Body Solid EXM1500S Single Stack Home Gym

During High School and in the military, I did a lot of weight training. Ok, I''m not 16 nor 21 anymore. I''m now in my 40''s and am an active cyclist, and skier. I bought this machine based upon the Consumer Reports write ups (it was rated number one) so my wife and I can quickly and easily do some strength training. My key requirements were size, Lat and Leg exercises and Durability/Quality. Only way to review this is to break it down a bit:

Assembly: A lot of parts, Directions are passable, but not great. Biggest problem I had was determining which bolt for which hole. It took a good 4 hours to assemble, and I''m pretty good at this kind of stuff.

Customer Support: Had a plate break in shipping, and it took under 2 minutes to get to a human being. (you deal with body solid directly for support.) He made note that a plate was broken and asked me to finish assembly and give him a call back, to make sure I didn''t need anything else. I finished up, and had no other issues. Called back to his direct extenision and he drop shipped the plate from the warehouse. I''d say that was great service.

Exercises:

Leg Exercises Leg lift for Quads is great. The standing one legged hamstring curl, took a bit to get used to but given the small size of the machine, I''ll take it.

Bench Press Very smooth, and you get two hand positions, one for more inner pec and the other for more outer. Downside is that the start position is a little far back, but now that I think about it, I may have the bench arm on backwards. Doh!

Lats/Back This is where I believe this machine earns it keep. It provides a Lat pulldown, and a seated row position. This was key to me and it performs as expected. (note I''m using this for toning and not body building. A 160 pound stack works for me.)

Shoulders/Arms The curl bar thats included does has a static handle, so its not good for curls. You will need to purchase a bar that has rotating handles. Since I use dumbbells for these exercises, it didn''t matter much. I''m ordering a single rotating curl bar, so my wife can add some exercises.

Overall, I''d say its a great value for someone who wants a smaller in home machine to cover a lot of exercies, and wants to add strength training to their workout. If your looking to get ''Pumped Up'', you''d be better with Free weights or a Gym membership. I looked for a used one, but they didn''t last very long and had a pretty high resale value. I am certainly happy with my purchase, and now need to flip that bench press attachment around.

Overall, I am very satisfied with this purchase.

1. delivery. It took about 2 weeks from Chicago to southern California. The delivery man moved the 6 boxes into my garage, even though they are only obligated to drop at curbside.

2. assembly. It took over 6 hours to assemble by myself. The instructions are not very clear. There are many bolts and nuts that look very similar, so you need to carefully distinguish the different sizes. The problem is compounded by diagrams that are low quality (low resolution).

3. finished product. The time and effort involved was worth it because the machine is solid and a joy to use. Every motion is smooth and quiet. Very compact. Lifetime warranty is reassuring.

I would have given 5 stars if the instructions were better.

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The Body-Solid Home Gym arrived in six boxes in only 10 days. The instructions for assembly were not that great but after taking the time to organize the parts in particular the various sized bolts and associated nuts it went very well. I think the key to assembly is to read over each section carefully and get the exploded view down pat then follow the step by step directions. By the time I was done it took just about five hours and I had a few parts left over. The machine is everything I had hoped for. Its smooth action is a delight and both me and my wife love it already. I missed the workout center but now that I work out of my house the 20 mile round trip into town just didn''t make sense. The money was well spent and I am 100% satisfied.

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The unit is very well built. I do metal work and have experience with this type of fabrication, and the machining was perfectly alined. The assembly instructions list EVERY part and give a good assembly plan. Remember, there is an assembly order that you need to follow. I advise that you put it together according to the instructions. Materials are packaged well and shipping was handled professionally.

It is difficult to build a "stock" unit that can fit "all" body types. So, the adjustment options to fit each body are limited. But, if you''re like me, Joe Average, it''s a good fit.

As for the gym function, it works great. I have limited space and need to fit gym, spinner, and free weights into one very tiny room. This is the perfect unit for my setting. Small footprint with versatile functions. Pully bearings are sealed -a big plus for those of us who sweat during a workout. Multiple attachments make upper and lower body exercise variation possible. Range of motion when lifting weight is important. The unit allows for a full range of motion for every type of exercise I can perform.

All in all, a good unit for the price.

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I purchased this gym so my two boys in Jr. High could work out with me. The delivery was quick. It took me a few hours to put together and I didn''t have any problems. The machine is smooth and provides a decent workout. I am not to crazy about the leg attachment. This machine is NOT for a person who is above average size. When you sit in the seat to do pull downs there is not a whole lot of room. I am using this machine to stay in shape. If your looking for a machine to have serious workouts, not sure this is it. This machine works well for me and my two boys.