Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 72 x 16.5 x 10.5 inches |
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Package Weight | 127.01 Kilograms |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 68 x 42 x 78 inches |
Item Weight | 259 Pounds |
Brand Name | MARCY |
Warranty Description | 2 year manufacturer |
Model Name | MWM-988 |
Color | Grey - MWM-988 |
Material | Alloy Steel |
Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
Number of Items | 1 |
Manufacturer | Marcy |
Part Number | MWM-988 |
Included Components | one home gym, Warranty card, 150lb stack weights, User manual |
Outer Material | Steel |
Size | Standard |
Sport Type | Exercise & Fitness |
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Marcy Multifunction Steel Home Gym 150lb Weight Stack Machine
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Purchase options and add-ons
Item Weight | 259 Pounds |
Brand | MARCY |
Color | Grey - MWM-988 |
Material | Alloy Steel |
Product Dimensions | 68"D x 42"W x 78"H |
About this item
- PREMIUM STEEL CONSTRUCTION – This home gym system is made with heavy-duty steel tubing and reinforced with guard rods that hold weight in place during workouts.
- WEIGHT STACK LOCK – This gear comes with a 150-pound selectorized weight stack that can be customized according to your skill level to avoid the stresses of loading and unloading weight plates with a safety lock that prevents unauthorized use of equipment
- DUAL ACTION PRESS ARMS-Designed with dual action press arms, this versatile equipment allows you to perform chest press and vertical butterfly exercises to develop your biceps, triceps, pectorals, and other muscles with a simple remove/insertion of a pin
- REMOVEABLE CURL PAD – This home gym machine features ergonomically designed seats with high-density boxed upholstery to reduce tension and impact. The preacher curl bicep pad is removable and adjustable to allow isolated bicep exercises.
- CONVENIENT HOME GYM- enjoy efficient training right in the comfort of home with this equipment featuring an innovative structure that combines arm and leg stations; great for strengthening muscle groups and achieving a comprehensive total-body workout.
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From the manufacturer
Marcy Home Gym System 150 lb. Weight Stack Machine MWM-988
Get gym quality training right in the comfort of your own home with the compact design and versatility of the Marcy 150 lb. Stack Weight Home Gym
This complete system is constructed from heavy duty 14-gauge steel and offers a variety of functions for a total workout.
Features include a 150-pound vinyl coated weight stack, dual function press arm, lat bar, adjustable preacher curl pad, and comfortable roller pads. It also offers an adjustable butterfly attachment and leg developer for an easy way to change up fitness routines!
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150lb Weight StackThe Marcy Stack Home Gym includes a 150lb weight plate stack that provides resistance to all the stations on the home gym. |
Workout ChartSee what workouts can be done on your MWM-988 gym by using the workout chart included directly on the machine! |
Leg Developer – Easy and Fast Leg WorkoutsThe Leg developer aligns with knee joints for a comfortable workout position. Along with the 4 comfortable foam rollers, the leg developer delivers a quick and easy quadricep workout. |
Adjustable Preacher Curl PadThe Preacher Curl Pad is adjustable, use it with the lower pulley in a seated position. Perform barbell curls and hammer curls with the Preacher Curl Pad to avoid putting too much strain on your back. Easily use the knob to remove, add, or adjust the Preacher Curl Pad at any time! |
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Dual Action Press ArmsThe dual-action press arms allow the user to use the MWM-988 Stack Home Gym arms as press arms or as butterfly arms with the simple switch of a lock knob! |
Upper Pulley Workout – Lat PulldownThe Upper Pulley works with the Lat Bar for various workouts including Lat Pulldowns. Lat Pulldowns are a great way to work towards doing pull ups. |
Dual Action Butterfly Arms / Press Arms - PressesSet the dual-action Butterfly Arms for presses to workout your chest muscles and arms. When done, easily switch the arms to use as Butterfly Arms. |
