| Unit | Dimensions | Possible exercises | Weight range | Weight plates | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HCI Fitness PTX Check Discounted Price | L:51" W:24" H:72" | 50+ | 2x 100 lbs, 1:2 ratio | Vinyl | Frame: Lifetime Parts: 5 years Wear: 5 years |
A functional trainer is an excellent choice for a home fitness machine, for just about anyone who doesn’t have time to go to a gym. Most of these cross trainers offer the possibility to perform a wide array of exercises, especially the models which also include a bench. One of them is the HCI Fitness PTX model.
Technical Details and Specifications
- Assembled dimensions: 51L x 24W x 72H inches (129L x 61W x 182H cm)
- Assembled weight: 420 lbs (190.5 kg)
- Weight resistance system: Vinyl weight stacks
- Max. weight resistance: 2x 100 lbs (2x 45.3 kg) (1:2 ratio)
- Possible exercises: 50+
- Warranty: Frame lifetime / Parts 5 years / Wear items 5 years
Frame construction
First of all, the PTX functional trainer features a folding frame design. It’s made of three main pieces, and you can close the two wider lateral ones together, in order to fold the machine to save space. The frame and most of the parts are made of steel tubing, dyed 
gray, with a corrosion resistant enamel. The sides of the frame are covered by a mesh of synthetic material, in order to add compactness to the machine.
This functional trainer machine doesn’t have a wide footprint. When unfolded, it takes only 51″L x 24″W (129 x 61 cm) of floor space. Also, it doesn’t reach too high, featuring a total height of 72″ (182 cm), which means you can fit it with no problem in a room (or basement) with a 7′ ceiling, or even several inches lower.
Despite the fact that the machine has a rather small footprint, it’s surprisingly stable, as it weighs approx. 420 lbs (190.5 kg). The lower parts of the frame feature a set of 4 caster wheels, which considerable ease the transport or folding of the machine, once you’re done with your exercising. However, the frame also features two mobile bases, finished with sizeable rubber stabilizers, in order to maximize the machine stability during exercises.
One of the best aspects regarding this home gym machine is that it integrates a folding, multi-position bench. The bench is attached to the middle part of the frame, and folds up vertically, in order to facilitate the closing of the machine. The backrest can be locked in 6 positions, from 0° to approx. 60°. Other than that, the bench features a rather simple construction, with approx 1.5″ of padding on the backrest, and 2″ on the seat part. The upholstery is made of synthetic, vinyl material.
Even though there’s no maximum user weight specified for this machine, the bench probably won’t support users much heavier than 300 lbs (136 kg), as its frame is not made of a very thick steel gauge. Also, when it comes to user height, considering that the machine itself is not extremely tall, taller users, above 6’3″-6’4″ may not benefit from a full range of motion when using the pulleys locked in the top position, for exercises such as lat pulldowns for example.
The machine features several pulleys, all made of heavy-duty nylon / fiberglass material, incorporating sealed ball bearings for a long life span. The front, adjustable pulleys feature 12 adjustment positions, offering the possibility to perform, low-pulley, mid-pulley or high-pulley exercises of all sorts. The position of these pulleys is easy to adjust. You simply pull a pin out, move the pulley assembly to the desired height and secure it back with the pin.
Needless to say, the machine is equipped with industrial quality steel cables, able to withstand much more tension than the 100 lbs weight of each plate stack. They’re also covered by a sheet of PVC material, for smoother operation. Now, this PVC sheet will wear out over time, but even so, the cables shouldn’t require replacement as the pulleys are extremely durable and it will take a lot of time to wear out.
Accessories
There are several accessories supplied with the HCI Fitness PTX gym. These are:
Straight bar of 20″ (51 cm) – steel made, with a chrome finish, and knurled grips, promoting various bar exercises, such as stand up curls, lat pulldowns, or chest presses.
Straight bar of 12″ (30.4 cm) – steel made, but featuring plastic handles, great to have for various exercises, such as stand-up rows, seated rows etc;
One ankle strap – padded with synthetic wool, in order to supply the maximum comfort for your ankle, during leg curls or other exercises which require it.
Two D-ring handgrips – evidently, the required accessories for most fly press exercises, or exercises that require the use of both weight stacks;
One triceps rope – as its name suggests, for a variety of triceps exercises.
