Got to try the bilateral version out at a different garage gym in the east valley and realized a good row machine is what I had been missing. Both are smooth with belt systems and this one has 305lb stack. the dual axis allows the arms in the rear delt movement to diverge instead of being fixed. It’s a cool feature to use. It’s been a worthwhile marketplace find for the gym.

Was watching mutant on a mission with big Ron Partlow while he was at American muscle factory. The owner of the gym talked about how he liked the bottom of the movement and how it arched in so I picked it up off OfferUp after seeing the episode. Handles allow for wide, medium, underhand and neutral grips. Commercial grade with a Belt system and 300lb stack. It works for me and If you can find one for decent price then it’s worth considering. One thing with the vr2 line is that guide rods have two smaller snap rings that secure them in place. The exterior one is easy to open cause you can see it but the interior one is inside the frame and is a nuisance if you need to remove the weight stack to move it manually. Gave it 3 stars on value cause it comes down to what you can find it for.

Life fitness equipment pops up a lot in the phx market so if you’re patient you can get a good deal. Able to score a 95ci and this integrity series for 125 each. This one is going on 4-5 years with me without any maintenance. Smaller footprint and has wheels if you need to move it but you gotta grab the back stabilizing bar to roll it at an angle. Having built in programs is nice if you want to switch things up for cardio but you can just hop on and start riding and the bike powers up. Can adjust the resistance and has two sets of heart rate monitors. Stock seat is fairly comfortable for long rides. The last time I had to replace a battery I was able to pick it up from batteries plus vs ordering and waiting . Overall it’s a solid upright bike.

I’ve had this for several years now and traded for it. Typical hammer strength build and simple design. It’s not better nor worse just different (banger episode) regarding the feel of the movement. It did grow on me as I used it more and more. Your chest does get a good stretch to start the moment (added an extra pad to get more) but to me the front delts take over with the actual pressing being forward and up with a gradual convergence. Weights gets heavy quickly due the angle and it being an iso-lateral does add variance. I knock it on value for the typical HS reason of price and space.

Pretty impressed by this unit. It’s made in the USA, has a 400lb stack and uses a Kevlar belt similar to the thighsolator and super leg press. Obviously those units aren’t in the same league but wanted to point out the belt system. It’s a horizontal hack squat and seated leg press with three upper pad angles and 5 seat adjustments to fit varying users. So far the intended uses are good but I’ve enjoyed single leg work on the leg press and loaded sissy squats. Calf raises are decent off the bottom platform as well. starting position is out of the hole so keep that in mind but if you’re in the market for a combo unit and this is in your area it may be worth consideration. Build quality is stout at 930lbs; guide rods are in place by Allen bolts making the stack easily removable. Able to use two furniture dollies to move the frame in place. I knocked it on value due the bankruptcy/ acquisition of tuff stuff. Parts will be hard to come by if there is ever an issue but more just something to note. I would consider this commercial grade and don’t see quality becoming an issue. Overall it’s a solid machine.

I had an early version for several years that was a seated shrug then you flip the handles to turn into a row. Both movements were good but I thought the shrug was the better movement especially when doing burn outs with both handles. I’d even stack some bummers and do RDLs with shrug handles when I didn’t want to load a bar. HS build quality is always spot on and the weight horns were long to load up the movements. Like most HS PL machines they take up a lot of real estate for a home gym and can be costly. If you can find the dual movement machine then maybe it’s worth it.

I use this to warm up my ankles on lower body days. The foot opening is large enough to use both feet or just a single one so you have options on use. It’s your typical hammer build but surprisingly heavy for how small it is. It’ll pop up on the used market but can still be pricey for what it is. This will be one that always stays in the gym.

I picked this along with the HS seated leg curl up off OfferUp to use in my knee rehab. Mine were from 92 and still looked awesome but just shows that HS equipment is built to last. The unilateral design is where this shined for me. I believe each lever arm is 4 or 7lbs then the holes near the bearings allow you to adjust the starting position. I was able to load my left leg as normal then start with the lever arm along with setting the starting point higher until my knee got stronger. For single leg/rehab this is good piece but is a space eater. Like Kieth mentioned, this is pretty pricey new but this version pops up on the used market from time to time. The single bar version is a different story. Overall this served me well and it’s what you’d expect from Hammer Strength.