For the price I'm very impressed

I've been working out with weights for 15 years but have been out of the game for the last several due to personal reasons. A few months ago I was told by my Dr. that I need to lose about 25 lbs. so I decided to get back in the game after a 2 year hiatus. However because of my very limited time and having 2 young children at home I did not want to go back to the gym at this time. I'm away from my kids enough during my work day so I decided to set myself up at home. The problem was as it is with most people I have very limited space and certainly don't have a large extra room I can dedicate as a home gym.



I bought this bench because the price was appealing and because I needed something that would fold up and take up less space since it's being stored in our bedroom. I was actually surprised at how sturdy it is for a folding bench. The bench is solid and folds up and stores very easily in a small corner of our bedroom. The mid width is perfect for my 6' bar. It will handle 6' and 7' bars but you won't be able to use it with a bar less than 6' long (the distance between the uprights is too wide for shorter bars). It's very stable and wide enough that you don't pinch your hands when re-racking the bar. It's not as heavy duty stable or wide as an olympic size bench but it's less than half the price of a good olympic width bench and takes up much less space as well. And there are no folding olympic width benches available that I know of (not to mention I don't have the room for a bench that wide). The uprights have a good range of adjustment heights and can be turned around to do squats. The adjustment pins seem a little thin to me but this isn't a gym quality olympic bench and it is not rated to hold a dumptruck like those benches.



On the down side (and the only minor reasons that I did not rate it a 5) the back rest pad is spaced a little far away from the seat pad making for an uncomfortable gap under your lower back when doing flat presses. It's not detrimental to the exercise as your lower back doesn't touch the pad when doing flat presses anyway you just need to make sure that you slide down far enough toward the leg developer so that your butt is fully supported by the lower pad. The backrest pad really could have been moved a little closer to the lower pad to close up this gap some and decrease the overhang of the pad at the top end (see comment about squatting). With inclined presses it's not an issue only when laying flat on your back. Also the top of the backrest pad extends a little to far past the uprights and is partially in the way when aproaching the uprights from the top end for doing squats. Ideally you should pivot the backrest up and out of the way to use the bench for squatting a minor inconvenience.



One other downside is that the owner's manual does not tell you what the weight capacities of the bench are. This information is not posted on any web sites I visited when shopping for a bench either so I had to contact the manufacturer to get this information. Incidentally the maximum weight for the uprights is 300 lb. and the maximum weight for the leg developer is 100 lb. I think the weight capacity for the leg developer is a little low but when using the heavier weights one could always do one leg at a time effectively doubling the weight capacity per leg. I think this is a minor compromise considering the low cost of the bench.



Assembly was very easy and took only about 45 minutes. They even give you the tools you will need to assemble the bench. The assembly instructions were pretty good with only 1 or 2 minor discrepancies that anyone with any type of common sense could figure out. Bolt holes all lined up the finish is very good and there are not a lot of parts to get lost.



Overall I would rate this bench as an excellent buy. For people looking for a good quality stable bench for the home that does not cost a lot takes up little space when stored and can handle a full 300 lb. load this bench fits the bill very well. Of course if you are a serious bodybuilder who needs to squat 500 lb. you will need to look at full sized olympic benches and cages but you should already know that. This bench was not designed to do the work and hold the weight of a full cage but it doesn't take up the whole room either. This bench was designed for the average person looking to get/stay in shape at home and it meets that goal very well. The average person working out at home typically won't need to load more than 300 lb. on the uprights.



I would not hesitate to buy this bench again.More detail ...

Ok for price if you're not too tall.

For the price this low-end home gym is generally able to do the things I wanted a cheap home gym to do. However there are a few issues you need to consider before buying it. The biggest issue is ergonometric - this unit is not designed to be used by anyone over perhaps 5'10" or 5'11". I'm 6'1" and this creates problems for me. I have to find work-arounds to use a unit designed for people smaller than me. The problem is that form is very important when doing the exercises (when you don't pay attention to form you either reduce the effectiveness of the exercise or risk injury) and finding work-arounds sometimes compromises your form during the exercise.

