MARCY Multifunctional Home Gym for Weightlifting

I purchased this unit to replace a Bowflex I purchased some 12 years ago…..I liked the Bowflex in that it did fold up into a smaller space when not in use, was easy to move if needed, but that unit did take more time to perform a complete workout because of changing attachments, and hooking and unhooking cables, and in my opinion was really not the quality of this unit (at least when compared to the earlier Bowflex model that I owned)……Although this Marcy unit does not fold up like the Bowflex meaning it requires a bit more space when not in use, I had the floor space for this compact unit and I like using this unit much better because of the simple, compact design and the ability to get a complete workout without having to add and / or subtract components …..This unit is a quality product and I consider it well worth the price….One reason I rated it a 4 was because it is taller than the 80 inches high as advertised……..My workout room is a remodeled storage room with a sloped ceiling from 102 inches to 82 inches…..This unit was the only such unit I found that I thought would just fit on the back wall of my workout area because of its advertised height of 80 inches but since it is 84 inches to the top of the front of the unit, it did not fit where planned…..(And of course I could not determine that until I had unpacked and read the instructions enough to hold the major components together to see if it would fit where planned……Once I saw it was 4 inches taller than advertised and did not fit in the area I wanted to place the unit in, I was faced with either repacking and returning, or rearranging the planned layout of my room by moving some other equipment and using this unit in a different, less desirable area.)….. I also rated it a 4 because of the assembly time……The four hours I saw in some areas did not get it for me……My time was at least 8 hours for the whole project ….Unpacking (excellent packaging) and sorting out all of the parts took me an hour or so….All the small parts were well numbered but trust me, they need to be because there are vast number of them and there is not one piece of this unit that comes assembled from the distributor….Assembly was very slow using a step by step picture guide in very small print (every large component, nut, washer, bolt, pulley)…..You will hunt and sort parts and assemble a step at a time…. And you will most likely have to redo at least a couple of the assembly steps because the assembly drawings just are not large and clear enough to fully understand the first go around…….I found what I thought to be good welds, quality fit and paint for the large components, and I was impressed with the excellent hardware quality……Once assembled as instructed, the unit feels sound and works very well….I expect years of quality service out of the unit…..I would highly recommend this unit for a home gym workout…..I consider the unit well worth the money…..Just be prepared however to have plenty of room to spread out your parts and to take your time and enjoy the assembly journey…..I also recommend you save the assembly instructions for future reference and build this unit where you plan for it to stay for a long while…..Considering the size and weight (400 pounds) of this unit, it is not something that I think you will be moving from room to room on a whim……

My 16 year old son and i were able to build this in an afternoon. Easy to follow instructions and to be honest its pretty obvious where things go. Most complicated thing was getting my head around the cables and pulleys but just follow the instructions and you’ll be fine. As to usage its great and easy to use. It comes with a list of exercises you can follow but i keep popping on to the internet for new ideas.

I have had this for a good few months now and even with youtube to problem solve, it us pretty useless and unusable. The pole that goes down the middle if the weight stack and moves up and down with the selected weight moves to one side. Not always the same side. It then won’t let the weights lifted up come down again. The weight just gets stuck up high. Then when you get up and go to the stack to try resolve it you have to be able to lift the stuck weights and move the pole to allow it to lower the weights back down. This is fine if you have a light load but forget it if you have a heavier load. That is if it doesn’t suddenly resolve itself as you are getting off the machine and come slamming down hard. I have a flat underneath me so the last thing I need is for the loud, heavy weight stack slamming down. It also almost caught my hand one time.

I did yutube fixes and one person said to use treadmill oil on the two guide poles. I tried that and it seemed to resolve it for a short time but not for long. It is the worse thing I have ever purchased so far when it comes to gym equipment. Needless to say I haven’t been able to use it for workouts. I think I have had 6 sessions where it didn’t get stuck and actually allowed me to do a complete workout. I litterally have to use treadmill oil/lube every time I want to use it.

After 4 hours to assembly, I appreciate this home gym. Simple to use, good dimension and very solid.