Every time I look at Body Solid stuff, I'm impressed, but it doesn't seem like people ever think of them as a primary option when building a gym these days. What do you think they should change to get more traction in the garage gym market?
Appreciate the shout-out Tim, love that Body Solid is getting more love!! Just to add some more context in case folks are skeptical, I'm a huge Body Solid fanboy, but that's because years ago when we were pulling out Body Solid products from people's gyms, they functioned like they were new. I had smith machines on rails 20 years old that were smooth gliding, unlike much of the other equipment we had pulled out from other brands. I couldn't believe it, and started investigating becoming a dealer for them, and found out about all the product lines they offered. Great company, great product.
Thanks so much for the review, Tim. We really appreciate it! If anyone has any questions about the SPR1000 or any of our equipment, don't hesitate to ask.
Bought a Body Solid decline bench press second hand not knowing even what brand I was buying and while it may not be the most overbuilt it is well built and will serve my home gyms purpose easily forever. It’s certainly a quality piece.
I think quality goes a long way these days. A ton of companies came out over the last 3-4 years just trying to capitalize on people trying to get healthy at home. All eyes on profit and none on their customers. As we see those companies start to go out of business, I really think more and more customers will look at the higher quality companies with longer warranties. All that said, I really wish Body Solid would update their approach a bit. I think they could really make some big moves with a few tweaks here and there.
Very interesting and coherent arguments there, but i am still not 100% sold on this. It sure looks the part and seems to be stable and all, and yet somehow there's still something that's holding me back. I mean: why should i pick this over, say, a Rogue Monster series rack? Or a Rep rack, even. P.S. i cannot help but notice your awesome watch: might i ask what it is?
THat's a great question and one I struggle to answer on ANY rack I review. They are almost commodities anymore. Here, the feet and the company are the two value propositions, so that's what I highlighted. But, to be very honest, there are so many 3x3 racks out there now, it's hard to say one is definitively better than another. Watch is a Hamilton from their Khaki line. Thanks for the compliment!
I think the first thing they should do is add different colors to their equipment!!!!!!! When people think of Body Solid equipment, they know BS has good commercial equipment but they slack off their home gym equipment and it's not up to the level of REP, Rogue, Fringesport, Titan, etc. when it comes to quality, fit & finish, colors, so the 2nd thing they should do is to decide what level they want to be at. They just are not within the top tier of home gym companies regarding the previous mention categories but their prices are high for the budget companies so they really are somewhere between the top companies and the budget companies. Body Solid needs to decide where they are going to be, top level or budget and they need to adjust their pricing to reflect their decision. Their prices are too high if they're going the budget route and their quality, fit & finish, and colors are not good enough for them to be a top tier company so they need to decide and then go back to the drawing board and push to be the best at that level. This being in the middle is killing their sales. That is my honest, objective opinion of Body Solid and I have researched them thoroughly and considered buying some of their stuff. I ended up not buying anything from them and got everything from REP. Take Care
You are reading my mind. I'm recording a podcast soon about companies stuck in the "friend zone" (nice and all, but I don't want a relationship) and Body Solid will be one of them. There is no compelling offer there for home gym people. They make a bunch of great stuff, but outside of the warranty, nothing really sets them apart. And companies like Fringe are catching on to the importance of lifetime warranties, so they may not even have that advantage for long.
hey what you can say abaut Wall Cable Half Rack ATX-WCR-600 it have special long cable arms do you think it's a better option than rep athena wall mounted?
I'd say we don't have ATX here in the US but I can't wait until we do! Everything I saw from them at Home Gym Con was fantastic and I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything that they make.
@BodySolidFit leg press, hyper extension / roman chair, light weight adjustable bench, 2 post Squat rack, and a leg Curl + extension combo machine although that could have been another brand and some slamballs.
