Plate-Loaded Machines

[HenryMaag]

I have finished the ‘new’ effort arm assembly. It has ‘new’ larger radius ‘cups’ for more comfortably engaging a larger range of operator arm sizes and orientations of preference in performing the movement. This ‘new’ effort arm assembly is joined to the weight arm assembly by the connecting link, all shown in the attached pictures.

On to the new adjustable shoulder constraint mechanism in the next posting.

[Greybird2]

Do you have the entire line of machines at your house for you to use? Just curious.

[kis55]

I have finished the ‘new’ effort arm assembly. It has ‘new’ larger radius ‘cups’ for more comfortably engaging a larger range of operator arm sizes and orientations of preference in performing the movement. This ‘new’ effort arm assembly is joined to the weight arm assembly by the connecting link, all shown in the attached pictures.

On to the new adjustable shoulder constraint mechanism in the next posting.

Looking really great Henry. ANy idea yet on the footprint of this machine, and pricing?

[HenryMaag]

Do you have the entire line of machines at your house for you to use? Just curious.

No, it is now a 21 piece line, way to large for my house. Many of the pieces at my house have been down sized models of the 'production machines' without adjustability, designed for a narrower range of users (my son is 6'4 and I am 6'3 - at least I used to be, ha, ha, ha)

[HenryMaag]

Looking really great Henry. ANy idea yet on the footprint of this machine, and pricing?

Thank you.

The machine (which I am building tooling for at present) will be 57" long x 61" high x 66" wide (on account of the foot pedal extensions). I am targeting to price it at approximately $4500.

[HenryMaag]

Update on Lat Isolation Machine:


Well, I finally finished the basic machine. I was sidetracked with filling some orders on current 'production machines', and have a lot more orders to fill, so it is taking a lot of my time right now.




I have finished the remaining components of the machine; the "shoulder constraining assembly" and the "racking assembly".


As can be seen in the pictures the "shoulder constraining assembly" is a symmetrical-about-centerline assembly consisting of a bent bar which engages a shoulder pad 'cup' at each of its two ends (one for the right side of the machine, the other for the left). A foam pad will be bonded to each 'cup' after the machine is powder coated. These foam padded cups will engage the operator's non rotating shoulder joint and constrain the operator's upper body while performing the movement. The bent bar joins to a bearing tube at the center of the machine which allows the 'cups' to rotate in a direction toward the effort arm's rotational axis, adjusted back and forth for different operator shoulder widths, using the crank which is also attached to this rotating assembly as shown. I added a counterweight to this assembly (which did not exist on the original prototype) in order to keep the cups from 'floating' until an operator engaged them.

The "racking assembly" is now 'foot actuated', rather than free-hand actuated (a big improvement over the original prototype). As can be seen in the photos, it still consist of a weight arm engaging pivotal rack arm, but now is actuated by a frame-journaled rotating foot bar with pedals at each end, placed in positions where they can be engaged by the operator's foot on each side of the machine. When pushing down on the foot pedal, the shaft to which it is attached rotates, causing the rotating rack arm to rotate via the connecting link between them.


This machine is a true 'lat isolation' machine. It should not be confused the the feeble attempts to build such a machine made by Arthur Jones and Nautilus back in the eighties or nineties.


I am preparing some pads and will send pictures as soon as I mount them. With the pads attached it should give members on this forum a better idea of what the machine is actually like.

[HenryMaag]

Here are some pictures of the finished Lat Isolation Machine.


I have come to the (business) conclusion, that I am going to offer this machine on my new website only as a "custom/collector's" type of machine. This machine; along with both the Linear Leg Press, and the Pectoral Fly; are all either too large or too complicated to offer on a 'production basis' (so much for the tooling jigs which I have prepared for these three machines).

[HenryMaag]

Are they pictures all sideways for all of you too. I really don't know what to do about it, they were all placed 'upright'. Sooooooooooo irritating!

[Oxidated]

Are they pictures all sideways for all of you too. I really don't know what to do about it, they were all placed 'upright'. Sooooooooooo irritating!

Yes, they are all sideways. It could be that when taking the pictures you are holding the phone somewhere in between horizontal and vertical, so they look straight to you, but get interpreted sideways.

Anyway, I'm baffled by this machine. Could we trouble you for the video of it being used.
I look forward to seeing it finished and painted.

[qaz123]

From what I can tell it is basically a Nautilus Behind Neck Machine, but one arm at a time.

[HenryMaag]

The smallest seated leg press I have ever built. Here are some pictures of a recent build for a customer in Canada. While I do not typically build custom machines, I could not resist the temptation to build a seated leg press for a 4'-11" customer in Canada. Note the machine's splice joint in its frame for installation in a basement gym.

