Marcy Diamond Elite Home Gym MD-389

Unit	Dimensions	Possible exercises	Capacity	Workout stations	Warranty
Marcy MD-389 Check Discounted Price	L:66" W:53" H:47"	10+	Bench: 300 lb, Uprights: 300 lb, Leg developer: 100 lb, Fly arm: 50 lb, Curl pad: 100 lb,	Standard press, Fly press, Preacher pad, Leg developer	2 years

The Marcy Diamond Elite MD-389 is basically a home gym designed for chest presses that comes with an integrated bench. It also has several other workout stations and elements, such as fly press arms, a leg developer, and a preacher pad. It’s a light capacity strength training system great for beginners.

Key Features and Specifications

• Assembled dimensions: 66L x 53W x 47H inches (168L x 135W x 119H cm)
• Assembled weight: 48 lbs (22 kg)
• Weight capacity:
  Bench: 300 lbs (136 kg)
  Uprights: 300 lbs (136 kg)
  Leg developer: 100 lbs (45 kg)
  Fly arm (each): 50 lbs (45 kg)
  Arm curl: 100 lbs (22.6 kg)
• Possible exercises: 10+
• Warranty: 2 years

Frame construction

The Marcy Diamond Elite MD-389 home gym features a steel frame made of rectangular tubing. The upright posts are 2″ x 2″ 14-gauge tubes, while the rest of the tubes are 1″ x 2″. The only cylindrical tubes are the ones with the grips or the pegs that need to be loaded with the weight plates. All the steel parts are coated with a pretty durable paint finish. The color used is gray, this being the only color available for this gym.

This home gym has a fairly small footprint. It is only approx. 66″ (168 cm) long, and 53″ (135 cm) wide, while its highest point is 47″ (119 cm). The inside to inside distance between the two upright bars is approx. 25.5″ (66.7 cm), while the outside to outside distance between them is approx. 31″ (78.7 cm). Therefore, it’s best to use a maximum 6-foot (183 cm) barbell, or even a 5-foot (152 cm) barbell for it. A 7-foot (213 cm) Olympic bar may not sit too well on the upper supports for the two pillars.

The bases of the three main pillars of the MD-389 home gym rest on square steel plates. They do not have any pre-drilled holes on them, so you cannot anchor the unit to the floor. It is recommended, though, to place and use it on a rubber mat to prevent floor damage.

This Marcy home gym is pretty stable on its own, so anchoring it to the floor shouldn’t be necessary. It’s also fairly light; has a net weight of approx. 48 lbs (22 kg) so it can be carried and assembled by only one person. It’s also not too difficult to move even after assembly.

Bench and other parts

The Marcy MD-389 home gym integrates an adjustable bench. To be more specific, only the backrest of the bench is adjustable. The two upright pillars at the back of the unit have three adjustment positions for the bar on which the bench backrest leans on, plus the lowest position that doesn’t require the support bar. It’s important to mention, though, that the backrest cannot be adjusted to a 90° position. It has two inclined positions, one declined position and the 180° (flat) position.

The seat portion of the bench is pretty small. You cannot adjust its position or angle. It attaches to the base bar via four bolts. Its height is approx. 18″ (46 cm) above the floor.

The backrest of the bench, the seat portion, and the preacher pad feature the same type of padding. They integrate a layer of foam of approx. 1.6″ (4 cm). Their covers are made from a pretty sturdy vinyl material which is moisture-proof and easy to maintain.

It’s important to mention here, that the bench, and in general, the whole home gym is not too large and spacious. It’s not meant for users taller than 6’0″ (183 cm). Even at this height, if you have longer legs or arms than average, you may not be able to perform all the exercises with a complete range of motion.

The preacher pad is adjustable. Its post only has two height-adjustment positions. Its angle is non-adjustable.

Last but not least, the leg developer unit features two sets of foam rollers. These are approx. 4″ (10 cm) thick and provide optimal comfort for both leg extensions and leg curls.

