The RitFit BLP01 Leg Press/Hack Squat Machine – Our Review

The RitFit BLP01 is a dual-purpose fitness machine that combines a leg press and hack squat station. It utilizes a linear bearing system within a sturdy steel frame, along with integrated weight plate storage pegs.

The footplate can be adjusted to different angles, allowing users to target specific lower body muscle groups such as the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. The metal guide rods and aluminium alloy grips are designed to facilitate smooth movement without jerking during reps for maximum stability.

Thick cushioning covers the backrest and foot plate areas to enhance comfort and grip, and the footplate surface has a diamond-tread pattern to increase traction. Safety features include a 1200 lb maximum static weight capacity rating and a triangular back support meant to promote stability. The machine accommodates both single and double leg movements.

The overall footprint is compact at around 20 square feet, making it suitable for home/garage gyms or smaller exercise spaces. The ergonomic design aims to enable effective lower body workouts for both beginners and experienced lifters alike.

…now that we’ve gotten that dry stuff out of the way, let me tell you about my personal experience with the BLP01!

Shipping/Delivery

I was given FedEx tracking numbers for the three packages, and shipping was prompt without delays. Two of them (the longer rectangles) contained the parts for the machine itself, while the third (the smaller square box) contained the weight set. If you order the machine-only package, you won’t receive the third box.

The two rectangular packages were secured with thick layers of tape along with multiple plastic straps, and inside the boxes each of the parts was wrapped either in plastic/bubble wrap or some sort of protective covering. A couple of the metal parts had some very minor scratching where they must have rubbed up against each other during shipping, but nothing too noticeable or worth requesting replacements parts over.

The box with the weight set contained smaller individual boxes and every plate was individually wrapped in its own protective plastic sheath.

Shipping/Delivery Rating: 90

Assembly

Assembling the BLP01 was fairly straightforward and took me about two hours.

One very nice effort made by the RitFit team was to organize all the smaller pieces (ex. nuts, bolts, washers, etc.) by the assembly step in which they are utilized.

Most companies that sell workout equipment like this will simply ship a bag of dozens or hundreds of pieces that you have to sort through every time you need something, but RitFit displayed them all on a flat piece of cardboard with clear vacuum-sealed plastic wrap. This way, whenever you move on to the next step, you simply navigate to that space on the small parts board where the next step is listed and you immediately know which parts to use. Very convenient!

I also liked that they used bolts with square heads, as it made tightening the bolts in each step much easier (and tightening bolts on this thing is about 80% of your total time/effort!) With these square-headed bolts though, once the bolt fits into the square hole on the machine, it’s stuck in place, and you can tighten the bolt with one hand without having to worry about steadying the nut on the other side.

Like most equipment of this type, the instruction manual is in black-and-white and doesn’t contain a lot of written instructions; just pictures and arrows denoting what to do in each step. That being said, none of the instructions were particularly confusing, and they do regularly provide zoomed-in details for steps that are a bit more intricate or complicated.

RitFit includes all the wrenches needed for assembly, so you don’t necessarily need a tool kit yourself – although a socket wrench (and preferably a drill attachment!) will go a long way towards speeding up your assembly time. While the instructions insist two people are required for assembly, I was able to complete almost everything myself.

Assembly Rating: 90

Construction/Steel

We reached out to RitFit for clarification on the BLP01’s steel gauge rating. Most areas are comprised of 14-guage steel while a few of the smaller sections of 16-guage steel. These ratings are generally at least a few levels higher (where “higher” means thinner/less robust steel) than other leg press machines.

Construction/Steel Rating: 65

Stability

The parts all arrived undamaged and I was able to put it together just as the instructions showed, and as a result this thing is rock solid regardless of what exercise I’m doing. No tilt in any direction, and nothing feels “loose”.

The one exception is the back cushion, which isn’t held firmly in place, but that’s by design – it’s meant to be moved from the leg press to hack squat position and vice-versa. If you’re shifting constantly mid-set during some leg presses the cushion will probably move an inch or so in either direction, but if you steady yourself before starting the weight of your body (plus whatever load you’re bearing) should keep it in place.