[HenryMaag]

I am contemplating making some adjustments to the CROSS AXES TECH line of machines.

As most of you probably already know by now, I manufacture a line of plate-loaded muscle-building machines under the business name CROSS AXES TECH. Many of them evolved from my previous line of machines (LAMB BODYBUILDING MACHINES). What you may not know is that I have designed most all of the machines I manufacture (both companies) around the design parameter that the operators which would end up using my machines would be from 6’1 to 6’3, 200-230lbs and ‘male’.

While I do design my machines to accommodate a wide range of operator sizes, this larger male ‘target’ has been my model.

I have never been to bright as a businessman, and I think my family would probably concur that I am slow to change my beliefs, but it has been suggested to me that I could increase sales by designing machines to ‘better fit’ a shorter targeted operator. Looking at ‘bell curves’ for average human height across many races it can be shown that my 6’-3” 220lb male is in the far upper end of potential users.

Observing instagram videos of people using my machines coming out of the Arabian Gulf region, South Korea, even here in the USA, I believe that I can provide an even better ‘feel’ on my machines for a far greater range of ‘end users’ by changing my ‘target model’ to better fit the human population.

While a 5’7 to 5’8 still seems too short for me to target ‘athletes’, I am contemplating reviewing the designs of the entire line to shift the ‘target operator’ down to about 5’10”.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciateded.

[RGrizzzz]

I am contemplating making some adjustments to the CROSS AXES TECH line of machines.

As most of you probably already know by now, I manufacture a line of plate-loaded muscle-building machines under the business name CROSS AXES TECH. Many of them evolved from my previous line of machines (LAMB BODYBUILDING MACHINES). What you may not know is that I have designed most all of the machines I manufacture (both companies) around the design parameter that the operators which would end up using my machines would be from 6’1 to 6’3, 200-230lbs and ‘male’.

While I do design my machines to accommodate a wide range of operator sizes, this larger male ‘target’ has been my model.

I have never been to bright as a businessman, and I think my family would probably concur that I am slow to change my beliefs, but it has been suggested to me that I could increase sales by designing machines to ‘better fit’ a shorter targeted operator. Looking at ‘bell curves’ for average human height across many races it can be shown that my 6’-3” 220lb male is in the far upper end of potential users.

Observing instagram videos of people using my machines coming out of the Arabian Gulf region, South Korea, even here in the USA, I believe that I can provide an even better ‘feel’ on my machines for a far greater range of ‘end users’ by changing my ‘target model’ to better fit the human population.

While a 5’7 to 5’8 still seems too short for me to target ‘athletes’, I am contemplating reviewing the designs of the entire line to shift the ‘target operator’ down to about 5’10”.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciateded.

Why not make them adjustable to fit a range of heights?

[DutchB1]

Was this before or after Nautilus?

Dear forum members,


I designed and manufactured heavy-duty plate-loaded muscle-building machines from a period of time 15-30 years ago. I failed, and lost a lot of money. A member on this forum, who saw some of the machines I was building then, encouraged me to give it another try.

Because I still possessed the fabricating machines that I owned then, I decided to try again. So, working out of my garage (how else could I afford it - ha, ha, ha), I have built some copies of the machines which I built then.

I did not have the 'internet' then, and no way to expose the muscle-building industry to what I was building. Because the 'internet' is now available, I would simply like to place some pictures of a couple of 'copies' of what I built then and see if I can generate any questions or receive any 'feedback'.



Sincerely,

Henry Maag

[HenryMaag]

Why not make them adjustable to fit a range of heights?

The current machines are actually all adjustable and cover a broad range of users. By changing the “target” height used in designing them they will have a generally better feel for a larger sector of the population.

The ‘target height’ for machine design is the height of the operator which the machine is designed around. So for every operator that gets farther away from this height the ‘feel’ of the machine becomes that much more different than what it is designed to feel like even with adjustments applied. Adjustments are designed into machines so that they can accommodate different sized operators, but a certain ‘target height and size’ acts as a design standard around which the ‘adjustments’ adjust for.

[HenryMaag]

Was this before or after Nautilus?

Wow, you went back to the beginning of this thread.


I was fabricating machines only for myself back around the early 1970's when I had noted an inventor named Arthur Jones placing some articles (and advertisements) in Iron Man magazine (which I had been getting for a few years then). His machines frame's were largely made of wood at that point, but it was obvious that he hit the market before I did.


I didn't start selling machines until the late 1970's (and only locally).

[Camarija]

I'm interested in trying out your cross axes tech pulldown and row.

I've been trying to find demos where people use your machines well, but it's hard to find. Mostly I just see people overloading the machines and pulling with poor mechanics. So it would be good to see examples of people using your machines well.

