GCAB360 - Cam Series Ab & Back Machine

Body Solid GCAB360 CAM Series Ab/Back REVIEW I gave a 5 star review for this Ab/Back exerciser simply due to the low price $396. I found that Ab machines of professional grade cost way more than the GCAB360. The GCAB360 does the job as well as the high priced gym Ab machines. The only problem I had with it is the lack of any "instruction guide". There is no step by step guide. Just a list of all the parts and there are many. It took me about two hours with my handy wrench to put it all together. Mind you I'm only a well fed NY accountant. Not a grease monkey type. My mind did the work on this project not my manual dexterity. I took the breakdown approach putting it together. I assembled the outer portions first and then worked inward to the base to which everything is eventually connected to. After three weeks I am using 100 pounds of weight . I work out three times a day about 45 minutes each session just using the GCAB360 alone. Coming along nicely. Jeans that were tight and unbearable are now comfortable. In sum -PROS: Excellent Price, Solid Steel Enameled Construction, Great Cushioned Rolls. CONS: No Step by Step Instructional Guide just numbered parts listing & diagram. Enjoy!!!

Excellent Buy, quality construction, fast delivery! Very similar to full $1500.00 model with weight stack, but w/o weights or additional space requirements. We didn't have the space so I chose this model. I already had the free weights so it was a no brainer. Unit works well as advertised for wife w/o causing additional back issues. Only (Maybe) draw back is, you need to use more weight (Than w/ weight included model) due to the lever action of the machine. Not a big deal if you have the extra weight. Bottom line: An excellent quality ab machine at an affordable price!

Buyer beware. These plate-loaded machines are flawed in design. There is no resistance, even with a lot of weight, for the first 30 degrees of each of the movements. This is due to the fulcrum arm (where the weights are loaded) needing to be past 30 degrees for significant resistance to be sensed. No resistance = no muscle stimulus. Some folks try adding a 25 lb weight to the locking pin to push the fulcrum arm out to the 30 degree position. This makes the starting position of the weight higher which means that you'll feel the resistance at the beginning of each of the movements. This requires that you adjust the cam position to accommodate the higher starting position. There are two downsides to doing this: 1) adjusting the cam forces you into a more awkward starting position 2) the resistance is less at the ending of each of the movements. Additionally, adding about 105 lbs. to the machine, makes the machine tipsy if you're not seated in it. I am staying away from any plate-loaded machine that utilizes a fulcrum arm (rotation). Weight moved in a linear direction, like a calf raise machine, will not have this design flaw. I'm sticking with cable -driven machines for these types of rotational exercises. That's the only way to keep relatively constant resistance across the range of motion.

I've used similar machines in gyms and found them extremely effective for the lower back (an often-neglected but critical area) and for beginners doing ab work. You get focused attention on the abs without having to do crunches. Since a lot of folk don't like crunches or similar exercises and have a difficult time lifting their upper body weight, this machine provides a user-friendly experience. Lower back strength is critical in daily life and helps everything from posture to your ability to lift/move things. I'd never bought one because the gym-style machines run thousands of dollars. But this seemed like it was worth a shot - and Amazon's hassle-free return policy made the decison easy. It arrived within 3 business days. The instructions consist of a parts list and a diagram. There's no "Slide bolt X in slot Y and tighten to 20 ft-lbs of torque" instruction list. That said, the diagram is very clear and there are only around a dozen screws - M12s, M10s and M8s. You'll need 13, 17 and 19 mm wrenches/sockets. The rest are plastic and foam pieces that you can figure out quite easily. It took me around an hour to put together. I would suggest sliding the foam cushion onto the swing arm BEFORE you put the swing arm on the machine. It's very stiff! The motion is exactly what you would expect. Plenty of resistance and solid form in all the right places. We had to experiment with the seat height and the arm positions to find the optimal settings for us. But there are plenty of adjustment possibilities so fine-tuning is easy. When you're on it, the machine feels solid and there's no movemen or wiggling. I wish the footrests were a little beefier but that's no big deal. It is well worth seeing a video or pics of folks using the machines just to make sure you get your form right. You don't want to strain your back or abs. No documentation in the box I recieved. But, frankly, a lot of this is made up by the price. I took off one star for the lousy documentation. Overall, an A.

This is an excellent machine for working on your abs and back. I am a 5' tall woman and this machine is awesome for my needs! The machine is strong and sturdy. Not too difficult to put together. I looked around extensively before I decided on this product. It turns out that this is the closest I have found to the machines that work similarly muscle groups used in gyms. You will need to purchase some weights for the machine. I found it was cheaper to purchase an entire weight set with barbell (not sure what it's called) from Walmart for around $40 give or take. This is a good purchase and I'm glad I ordered it. If you want to work on your abs and back, this is the best machine out there.

It's not what I expected although it meets my needs. The value was good but If I had seen it in person I would have not bought this one. I would have bought a overhead handle cruncher instead.

Received the unit and put it together (would suggest a set of assembly instructions instead of a picture of the completed product). When I opened the box, which was damaged and heavily retaped in one of the corners, the red cam adjustment knob was completely broken off. I complained to UPS and sent back the whole arm along with the snapped off knob for their investigation. I am awaiting the results of that inquiry. I am completely satisfied with the product and was able to use it for awhile without the knob. Don

The concept and the design were good but it didn't work well for me. I just didn't like the way it operates.