One more thing that we can put on the accessories list for this machine is the exercise poster attached to the middle side of the frame, great to have for quick reference during your workout. However, this exercise chart covers less than half exercises that can be performed on this functional trainer.
Weight Resistance System
The HCI fitness PTX machine comes with two weight stacks, each one of them with a total
weight of 100 lbs. (45 kg) However, the weight ratio is 1:2, which means you will only get a maximum of 50 lbs (22.6 kg) of functional weight per stack. This being said, the machine is not exactly recommended to hardcore weight lifters. Even for intermediate users, the functional weight supplied by each stack may be too low.
Each weight stack features 10 plates, made of cement material, encased in a vinyl shell; in other words, this machine features vinyl weight plates. Each plate weighs 10 lbs (4.5 kg), and they can be detached from the stacks and used as dumbbells for various exercises.
Unfortunately, the weight stacks of this machine are not upgradable.
Possible Exercises
This fitness machine offers the possibility to execute more than 50 exercises for the main groups of muscles. Some of the most important ones are:
Arm exercises
Biceps curls
Lateral single-arm biceps curls
Lying biceps curls
Close grip pulldowns
Triceps extensions
Triceps pressdowns
Kneeling triceps extensions
Lateral single-arm triceps extensions
Prone triceps extensions
Abdominal Exercises
Cable crunches
Cable twist crunches
Seated trunk rotations
Standing trunk rotations
Back Exercises
Back flies
Back presses
Prone back flies
Prone reverse flies
Lat pulldowns
Aerobic rowing
Crossover rowing
Kneeling rowing
Chest Exercises
Chest presses
Single arm chest presses
Wide grip chest presses
Close grip chest presses
Chest flies
Incline chest flies
Lateral chest flies
Single arm chest flies
Pullovers
Pullovers with crunches
Pullovers with twisting crunches
Leg Exercises
Stand-up leg curls
Calf raises
Squats
Single-leg squats
Kneeling single-leg squats
Wide squats
Twisting squats
Jumping squats
Front lunges
Hip extensions
Hip adductions
Hip abductions
Shoulder Exercises
Shoulder presses
Upright rows
Lateral deltoid raises
Front deltoid raises
Lying front deltoid raises
Front deltoid raises with leg curls
Shoulder extensions
Lateral arm pulls
In case you’re wondering, there are no optional attachments for this machine, such as a leg press, leg attachment or preacher curl pad. Also, the bench doesn’t have ankle supports for sit-ups. Thus, exercises requiring such workout stations are not available.
On the other hand, since the bench is adjustable, you can do various exercises with dumbbells on it, in case the weight resistance provided by the machine doesn’t suffice, aspect that it’s quite a plus.
Assembly and Maintenance
One of the main advantages of this machine is that it doesn’t require any assembly. It comes fully assembled, with all the parts attached, with the frame sides folded together. All you need to do is to carry it in the room where it will be in use, unbox and unfold it, and place it in vertical position. Of course, since the machine is heavy, this requires at least two people.
Just as for any crossover machine, the HCI Fitness PTX model doesn’t require much maintenance. The only aspect to mention here is that the pulleys may require greasing in case they begin to squeak.
The Pros
- Sturdy, all-steel frame;
- Fully adjustable pulley set, with 12 positions, in order to accommodate users of various sizes, for different exercises;
- Relatively small footprint for a home gym system;
- Folding design;
- Caster wheels for easy transport and folding;
- 6-position bench included;
- Smooth pulley and cable movement;
- Pulldown / curl bars of 20″ / 12″ included;
- Various other accessories included, such as triceps rope, ankle strap, D-ring handgrips;
- Detachable weight plates, which can be used as dumbbells;
- Over 50 exercises available;
- Quiet operation;
- No assembly required;
- Excellent warranty plan.
The Cons
- Only 1:2 weight ratio;
- Weight stacks not upgradable.
Summary
The HCI Fitness PTX is a functional trainer equipped with two stacks of 100 lbs each, with a 1:2 weight ratio. It’s not exactly a machine for heavy weight users, but for beginners and intermediate users it offers a lot of convenience. It offers the possibility to perform more than 50 exercises, for the most important muscle groups in the body. Its frame foldability and included bench are nice pluses for this machine, making it perfect for home use.
Since this model has been around for a few years, nowadays it’s available with a substantial discount. Therefore, we can safely say it comes with a decent price / quality ratio.