There are also a few quality issues but these were not entirely unexpected considering the price of the unit. It would have been nice if the bench padding were a little better but its adequate. The two most annoying quality issues involve the plate bars (the bars that hold the weights). This first issue was with the plate bar on the lat tower (cable) unit. It wasn't level. This means the weights keep trying to fall off one side as you put them on. The second issue is also with the plate bars. The unit is designed to accommodate standard plates (small holes in the middle) or Olympic plates (big holes in the middle). A "sleeve" is included with the unit that slips over the standard size plate bar that enables one to use Olympic plates (big holes). However the outer diameter of the sleeve is slightly smaller than standard Olympic size so an Olympic size spring collar (to hold the weights on the bar) is too big and doesn't work. I went down to Home Depot and bought wood clamps to hold the plates in place. Kind of a pain but functional (just another work-around). If you buy this unit you probably want to go with standard plates (small hole) rather than Olympic plates (big hole).

So I put this at 4 stars because for this price you really can't expect too much and it generally delivers what I expected a cheap home gym unit to do - with the one caveat: persons over 5'10" should try to find a home gym designed for taller people. Since only 5% of the US population is over 6 feet tall manufacturers tend to design for smaller people. If you're tall good luck on that search.

Follow-up note. At this time of the writing above this unit was sold by several vendors on Amazon so its worth comparing the pricing. When I say above that this unit is OK "for the price" means the price I paid for it not the price necessarily listed here now. At the current price (on 7/7/07) I would only list it as 2 stars but could not see how to change the star rating.More detail ...

Sturdy & Priced Right

I have had back problems for years and I would go to a friends house to use hers. However since moving 200 miles away I had to find my own. After going to stores to look and feel the sturdiness and quality of the many different types available I then came here to do my purchasing. I was scheduled to go to a spine specialist however this product improved my back issues in just 1 week WITH OUT the use of drugs for pain which I have been taking for years. We have had this for not quite a month now and even my husband who never has back problems; say's he can even feel a difference after being on it.

It arrived sooner than expected which was awesome. The padded table is much more comfortable than the thin cloth that is found on most I found this made me feel much more secure. The one problem we had with it was the directions; they were not very clear and seemed to be for a different machine.

I highly recommend this product to anyone suffering back problems. It's a great product and for the price I don't think you can beat it. I hope you enjoy yours as much as we are enjoying ours! - BeGeMore detail ...

a life saver

This is a great product and a great price. It took roughly 50 minutes to assemble and I consider myself pretty handy. I went slow to make sure everything was correct. Also I was recovering from a pretty major back/hip injury. I first used it at about a 45 degree angle for about 30 seconds. But that short period was amazing. My right foot had numbness for about 6 months. That 1st short period cause a pins and needle feeling in my leg and a warm feeling went from my hip to my foot. That helped my leg more that the hundreds of dollars that I had spent on massage therapist and doctors in the last couple of months. That being said this isn't a miricle cure all for all back problems. I have been using it for 2 weeks now and I feel about 85% now.



Now I am including the inversion table in my everyday therapy routine. In the morning I use the table for about 2-3 minutes at an agle of about 60 degrees. In the afternoon I use it at full inversion for about 5 minutes. I also walk for about 20 minutes once or twice a day more on weekends. Also I stretch at night as much as I can tolerate.



Bottom line if you have back/leg pain due to compressed or bulging disk this will probably help. For me it has help significantly.More detail ...

Very Pleased

These were purchased as a gift for my husband. He has been working with them for about 4 weeks now and continues to comment on how much he likes them. I was concerned about the coments of other reviewers about the indicator being hard to read (we don't find it hard at all) and the necessity to move four dials to change the weight (would you want all the weight on one end?) and don't find any problems with either of these issues. These work great are more reasonably priced than other comperable sets and have a nice look and feel which was important to my spouse. He gives them a whole-hearted stamp of approval.More detail ...

Good buy for beginners

Yes there are a few downsides to this system. It can take up a bit of floorspace and it is a bit pricey. But... I had this system a few years ago and loved it. I had to sell it when I moved into a tiny apartment and needed all the space I could get. I recently repurchased the item again and don't regret it at all. There are so many exercises you can perform with this unit and after two and a half weeks I'm already seeing results. This is a great product for beginners or for those who want an inexpensive home gym.More detail ...

Good product good price.

