My "review" of the Powertec Workbench Multi-System (WB-MS)

[skuZZitude]

Just wanted to post a bit of information here on the Powertec WB-MS that I wish had been posted when I first bought it. I finally got it a week ago after a long delay from powertec supplier, they seem really backed up. Anyways, it took me about 6 hours casually to put it together (taking breaks here and there). It's quite simple to put together, but take your time and make sure you put the bolts in the way they say (nut facing the proper direction, etc.). Everything is a tight fit and I had to undo some screws because the long nut pointing out would block me from sliding the next bar in. Power tools definitely help, which I did not have

The WB-MS came in 5 large boxes and the total weight is somewhere around 500lbs in the boxes. The five boxes would fit into a short bed truck but you will need some rope to tie it down and some help carrying the boxes in (the big ones weigh like 170 each and are awkward). Anyways, the foootprint is a bit bigger than the website shows it seems. You will need about 12 inches behind the squat portion to do the squats properly and have enough room to safely meneuver. Likewise you will want about 8-12 inches minimum on the bench press end as your knees and legs will stick out when doing the bench press. My legs actually touch my wall which is 8 inches away. The leg extension end does not need any extra space other than shown, maybe 1-2 inches, but the measurements on the website show the leg extension when it is extended so it's fine. So now onto my review:

Quality

I am thoroughly impressed with the WB-MS. The yellow powdercoat paint is gorgeous and the steel and welds are all very nice, clean and strong. The base of the system is very strong as well and there are no sqweaks or rattles or jitters or anything that appears to be lose. When you put a 45lb plate on the end of a bar, the bar doesn't even move. I put three 45 plates on each end of the bench press and it's obvious that it could hold more with no problems at all, very good quality. The system comes with 6 weight clamps to hold the weights onto the bars which are stainless steel and very nice quality. I wish they had given more than 6, but they basically gave 2 per seat, so you need to do some swapping. But things like the ab crunch, arm curl do not need the clamps really.

Cost

Powertec just lowered their prices and I got mine for a steal of a deal. I bought mine in Canada and paid $1250 CDN brand new and that INCLUDED GST/PST and FREE shipping, a steal of a deal!

Workouts

The unit only really has 7 decent workouts that can be done on it:

Bench Press
Shoulder Press
Squat
Lat Pulldown
Ab Crunch
Arm Curl
Calf Raise

You can also do leg extensions, however, I cannot do them because they seem to be meant for a small midget type 5'8" person. I am 6'3" and the leg extension rolls up almost to me knees, making it impossible to do them. But, even if I could do them, I wouldn't, since I find that squats work my quads 10x better than leg extensions do, basically rendering them useless.

The other 7 exercises are, however, VERY good.

The four compound exercises Squat, Bench Press, Lat Pulldown and Shoulder Press are the highlights of the system. They all work the muscle groups they should and are very well setup, especially the squat. At 6'3" I heard that the squat was a bit different and unaccomodating for tall people, but I have found it is fine and just takes a few minutes of practice getting in and out of it. For someone 6'6" or taller, however, it would probably be not a good idea to get this system... the squat's safety mechanism just barely works for me. For anyone taller, it may crush them if they try to go to failure, since the holding bar for the squat is very low (even the top setting). I need to go all the way to the ground to get the squat to rest on the bar and then crawl out of it on my knees, but it works very well and any other way it wouldn't work. The bench press is very nice and the ability to raise/lower the bench as needed is awesome. The shoulder press works the shoulders and triceps like no other exercise Ive ever done, it's awesome, and my chest hurts from the bench press, the wb-ms is beating the **** out of me! The lat pulldown is also incredible and really works the upper back. As far as the arm curl and calf raise they work great too. The arm curl is very potent, and I was only able to barely do 70lbs on it my first time, compared to 110lbs in the gym. Very nice indeed! The calf raise is a calf raise... nothing special about it, just works like normal. As far as the ab crunch goes, it works very well as long as your hand positions on the bars are good. Make sure your thumbs are facing outwards (palms facing away from the back of your head) so you cannot use your hands to pull the weight forward, forcing you to use your ab muscles. Great burn! Good luck doing more than 100lbs the first time!!!