Full Body Workout – Leg ExtensionsThe lower pulley can be used for a wide variety of exercises including rows and Leg Extensions. The Leg Extensions work out your Quadriceps. |
Marcy 150 lb. Multi-functional Home Gym Station MWM-990 | Marcy 150 lb. Multi-functional Home Gym Station MWM-988 | Marcy 150 lb. Stack Home Gym MWM-4965 with Ab-Station | Marcy 200 lb. Stack Dual Function Home Gym MKM-81010 | Marcy 150 lb. Multifunction Steel Home Gym Weight Stack Machine MWM-989 | |
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Customer Reviews |
4.4 out of 5 stars
2,316
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4.4 out of 5 stars
1,816
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4.4 out of 5 stars
542
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4.2 out of 5 stars
414
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4.4 out of 5 stars
1,816
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Weight Stack | 150 lb | 150 lb | 150 lb | 200 lb | 150 lb |
Assembled Dimensions | 68L x 42W x 78H inches | 68L x 42W x 78H inches | 73L x 42W x 78H inches | 73L x 41W x 85H inches | 68L x 42W x 78H inches |
Max User Weight | 300 lb | 300 lb | 300 lb | 300 lb | 300 lb |
Pulley System | Upper & Lower | Upper & Lower | Upper, Mid & Lower | Upper & Lower | Upper & Lower |
Preacher Curl Pad | Yes (Removable) | Yes (Removable) | x | Yes (Removable) | Yes (Removable) |
Press Arm Motion | Chest press and butterfly press | Chest press and butterfly press | Chest press and butterfly press | Chest press, butterfly press, and lat row | Chest press and butterfly press |
Leg Developer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ab Station | x | x | ✓ | x | x |
Accessories | Lat bar, Ankle strap | Lat bar, Ankle strap | Lat bar, Ankle strap, Abdominal strap, Single handle | Lat bar, Shiver bar, Ankle strap, Single handle | Lat bar, Ankle strap |
Product information
Technical Details
Additional Information
ASIN | B0090OKEB2 |
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Customer Reviews |
4.4 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #7,836 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors) #8 in Home Gym Systems |
Date First Available | August 22, 2012 |
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Marcy MWM-988 Multifunction Steel 150lb Weight Stack Machine
Impex Inc.
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the value, quality and performance of the strength training machine. They mention that it is a great value for money, works out pretty good and that the manufacturer is s a good manufacturer for sports equipment. They are also satisfied with smoothness, sturdiness, and performance. However, some customers have reported that the metal panel was damaged during shipping. Customers are mixed on compactness, and ease of assembly.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the strength training machine. They mention that it's an excellent machine and a great addition to their home gym. Customers also say that the machine is decently constructed and works out pretty good.
"...The framing members appear to be of acceptable quality. Fasteners, pulleys, and cables appear to be well-built...." Read more
"...The exercise works fine, but that banging of the swinging black leg bar while you’re using the pulley is a little annoying...." Read more
"...First I'll list the the Pros: For the price this is a good value, made well, heavy duty frame. It is capable of about 35 different exercises...." Read more
"Takes time to assemble. Equipment works very smooth. Many different exercises can be done . Great value for the money." Read more
Customers appreciate the value of the strength training machine. They mention that it is the best bang for the buck.
"...The equipment is worth the expense, the assembly, and the extra space it occupies in my basement, just for these 4 exercises...." Read more
"...This home gym is good for the price we paid. It offers a lot of different exercises...." Read more
"...press. First I'll list the the Pros: For the price this is a good value, made well, heavy duty frame...." Read more
"...Many different exercises can be done . Great value for the money." Read more
Customers like the sturdiness of the strength training machine. They say that the fasteners, pulleys, and cables appear to be well-built, and the machine is very sturdy. They also say that it has a small footprint, but is stable and easy to assemble.
