Marcy MWM-990 Home Gym Reviewed and Rated

8.5
8.5 score
[Editors rating (8.5)] = (Garage Gym Ideas - Ultimate Home Gym Design) score (8.5)/10


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Marcy MWM-990 Home Gym Reviewed and Rated Review Facts

Marcy is a well-known fitness brand that creates all kinds of gym equipment. But they weren’t always known as Marcy! They started way back in 1982, and their name was IMPEX. Their craftsmanship and the quality of their products quickly helped them gain popularity, establishing them as a fitness brand. As their empire quickly expanded, they started absorbing plenty of other fitness brands, and Marcy was one of them. So actually, Marcy is under the wing of Impex, along with Apex, Steelbody, and many more. The equipment of each brand caters to the very specific needs of its customers, and they take pride in their excellent customer service. Their home gyms are popular and well-built, which is why they are so popular in the first place. Read on to discover what we like about the Marcy MWM-990, and whether it deserves to reside in your gym!

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros

Sturdy construction with 14-gauge steel framing

Durable vinyl upholstery

Very comfortable padding

Relatively small for a home gym

Six versatile workout stations

Over 30 exercises

Very stable and secure

Little maintenance required

Budget-friendly

Cons

Support only 200 pounds, cannot be upgraded

Not for people taller than 6'

No tools for assembly

Work Stations

Let's talk about the many features the Marcy MWM-990 has. This home gym has a total of six work stations. The chest press station is there to give you a place to work on your shoulders, triceps, and pectoral muscles. The pec fly station is reserved for deltoids and pecs, while the high-pulley station, with a lat bar, is for developing triceps, shoulders, and back muscles. The low-pulley station sits on the lower front part of the machine, and you can do a lot of exercises on it, including squats, curls, and much more. The curl pad attachment is vertically adjustable, allowing you to exercise in several different positions. You can work on your arms in many different ways at this station. And the leg developer is for legs, obviously. The seat is not long enough to allow you to perform face-down leg curls, although one-leg stand-up curls are a possibility thanks to the ankle strap.

Size & Weight

Home gyms are usually quite large, and the same is true for this home gym. It's not exceptionally large, with a footprint of 173 x 92 cm, so all you have to make sure is that you have enough room to house it and find a bit extra room on the sides so you can safely perform the exercises. The home gym is seven feet tall though. It's not as tall as most home gyms, but it's still tall enough to create potential issues for some users. The ceiling has to be tall enough for it to fit, plus you have to have some extra room again for pull-ups. Once the MWM-990 is assembled, it's very heavy, as expected. Once everything is in its place, the machine weighs about 270 pounds. This means that you will not be able to move it around, and once you set it down somewhere, it's there to stay. So think twice about where you want to put it! There are no wheels on it either. But the weight of the machine is a key factor for its stability, and if you want to be safe, the machine has to be heavy. This home gym will not move or wobble when you use it, so you don't need to bolt it down to your gym floor!

Construction

This home gym has to survive a lot of wear and tear damage, so the framing has to be made out of high-quality materials. The MWM-990 has 14-gauge steel tube framing, which is thick enough to support the weight of the machine and your weight without bending or warping. The frame is coated with a black powder finish, which protects it from corrosion and any kind of damage. You will need to wipe down any sweat or chalk reside if you want the coating to remain intact though. The seat and the backrest have foam padding which is two inches thick. You will not be able to adjust their position, as they are attached directly onto the frame. The upholstery is very durable vinyl, and don't expect to see any holes or tears on it. The seats come in gray, red, or black. The padding on its preacher pad is similarly padded, with the very same upholstery keeping it safe. The pad is vertically adjustable though, and a turn of the knob is all you need to do to lock it into position. The machine has all the equipment you need to do preacher curls, so there's no need to worry about getting extra equipment.

This home gym by Marcy has exactly 16 pulleys that are made out of reinforced nylon, with steel ball bearings that can be repeatedly used without issues. The cables are made out of steel, protected by a thinner layer of PVC. The maximum tension the machine can provide is 200 pounds, although the cables are rated for an amount much higher than that. The tension is adjusted simply by moving the pulley on the lower end of the unit where you will find a bracket that is a double-pulley design, which can be found in the back of the gym. The leg developers have foam padding which is 4 inches thick. The MWM-990 does not have a leg press, and there are no attachments available for performing a leg press.