Overall

If you have the room for the system I would get it. I know a lot of people recommend the WB-LS (Workbench Leverage System) unit over this one, however, the WB-MS is not that much more expensive and the squat unit is WELL worth the price as well as not having to change things around. I am also not a big fan of cables. However, if you do not have the room for this system then I definitely would recommend the WB-LS. Overall I am very happy I went with this unit, instead of going for a Bowflex like I had originally planned. There is simply no comparison!!!!!!!!!!!

For anyone reading this thread if you have any other questions about this system feel free to post here or PM me and I will be happy to answer them. I had a lot of trouble finding out decent information about the WB-MS when I was first looking which is one of the reasons I made this post, so hopefully it will end up in google and people searching for info will find this.

[Jeraden]

I was considering getting it at one point, after checking it out at Dick's. I was just concerned about the total width, as my room isn't the widest in the world. Technically it fits, but like you say, you need a bit of room to get in/out of the stations on each side.
So, ignoring what the technical footprint of the whole system is, what do you think the minimum width of a room you'd need to use it comfortably? Like can you measure how wide/long you think would be the minimum based on what you said?

[need2eat]

Whats the advantage of the MS over the LS?

I see the LS uses cable but the exercises shown are well, very good exercises especially if done by cable, tri pushdowns, rows, etc.?

Just wondering, cause there is a huge price difference there.

[BusyDizzyIzzy]

Its alot of cash for not very many excercises. And it takes up ALOT of space. I think its a good supplemental station(s) to have in CONJUNCTION with a good quality power rack. It is built relatively well like most Ptec products.

[sh4mike]

Used to have this. Replaced the whole thing with free weights and am much happier.

[Skidmarx]

Guys...guys. You should know not to post product reviews without pics !

[Brother Steel]

Just wanted to post a bit of information here on the Powertec WB-MS that I wish had been posted when I first bought it. I finally got it a week ago after a long delay from powertec supplier, they seem really backed up. Anyways, it took me about 6 hours casually to put it together (taking breaks here and there). It's quite simple to put together, but take your time and make sure you put the bolts in the way they say (nut facing the proper direction, etc.). Everything is a tight fit and I had to undo some screws because the long nut pointing out would block me from sliding the next bar in. Power tools definitely help, which I did not have

The WB-MS came in 5 large boxes and the total weight is somewhere around 500lbs in the boxes. The five boxes would fit into a short bed truck but you will need some rope to tie it down and some help carrying the boxes in (the big ones weigh like 170 each and are awkward). Anyways, the foootprint is a bit bigger than the website shows it seems. You will need about 12 inches behind the squat portion to do the squats properly and have enough room to safely meneuver. Likewise you will want about 8-12 inches minimum on the bench press end as your knees and legs will stick out when doing the bench press. My legs actually touch my wall which is 8 inches away. The leg extension end does not need any extra space other than shown, maybe 1-2 inches, but the measurements on the website show the leg extension when it is extended so it's fine. So now onto my review:

Quality

I am thoroughly impressed with the WB-MS. The yellow powdercoat paint is gorgeous and the steel and welds are all very nice, clean and strong. The base of the system is very strong as well and there are no sqweaks or rattles or jitters or anything that appears to be lose. When you put a 45lb plate on the end of a bar, the bar doesn't even move. I put three 45 plates on each end of the bench press and it's obvious that it could hold more with no problems at all, very good quality. The system comes with 6 weight clamps to hold the weights onto the bars which are stainless steel and very nice quality. I wish they had given more than 6, but they basically gave 2 per seat, so you need to do some swapping. But things like the ab crunch, arm curl do not need the clamps really.

Cost

Powertec just lowered their prices and I got mine for a steal of a deal. I bought mine in Canada and paid $1250 CDN brand new and that INCLUDED GST/PST and FREE shipping, a steal of a deal!

Workouts

The unit only really has 7 decent workouts that can be done on it:

Bench Press
Shoulder Press
Squat
Lat Pulldown
Ab Crunch
Arm Curl
Calf Raise

You can also do leg extensions, however, I cannot do them because they seem to be meant for a small midget type 5'8" person. I am 6'3" and the leg extension rolls up almost to me knees, making it impossible to do them. But, even if I could do them, I wouldn't, since I find that squats work my quads 10x better than leg extensions do, basically rendering them useless.