"...Fasteners, pulleys, and cables appear to be well-built. When everything is put together, the equipment is smooth and noiseless...." Read more
"...I'm glad I got this one. This gym is solid, everything fit perfect and works great!!!..." Read more
"...is not a big problem but it's indicative that all the materials used are not quite "top notch"...." Read more
"...Tight fit for bigger guys. Other than that, this unit is solid and effective. Like that it is a space saver too!" Read more
Customers are satisfied with the performance of the strength training machine. They mention that it is sturdy and can get a workout in all the main muscle groups. It does as it's supposed to, and it allows them to do the basic exercises that they bought it for. They are happy that they can perform a lot of their workouts and feel good about what they're able to do. Overall, customers are happy with the product and recommend it to others.
"...This home gym is good for the price we paid. It offers a lot of different exercises...." Read more
"...It is capable of about 35 different exercises. Doesn't take up a lot of space. Easy to use, and effective...." Read more
"Takes time to assemble. Equipment works very smooth. Many different exercises can be done . Great value for the money." Read more
"...I'm an entry level user of average height - so the range of exercises is perfect for me...." Read more
Customers have good things to say about the smoothness of the strength training machine. They say that the exercises are smooth, and the machine is quieter than other brands. The articulating joint and pulley system are smooth. The cables run smooth, making it easy to do an easy workout. The machine is sufficient for home use and the chest press is good.
"...It is smooth and noiseless. I bought an additional straight bar for bicep curls, but I feel as if I could have done without it...." Read more
"...The pulley are plastic not metal, but are pretty smooth. The weight are plastic filled with concrete not metal weights. We will see how they hold up...." Read more
"...In conclusion I believe that I got my monies worth. It is possible to do an easy workout using just 20 pounds of resistance to a full work out..." Read more
"...The only exercises that don’t work excellently are the standing leg pulls (with the lower pulley and the ankle strap)...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the ease of assembly of the strength training machine. Some mention that it was not complicated at all, and that everything is labeled with assembly diagrams. Others say that there is not one word of written instructions, the instructions are entirely schematic, and it does take awhile to build. The instructions are hard to distinguish pictorials of the all parts and quasi-pictorial.
"...Everything is labeled with assembly diagrams and all the parts fit together nicely. No issues with screw threads being off or stripped...." Read more
"...There is not one word of written instructions – it is entirely schematic. The good thing is you don’t need anything translated...." Read more
"...Doesn't take up a lot of space. Easy to use, and effective. That being said, there are somethings that could have been better...." Read more
"Takes time to assemble. Equipment works very smooth. Many different exercises can be done . Great value for the money." Read more
Customers are mixed about the compactness of the strength training machine. Some mention that it's a great product that fits perfectly on their patio, while others say that the guide wheels bottom frame are rough and do not fit in the bushing. The machine is very compact and not super stable, so keep that in mind when using it. The preacher attachment is narrow and should be wider.
"...Overall, the curl bar that comes with the equipment is adequate for everything...." Read more
"...I'm glad I got this one. This gym is solid, everything fit perfect and works great!!!..." Read more
"...Now the cons: The preacher attachment should be wider, only about 15 inches, should be at least 18 inches...." Read more
"...The machine feels sturdy and actually seems to fit me really well at 5'4"...." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the damage of the strength training machine. They mention that the metal cover over the weight stack had a significant dent in it when they took it out of the box. Some customers also report that the cover itself did come bent a bit due to the way it was packaged. Some say that the large metal plate arrived totally messed up and had dents and scratches.
"...The only thing was the weight cover had a couple small dents in it. But that was no reason for me to send it back...." Read more
"...My large metal plate arrived totally messed up (as others have reported), we'll see how their tech support (which doesn't answer the phone) deals..." Read more
"...Next, there was a dent in the shield which covers the weights and there was no corresponding damage on the box which tells me this happened at the..." Read more
"...that covers the weights (when assembled) was deformed and dented in several areas...." Read more
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I’ll structure the review with the full order lifecycle:
Reviews: Reviews and questions/answers on Amazon are quite comprehensive and helpful. You need to read multiple reviews in order to set your expectations. In the end, I decided to take a chance. And I was glad I did.
