GR8FLEX High Performance Gym - Military XL Model with Total Over 100 Workout Exercises

I have been looking at these types of home gyms for many years. One thing that kept me from purchasing any that I looked at what the flimsy feel of the frame. I’m 6’ 3” and weigh about 240 lbs. I didn’t felt that the gyms I tried in the past wouldn’t work well for me or last very long. The GR8FLEX gym however not only met but exceeded my expectations. It is a solid and robust piece of equipment. There is no flexing of the rails or supports when I use it. I was an amateur power lifter for many years and one concern that I previously had was not being sure if there was enough resistance on these types of gyms to give me a decent workout. Well I’m now 57 years old with a lot of joint injuries. Heavy weights and the old programs are out of the question for me. I was looking for a home gym that would provide me with a great workout without beating up my body further. Since the pandemic took the option of going to the local gym where I primarily used machines to weight lift on, this gym very nicely replaces multiple stations at the gym. The workout I designed for my home gym is awesome and there is plenty of resistance for me. I get a great workout that keeps me moving and in shape right in my home. I honestly don’t see myself ever returning to the local gym again. Would I use this home gym to get ready for a powerlifting meet when I was younger? No. But can one build and maintain muscle while also getting a cardio benefit? Absolutely. PROS: the gym comes ready to use. It was packed extremely well. When the box arrived, there were holes in the sides from handling during shipping. NOTHING inside the box was scratched or missing. Hats off to the manufacturers for that. The box weighs over 100 pounds so be prepared for that and have a plan to get it to where you will be using it. The gym itself is a solid piece of equipment. I have it set up in a space where I don’t have to move it. You will not need any tools to get the gym setup and ready to use. There are plenty of exercises to do on it. One huge bonus for me was the squat stand. It is high enough for me to use comfortably. Other gyms of this type have much shorter stands that would have caused knee issues for me. Another huge bonus is the extras you receive that would cost much more with other gyms of this type. Everything is included with the GR8FLEX gym. There is more than enough resistance to build muscle and strength. Being tall, I have no issues getting a full range of motion while performing all exercises. CONS: while the glide board moves smoothly, there is a thunk, thunk, thunk, feeling from the rollers of the glide board. It almost feels like the rollers have little flat spots on them. This doesn’t affect my workouts at all but a better roller could be had. Aside from that, the only other thing I would change would be to make the glide board another 3” or 4” longer on the bottom. I’m tall and have limited range in one knee due to a few surgeries so this issue is not a knock on the design. I get around this small issue by supporting the foot on my bad leg by stacking it on top of my right. A few more inches on the bottom of the board would help me. Others with normal knee ranges will have no issues. I have seen others comment on cables getting stuck in the pulleys. This isn’t a problem for me. Take your time when getting set up and just lightly pull the handles to get some tension on the cables before putting your full weight on the glide board. Overall I am extremely satisfied with my purchase. The gym will replace a gym membership for me and allow me to continue to workout at home.

