To All People Considering New XF7000:

I used the old equipment for just under a year and then bought the new
equipment. I've only been using XF7000 for about 4 months. I don't
know if I can comment on results yet or not. I haven't had any muscle
gains yet, but I'm not worried yet about that part either.

I CAN comment on the quality of the machine and how it lives up to the
marketing. I've been waiting to write out all my experiences because
it will be a long message. Also, I wanted to use the machine long
enough to give it a fair chance. Plus, I apparently am having a
minority experience since no one else seems to be having the problems
I am having. If I'm the only one with these issues, should I take up
internet space?

Then I saw your e-mail and realized that people are thinking about
buying the new machine. I feel they have a right to the minority
experience if they are interested. My bottom line is this: I am a
committed, firm believer in the whole concept of static contraction as
a way to build or at least maintain muscle strength. However, the old
XF machines will do the job as good as the new and have A LOT fewer
drawbacks.

Here is a very quick list of some of the problems I continue to have
with the XF7000 - in direct contradiction to the marketing:

1) Physical PAIN
I feel like I need a tetanus shot after using the XF 7000. If I am
not getting cut up by the rough edges on the machine, I'm getting
different body parts pinched. Every pinch and scrape is painful, and
at 3 times it's been bad enough to cause bleeding. Why don't I just
be more careful? Well, I try! How many times have you tried to
carefully open up a bag of potato chips only to have it all go flying?
You try a little bit of pressure. It sticks. You try a little more.
Try a different angle. A bit more pressure. Etc. Next thing you
know, the thing gives very fast and there goes the chips/body parts.
For a machine of this incredibly high price, it is unacceptable to
have to deal with sharp edges and poorly fitting pieces.

2) Amount of SPACE needed
Intuitively it looks like XF7000 needs less space than the old
machines. Taking up less space is one of the big marketing points for
XF7000. But what isn't explained is that in order to actually use the
XF7000, you need more space than the older machines. In order to do
the leg press, it takes up more space on my floor than the other two
machines combined. And to make matters worse, at least with the old
machines, the space did not have to be continuous. XF7000 needs a lot
of CONTINUOUS space. And it needs a lot more side room/space. The
old machine could be put up right close to the wall. On the new
machine, you have to roll it around and tilt it (to get lap straps
under black bars) to do various set-ups. I can testify that if you
don't give it enough space, you'll end up hitting your walls. XF7000
takes a lot more space by itself than the old upper body machine did
by itself.

3) 20 Times HARDER TO USE
I struggle with the machine every time when it comes to setting up for
each exercise. Unlike the old machines, it is impossible for me to
set up the bar where I want it by myself. In the old machines, the
bar held in place on the chain so you could take your hands away and
put in the pins. On the new machine, there is no way to set up the
bar exactly where you want and have it stay there while you then put
in the pins. Also, if you have to put the machine on carpet, oh boy
are you in for a world of difficulty. You can't slide the lap straps
under the bar, you have to try to tilt the machine. Try grabbing
those side/vertical poles and lifting without cutting up your hand...
Try just doing it at all and still being able to reach the black bars
on the bottom and not hitting your wall... Also, getting the bars to
slide into the back-plate for the leg press is an exercise in
frustration. On the old machines, I had a big party where I had a
strongest person contest. It was fun and easy to set up the old leg
press for each person. I'd never be able to do that contest with the
XF7000. Etc.

In addition to struggling each and every time to get the positions I
need, the XF7000 is difficult from a physical perspective to set-up.
They advertise it as a machine you could get your parents. In the old
machine, the most I had to do was slide the bench around and lift the
bar. In this machine, you have to live a very heavy bench and place
it just so in and out of some tiny holes. It puts a lot of pressure
on my lower back. The same kind of pressure/pain is exerted to get
the 26 pound back-plate in place for the leg press. Getting the
machine to slide into the back-plate for the leg press is also a bear.
A big, nasty, frustrating, depressing,
embarrassing-when-your-trying-to-show-your-friends, heavy bear.
XF7000 requires a lot more heavy lifting and maneuvering than was ever
needed in the old machines. I'd never buy this machine for my parents.

4) Takes A Long TIME
All of the above not only translates into mental frustration (I've
told friend after friend how much I hate the new machine. They ask
because I was so excited about it coming that I told them all about it
up-front) when I use the XF7000, but it take a lot of TIME. One of
the benefits of using static contraction is that you are suppose to be
able to get the whole work-out done quickly. I wouldn't be interested
otherwise. And yet it takes me a lot longer to use XF7000 than the
old machines.

5) Unreasonable Cost And Poor Customer Service
I'll give you two other semi-related thoughts: When selling the old
machines, the company kept raising the price on the excuse that steel
prices were going up. This machine uses a fraction of the steel, but
they continue to raise the price. It is a machine that is lower
quality, poorly thought-out design, and fewer pieces and yet they want
to charge more than the older version. Buyer beware.

While I had one good interaction with the company in terms of customer
service, I had many, many other bad interactions. One e-mail response
I got was so unethical that I considered reporting them to some
government agency. I'm sure the company is not run by bad people, but
I'm still waiting after over 3 months for them to fulfill two
promises. They promised me some end-caps for one (out of several)
spots with really rough edges. They also promised some kind of free
upgrade. They did not explain the details of this upgrade, but I was
hoping it might solve some of the user-friendliness/set-up problems
with the machine. I'm still waiting. It's like dealing with a
mom-and-pop company, but one with questionable values. Where's the
up-side to dealing with this company?

I could go on and explain my issues better and give more issues to
boot, but I think you get the point. If you have a chance to get the
old machines, go for it. I'm so sorry I sold my old machine.

Sincerely,
- JJ

--- In Explosive_Fitness@yahoogroups.com, "rule1red" <mikemusk1@o...>
wrote:
>
> Hi,
> I was on the verge of buying the new XF7000 machine, and was wondering
> how people are making out with it results wise. I'm hearing that a
> pretty high percentage of machines are being returned to EF, due to
> lack of people's progress with it. People had been offered a 1 year
> trial to gain 20 lbs. of muscle, or 12 lbs. for women, by using the My
> Strenght Coach, and are not coming close after only 6 to 9 months, and
> are looking to return it, or have already returned it for the full
> refund. Has anybody in this group had similar issues ?
> Thanks in advance for the info.
>