Body Solid’s Series 7 Smith Machine is a big piece of equipment with a big price tag, and it’s backed with a big reputation. Let’s see how it pulls its own weight in this thorough and honest Body Solid Series 7 Smith Machine Review. You’ll love what you read here…
The Body Solid Series 7 Smith Machine is billed as the best home Smith machine on the market – and with good reason. It certainly ticks all the right boxes and can even be used in light commercial settings.
We had heard such good things about this piece of kit that we had to get our hands on one and bring you our fully comprehensive Body Solid Series 7 Smith Machine review.
The company behind this Smith machine are Body Solid. They are one of the most reputable manufacturers and suppliers of commercial-grade gym equipment and have offices in the UK and overseas. They offer some of the best warranties (including lifetime warranties on some products) and are one of our favoured brands when it comes to high-specification equipment.
The chances are that if you are reading this review, you already have a pretty solid idea of what a Smith machine is; but for anyone unsure it is essentially a rack that supports a barbell with just a vertical plane of motion. In other words, the bar is supported and only moves up and down.
Smith machines certainly have their uses but they also are the subject of controversy in the fitness industry. Why?
Because although the support afforded can allow you to lift more weight, the benefits of this are argued to be negated by the fact that your are not having to use any stabiliser muscles to support the horizontal plane, as the machine does this for you.
The Series 7 Smith Machine has more than one answer for this though, and we will cover that as part of the review.
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Body Solid Series 7 Specs
The Body Solid Series 7 Smith Machine is not for the faint-hearted. It is a serious piece of gear and if you are considering installing it as part of your home setup you will need a fair bit of space for it.
It stands at a height of 214cm, which will be fine for most UK homes although anyone setting this up in a garage should check the ceiling height first.
In terms of floor space, the unit requires 178cm width plus some working space around the outside (we’d suggest at least a further 50cm) and has a depth of 196cm (again we’d suggest adding a further 75-80cm to this for working space).
The Series 7 is more than just a Smith machine. It has a high and low pulley system with a lat pulldown attachment, pec fly, preacher curl and leg development attachment and comes with an 8 position flat/incline/decline bench that is capable of withstanding over 450kg of weight.
This really is one of the most versatile all-in-one gym setups that we have had the pleasure of using. In addition to this there is no need to change cables for any of the exercises, leaving you to perform full body workouts with maximum efficiency.
The Series 7 is incredibly easy and safe to use with 20 lock out points accessible with a 15 degree rotation of the bar. Thanks to being set at a 7 degree reversed pitch, the bar allows for natural movements unlike what you would associate with the usual restrictions of a Smith machine.
Plus, you can use a second bar as a free weight with the 14 position gun rack again allowing for training without the need of a spotter.
In addition to everything mentioned above, when you purchase using our link below not only will you get a significant saving on the RRP but you will also get a lifetime warranty on all parts of the machine – including pads, pulleys and cables!
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Body Solid Series 7 Smith Machine In Use
The Series 7 is a joy to use. It really is as simple as that. Of course, it is not a cheap piece of equipment, but with one single investment you could have the ideal home setup and never need to set foot in a gym again.
It does require installation and we’d highly recommend taking the optional installation when you purchase. It can be set up by any competent DIY-er, but setting this up is a workout in itself and is certainly a two-person job.
Once you have the Series 7 in situ you are likely to never need (or want) to move it again. It really could be your home gym for life and thanks to the lifetime warranty there is nothing to fear in case anything does go wrong. It is a testament to the belief in their product that Body Solid are able to offer this warranty in the first place, and we have to agree that the build quality and state-of-the-art bio-mechanical design is right up there with the best.
When using the machine, we found all aspects of it to be a joy to use – from the pec flys to the lat pull-down. But the real pleasure (and pain) came from the extra weight we felt comfortable and safe to apply to the bar to really push those big chest and shoulder presses. The 7 degree reverse pitch really makes a big difference, and the added option of going completely free weight adds such a good level of versatility.
The bench is among the best we have tested and has 8 different positions including decline and incline settings, so a full range of exercises can be performed, while switching from one exercise to the next is as simple as racking a couple of weight plates to the desired weight level.
We don’t often say this, but we couldn’t find a single fault with this machine and for anyone serious about a home gym setup this is probably as good an investment as you are likely to make!
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Body Solid Series 7 Verdict
If you haven’t already gathered, we absolutely loved the Body Solid Series 7 Smith machine. It is one of the most solidly built multi-use machines we have reviewed and everything about it works flawlessly.
The added benefit of being able to perform a range of different exercises as well as the free weight option really propels the Series 7 into another league. That coupled with the lifetime warranty (on ALL parts) makes this a genuine contender for the ultimate home setup.