Ok machine does not Line up right but great accessories

Over the years, I have spent a ton of money on home gym equipment. Most of it turned out to be either very flimsy, or not at all versatile. I have had my gr8flex for over a year, and this machine is by far the best purchase, and has gotten the most consistent use, because the workout is actually fun. I have also worked out in many gyms over the years, on all types of equipment, and the moves here feel very natural, unlike most home gyms where every exercise requires an extensive reconfiguration. This workout is convenient, enjoyable, and versatile enough that you can duplicate almost anything you would do in a gym. If you are a guy already doing 350 lb bench presses, this machine is probably not for you, but it will build plenty of muscle for most purposes. The workouts can also be modified for various physical limitations. Hundreds, if not thousands of online videos on using glide boards. Don't think you are going to put it under a bed in between uses, though. It's heavy. It's too large for most apartments. Regarding attachments, there are many complaints in the reviews about not understanding their use. The resistance bands are self explanatory, but somewhat difficult to attach and remove. They also are not that durable. I am using my own resistance bands . I would prefer the option of adding a weight bar. The leg pulley system is very hard to use as well, but I get plenty of heavy leg work on the squat stand. The dip attachment is unnecessary, you can do a dip without it, and the ab accessory also is optional. Judging by the pictures, the move mainly works hip flexors anyway. The core gets plenty of work on the machine as you are doing various compound exercises. Of all the attachments, I only use the wing bar, for both upper and lower body exercises. It is easy to attach. The machine is on the floor. Getting off and on will be somewhat awkward at first if you are older, or overweight. I arrange my routine to minimize position changes. I have also gotten more limber using it. I was a little worried that the resistance for the legs might not be sufficient, but I am able to get a good lower body workout on this. Try a super slow tempo one legged squat. Still sore months later, after every use. The squat stand is large enough for correct foot placement, unlike some similar models made by other companies. The hamstring exercise with the wing bar is surprisingly challenging. After more than two years, I am still quite pleased. The equipment holds up well to near daily use. You can get a great strength workout with cardio benefit in 20-30 minutes. Don't expect dramatic weight loss without reducing calories, though. But if you are over 50, you'll be surprised how quickly you feel better with short, but intense workouts. As far as I can tell, this model is the equivalent of a 800-1500 dollar machine sold by infomercial. I lifted weights for years, then got out of the habit after it was no longer convenient. I have had other home gyms that were nowhere near as simple, versatile and sturdy. With this equipment in the house, there is no excuse not to strength train. It is fun to use, and makes me feel wonderful. I workout 5 x a week, 30-40 minutes, and I have lost at least 30 lbs of fat and gained 5 lbs of muscle. I just wish I had bought it sooner.

I have been holding off writing this review: UNBOXING: So when I got the unit; the first thing that I found opening the box was pieces of broken black plastic. These came from the plastic caps that cover ends of various metal tubes and what not of the equipment. After further unboxing it became evident this was a shipping carrier issue not a product issue. Although I do have significant bending of one end of the leg tubes where a cap was broken completely off in shipping; it really has no effect on how the equipment works thus far. INITIAL SET-UP: I have owned a piece of similar equipment of a certain name brand 20 years ago; I initially was going to spend about $1400 on said name brand until I came across the GR8FLEX while looking for similar types of equipment. Therefore I had some carnal knowledge of how to set this thing up. So being the man that I am; I didn't need no stinking instructions! After about 10 minutes of pondering I was able to unfold and set this thing up in proper fashion without succumbing to the website for help. Although a single sheet or 2 of written instructions would have been nice after unboxing. FIRST USE: Big Problem! So out of the box the actual noise the seat / slide made was loud. And the ride was less glide and more bumpy. After a week of use I didn't want to use it anymore while my daughter was in her room trying to sleep a floor up and 2 rooms away. That's how loud it got. Plus the bumpiness made laying on the seat unpleasant and annoying to use. That being said; I contacted the seller right away about the seat and caps. Initially they were going to basically replace the whole unit. I told them I was fine with getting some new caps. After further review of the seat/ slide; the rollers seemed to be the main culprit. I contacted the seller again and the put the caps and rollers in the mail ASAP. WEEK 2: So I haven't used the thing much this week due to the noise and bumpiness. I received the caps and rollers today and promptly installed the new rollers. However; after removing the rollers and discovering that it seems to me (and I am no engineer by any means) that the actual bearings aren't taking most of the load. It appears the bushing between the bearings in the rubber roller is riding on the bolt. This is causing major wear on the pressure side of the bolt. So I ran to the hardware store and bought new bolts and replaced the metal bushings with nylon bushings (which are sloppy but so were the metal ones). I also added a washer at the bolt head to help it spin if necessary in hopes the bolt doesn't wear so quickly. I am happy to say the noise level is down about 90% and the bumpiness is down about 70% thus far only a few exercises in after the roller replacement. OVERALL: I like the unit with all it's accessories. To be fair; I am a BIG guy and my one concern is the roller assembly is just not quite beefy enough and I will need to replace them again sooner than I want too. I would like to see the rollers re-engineered with beefier bolts and less slop between the bearings / bushings and rubber. I think one beefy bearing with a rubber coating and a thick bolt would be better than the current design (again, I am no engineer). The exercises are good; if you've used any similar piece of equipment I would say you would be quite happy with this unit in functionality- if you like the other one. For $1000 less and great customer support this far; I think it is well worth the money at this point. To be continued....

They are sanding on time, I love it. But only one thing is problem is, some small past of product is broken.