This rack would have been great 20 yrs ago for home gym. Now this rack is mid level with a high price tag for what it is for the ability to use additional company attachmens. Power cages really only became more popular about 15yrs for home gyms, before that it was the bench press and multi gym stations. Power racks at high school or college have been 12ga-7ga with larger spacing like 2in. It wasn't uncommon to see power racks made out of 3in wide C channel. Westside spacing didn't become that popular till about 10yrs ago. But at this point, if gym companies aren't offering typical power racks in typical configurations with typical pricing then they're lagging.
That's my biggest "I wish" for Body Solid. They do so many things right, but so much about them is very dated. The colors, the logo, the marketing, the website. If they were to update a bunch of stuff, make it all cross compatible with other companies, they would sell a ton more for sure. As for 7 gauge racks, who in the heck is making that? I've been to a bunch of D1 training centers and it's all American Barbell, Elite FTS, Rogue, etc. ALL 11 gauge, all 1" holes with 2" spacing.
@GymCrafter about 10 yrs ago there was a 7ga half rack for sale at a used fitness store in Sacramento (near me) that had one years ago. I almost bought it but decided to buy a bunch of Ivanko pro style dumbbells up to 140s. About 15yrs ago on craiglist I came across several 3in C channel welded squat racks with a pull up bar in the middle. These had 1in holes or close to it about 2in spacing. These used a j cup with a hand tighten nut on the back side that had a welded steel pin welded to the nut for easier hand tightening, not like current j cups. The base also had a diamond plated base welded to keep the whole power rack secured. These were no more than 24in deep, I forget the width. 3in C channel is heavier than 7ga. I saw several of these C channel type of squat racks at my community college gym that were painted white but had a different type of j cup, I think you had to angle it in, but i really cant remember, no uhmw, along with some other 3in tubing with 1in holes. It didn't have the slots like some other ones.These all used just thick 1in solid rod safeties. No one cared about uhmw or ruining the knurling on the barebell. This was early 2000s. There were no other attachments and was only used for squating. As I remember these were welded as well. Now these all could have been made custom or from someone locally that got a contract to make them and not something you'd see from a catalog. I just remember that no other squat rack compared even when I joined commerical gyms. Maybe the college power cages were only 11ga, but these weren't 6 posts and didn't move.
@ Their Clubline SLM300G.. The frame is pretty thin gauge steel. The rod that the stack goes on angles and hits the stack as u use the machine. The weights used for the stack are pretty low quality for the price and it being labeled as “commercial”.
That's why I focused on the company and the flat foot design with the extended feet. Those are the only two things setting this apart from other options. I think at this point, buying a rack is buying into an ecosystem and while this rack is solid, if you want to expand down the road, you might be better off with Rep or Rogue for sure (and with Bells of Steel, their racks are sleeper hits for sure and compatible with all of Rogue's stuff).
For that money you can buy a far better rack from Rogye. Body Solid makes ok equipment but nothing id ever say was great. Just a very generic company all around. All made overseas but no cheaper than rogue.
Every time I look at Body Solid stuff, I'm impressed, but it doesn't seem like people ever think of them as a primary option when building a gym these days. What do you think they should change to get more traction in the garage gym market?
Appreciate the shout-out Tim, love that Body Solid is getting more love!! Just to add some more context in case folks are skeptical, I'm a huge Body Solid fanboy, but that's because years ago when we were pulling out Body Solid products from people's gyms, they functioned like they were new. I had smith machines on rails 20 years old that were smooth gliding, unlike much of the other equipment we had pulled out from other brands. I couldn't believe it, and started investigating becoming a dealer for them, and found out about all the product lines they offered. Great company, great product.
Thanks for that, Ashton. It's those kinds of stories you just don't hear about a lot of the flashier stuff you see on the market today.
@@GymCrafter Agreed completely
Thanks as always for your continued support, Ashton!!
Thanks so much for the review, Tim. We really appreciate it! If anyone has any questions about the SPR1000 or any of our equipment, don't hesitate to ask.
John from Garage Gym Life has been saying great things about Body Solid. They are definitely growing on me.
