The CrossBar Keeps the Weiders Forever Young
Written: Dec 09 '04 (Updated Mar 07 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Totally complete machine at an affordable price. Easy to use.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: I really like the CrossBar. It offers a lot, is well made and easy to use.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Weider Crossbar |
I wanted to review the Weider CrossBar Platinum because I really like it. But please do not stop there since I am spending considerable time writing this review you may as well read why. I like to tell my audience that my credential for reviewing this machine is 25 years of weight training and certification as a Personal Trainer.
About the machine:
As I have been saying in my reviews some of the material in this review is a repeat of the information I have given in many of my reviews. If I think it necessary to the review and to you, the consumer who is buying the machine, I will include it.
The first thing I want you to know that in spite of the word Bar which can easily be confused with Bow, this is not a machine like Bowflex or Crossbow that uses bows. I will not be comparing these machines because in my opinion, the CrossBar is very different and cannot be compared. I had not seen a digital machine in years. That is until I had the pleasure to work with a client who owns this machine. I was quite impressed with the technology.
Before I get into the technology I just want to note the one weird thing that I find on this machine. It does not affect your workout and I could just ignore it but in case you look at this machine you may be confused thus the explanation. You will see the front and back of a nicely muscled figure. On that figure are names of exercises. At first glance it would seem that the names would correspond with the muscle. For example the ab crunch exercise would be in the abdominal area but it is not. The placements of these names have nothing to do with the placement of them so ignore that. Instead they are listed to correspond with the programs that the CrossBar Platinum offers.
You can choose to strength train, circuit train or lose weight/fat burning. For example if you program the machine for fat burning, which I will talk about later, you will automatically use a lighter weight and more repetitions. I like to think of this as toning rather than weight loss. Strength training would give you the opposite and circuit training will move you from one exercise to another quickly. I think doing a variety of these programs is ideal. Please e-mail me if you want me to explain the lose weight feature. I could write an essay on those two words alone. Above each of these programs we are told what body part we will be working. It may be your upper body, abs and back or lower body. This is where the exercises come in. They are listed above each of these areas. For example above abs and lower back you will see row, lat pulldown and ab crunch. These are three exercises that can be done on this machine for your ab and back. This is the way the Weider CrossBar is set up. Once you see it and use it there is nothing confusing about it. I can almost promise you that. If there is please e-mail me and I will help you out.
The technology is called Digitally Controlled Resistance or DCR. The CrossBar has 340 pounds of resistance which is a really decent amount for most people. Certainly there are some who can chest press or squat more weight but they are probably in a gym and not buying this machine.
At first glance you might think this is a bow machine but what you are seeing is a bar running across the back of it. You will also see cables and pulleys which is what makes the CrossBar work. Although I rated the Bowflex Xtreme highly, I have said that bow machines are not my favorites. Weider has eliminated bows and in fact even the need to push and pull a pin out of a stack of weights.
The CrossBar claims to give you a full range of motion and consistent resistance throughout each repetition. I have found this to be true. That is not to say that other machines that work with stacks or plates do not give you a full range of motion, they do. Many do not. I have used curl machines that do not go all the way down, for example. I have never found the CrossBar to give me anything but a full range of motion. For those new to weight training what I mean by a full range of motion is a full extension. If we talk about bicep curls it would mean that my arms go all the way down and not to the halfway point of my body. Full range of motion is very important unless you are lifting very heavy and are doing partial repetitions on purpose. Again I will be glad to explain this further if you would like. I also like the feeling of not pulling a stack of weights which have in my years stuck or got caught. I really like how simple this machine is to use and I think you will too.
The console has 4 windows. You will see plus and minus symbols very clearly on three of them. The fourth show the program you have chosen. The first one is for sets (For each exercise you will do a number of what we call repetitions. If you choose 8 repetitions that is called a set. You might choose to do 3 sets.) and you will press the plus until it says 3. You will then do the same in the window next to it to pick repetitions, for example you will push the button until 8 appears. Then you will put in the amount of resistance you want in the third window, let us say I am doing bicep curls I would put in 40 and presto, I am good to go. There is none of the twisting or standing up to change resistances as you will find with the bow machines. At any time you can change the resistance by hitting the plus or minus. So if I am in the middle of a set and I want to change to 50 pounds I just press the plus and vice versa.
A really impressive feature is The Personal Trainer. You will pick the type of workout you want (This is shown in the fourth window.) and be told what exercises to do with the resistance and repetitions set automatically. I love this about this machine. Other machines have programs and even a personal trainer option so I have seen this before but never in a non-commercial machine. You will hear a beep when you have completed each repetition. This may sound funny but I have no idea why it beeps except I know what it does for me when it beeps. It acts as a personal trainer who gets paid to stand around and count. I know; I am one and I admit it. There are times I train clients who are fairly advanced and just need me there. Counting for them helps. The beep helps as well.
What you get:
You get the ability to do about 75 exercises on one machine. You get a leg attachment that is a $200 accessory on other machines. I like the foam rollers on this one. They are among the longest I have seen. You get a high and low pulley which is fairly standard on all machines. There is a leg press plate to put your feet against. There is a standing squat station which means there is a metal base on the bottom of the machine.
There is a built in pec dec (for the chest area) with foam around the arms and rubber handles making it really comfortable to use. There is a preacher pad (a type of bicep exercise) which is nicely padded as is the bench. This bench slides so you can do rows and have it flat or upright. But in addition it has an added back support which I like a lot and do not see in all machines. It has a lat tower and lat bar. You get a video, chart,ankle strap to do leg kickbacks for example, and 4 hand straps.
It measures 50 inches wide x 86 inches long by 85 inches high. It does require assembly. I have been told to expect to spend several hours putting it together. It weighs 314 pounds.
It has a 10 year limited warranty and a 6 week money back guarantee.
Your Personal Trainer Has Final Thoughts:
I love The Platinum CrossBar by Weider. It retails for close to $1300. You can buy the others for a lot less but I like the CrossBar much better.
If you look around you can buy one for around $900. It has everything you need. They do not nickel and dime you with necessary attachments. I really like the digital capability. It is among the easiest machine I have used and love using it.
Please feel free to leave me a question or comment or e-mail me. If you have any medical conditions, are a woman over 50 or a man over 40 just starting an exercise program please talk with your doctor first.
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Recommended:
Yes
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