Workout stations

Although it’s pretty obvious, we’re going to specify here that the Marcy Diamond Elite MD-389 features four workout stations. These are:

Standard chest press station. The two main upright pillars of the unit have supports for a barbell for chest presses. As we’ve mentioned above, this Marcy home gym is intended for use with standard weight plates, and also for shorter bars than a 7-foot Olympic. Since the backrest of the bench is adjustable, you can do horizontal presses, incline presses, and decline presses. The decline angle is not too sharp, though.

Fly press station. The MD-389 home gym is equipped with two mobile arms for fly press exercises. They have simple, rubberized grips, and 1″ pegs for loading with Standard plates. They attach to the back upright pillars of the gym and have stoppers at the base. These stoppers are not the best, though. Users have reported that they can break easily if you let the loaded fly arms drop on them. So, to prevent damage, especially if using loads close to the maximum capacity for each arm, it’s best to carefully lower each arm to the stopper before releasing it.

Preacher station. The Marcy MD-389 home gym comes with a preacher pad. As we’ve mentioned above, its post is adjustable; it has two positions and you can secure it at the desired height with the included knob. A handlebar that attaches to the leg developer is included as well, which is a plus, but you can always use the preacher pad with a small barbell or a dumbbell, for one-arm curls.

Leg developer. The leg developer unit has dual functionality. You can use it for leg extensions, but also for leg curls, as the bench is adjustable. The two sets of foam rollers are pretty decent and should reduce an important portion of the workout impact on your ankles. It has a similar 1″ peg as the fly arms, for loading with Standard plates. It’s important to mention that the leg developer cannot be locked (without improvisation which is not recommended), so you cannot perform sit-ups on the machine.

Weight plate requirements and limits

Similar to the Valor Fitness CB-12 lat machine, the Marcy Diamond Elite MD-389 home gym is intended for usage with Standard (1″) weight plates. The weight loading pegs on the fly arms, and the one on the leg developer, are 1″ in diameter. Spring clips for securing weight plates on them are included, but the gym does not come with 2″ weight plate adapters. So, you can basically load the pegs with 2″ plates, but without the adapters, they will rattle and move.

The recommended weight limit for the bench is 300 lbs (136 kg). This includes the user plus the weight of the barbell. Although users have reported that it can hold up to 396 lbs (180 kg) for chest presses, it is not recommended to push the total weight on the bench over the specified 300 lbs (136 kg) limit. The two top supports of the upright bars are also rated for a maximum user weight limit of 300 lbs (136 kg).

The fly arms have a weight limit of 50 lbs (22.6 kg) each. And finally, the preacher pad and the leg developer should be able to withstand loads up to 100 lbs (45 kg).

Needless to say, this Marcy home gym does not come with a set of weight plates. It also doesn’t include a barbell.

Possible Exercises

• Since it’s not a cable machine with a weight stack, the Marcy MD-389 offers a pretty limited range of exercises. The list includes:
• Standard chest press;
• Incline chest press;
• Decline chest press;
• Fly press;
• Incline fly press;
• Decline fly press;
• Reverse fly;
• Preacher curl;
• Standing rows;
• Leg extension;
• Leg curl.

The machine doesn’t offer the possibility to perform squats and sit-ups. But on the other hand, since it includes an adjustable bench, you can pretty much do most dumbbell exercises on it.

The Pros

• Small footprint;
• Pretty sturdy frame for a small home gym;
• Four workout stations;
• Adjustable backrest on the bench;
• Two height adjustment positions for the preacher pad;
• Fairly decent padding with durable upholstery on the bench and curl pad;
• Thick foam rollers on the leg developer;
• Handlebar for preacher curls included;
• Spring clips for securing weight plates included;
• Offers the possibility to perform more than 10 exercises;
• Can be used for dumbbell exercises as well;
• Easy to assemble;
• Little maintenance required.

The Cons

• The stoppers of the fly arms aren’t too solid;
• Only 300 lbs maximum load limit;
• Olympic adapters for 2″ plates are not included.

Summary

The Marcy Diamond Elite MD-389 is a strength training machine made for home use. It features four workout stations for standard presses, fly presses, preacher curls, and leg exercises. The backrest of the bench has four adjustment positions and the whole bench is pretty well padded. It’s a light-capacity home gym with a maximum load limit of 300 lbs. It’s also affordable, currently available for less than $200.