Ellington,
I’ve recently began putting together a home gym of a few Nautilus pieces. I have the obvious free weights and a squat rack, but I’ve also managed to buy a
Double shoulder
A 2st Hip and Back
A Multi
And a Pullover ( 2nd gen I believe)
I was was wondering what your favorite lines of Nautilus were and why? As well as what you recommend I try to purchase next?
Thanks
Jonathan
I have both first and 2nd gen Nautilus but more than not I prefer the 2nd gen as I have a smaller frame and many first gen machines were designed with big framed guys in mind. I love my 2nd gen pullover and lateral machine.
Scott
There are excellent pieces on all the lines. Personally, I have six Nautilus Nitro machines.
may i ask which nitro machines you have?
Nautilus Nitro machines in my home gym: Leg Curl, Leg Press, Compound Row, Chest Press, and Pullover. Also, I have a Nautilus Multi-Exercise machine, a Bowflex machine, and some barbells and dumbbells.
How does the bowflex compare to Nautilus in terms of strength curve?
I owned the Bowflex and the negative always felt a little too light to me and the resistance at the starting point of the exercise felt too light. The “fully” contracted position almost felt too heavy. I did buy shorter clips and handles which helped with the starting resistance. Some moves are better than others. I used it exclusively, but felt my muscles regressed on it. If used, it should be only as a supplement at most. I later added free weights…started regaining.
However, I eventually sold the Bowflex and moved to a Powertec Multi-station leverage system which uses olympic plates…much, much better tool in my opinion. Smooth as butter (no friction). Commercial gym equipment quality feel.
I have an opportunity to buy 11 machines of the newer Nautilus line called “one”, for a bargain. Probably not the same Nautilus we all know and love. Nowhere to put them though.
Am familiar with the “Nitro” series. These are fine machines.
Anyone familiar with the “one” line? Good or bad? Looks like fine machinery to me. Maybe a bit too refined.
I have a Powertec lat machine which also provides a low rowing station. The machine is smooth, as it incorporates a leverage weight stack. I bought it about 20 years ago. Sturdy and strong.
Along about the same time period, I bought a Powertec standing dip machine which was also great. I gave it to a friend as a gift. It still works well. I wish Powertec still made this tool.
I bought the Powertec leg sled, which was horribly designed. I traded this machine away.
pettersson, I have used almost all of the Nautilus ONE machines. They are very good. Very unique design of the “weight stack” (which really isn’t a stack) and how the weights are selected and lifted. They are heavy duty. Very smooth, low friction with no guide rods or cables or belts. The abdominal was super, a modern version of the old clam shell. Best I’ve ever used. Really the only thing the present ownership of Nautilus still makes that even resembles the machines Nautilus made in the past. They no longer make the NITRO or NITRO PLUS, or the XPLoad plate-loaded line. New, they are very expensive. But, I feel they match up pretty well with the MedX selectorized machines. There are still some MedX machines that I like better however.
Yes, never heard good thing about Powertec’s leg presses.
I went with a leverage based leg press (incredibly smooth) made by New York Barbell. Been very happy with it and it doesn’t take much weight to feel heavy enough.
New York Barbell made a leverage leg press? Must have been awhile ago, because as long as I’ve been visiting that site, I never saw a leverage design. Do you have a picture?
It was sold by New York Barbells, but it’s under the TDS they sell. They no longer offer the unit. I’m glad I bought when I did (2014) not only to have it (incredibly smooth) but the price of this stuff has gone up dramatically. I think this weighs around 650 pounds. It’s a great supplement piece to my Powertec station.
Thanks for the photo.
That looks very similar to the Cybex Squat press. I think Body Solid also sells a design like that.
The gym that I went to pre-pandemic had the Cybex Squat Press. It was very smooth, and I really liked the resistance curve. The weight is relatively light in the contracted position, so it didn’t stress my low back like a linear leg press could. The only issue I had was that, because of the leverages, you had to put a lot of plates on the machine. Loading and unloading the machine was a workout by itself… farmers carries to the plate tree!
I really like your setup of a leverage leg press plus a powertech multimachine. If I had the space for such stuff, that is probably what I would buy.
Thanks. Yes, Body Solid has a very similar unit; I almost went with them, but I knew a dealer who got me a better deal on this one. Yeah, the unit is remarkably smooth and solid. The resistance drops off as your legs approach extension. No low back issues at all. The seat also can slide forward and back while the back can adjust accordingly.
My set-up is in my basement. I also have a barbell and adjustable dumbbells. I feel as if it’s pretty complete although a part of me wouldn’t mind owning a nice seated row machine. There is a seated row attachment to the Powertec which isn’t bad, but I cannot get comfortable with it. I loved the Hammer seated row machine I used years back in the gym.