Yep. If you can get past the dated logo and marketing material, there's some really great stuff there!
Bought a Body Solid decline bench press second hand not knowing even what brand I was buying and while it may not be the most overbuilt it is well built and will serve my home gyms purpose easily forever. It’s certainly a quality piece.
Nice!
Glad to hear that! If you ever run into any issues with it or have any questions feel free to reach out to us!
Body Solid getting more and more common from what I am seeing
I think quality goes a long way these days. A ton of companies came out over the last 3-4 years just trying to capitalize on people trying to get healthy at home. All eyes on profit and none on their customers. As we see those companies start to go out of business, I really think more and more customers will look at the higher quality companies with longer warranties. All that said, I really wish Body Solid would update their approach a bit. I think they could really make some big moves with a few tweaks here and there.
Body Solid and Power Tec are the OG's of the home gym community.
For sure!
35+ years and counting!!
13:37, they're called Pin Presses my friend :)
Yup! I left at 4am for this shoot, even after two large diet mt. Dews I still was not awake with a fully functioning brain for this video!😂
Very interesting and coherent arguments there, but i am still not 100% sold on this. It sure looks the part and seems to be stable and all, and yet somehow there's still something that's holding me back. I mean: why should i pick this over, say, a Rogue Monster series rack? Or a Rep rack, even.
P.S.
i cannot help but notice your awesome watch: might i ask what it is?
THat's a great question and one I struggle to answer on ANY rack I review. They are almost commodities anymore. Here, the feet and the company are the two value propositions, so that's what I highlighted. But, to be very honest, there are so many 3x3 racks out there now, it's hard to say one is definitively better than another.
Watch is a Hamilton from their Khaki line. Thanks for the compliment!
Great breakdown. Har to believe they are missing UHMW from their attachments. Keep up the great work
THanks. I've noticed that seems to be a pattern on a lot of 5/8" racks. But yeah, their powder coat is sweet, why mess it up?
I think the first thing they should do is add different colors to their equipment!!!!!!!
When people think of Body Solid equipment, they know BS has good commercial equipment but they slack off their home gym equipment and it's not up to the level of REP, Rogue, Fringesport, Titan, etc. when it comes to quality, fit & finish, colors, so the 2nd thing they should do is to decide what level they want to be at.
They just are not within the top tier of home gym companies regarding the previous mention categories but their prices are high for the budget companies so they really are somewhere between the top companies and the budget companies.
Body Solid needs to decide where they are going to be, top level or budget and they need to adjust their pricing to reflect their decision. Their prices are too high if they're going the budget route and their quality, fit & finish, and colors are not good enough for them to be a top tier company so they need to decide and then go back to the drawing board and push to be the best
at that level.
This being in the middle is killing their sales.
That is my honest, objective opinion of Body Solid and I have researched them thoroughly and considered buying some of their stuff. I ended up not buying anything from them and got everything from REP.
Take Care
You are reading my mind. I'm recording a podcast soon about companies stuck in the "friend zone" (nice and all, but I don't want a relationship) and Body Solid will be one of them. There is no compelling offer there for home gym people. They make a bunch of great stuff, but outside of the warranty, nothing really sets them apart. And companies like Fringe are catching on to the importance of lifetime warranties, so they may not even have that advantage for long.
Solid option
For sure
Ahhhhhh.... see what you did THERE!
Good as rep or rogue
Quality yes. They could use a few design tweaks to bring them up to date, though.
@GymCrafter been around for long time
@@joelmcdaniel2343 They sure have, that's a rarity in this space for sure.
hey what you can say abaut
Wall Cable Half Rack ATX-WCR-600
it have special long cable arms
do you think it's a better option than rep athena wall mounted?
I'd say we don't have ATX here in the US but I can't wait until we do! Everything I saw from them at Home Gym Con was fantastic and I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything that they make.
The more I buy other brands the more I like body solid. Quietly keeping up with the best out there.
Too quiet! And yeah, pretty much everything they make is great quality.