Ordering: Uh, click “Add to Cart.”
Delivery: 0 stars to Amazon for a disastrous delivery, despite this being touted as a Prime-eligible product (which mysteriously disappeared from the product page… sometimes). From the day I placed the order to the day the item was delivered in its entirety was 11 days. The item comes in 3 boxes – 1 for the components and 2 for the weights. I got the components one day before the weights. I placed the order so that even in the worst case, I would be able to assemble it over the Memorial Day weekend. Instead, I had to wait for another weekend thereafter. To this day, I can’t tell if the equipment is Prime eligible or not. This experience was stressful enough for me to discontinue my Prime membership.
Packaging: Sturdy packaging. No damage to anything in the boxes.
Equipment Quality: The quality is acceptable. The stacked weights are made of concrete with a vinyl coating. At this time, I don’t have any reason to believe that they will somehow stop being heavy or will break down with use. So, I’ll let this one pass. Suffice it to say that had I not read in other reviews and question/answers that the weights were vinyl, I would have been disappointed. You kind of expect weights to be made of cast iron. The framing members appear to be of acceptable quality. Fasteners, pulleys, and cables appear to be well-built. When everything is put together, the equipment is smooth and noiseless. The padded bar over which you do quad raises is crooked on one side.
Assembly: It took me a little over 4 hours to put this thing together. I had a brief period of about a half hour where I had some help. But I don’t think it affected the overall time for assembly. I would rate myself as mechanically inclined, and I used power tools unabashedly, especially when it came to the fasteners. That speeded up the time of assembly. Instructions are adequate, albeit at times cryptic. There is not one word of written instructions – it is entirely schematic. The good thing is you don’t need anything translated. You have to use your imagination at times, especially when it comes to putting together the suspended pulleys in the back of the seat. During the assembly, pay special attention to where it says to fully tighten the fasteners. If you overlook that, it will be hard to go back – you might have to take apart some of the assembly in order to go back and tighten. The number of fasteners provided is exactly what you need to put the equipment together. Kudos to the inventory folks at Impex for the tight control. On the flip side, if you lose one washer, you will be short by one washer. There are no extras. Not one. For me the toughest part of the assembly was sliding the padded butterfly sleeve all the way up the arm. Ironically the second toughest part was installing the weight stack cover, which in my opinion, is optional and purely an esthetic piece (some might say for safety, but I’d argue).
Exercising: I’m 5’ 9” and in relatively OK condition. The operation is pretty much like any gym equipment I’ve used at various vacation resorts over the years. It is smooth and noiseless. I bought an additional straight bar for bicep curls, but I feel as if I could have done without it. I also bought a single D-handle cable attachment, which I have yet to use. Overall, the curl bar that comes with the equipment is adequate for everything. One irritating thing is that it’s impossible to tell the plate number where you’re inserting the weight selector pin, because of the parallax between the weight cover and the holes. You have to either sit down level with the hole, or you have to count the holes top to bottom before inserting the pin. Or you can do what I did, and paste the plate numbers directly on the plate (I had to print out the numbers and tape them to each plate). I also had to copy the plate-to-weight chart from the manual and paste it on the weight stack cover. Otherwise, it’s not intuitive to remember the plate number and the resistance it offers for different exercises.
I was pleasantly surprised to note that the bench press weight rating is actually more conservative than I had expected. For example, pressing 135 lbs on this equipment feels a lot harder than pressing 135 lbs on a bar. Why? One, because maybe the resistance is more than 135. Or two, because you’re starting the move by pushing the press arm up, as opposed to letting it come down on you, as with a standard bar. My 21-year old son could barely go up to 200 on this (he presses 225 on a bar). In other words, the 200 lb max appears to be plenty for me. If you’re currently pressing 225, you’ll be happy with what this equipment offers at the 200 lb “rating.” For all other exercises, the top resistance is 150 lb.
