This is another machine I used frequently at Planet Fitness. I expected to get a good low back pump, but ending up smoking my hamstrings in addition to my spinal erectors. It felt like I was doing a "seated machine RDL" (if that makes sense). If that's what you want, this machine is great. But if you want a machine that targets spinal erectors specifically, you might want to look elsewhere.

This was one of my favorite machines at a Planet Fitness that I used to be a member of. I felt really locked in during the dip motion, and I like the option of having either a wider or narrower hand placement. The slight forward lean of the back pad helps to isolate the triceps.

This is another machine that I used to use frequently at my former Planet Fitness. I felt safe only using moderate weight, because you start at the stretched position, and my old-man shoulders felt vulnerable if I went heavy. They could have included a foot lever, which assists the user to push the handles out when starting a set to alleviate the above worry (some commercial chest machines do have that feature for that very purpose).

A local Planet Fitness that I was a member of for about a year had outfitted all of their machines via Matrix (customized with their ugly bright purple and yellow). This was one of them, and I used it numerous times. It performs well when doing high reps with light to moderate weight. But when I tried to go really heavy with crunches, I had trouble keeping my butt down on the seat - and would end up doing a movement that might be described as a "leg raise from a seated position"! In short, they should have built a way to hold the user down during the exercise.

There was a period late last year where I suffered through mild bicep tendonitis, which made "back day" and its associated pulling movements uncomfortable. Then I discovered these handles and they helped to alleviate much of the discomfort, allowing me to train around my injury until I recovered fully. For that reason alone I will be holding on to these handles.

I have a 45 lb pair of these plates and they are reasonably accurate (one weighs 44 lbs and the other 45.5 lbs). They are smaller in diameter than the Standard Barbell 45 lb plates common in many home gyms, and that makes them easy to load, e.g. for deadlifts, after the initial Standard (or other regularly-sized) plates have been loaded. Their handles are also among the most comfortable among the various "grip plates" I own. Too bad they have been discontinued, but I see them occasionally on FBMP for around a dollar per pound.

This is another "old school" tricep cable attachment, and it remains a staple in many home gyms. The build quality is very good, by which I mean how well it will hold up under repeated, heavy use - not necessarily how comfortable it will make its users feel. I've never heard of anyone having triceps so strong that they exceeded the weight capacity of this style of attachment during cable pushdowns. In some users' eyes, this attachment has several "faults," e.g. the middle section doesn't rotate, the knurling could be more aggressive - and don't get me started about the flat vs. rounded ends! Such complaints tend to come from the same group of people who complain that certain gym equipment, e.g. benches, are too heavy to move around, etc. I think this attachment works best when paired with swivel shackles, which help to alleviate elbow or wrist discomfort that may result during heavy cable work - thus helping to overcome some of the main objections to this type of attachment.

This is the first gym equipment purchase I made based on a Gym Radar review. I was looking for a squat wedge that was durable, affordable, and preferably constructed of metal rather than hard foam. I wanted something with a bit of heft to it. After reading Brandon Tunquist's review, I decided to go with this model. I am impressed with the build quality given its price point. It will perfectly fulfill my needs. Thank you Brandon and Gym Radar!