I found one video covering the pulldown where he seems to have an issue with the adjustability, especially the height. I'm about 190 cm tall so this seems relevant to both me personally and your question about Machine modifications.

Relevant part starts at 4:29


I really like the main ideas behind these two machines.
1. Load that becomes easier towards the end range of the pull movements (I don't understand how so many gym equipment manufacturers get this wrong)
2. Emphasizing the shoulder adduction portion of the pull movements (plenty of manufacturers have shoulder extension machines, but oddly not shoulder adduction machines)

Cheers Brother!

[HenryMaag]

I'm interested in trying out your cross axes tech pulldown and row.

I've been trying to find demos where people use your machines well, but it's hard to find. Mostly I just see people overloading the machines and pulling with poor mechanics. So it would be good to see examples of people using your machines well.

I found one video covering the pulldown where he seems to have an issue with the adjustability, especially the height. I'm about 190 cm tall so this seems relevant to both me personally and your question about Machine modifications.

Relevant part starts at 4:29


I really like the main ideas behind these two machines.
1. Load that becomes easier towards the end range of the pull movements (I don't understand how so many gym equipment manufacturers get this wrong)
2. Emphasizing the shoulder adduction portion of the pull movements (plenty of manufacturers have shoulder extension machines, but oddly not shoulder adduction machines)

Cheers Brother!

I will admit that I don’t understand how the seat cannot go low enough for him. My only explanation is that he has not discovered the adjusting turnbuckle directly in front of him for operator height adjustment (as I know that at 6’3 I cannot ‘bottom out’ on that machine), and it appears that his arms are proportional to his torso.

Thank you for the machine design complements, it is evident that you have understanding of how back building machines should be designed.

I can assure you that at 190cm tall (which I entered into my calculator dividing by 2.54 to get you height in inches and came up with 74.8 inches) these machines will be a perfect for you in that the target design height is 75 inches. You sound like the model that I have designed my machines around.



As far as trying them out, I have sold both B-2000’s and B-4000’s to a distributor in Kuwait who distributed them to *****. I just don’t know where they ended up - but I would guess by the color theme ordered that it was an OXYGEN GYM.

Regarding getting videos of proper form being used on the machines, I am not a large company like PANATA who pays well known athletes to demonstrate their machine use on videos. I depend on end users to simply make their own videos.

On a side note (and I only bring this up because of the almost ‘frozen up’ world in which we live where everyone seems to be afraid of being sued by someone for not having some kind of permission to have their products in their videos) I will assure the world that I will never persecute someone for placing one of my machines in a video. I would regard it as a service and obvious benefit to me, so please, if you have access to one of my machines and would like to demonstrate its use, feel free, it could benefit others who want to see how the machine actually functions.

Here is a video that I came across of someone using what I feel is excellent form (slow and steady, using a long stroke length) on a C-3000 (cross -axes incline press).


https://www.instagram.com/p/CPsA3LQA5O2/

[HenryMaag]

It is the day just before ‘Good Friday’, and I (like many) am highly contemplative of what was going through Jesus’ mind at this moment in His (yes, capitalized) life. For many years now, at this time of year I am tormented by the fact that He knew what was coming starting 24 hours from now.

I will keep this short (easier for people to contemplate).

Don’t telll me that He wasn’t more than ‘just a man’: any ‘just a man’ would have run ‘for the hills’ or told the Pharisees anything that they wanted to hear in order to avoid the suffering that was coming. In fact, don’t tell me that, while He would suffer as a man, that, He, in His ‘essence’, wasn’t anything less than God Himself.


Henry Maag

[HenryMaag]

It is ‘Good Friday’, and instead of ‘preaching’ about the significance of this day (and it is far more important than Easter Sunday itself), I would like to give a shout out to the movie “The Gospel of John” also known as “The life of Jesus”.

In a world that has something to offer for everyone, there are many depictions out there of the events of Jesus’ life. Many attempts at making movies about Him have included ...smiling, …easily approached, …witty, …cleaver depictions of Jesus; Who were all about performing miracles in dramatic fashion. This movie, instead dipicts Him as sober-minded and assertive (which He would, in reality, have to be in order to have had a 3 year ministry without being arrested until His death). The movie, beside being almost verbatum from the text of the Gospel of John, is very well directed and performed by everyone involved. For what it may be worth to anyone who considers my words, this movie has my full endorsment. Do yourself a favor, and watch it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqmHNQhdLUM

[thedickus]

It is the day just before ‘Good Friday’, and I (like many) am highly contemplative of what was going through Jesus’ mind at this moment in His (yes, capitalized) life. For many years now, at this time of year I am tormented by the fact that He knew what was coming starting 24 hours from now.

