The MAJOR FITNESS Spirit B52: Our Review of the Rack+Smith Machine

I’m not totally familiar with the history and hierarchy of U.S. Air Force planes, but I seem to recall that the B52 has been around for a long time.

They full name of the B52 is actually the “B52-Stratofortress”.

I’m not sure what differentiates a “stratofortress” from any other type of large, seemingly indestructible armored entity, but now that I’ve got my hands on MAJOR FITNESS’ attempt at a B52, I feel like I have a fortress in the comfort of my garage.

Why does my MAJOR FITNESS Spirit B52 Smith Machine feel like a home gym “fortress”? It combines everything I could generally ask for in a standard home power rack with the addition of a Smith Machine. While most people probably don’t go out of their way to purchase a combination machine like it, they almost certainly would not regret the extra functionality and exercise versatility it presents.

I’m not into Olympic lifting or performing CrossFit-style workouts so more niche gym equipment isn’t a priority for me. Does the B52 offer enough to make it truly live up to the name “all-in-one home gym” though…?

Shipping/Delivery

The B52 arrived in four cardboard boxes of different sizes, tightly sealed in plastic, with the MAJOR FITNESS company logo and imprint of the all-in-one displayed on the exterior. The cardboard boxes are composed of two separate (top and bottom) pieces, so you can easily reuse the boxes in the future without necessarily having to re-tape everything. The packages were shipped via FedEx, and I was able to track them on their website prior to an on-time arrival.

Each box weighed around 80 pounds, so you may want to consider using a dolly/hand truck or the like for transport if you’re planning on having them delivered somewhere separate from where the rack will end up going. It may have been slightly easier to arrange everything if items would have shipped in an extra box or two, lightening each box’s load.

Also, keep in mind that the largest bars (as well as the Smith Machine barbell) are solid pieces of metal around 7’ long, so if you’re planning on putting this in a basement (or somewhere less accessible than a garage) make sure you’ll have room to maneuver down stairs/around corners/etc.

The only problem I incurred during the unboxing and was that three of my longer metal bars (with a flat “T” shape protrusion at the end) all came slightly bent. I assume it was a production error, as all of my other materials (as well as the cardboard boxes) arrived undamaged.

I was able to hammer out the bends, although this tore some of the black coating off and left behind a noticeable crease in the metal. Fortunately, these “T” parts ended up being installed face-down onto the bottom bars of the rack, so none of the damage was noticeable once the all-in-one was fully assembled.

Shipping/Delivery Rating: 90

Assembly

The fully-assembled rack measures almost 65” deep by nearly 79” in length and almost 83” tall. However, I found it quite helpful to completely unbox everything before I started putting it together, in which case I’d allocate double or triple the space (in my case, basically the entire empty garage). This helps in the beginning to make sure you aren’t missing any parts, and throughout the process as you’ll be able to easily locate the next piece. You don’t necessarily need a lot of extra space, but it would’ve taken me a lot longer if I’d had to dig around in boxes filled with parts every time I proceeded to the next step.

Aside from a single paragraph explaining the B52’s installation, the instruction manual contains no written instructions (just pictures of the equipment in their various stages of construction), which was a bit concerning at first. However, my worries were alleviated after the first couple of steps, as it became clear that the rack was designed in such a way that it’s fairly straightforward to put together.

There are a couple places where you need to pay close attention to how you’re assembling things (the front metal posts, for example, only have numbering on one side, whereas many other pieces are symmetrical and it won’t matter which way they’re inserted), but for the most part it was easy to move from one step to another.

The instructions are printed in black-and-white, and there were a few times where I couldn’t quite tell where one part began and another ended (or exactly where something needed to be inserted, etc.), but fortunately the cover of the booklet has a full-color photo of the assembled rack, and a glance at that always helped clarify what the instructions were trying to tell me. At no point did I need to consult Google or YouTube for help, which is really saying something as I’m no Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor.

