Weider Ultimate Body Works Black/Red, Standard

I bought the Weider like many people who didn't want to pay $800 - 900 on a brand name body weight machine. I've had this machine since mid- October and wanted to write a review after using it for several months. I was in a work accident when I was twenty five where I sprained my wrist, tore my labrum, pulled every muscle from neck to my hip on the right side of my body and consequently have four herniated discs through various parts of my spine from C4 - L5.I was at my wits end in dealing with the pain and I was so tired of hearing "just work out" or "you need to lose weight". I get it, believe me I get that if I carried less weight my back wouldn't hurt so much. But what about the horrific nerve pain that radiates to my extremities? How does anyone find the energy to work out to manage pain when you're already trapped in a vicious pain cycle? I'd had enough of the medications. I didn't want to live in a cloud anymore. I had several injections in my lower spine, and those are great, but they are only temporary.I had read and watched dozens of articles and videos about people who used these types of machines to rehab their bodies. I saw that I could do the same movements with this machine without needing physical therapy referrals or paying out of pocket. This machine costs a fraction of those expenses and obviously a very small fraction of any version of the Total Body systems and I regret nothing. This I can keep for the rest of my life, or it's life but even if it has to be replaced the cost is negligible. It works better than I could've imagined. I'm not a doctor, and I don't recommend beginning any sort of physical regimen with out referring to your doctor. I have spent years in physical therapy and for me they always recommend the same exercises, which I do on my Weider.The board stabilizes your back, and yeah the machine can wobble but that means you're not balanced on the board correctly. I built strength pretty quickly, and I didn't see a change in my physique in the first month, but by the second month I looked tighter. An earlier review said that the changes come from the inside out, and they do. Your whole body transforms and you can't really say when or how it happens. I just felt stronger and better. I adapted different exercises and integrated pilates. It isn't as clean a movement as the machines made for pilates, although you'll tone up just the same. And if you're trying to bulk up, this is NOT the machine for you. You can bulk up, but it won't be like p90. This machine is a bodyweight machine with an additional 50lbs. I have strong legs I added 20lbs in the beginning and started bulking up my thighs unintentionally. I stopped using the extra weight and then my thighs slimmed down and toned up.It does take up a lot of space, but if this is something you want in your life, you'll find the space, and you'll make the time to use it. Forget taking this apart to put it under a bed or lean it against the wall, just find a spot that you won't trip over it and leave it there. I keep my in front of the TV so I can kill two tasks at once. There are so many different videos to give you ideas and show you different ways to use this machine. You don't have to spend hours on it either and you end up working harder than you might think your working. I have found myself sweating when I wasn't planning on working that hard. But I feel so good I just add on one more exercise to round out my routine for the day.I love it! I don't have the body type to get down to a size two. I have wide shoulders and wide hips, but using this has toned me faster and in less time than those fifty other gym machines I used before. And unlike my gym memberships from back in the day, I don't waste money. You can't mess up how you do these exercises; your body will tell you when it doesn't feel right and what it won't do.This saved my back and in a roundabout way has improved my self esteem! My posture has improved and I stretch better than when I was on the floor or doing yoga, (I hate yoga). I have more stamina because I have more muscle tone, and I can carry more groceries, about 30lbs now. This shouldn't seem like a big deal, but when your doctor has said you shouldn't be lifting more that 15lbs for the past four years, this is. One gallon of water is a little more than eight pounds. I live on the fourth floor and take the stairs regularly. I have a whole new life now. If you're on the fence because you're not sure the value it can add, you won't regret it once you get used to it. I'm not going to lie and say it was easy, because for me it wasn't. But if you want a change, can't or won't spend hundreds, then this is for you. I've never been happier and my back agrees.As other reviewers might have mentioned you can buy other accessories that fit by total gym. I would recommend getting a ballet bar so you can make your squats deeper.

