Life Fitness Signature Series Lateral Raise

...to the second piece of Life Fitness equipment I will be reviewing this week, the Life Fitness Signature Lateral Raise. This is one of my favourite pieces of kit and in my opinion creates the best gurning faces out of all the kit in the gym (lol). Apologise to those that have read my other review regarding the signature series, there is an element of repetition regarding the company details and signature series, but I prefer to keep it in for new ...
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WHO ARE LIFE FITNESS

Life Fitness really came into existence in 1968, when a chap called Keene P Dimmock invented the lifecycle exercise bike. Seeing its potential, two young entrepreneurs, Ray Wilson and Augie Nieto bought the rights to the cycle an then took it to the health and fitness marketplace, gyms. This really started the health club boom that was to follow, and life fitness equipment was the main catalyst for ... more

On to the second piece of Life Fitness equipment I will be reviewing this week, the Life Fitness Signature Lateral Raise. This is one of my favourite pieces of kit and in my opinion creates the best gurning faces out of all the kit in the gym (lol). Apologise to those that have read my other review regarding the signature series, there is an element of repetition regarding the company details and signature series, but I prefer to keep it in for new consumers as it highlights who they are buying from and also the uniqueness of the signature brand.

WHO ARE LIFE FITNESS

Life Fitness really came into existence in 1968, when a chap called Keene P Dimmock invented the lifecycle exercise bike. Seeing its potential, two young entrepreneurs, Ray Wilson and Augie Nieto bought the rights to the cycle an then took it to the health and fitness marketplace, gyms. This really started the health club boom that was to follow, and life fitness equipment was the main catalyst for this.

Today Life Fitness equipment is the number one choice of equipment for gyms around the world. They operate in over 120 different countries and have a portfolio of around 300 different cardio vascular and strength training machines.

SIGNATURE SERIES

The Life fitness signature fly is one in a series of resistance machines which forms the life fitness Signature series. Here’s what the makers say about the series.

“….The Signature Series defies traditional selectorized equipment and gives new meaning to the word approachability. We packed more than 20 years of industry insight, biomechanical expertise, and customer feedback into this powerful line of resistance training equipment. The result is an uncommon blend of aesthetic sensibility with uncompromising craftsmanship, specifically designed to bridge the gap between intimidation and confidence.”

I think what they’re trying to say is it looks good, its built well and its easy to use. Perhaps this is why I do not have a job in their sales team!!! Essentially however the signature series is designed with some particular differences to all other resistance machines. Here are the main features of this series (Provided by life fitness website to support my review)

1) A unique increment weight system, which is integrated into the weight stack, allows users to simply turn a dial for gradual increases in their resistance training program.

I have not come across this before and I believe its an industry first. The basic principle is that on traditional gym equipment the weights move up in increments of 5kg. I have often found that sometimes the change in weight is too drastic and I struggle to lift the new weight while maintaining good form. This devise has been invented to solve that problem. You just turn the dial and it fills in all the increments upto the next weight (e.g if your on 5kg the dial can take you to 6,7,8,9kg, then when your up to 10kg you just move the pin)

2) Converging and diverging axes that correctly align with the user's joint movement, provide a natural, comfortable feel throughout the range of motion.

The feel of the machine when using it is second to none. I didn’t feel like the machine was forcing my movements rather than just supporting it. It felt incredibly smooth, and in unison with my natural movements. You only really get this from expensive kit, because the manufacturers spend millions of pounds on the biomechanical perfection of the machine. Essentially this is why you are seeing a move away from fixed resistance machines like this one because its so hard to get that “Natural feel” to the equipment. Life Fitness seem to have this technique mastered.

3) Full shrouds and pulley covers make the equipment more approachable, less intimidating, and visually appealing to all users.

An interesting suggestion based on true facts. Apparently people are less likely to use a machine if it looks intimidating. I happen to agree that this can be an issue for gym goers, as I have often introduced clients to equipment and they have stated that they have never used it because “It looks difficult” or “I didn’t know how to use it”. This piece of kit has been cleverly designed to look user friendly and I think it does achieve that.

4) Stainless steel fasteners, precision welds, and internally lubricated cables give Signature Series its uncompromised durability.

In short the build quality on this machine is second to none. You get a lifetime warranty on the whole build as it is built to the highest standards. When your on the equipment, it feel sturdy and reassuring, always a good thing especially if your lifting heavy weights! Importantly the cabling looks extremely strong on this bit of kit, which is essential if the machine is under continual use.

FUNCTIONALITY OF THE LATERAL RAISE?

The movement of the lateral raise is abducting bent arms at the side of the body until they are 90 degrees with the shoulders. This action on the lateral raise machine will work the muscles of the shoulder on the way up (Deltoids) and the Lats (under the arms down the side of the body) on the way down.

The machine has a number of adjustable features built into it to cater for exercisers of all shapes and sizes . Firstly you can adjust the seat from 1 to 9 moving it up or down to get the correct height to perform the exercise. Essentially you need to make sure you shoulders are in line with (A couple of inches above) the arm pads to ensure correct position. The handles themselves will automatically adjust themselves to your grip as they can pivot. On this particular machine, the temptation is to sit facing outwards to perform the exercise (Like most pieces of equipment), but on the lateral raise you actually face in towards the machine, placing your arms under the pads and holding the pivoting handles. If your positioning is correct, your chest should be resting on the pad in front of you.

The adjustable features on the machine makes the machine extremely comfortable to use. The seat and chest padding is also extremely comfortable and offers contoured support where needed.

Much like all of the equipment in the Signature Series range, each arm of the machine can be controlled independently so they do not force the speed of your movement and also react to your body’s natural exertions. Often you can find that people are stronger on one half of the body compared to the other, so the machine incorporates this tendency by having independent control. Please note you should always train with the bias towards the weaker half of your body , not the stronger, if not this could result in postural problems (e.g you may find you can lift more on one deltoid than the other, but you must train at the same intensity on each side).

The design of the cabling ensures that there is equal resistance through the full range of motion. This is a notorious problem with home gym equipment as you will find on many cheaper models that the resistance is not equal, especially at the start of the exercise. This is an important factor as it is essential that the muscle is exposed to continual resistance throughout the movement to ensure it is getting an effective workout.

The stack itself goes all the way through to 90kg. This is considerably lighter than many of the machines mainly because the deltoid and lats are not as strong as other muscle groups. Combined the total weight of the machine is still 239kg highlighting the quality of the parts used in the build. For interest, the dimensions of this piece of kit are 122 cm x 109 cm x 163 cm.

PRICE

Anywhere between £1600 for a second hand model (fitnesssuperstore.co.uk) to £3500 brand new direct from the supplier (life fitness.com)

CONCLUSION

It is easy to bulk at the price when looking at the Life Fitness Lateral raise, £3500 is a lot of money. However it is important to remember that this is not pitched at the home gym market but really has its foundations in the commercial gym market. In light of that fact, I have two separate conclusions. If you are a home buyer looking to build a small home gym, this is definitely not the kit for you, its too heavy and too expensive. There are much cheaper options that for home gym use would do an equally good job.

For a commercial gym buyer, this kit is a good as money can get. Biomechanically perfect, and built to last. The price becomes unimportant as you will have this kit in your gym for the next 10-15 years, easily repaying the initial outlay.

A superb piece of equipment in a superb series of resistance machines.

I hope that helps, Thanks for reading,

Logan
 

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