Stability Rating: 95

Functionality

Once assembled, the machine is a breeze to use and a lot of fun to work with.

All you need to do to transition from a hack squat to a leg press (or vice versa) is pull the L-shaped metal pin out from wherever it’s holding the removable back rest, and then reinsert it into the other hole once you’ve repositioned the back rest into its alternate location.

The hack squat footboard offers five different adjustable angles, and the leg press footboard provides three, allowing you to customize the machine to your body size. At 5’6” I was able to achieve a full range of motion for both exercises, with my legs going well below parallel/90 degrees in both situations. I also had no problem utilizing the machine in both positions for calf presses (although a dedicated calf block/calf raise attachment would be nice). Taller folks will enjoy an even greater range, although if you’re shorter than about 5’2” you might not be able to take full advantage.

The footboards are both textured with anti-slip patterns for increased friction and safety. At no point did my flat-bottomed Converse shoes move or slip while under weight.

The back rest and shoulder pads are a very plush leather, and are thick enough to be comfortable even with greater amounts of weight (although if you’re a larger person, like legit bodybuilder large, the back rest might be a bit narrow). The material looks and feels to be high quality, although I would be proactive about wiping down any sweat left over from your workout to prevent the leather from degrading.

The side rail handles are sturdy and feature three different bumpers, spaced evenly along the rail, allowing you to rack the machine at different lengths. I like that if you start your press/squat with a strong initial thrust, the rails fall away automatically, so you don’t have to move them yourself in order to get started on your set.

The center sled slides smoothly along the rails with almost no friction, and the machine moves fairly quietly as a result. The bumpers at the bottom prevent any metal-on-metal slamming should you need to abandon your exercise mid-rep.

The machine can hold up to 1200 lbs of added weight and is compatible with standard 2” bumper plates (although I really like the style of the weights they included in this package; the handles make it much easier to load/unload the weights with one-hand, compared to solid bumper plates).

The BLP01 includes two vertical weight storage pylons in the back, which helps maintain its already compact footprint (it only takes up 20.3 square ft of space!). The machine also has band pegs along the bottom, so you can loop bands around those and the weight-bearing pylons in lieu of (or in addition to) actual weights if you desire.

Even without any weights on (either the machine itself or the storage pylons) there was no tilt – the machine stood firmly on the ground without moving to either side.

The only issue (if you can even call it that) I had with the BLP01 was that RitFit also included two basic metal spring clamps, the kind you’d normally use to secure your bumper plates on the end of a barbell. While they do fit onto the vertical weight storage pylons on the back (where you don’t need them), even when fully opened they are not large enough to fit on the solid steel bar that holds the weights. So I’m not really sure why they were included.

Overall I am quite happy with my BLP01’s functionality. It does what it needs to do quite well and doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t (which it might not have been able to handle).

Functionality: 90

Accessory Compatibility

The BLP01 is sold as a stand-alone machine, although RitFit offers packages that include weights if you don’t already have a set.

All machines include weight storage pylons (a nice touch that helps keep everything compact and organized), and the weight-bearing pylons can also fit standard bumper plates, so if you’ve already got weights in your home or garage gym there’s no need to buy special weights just for the BLP01.

The machine also incorporates some band pegs along the bottom, in case you want to use bands with or in lieu of weights.

As a more specialized machine I wouldn’t have expected a plethora of accessory options, so I’m not surprised RitFit doesn’t offer a single related accessory for the BLP01 on their website. The only thing I might suggest in this instance would be a calf block, to provide more range of motion when doing calf raises from the hack squat position.

Accessory Compatibility: 85

Price

RitFit offers several different packages for their BLP01: just the machine itself (in black), just the machine (in red – although it’s mostly black with a red accent), and the machine in black along with either 150, 230, or 340 pounds of weights. I received the 150 lb weight package, with a pair each of 15, 25, and 35 lb plates (six plates total).

