GR8FLEX Performance Gym for Total Over 100 Exercises Multi-Functional Workout Machine High Performance Strength Training Cardio and Full

I've used the "name brand celebrity endorsed" version of this machine at a health club (albeit a commercial model) and knew it would actually be something I would use at home (you can probably figure out which brand and which model by comparing pictures online and looking for the martial arts guy endorsing it). I cancelled my gym membership back in July and haven't considered joining again because COVID is still raging in our area. It's been months since I was able to work out and I noticed my clothes were starting to feel tighter. I decided that I would just get us something for our house. I had initially intended to spend the money on that more well-known brand (you can probably figure out which brand and which model by comparing pictures online and looking for the martial arts guy endorsing it) – my budget was more than 3 times what I spent on the GR8FLEX! Here are the pros & cons I've seen: PROS: GR8FLEX is about 1/3 the cost of the "name-brand-celebrity-endorsed" option. For this price, the GR8FLEX comes with more attachments standard, as well as additional weight in the form of 4 resistance bands attached under the slide which give you anywhere from 10 to 50 lbs to add. The competitor's option does not even offer additional weight bands. The machine itself seems well made. It's sturdy (doesn't wobble when used) and is heavy enough to keep it from jumping around (a problem with cheaper/lighter home gyms). The slide rolls smoothly and is not as noisy as I was expecting it to be. GR8FLEX has 15 resistance levels, where the name brand option topped out at 12. This was super easy to set up initially - have a helper - it's mostly pre-assembled but is a bit large for one person to remove from the packaging etc. After setup, and once you figure out how to do it, you can raise the incline and do everything else without any help. Super easy to transition between exercises. The added bands mean that I can get a workout for upper and lower body without changing the incline for many of the exercises. The machine was well-packaged and only slight flattening of the box corners was apparent upon arrival - no obvious transport-related damage to the machine. This comes with a full lifetime warranty, and registration was easy and straightforward on their website - I registered a couple of days after making my purchase. CONS: While it was obvious due to all the plastic wrapping that what I received was new, there were several spots of surface rust, a scratch/scrape, and a noticeable ding in the white paint. I’ve included 4 pictures of some of the rust/damage. However, as these issues are purely cosmetic and point to quality control measures during assembly and packaging which the company could (I would think) easily rectify for future customers. I have only found one thing that I think could be improved upon - the area where the weight bands connect under the slide are C shaped catches - this means the end that you connect/disconnect can drop out of its holder easily. While this is not a deal breaker it would be nice if these were more secure (this is the last image in my review). The unit does take up a lot of real estate in the room - but if you're looking for a home gym, my guess is you already have room for it. My son's phone dropped out of the cellphone holder - so I'm not sure how well designed that part is, but this is yet another con which really doesn't play into the quality of the machine overall. Some of the photo illustrations in the booklet were difficult to see to know we were doing the exercises properly - however, GR8FLEX also has a video channel dedicated to showing the exercises for the machine as well, which is super helpful. I reached out to the company regarding the surface rust and damage to the paint. They replied within about 20 mins with an offer for touch up paint to be sent to me. Nice gesture! I was able to remove nearly all the surface rust with a liquid rust stain remover product (that's made in the USA no less!). The 5th picture included shows how it looks after using that product to remove the most obvious rust spot. Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase, and so is my 16 yr old son. We set it up and had familiarized ourselves with all but a handful of the exercises in the book within less than a 2-hour period. The other exercises require a curl bar which was the only attachment not included. We give this a 5-star rating because the cons are not significant enough to warrant anything less. If you are looking for a home gym and are worried about paying this much (yes, there are cheaper options out there), I would say this one is a good, solid middle of the road option - it's nowhere near as pricey as the name brand celebrity endorsed product, comes with more standard attachments (including the weight bands!), seems sturdy and well built, has a smooth slide mechanism and is easy to use. I'm really glad we spent $600 (vs less). We could have purchased the competitor; it was in our budget. I'm really glad we didn't. Read more

I have been looking at these types of home gyms for many years. One thing that kept me from purchasing any that I looked at what the flimsy feel of the frame. I’m 6’ 3” and weigh about 240 lbs. I didn’t felt that the gyms I tried in the past wouldn’t work well for me or last very long. The GR8FLEX gym however not only met but exceeded my expectations. It is a solid and robust piece of equipment. There is no flexing of the rails or supports when I use it. I was an amateur power lifter for many years and one concern that I previously had was not being sure if there was enough resistance on these types of gyms to give me a decent workout. Well I’m now 57 years old with a lot of joint injuries. Heavy weights and the old programs are out of the question for me. I was looking for a home gym that would provide me with a great workout without beating up my body further. Since the pandemic took the option of going to the local gym where I primarily used machines to weight lift on, this gym very nicely replaces multiple stations at the gym. The workout I designed for my home gym is awesome and there is plenty of resistance for me. I get a great workout that keeps me moving and in shape right in my home. I honestly don’t see myself ever returning to the local gym again. Would I use this home gym to get ready for a powerlifting meet when I was younger? No. But can one build and maintain muscle while also getting a cardio benefit? Absolutely. PROS: the gym comes ready to use. It was packed extremely well. When the box arrived, there were holes in the sides from handling during shipping. NOTHING inside the box was scratched or missing. Hats off to the manufacturers for that. The box weighs over 100 pounds so be prepared for that and have a plan to get it to where you will be using it. The gym itself is a solid piece of equipment. I have it set up in a space where I don’t have to move it. You will not need any tools to get the gym setup and ready to use. There are plenty of exercises to do on it. One huge bonus for me was the squat stand. It is high enough for me to use comfortably. Other gyms of this type have much shorter stands that would have caused knee issues for me. Another huge bonus is the extras you receive that would cost much more with other gyms of this type. Everything is included with the GR8FLEX gym. There is more than enough resistance to build muscle and strength. Being tall, I have no issues getting a full range of motion while performing all exercises. CONS: while the glide board moves smoothly, there is a thunk, thunk, thunk, feeling from the rollers of the glide board. It almost feels like the rollers have little flat spots on them. This doesn’t affect my workouts at all but a better roller could be had. Aside from that, the only other thing I would change would be to make the glide board another 3” or 4” longer on the bottom. I’m tall and have limited range in one knee due to a few surgeries so this issue is not a knock on the design. I get around this small issue by supporting the foot on my bad leg by stacking it on top of my right. A few more inches on the bottom of the board would help me. Others with normal knee ranges will have no issues. I have seen others comment on cables getting stuck in the pulleys. This isn’t a problem for me. Take your time when getting set up and just lightly pull the handles to get some tension on the cables before putting your full weight on the glide board. Overall I am extremely satisfied with my purchase. The gym will replace a gym membership for me and allow me to continue to workout at home. Read more