The constant resistance of the stacked weight system is obvious in everything you do. I use the machine for bicep curls (mostly over the preacher station), tricep curls, lat pulldowns, butterfly, quad raises, hamstring raises, and the occasional bench press. The constant resistance is quite evident for quad/hammy raises as well as tricep curls. You can’t cheat here – there are no free or partial-weight movements, as there are with free weights, especially for those moves. The initial resistance in bicep curls is another thing you can’t easily achieve with dumbbells. The equipment is worth the expense, the assembly, and the extra space it occupies in my basement, just for these 4 exercises. As for the lat pulldowns, it has completely replaced the equivalent exercise I used to do with dumbbells, and it has saved me around 3 minutes in the morning (an eternity, considering that I need to leave home at 6 in the morning).
For the bench press, I still stick with dumbbell press. For the butterfly, the equipment gives what you can never achieve with dumbbells – resistance at the end of the fly move (when you’re pulling your arms close together). However, the movement starts too late, i.e., your arms can’t get back far enough. But I compensate for that by putting an additional seat back (from another piece of equipment) over the equipment’s seat back, thereby pushing me further up and letting my arms start from further back. I wish that the seat back was adjustable, as I’ve seen in professional gym equipment, but it’s wishful thinking at this price range. So, I still end up doing dumbbell flies because of that initial resistance.
The resistance with the pin in the first hole is too high for me for any kind of ligament warm-up. The weight selector pin dangles awkwardly, and potentially harmfully (to the equipment) when not engaged to at least some weight. So, I still have to use my light dumbbells and the Weider resistance-bar equipment for that. I wish I could have gotten rid of the resistance equipment.
I have no intention of using the equipment for squats, though one can, based on what I’ve seen on product videos. I might start using it for front deltoid raises after my shoulder heals. But other than that, I don’t see myself using it for anything more than I currently use it for.
Conclusion: In summary, I’m very happy with the purchase. This is a great addition to the free weights and other equipment I already have. The product is priced pretty aggressively for everything it offers. In my opinion, if you’re looking for a stacked weight system to supplement what you already have, you simply can’t go wrong with Marcy’s MWM 988. For making it your only weight equipment, you need to make sure that you’ll be comfortable doing squats and calf raises on this, as well as lateral deltoid raises, none of which this equipment natively supports.
The instructions are fairly clear but there is a lot of different screws, washers, nuts etc, so you need to pay attention. Everything is labeled with assembly diagrams and all the parts fit together nicely. No issues with screw threads being off or stripped. I cannot imagine successfully putting this together by ignoring the instructions. Several times I had to stop and really study the diagrams—but it was possible. I just took my time.
Like other reviewers commented, the sheet metal cover to the weight stack came all banged up. But the user manual has an email address and phone number to request replacements for damaged or missing parts and guarantees 100% satisfaction. There was no answer to the phone, so I emailed the part number, my Amazon order number, and my address—and within only a few hours they replied to say that a replacement part was being shipped. To me—that is very good service. (But I do think that they should pack this better so it arrives undamaged). The sheet metal cover is held on by 8 screws—we were able to assemble the entire gym with the damaged cover and use the gym while we wait for the replacement part to arrive. We will be able to swap out that part without needing to remove any other parts.
This home gym is good for the price we paid. It offers a lot of different exercises. The 150 pound weight stack on Model 988 that we got is enough weight for my husband. The online description is accurate. The equipment works well, and the pulleys operate smoothly. The sheet metal weight stack cover has a big sticker on it that displays all the ways to use the equipment. That’s very handy.
