Quality of machines

[Tomgrass]

Top Olimpia guys bribe manufactures to make shitty machines so your progress will sucks so they dont have competition. Kidding. Well not. Or maybe ?

 

[paulallen]

LA Fitness is "updating" a lot of their gyms and replacing hugely popular classic machines with Matrix brand garbage... truly mind blowing how much of a downgrade it is

 

[CorgisOnTren]

That's my question, how are companies that put out shitty equipment so popular

Because they are cheaper

why don't their engineers recognize how shitty the product is and improve it like the good brands?

Because they don’t care and the machines are “good enough” for gen pop. Your average Joe can hardly tell how well they are recruiting/stimulating the target muscle on a given machine.

 

[lookslikesausage]

Did anyone ever use the old brand called Stryde where you could plate load different segments of the range of motion? Those were sick, also love Cybex, and *some* free motion stuff. The old Tru squat was nasty too

They were called Strive. Now they're called Prime. Many of the same machines but with an updated design but still utilizing the same concept of being able to manipulate the force curve. They're a great company and in my opinion, they brought one of the best innovations in this type of equipment since the Nautilus cam.

Watson, another great "newer" company, has reproduced the Tru Squat. Interestingly enough, there are also a few "underground" manufacturers (usually one person) who will reproduce well known pieces and they'll be made to order. I know one guy out of Texas who reproduced the Tru Squat and a bunch of the Flex Leverage pieces and they look great and exactly like the originals.

 

[Swifto]

Ultra flex?

PHX, Burgess Hill and Brighton.

Ultra Flex looks amazing though, so does Jordan and Hollingshead new gym TBJP x Shed.

 

[b-boy]

Lol wow I completely disagree. I fucking love all the new Prime, Arsenal and Atlantis equipment. Panatta can be hit or miss. But I think all this equipment shits on most classic Hammer Strength machines…

Yes ^^^ my gym just got a bunch of Atlantis equipment and they are so smooth!

 

[Swifto]

Yes ^^^ my gym just got a bunch of Atlantis equipment and they are so smooth!

And safe with converging ROM!

 

[kastro]

LA Fitness is "updating" a lot of their gyms and replacing hugely popular classic machines with Matrix brand garbage... truly mind blowing how much of a downgrade it isy

LA Fitness is "updating" a lot of their gyms and replacing hugely popular classic machines with Matrix brand garbage... truly mind blowing how much of a downgrade it is

My gym got rid of the old hammer strength and replaced it with the matrix brand garbage.They feel awkward and small.At least they kept the cybex stuff which is really good.

 

[slayer37]

I'm in the process of replacing all the garbage pieces in my home gym with Gymleco pieces. Smooth as butter, great resistance profiles and TINY footprints. Can't endorse gymleco enough

 

[marssel]

Some arsenal is good put I agree their incline plate loaded chest is shit and all of their pin loaded leg equipment I've used is too. Used to go to Fox in ft worth and 95% of their equipment is Arsenal. Never got used to the ones I mentioned.

It’s funny bc when I posted that I was specifically thinking of the incline chest

 

[alfresco]

it's like everything - Mercedes W190 used to do 2-3 million km, today after 300,000 the engine has to be thrown away - consumerism

Besides, I have the impression that exercise equipment designers have nothing to do with strength training

I remember Arthur Jones wishing he could go back to designing some great strength training equipment as he was burnt out with all the medical machines.

 

[alfresco]

Bro and maybe I’m just not at say Dragons Lair but anything not old school Nautilus or Cybex/Hammer Strength seems shit. I see amazing stuff on YT that pros are using that I’m like where the fuck is all this shit but I can’t exactly go to Bevs. For what it’s worth Metroflex and Destination are still pretty basic stuff and cranking out monsters every year.

While I certainly love the old school Nautilus machines I am not blind to the inherent ‘problems’, most of which was due to friction.

Chains were originally used which had heaps of friction. (They were made that way Arthur was paranoid over a cable breaking and cables would stretch.) And if you used the machines slowly you could feel each link of the chain as it traveled over the cam.

This was solved later by the addition of high strength belt which afforded next to zero friction and were very strong and did not stretch.

I don’t know if the original machines evoked to a degree that belts were used instead of chains.

When the MedX exercise machines introduced, they all had belts . . . smooth as butter.

He also made them so the weight stack moved a short amount distance so as to eliminate momentum in the weight stack.

One year when was staying with Arthur at his home, I used some of those machines. He had about half a dozen of them in his living room.

I once brought my gym clothes so I could try the machines. I changed into my workout clothes (tank top and shorts) and presented Arthur with a chance to train me.

He said not interested. I said to Art this is your last chance. Still no dice. He did say I need to work on my legs

I was very impressed with MedX exercise machines. Brilliantly designed, ergonomic and easy and safe.

Anybody have the chance to use them besides me?

Share your thoughts please.

 

[comedycentral]

While I certainly love the old school Nautilus machines I am not blind to the inherent ‘problems’, most of which was due to friction.

Chains were originally used which had heaps of friction. (They were made that way Arthur was paranoid over a cable breaking and cables would stretch.) And if you used the machines slowly you could feel each link of the chain as it traveled over the cam.