Ease of Use

If you're a beginner, or if you don't have any experience with using a home gym, ease of use is very important. Luckily, the MWM-990 is a basic home gym that is rather easy to understand. Marcy includes a list of exercises, along with pictures and instructions, which can be done on this system. The attachments and extras are designed in a similar way to the equipment which is normally used in commercial gyms, so if you ever used any equipment in a standard gym, you will know your way around this home gym. Beginners and intermediate users will be happy with the weight limit, but a seasoned athlete might find it lacking. After all, 200 pounds is really not that much compared to what other machines can handle. The only problem with using the machine might be height and weight recommendations. If you're taller or heavier than the average, you will struggle with using it as well.

Versatility

The MWM-990 is a very good machine for beginners and slightly more experienced users, but people who've been around gyms for most of their lives might find it lacking. The MWM-990 is on the lower end of the home gyms, offering only about 30 different exercises. And you can't really buy any add-ons or attachments for it, so you're stuck with what you bought. This home gym can still give you a full-body workout, and if you're not looking for a gym that can focus on every muscle group individually, the MWM-990 will be satisfactory. The MWM-990 has six different workout stations and some useful attachments, and you will be able to get a lot out of it, although you will probably need to buy additional equipment if you really want to focus on developing every muscle!

Weight Resistance

This home gym comes equipped with its own weight stack, which has 14 weight plates on it. Each weight plate weighs about 10 pounds, and the top plate which supports the rest also has 10 pounds, so the total amount of weight is 150 pounds. Each weight plate was designed with durability in mind, constructed from concrete, encased in synthetic that gives them, the color and the shine. The concrete plates differ from what we usually see, as most weight plates and bumpers are made out of steel. This doesn't make the plates any less durable though, you just have to be extra careful about not dropping them. This weight stack happens to be easy to navigate, as the settings are marked, so you can easily adjust the settings without losing much of your time. As we said, it has a maximum resistance of 200 pounds, which might not be enough for some athletes. You cannot upgrade the weight stack, as there is no way to add on more. With this kind of system, it's easy to improvise and add more above the stack, making sure to secure them well, but we're not sure how much the actual stack can support, nor is this an idea worthy of your time.

Setup & Maintenance

This unit will arrive at your doorstep in three separate boxes. Two of those boxes will be weight plates, while the remaining box will hold all the other parts. These boxes weigh about 200 pounds, as much as the machine when it's assembled, so it's a good idea to have someone there to help you once the machine arrives. The setup itself is straightforward and simple, but it's time-consuming, lasting about two hours or more. Marcy does provide a manual for the assembly, but it's not too descriptive so you might end up confused by it. There is a detailed diagram which shows where each part goes. The tools you need for the assembly are not provided, and you might need to run to the hardware store to get all you need, and you will need a screwdriver and two wrenches. Maintenance is relatively simple, as all you will need to do is lubricate the moving parts from time to time, and check for any loose screws.

Durability

The MWM-990 is not exceptionally durable, and that is apparent on the warranty that comes with it. The warranty covers the frame for two years. This is a standard for lower-priced fitness machines, and you shouldn't expect the machine to last any longer than that. You can extend the life of the machine by taking good care of it and by not crossing the weight limit!

Value

This home gym is a very budget-friendly machine. But that shows in the way it's constructed, and in how much weight it can support. You know what they say, you get what you pay for! We're not saying that this home gym is bad - it's actually great for the price. But do not expect it to be a miracle worker, as it cannot support seasoned athletes. It's an excellent choice for developing fitness enthusiasts, as it has all the attachments you may need to start off a fitness journey.

The Final Word

The MWM-990 happens to be a very standard home gym. It will provide you with most things you'd expect out of a home gym, but it doesn't have everything a seasoned athlete may need. The price point is excellent, so this home gym system is ideal for people who are just getting into the fitness world. The home gym can support up to 200 pounds, and it's rather large and heavy, so you will need to find a good spot for it. The machine is also very stable and secure, never wobbling or breaking down. It comes with a standard two-year warranty, and that is about as much as you can expect out of it!