I bought this item with little knowledge of it. I had read mixed reviews of it on here but decided to go with my gut feeling and just get it. It's a pretty good product over all installs easy to any door and is fun to use. The workout instructions are somewhat vague but the dvd certainly helps. For those of you that are always at the gym or are in incredible shape this wont help you much. For those of you that are crunched for time or have little experience at the gym this is a nice workout item that can get you into shape. I incorporate this in my martial arts regualr gym and cardio workouts and it fits nice.More detail ...

Surprisingly good quality for the price

Delivery: the item arrived promptly and was well packaged; there was no damage.



Assembly: uncomplicated and took under 30 minutes; instructions were straightforward; the bench can be easily folded and stored away.



Country of origin: China.



Construction: the steel frame is fairly light but sturdy; no rickety parts; every single joint is thoroughly welded; the bench does not rock or tip during exercise; paint job is A+; padding is a little on a flimsy side and I do not expect it to last as long as my previous bench; the manufacturer specifies 250 lbs as a user weight limit.



Dimensions: the seat is only 28.5 inches long so decide for yourself whether this is adequate for you; I would estimate that anyone over 6 ft tall will have difficulty using this product for sit-ups.

The vertical component of the bench (tilted 40 degrees and used for back hyperextension exercises) has adjustable height and will accommodate just about any sized human (but do not forget the 250 lbs weight limit); it does excellent job isolating the lower back muscles.



Overall appearance: it looks like a quality product overall from stitching to glossy finish; the design is certainly compact and clever for what this bench does.



Price: $100 for a bench like this including delivery is a good value.



Rating: 4 stars; there are nicer products out there but they are all bulkier and more expensive.More detail ...

Tips on using the Bowflex

First of all I have the Bowflex Sport which is the same as the Blaze just with different trim and labels but which is being discontinued to Bowflex (however if you can find one they are cheaper than the Blaze).



Before I get into my tips I'll give a brief review. I've had this machine for 10 months now and I am mostly pleased with it. I started out as a computer desk nerd with no strength and I've worked up to about average guy strength - I can bench about 200 bowflex pounds now more than twice what I started at. So it works - just don't expect the miracles they advertise. The best thing about it is that is uses a pully system which makes it extremely versatile. The worst thing is the bows which are elastic. If you can find a machine that uses pulleys like the Bowflex but has a weight stack instead of bows that would be best but I don't think there is one in this price range.



Now for the tips.

1. The bows work by stretching and can get stretched out of shape like a rubber band. So make sure you tie them back with the included strap after every workout. If you mess up and stretch them out you *could* try connecting them to the opposite hook and leaving them like that for a couple of days. I did this and it seemed to fix the issue.



2. By the same token the resistance varies with temperature. I found this out by accident when my AC stopped working. The temp went up by 10 degrees and I was suddenly able to lift about 10% more.



3. The bows are not like physical weights. The resistance changes from easy at the beginning of the motion to hard at the end. Also I believe they are overall lighter than physical weights.



4. The weight labels on the bows don't add up mathematically. For example 30lbs + 10lbs + 10lbs is much "lighter" than the 50lb bow. So while you are making gains you should actually increase from 45 to 30 + 10 + 10 to 30 + 10 + 10 + 5 to 50 instead of jumping directly from 45 to 50. Another way to think of it in your head is that the 50lb is actually 60-ish in Bowflex units. This is also true for the jump from 25 to 30. Since there are only 2 10lbs weights I get around this by doing extra reps at 25 until I can finally do a full set at 30. You could also try raising the room temperature by about 5 degrees which should soften them up to start and gradually increase it with each workout.



4. Despite what Dr. Bowflex says the machine just isn't made for a cardio. I got a schwinn exercise bike to compensate for this. I immediately noticed being able to have longer workouts due to my increasing cardiovascular endurance.



5. The manual also states not to rest more than a minute between each exercise. I did this at first but then (anecdotally) I discovered that if I rested longer in order to catch my breath I could do more reps and make faster gains.



