GMWD LE08 V2: Leg Extension and Leg Curl
FEATURES
The GMWD LE08 2.0 is a Leg extension AND a prone (or lying) leg curl.
VARIABLE RESISTANCE LOADING: The standout feature of this product is you can adjust the resistance level by simply sliding the weight horn forwards or backwards…where the closer it is to you the easier it will be, and the further it is from you the harder it will be. According to the GMWD website, in position 1 it should be a 1:1 ratio so a 45 LBS plate should give you 45 LBS of resistance, and at position 2 it should increase the so that the weight should be 1.1 times the load weight (so a 45 LBS plate should be 49.5 LBS, and in position 3 it should increase to 1.2 times the loaded weight so a 45 LBS plate should weigh 54 LBS.
FOOTPRINT: The product is the largest Leg extension/leg curl unit I have ever owned. It is 50.4” wide, 38.8” Tall, and 52.2” Deep. However, when Curling, it is a bit larger: 52.2''(L) ×56.7''(W) ×38.8''(H)
WEIGHT CAPACITY: It has an advertised weight capacity of 330 POUNDS on the loading arm (which I cannot remotely get close to), and that loadable sleeve is 10” long. It also features a10-inch ANGLED weight storage post with a 570 lbs capacity to easily garb or store weights.
BAND PEGS: Its holes on the square tubing can be used for storing small items or adding bend pegs – but my guess is their primary purpose is to make the product lighter so that shipping costs are reduced.
ADJUSTABILITY: The leg roller arm has 8 settings, and the roller pad has 9 settings. Because of the articulation of the Arm and the pad – you will definitely get a full Range of Motion (ROM).
RUBBER FEET: It does have Rubber feet – which is key because this will prevent rust – especially if you are in a garage where the feet would otherwise be exposed to water and salt.
REVIEW
Now we are going to cover the good and the bad, but before we do that let me get a few cavets out of the way…Yes – the company did send me this for free in exchange for the review…but they are in now way telling me what to say, or censoring me in any way…In fact, the precise language of their request to me was - and I quote - a detailed, honest review”…and that is exactly what you will see here.
COST
SO in order to talk about the good and bad – we need to put everything I am about to say in the context of the price tag - so let’s first cover cost. It comes in 4 colors: Red, Black, White, Blue. Red is the cheapest – if you get black, white, or blue you will have to pay about an extra $50..But just know that even if you get one of these non-black colors, each one is still 90% black, the only thing that isn’t black is the loading arm, and the articulating arm. It currently costs ABOUT $1000 (depending on the color) – BEFORE any promo codes or SALES are implemented. They do go on sale very often, I think you can always find a sale, and PROMO Code: DBL” always works to take off 5% of the sale price.
I started out in my home gym, strapping plates and dumbbells to my feet with straps, then I graduated to using a Tib bar, and then using DIY alternatives. When RITFIT came out with the PLC01 for right around $300 – I was floored. It was a huge improvement over those other DIY/Gym Hack options that I was using, and I was very satisfied with that product . However, it was not all that robust – but again for around $300 at the time – I enjoyed that item very much. However, about a year later, Lionscool offered me a The Leg Curl/Leg Extension V4 machine that was around $400- it was bigger and more durable – it also was not perfect. However, for a $400 price tag - I was very satisfied that product. The GMWD LE08 V2 is obviously more expensive – and it takes up more room--- so the question is it worth it? Let me say this, if you have a much cheaper machine and you are satisfied with it – ignorance is bliss. Because once you use something like this GMWD unit – it is impossible to go back. The GMWD LE08 V2 is a LEGIT, very well-built, well engineered piece of equipment – and one that I will be keeping for a very long time (if not forever). BUT --- Is it perfect? No. So let’s dig in – to some constructive criticism.
STRENGTH CURVE
GMWD boasts a 1:1, 1:1.1, and 1:1.2 ratios – so let’s check that out. With the pin in the 1:1 slot, I has two plates which combined weighed EXACTLY 94.9 LBS. However, using a luggage scale, I got a reading of only 60 LBS. Therefore, it does not offer a true 1:1 ratio.
Then I added 283.3 LBS of plates. In the “1:1” position, I could only get 8 reps. I obviously could not use a luggage scale to weigh this. It kicked my butt.
