Atlantis equipment.....you can only pick 2!!

[bigcanadian1971]

OK I am happy to have this problem, but its driving me crazy. I train in my basement gym. I have the free weight basics. I don't have a lot of extra room. I've "bought" an Atlantis shoulder press & Atlantis vertical chest press (both plate loaded) over the phone. I have reserved a van for tomorrow morning to pick them up. I asked the salesman if they had a pec fly/ rear delt machine. They have an Atlantis one with a 310lb stack. Each piece is $400. I didn't commit to the pec deck. I have a Hammer Strength incline chest press/front pulldown combo machine so I have a chest press (that might not be as good as the Atlantis). I don't have a shoulder machine (press) and I've used the Atlantis shoulder press machine before and I really like it......BUT I am going to have to cut the foot plate off it to shorten the main frame by 18" and even then it will be a tight fit around the stair railing and down the stairs. Its going to be a REAL tight fit going through the 29" doorway downstairs. Because of the overall size of the shoulder press main frame piece, the decision about what piece NOT to buy may be made for me. Now, the salesman was really cool and did caution me about the overall size and getting it into the actual basement. Now the pec fly/rear delt machine.....I would love to have this machine:>) I'd use it as a finisher for chest (I was doing weighted dips) and I hate using dumbbells for bent over rear delt flyes. I'd use it for rear delts every shoulder workout and 9/10 chest workouts. Here is what I can do with what I have now...

Chest--incline BB and DB press
flat BB and DB press
flat and incline DB flyes
Hammer Strength incline press
Dips

Shoulders--BB and DB presses
DB side laterals
DB rear laterals
BB uprights rows
BB and DB shrugs

So if I only have room for 2 pieces, what ones should I buy?

[deadwoodgregg]

Definately get the pec fly/ rear delt.

Edit: It looks like you are already able to do barbell and dumbbell presses. I stand by what I recommended above. Those don't become available often. I would sell that Hammer piece as well.

[bigcanadian1971]

Thank you. I am leaning towards the pec fly/rear delt machine being one of the pieces I buy.....I just have to decide which press to buy....the chest or shoulder?

[CliveWarren]

For a moment I thought this was going to be the old paradigm. Good, fast, cheap. You only get to pick two.

[dumb.bell]

Its really a decision you have to make for yourself, because different people will have different opinions. I would have put the Pec Fly/Rear Delt on the bottom of my list. Of about 20 pieces in my gym my Bodymaster Pec Fly/Rear Delt is one of the least used pieces. In fact, I plan on selling it in the near future. My chest press, incline chest press, and shoulder press are some of the most used pieces. So it really comes down to what you will use the most.

[bigcanadian1971]

Thanks dumb.bell. You're right....ultimately it will come down to what I think I will use most and what machine will benefit me the most. Also what I can get downstairs HaHa. But it is nice to hear from different people because one opinion can strike a cord and the clouds will lift and I'll know 100% what I should buy! I'm curious what exercise you do to "finish" off chest if it isn't the pec deck. And how do you hit rear delts if you don't use a pec deck sitting backwards (I ask because for me, that exercise hits them perfect). The shoulder press might not be an option if I see it and deem it a risk for not fitting downstairs.

[dumb.bell]

Thanks dumb.bell. You're right....ultimately it will come down to what I think I will use most and what machine will benefit me the most. Also what I can get downstairs HaHa. But it is nice to hear from different people because one opinion can strike a cord and the clouds will lift and I'll know 100% what I should buy! I'm curious what exercise you do to "finish" off chest if it isn't the pec deck. And how do you hit rear delts if you don't use a pec deck sitting backwards (I ask because for me, that exercise hits them perfect). The shoulder press might not be an option if I see it and deem it a risk for not fitting downstairs.

I use a cable machine. I have an old paramount cable cross that I have converted to a functional trainer (basically removing the top bar that connects the stacks and moving them closer together an angling them slightly). I've also added a third stack in the middle.

[rpark]

If cutting & welding is going to be required to get one in to the basement.....I'd pass on that piece. The pec deck will fit without mod, I've got the same situation.

[STR8OUT]

I use a cable machine. I have an old paramount cable cross that I have converted to a functional trainer (basically removing the top bar that connects the stacks and moving them closer together an angling them slightly). I've also added a third stack in the middle.

That is brilliant man!! I dont know why I never thought of doing that. I settled on a PFT-200 a few weeks ago but your idea would have made my searching options broader.

As for the OP, I love pec deck rear delt machines but the same as dumb.bell I just sold mine as soon as I got the functional trainer because I wasn't going to use it anymore. If you dont have room for a functional trainer then I would go with the peck deck rear delt. I think some kind of machine like this is worth room in a gym for chest and back burnouts. Great choice on the Atlantis pieces, they are my favorite brand right now

Here is my new PFT-200

[OutKlast]

Thank you. I am leaning towards the pec fly/rear delt machine being one of the pieces I buy.....I just have to decide which press to buy....the chest or shoulder?

