The Marcy Single Stack Home Gym – A Problematic DesignThe Marcy Single Stack home gym is a cheap model that may appeal to beginners who don’t know a lot about quality strength training equipment and don’t look further than a low price. We hope we can talk you out of this one!
The Gym
The Marcy Single Stack home gym has a dual-function press arm design that can change from chest press to pec butterfly without having to make adjustments. It includes oversized and contoured roller pads on the leg developer.
The features include:
Compare Marcy Home Fitness Equipment Here The BuzzAt first glance, the Marcy Single Stack home gym looks like a decent gym since it’s built with 14-gauge steel tubing construction and 1" chromed plated guide rods, but the problem is in the design more than the construction. The front floor brace is very short, and it is actually possible to tip over this frame when using the cable station. Also, the Marcy Single Stack has a very lightweight frame; at 201-pound total weight of the home gym, 100 pounds is in the weight stack. The design of the cable pull is an issue as well. During biceps rows or adductor kickouts, for example, the cable rubs against the leg developer. This shouldn’t be possible at any angle of a cable pull, as it will interfere with your exercise as well as wear down parts that are only covered by a limited warranty. Another problem you need to know about the Marcy Single Stack is that the 100-lb weight stack is set – there is no capability to add more weight. Unless you are a small woman or you are buying this starter home gym for a teen (and why would you if it isn’t stable?), many healthy and fit adults will need more than 100 pounds of resistance. You should get a machine with at least 160-lb stack such as the Body Solid EXM1500s Home Gym. Another key issue is that the plates are not numbered so you will need to count them manually to adjust the amount of resistance. And finally, the selectorized pin is inserted at the back of the unit so not only is it inconvenient, you can’t place the gym up against a wall. Our TakeThe $440 Marcy Single Stack home gym is one of the problematic designs in a home gym we’ve seen: cheap construction, inconvenient to change the pin, and limited in the number of exercises (about 13) you can do as well as the range of motion in which to do them. If you want a decent multi-gym design, the minimum amount you should expect to pay starts at about $800. If $500 to $600 is your limit, we recommend you consider investing in free weights and a bench, or look at glideboard trainers such as a Total Gym Home Gym, which allows you to do 30-40 exercises and is good for all ages and ability levels. Return from Marcy Single Stack Home Gym to the Home Gym Reviews Index Page
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