Weider Max Ultra

The Weider Max Ultra has been discontinued.

For a good workout at a budget price, reviewers recommended the Weider Max Ultra home gym (also formerly known as the Advantage, Crossbar and Crossbow). Instead of weights, this gym uses the resistance of bendable bars and cables. This technology was made famous by Bowflex, but the Weider Max Ultra costs much less. Home-gym reviews say that while weight stacks and the Bowflex provide for a smoother and more even movement, the Max Ultra can still provide a good workout, though it may take some getting used to. Resistance can be upgraded from 240 to 440 pounds, plenty for most users. Most owners say they're very happy with it, especially for the price. It takes a long time to assemble but is one of the easiest gyms to store, since it folds to about 2 by 2 feet. A compact home gym is smoother but heavier, larger and much more expensive -- for example, the well-reviewed Body-Solid EXM1500S (*Est. $950).

A detailed review at Home-Gym-Review.com has been updated to cover the Max Ultra. The brief critical review by personal trainer Brett Spottke is harder to evaluate, since he seems biased against any Weider equipment and doesn't document any testing of the Weider Crossbow or Max Ultra.