MAJOR FITNESS includes an Allen wrench and two double-ended metric wrenches (sizes 14 and 17) for tightening the bolts. The opening page of the instruction manual insists that you’ll need other tools (like an electric screwdriver, hex wrench set, and machine lubrication), but I found that unnecessary and didn’t bother using any of the suggested items.

However, I would highly recommend using a socket wrench set instead of the included wrenches, as about 90% of your assembly time is spent simply tightening everything.

While you probably won’t need additional help putting any other parts together (I assembled the entire thing by myself), you could cut the assembly time in half if you had a friend with an extra socket wrench simply helping you tighten everything – it really does take up that much time. And if you’re on the shorter side like I am, you’ll appreciate a small step ladder for putting together everything along the top.

Assembly Rating: 90

Construction/Steel

The B52 is almost entirely constructed of 14-guage steel with it’s uprights clocking in at the decently standard 2×3-inch circumference. This 14-guage steel (where a lower number translates to thicker/more robust steel) is thinner than what you’d find in most commercial gyms, but is in line with most other home gym racks and smith machines.

The 2×3-inch uprights aren’t as thick or generally as compatible with non-branded accessories as 3×3-inch, but are, again, in line with what you’d expect from competitors’ products.

Construction/Steel Rating: 75

Stability

Despite the B52 not being comprised of the thickest steel, once assembled the rack looks and feels like a solid, professional piece of equipment – just what you would expect from the sort of rack you’d find at your classic, neighborhood bro gym/globo gym.

Aside from some of the accessory handles and pieces like the pull-up or dip bars everything is solid steel, giving the rack an imposing look and a very satisfying heft when used.

I’m not the biggest guy, but I’m happy to report that the dip handles stay firmly in place when in use and the rack barely makes any noise when I perform a set of pull-ups (if you notice a lot of clanging or creaking you probably just need to tighten a nut or two). This is mainly due to how stable the rack feels during these movements.

Stability Rating: 95

Functionality

Given it’s titled an “All-in-One Home Gym,” can you really do everything here you’d do at a typical commercial gym? Assuming you have a bench/barbell/plates (whether from one of Major Fitness’ upgraded packages or elsewhere), the answer is “yes”.

There’s really very little you can’t do with the rack: squats, deadlifts, bench presses, overhead presses, chin-ups/pull-ups, rows, dips – all your major compound lifts are easily completed. The J-hooks can hold up to 1,000 lbs. and each weight holder on the cables supports up to 300 lbs. apiece, so even experienced lifters will find the rack accommodating for their heaviest workouts.

The Smith Machine works flawlessly and adds a lot of functionality without adding a ton of additional space, weight, or assembly time (maybe 30 minutes, nothing too difficult). Its attached barbell is a standard Smith Machine bar which racks and un-racks easily while tracking the entire length of the rack. Two safety bars are easily moved to different positions, and their spring-loaded bumpers ensure a safe landing if you were to drop the Smith Machine barbell rather than docking it.

While the Smith Machine allows for controlled versions of most barbell exercises (like the squat, bench press, or military press), it also opens up some new possibilities, like vertical leg presses and calf presses. I’m able to easily twist the barbell with the soles of my shoes to re-rack it at the end of each set, although you could also place the safety bars appropriately and simply rest the barbell on them when finished.

While it does make the rack larger and more expensive, the Smith Machine not only provides the opportunity to perform additional exercises, but also opens up possibilities for the future, whether that be better targeting of specific muscle groups, balance assistance during injury rehab, or simply added stability when pushing yourself towards a new (Smith Machine) PR.

The only downside is that if you’re a taller person – like 6’2” or taller – you might not be able to fully extend your arms during a standing military press, although you’d be just fine doing it seated.

