MAJOR FITNESS AH1 – Our Review

The MAJOR FITNESS AH1 is a multi-functional machine allowing lifters to perform a plethora of lower-body exercises. These days, such machines aren’t particularly novel and in this ever-growing market, is there anything that a machine can do to set itself apart…?

Yes, to an extent.

The AH1 does a lot of what similar machines do, making it easy to perform leg presses, hack squats, reverse hack squats, and calf raises. Switching the settings for each of these exercises can easily be done with a quick unscrewing and flip of a pad. Hitting different muscles from different movement angles isn’t much more difficult, only requiring the quick movement of a pin.

However, two big factors are what really set the AH1 apart:

• The look and feel of the AH1 creates the impression and feeling of lifting with something you’re more likely to find in a Gold’s Gym than in your (most likely messy) garage.
• Nylon roller bearings which seamlessly, and silently, move the weight up and down during each repetition. On the surface, this may not seem like that important or that interesting of an addition, but I can assure you that when the weights start to get heavy, the last thing you want is to have to try to “push through” a jammed linear bearing system (the “standard” system in most home leg press machines)

If the prospect of a shiny, quiet, and jam-proof leg press machine sounds appealing to you…read on!

Shipping/Delivery

Having received a few items from MAJOR FITNESS over the last 6 months, I have come to expect a rather stress-free shipping and delivery process. I received (FedEx) tracking numbers for my shipment and received my goods within a few business days.

I have also come to expect the colorful and branded shipment boxes and this time was no exception. The hardware inside was securely wrapped to prevent any scuffing or damage during shipment.

The only “problem” I experienced was related to a secondary shipment. One small, but vital piece of hardware was slightly damaged on arrival (I will discuss this in more detail in the following section) and I needed a replacement piece to finish assembling the machine. This item was promptly shipped and, like the first shipment, I received the replacement in a few days.

At first glance, I thought I had received one of my neighbor’s packages by mistake; the piece was sent in a…non-branded cardboard box.

I quickly confirmed that this was in fact my package and find this part of the process to be more “amusing” than “problematic”.

Shipping/Delivery Rating: 95

Assembly

Despite its larger overall footprint and roller system (which is not present in just about any, non-Smith Machine type of power rack), the AH1 actually isn’t that difficult to assemble. MAJOR FITNESS (obviously) includes all of the necessary hardware, bolts, necessary for assembly as well as small wrenches that perfectly fit each bolt.

During this assembly process, I actually enlisted the help of a friend, mainly to assist with steadying and holding larger pieces as inserted bolts and to assist me with the bolt-tightening process. All in all, it took us a little over four hours from when we first got on the tools to completely finishing.

I will mention that this process was interrupted (and extended by a few days) due to one of the pieces not containing a sufficiently deep opening to accommodate one of the bolts, essentially rendering it useless.

After a quick back-and-forth discussion with the company, a new piece was quickly dispatched and work was completed a few days later (the conversation with MAJOR FITNESS and waiting period for the new piece were not factored into the total time for assembly…in case you couldn’t have figured that out).

I think the process would be slightly more complicated for a solo person to take on, but by no means impossible. Instructions were easy enough to follow and pieces, for the most part, fit as expected.

Assembly Rating: 85

Construction/Steel

The AH1’s steel rating isn’t really anything to get too excited about, sporting a 14-guage rating. This is certainly an area where it does not really resemble larger, thicker, commercial gym-style leg press machines.

Regardless, this rating isn’t out of the realm of what you’ll find in many leg press/hack squat combo machines designed for the home market.

Construction/Steel Rating: 65

Stability

Despite not being a particularly heavy piece of equipment (the AH1 weighs ~270 pounds) and it’s not-so-thick steel construction, I have found it to be quite stable when in use. There isn’t any significant wobbling or tilting and I don’t have any reason to believe that it would become so even under extremely heavy loads.

Despite this, the machine’s design allows lifters to “make” the AH1 as stable as they want or need it to be. This is accomplished with a seemingly small, but significant feature:

The plate holders are located directly on each of the main uprights. By keeping unracked plates racked here, overall stability can be exponentially improved by these “anchoring” weights.