He was probably thinking that he wished his $lut mother Mary had cheated on Joseph with a cool god like Zeus instead of Yahweh. Hercules kicked a$$ and got all the chicks.

[gym62richard]

It is the day just before ‘Good Friday’, and I (like many) am highly contemplative of what was going through Jesus’ mind at this moment in His (yes, capitalized) life. For many years now, at this time of year I am tormented by the fact that He knew what was coming starting 24 hours from now.

I will keep this short (easier for people to contemplate).

Don’t telll me that He wasn’t more than ‘just a man’: any ‘just a man’ would have run ‘for the hills’ or told the Pharisees anything that they wanted to hear in order to avoid the suffering that was coming. In fact, don’t tell me that, while He would suffer as a man, that, He, in His ‘essence’, wasn’t anything less than God Himself.


Henry Maag

Henry I've always admired your machines and the concepts behind them, but please this is the equipment forum and not a platform to air your religious beliefs. I've been a member here for 11 years, one of the many things I've always liked about this forum is that members desist from participating in religious and political discussion.

I respect your religious beliefs, but my honest opinion is that you should stick to the topic of weight training equipment.

[nnclark11]

The video linked above is me using Henry's pulldown for the first time. I subsequently learned how to adjust the seat after playing with it and there is plenty of stretch now. I will have to post an updated video. The main benefit of his machine is the crazy stretch in conjunction with the ability to really adduct the shoulder well in shortest position with hands in widest grip. The row machine is also money as is his flat chest. I am looking forward to ordering some more of his pieces soon.

[Greybird2]

The video linked above is me using Henry's pulldown for the first time. I subsequently learned how to adjust the seat after playing with it and there is plenty of stretch now. I will have to post an updated video. The main benefit of his machine is the crazy stretch in conjunction with the ability to really adduct the shoulder well in shortest position with hands in widest grip. The row machine is also money as is his flat chest. I am looking forward to ordering some more of his pieces soon.

You have some really nice Back machines. Do you have that many machines for each body part? Is that for a future commercial gym, or just for the largest home gym space I have ever seen? Very impressive.

[Oxidated]

You have some really nice Back machines. Do you have that many machines for each body part? Is that for a future commercial gym, or just for the largest home gym space I have ever seen? Very impressive.

Made me look.
https://www.youtube.com/user/nnclark11/videos

Great content. Some really interesting machines and commentary on point.
@nnclark11, Kudos to you for having resources and energy to assemble all that, and to share it with the world.

[nnclark11]

Made me look.
https://www.youtube.com/user/nnclark11/videos

Great content. Some really interesting machines and commentary on point.
@nnclark11, Kudos to you for having resources and energy to assemble all that, and to share it with the world.

Thanks for the kind words. Collecting unique machines has become a bit of a hobby for me. I thought I was crazy weird but it is nice to come on here and see that others have a similar interest and passion. I haven't tallied the number of machines for each body part as of yet. Possibly might open it as a private gym at some point but not sure.

[Oxidated]

Thanks for the kind words. Collecting unique machines has become a bit of a hobby for me. I thought I was crazy weird but it is nice to come on here and see that others have a similar interest and passion. I haven't tallied the number of machines for each body part as of yet. Possibly might open it as a private gym at some point but not sure.

How about starting your own thread here?
I'm sure others will appreciate your hangar...ehh...home gym, and have questions.

[HenryMaag]

Admittedly, as I have already relayed to nnclark11, regarding his “warehouse full of machines”which he calls his home gym: that I was absolutely blown away when I saw instagram posts of it which my son Keegan showed me. He seems to have every machine which was ever built. There are “collectors of machines out there” but this guy is on a whole new level.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

I'm gonna be taking a trip to Cali (San Diego) next week on vacation with my girlfriend and there's a chance we might be in the Huntington Beach area one of the days, it would be awesome to get the chance to try out some of these machines while we're out there...having one in my home gym would be epic lol.

[gym62richard]

Thanks for the kind words. Collecting unique machines has become a bit of a hobby for me. I thought I was crazy weird but it is nice to come on here and see that others have a similar interest and passion. I haven't tallied the number of machines for each body part as of yet. Possibly might open it as a private gym at some point but not sure.

You have a superb collection there. Your set up reminded me of a documentary I recently watched about the late, great Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts.

Watts had a warehouse full of drum kits, formerly owned by some of the greatest Jazz, Big Band and Rock drummers of all time, yet both in the recording studio and whilst playing live, he played on a very rudimentary kit, consisting of just 4 drums

I'm just interested, do you vary your workouts to take advantage of your multiple machines, or like Charlie Watts, do you tend to stick to your favourites?.