Xpress Pro Home Gym Leg Press: Included Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have a older model of this (2003 or maybe 2004, if I remember correctly), and this machine is great. However, things aren't perfect when you are 6'3". For example, the horizontal handles for the bench press are a little low. This shouldn't be as big a problem on the new one, though, as I noticed there are two sets of horizontal handles. The higher one may take care of the problem. So that only matters if you are buying an older, used model. But on my machine, the seat does not go low enough (or the press bar and origin point of the cables does not go high enough) to really do bench press maneuvers the way I would really like to do them, either with the bar or the cables. With the cables, I am always pushing partially up instead of just straight out because they do not adjust high enough. With the bar, I am pushing slightly down instead of straight out. This, however, may not affect you at all depending upon your height. And again, the new press bar with the higher mount horizontal handle may take care of that on the press bar. The handles on the press bar could be a little closer together also.
Anyway, even with the height problem, the best thing to me is the "outrigger" cables (what BodyCraft calls "cable station arms"). These pivot around to many angles and allow a whole new group of exercises. Even with normal functions, like bench presses, these cables allow you a new way to do the exercise. Basically, you get your normal workout machine plus a whole other set of exercises you can do with the cable outriggers.
When putting this machine together, it is probably handy to find a picture on the internet (the BodyCraft website has a 360 spinning view you can use--at least when I wrote this) to look at while assembling the frame parts. The assembly manual is actually pretty good, but it is nice to look at a picture of an assembled machine. The cable stringing is not really difficult. The line drawings in the directions aren't masterpieces, but are decent enough to understand. I think if the cables were shown as MUCH thicker lines in the drawings, it would have been easier to follow the cable routing. I would suggest putting EVERYTHING together with all the bolts loose before finishing tightening anything. Anyway, it only took a couple of hours to put together, which wasn't bad at all, I thought.
Kind of pricey though, but probably cheaper than lesser alternatives. I think just about all exercise equipment seems too expensive. Other than the problem I have because of my height, this machine is excellent. Well, now that I think of it, I bought a different straight bar (arm curl bar)--one that could rotate, because the grips kept spinning off the one that came with the machine and it became very annoying. A tricep rope is a good addition also. Also, and this is a problem with all cable machines I know of, it would be nice if there was a way to add just 5 pounds to a weight stack (instead of 10 because that is what each plate weighs)--like maybe a 5 pounds weight that could be put securely on top of the stack. 10 pounds is quite a bit when you are trying to hit your maximum, especially when doing one arm exercises. It seems a bit strange, too, that BodyCraft would put the seat bottom adjuster pin and the press bar adjuster pin on one side of the machine and the seat back adjuster pin on the opposite side of the machine. What's that all about? It would be handier to be able to adjust all pins from one side of the machine, so one does not have to reach around to the other side when setting things up. This really is not a big deal at all, but it is a refinement that could be made in the future.
Other good stuff:
1. It looks nice. The weight stack covers help tremendously in this.
2. It takes up very little space for all that it does.
3. It is heavy duty: larger cross-sectional tubes than many home gyms, big pulleys, etc.
4. It is very stable on the floor. Nothing I do makes it tilt or move or slide around (I am 6'3" and 245 pounds).
5. The cable system is very well thought out.
6. The exercise chart is good.
Also, after I recently broke my wrist and had my right arm go very weak due to my arm being immobilized for so long waiting for my wrist to heal, the cable system helped quite a bit because I could separate movement to my weak arm, instead of having my strong arm compensate for my weak one by having strengthening movements tied together to both arms (that might not make sense unless you think about it awhile--it sounded better in my head than it came out written).
Maybe a problem stuff:
1. If you have a very low ceiling in your basement like me, you could have a problem. I cut a section out of a ceiling tile so this gym would fit. Note, however that my basement ceiling is lower than normal, so you probably won't have a problem.
Other stuff:
1. You do not get the same weight feel with this as you do with dumbbells. In fact, you get a different feel depending upon which cable you pull on. For instance, the bottom cable at 50 pounds feels like a different weight than one of the out-rigger cables set at the same 50 pounds, and both feel different than a 50 pound dumbbell. This isn't really a problem, you just should be aware that 50 pounds of weights sliding on a rail with a cable winding around multiple pulleys means you might not necessarily have exactly 50 pounds when you are pulling on it.
2. The set-up for rigging the 2-1 doubler for the press bar is shown here:[...]
My older model did not come with the little connector cables or the hookup points on the press bar to rig this up. However, with a little bit of effort, I am sure I can rig this up. I would assume the new models come with this set-up. If it does not, then maybe it is not the newest model and you need to ask to make sure you get the newest set-up.
Anyway, I would not trade this machine for any machine without the "cable station arms". With them, you more than double the exercises you can do. So, really, maybe I shouldn't have complained about the price!
As for the leg press attachment, it does what it does very well, but really, this is quite expensive for one exercise. However, it is handy to have to break up the monotony of doing squats all the time, even though squats are a better exercise for your entire body. Also, if you are pressed for space with your Bodycraft Xpress, the leg press attachment does take up a LOT more space. Other than cost, however, I have no complaints. It is a very well built piece of equipment.

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XpressP-LP Leg Press: IncludedFeatures: -Bench Press Station with adjustable starting point allows for different size users and also provides a variety of exercises including Bench Press, Incline Press, Shoulder Press and Mid Row -Seat and seat back are adjustable -Back pad tilts to ensure full support when performing incline and shoulder presses -Cable Station with adjustable arms, allows for a very wide array of exercises including sports specific, core training, and exercises that mimic dumbbell training -Ab crunch station for abdominal training -Low pulley station with foot plate for low rows. Fold the foot plate down for abductor and adductor leg kicks, arm curls, upright rows, etc -High Pulley Station for lat pull downs, and tricep push downs -Self-aligning leg extension and curl station provides seated leg extension and standing leg curl -Automatically adjusts to fit all leg sizes -Optional Leg Press Specifications: -Lifetime warranty Product Brochure

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