Ellis and his Gym Update
Well I have been so busy and way behind with posting gym pictures. If you have been following our website our product range has been growing rapidly, along with our sales, so I have been focused on getting stuff out the door. Plus this gym is one that I didn’t want to rush.
This is a perfectly laid out personal training studio and shows that you don’t need to spend mega bucks to offer your clients a complete training experience. A lot of trainers think that they need to fork out for high end commercial gym equipment but that just adds a massive financial strain to any PT studio, especially if you are just starting out. Enough of my dribble, lets hear what Ellis said about his equipment.
Ellis – The leg press is truly a beast. When I saw the box I thought I was never going to be able to build it but once I saw that a few of the parts were pre built it didn’t look that bad. The wife and I did it in about four hours total. That hardest part was getting the carriage onto the rollers! Also we put the rear frame brace the wrong way around (without realising it) so when it came to fixing it all up it was about 1 foot away from where the bolts were meant to go. We had a panic thinking something was missing until I suggested flipping it around.
Its very very smooth and the weight is crushing. It can take a lot more weight than I’m going to be lifting in my lifetime. Both the leg press and hack squat work as intended with a FULL range of motion. Its really well built and we couldnt be happier with it. Throw in the calf raise option and its hands down the best dual use leg press hack squat I have ever come across in 25 years of training.
If you ever have issues like Ellis did, do not hesitate to give us a call. With cameras on mobile phones it is so much easier to diagnose simple issues like what Ellis had. So don’t stress! If you have a problem then give us a call.
Also the downside to the Barbarian gym equipment is that it is super heavy – it is made with heavy gauge steel in large sections – so it will definitely make life easier if you have two strong guys or girls working together. This is one machine where it is mandatory to have two people building it. The carriage weighs about 50kgs on its own. So you will need to sets of hands to get it in place.
Ellis – The GHD is a monster of a item. Very easy to build and is rock solid like a tank. Its a great torture device that has been crushing hammies and abs since we installed it. We have used a lot of GHDs over the years and this is again the best one we have ever come across. A great purchase.
The pictures of this machine only partially convey the sheer size of this unit – so it is great to get Ellis’ thoughts. These machines need to have a bit of meat on their bones because after all you are hanging most of your body weight out the front. This leverage not only creates a tip hazard, but also your body weight will place a fair strain on lesser machines. But good luck breaking the Barbarian!
Ellis – Sissy Squat – This is sissy in name only. Its a quad burner. A small footprint but rock solid. Very adjustable and went together in a cinch. A great extra to any gym. Its one of our most feared pieces!
I am glad Ellis used the word “fear” – that is exactly my thoughts on this machine. When this machine was set up, I had injured my knee. I have done my rehab and I am still fearful of getting on this, even though I am already working barbell squats. This exercise will isolate the quads like no other. So I am holding off till I get some strength back before I have a crack. When you see how compact this machine is, it is hard to believe that it packs so much punch!!
Ellis – Ive used the hammer strength ones before and this one equals it in how it feels, and beats it in adjustability, cost, and exercises that can be performed on it. I really like the straight handles and how it feels on the biceps. It gives a solid pump every time and has become a staple bicep exercise every day. Totally worth the money and beats the hammer brands hands down.
Ellis pretty much sums up the Barbarian and Megatec range with this comment. I am not going to trash Hammer Strength – as a matter of fact it is excellent gym equipment in terms of quality and design. If you are setting up a commercial gym with a high volume of traffic then it is well worth the investment. But for smaller operations it is a massive financial commitment. The Barbarian/Megatec ranges give you a great alternative without sacrificing your weight training experience.
The dual functionality on many machines – in this case leverage preacher curl and free weight bicep curl – is just another added bonus that makes this range of equipment ideal for personal trainers or a smaller gym facility.
Ellis – We have pretty much kitted out our studio with equipment supplied from Sams Fitness. The reason we keep buying more is because you sell great equipment that performs highly, your customer service is great as you actually care about your clients, and your knowledge and honest opinions on the equipment help us make an informed choice.
We will likely be downsizing the dumbbells sometime this year and going back to the Ironmasters to save space and hopefully squeeze in that Functional Trainer we spoke about!
Selling gym equipment sounds like a dream, but gee wiz it is a tough gig! Just like gyms, personal trainers and nearly everything associated with fitness face an extremely competitive market and margins are razor thin. So you have to work your backside off just to stay in the game. But seeing Ellis and his gym evolve over the years really gives me genuine sense of satisfaction and make all the long hours well worth it.
Ellis and his wife Alli are both experienced trainers and their loyalty is a real vote of confidence in our products. But most importantly Ellis is a top bloke, and dealing with him is so easy. So it is great to see such a nice couple share their passion in the fitness industry.