Weider Crossbow Advantage: No.
By Invadertim on
OK.Seriously, as a home gym I expect two things.
1.To get my money's worth.
2.To feel like I am getting a gym equivalent workout.
My standards are not impossibly high, right?I paid a grand total of $75 for a two month old gym off of Craig's List (for the love of all that is good and beautiful in this world, NEVER BUY A HOME GYM AT FULL PRICE!People buy these, use them for a month or two, remember that they hate working out and also hate having huge eyesores in their houses and sell them at rock bottom just to be rid of them).How hard could it be to get $75 worth of use out of a $500, 2 month old home gym?Here is what you can expect:
It will be huge.It will be able to fold in half and be as easily storable as any 8 foot tall, 2 foot thick, 200 pound mess of metal and rods and pulleys and cords.It will tell you that you are lifting 80 pounds on a curl, even though the 40 pound barbell next to you is nearly impossible to completely pull up (verified as common gripe via message boards).And to really put the final touches on your unforgettably mediocre experience you can expect it to break in the most remarkably ridiculous of ways.
I want to note here that it had a box that I took it out of and a receipt as well--so I know this was not an old or abused product.It was spotless and shiny)
Day 1: Ok well these are really makeshift workouts that have weird resistance levels.
Day 2: Oh good, the handle is fraying from the friction against the cord.
Day 3: NICE!I love it when the cords come out of the pulleys and I have a choice between dismantling the damned thing to fix it, or chewing up the cord working it slowly back onto them!
Day 4: The little pull thingy that decides whether or not the seat is locked or slides breaks off.
Day 5: Set out by dumpster.
HOWEVER!If what you are looking for is a reason to yell at something for $75, this is the product for you!
Oh and one last thing.Putting it together is a lot like curing cancer or world peace.Sure, it has to happen eventually . . . but all you have is an explosion diagram and whole crapload of hope to get it done.
It looks rather like a torture device. I don't see where you could get a wide range of workouts from it, but it's hard to tell from a photo. I'm surprised the cords aren't coated/wrapped. The cords on my machine are banded metal that's wrapped in a sheath. Even if they come off the pulley, with the design, you just put it back in the groove. Of course my machine is not wound tight as yours looks. I bet the garbage men loved you when they saw that sitting there. This is one that I will avoid. Thanks for the heads up!
You made me laugh! Well, you got a workout taking it out to the curb, right?
I have never laughed quite as hard in a while. This machine sound like it was more of a problem then a help. I can see why you carried it out to the dumpster. Thanks for sharing this information. I know this will be one machine I will not bother with.
Sorry it turned out so badly, but I enjoyed your humorous perspective!
Glad you kept your sense of humor about this, lol. Thanks for the warning.
That's quite a clothes hanger ya got yourself there! Sorry man! Good write! Funny stuff!