A few other observations I have made while using the B52:

• The cables pull through everything without catching or slipping off their wheels

• The footplate is solidly welded in place and provides no give when pressed against during cable rows

• The landmine swivels effortlessly in every direction; the weight holders smoothly traverse the metal poles;

• Plastic bumpers below the weight holders (to prevent damaging the rack if you were to “accidentally” drop the cables after your last rep, sending the weight crashing down)

• Grease was pre-applied to the insides of the weight holders to ensure a smooth ride up and down the metal poles (just take note during installation not to grab the poles since they’ve already been greased up!)

• J-hooks, dip bars, and safety bars are all solid, single metal pieces inserted into the front columns and secured simply by twisting 90 degrees

• The top connector includes two sets of bars for (somewhat) neutral grip chin-ups as well as wide-grip pull-ups, and the dip bar attachments contain two evenly-spaced handles, allowing you to perform a more narrow set of dips (to target the triceps) or a broader set (focusing more on the pecs/shoulders)

These benefits being noted, I do have a few gripes about the B52…

The safety bars are a good 6-12” shorter than they should be, which could make safely squatting more difficult.

Due to their shorter length, you have a very narrow range of space to squat once you’ve moved back far enough to avoid hitting the J-hooks on your way up. If you were to fall forward or straight down they would catch the barbell just fine, but they don’t extend far enough to catch it if you were to fall backward.

To clarify, you certainly can safely squat with these; you just need to be very cognizant of exactly where you are before starting your set, and you’ll need to pay closer attention on your way back up from a squat to ensure you don’t hit the barbell holders.

This shouldn’t be an issue for any other exercise aside from squats; the bars work just fine for deadlifts, rows, standing press, etc. Front squats would present the more pressing issue, as with back squats you could simply let the barbell fall behind you.

Ultimately, I would prefer safety bars that are a bit longer.

Also, the cable holders attach to the frame with a bolt that screws in (as opposed to a spring-loaded bolt that immediately pops into place), so every time you want to move them you have to fully unscrew and then re-screw them into the new position. It only takes ~ ten seconds per holder, but if your routine has you frequently shifting cable positions it could be a bit annoying.

While slightly annoying, none of these issues are a deal-breaker, or seriously detract from the experience of working out in the B52.

Functionality Score: 95

Accessory Compatibility

The good news here is that MAJOR FITNESS produces a lot of its own accessories, almost all of which are completely compatible for the B52.

The great news here is that there are a number of common accessory items (specifically the pulley system handles, landmine attachment, low lat pull footplate) that come with the B52’s base package. For many people, these accessories are more than sufficient.

The (somewhat) bad news is that the 2×3-inch upright specifications are somewhat limiting. There are certainly rack specs that are less compatible and, therefore, more difficult to find accessories for, but I would suggest just sticking with brand accessories for the majority of your needs.

Accessory Compatibility: 85

Price

Smith Machines can be somewhat difficult to compare to one another when it comes to relative price points. It isn’t difficult to head online and find a number of very basic Smith Machines available for $500 or less.

I don’t think it is really fair to compare the objectively much higher priced B52 to machines like these that possess few, if any, additional features (besides being simple, basic Smith machines). However, due to these options being on the market, the “price” score will be a little lower than what it might otherwise be.

MAJOR FITNESS offers a number of different packages and options for the B52; it’s possible to order just the machine, the machine with a bench, and the machine with some plates. Surprisingly, there isn’t a package that includes a barbell for non-Smith Machine related bar work.

The base package currently goes for $1499.99 while the highest-end package will set you back $2359.99.

As mentioned, there are certainly less expensive Smith Machines out there. However, even these machines considered, the B52 falls into the middle ground of Smith Machine pricing (even with the additional features and capabilities it boasts).

Price Score: 85

Customer Reviews

At the time of this writing, the B52 is sporting an impressive 4.9/5 rating on the MAJOR FITNESS website. What’s even more impressive is that this average is based on a hefty 250+ person sample size.