I bought this home gym about two months ago, and at first, I probably used it 2-3 times a week for some light strength-training to cross-train with my daily running. Once running got the best of my legs (hamstring and achilles heel problems), I turned to using this thing every day. After some rest and physical therapy, my legs are healed up and ready for the road again. But honestly, it's REALLY hard tearing myself away from this. I think I may be addicted.I started using the Weider Home Gym daily (alternating muscle groups, of course) about a month ago, and my physique has already changed dramatically. I was not expecting results like this -- and so quickly. I was never a very large nor thin guy, but generally everything is so much tighter and more toned now. I'm fairly thrilled.There isn't much in the way of instruction or regimen, but because of its similarity to another (overpriced, I'm now realizing) home gym that shalt not be named, you can easily Google or YouTube exercises for that machine, which can almost always be done on the Weider. What's more is that unlike the cheapest model of that other home gym (which is still 25% more expensive than this) -- and even the higher-tier models -- the Weider has four resistance cables that make a world of difference than just your body weight on an incline. If it weren't for the resistance cables, I would've already maxed out this machine for multiple exercises, which I fear would be the case with the other home gym.There aren't any expensive attachments you can add to this gym, which I like; however, having some options would be nice, too. The foot plate at the bottom and the "wings" at the top are both removable and transferable. Moving the wings to the bottom allows for more exercises, but I can't imagine a reason to put the foot plate at the top. Removing these pieces is fairly easy, and it also allows for the gym to lie flat for storage under your bed, if you'd like. I prefer to leave everything attached and simply stand the gym upright and push it (awkwardly) into the corner of the room.So, speaking of awkward, there are quite a few flaws with the construction and design of the machine. It is here that you get what you pay for. First of all, when in use, the machine isn't super sturdy. I never feel like I'm in danger of toppling over or anything; it just seems to wobble a bit from side to side. The carpet on which the machine is standing with the questionable floorboard underneath may or may not exacerbate the problem, in my particular case, but it does seem to be an "issue" with the machine. Again, considering the ridiculous price, I'm more than willing to deal.I also find that there's no graceful way to set this damn thing up. First off, even when the machine is folded and lying flat on the ground, it's not resting completely flat: one of the knobs is sticking straight down toward the floor, which props the machine up a bit and to the side. Awkward. So, the first step is to fully extend the machine while it's still flat, and the "best" way to do that seems to be to just lay it on its non-existent "side" and pull the previously mentioned troublesome knob while simultaneously pulling on one of the halves of the machine to extend it until it locks into place. It's as exhausting as it sounds. You then need to pull on the other knob and raise the incline...but try to make sure the bench isn't sticking to the top as you raise it, because it could slide all the way down to the bottom with a violent bang. One of the little black, plastic covers wrapped around one of the two spines (which acts as a sort of protective buffer, I think) keeps sliding out of place whenever I use the machine, and I'm pretty sure it was initially dislodged during one of the first few set-ups. I've since learned how to (somewhat) gently open and close the machine, but I do fear that the process is still overly violent, and I worry what toll it may be taking on the equipment. Hopefully you have enough space wherever you keep it that you can just leave it ready for use. Because just setting this friggin' thing up is a workout.On a related note, I feel like this gym (if not careful) can be quite dangerous. Setting the machine up can obviously be dangerous (just be wary of where your fingers are at all times, please), but even when in use, specifically when I was just starting to learn the machine, there have been times when I almost seriously hurt myself. Most of the danger comes from any machine that combines cables, body weight, a sliding bench on an incline, and a user with undeveloped balance and/or experience; but even today, there's a particular exercise I do that I'm almost certain is going to cause me to crush my finger(s) one day: Whenever I do squats (double or single-leg), I use a full incline with at least one resistance cable connected. Because a cable is connected, the bench always wants to move in the direction of the cable (physics!) and out from under my shapely butt. So I need to hold the bench in place, and the most efficient spot to hold the bench is at the bottom (pretty much under my said shapely butt). Problem is, when I do the squat and my legs are bent, the bench reaches the bottom and (as you've heard) makes contact with the front leg, potentially crushing my fingers in the process. I've learned to position my fingers just so and to not fully wrap my fingers around the bench, but you can't be worrying about that sort of thing during those last reps of that last set. I just know I'm gonna lose a fingernail one day. I could hold the sides of the bench rather than under it, but with sweaty palms and everything, it's just not the best leverage. Oh well. The things we do for quads.Speaking of squats (and for the sake of one last complaint), I mentioned earlier that if it weren't for the resistance cables, I'd have already maxed out some exercises. Truth is, even with the full incline and all four resistance cables engaged, the double-leg squat is a still too easy for me. What I'll probably do in the future is disconnect the cables (negating the need to hold onto the bottom of the bench) on the full incline and just hold a bumper plate to my chest. But for now, single leg squats and 3 sets of 25 very quick double-leg reps are working quite well. The burn is so DEEEEP!I know I've spent a lot of time talking about cons, but that's only because the pros are virtually EVERYTHING ELSE. Seriously, this is probably the cheapest home gym option on Amazon, and it just may be the best workout out of anything < $1000. This thing is a steal (*wink*). I'm absolutely thrilled with how this gym turned out. I'm impressed with the machine, and I'm impressed with the results (so far). I have a long way to go before I outgrow this machine and am forced to think about getting a gym membership (ugh...), so until then, I'm in love. I'll be moving soon, and because the machine is a bit too heavy and bulky to transport (and because of the affordable price), I think I might just sell it for cheap and just buy another one once I'm settled in at my new place. It's certainly cheap enough, and honestly, I just think this is something worth buying twice.

As someone that could bench 315lbs when I was in peak condition I can say that this machine is capable of challenging your different muscle groups and it will leave you feeling tired and sore. Upon arrival the package was very damaged but after opening the box I was relieved to find that all the parts were still present and the product itself was unscratched. Assembly is very easy and quick. I think it took a little over fifteen minutes. The build quality is very good and this gym should last for a long time. It's a great thing to have during the pandemic and it doesn't take up much space even in my small apartment. It can be stood up and collapsed to reduce it's footprint. Some people have complained that it is too heavy and I can understand that. I figured out how to easily adjust the incline but if you want to move the entire machine it is going to require some strength. I found out of the box that the cables were too short for both chest exercises and shoulder exercises so I purchased two lengths of chain and two cable connectors to lengthen the handles. The resistance bands at the bottom of the machine can really challenge a person but for pull ups it seemed like the body board just wanted to slide out from under me. I still don't think this is a proper replacement for the gym but I'll be using it until the pandemic is over.