I don't believe in giving bad grades for shipping issues. So, first off, the equipment itself - For the price, you can't beat it. Very sturdy and strong. Works like a charm! Can be a little wobbly at higher inclines, but I like the fact that it's pretty compact and can fold down when not in use. This is perfect for our home. My only complaint is that it didn't come with any instructions on how to use it. A simple laminated one sheet with some pictures would've helped. Overall - great deal, great product.

Just a warning about shipping - Amazon did NOT put this is another box. Instead, they slapped a sticker on the side of the original box. As a result, the box itself was very damaged. And while there was minor damage to the equipment inside, it was nearly perfect (which shows how strong the equipment is).

But the worst thing was, because it wasn't in another box, the person who was to get this for a present saw what it was, ruining the surprise. I've never had that happen with all the things I've bought of Amazon. Very disappointing.

So, if you're buying as a gift, make sure you intercept it when it arrives!

The box was beat up and they sure as heck don't protect the product inside with packaging. I received mine with a half smashed in tube where the pull up bar goes. I inspected the rest of the machine and other than a few minor scratches the rest looked ok. Proper internal protection may have avoided this. I am a pretty handy woman so I decided to try and bend the metal back in order to fit the bar properly. It's not perfect and I had to work on re-opening the hole where the L-pin goes to make everything fit, but it seems secure. Normally I would have returned this item for the condition, but I got it today on my birthday and had too much cake. A workout is necessary.
The setup, if in perfect condition, would normally be quick: Three bolts to insert for the front foot T-bar, surprisingly heavy footboard placed and secured with two L-pins, the same for the pull up bar (minus the heavy), rip the plastic off the bench and under the bench, then a quick pull of the pin on the underside to telescope the machine out and you are ready to go. The pulley handles were already on mine but big surprise, setup was not that quick.
First the smashed piece fix....check, then 2 bolt holes on the foot T-bar machine were too big so I had to dig in my toolbox to find large washers (successfully) and fix that....check, then tighten several loose bolts....check and triple check. Seriously, check them all before playing on the machine. You will need a 13mm and 15mm wrench and a crescent wrench to put this together and tighten things up. There aren't that many bolts so it doesn't take long, it's just annoying.
As a former Total Gym user that stupidly sold it when I moved in a smaller house, this machine is a better fit. The glide board is smaller in width and length. I'm 5'-5", 120 lbs and fit just right with my knees tucked and feet flat in sit-up position. It glides smooth and the cable pulley system seems fine. This works as good as my former Total Gym, it just isn't as quality made but who would expect that for the price. The bungee's are a great touch for 50 lbs added resistance. I found it difficult to raise and lower the height and then my Oldest child said "place a foot on the T-bar then lift and lower it that way". Smart girl. Way easier.
I'm going to give it a good workout this weekend and make sure nothing goes wrong or falls apart, or it's going back. For $133 and Prime 2 day shipping it cost less than 3 months at the local gym. Not a bad purchase if it holds up. The only thing missing is foot straps which I will purchase along with padded handles if I decide to keep this. The handles it comes with have plastic for the hand grips. I chose this specifically for the smaller footprint and the bungee cord added resistance system. If you have the room and the cash go for a better name brand that allows for adding weights.

I've looked at the total gym offerings for years. But the price was always too high. I decided to try this system out. Been using it everyday. It probably doesn't glide as smooth as a total gym, but it glides easily. I like the footplate at the bottom for leg exercises. I like the resistance bands as well. The con to this piece is it's weight and its,a little tricky to adjust. For me, an easy put together out of the box. Very few pieces. For the average person. You might find to be a challenge. But most of it is pre assembled. I recommend two people to assemble unless you are mechanically motivated. Personally, the machine is easy to use. I like it. If you want to try less expensive before you buy a total gym, this will do it. If you don't like it, you aren't out $1000. Get the exercises for total gym from YouTube for free.

Easy to assemble, easy to use, I felt like I got a pretty comprehensive workout. Easy on the eyes, and not too difficult to store. (it's a little heavy, but lugging it around isn't too terrible, two minutes and it's ready to store under a bed. simple.) I'm very fond of this machine and the price certainly didn't hurt. I'd buy this again without hesitation, yea, a real find. A+

Just to start off, I want to say that we have used this equipment for over 6 months with moderate to heavy use (minimum 3-4 days a week by myself and wife) and we love it. I did not buy this product and wrote a review just because, it has been used every week for the past 6 months.

Honestly, there are a lot of hokey gym equipment out there that anyone can buy and most of them are all useless (push up devices? sit up devices? come on now). Seeing the Total Gym on t.v made me laugh until I actually tried it out in person. My younger brother had one in his home gym and I decided to use it for stuff and giggles and to my surprise, I wanted one right away. It was perfect for anyone wanting to build there own home gym and this was a much needed device.

Why did I choose the Wieder Ultimate Body Works over the Total Gym? First is the cost --- it was half the cost of the Total Gym and did practically the same thing. Second was storage --- it can be lowered down and adjusted to smaller dimensions. Third was the resistance band --- 4 bungee cord systems that can attach to the lower half and can be adjusted upwards to an extra 50 pounds, the basic Total Gym did not have this at all. The basic Total Gym does come with easier height adjustments and also glides a lot smoother while in use. Not a big difference in my opinion though, considering the cost of the Weider over the basic Total Gym.

Why would I buy a cable/pulley system for my home gym? 1) cheaper than real cable/pulley systems that Big Gyms have. Most folks don't realize this but those Gym's that have cable systems can run upwards to $600-1000 bucks and are huge, where are you gonna store or place that equipment in a house?. 2) Perfect for folks who how have muscle injuries/need physical therapy --- I have shoulder and back injuries from deployments in the military and have issues using dumbbells and heavy weights. This is perfect for my body. 3) You can virtually work on almost every muscle group with this equipment alone. Granted you won't get huge, cable systems in my usage are mainly for stretching/low weight-high rep work outs/ and also for my wife. She doesn't like using weights and this is also perfect for her.

What kind of exercises can I do with this? Use your imagination or google/youtube some videos. I've seen some comments here stating that the package came with no instructions on how to use it. Yes that is true but you can google/youtube videos and descriptions on what to do. There are literally hundreds of videos on youtube show casing what exercises you can do with these equipment. There is no need to buy the exercise chart unless you have extra cash on hand and just want it.

Pros:
1. Cheaper than Total Gym
2. Resistance Bands
3. Stable, won't move around while in usage
4. Good Cable system, no kink's or problems with mine. 6 months of moderate/heavy usage
5. Storage

Cons:
1. Not as smooth as the Total Gym
2. Handles might need to be upgraded (cost considered, this isn't a big con)
3. Height adjustment is not as good as the Total Gym. Uses a pulley on side which might be harder for folks to adjust

All in all, this is a good buy if you are looking to add something to your home gym or just need something to begin with. If you liked my review on this product, please press the Yes button below so that I will know what to review again next time. Thanks! --JY