York 2001 Multi Gym

I had used this gym very frequently while depressed and unemployed for 6 months in my 20s.

It was very very effective.

It gives a great total body workout - all major muscle groups in one session when starting out (legs, lat pulls, benchpress, squat).

It was a very great effort to lift half the stack when I started (At 6 foot tall I weighted 11st).

The range of compound muscle exercises is great with the machine - This matters a lot time wise. Importantly - You can do the king of exercises - the Squat, (targeting massive leg muscles buttocks, quads, back), and then balance legs out by doing hamstring pulls.

You can do good bench presses (your shoulder muscles and triceps are also targeted), you can do Lat pull downs (back, biceps, even abs if you crunch with a towel). Pully rows - (Back, biceps).

I didn't even use the chest press which actually didn't come with mine (being 2nd hand).

After about 9 months I had gained a lot of muscle. I weighted over 13 st something and was doing very effective split training - all on the machine (legs one day, upper body the next) - I could lift the full stack easily by that stage - but I simply increased the sets from 3 to 4. I did eventually find the 120lb weight stack too limiting - but that was after a full year of using the machine, and after gaining over 28lbs of muscle!

The sheer range of exercises with this machine is hard to find with ANY other home gym. The only downside I found was the messing around changing the cables and barbells over.

It is still one of the best gyms ever I used IMO. Its now about 20 years on - and in early middle age I find I weigh about 16 stone, mainly bubber. It used to be that I was depressed and thought I could not ever put on weight and fill out a suit whatever I did - now its all too easy! I also had high blood pressure diagnosed, so HAVE to exercise about 3 stone of fat off.

Luckly, It's not as duanting a jobs as when I first started thinking I was a 150 lb weed and knew nothing and had to study to learn the proper form of each exercise etc... Its just the time, (and being more jaded and less passionate than when younger) thats less available nowadays!

I recently bought a Marcy Gym 2nd hand on the classifieds which looked great from the picture - but was horrified to find you can only do upper body and lats pulldowns. Squats, Leg curls etc.. forget it!

The main attacks on this machine are the limited weight stack of 140lbs. But in reality not many people other than dreamers are going to find this a real limit. The messing about with cables etc.. means a huge range of exercises are available to you which more than makes up for the hassle.

It really is one of the best home gyms ever.

The York 2001 is by far the best home use gym on the market. I've trained in a lot of gyms in the last 34 years and used many different machines in that time and I firmly believe the 2001 is an excellent all round good value machine. I had one about 22 years ago and sold it after 5 years reluctantly because my wife had stopped training herself and so wanted it out of the bedroom. I've wanted to buy one again ever since and as soon as we moved and my new house had a garage I immediately bought another 2001. It can easily meet most trainers needs and if, like me, you need more weight then pack it on! it'll take it. With a little ingenuity it is easy to add extra weight and I currently use 2 weight stacks on pec deck and the machine copes easily.