Thanks for the feature Joe! Very fair review. I think you hit a lot of good points and I can tell you really took the time to test the unit out. I agree it's not for everyone but awesome for some.
Thanks dude! I really struggled on how I wanted to talk about the Isolator because I saw so much potential if my space was just a little different... And then it hit me
I too, hate how some of the "big" rack attachments are difficult to store and often get in the way. Also, as you mentioned, setup time is a bigger factor than people realize.
Also, if I had much more space I'd be more likely to take on more involved equipment. No one size fits all, everyone needs to figure out what works for them.@@GrayMatterLifting
Great and very through video, I considered getting this during last sale but ultimately went with Bells of Steel leg extension/curl that is far easier to put on/off the rack and it can be turned 90 degrees so people like me with an Athena cable system can attach continuous resistance to it! Far less to store and 1/3 the price. I would but the other if I had more space and a custom rack with posts coming off the side which could let me keep this up all the time and setup for leg curls/extensions which I bet most people buy this for. I'd use the seat and dumbells for arm curls on occassion.
Great video, Joe. For me personally, I can't justify the footprint of a dedicated leg extension/leg curl and am not crazy about most bench attachment extensions/curls, so the Isolator made perfect sense for for these uses alone, all of movements you can do with it are low priority for me but a nice plus. I do agree that it can be cumbersome to move, which is why I have it on a secondary rack. For most people, I think it would be a good idea to have a separate upright coming off their rack as a dedicated spot for the isolator.
I can totally see that logic. For me, leg extensions and leg curls are weekly additions to my workout. The bench attachment with the FT2 is pretty legit. And I personally found those options with the Isolator to be less than ideal in my situation (the movement of the rack really was a problem when trying to do leg extensions for instance). But in another space? 100%
I would say the weakest point to the isolator would be storage placement, additional rack or dedicated upright (takes up for floor space just like a machine), placement of the heavy isolator, adjustments for tinkering especially moving bench or attaching anything close to weight horn to a weight stack. For me I'll probably only do 4 movements on the isolator, leg curl/extension and preacher curl/ tricep extension so it's not worth $1000 for me. It's a very creative piece that the home gym community needs for minimal space. I prefer dedicated machines that take up foot space without tinkering at all.
Great review!! I have it and I’ve encountered the same inconveniences that you mentioned. This one fell on me for FOMO, wanted to see what this game changing piece was and my gym is quite fully equipped so I could have easily passed on this. I’ll still tinker with it and find some exercises that I love.
This was a great review ... I had seen some other reviews on this product and was looking for something better - specifically i was wondering how long it was going to take to reconfigure between exercises as well as dismantle between sessions. This was very helpful!
I have the Rep short rack with holes only on front and back of the uprights but, I love it and use it alot. Worth the $ just for leg extensions and standing hamstring curls
For that purpose I might lean towards something simpler, like the Stray Dog GOAT or the Bells Of Steel attachment that specifically does those two things... But I get ya. This is a great device for the right home gym, glad it is working well for you.
Good stuff Joe and I agree with your take on this equipment. I love the idea of the isolator, but it's just too many pieces, too heavy and too bulky for storage. As you said, if it could reside on your rack semi-permanently, it would be better. If I had more space and a 6 post rack where one of the rear posts could hold the isolator in place all the time, I would have one. It's just that if something takes me too much time to setup and potentially cool down in between sets, I'm not interested! That being said, I'm glad they thought outside the box and I'm eager to see where they take it from here.
I leave mine off to the side upright and work outside the rack, and leave all the parts attached ( seat, weight arm, lever arm) for me just being able to do leg curl, leg raise, and preacher curls was worth it to me, and now I do ab crunches, back extension, and reverse hypertension. Worth every penny
I concur with some of your opinions (weight of carriage and set-up paralysis/analysis, specifically). I agree on the Isolator getting in the way on the rack. Miraculously, it doesn't impede my upper j-cup placement for seated shoulder press, or my lower j-cup placement for loading the barbell for bent-over rows. But I basically just leave the carriage in the same position all the time, and that's fine for leg curls, leg extensions and bicep curls. But I don't even mess with Isolator exercises that only make sense for a different carriage position. It's not worth the trouble of removal and changing positions. All this said, I bought the isolator for a cost- and space-effective leg curl option, and to this extent I'm happy with my purchase.
Dude that is awesome. In my set up, down at the bottom would have been in the way completely of a lot of stuff, not to mention my shins! But if it works for you, then you nailed it.
I just take off the leg roller and seat pad when not in use. Leave the main unit and the weight arm permanently affixed to the rack. Doesnt interfere with anything within the rack. Also the seat pad is awesome if you have the UPS high pully. You can use it to keep your legs pinned down. The pad works better than the roller pad for this application.
I can totally see that working for some people. For my space, we are in and out of the rack regularly, using the front of the rack for various items, and have a tight space for moving barbells around. It just didn't work well. But again, I can totally see how this would work well in the right space.
@@GrayMatterLifting I'm also in a super tight space and have Jammers on the front of my rack, and a cheapo goat attachment rip off directly above it. It's a clustered marvel how I have full use for what I wanna do. But depending on what all you're doing on the front end I can only imagine.
Excellent review.. the only points I would disagree with are 1.) I actually don’t think it needs to live on the rack permanently. Weight is similar to a 45lb plate and I don’t find it all that difficult to take mine on and off if needed. 2.) Not sure about your rack and situation but I also find it much easier to just “store” at the bottom of the rack rather than at the top like you were illustrating.
Great counter points, and I'm glad you added these. I found for myself, the "permanent" solution was more in an effort to reduce set up time and frustration. So I agree, I think you can store it all off the rack, I just think it adds to the set up time which is already not ideal. For the bottom storage, I've seen that with a few of my friends who have them. I'm pretty positive either myself, my wife, or my daughter (or all of us) would run right into it. We are constantly walking around and through the rack, and I just feel like that would have been an instant "GET THIS THING OUT OF HERE!!!" situation. But a definite option if your space allows it.
@@GrayMatterLifting Good point, especially with the daughter. I have my first child coming soon and I’m already realizing I’ll have to re-think how scattered my gym is lol.
@@airgordo4 I was just telling a buddy the other day, I had to redo my barbell storage cause my daughter would lean on a bar. One bar fell randomly and I went "nope, that's gotta change" lol... We've been rethinking things ever since
I would ALWAYS take a dedicated machine first. But if space is a key factor, this could work. One of the big issues is that you are going to need the longer lever arm... Plus you are going to be resting on the pad which isn't very long to support your torso. So doable, maybe functional, but not exactly ideal.
Hey I checked with my dude Carter. He said you two might have chatted already. Said the angles aren't quite right but worth a shot testing if you already own both of them.
Joe1: Should I buy it? Joe2: Should I not buy it? One Joe always tells the truth. One Joe always lies. (Yes I've nicked this idea, if you're old enough to remember...)
