First produced in 1996, the Weider Pro 9655 is a three-station, two-stack home gym. It offers a variety of exercises for every muscle group in your body, including an assisted pull-up and dip station--an unusual feature on a home gym. No matter what sort of exercise you choose to do on the 9655, a single set of 12 repetitions with a challenging amount of weight is enough to build strength.
Body Weight Workout
The Weider Pro 9655 offers an assist arm to give you a boost at both pull-ups and dips, if you're not strong enough to do a full set of them on your own. Set the weight stack to how much weight you want to offset. For example if you weigh 180 lbs. and set the weight stack to 60 lbs., you're lifting 120 lbs. of your body weight.
Grasp the pull-up bars. Kneel on the padded assist arm. Pull the top of your chest up to the bars, then lower until your arms are straight, but not locked. Repeat for a full set. Pull-ups work every major muscle in your back, along with your rear deltoids and the pulling muscles in your arms.
Switch to the dip handles. Kneel on the assist arm and lower your body between the handles until your elbows are bent at 90 degrees. Your shoulders should be even with or slightly above your elbows. Straighten your arms, pushing your body back up. Repeat. Dips work your triceps, shoulders and to a lesser degree your chest.
Major Muscles
If you're pressed for time, the Weider Pro 9655 allows you to work every major muscle group in your body with just three exercises.
The leg press works every major muscle group in your lower body. Sit down in the bench fronted by a large plate. Place both feet on the plate and straighten your legs until they're straight but not locked, pressing the plate away from you. Point your toes, pressing the plate further away--this works your calves. Allow your feet to flatten on the plate again, then return to the bent-leg position. Repeat.
The lat pull-down works every major muscle in your back, plus your shoulders and arms. Attach the lat pull-down handle to the high pulley. Sit down on the bench, pulling the handle down with you. Extend your arms overhead until they're straight but not locked, then pull the handle down to the top of your chest. Repeat.
The chest press works your chest, shoulders and arms. Sit facing out on the middle bench. Grasp the press-arm handles, one to each side of your body. Press the handles straight forward until your arms are straight but not locked. Return to the starting position. Repeat.
Isolations
The Weider Pro 9655 also has a leg attachment for working the hard-to-isolate quads and hamstrings.
Sit down in the middle bench. Drape both knees over the top foam roller on the leg attachment. Slip your shins behind the bottom foam roller. Straighten your legs, swinging the bottom of the leg attachment up and away from the machine. Lower and repeat. This works your quads.
To work your hamstrings, stand facing the middle bench. Place one knee against the top roller on the leg attachment. Slip that ankle in front of the lower roller. Bend your knee against the machine's resistance, curling the lower roller up and away from the machine. Lower and repeat.
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