Marcy MWM-990 Home Gym

Unit	Dimensions	Possible exercises	Weight range	Weight plates	Warranty
Marcy MWM-990 Check Discounted Price	L:69" W:36" H:79"	36+	15-200 lbs	Concrete w/ synthetic coating, 10 lbs (ea)	Frame: 2 years

If you’re looking for a budget home gym system, with a decent construction, and an entry level to medium fitness range, the Marcy MWM-990 is one of the models to have a look at. It’s a home gym system quite similar to the Gold’s Gym XR 55 or the Weider 2980 X. It’s equipped with a heavier weight stack though, but as opposed to the Gold’s Gym model, its seat and backrest don’t adjust. It’s an excellent gym machine offering the possibility to perform a decent array of exercises.

Technical Details and Specifications

• Assembled dimensions: 69″L x 36″W x 79″H (173L x 92W x 201H cm)
• Assembled weight: 271 lbs (123 kg)
• Max. user capacity: 300 lbs (136 kg)
• Stack weight: 150 lbs (68 kg)
• Max. weight resistance: 200 lbs (90.7 kg) for the front press
• Possible exercises: 36+
• Warranty: Frame 2 years

Frame construction and parts

Needless to say, since it’s a weight stack machine its frame is made of steel tubing, 14ga, with a black / gray powder coating resistant to corrosion and scratches. It’s not an extremely large unit, it takes only 69″L x 36″W (173 x 92 cm) of floor space, and when it comes to its weight, it can safely fit in a room with a 7′ ceiling; its assembled height is 79″ (201 cm). However, due to this fact users taller than 6’0″ – 6’1″ (183 – 185 cm) may find it a bit “tight”, as they may not be able to adopt a completely correct form for certain exercises.

The assembled machine with the weight stacks attached is fairly heavy. It weighs over 270 lbs, therefore once assembled it’s basically meant to remain on its spot. The frame doesn’t have any wheels or anything to relocate it. On the other hand, this weight plays an important role in its stability. You can be sure that it won’t wobble or move when you exercise. Thus, it doesn’t require to be anchored to the floor either.

The seat and backrest of the machine feature 2″ padding made of foam material. Their position is non-adjustable as they attach to the frame bars directly. They’re finished with durable upholstery, made of heavy-duty vinyl material, in black, gray and red colors.

The preacher pad has a similar padding and upholstery. It’s also vertically adjustable, providing several positions. It locks into position with a simple turn-knob. Preacher curls can be done by using the low pulley of the machine, and the lat bar. You don’t really need an additional curl bar.

The machine is equipped with 16 pulleys made of heavy-duty nylon material, integrating sealed ball bearings for prolonged use. The machine’s cables are steel-made, covered by a thin sheet of PVC material. They’re rated for a much higher tension than the maximum 200 lbs that this machine can provide. Cable tension can be adjusted by moving up or down the lower pulley in the double pulley bracket situated behind the main vertical tube of the machine.

The leg developer attachment and the fly bars integrate 4″ thick foam rollers to provide the adequate comfort for the related exercises.

Last but not least, there are several accessories supplied with this machine. Among them we can count: 1 ankle strap, 1 short bar, 1 chain extension, and 1 lat bar. The preacher curl pad is also included. However, in case you’re wondering, the machine does not include a leg press, nor there is such an accessory compatible with this machine.

Workout stations

This Marcy home gym set integrates 6 distinctive workout stations:

Chest press station – for triceps, shoulders, and pectoral muscles training.

Pec fly station – for pectoral and deltoid muscles training;

High-pulley station (lat bar included) – for lat pulldown exercises, and the training of triceps, shoulders and back muscles;

Low-pulley station – the pulley attached to the lower front part of the machine can actually facilitate a wide array of exercises, such as stand-up curls, triceps kickbacks, squats and more;

Curl pad attachment – as we’ve mentioned above, the curl pad is vertically adjustable offering several positions. Evidently, this workout station provides several types of exercises for the arm muscles;

Leg developer – this accessory is designed mainly for leg extensions. The machine’s seat is not long enough to support face-down leg curls. But nonetheless, you can perform one-leg stand-up curls by using the ankle strap.