The other 7 exercises are, however, VERY good.

The four compound exercises Squat, Bench Press, Lat Pulldown and Shoulder Press are the highlights of the system. They all work the muscle groups they should and are very well setup, especially the squat. At 6'3" I heard that the squat was a bit different and unaccomodating for tall people, but I have found it is fine and just takes a few minutes of practice getting in and out of it. For someone 6'6" or taller, however, it would probably be not a good idea to get this system... the squat's safety mechanism just barely works for me. For anyone taller, it may crush them if they try to go to failure, since the holding bar for the squat is very low (even the top setting). I need to go all the way to the ground to get the squat to rest on the bar and then crawl out of it on my knees, but it works very well and any other way it wouldn't work. The bench press is very nice and the ability to raise/lower the bench as needed is awesome. The shoulder press works the shoulders and triceps like no other exercise Ive ever done, it's awesome, and my chest hurts from the bench press, the wb-ms is beating the **** out of me! The lat pulldown is also incredible and really works the upper back. As far as the arm curl and calf raise they work great too. The arm curl is very potent, and I was only able to barely do 70lbs on it my first time, compared to 110lbs in the gym. Very nice indeed! The calf raise is a calf raise... nothing special about it, just works like normal. As far as the ab crunch goes, it works very well as long as your hand positions on the bars are good. Make sure your thumbs are facing outwards (palms facing away from the back of your head) so you cannot use your hands to pull the weight forward, forcing you to use your ab muscles. Great burn! Good luck doing more than 100lbs the first time!!!

Overall

If you have the room for the system I would get it. I know a lot of people recommend the WB-LS (Workbench Leverage System) unit over this one, however, the WB-MS is not that much more expensive and the squat unit is WELL worth the price as well as not having to change things around. I am also not a big fan of cables. However, if you do not have the room for this system then I definitely would recommend the WB-LS. Overall I am very happy I went with this unit, instead of going for a Bowflex like I had originally planned. There is simply no comparison!!!!!!!!!!!

For anyone reading this thread if you have any other questions about this system feel free to post here or PM me and I will be happy to answer them. I had a lot of trouble finding out decent information about the WB-MS when I was first looking which is one of the reasons I made this post, so hopefully it will end up in google and people searching for info will find this.

SkuZZitude,

I found your review interesting. I tried out a Powertec Workbench Multi-System at Dick's Sporting Goods and myself being of average height found the ergonomics to be quite well. Most of your negative comments centered on the product not fitting you. I wonder if you even tried out the Powertec Workbench Multi-System before you purchased it. I always try out any exercise equipment before I buy it to make sure it fits me. I would think a person of your stature (the large Cro-Magnon 6'3" 300 pound type) would have to be even more careful when buying products to insure a proper fit considering you are outside the normal physical parameters of the average ("small midget type 5'8" person") consumer.

It appears to me a person of your extra large stature would have best been served by some other type of equipment which was not restricted by body type. Did you consider any other type of equipment before your purchase of the Powertec system? A Power-rack and free weights comes to mind when choosing strength training equipment for the large and tall. The majority of the people on this forum consider Olympic weights and a Power-rack an essential part of any bodybuilding program. For the cost of the Powertec system you could have purchased a very nice free weight system. I don't wish to go into the debate between machines and free weights (I use both) but no serious weightlifter or bodybuilder would consider a training program without the use of free weights to develop the stabilizing muscles which are needed in all major power moves like dead lifts, bench presses, and squats. While I can perform many of the free weight exercises I do with a machine I find free weight training to be more adaptable to real life strength needs.

I am glad you gave the Powertec Workbench Multi-System a good overall review considering you do not fit the machine. I loved the parts where you said, "the leg extension rolls up almost to me knees" and "I need to go all the way to the ground to get the squat to rest on the bar and then crawl out of it on my knees". The mental images of that in my mind were priceless!

