Let me preface this review by stating we should all agree that a standard plate loaded adduction abduction machine is 5 times more cost and takes up 3 times the space and weighs a ton compared to this product.
Having said that, my wife is just getting back to leg workouts. She found the machine comfortable and at maximum resistance felt a burn at 20 reps in both adduction and abduction. Therefore, for the beginner, or for rehab, this machine will do the trick, albeit you will grow out of it fast unless you follow my hacks as discussed and shown below.
Now for the experienced lifters; yes, the strength curve and range of motion on this machine SUCKS!!! I agree. You will need 500 reps with slow time under tension to feel something. BUT BUT BUT with a couple simple cost effective hacks you can turn this little lightweight solidly built machine into a great piece of equipment for your basement or garage gym.
First, abduction (moving legs apart). Purchase a 9 dollar set of the resistance bands shown in picture 1 from Amazon. Wrap the band around the machine as shown in the picture and torch your legs! Add more bands as necessary. Can you do this exercise by just buying the bands for 9 bucks? Sure. But I really like the foot pedals, seat and hand grips of this little machine and I'm 6 foot 5!! With just the extra heavy band attached, I get a nice burn within 15 reps and I have all the other bands to add for growth. Knock out 4 sets with 15 or 20 seconds rest in between and tell me otherwise.
Second, adduction (moving legs inward). Purchase 2 sets of standard tube bands from Amazon with clips attached on both sides, about 20 bucks apiece. These will not go to waste. If you're an experienced lifter and don't own multiple sets of these, you're truly missing out on some great movements. Put the machine into your smith machine or squat rack as shown in picture 2. Wrap the bands as shown and torch your legs!!! Ditto on sets and rest discussed above.
In closing, if you're Frank Zane (look him up), Serge Nubret (look him up too) or Arnold (no need to look him up, we all know who he is), this will not work for you. But if you're the average shlub like me who just wants to add to his leg day since 61+ year old knees can't do squats anymore without a trip to the emergency room, these hacks work with this little machine. You too will burn parts of your legs you normally don't and experience the joy of crawling up your stairs from your basement gym.
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