Powertec Leverage System Home Gym Review

Ok, I know it's probably blasphemy to submit a Powertec gym review to a site that's predominantly about Bowflex, but I just wanted to make your visitors aware that there are other options out there besides Bowflex (Crossbow, Soloflex, and the other "infomercial home gyms"). Let me just say that I left a large household not long ago that had both a Bowflex and a Crossbow (lotsa people with different tastes), so this review of the Powertec Leverage System Home Gym is by somebody that's tried quite a bit of what's out there. I've got a lot of respect for the Bowflex, but when it came down to it, I felt the Powertec was a better choice for me. Here's why:

The main reason is that the Powertec, like the Bowflex, is compact enough to make sense in a home gym, but unlike the Bowflex uses free weights (plates) instead of those resistance rods. A lot of people seem to like the rods just fine but personally I never got very sore using the Bowflex and never saw quite the results I did with free weights. Also, I felt the Bowflex was a little weak for lower body workouts, even with the squat attachment. If you want real weight training results without going to the gym or spending a fortune on rows of Smith machines, the Powertec line is the way to go.

About the Powertec Leverage Home Gym Itself

The Powertec Leverage allows you to do 20 free weight exercises. Ok, that's not as many as the Bowflex, but let's face it, you really only need about 7-10 core exercises to focus on all the big muscle groups in your body. The 20 that the Leverage offers is absolutely enough, and if you do decide you want more variety, they have other machines in their home fitness line such as the Vertical Training System, the Lat Machine, the Powertec Decline Ab Bench, and the Rack System. Really though, the Leverage is all you need. Just look at the other stuff if you want variety.

The Leverage is much more like a machine you would find in a real gym rather than some home fitness product meant to roll away into a closet or be folded under the bed. It's bulky (which can be a con if you don't have much space, and you'd probably have to disassemble it part way to move it to another house) and very sturdy. It feels like you're on a piece of professional equipment that will last.

Working Out on the Leverage

You can feel the heft of having real weight plates. I really missed that with the Bowflex and Crossbow. The workouts definitely make me feel sore on the days after if pushed myself hard. The cable system is simple; basically, two pulleys handle it all. The cable itself is plastic-coated and strong, not some thin thing that could fray or break. Another nice feature is that the safety features ensure you can press yourself as hard as you want without needing a spotter.

The Leverage is surprisingly versatile, and I can hit all the right muscles at just the angle I want. It's also comparable in price to the Bowflex Elite or Sport (way cheaper than the Ultimate).

Having done the gym thing for many years, I can honestly say working out on the Powertec is as smooth as the machines I've used. The chest and shoulder presses are just like the ones at the gym, except safer since you can work to failure without needing a spotter standing by. Lat and triceps pulldowns are equally smooth. I'd say the weakest part of the machine (and I found similar troubles with the Bowflex) is the leg and squat attachments. They're good and perfectly usable, just not quite gym quality. Still, considering how much cheaper than Powertec is compared to the heavy duty lines the gym use, I'm not at all disappointed. Working out on the Leverage is a pleasure.

Some of the cons are that because the bench sits on a swivel arm, it wiggles a little bit when you're doing exercises. It's not a big deal, but I thought it worth mentioning. The plus side of that feature in the bench is that the swivel arm allows it to move forward and backward or even rotate 90 degrees. It can be moved out of the way for certain exercises. The back of the bench can be adjusted so it's in decline, incline, flat, or vertical positions.

Another con is that it takes a bit of time to move from exercise to exercise. Basically, it's just like the machines at the gym. You have to take plates on and off, change the lever, adjust the bench, etc. It makes it hard to do a circuit training workout (the kind where you're supposed to keep rest down to 20 seconds between exercises), but overall the pros of this machine far outweigh the cons. Ideally, I suppose I would have a whole basement full of Powertec machines so I could just jump from machine to machine, but for the kind of money I had to spend and the space I had my house, this has been a really great investment.

So go out and buy a Leverage already.

Powertec Workbench Leverage Gym

Review by T.D. Spelling

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