The only exercises that don’t work excellently are the standing leg pulls (with the lower pulley and the ankle strap). The pulley is designed to pull UP, but when standing, with the ankle strap on, you are pulling OUT more straight from the wheel. The design of the equipment means that each time you pull OUT with your ankle, it also brings the swinging black leg bar out with it a little bit, and then after a few inches, that swinging leg bar (which you are not using) drops and bangs back against the gym. The exercise works fine, but that banging of the swinging black leg bar while you’re using the pulley is a little annoying. They should have added a pin to hold this firmly in place while using the leg pulley. All other exercises work great.
Our set came with two carabiner clips but as far as I can tell. this set needs 3 so that you can do all the exercises without having to remove and “borrow” one of those clips. The lat bar needs both clips—one for each end of the chain. But the ankle strap also needs one. I had a spare carabiner clip at home that we are using for the ankle strap.
Overall I do recommend this home gym. We are pleased with it.
Although it doesn’t say that it needs a mat, we did purchase one (separately) because we have hard wood floors. We are using a 36” x 78” basic treadmill mat and it fits fine—it could have been several inches shorter and still would have been fine.
If my review was helpful, please let Amazon know by clicking “helpful”. Thanks.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: I failed to adjust the tension (of the pulley cables) correctly at assembly, so two weeks into using this gym, one of the pulley cables “jumped the track” and came out of its wheel. This stripped part of the rubber coating off of the pulley cable. Please read this to avoid my mistake:
Two booklets come with the gym: (1) the Assembly Manual and (2) the Owners Manual. The Assembly Manual has all the step by step instructions for assembly. BUT the Owners Manual has important “please read before assembly” information including (on page 7) how to properly adjust the tension of the cable. READ THE OWNERS MANUAL BEFORE assembly (I wish I had). Then, when assembling the gym, please not the following clarifications to the Assembly Manual:
1. Parts 30 (pages 3 and 23 ) have 4 different sets of holes for adjusting the pulley cable tension. After you are all finished assembling the entire gym, go back to part 30 (page 23) and make sure that you use the hole that makes the cable comfortably snug.
2. Double check that you have both parts 74 placed correctly (there are two). Part 74 is shown on pages 4, 20, and 23. It is a metal “L” shaped guide which keeps the pulley cable inside the tracks of the two wheels attached to part 30 (see #1 above). Parts 74 should be positioned so that when you operate the gym, they do not abrade (rub up against) the rubber coating of the pulley cable.
3. Double check that parts 12 (pages 2 and 17) swing freely (are not too tight). When you operate the gym, they should be able to move in order to stay aligned with the pulley wheels directly behind them (those pulley wheels are installed on page 21). Those two pulley wheels are attached to part 14 (page 21) and ALSO should swing freely to stay aligned with parts 12 while you operate the gym.
I hope this is helpful to you. If it is, please let Amazon know by clicking “helpful”. Thanks.
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2020
The instructions are fairly clear but there is a lot of different screws, washers, nuts etc, so you need to pay attention. Everything is labeled with assembly diagrams and all the parts fit together nicely. No issues with screw threads being off or stripped. I cannot imagine successfully putting this together by ignoring the instructions. Several times I had to stop and really study the diagrams—but it was possible. I just took my time.
Like other reviewers commented, the sheet metal cover to the weight stack came all banged up. But the user manual has an email address and phone number to request replacements for damaged or missing parts and guarantees 100% satisfaction. There was no answer to the phone, so I emailed the part number, my Amazon order number, and my address—and within only a few hours they replied to say that a replacement part was being shipped. To me—that is very good service. (But I do think that they should pack this better so it arrives undamaged). The sheet metal cover is held on by 8 screws—we were able to assemble the entire gym with the damaged cover and use the gym while we wait for the replacement part to arrive. We will be able to swap out that part without needing to remove any other parts.
This home gym is good for the price we paid. It offers a lot of different exercises. The 150 pound weight stack on Model 988 that we got is enough weight for my husband. The online description is accurate. The equipment works well, and the pulleys operate smoothly. The sheet metal weight stack cover has a big sticker on it that displays all the ways to use the equipment. That’s very handy.
