Marcy MWM980 150-Pound Stack Gym and Shroud Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been using this for a few weeks now. I bought this because I wanted an all-in-one system where I don't have to worry about being spotted and dropping the weights on my chest, and needed it to fit into a smaller area. All in all, I'm fairly happy with it. However, I do have issues that prevent me from giving it 5 stars.
First for the pros. It is very sturdy. It has a hollow steel frame with 2 inch bolts and nuts, so it doesn't shake around. It is compact without being cramped. The weight stack shield has a diagram of the muscle groups and the 14 main exercises you do, with a picture, brief instructions and which muscles it works. The diagram is really nice and a handy quick reference. The seat pads are comfortable, feel good, and easy to clean. The logo is actually stitched in, which is a nice touch. The pins to lock the butterfly/press bar are quick-release ones that are easy and quick to use. All in all, the cables are smooth and quiet, and everything works well.
Now for the cons. I was specifically looking for the preacher curl attachment, and not too many below $1,000 have it. So I'm very disappointed that its design is such that I never use it. Basically, because the front cable comes from the area down where the lower pads on the leg bar are, you only get resistance on about the first third of the curl. After that, you're really moving it laterally due to the cable position and therefore not really working any muscles. I ended up getting a $60 set of steel dumbbells instead and work isolated bicep curls with those (and you can do standing upright curls and lats using the bar). Also, instead of some sort of quick-release pin to attach the curl pad, it has a screw with a big knob which takes about 6 rotations to screw it in, after fumbling to find the threads on the other side. It is anything but convenient, and one more reason I just leave the curl pad off completely and don't use it.
My other complaint is the steel ring attachment you use for the lat/curl bar. You use it to hook into either the upper or lower cables to the chain attached to the lat/curl bar. Depending on the exercise and your height, you'll move it to various links on the chain. It has a screw to close the loop. I end up just leaving it open to easily move it between links. But there are only two of these, despite the fact that you need three (one for the ankle strap and one at each end of the chain). I ended up using a carabiner on the ankle strap and will pick up another for the chain.
I would have to say that this is a much better upper-body workout machine than a lower body. Other than seated leg extensions, all the leg exercises are via the front pulley and an ankle strap. It is a little awkward, however, because you do have to typically position one leg to prevent the leg curl post (which has the cable running through it) from popping up with the cable, but not a big deal. If you want a better lower body workout, there are other machines with presses and such, but they also typically take up more room.
As a side note, I was worried that 150 lbs may not be enough weight. I'm 5 foot 11 inches and 170 lbs. I'm no Adonis, but I like to think I'm thin and fit. The most I bench and crunch on this is about 70 lbs, so there's plenty of weight. Most of the time I'm using 20-40 lbs for about 10 reps and that's ample resistance. I'm not worried about maxing out the 150 lbs in the near future.
The weights are plastic filled with concrete. That has its own pros and cons. Steel is more rugged, but its also more noisy. I wouldn't put the weights in direct sunlight or the plastic can eventually warp and crack. And I wouldn't be slamming these all the time either (which you shouldn't do anyway). Otherwise they're quiet and smooth. I seriously doubt you can add more weight due to the pin bar and the cable lengths.
It took me probably about 3-4 hours to put together, and I'm very handy. A few times I put something on backwards, but no real problems. Instructions are fairly clear. Everything was machined near perfectly. Didn't have any problems with mis-aligned holes or stuff like that. It comes with wrenches so you don't need anything else. I'd recommend a pad underneath unless you don't care about the floor (I bought the Cap Barbell Puzzle Mat (24-Inch x 24-Inch x 3/4-Inch) which is just the right size and thick enough).
All-in-all, I am happy with this machine and like it enough to use it often. The few cons prevent me from giving it 5 stars. Also, it is compact, quiet and was roughly $400. I was truly surprised by the quality that you get for that, despite a few drawbacks.

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The Marcy Home Gym (model MWM980) with 150 pounds of vinyl coated weight stack offers a compact footprint for home strength training. It features a heavy duty 14 gauge steel tube frame construction with a durable powder coated finish, dual function press arm that performs check pressing and pec fly exercises, high and low pulley stations, and over sized foam roller pads add comfort while performing leg exercises. All cables are rated at a 2,000-pound tensile strength.
Features and Specifications:
Heavy duty 14 gauge steel tube frame construction
Dual function press arm performs check pressing and pec fly exercises
High and low pulley stations
Adjustable preacher curl bicep pad for isolated bicep exercises
Over sized foam roller pads add comfort while performing leg exercises
2000-pound tensile strength aircraft cable
Includes lat bar, butterfly attachment, and leg attachment
Durable powder coated finish
Assembly required
Approximately assembled dimensions: 70 x 36 x 78 inches (LxWxH)
Maximum Weight Capacity: 600 pounds including user weight
Manufacturer's warranty: 2-year limited

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