This package I received currently sells on the ritfitsports.com website for $1,245.99, while the machine by itself is listed at $799.99.

There are a few less expensive leg press options on the market, but not many.

The price point gets a little sweeter if you use GGREVISITED at checkout. You’ll get about $85 off and the PSR05 gains a few points in this area.

Price Score: 90***

Customer Reviews

At the time of this writing, the BLP01 has 23 reviews on the RitFit website, with a 4.9/5 rating. I read through their Amazon page as well (where it has a 4.5/5 after 59 reviews) and summarized what other people had to say:

Overall, the reviews are very positive, with most giving 4 or 5 star ratings. Customers frequently praise the machine for its sturdy construction, smooth operation, and compact footprint suitable for home gyms, claiming it’s a great value for the money.

Many note that assembly is relatively straightforward with clear instructions, though having two people and tools like ratchets can make it easier. Once assembled, the machine feels solidly built and can handle heavy weights without issues.

The ability to easily switch between leg press and hack squat positions is highlighted as a major benefit. Some taller users mention having to make minor adjustments like adding mats to get full range of motion.

Common pros cited include the quality for the affordable price point, smooth linear bearings, solid steel frame, and space-efficient design.

Negative feedback is limited, with a couple comments about the padding quality and the lack of written instructions in the user manual. Several reviews mention receiving damaged parts during shipping, but report that RitFit’s customer service quickly resolved any issues (and often that can be just as much the fault of the shipper as the manufacturer), although the majority are impressed by the machine’s performance, versatility, and value for a home gym leg press/hack squat station.

Customer Reviews Score: 92

Customer Service

Although I (thankfully) haven’t had much to contact RitFit about, when I did reach out to them to inquire about the minor scuffs to the parts mentioned in the first two sections of this review, I received a response within 24 hours. RitFit genuinely seemed to want to get to the bottom of the problem and even when I reported that the problem seemed very minor (and likely only a visual problem), they quickly mailed out replacement pieces at no extra cost.

Customer Service Score: 100

Who is the RitFit BLP01 really for?

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

Those seeking alternatives to free weight, lower-body exercises

Of course, most of your lower body work is going to involve squatting and front squatting (right?), but sometimes…it’s nice to supplement your squats with other heavy exercises. A leg press/hack squat machine fits the bill perfectly and for those unable to perform squats, this machine could be the lower-body workout machine.

Budget-minded shoppers

To clarify this category, let me say that this is not a knock at people who want to save money on gear. To be honest, if something is perfectly functional and the price is lower than more popular brands, I usually opt for the cheaper option.

Ultimately, the RitFit BLP01 is a “budget-priced” leg press/hack squat machine, though. For those who exclusively shop in this price range, there aren’t too many to choose from, particularly ones that function so well.

Not for people seeking a weight stack machine

I doubt that too many people in the home/garage gym space are in the market for a weight stack leg press, but if this is you, the BLP is not the machine for you.

How we tested the RitFit BLP01

Immediately after I received the BLP01, I began assembling it and put it to work.

I knew a week or so ahead of time that it would be coming so I adjusted my workouts for a couple of weeks to properly incorporate leg presses (which I was already regularly performing at the local bro gym) and hack squats (which I had not been performing) into my lower-body workouts.

With that being said, it really doesn’t take more than 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).

BLP01 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 in the market for a home leg press/hack squat machine, you probably have a lot of questions you need answered before you hit “buy”. We’ll (hopefully) cover a few more of them here.

The RitFit BLP01 a Unique and Niche Addition

I never really considered getting a leg press/hack squat machine for my garage gym and, to be honest, there are a lot of other items I would have considered purchasing before getting hooked up with the BLP01.

However, after getting a number of workouts in with it, I can definitely see a lot of utility, especially if I had more speciality needs (ex. I was a bodybuilder) or was unable to properly perform traditional back or front squats.

I wouldn’t advocate making a leg press/hack squat machine the centerpiece of my gym or of my training equipment, but as far as tertiary and niche equipment goes, the BLP01 is pretty cool…especially at that price…