Apparently there are (at least) two different versions of the "four spoke design" BFCO plates, and I own a pair of each. As you can see, they differ in diameter and branding. The weight tolerance is what you'd expect from old-school plates - they can be a hit or miss. The larger plate shown weighs 43.7 lbs (its pair weighs 45.2 lbs) and the smaller one weighs 44.8 lbs (its pair weighs 43.6 lbs). When loading them, I alternate between the heavier and lighter pair so as to get a more equal distribution of the weights on either side. Also, once I load the bigger pair, I can load the smaller one without the use of a deadlift jack, which I consider to be a benefit of owning two different types of these plates. Yes, they have more slop than contemporary deep dish plates, which can cause problems for some, but doesn't bother me too much, given that I use good collars during deadlifts, for example. I don't know the going price of these on the secondhand market, but I got mine for about 50 cents per pound, which is a steal. But truth be told, the biggest reason I have these is for the nostalgic factor of their having been used at muscle beach during the golden era of bodybuilding.

I don't know much about this brand and I only acquired this pad because it was severely discounted on FBMP. I wanted a way to do chest-supported rows and I didn't have space in my gym for a dedicated machine. This rack-mounted pad fulfills that need. However, if I had to pay full price, I probably would have went with a different brand whose reputation I am more familiar with.

My old Planet Fitness had one of these infamous "good girl/bad girl" machine (which is which depends on the boy judging - whether he's a good boy or a bad boy). Having arrived early one morning, when the gym was mostly empty, I decided to try it out ("for science"). The movement felt horrible! I thought I was going to tear something very personal to me. Maybe I lack the requisite mobility or whatever - but it felt like a Medieval torture device. Never again will I use this machine! I'd rather pull sumo to build more adductors.

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.