6. Certain exercises just don't work that well - basically anything involving legs feet or cardio. The supposed rows are not even worth it. Also the leg curls are very awkward. The manual does not even describe how to do them but according to an old manual I found on the net you need to lie halfway on the leg station seat and halfway on the bench (the opposite exercise - I forget the name - let's call it "leg raise" - does work rather well though). Finally the leg press might be worth it after you upgrade to 310 or 410 pounds but at 210 even someone completely out of shape might find them wanting - mainly because your legs are the strongest part of your body even on a sedentary person. On top of this it is hard to get the leg press strap to stay in place when you are first getting into position.



7. In my case there were some exercises that hurt my joints. I've never had joint injuries that I know if so it may just be my body shape. I'm pretty sure I did them correctly. However in the manual it lists the muscle groups of each motion. Instead of trying exercises that hurt I picked others that would exercise the same groups.More detail ...

Great Product



This just arrived today. Took about 2 hours to assemble but it's pretty easy. I almost bought this from another site because they were going to assemble it (would've been 200 extra dollars for that) and I am very glad I did it myself.



This unit is extremely sturdy and well put together. I was a bit nervous to buy this because I have young kids I did not want to trash it. Believe me they couldn't! This is far too well-designed and durable.



Worked out for about an hour and I love it. Lots of exercises you can do (both muscular and cardio) and you can really feel it.



As others have noted on other models I can see how the weights (200 lbs) might not be enough but I am not looking to become the Incredible Hulk. This unit is perfect to stay fit and not let those holiday meals get the upper hand.



I really recommend this to anyone who wants to work at home and does not want to be bored with the same old routine (treadmill stationary bike etc.)



Great job Bowflex!More detail ...

My favorite adjustable dumbbells and the best of the PowerBlock series

I really like this product because it is compact and not as cumbersome as the larger sets. For most people this will suit their needs and they can get an upgradable set later on. The small size allows almost everyone to perform conventional exercises with proper form. With the larger PowerBlocks this is a concern because of added bulk and length.



The square shape of these dumbbells allows the manufacturer to put more weight in a smaller place. This makes these much smaller than other rounded adjustable dumbbells over the same weight range and increments.



From a safety perspective I also think these are the safest and most rugged adjustable dumbbells. However this does not mean that nothing can go wrong. You need to be conscious of inserting the pins straight across and the pin mechanism right side up so the magnets engage to hold the pins together. There is a also a backup elastic band to prevent a plate from falling but this might not save you in an overhead triceps extension.



This product is rugged and well made. It is less likely to break then some other brands and the concept is simple behind how the adjustments work. In other words there are less things to break or go wrong and I believe these can take a fairly hard fall and still be fine. I haven't dropped mine but I base this assumption on the way they are designed and the quality of the materials and how they are put together.



I would definitely purchase these if you do circuit training and want to keep your pulse up. If you become serious you can buy an expandable set over a larger range later. This is great entry point product.More detail ...

Worthwhile purchase

My wife has been wanting to buy a Total Gym for some time now and we're glad we waited because the Total Gym 1800 seems a bit better than the 1700 for a very similar price. We had a hard time finding enough info on the 1800 but decided to take a chance. Although we're not familiar with the 1700 there doesn't seem to be anything "missing" and the 1800 does include a few extras such as larger glide board and ab boards. It also has leg pulley kit one foot harness dip bars press up bars and the wing accessory many of which I think are included in the 1700 as well.



Pluses: Convenient and easy to exercise many different muscle groups compact and reasonably priced. Adults and older kids can use it comfortably. I don't find it difficult to make adjustments even raising and lowering but may be difficult for people who weigh only 100 lbs or less.



Minuses or things that may take some getting used to:



(1) Lot of adjusting required. Different exercises require different attachments some of which get in the way of each other so you don't (can't) have everything permanently attached. At least with the hitch pins it's easy. What's not so easy is adjusting the effort level because the only way to do this is by raising or lowering the glide table so it's inclined at a different angle (all exercises require raising your body on the glide table at a steeper angle this requires more effort). So where I've started is level 1 (easiest) for a few exercises then I adjust to level 3 for a couple of other exercises. While I do expect to get stronger at the level 1 exercises I kind of doubt that I'll ever be at the same setting for all exercises.