The only exercises that don’t work excellently are the standing leg pulls (with the lower pulley and the ankle strap). The pulley is designed to pull UP, but when standing, with the ankle strap on, you are pulling OUT more straight from the wheel. The design of the equipment means that each time you pull OUT with your ankle, it also brings the swinging black leg bar out with it a little bit, and then after a few inches, that swinging leg bar (which you are not using) drops and bangs back against the gym. The exercise works fine, but that banging of the swinging black leg bar while you’re using the pulley is a little annoying. They should have added a pin to hold this firmly in place while using the leg pulley. All other exercises work great.
Our set came with two carabiner clips but as far as I can tell. this set needs 3 so that you can do all the exercises without having to remove and “borrow” one of those clips. The lat bar needs both clips—one for each end of the chain. But the ankle strap also needs one. I had a spare carabiner clip at home that we are using for the ankle strap.
Overall I do recommend this home gym. We are pleased with it.
Although it doesn’t say that it needs a mat, we did purchase one (separately) because we have hard wood floors. We are using a 36” x 78” basic treadmill mat and it fits fine—it could have been several inches shorter and still would have been fine.
If my review was helpful, please let Amazon know by clicking “helpful”. Thanks.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: I failed to adjust the tension (of the pulley cables) correctly at assembly, so two weeks into using this gym, one of the pulley cables “jumped the track” and came out of its wheel. This stripped part of the rubber coating off of the pulley cable. Please read this to avoid my mistake:
Two booklets come with the gym: (1) the Assembly Manual and (2) the Owners Manual. The Assembly Manual has all the step by step instructions for assembly. BUT the Owners Manual has important “please read before assembly” information including (on page 7) how to properly adjust the tension of the cable. READ THE OWNERS MANUAL BEFORE assembly (I wish I had). Then, when assembling the gym, please not the following clarifications to the Assembly Manual:
1. Parts 30 (pages 3 and 23 ) have 4 different sets of holes for adjusting the pulley cable tension. After you are all finished assembling the entire gym, go back to part 30 (page 23) and make sure that you use the hole that makes the cable comfortably snug.
2. Double check that you have both parts 74 placed correctly (there are two). Part 74 is shown on pages 4, 20, and 23. It is a metal “L” shaped guide which keeps the pulley cable inside the tracks of the two wheels attached to part 30 (see #1 above). Parts 74 should be positioned so that when you operate the gym, they do not abrade (rub up against) the rubber coating of the pulley cable.
3. Double check that parts 12 (pages 2 and 17) swing freely (are not too tight). When you operate the gym, they should be able to move in order to stay aligned with the pulley wheels directly behind them (those pulley wheels are installed on page 21). Those two pulley wheels are attached to part 14 (page 21) and ALSO should swing freely to stay aligned with parts 12 while you operate the gym.
I hope this is helpful to you. If it is, please let Amazon know by clicking “helpful”. Thanks.
First I'll list the the Pros: For the price this is a good value, made well, heavy duty frame. It is capable of about 35 different exercises. Doesn't take up a lot of space. Easy to use, and effective. That being said, there are somethings that could have been better.
Now the cons: The preacher attachment should be wider, only about 15 inches, should be at least 18 inches. I am about 5ft 7, and it is small for me.
They only give you 2 attachments , a lat bar and a foot strap. I purchased some other attachments separably. I also purchased quick release carabiners, faster and easier then the screw ones they give you. The back board and seat could have used a little more foam, and the covering is not bad but poorly installed. The pulley are plastic not metal, but are pretty smooth. The weight are plastic filled with concrete not metal weights. We will see how they hold up. The Back board and seat would be better if they where adjustable. Taller people might have a problem with this. The leg extension also should be adjustable, all legs are not the same size. Overall if you are looking for gym quality equipment, this is not, but gym quality can cost thousand per piece. So if you have limited space and budget this is a very good buy for $500.