My home gym Equip.

[Mr.Bill]

I picked up a nice cable gym off a local car forum a month or so ago. Its a Weider 17.0 ST. It has a bench press (although I think its more like decline) High pulley for lat/rope pull downs. Military press, and leg press(totally useless).

My favorite part is the dip/pull up station since it has an assist arm. That comes in handy since I have never been able to do more than a few pull ups and now I am working on just getting one unassisted. I went from using 115 lbs of assist to get 10 reps to 60 lbs..

It had a leg extension area that was garbage so I got rid of it and put a bar on so I can do shrugs and rows.

I paid $190.


Recently I started checking out Craigslist because I wanted to get a bench and olympic weight set. After finding several that were just OK I found a sweetheart deal on a cage, bench and weight set.

Its a Weider 755 power cage. It had a lat pull station that I did not put on, it has leg extension and preacher attachments for the Bench. The Bench is a nice piece with several position for decline and several positions for incline.
It has 300# of weight including the 40lb. bar.

It has a self spotter which is nice and my gut and legs will thank me since I will no longer have to do the old, rest the bar on my chest and roll it down to my legs when I fail on a lift.

The cage was located about an hour west of me, and once again my choice to buy an Expedition payed off in spades. I was able to get all the pieces to fit and was able to close the hatch.


The basement of my 80 year old house has a low ceiling and an extremely uneven floor. I figured I would be able to get the uprights into the joist space and lower the cross members below the joists. Unfortunately that was not an option so I sawzalled all 4 posts 2.5 inches. Even then its totally jammed up to the joists.



I did not read the manual to see the weight limit but for now it will be fine. If I ever start squatting heavy I might have to redesign the catches since the are only 3/8" and only catch on one side of the tubing. Eventually I might drill the other side of the tube and the sliding mechanism to accept 1/2" pins. Or I will cut some 2x2 tubing to length and add supports.


Originally the guy was asking $350 which was more than I had because of the holidays. He dropped it to $300. I offered $260 and he accepted. He knocked off $10 because there was some missing nuts and bolts.

So $250 for everything plus $15 in nuts/bolts and an hour of cutting and drilling. Considering the best deal on a new 300# set is $187 w/tax I feel that I got a killer deal.

I asked the guy if he had any other interest in it and he said some people could got get it because it was too high or they did not have a vehicle to transport it.

The guy had recently moved and it would no longer fit in his basement. When I told him I planned on cutting down the upright I could see in his face that he never even thought of it.

[HardKore79]

Get rid of that home gym! Weider makes the crappiest home gyms! When I was younger, my workout partner had one of those and it wasn't worth working out on those.

[mikieson]

Get rid of that home gym! Weider makes the crappiest home gyms! When I was younger, my workout partner had one of those and it wasn't worth working out on those.

Not to start an argument or be rude "as you have been"...BUT I hate when people give false information. Weider is NOT cheap. Its just as able as any of this over priced mess you find out there. Quit putting down Weider equipment as its been out longer then most of this "great" equipment and has the same abilities as it does too..

I have the Weider C650 cage and its great. Im sure it will hold anything anyone here can drop on it. Coupled with the high/low pulley system its great.

As for the TC....Gym looks good bro. Im sure you will use it and get great results even if its "JUNK"

[ExtremistPullup]

Get rid of that home gym! Weider makes the crappiest home gyms! When I was younger, my workout partner had one of those and it wasn't worth working out on those.

I have the same rack its called something else Weider C650, I bought it used for 115 dollars, It works fine, I don't see any reason to replace it.

OP nice rack you might want to make a pull-up station somewhere else.


when I first bought it.

[Accutron]

I have the same rack its called something else Weider C650, I bought it used for 115 dollars, It works fine, I don't see any reason to replace it.

OP nice rack you might want to make a pull-up station somewhere else.

+1, that rack looks pretty nice. Its a generic design, Ive seen lots of racks incorporate its design elements, maybe theyre all made in the same factory, but it looks pretty solid to me.

If EP gives it the thumbs up it must be good.

[HardKore79]

Not to start an argument or be rude "as you have been"...BUT I hate when people give false information. Weider is NOT cheap. Its just as able as any of this over priced mess you find out there. Quit putting down Weider equipment as its been out longer then most of this "great" equipment and has the same abilities as it does too..

I have the Weider C650 cage and its great. Im sure it will hold anything anyone here can drop on it. Coupled with the high/low pulley system its great.

As for the TC....Gym looks good bro. Im sure you will use it and get great results even if its "JUNK"

Have you tried those home gyms? If not, I recommend trying them before you even standing up for those pieces of ****. As far as the C650 is, I actually like it. Extremepullist I believe has one and he's been happy with it. It looks alot better than their other racks.

BIG EDIT: Didn't read that Extreme had already posted.

[HardKore79]

I have the same rack its called something else Weider C650, I bought it used for 115 dollars, It works fine, I don't see any reason to replace it.

OP nice rack you might want to make a pull-up station somewhere else.


when I first bought it.

I think you're taking the post wrong. I was talking regarding the home gym, NOT the C650.

[ExtremistPullup]

Have you tried those home gyms? If not, I recommend trying them before you even standing up for those pieces of ****.

x2 those type of residential home gyms become very limited and easy to maxout, they don't come close to commercial grade systems.