Personally, I'd go with the shoulder press over the chest press. DB shoulder presses are good but I'm always paranoid when doing BB presses that I'm going to drop the bar on my head you also have potential shoulder rotator issues if you're doing behind the neck presses. I guess its up to you if you want to go through the hassle of cutting the machine up to get it in. I have seen a speciality bar that had an opening for your head so you could do BB shoulder presses and get full ROM without pressing behind the neck.

[bigcanadian1971]

Well I've been back for a couple of hours now. I bought the Atlantis shoulder press & vertical chest press. I don't think the pec deck would have fit down the stairs. Even if the unit was tipped, its to high and long. It was a nice piece though. Both pieces I bought have definitely heavy duty. The last commercial gym I went to had all Flex Fitness equipment. They had a vertical chest press and it was a good, solid piece. This Atlantis press blows it out of the water!!! Everyone was SOOOO nice at the warehouse and I had help loading the pieces into my van. I actually had both pieces apart and made one trip to the van before I even gave the salesman the envelope with the money! I'll keep an eye on the kijiji thread to see what new pieces are added! Thank you to deadwoodgregg, dumb.bell, rpark, STR8OUT, and OutKlast for your comments.

[dumb.bell]

Well I've been back for a couple of hours now. I bought the Atlantis shoulder press & vertical chest press. I don't think the pec deck would have fit down the stairs. Even if the unit was tipped, its to high and long. It was a nice piece though. Both pieces I bought have definitely heavy duty. The last commercial gym I went to had all Flex Fitness equipment. They had a vertical chest press and it was a good, solid piece. This Atlantis press blows it out of the water!!! Everyone was SOOOO nice at the warehouse and I had help loading the pieces into my van. I actually had both pieces apart and made one trip to the van before I even gave the salesman the envelope with the money! I'll keep an eye on the kijiji thread to see what new pieces are added! Thank you to deadwoodgregg, dumb.bell, rpark, STR8OUT, and OutKlast for your comments.

I've got a few Atlantis pieces and they make some of the best equipment on the market!

You need to pay as back for our assistance by posting some pics of your new equipment! We like pics!

[dumb.bell]

That is brilliant man!! I dont know why I never thought of doing that. I settled on a PFT-200 a few weeks ago but your idea would have made my searching options broader.

As for the OP, I love pec deck rear delt machines but the same as dumb.bell I just sold mine as soon as I got the functional trainer because I wasn't going to use it anymore. If you dont have room for a functional trainer then I would go with the peck deck rear delt. I think some kind of machine like this is worth room in a gym for chest and back burnouts. Great choice on the Atlantis pieces, they are my favorite brand right now

Here is my new PFT-200

One of those PFTs was on CL locally not too long ago. It took all I could do not to go get it. Probably best I didn't, my wife would have killed me.

[bigcanadian1971]

I've got a few Atlantis pieces and they make some of the best equipment on the market!

You need to pay as back for our assistance by posting some pics of your new equipment! We like pics!

Hey that's more than fair, but it will be 3wks. My wife is gone and she took her IPAD so I don't have a way to take pictures and post them....not that I could by myself anyways. But that gives me time to finish my adjustable DB shoulder press bench. I'll post a picture of that and my adjustable incline bench I finished on Monday. I had to go back to my brother's machine shop to tweak it, but I nailed it 110%. The height, the angle, EVERYTHING! I've used a Flex Fitness, Icarian, Hammer Strength, and Cybex adjustable incline bench and mine is better (for me/my body/my height) than all of them!!!!

[STR8OUT]

Well I've been back for a couple of hours now. I bought the Atlantis shoulder press & vertical chest press. I don't think the pec deck would have fit down the stairs. Even if the unit was tipped, its to high and long. It was a nice piece though. Both pieces I bought have definitely heavy duty. The last commercial gym I went to had all Flex Fitness equipment. They had a vertical chest press and it was a good, solid piece. This Atlantis press blows it out of the water!!! Everyone was SOOOO nice at the warehouse and I had help loading the pieces into my van. I actually had both pieces apart and made one trip to the van before I even gave the salesman the envelope with the money! I'll keep an eye on the kijiji thread to see what new pieces are added! Thank you to deadwoodgregg, dumb.bell, rpark, STR8OUT, and OutKlast for your comments.

Congrats man!! Great pieces. I'm still trying to nail down the right shoulder press. Right now I have a shoulder press machine but I'm not too happy with it. My favorite so far is a Nautilus Nitro shoulder press they have at my LA Fitness but I havent tried that many. I would really like to demo this Atlantis one.

One of those PFTs was on CL locally not too long ago. It took all I could do not to go get it. Probably best I didn't, my wife would have killed me.

Its a great piece man! I have been using it for chest, back, bicep, tricep, traps, etc... It was either this one or a Freemotion brand and I was waiting until one popped up that was in my target price ($1k). These things never pop up cheap with the dual weight stacks.

[bigcanadian1971]

I'm off next weekend unless I sign up for overtime.....hop on a plane and come on over to try out the Atlantis shoulder press. We'll destroy shoulders and you can give feedback on my fabricated DB shoulder press bench.