Body Solid EXM1500S Single Stack Home Gym Review

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.


Product Description
Body Solid EXM1500S Home Gym When the leading consumer reporting magazines were searching for the number 1 Best Buy in the home gym category, they found it in the EXM1500S. It has all the features you need for a complete toning, trimming and strength training program at home. In just 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week, you can trim down and firm up in your own home, on your own schedule. Forget the gym membership dues, long lines and that locker room smell. Using the EXM1500S will lead you to a healthier lifestyle, save you time and save you money. This gym is centered on a 160 Lb. weight stack, adjustable in 10 Lb. increments, stacked neatly without plates and bars scattered about. Simply insert a pin and begin. While sitting on the firm, oversized adjustable seat pad you can start by grabbing the multi grip press arm and work on your chest and shoulders, then wrap your legs over the comfortable foam rollers to rip through a set of thigh burning leg extensions. Now, take hold of the Ab Strap and crunch your way to a washboard stomach. Spin around and reach for the Lat Bar and work your shoulders and upper back. Using the Straight Bar on the multi purpose Low Pulley you can perform seated rows, biceps curls, wrist curls, upright rows, shrugs and more. Other exercises include triceps press down, standing leg curl, bent over row, inner and outer thigh, one arm cable curl and standing calf raise. The EXM1500S gives you more for your money than any other home gym on the market. Includes Lifetime Warranty on Everything. Forever. Period.

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