Weight Resistance System

To begin with, the Marcy MWM-990 comes with a weight stack including 14 plates, approx. 10 lbs (4.5 kg) each. The top support plate also weighs 10 lbs, thus the total weight of the stack is 150 lbs (68 kg).

The weight plates are made of concrete material, encased in a sheet of synthetic material. This is one of the factors that render this machine quite a bit less expensive than one with cast iron or steel plates. But nonetheless, the plates supplied with this Marcy home gym are durable enough to last for many years.

The weight stack is selectorized; weight adjustments can easily and quickly be done, without taking a lot of time from your workout.

The weight ratios vary depending on the pulley. The maximum weight resistance output provided is 200 lbs (90.7 kg), which applies to the press station. In case you’re interested in the other weight ratios, you can find them in the table below.

In case you’re wondering, the machine stack is not upgradable. There aren’t extra plates available that you can add, and the plate bars don’t allow any plate additions. However, in case you want heavier loads you can always improvise by adding 1-2 dumbbell plates to the machine’s stack and secure them with a chain. The pulleys and cables should support at least 100 lbs of extra load.

Possible Exercises

The machine comes with a sheet of exercises attached to the weight stack enclosure. Among the exercises that you can perform on this Marcy weight stack machine, we can count:

• Seated Biceps Curls
• Stand-up Biceps Curls
• Preacher Curls
• Concentration Curls
• Triceps Pressdowns
• Triceps Extensions
• Triceps Kickbacks
• Ab Pulldowns
• Low Pulley Trunk Rotations
• Deltoid Raises
• Seated Rows
• Upright Rows
• Vertical Grip Chest Presses
• Horizontal Grip Chest Presses
• Fly presses
• High Cable Cross-Overs
• Lat Pulldowns
• Leg Curls
• Leg Abductions
• Leg Extensions
• Leg Adductions
• Kickbacks
• Squats
• … and more.

Assembly and Maintenance

The Marcy MWM-990 comes packaged in 3 boxes, 2 for the weight plates, and one for the frame. They’re rather heavy thus the receiving of the package, unboxing and assembly should be done by two people. Assembly, although a straight forward process, may take up to several hours. The assembly instructions provided by the manual are not too great. However, it does contain an exploded diagram so you can see pretty clearly how to position each part. Tools for assembly are also not included. You will need two adjustable wrenches and a Phillips screwdriver for it.

When it comes to maintenance, all you have to do is periodically lubricate the pulleys.

The Pros

• Sturdy construction, elegant frame design;
• Thick and durable vinyl upholstery, with consistent padding for maximum comfort;
• Foam roller padding on the chest press bars and leg developer attachment;
• Relatively small footprint for a home gym system;
• 6 workout stations, including: pec fly, chest press, low pulley, high pulley, curl pad and leg attachment;
• Short bar included;
• Ankle strap included;
• Lat bar included;
• Over 36 exercises available;
• Quiet operation, suitable machine for apartment use;
• Little maintenance required;
• Fairly easy to assemble.

The Cons

• Weight stack is not upgradable;
• Not for users taller than 6′ (183 cm); 
• Owners manual doesn’t offer detailed step-by-step instructions;
• Tools for assembly not included.

Final Conclusions

The Marcy MWM-990 is a weight stack home gym system designed for beginners and intermediate users. It’s equipped with a 150 lbs (68 kg) weight stack, providing up to 200 lbs (90.7 kg) of weight resistance. It offers the possibility to perform more than 36 exercises, involving most muscles. Although the weight plates supplied are concrete made not steel, the weight stack is extremely durable and should last for many years of use. Also, due to the non-steel weight plates, the machine is at least a few $100s cheaper than other similar models with a cast iron or steel stack. In all, it’s an affordable machine with a decent construction and range of features, offering an excellent price / value ratio.