This was solved later by the addition of high strength belt which afforded next to zero friction and were very strong and did not stretch.

I don’t know if the original machines evoked to a degree that belts were used instead of chains.

When the MedX exercise machines introduced, they all had belts . . . smooth as butter.

He also made them so the weight stack moved a short amount distance so as to eliminate momentum in the weight stack.

One year when was staying with Arthur at his home, I used some of those machines. He had about half a dozen of them in his living room.

I once brought my gym clothes so I could try the machines. I changed into my workout clothes (tank top and shorts) and presented Arthur with a chance to train me.

He said not interested. I said to Art this is your last chance. Still no dice. He did say I need to work on my legs

I was very impressed with MedX exercise machines. Brilliantly designed, ergonomic and easy and safe.

Anybody have the chance to use them besides me?

Share your thoughts please.

Avenger line is still very hardcore. If memory serves Dorian has bought the rights and will start manufacturing med x again.

 

[LATS]

I'm a equipment junkie.. I can tell ya some of the old Icarian and Flex stuff was phenomenal.. that being said there companies that make great equipment... atlantis.. panatta.. the old nautilus xpload line .. maxpump..newtech out of korea.. all have great biomechanics and feel..

That being said if your gym brings in Matrix or Life Fitness they just cared about getting a great deal.. that stuff is disposable metal..

 

[marssel]

While I certainly love the old school Nautilus machines I am not blind to the inherent ‘problems’, most of which was due to friction.

Chains were originally used which had heaps of friction. (They were made that way Arthur was paranoid over a cable breaking and cables would stretch.) And if you used the machines slowly you could feel each link of the chain as it traveled over the cam.

This was solved later by the addition of high strength belt which afforded next to zero friction and were very strong and did not stretch.

I don’t know if the original machines evoked to a degree that belts were used instead of chains.

When the MedX exercise machines introduced, they all had belts . . . smooth as butter.

He also made them so the weight stack moved a short amount distance so as to eliminate momentum in the weight stack.

One year when was staying with Arthur at his home, I used some of those machines. He had about half a dozen of them in his living room.

I once brought my gym clothes so I could try the machines. I changed into my workout clothes (tank top and shorts) and presented Arthur with a chance to train me.

He said not interested. I said to Art this is your last chance. Still no dice. He did say I need to work on my legs

I was very impressed with MedX exercise machines. Brilliantly designed, ergonomic and easy and safe.

Anybody have the chance to use them besides me?

Share your thoughts please.

Oddly enough I love those old chain machines especially the lat pullover and leg extension, maybe I just like the the heavy duty stuff, that said cables do gray and break and belts do stretch that’s why I’m so big in Hammer Strength stuff

 

[alfresco]

Oddly enough I love those old chain machines especially the lat pullover and leg extension, maybe I just like the the heavy duty stuff, that said cables do gray and break and belts do stretch that’s why I’m so big in Hammer Strength stuff

The pullover machine, I can defiantly feel the chain's links going over the large
cam when going slow . . . one by one. The leg ext., no.

Also, forgot to mention, chains do stretch but not as much as the
aforementioned mentioned cable and belts. Which BTH, have come a long
way from the 70's.

Arthur was most concerned with breakage. He wanted his machines to last
forever, not break down, be damn near maintenance free.

And pillar block bearing would have helped also.

I have seen a lot of old nautilus machines that have been rebuilt and they
are consistently rebuilt using belts and new bearings. Smooth as silk. Some
go so far as to re-design the cam, giving them less resistance in your
strongest position.

 

[Mufasa123]

They were called Strive. Now they're called Prime. Many of the same machines but with an updated design but still utilizing the same concept of being able to manipulate the force curve. They're a great company and in my opinion, they brought one of the best innovations in this type of equipment since the Nautilus cam.

Watson, another great "newer" company, has reproduced the Tru Squat. Interestingly enough, there are also a few "underground" manufacturers (usually one person) who will reproduce well known pieces and they'll be made to order. I know one guy out of Texas who reproduced the Tru Squat and a bunch of the Flex Leverage pieces and they look great and exactly like the originals.

Between this and your other posts, your fitness equipment knowledge is super strong.

I actually own a Strive piece I got from the former owner's son who had it since purchase in his basement. Good guy and we hit it off early as I knew all about Strive and the piece in question. Prime now but you are right their designs and multi-cam innovation was so ahead of its time. I know a couple people who've collected most of the pieces in their line. I'm mostly a Barbell guy but still find it super cool.

 

[CorgisOnTren]

I'm in the process of replacing all the garbage pieces in my home gym with Gymleco pieces. Smooth as butter, great resistance profiles and TINY footprints. Can't endorse gymleco enough

Never heard of this brand. Just googled it, looks like they are solid.

 

[control]

Regarding Hoist, I will say that the older equipment I found horrible and cheap. Kinda wonky but some of the newer ones I found much better. In terms of price a gym owner told me Atlantis and Hoist are similar.

Hammer strength I detest. Never liked their equipment.

Hoist has some truly terrible machines, but I actually like a few of them. Their chest fly machine, the lying leg curl, and the pull down are all good for a different feel.

 

[control]

Anybody ever encounter this beast?