Then I slid the arms to the 1:1.1 (supposedly adding 10% to the felt weight), and I could only get 3 reps.
Then I slid the arms to the 1:1.2 (supposedly adding ANOTHER 10%), and I could not do even one rep.
Therefore, the sliding mechanism DEINFITELY does add more felt weight – and the machine exceeded my abilities. Further, the arm did not flex despite the heavy weight.
PACKAGING & ASSEMBLY
It comes in 3 separate boxes, and everything was bubble wrapped, and yet I did have a few chips and scratches – nothing significant though.
The assembly instructions were not good. I ended up having to watch the Version 1.0 assembly video on YouTube and together with the written instructions I was able to figure everything out in a few hours.
PADDING
The padding on the seat and back pad is adequate. The padding on the back pad is very nice, but I wish the padding on the seat was a little denser – but not a cause for concern. The seat pad is thinner in the front – which is what you want. When the front of the seat pad is too thick it will restrict your range of motion. So this is great. The padding on the roller pad is also very dense and comfortable which is exactly what you want.
UPHOLSERTY
It’s a grippy material. Seems very durable, and the back side of the pads are Fully encapsulated – so the bottom of the seta pad and the back of the back pad look nice (no cheap stapled on backing material here).
Now – I initially HATED this upholstery on the leg roller pad. It was ripping my leg hair out on leg extensions and leg curls – because of the grippiness, and because the leg roller pad did not rotate at all. But I fixed that. I got the pad to rotate, and because of that this fix, the grippy material no longer is uncomfortable. All I did was loosen the bolt on the leg roller pad (and I later took the pad completely off and sprayed some silicon spray on the bar under the pad). Now it rotates very well, and makes for a very comfortable experience.
PAD ADJUSTMENTS
There is no back pad or seat angle adjustments…but the back pad can be adjusted horizontally (moving the back pad backwards/forwards) via by pulling a pop pin – and the pad moves along these two guide rods with two linear bearings – offering 7 different positions.
According to the website the machine can support users who are between 5'3" - 6'5". I am 5’11” – and it fits me really well. I usually have the back pad all the way forward, and even if I had an adjustable back pad – honestly I would probably keep it at the given fixed angle every time anyways.
SPACE CONSIDERATIONS
When it comes to selecting ones of these units seated or prone leg curl, bear in mind that a prone leg curl requires more room than a seated leg curl. However, I personally prefer prone leg curls – I just think it feels better.
One of the biggest shocks I had when assembling this was the size. It is a massive piece of equipment. I had seen pictures of the product before it arrived, but IU was not prepared for how large it actually is. Pictures do not really do it justice. It is bigger than it looks, so be sure you have the space for it before buying.
NUMBERING NEEDED
Another quality of life improvement would be for the 8 holes for adjustments on the articulating arm and the 9 holes for adjustments on leg roller pad to be numbered. Having a way of KNOWING that you are putting it in the right hole would be preferred.
UHMW COVER NEEDED
Another critique that I have --- there is Metal on metal on slider mechanism. Over time this could lead to rust, by chipping up the powder coating on this part here. Therefore, one recommendation would be for them to cover the “NUB” AND/OR the three Slots which the NUB fits into with some UHMW to better protect it form rust.
UNDERSIZED HOLES
Last critique that I have is the holes in the square tubing are undersized. As a result, some 1” band pegs may not fit. GMWD does not sell band peg. SO – GMWD – if you are not going to provide band pegs with the product, you should at least allow me to buy some from you so that I KNOW that the band pegs will fit the products holes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When you decide to pay this much – you start thinking about should I go selectorized or plate loaded. There have been many videos lately of people repping the full stack, and they have to add bands or add a gym pin to the stack and then add plates to increase the resistance level. If that’s the case…then what did buying a selectorized stack get you? If your product requires additional setup time, then that nullifies the convenience of having a stack in the first place. Further, selectorized models are much more difficult to relocate within your gym. So while I initially coveted models with a selectorized stack…this plate-loaded option is probably the better move for most people.
Bottom Line: this is one of the nicest products that I have gotten in a long time, and if this is within your budget I would be shocked if you were not completely satisfied with this purchase.
Now if you think that this product is right for you here is my affiliate shopping link: https://bit.ly/DBL-GMWD-LE08-V2
And remember do not pay full price. Use PROMO code “DBL” to save you some money.