Thanks for the chuckles,
Brother Steel

BTW...
Here are some of the current top Professional Bodybuilders under 6' tall, who would be good choices (due to size) to represent the Powertec Workbench Multi-System:
Lee Priest: 5' 4'
David Henry: 5' 5'
Ronny Rockel: 5' 6"
Dexter Jackson: 5' 6' 1/2
Branch Warren: 5' 7"
Silvio Samuel: 5' 7"
Dennis James: 5' 8"
Troy Alves: 5' 8"
Melvin Anthony: 5' 8"
Vince Taylor: 5' 8"
Mustafa Mohammad: 5' 8"
Phil Heath: 5' 9"
Victor Martinez: 5' 9"
Gustavo Badell: 5' 9"
Jay Cutter: 5' 9" - Mr. O and actual representative for Powertec. "Powertec my partner in strength."
Bill Wilmore: 5' 10"
King Kamali: 5' 10"
Dennis Wolf: 5' 11'
Markus Ruhl: 5' 11"
Ronnie Coleman: 5' 11"

Here are some of the current top Professional Bodybuilders over 6' tall, who would be bad choices (due to size) to represent the Powertec Workbench Multi-System:
Gunter Schlierkamp: 6' 2"
Toney Freeman: 6' 2"
Gary Strydom: 6' 2"

Lastly... To paraphrase Johnny Cochran... If the machine don't fit... it ain't worth a Sh*t!

Oops... forget my whole post I just noticed you are from Canada.

[BryanKennedy]

May I ask where you purchased it? You can email me directly if you care not to post that here. bryan.kennedy@phoenixnetworks.ca

Just wanted to post a bit of information here on the Powertec WB-MS that I wish had been posted when I first bought it. I finally got it a week ago after a long delay from powertec supplier, they seem really backed up. Anyways, it took me about 6 hours casually to put it together (taking breaks here and there). It's quite simple to put together, but take your time and make sure you put the bolts in the way they say (nut facing the proper direction, etc.). Everything is a tight fit and I had to undo some screws because the long nut pointing out would block me from sliding the next bar in. Power tools definitely help, which I did not have

The WB-MS came in 5 large boxes and the total weight is somewhere around 500lbs in the boxes. The five boxes would fit into a short bed truck but you will need some rope to tie it down and some help carrying the boxes in (the big ones weigh like 170 each and are awkward). Anyways, the foootprint is a bit bigger than the website shows it seems. You will need about 12 inches behind the squat portion to do the squats properly and have enough room to safely meneuver. Likewise you will want about 8-12 inches minimum on the bench press end as your knees and legs will stick out when doing the bench press. My legs actually touch my wall which is 8 inches away. The leg extension end does not need any extra space other than shown, maybe 1-2 inches, but the measurements on the website show the leg extension when it is extended so it's fine. So now onto my review:

Quality

I am thoroughly impressed with the WB-MS. The yellow powdercoat paint is gorgeous and the steel and welds are all very nice, clean and strong. The base of the system is very strong as well and there are no sqweaks or rattles or jitters or anything that appears to be lose. When you put a 45lb plate on the end of a bar, the bar doesn't even move. I put three 45 plates on each end of the bench press and it's obvious that it could hold more with no problems at all, very good quality. The system comes with 6 weight clamps to hold the weights onto the bars which are stainless steel and very nice quality. I wish they had given more than 6, but they basically gave 2 per seat, so you need to do some swapping. But things like the ab crunch, arm curl do not need the clamps really.

Cost

Powertec just lowered their prices and I got mine for a steal of a deal. I bought mine in Canada and paid $1250 CDN brand new and that INCLUDED GST/PST and FREE shipping, a steal of a deal!

Workouts

The unit only really has 7 decent workouts that can be done on it:

Bench Press
Shoulder Press
Squat
Lat Pulldown
Ab Crunch
Arm Curl
Calf Raise

You can also do leg extensions, however, I cannot do them because they seem to be meant for a small midget type 5'8" person. I am 6'3" and the leg extension rolls up almost to me knees, making it impossible to do them. But, even if I could do them, I wouldn't, since I find that squats work my quads 10x better than leg extensions do, basically rendering them useless.