(2) Mechanical design leaves something to be desired. (a) I have yet to find a good place to keep the handles when not using them so they just kind of rattle around on the floor. (b) There's a safety hitch pin but either I'm not using it right or it doesn't fit well - there's a hole it seems it should go in but it either goes in cockeyed or it bangs up against the main spring loaded pin that holds one end of the glide table up. (c) There's a velcro pad on one of the rails the pulley fitting rubs against this and it's going to come off sooner or later. (d) There's a foam pad that goes under the unit. But when you raise or lower the glide table the distance between the feet changes and the foam pad shifts around. Minor nuisance keeping the unit on the foam pad I'm inclined (no pun intended!) to get a nice big plywood sheet and keep the Total Gym on that. (e) Depending on the attachments in use the plastic-sheathed cable may rub on the attachment.



(3) At first it was awkward getting started with each exercise but I'm getting the hang of it. Seems to help to grab both handles of the rope-pulley and then adjust your body position. And empty your pockets ;-)



(4) Be careful with loose hair. First time my wife tried her hair got caught in a pulley assembly.



Drawbacks notwithstanding a good deal for the money.More detail ...

Bowflex PR3000 Does Everything I Need

Brief story - months ago I was in the market for a home gym that uses free weights but I happened to try out the PR3000 at Sports Authority and I really liked it. We bought another unit but it didn't turn out to be exactly what we needed and eventually I found myself remembering the PR3000 fondly.



When we finally decided to go with a Bowflex for a couple reasons - less weight on our floor and not having to move weights around our apartment. I thought I'd go for one of the long ones that let you do rowing and - I thought - leg curls. But after I tried the units with rowing I didn't actually care for the slightly loose feeling in the seat when it was locked in place and I also discovered that some Blowflex don't do leg curls and others have a complicated way of doing them.



So I went back and tried out the PR3000 again - and it was as much fun to use as I remembered it plus it has a no-cable-changes design that made switching exercises easier. So I tried a workaround someone reviewing a different Bowflex on Amazon recommended for another unit which was basically do the leg curls while standing and facing the unit. I tried that on the PR3000 at the store and it worked fine for me so I finally got it and I love using it.



The pluses:



* It doesn't take much floor space

* I don't have to move heavy weights around during my workout

* It's very quiet

* No cable changes keeps workouts moving along

* Motion is smooth (smoother than the Weider Platinum)

* Very good assembly directions

* A lot of things adjust for different sized people

* Top pulleys are on hook-and-eyes so that they swivel

* Can be upgraded to 310 pounds

* Very well-made more attention to detail than other equipment we've had



The minuses:



* Doesn't come with a lat bar although you can do pulldowns with the hand grips

* The manual isn't as detailed as other Bowflex units although still better than most other home gyms.

* Very short warranty on smaller parts. I got an extended warranty.

* Bows resistance isn't the weight specified (I measured and it's lighter) but there was still more than enough resistance to give me a burn. Larger men and very fit people should probably get the 310 lb upgrade pretty quickly.

More detail ...

What we needed

We decided on this tower after looking all over the net for different models. We also went to various local stores looking at different options. Between Amazon's price and free shipping this was the best deal. It arrived about 6 days after we ordered it. The assembly was easy enough. It took my fiance and I about 30 minutes to put it together. The packaging was good and there were no missing parts. Based on the packaging even a hole in the box would probably not lead to lost parts. The nuts and bolts are packaged in a larger package together so it would be difficult to lose them. There were some small scratches on a few pieces. If we cared we could hit it with some hit touch-up paint. The scratches do not go through the paint and are hard to see. We are not planning on fixing them. I am a big guy (230lbs) and the unit easily supports me. As I lose weight the unit should only get more stable. Obviously any tower that is compact is not going to be as sturdy as something you would find in a gym. We did not want something that was too bulky so we will accept less-than-gym quality as a trade-off for saving space. We purchased this to use with P90X because we did not trust using a doorway mounted pull-up bar. This also gives us the option to doing dips leg raises and push-ups. One reason we chose this model over others is the fact that this model comes with a straight pull-up bar as opposed to two bars that do not connect. We did this because my fiance is obviously going to grab the bar in different locations than me based on shoulder/arm width. A straight bar makes it fit the two of us. As suggested by another reviewer we are going to buy handlebar tape for bicycles and tape up the entire bar. That way we get good grip no matter where are hands are. Overall we are happy with the purchase.More detail ...