Great Gym for smallish spaces
Let me state that I'm not exactly the most mechanically inclined person. I bought this because its been hard as heck getting to the gym and, with my job and other responsibilities, it seemed like a no-brainer to use the space in my basement for exactly that reason. A home gym! I have some stuff but considering I had a gym membership, I didn't have a lot. My gym has a lot of Body-Solid products that I was familiar with and used, so I knew that they made some good stuff. So it was between this product and Body-Solid Exm 3000 Home Gym The 3000 is a nice gym but a lot bigger. Its also commercial grade, which I liked. But knowing I was going to have to put it together on my own...whoosa! About did me in. Plus, it was a matter of space. While I have a decent sized basement, This worked way better than the 3000 in terms of space. Anyway I ordered this one because cost was good as well as size, and it leaves me room for a squat rack. It came via UPS freight which had a lift gate. I didn't ask for one but honestly if you don't know if your UPS guys have one, you may want to go that route. The driver was very sweet, and pushed the pallet all the way down my very long driveway to where it meets the grass of the back yard. Of course, the pallet was beat to hell and back and some of the weights were not boxed. But its freight..things happen. Anyway the pallet is big, the boxes are big, and they're heavy. I'm not a big girl, but I'm moderately strong. But still, if you can, have someone help you. I had to schlep the boxes across the backyard with a hand truck, then down a bunch of steps to my basement , so in all, about 45 minutes to get them in the basement. The next day I started to lay out all the parts. Listen, I don't care what anyone says, label all your parts, you'll thank yourself later. Post-it notes became my best friend! I can't just eyeball a screw or bolt and know what size it is. They have a very nice measuring area in the instructions pages, and that proved to be really great for me. I also made sure to count all the pieces to be sure I had all of what I needed. I'm particular that way. If you have some basic tools like a couple of different sized socket wrenches, and/or a ratchet set like BOSTITCH BTMT72286 Pass Through Socket Set, 21-Piece , you'll be able to put it together. I didn't have rubber mallet, so I used a regular hammer wrapped in a old t-shirt. Instructions were just pictures, but weren't the worst I've ever seen. I've set up office furniture with way worse images, and I'm sure more than a few of us have seen those before! If you took your time prior laying out all the stuff and marking it, you could easily figure out which parts went where, you just have to take your time. In all, it took me 8 hours split over 2 days. I was missing some of the weights, (to which I contacted the vendor and they replaced without issue) and, I only had like 2 pieces left over (I think they send a few extra plastic closure pieces in case some break) Caveats: Yes its true what everyone says; don't tighten the pulleys until they're threaded. There were a couple of pieces high up that I could have used help on but I managed to do it by myself with the use of a step ladder. If you don't have to do it alone, don't the higher up pieces are a bit awkward. The weight stack is a bit of an issue as I can't get the last weight in the stack to take the pin. I don't know why that is but at the moment its not terribly important. If I EVER get to the point of using the entire stack, I'll worry more. You will need some sort of WD-40 for the weight stack poles, and between the cables and pulleys to help them move smoother. I had a can laying around so I used a tiny bit everywhere. Build quality is really really good the white metal parts are not flimsy at all, and the seats are comfy. They even came with all of the handles that you need, so no need to buy any. While not exactly commercial its very close to it, so I can see it being around for a very long time. I bought some 8mm rubber floor squares to put over the concrete for better stability, but even the cheapy foam stuff will work for that. I just like the rubber a bit better as flooring cover since it covers a good deal of my basement now. In all, its been an experience! I like it, it works very well, and now I can get a workout in whenever I want. Its not the only tool in the belt, but it really helps me to get what I need done without stressing out about it. Read more





















