I bought this for us recently:
Home Gym SCM-1148L 148LB Multifunctional Full Body Home Gym Equipment.
Free weights are great and we use them all the time, but exercise machines allow you to concentrate on a specific muscle or small muscle group in a way that’s difficult or impossible with free weights. Also, with a machine you can do lower-intensity exercises when desired or required; both are tools in your belt to stay fit and to keep interested in staying fit by being able to change up your routine.
That said, it’s pretty good for the price. I was not expecting a $5,000 machine as found in a commercial gym. I got it for about 1/10 that much and for that, it’s about 60% as good as one of those much-hardier bits of equipment. The motion is smooth when doing exercises and though it moves a little, it does not feel rickety or on the verge of collapse.
It is what I expected, but some limitations:
- It can’t handle much side-to-side motion. Only exercises aligned with the main axis of the machine are really safe to do.
- If you’re over 5’8″ (my height), I’d recommend getting another machine. Your range of motion in many exercises will be constrained. I suspect this was only tested on Chinese people, who tend to be shorter.
- It tries to do a little too much. Some parts of the equipment can get in the way as you do exercises.
- The seat and seat back should have more adjustment points.
- If you’re moderately strong or above, the 148 pound weight stack will not be enough for leg presses.
I do recommend it at that price, but I wish it tried to do just a bit less. I think it’d be more effective with fewer features. I am glad we have it, though.
-So that’s next to your power cage or smith machine?
-A 148 pound weight stack for leg presses would rapidly be outgrown. For beginners. And moderately sized ones. Because leg presses are so much easier than squats. Unless I’m misunderstanding the total amount of weight that this machine comes with. Even the chart looks absurd. This cannot be right: percentile calculator Same source says median male height is ~ 5′.9 1/2″ and the median woman is ~5’3″.
– A lot of machines are not ergonomically safe for the short either. I wouldn’t want to attempt a curl on that machine. I suspect the adjustment points might be a sticking point for shorter people even with an extra cushion or a bench to put your feet on.
The new machine is next to the pull-up bar that can also hold a barbell with 300+ pounds on it. In addition to pull-ups, we use that equipment for standing military press and leg tucks, mostly. It’s not quite a power cage. I don’t really need that, and they take up so much space as compared to their functionality. I personally hate barbell squats and don’t do them. I do however like Smith machines but probably won’t get one anytime soon.
I can do 400 pound 1RM on the leg press so this machine doesn’t work for me on that, but I didn’t buy it for that purpose anyway. 🙂 I mainly wanted the chest press/triceps pulldowns/lat pulldowns/curls functionality, though I will intermittently use it for other exercises too.
Speaking of, I have long arms for my size and I had no problems with curls on this machine. It’s smoother than some of the more expensive machines I’ve used, at least for me.