrouds effectively "delete" the utility of the middle uprights. You cannot pass a pin through them.
Attachment Incompatibility: High-end third-party attachments, like the Mutant Metals UDA or Surplus Strength Spotter Arms, often require pass-through pinning. The shrouds make this impossible. You are forced to rely solely on the front uprights for spotting, which limits your setup options and safety configurations.

If you have limited space in front of the rack and rely on the middle uprights for attachments, this becomes a hard constraint. In practice, those uprights are limited to J-cups and flip-down safeties. That’s it.

The "Floating Plate" Issue

Despite the pulleys being smooth, I dealt with a "floating plate" on one side for most of the year. For a piece of equipment in this price bracket, the "floating plate" issue was a surprising irritant.

The Physics: The cables need to stretch (break-in). Until they do, the top weight plate in the stack doesn't sit flush.
The Result: When you try to insert the selector pin, the holes don't align perfectly. You have to jiggle the stack or pull down on the cable to get the pin in. It’s a small thing, but when you are trying to do a drop set or change weights quickly, it is a friction point that shouldn't exist.

I adjusted cables. I loosened trolleys. Eventually, the cable stretched enough that the plate seated properly. But for a long time, the top plate wasn’t fully seated, which caused resistance issues when inserting the pin. It’s mostly resolved now, but at this price point, it’s an annoyance I didn’t expect.

The Real Lesson of All-In-One Systems

Here is the part most people don’t hear before they buy. All-in-one systems promise efficiency: One footprint. One structure. One purchase.

But when everything is combined into a single unit, every compromise compounds. Attachments compete for space. Design choices limit other functions. Small frictions add up over time. This year-long experiment taught me a vital lesson about home gym philosophy: Modularity beats integration.

The FM-6 is an Integrated system. It is a Swiss Army Knife. It has a knife, a spoon, and a saw, but none of them are as good as a dedicated chef's knife, a soup spoon, or a hand saw.

When you train five to six days a week, those frictions matter.

What I’d Do Differently

If I were to restart today, I would choose a Modular approach:

A Dedicated Rack (Rogue RM-6 or Sorinex XL): A rack that is just a rack. It has holes everywhere. It accepts every attachment. It doesn't care if you want to use jammer arms, monolifts, or bands. It is a blank canvas.
A Standalone Cable System: A functional trainer or a wall-mounted pulley tower that lives outside the rack.

Why? Because I could superset squats with face pulls without re-racking the bar to move a trolley. I could leave my spotter arms set up permanently. I could upgrade the cable machine later without having to sell my entire rack.

My dream would be something like the Sorinex XL. (Pictured below)

Or the Rogue RM-6

Would it take more space? Yes. Would it cost more? Probably. Would it take more setup? Absolutely.

But the training experience would be cleaner. There would be fewer compromises. And I wouldn’t be reconfiguring my rack early in the morning just to get basic movements done. When you only have an hour to train, losing ten minutes to setup and teardown adds up fast.

Final Verdict: Who is the Rogue FM-6 For?

The Rogue FM-6 is not bad equipment. It’s strong, reliable, and capable. But it is a specific tool for a specific user.

Buy the FM-6 if:

You value a single, clean footprint above all else.
You don’t plan to run many third-party attachments (Jammer arms, etc.).
You are okay with some setup friction in exchange for floor space consolidation.
Space is King: You literally do not have the floor space for a separate rack and cable tower.
Aesthetics Matter: You want a gym that looks clean, professional, and uncluttered.
You are a "Generalist": You do basic squats, bench, and accessory cable work, and you don't plan on buying exotic specialty attachments like lever arms or monolifts.

Skip the FM-6 if:

You train frequently and value workflow efficiency above aesthetics.
You prefer modular systems that can evolve over time.
You are a Gear Head: If you love buying and trying new attachments (from Rogue or other companies), this rack will fight you.
You Train for Efficiency: If you want to jump between movements instantly (supersets, giant sets), the setup/teardown time of moving trolleys and J-cups will drive you crazy.
You Value Freedom: If you want a rack that can evolve with you over the next 10 years, get a standard 6-post rack. It is a safer long-term bet.

The Takeaway

The best gym setup encourages efficiency so you can focus on training. When equipment gets in your way, it stops being a tool and starts being a roommate.

"Buy once, cry once" still applies. But so does "measure twice, cut once." Think beyond Day One. Think about how your setup will work a year from now. That’s how you build a gym that lasts.

The Bottom Line: The Rogue FM-6 is a beautiful cage, but it is still a cage. It locks you into a specific way of training. If that way fits your life, it’s the best in the world. If it doesn't, it’s a very expensive coat rack. Choose wisely.

Let's Talk

If you've got questions about fitness, being a dad, the Army, or if the Rogue FM-6 makes sense for your situation, drop a comment below or message me on Instagram (@ironandlimefitness) or Facebook. I reply to everyone because this stuff matters-your money, your training, your goals.

Support the Garage Grind:

This is a family-run operation. I do the videos, the editing, the writing, the filming, and obviously the training-all while balancing a full-time job and three kids who just want to hang out.

If this review helped you make a decision or gave you information you couldn't find anywhere else, hitting Like and Subscribe is the best way to keep this thing going. No ads, no sponsors, no BS-just real reviews from a real gym.

Let's train hard and stay consistent.

Strength for Life. Fitness for All.

- Drew
Iron & Lime Fitness

P.S. - If you end up buying this rack and want to compare notes after a few months, hit me up. I love to hear how others are loving or not loving the FM-6.

Overall Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)

If you find it used, grab it. You won’t regret it.

Strength for Life. Fitness for All.

Shop the Rack:

Rogue FM-6 Twin Functional Trainer
Shop Here

Watch the full video review on our YouTube channel
Here's Why I Wouldn't Buy The Rogue FM-6 Again

Here's Why I Wouldn't Buy The Rogue FM-6 Again: Rogue FM-6 Long-Term Review

The Allure vs. The Reality

My Review Standard: Why This Matters