The other 7 exercises are, however, VERY good.

The four compound exercises Squat, Bench Press, Lat Pulldown and Shoulder Press are the highlights of the system. They all work the muscle groups they should and are very well setup, especially the squat. At 6'3" I heard that the squat was a bit different and unaccomodating for tall people, but I have found it is fine and just takes a few minutes of practice getting in and out of it. For someone 6'6" or taller, however, it would probably be not a good idea to get this system... the squat's safety mechanism just barely works for me. For anyone taller, it may crush them if they try to go to failure, since the holding bar for the squat is very low (even the top setting). I need to go all the way to the ground to get the squat to rest on the bar and then crawl out of it on my knees, but it works very well and any other way it wouldn't work. The bench press is very nice and the ability to raise/lower the bench as needed is awesome. The shoulder press works the shoulders and triceps like no other exercise Ive ever done, it's awesome, and my chest hurts from the bench press, the wb-ms is beating the **** out of me! The lat pulldown is also incredible and really works the upper back. As far as the arm curl and calf raise they work great too. The arm curl is very potent, and I was only able to barely do 70lbs on it my first time, compared to 110lbs in the gym. Very nice indeed! The calf raise is a calf raise... nothing special about it, just works like normal. As far as the ab crunch goes, it works very well as long as your hand positions on the bars are good. Make sure your thumbs are facing outwards (palms facing away from the back of your head) so you cannot use your hands to pull the weight forward, forcing you to use your ab muscles. Great burn! Good luck doing more than 100lbs the first time!!!

Overall

If you have the room for the system I would get it. I know a lot of people recommend the WB-LS (Workbench Leverage System) unit over this one, however, the WB-MS is not that much more expensive and the squat unit is WELL worth the price as well as not having to change things around. I am also not a big fan of cables. However, if you do not have the room for this system then I definitely would recommend the WB-LS. Overall I am very happy I went with this unit, instead of going for a Bowflex like I had originally planned. There is simply no comparison!!!!!!!!!!!

For anyone reading this thread if you have any other questions about this system feel free to post here or PM me and I will be happy to answer them. I had a lot of trouble finding out decent information about the WB-MS when I was first looking which is one of the reasons I made this post, so hopefully it will end up in google and people searching for info will find this.

[AttyGuy]

Guys...guys. You should know not to post product reviews without pics !

That's what's missing here. . . . OP, I think I heard the long "toot" of the Neg train approaching the station. Post some pics or something.

[jackbravo]

in for negging 5 year old post

[Poohdaddy1]

Interesting pick of Bodybuilders, Lee Preist is on Powertec's website now demonstrating the machine. One of the reasons I use the Powertec over free weights is because I train alone, the Powertec is completely safe to train to failure own. I am 5'10" I don't have any issues with the leverage squat, it's easy to get in and out of. I haven't used the leg extension that much but it worked fine when I did. I have just found the Powertec to be a great piece of equipment. I regularly loaded the bench press arms with 4 45lb plates on each side and they could handle more. I currently do a routine based around the 7 main lifts on the Powertec (bench & preacher curl Mon, shoulder press & pulldown Wed , ab curl, squat and calve raise Fri) following each routine with a HIIT training routine with kettlebells. So my equipment only takes up one room and I get a good strength and size w/o on the Powertec followed with some fat burning with kettlebells. I can't say yet how well it works I'm just starting back after a long lay off. The point is the Powertec is a very good piece of equipment and when I bought it they offered a $100 a month no interest plan. I paid a little over $1000 they are selling for $1800 now.

SkuZZitude,

I found your review interesting. I tried out a Powertec Workbench Multi-System at Dick's Sporting Goods and myself being of average height found the ergonomics to be quite well. Most of your negative comments centered on the product not fitting you. I wonder if you even tried out the Powertec Workbench Multi-System before you purchased it. I always try out any exercise equipment before I buy it to make sure it fits me. I would think a person of your stature (the large Cro-Magnon 6'3" 300 pound type) would have to be even more careful when buying products to insure a proper fit considering you are outside the normal physical parameters of the average ("small midget type 5'8" person") consumer.