Most of the reviews praise both the quality of the machine’s materials as well as its overall functionality. In many cases, these reviews are accompanied by user pictures and it is obvious that the B52 works pretty well in the classic home or garage gym setup.

Of the few complaints registered, items arriving with cosmetic scuffing seems to be the most common (“most common” of the 3 total 1-3-star reviews).

It should be noted that these reviews come exclusively from the MAJOR FITNESS website. It is difficult to find reviews on different platforms and although the company does have an Amazon page, the B52 is currently not available there.

With that being said, the reviews for it’s other products on Amazon are also pretty high, instilling confidence in the brand’s overall quality of products.

Customer Reviews Score: 98

Customer Service

As…not helpful as I know it is for the purposes of developing a comprehensive review, I’m secretly always hopeful that I’ll be able to score this category as “N/A”…as in, I never needed to contact customer service.

That confession aside, I mentioned at the beginning of the review that I had a couple of pieces that were slightly warped out of the packaging. I contacted MAJOR FITNESS’ customer service department, explained the situation, provided a few pictures, and within a few days, had my replacement parts.

Of course, I would have rather not had to contact them, but all things to consider, the encounter was as painless as can be expected.

Customer Service Score: 100

Who is the B52 really for?

The home Smith Machine niche is small, but seems to be growing rather quickly. Who would best be served by picking up this specific machine?

Those who will Actually use the Smith Machine

A Smith Machine is definitely a useful piece of equipment and Smith Machine exercises are solid additions to any training program. For those who regularly perform these exercises at the gym or have plans to do them with their own Smith Machine, getting a hold of the B52 makes sense.

Bodybuilders who Like their Attachments

Of course, all types of lifters like a good attachment from time to time, but bodybuilders are probably the most likely demographic to appreciate these on the B52.

The included attachments will likely be sufficient for most lifters and the brand-specific accessories would likely fulfil any additional needs in order to perform the desired movements.

Not for those who Prioritize “Functional Fitness”

For the “CrossFit or die” crowd, the B52 is probably offering a lot of what your don’t want (or, at least, don’t “need”). You’re likely better off purchasing a basic wall rig or even basic freestanding squat stands.

You’ll save a lot of money this way!

How we tested the B52

I received the B52 in early January 2024. I immediately put it together and got to work on it.

My workouts lean more towards traditional powerlifting routines so I have utilized the non-Smith Machine portions more than anything. However, as a noncompetitive lifter (and as a guy who likes to do a little bit of vanity lifting), I incorporate a larger variety of movements into my regimen.

It was actually a bit of fun testing all of the different attachments and experimenting with different exercises…like, stuff I wouldn’t have normally done before. I was never huge on using the Smith Machine, but it has become a much bigger part of my training.

a few sets to realize the machine’s overall functionality as well as it’s downsides (which will be more apparent depending on user height and the overall range of motion it allows for each movement).

B52 Alternatives

The BLP01 could work for most garage and home gym athletes. However, if you really want to be sure, here are a few top competitors to compare it to:

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re looking for something that will allow you to cancel your gym membership, you probably have a lot of questions you need answered before you pull the trigger. Here are our answers to a few of these.

The MAJOR FITNESS Spirit B52, a Unique Addition to a Growing Niche

When it comes to the home Smith Machine niche, manufacturers are definitely upping their game. Even as this arms race is taking place, the MAJOR FITNESS Spirit B52 is an excellent choice. It’s solidly built, straightforward to assemble, and provides a range of optionality that covers just about every exercise most home gym connoisseurs would be want or need to perform.

Is it worth it, though?

Honestly, I think it all comes down to how much you want the Smith Machine. Personally, I tend to lean towards “better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it”. The Spirit B52 isn’t that much bigger or difficult to assemble than similar racks, and you get quite a bit of functionality for a slightly higher price.

That being said, If you never use a Smith Machine and can’t see yourself trying it out, then you might want to try the F22 Raptor which is more of a “pure” power rack, albeit slightly less fun.