In addition to this added stability, the plate holder positioning helps to reinforce the look of a commercial-grade leg press machine.

Stability Rating: 100

Functionality

When you buy a leg press/hack squat combo, you’re probably not expecting to be able to perform every movement from your current training regimen with the machine. These machines have a rather singular and specialized purpose and that is what you should expect from them.

In the case of the AH1, this purpose is primarily related to performing the leg press, hack squat, and reverse hack squat exercises, with additional utility of being able to perform a few different calf raise variations (these variations can be performed wither while lying back in the leg press position or while standing in the hack squat position).

All of these exercises can be performed in the AH1, but a few design features place it a step above other machines of it’s kind.

For one, the nylon roller bearings are very smooth. I never really thought about how…not smooth some leg press machines moved and how, on some less memorable occasions, how I was slightly concerned that the machine would “catch” at some point, preventing me from being able to complete my set and safely secure the weight.

I have yet to experience anything close to this with the AH1; the weight simply and smoothly travels up and down with each press from my legs.

I also appreciate how easy it is, whether in the leg press or hack squat position, to both “rack” and “unrack” the weight to start and end each set. Many leg press machines (maybe even most of them) only have one set of stopper rails, making it necessary to start and return to the same location. This set-up ranges from a minor annoyance in the best of times to being slightly dangerous if you run into trouble when trying to re-rack the weight.

The AH1’s 3 different stopper rail locations kind of remind me of the numerous safety catch positions in a Smith Machine, easily locking into each position. I’m a shorter guy (5’6″) so I don’t really need/use the highest setting, but for those who are 5’9″ or taller, you’ll probably find use for all three levels.

I also appreciate being able to easily adjust the back pad, setting it to different angles so that I can better target different muscles of my legs. Most leg press back pads are set at one angle…and that’s the angle you press at. You can move your legs around on the footplate, but including an additional way to mess with the angle of attack is a nice touch.

The final superior design feature involves the entirety of switching between the leg press position and hack squat position settings. The fast and easy transitioning process isn’t all that uncommon with these machines and I appreciate only having to remove the back pad, line it up, and flip the upper footplate base back up or down in order to start leg pressing or hack squatting.

My only real complaint is that it wouldn’t have been too hard to have included a calf raise block attachment/accessory to provide more optionality for working your calves, specifically when standing.

You’ll be disappointed if you purchase the AH1 (or any leg press machine, really) expecting to get a full-body workout out of it. If this is really what you’re going for, I’d suggest pairing it with something like the PLM03 since this type of rack will allow you to perform classic upper body exercises (ex. bench press, shrugs, pull-ups) as well as barbell lower body exercises like squats.

Overall, I appreciate that the AH1 takes basic, expected leg press/hack squat functionality and essentially “smoothes” it out. Nothing flashy; just a solid leg pressing, hack squatting, and calf raising experience.

Functionality: 95

Accessory Compatibility

I don’t think most people think about tricking out their home leg press machines with accessories in the same way they might with power cages, racks, etc. There really isn’t that much you can do to “upgrade” an already multi-functional leg press/hack squat machine in this manner.

As it is, the AH1 comes equipped with the previously mentioned plate holders, making it easy to store weights and add extra stability to the machine as well as strategically-located pegs for affixing resistance bands to. The attached bands are useful for providing additional resistance or, when placed near the top of the machine, can serve as an extra “safety” for preventing the weight from crashing down.

Calf raises aren’t that difficult to perform in the AH1, but a calf raise block would have been a nice addition. MAJOR FITNESS does not currently offer these, but it wouldn’t be too difficult to slide a third-party block onto the lower foot plate to more directly target the calf muscles.

Accessory Compatibility: 85

Price

Separating the more subjective “value” label from consideration for a moment, the AH1 is by no means the most affordable nor the most expensive home leg press/hack squat machine in absolute terms.

The AH1’s price tag places it in a somewhat unique position. There are a number of leg press/hack machine options available for less on well-known online retail websites while most offerings found on the websites of big-name fitness equipment retailers are more (in some cases, significantly) expensive.