It appears to me a person of your extra large stature would have best been served by some other type of equipment which was not restricted by body type. Did you consider any other type of equipment before your purchase of the Powertec system? A Power-rack and free weights comes to mind when choosing strength training equipment for the large and tall. The majority of the people on this forum consider Olympic weights and a Power-rack an essential part of any bodybuilding program. For the cost of the Powertec system you could have purchased a very nice free weight system. I don't wish to go into the debate between machines and free weights (I use both) but no serious weightlifter or bodybuilder would consider a training program without the use of free weights to develop the stabilizing muscles which are needed in all major power moves like dead lifts, bench presses, and squats. While I can perform many of the free weight exercises I do with a machine I find free weight training to be more adaptable to real life strength needs.

I am glad you gave the Powertec Workbench Multi-System a good overall review considering you do not fit the machine. I loved the parts where you said, "the leg extension rolls up almost to me knees" and "I need to go all the way to the ground to get the squat to rest on the bar and then crawl out of it on my knees". The mental images of that in my mind were priceless!

Thanks for the chuckles,
Brother Steel

BTW...
Here are some of the current top Professional Bodybuilders under 6' tall, who would be good choices (due to size) to represent the Powertec Workbench Multi-System:
Lee Priest: 5' 4'
David Henry: 5' 5'
Ronny Rockel: 5' 6"
Dexter Jackson: 5' 6' 1/2
Branch Warren: 5' 7"
Silvio Samuel: 5' 7"
Dennis James: 5' 8"
Troy Alves: 5' 8"
Melvin Anthony: 5' 8"
Vince Taylor: 5' 8"
Mustafa Mohammad: 5' 8"
Phil Heath: 5' 9"
Victor Martinez: 5' 9"
Gustavo Badell: 5' 9"
Jay Cutter: 5' 9" - Mr. O and actual representative for Powertec. "Powertec my partner in strength."
Bill Wilmore: 5' 10"
King Kamali: 5' 10"
Dennis Wolf: 5' 11'
Markus Ruhl: 5' 11"
Ronnie Coleman: 5' 11"

Here are some of the current top Professional Bodybuilders over 6' tall, who would be bad choices (due to size) to represent the Powertec Workbench Multi-System:
Gunter Schlierkamp: 6' 2"
Toney Freeman: 6' 2"
Gary Strydom: 6' 2"

Lastly... To paraphrase Johnny Cochran... If the machine don't fit... it ain't worth a Sh*t!

Oops... forget my whole post I just noticed you are from Canada.

[jackbravo]

I paid a little over $1000 they are selling for $1800 now.

or $450 on craiglist

[elgreek84]

[QUOTE=jackbravo;1091651593]or $450 on craiglist[/QUOTE
I paid 700 for one on CL. Lots of different versions of MS over the years with minor changes so in my opinion j they go for different rates. Good machine but not better than free weights.

[KingOfKings187]

Just wanted to post a bit of information here on the Powertec WB-MS that I wish had been posted when I first bought it. I finally got it a week ago after a long delay from powertec supplier, they seem really backed up. Anyways, it took me about 6 hours casually to put it together (taking breaks here and there). It's quite simple to put together, but take your time and make sure you put the bolts in the way they say (nut facing the proper direction, etc.). Everything is a tight fit and I had to undo some screws because the long nut pointing out would block me from sliding the next bar in. Power tools definitely help, which I did not have

The WB-MS came in 5 large boxes and the total weight is somewhere around 500lbs in the boxes. The five boxes would fit into a short bed truck but you will need some rope to tie it down and some help carrying the boxes in (the big ones weigh like 170 each and are awkward). Anyways, the foootprint is a bit bigger than the website shows it seems. You will need about 12 inches behind the squat portion to do the squats properly and have enough room to safely meneuver. Likewise you will want about 8-12 inches minimum on the bench press end as your knees and legs will stick out when doing the bench press. My legs actually touch my wall which is 8 inches away. The leg extension end does not need any extra space other than shown, maybe 1-2 inches, but the measurements on the website show the leg extension when it is extended so it's fine. So now onto my review:

Quality

I am thoroughly impressed with the WB-MS. The yellow powdercoat paint is gorgeous and the steel and welds are all very nice, clean and strong. The base of the system is very strong as well and there are no sqweaks or rattles or jitters or anything that appears to be lose. When you put a 45lb plate on the end of a bar, the bar doesn't even move. I put three 45 plates on each end of the bench press and it's obvious that it could hold more with no problems at all, very good quality. The system comes with 6 weight clamps to hold the weights onto the bars which are stainless steel and very nice quality. I wish they had given more than 6, but they basically gave 2 per seat, so you need to do some swapping. But things like the ab crunch, arm curl do not need the clamps really.

Cost

Powertec just lowered their prices and I got mine for a steal of a deal. I bought mine in Canada and paid $1250 CDN brand new and that INCLUDED GST/PST and FREE shipping, a steal of a deal!

Workouts

The unit only really has 7 decent workouts that can be done on it:

Bench Press
Shoulder Press
Squat
Lat Pulldown
Ab Crunch
Arm Curl
Calf Raise

You can also do leg extensions, however, I cannot do them because they seem to be meant for a small midget type 5'8" person. I am 6'3" and the leg extension rolls up almost to me knees, making it impossible to do them. But, even if I could do them, I wouldn't, since I find that squats work my quads 10x better than leg extensions do, basically rendering them useless.

The other 7 exercises are, however, VERY good.

The four compound exercises Squat, Bench Press, Lat Pulldown and Shoulder Press are the highlights of the system. They all work the muscle groups they should and are very well setup, especially the squat. At 6'3" I heard that the squat was a bit different and unaccomodating for tall people, but I have found it is fine and just takes a few minutes of practice getting in and out of it. For someone 6'6" or taller, however, it would probably be not a good idea to get this system... the squat's safety mechanism just barely works for me. For anyone taller, it may crush them if they try to go to failure, since the holding bar for the squat is very low (even the top setting). I need to go all the way to the ground to get the squat to rest on the bar and then crawl out of it on my knees, but it works very well and any other way it wouldn't work. The bench press is very nice and the ability to raise/lower the bench as needed is awesome. The shoulder press works the shoulders and triceps like no other exercise Ive ever done, it's awesome, and my chest hurts from the bench press, the wb-ms is beating the **** out of me! The lat pulldown is also incredible and really works the upper back. As far as the arm curl and calf raise they work great too. The arm curl is very potent, and I was only able to barely do 70lbs on it my first time, compared to 110lbs in the gym. Very nice indeed! The calf raise is a calf raise... nothing special about it, just works like normal. As far as the ab crunch goes, it works very well as long as your hand positions on the bars are good. Make sure your thumbs are facing outwards (palms facing away from the back of your head) so you cannot use your hands to pull the weight forward, forcing you to use your ab muscles. Great burn! Good luck doing more than 100lbs the first time!!!

Overall

If you have the room for the system I would get it. I know a lot of people recommend the WB-LS (Workbench Leverage System) unit over this one, however, the WB-MS is not that much more expensive and the squat unit is WELL worth the price as well as not having to change things around. I am also not a big fan of cables. However, if you do not have the room for this system then I definitely would recommend the WB-LS. Overall I am very happy I went with this unit, instead of going for a Bowflex like I had originally planned. There is simply no comparison!!!!!!!!!!!

For anyone reading this thread if you have any other questions about this system feel free to post here or PM me and I will be happy to answer them. I had a lot of trouble finding out decent information about the WB-MS when I was first looking which is one of the reasons I made this post, so hopefully it will end up in google and people searching for info will find this.

Very handy review.. I am also in Canada and considering getting this machine and cancelling my gym membership. Where abouts in Canada are you? and since its been ten years since your post how is the machine holding up? I am in NS and i dont believe we have a Dicks sporting goods in NS.. That I know of anyways, would be rediculous shipping fees to get it here off Amazon or somewhere like that im sure.. This is the first reply ive ever did on bodybuilding.com so I hope you get it and I can get a notification of some sort that you responded.. If you could email me directly would be much appreciated as again im new to this whole forum thing. my email is shady_records818@hotmail.com