Thanks so much! That really means a lot. What of ours have you used or are currently using?
@BodySolidFit leg press, hyper extension / roman chair, light weight adjustable bench, 2 post Squat rack, and a leg Curl + extension combo machine although that could have been another brand and some slamballs.
@@Railios103 Awesome thanks so much! We really appreciate it. If you ever have any questions or issues, just let us know!
This rack would have been great 20 yrs ago for home gym. Now this rack is mid level with a high price tag for what it is for the ability to use additional company attachmens. Power cages really only became more popular about 15yrs for home gyms, before that it was the bench press and multi gym stations. Power racks at high school or college have been 12ga-7ga with larger spacing like 2in. It wasn't uncommon to see power racks made out of 3in wide C channel. Westside spacing didn't become that popular till about 10yrs ago. But at this point, if gym companies aren't offering typical power racks in typical configurations with typical pricing then they're lagging.
That's my biggest "I wish" for Body Solid. They do so many things right, but so much about them is very dated. The colors, the logo, the marketing, the website. If they were to update a bunch of stuff, make it all cross compatible with other companies, they would sell a ton more for sure. As for 7 gauge racks, who in the heck is making that? I've been to a bunch of D1 training centers and it's all American Barbell, Elite FTS, Rogue, etc. ALL 11 gauge, all 1" holes with 2" spacing.
@GymCrafter about 10 yrs ago there was a 7ga half rack for sale at a used fitness store in Sacramento (near me) that had one years ago. I almost bought it but decided to buy a bunch of Ivanko pro style dumbbells up to 140s.
About 15yrs ago on craiglist I came across several 3in C channel welded squat racks with a pull up bar in the middle. These had 1in holes or close to it about 2in spacing. These used a j cup with a hand tighten nut on the back side that had a welded steel pin welded to the nut for easier hand tightening, not like current j cups. The base also had a diamond plated base welded to keep the whole power rack secured. These were no more than 24in deep, I forget the width. 3in C channel is heavier than 7ga.
I saw several of these C channel type of squat racks at my community college gym that were painted white but had a different type of j cup, I think you had to angle it in, but i really cant remember, no uhmw, along with some other 3in tubing with 1in holes. It didn't have the slots like some other ones.These all used just thick 1in solid rod safeties. No one cared about uhmw or ruining the knurling on the barebell. This was early 2000s. There were no other attachments and was only used for squating. As I remember these were welded as well. Now these all could have been made custom or from someone locally that got a contract to make them and not something you'd see from a catalog. I just remember that no other squat rack compared even when I joined commerical gyms. Maybe the college power cages were only 11ga, but these weren't 6 posts and didn't move.
I'm looking for something smallerfor the wall, WallMounted Athenawill it be ok?
Wall mounted Athena is awesome! Also look at the PRX stuff.
Bodysolid is home quality lol Even some of their “commercial” pieces fall short
Specific example? I havven't seen that, but I haven't tried all of their stuff.
@ Their Clubline SLM300G.. The frame is pretty thin gauge steel. The rod that the stack goes on angles and hits the stack as u use the machine. The weights used for the stack are pretty low quality for the price and it being labeled as “commercial”.
@@Hahahahe I haven't seen that one, but it looks like they have a V2 out now. I'll have to check it out next time I'm down there.
Seems like a decent rack, but for the price I think I would still opt for Rogue or Rep. There's nothing really selling me on that price point.
That's why I focused on the company and the flat foot design with the extended feet. Those are the only two things setting this apart from other options. I think at this point, buying a rack is buying into an ecosystem and while this rack is solid, if you want to expand down the road, you might be better off with Rep or Rogue for sure (and with Bells of Steel, their racks are sleeper hits for sure and compatible with all of Rogue's stuff).
For that money you can buy a far better rack from Rogye. Body Solid makes ok equipment but nothing id ever say was great. Just a very generic company all around. All made overseas but no cheaper than rogue.
What makes a Rogue rack "far better" for you?