Weider

Popular gyms for half the price

Weider is best known for making more economical versions of the most popular types of fitness equipment, and doing a good job of it. With all fitness products there are good and bad reviews, but for the most part Weider has more fans than detractors. And why not, you can buy the most popular fitness machines from Weider for less than half the usual cost.

The company makes a wide range of home gyms, starting with traditional weight stack machines, smith rack home gyms and weight benches. They also make several home gyms with bow resistance and one that relies on the user’s bodyweight.

Weider Max (Crossbar, Crossbow)

This Bowflex-like home gym also uses flexible rods in place of weight stacks. When first introduced, Weider’s bow machines were known as Crossbows, then as Crossbars. Now the company is selling the Weider Max. As with the Bowflex there is a lifetime warranty on the bars, but Weider’s warranty is only 5-years on the rest.

Weider’s bow gyms cost about half as much as a comparable Bowflex. The top-of-the-line Max 2000 X is $1,300 and comes with 320 lbs resistance, while the original Max costs $1,000 and has 240 lbs resistance.

The Max claims to offer smoother resistance because of its Compound Resistance System (CRS), which is a combination of pulleys, cams, cables and swivels that allow the cables to travel two feet for every foot the resistance bars flex.

• Max - An easily removable seat and fast weight adjustment makes the Max better suited to circuit training.

• Max 2000 X - A 4-position bench, high and low pulleys and a rowing seat makes this home gym versatile enough for most users.

Weider Total Body Works 5000

If you’re been paying attention so far you’ve probably guessed that the Total Body Works is much like a basic version of the Total Gym. The main difference, aside from a few missing features and the fact that Weider makes only one version, is instead of adding weight plates for more resistance, the Total Body Works 5000 uses bands. But for $100 most people won’t find much to complain about, which is the beauty of Weider’s products.