If you use HELLOMAJOR you can knock another 5 percent off any product…definitely suggested if you go this route!

Price Score: 80* (if HELLOMAJOR is used for 5 percent off)

Customer Reviews

The AH1 is a brand new machine. There are currently no quantitative reviews or ratings for the machine on the MAJOR FITNESS website or elsewhere. This rating will be updated in the future to reflect these reviews as they begin to compile.

Customer Reviews Score: N/A

Customer Service

I have generally had very good experiences when I have reached out to MAJOR FITNESS personnel.

During my experience assembling the AH1, when i initially reported the problem I was experiencing, the representative actually provided me with pretty detailed instructions on how I might be able to quickly address the problem without having to wait for a new piece of hardware. When we ultimately came to the conclusion that this option wasn’t going to be feasible, they quickly dispatched the new piece without question.

The separate “no-reason return” and warranty policies add an extra degree of confidence in dealing with the company.

Customer Service Score: 100

Who is the MAJOR FITNESS AH1 really for?

The home leg press/hack squat machine is pretty niche; who is the audience for this specific machine?

Those seeking closer to a commercial-grade experience

The Cobra AH1 isn’t quite what you would expect to see at the local bro gym…but it is trending pretty close.

Everything from the sheer heft and smoothness of the nylon roller bearings all the way down to the vertically aligned plate holders will remind you more of Planet Fitness (…the positive aspects of Planet Fitness, at least!) and less of the weird old equipment your grandpa used to keep in his garage.

When silence is a priority

Of all of the noises in the gym or that gym equipment can make, the sound of the leg press machine gliding up and down probably isn’t the first one that comes to mind…

….until it does.

Lifters who want to greatly reduce their sound pollution emissions (specifically when leg pressing), will likely appreciate the relative quietness of the AH1.

Not for budget lifters

The AH1 is by no means the most expensive home leg press/hack squat machine out there…but it also isn’t the most inexpensive. If you’re looking for something that can get the job done reasonably well for under ~$800, you have options.

How we tested the MAJOR FITNESS AH1

Truth be told, I am more of a “traditional”, heavy barbell training type of guy. I’m much more likely to perform barbell back squats, Bulgarian split squats, and the like than I am to use most leg machines.

With all of that said, I do appreciate the manner in which you can really load up a machine like the AH1 and perform leg presses and hack squats with resistance that would be impossible for most people to squat with.

I decided to cut back on a few sets of squats for each of my week’s leg workouts, replacing them with leg presses (after squatting) one day and hack squats (also after barbell squatting) on the other.

Instead of going for short, intense, and heavy sets, I opted more for hypertrophy work. Since I was already slightly fatigued from my heavy-ish squat work, it was much more manageable for me to perform sets of 12-15 reps with a not-too-heavy but not-too-light amount of resistance.

It didn’t take long to become accustomed to the AH1’s nuances; to be honest, it functions in a very similar fashion to most leg presses of its kind. As such, it didn’t me long to form my firm conclusions about the machine.

AH1 Alternatives

As we’ve seen, the AH1 has enough “standard” components and capabilities to ensure that it is welcomingly familiar for even inexperienced lifters while also possessing a few unique qualities that are more niche. If this combination isn’t quite right for you, check out some alternatives that might be more in your wheelhouse

Frequently Asked Questions

The home leg press market is rapidly evolving. Because of this, we’re aware that questions abound. We’ll cover some of the most common ones here:

The MAJOR FITNESS AH1…a Familiar Experience with Unique Additions

It’s been interesting to watch the growth of the home leg press machine market over the last few years. For a market that has seen some rather…humble additions, the quality of these machines is starting to catch up with their rack, Smith Machine, and power cage breatheren.

It’s nice to see the AH1 doing its part to raise this standard while not deviating from what just about every lifter expects from a leg press machine:

Loading it up with a couple of plates (or 10) and pushing them away!

You’re obviously not going to be able to get a full body workout with a leg press/hack squat combo, but for those who prefer machines to barbells on leg day, this is one to consider.