[ExtremistPullup]

I think you're taking the post wrong. I was talking regarding the home gym, NOT the C650.

oh ok my fault i did realize the other piece was a Weider.

[HardKore79]

Quit putting down Weider equipment as its been out longer then most of this "great" equipment and has the same abilities as it does too..

This phrase is making me chuckle everytime I read it.

[ExtremistPullup]

I did not read the manual to see the weight limit but for now it will be fine.

I believe it is around 400 lbs.

[new2lifting]

not sure about that machine in the 2nd pic
looks like an expensive coat hanger

but at least you have a power rack
with that, you can do what you need to do

[HardKore79]

I believe it is around 400 lbs.

Really? It looks like it can handle more.

[Skidmarx]

Weider is NOT cheap. Its just as able as any of this over priced mess you find out there. Quit putting down Weider equipment as its been out longer then most of this "great" equipment and has the same abilities as it does too..

Are you smoking crack again?

[ExtremistPullup]

Really? It looks like it can handle more.

I've had more on it.
but the only thing I do 400 + lbs on it is shrugs.

[Mr.Bill]

Get rid of that home gym! Weider makes the crappiest home gyms! When I was younger, my workout partner had one of those and it wasn't worth working out on those.

I still have not maxed out the military press or the rope pull downs. The cage has a dip station but I am not going to put it on since there is no room. The pull up bar on the cage is worthless to me since its slammed to the joists, in fact I had to flip it sideways just to get it on.


I get a real nice pump from the military press. I lean forward so its more behind the neck and if I lean back into the back rest I can get the front of my shoulders and I feel my upper chest getting worked.

IMO the pull up bar with assist is worth the price of admission.

Now that I have the cage my wife will be the primary user of the cable gym. The only potential problems will be the cables or pullies, both of which can easily be replaced.

For $190 its worth keeping around.

[ExtremistPullup]

The cage has a dip station

any pics of that I had to make dip bars for my rack.

[Mr.Bill]

any pics of that I had to make dip bars for my rack.

Its just a U shaped bar the bolts to one of the safety bars.

I'll snap a pic of it tomorrow.

[Mr.Bill]

any pics of that I had to make dip bars for my rack.

Here are the pics of the dip bars and the attachment point on the cage.




I forgot to mention that the cage came with ab slings and a punching bag. I just sold the punching bag for $50 so all in I have $200 into the cage and weights.

[FERRUM_MAXIMUS]

Not to start an argument or be rude "as you have been"...BUT I hate when people give false information. Weider is NOT cheap. Its just as able as any of this over priced mess you find out there. Quit putting down Weider equipment as its been out longer then most of this "great" equipment and has the same abilities as it does too..

I have the Weider C650 cage and its great. Im sure it will hold anything anyone here can drop on it. Coupled with the high/low pulley system its great.

As for the TC....Gym looks good bro. Im sure you will use it and get great results even if its "JUNK"

LOL I think I know where your confusion about Weider is coming from.Yes the name Weider has been around a long time.But it no longer belongs to or is associated with the Weider brothers,they sold it long ago.It's now owned by Icon Fitness,which buys up brand names with consumer recognition and then promptly sells their junk under that name.As another example,their Gold's Gym brand has nothing to do with Gold's Gym.Here's a list of their brands so you know what to avoid.
http://www.iconfitness.com/about/brands

[PhoenixEvo]

You're so lucky, I cannot find 1 (ONE) power rack/cage being offered what so ever on my local craigslist (in connecticut). I really hate this state.

[FERRUM_MAXIMUS]

You're so lucky, I cannot find 1 (ONE) power rack/cage being offered what so ever on my local craigslist (in connecticut). I really hate this state.

Did you try looking in RI,MA,and NY?And there's more than 1 CL in Conn.

[ExtremistPullup]

Here are the pics of the dip bars and the attachment point on the cage.




I forgot to mention that the cage came with ab slings and a punching bag. I just sold the punching bag for $50 so all in I have $200 into the cage and weights.

good deal

[PhoenixEvo]

Did you try looking in RI,MA,and NY?And there's more than 1 CL in Conn.

I've tried all the CT craigslists and couldn't find one. Maybe I'll look a little further as you've sudjested if I'm willing to travel, thanks.

[FERRUM_MAXIMUS]

I've tried all the CT craigslists and couldn't find one. Maybe I'll look a little further as you've sudjested if I'm willing to travel, thanks.

Where in Conn. are you located?

[Mr.Bill]

good deal

If you were local I would have given it to you. Its sort of a flawed design since you would want to take it off when doing squats.

[PhoenixEvo]

Where in Conn. are you located?

Stratford

[FERRUM_MAXIMUS]

Stratford

Did you contact this guy?
http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/spo/974521620.html

[PhoenixEvo]

Did you contact this guy?
http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/spo/974521620.html

Damn you're good. I really wasn't looking for ads without pics, but I'll give it a shot and see if he's willing to sell the power rack by itself for cheaper. Reps.

[FERRUM_MAXIMUS]

Damn you're good. I really wasn't looking for ads without pics, but I'll give it a shot and see if he's willing to sell the power rack by itself for cheaper. Reps.

That's the whole trick really looking in every crevice you can find.Here's some other deals.
http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/spo/974531462.html
http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/spo/975577611.html
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/spo/974682739.html
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/spo/975419046.html