Marcy MD-9010G Diamond Elite Smith Machine Review

While setting up our own gym most of us avoid making it a smith machine home gym set up due to the prejudice that the smith machines are too expensive.

That is true in most cases as the smith machines are either too costly or lack the quality of being useful and durable. Marcy Diamond Elite Smith machine MD-9010G breaks this stereotype, it is an affordable smith machine home gym with the class of a commercial gym machine.

Unlike the cheap machines, the Marcy Diamond Elite smith machine uses ultra-glide linear bearing to assist the slide of the smith bar along the guide rod. The smith machine bar moves at an angled path instead of verticle movement making the motion natural and comfortable for the lifter.

With heavy-duty construction, multiple workout stations, an adjustable bench, and multiple accessories included in the package, Marcy Md-9010G has much to offer. Let’s dig deeper into the details about this amazing machine. 

Marcy Diamond Elite Smith Machine MD-9010G Review 

The masculine gray powder-coated frame is made out of heavy-duty 14-gauge square steel tubing. With a wide base, heavy frame, and angled design the machine stands sturdy on its own without any wall support or bolting to the floor.

The machine has only four stabilizer plates at the bottom in contact with the floor instead of a continuous square tube forming the base. This may form pin pressure points and damage the floor as there will be micro-movements of the machine while performing intense workouts. It is advisable to place the machine on floor mats to protect the floor.

Due to the angled design and heavy self-weight of the machine, there is no possibility of this machine being imbalanced even if used at the top weight capacity. 

The several workout stations on the Marcy Diamond Elite smith cage allow you to form and perform a variety of workout routines without needing to add any other machine in your home gym. The two cable pulleys at the top and one at the bottom can be used in combination or separately to perform a plethora of exercises.

The chest station adds to the versatility of the machine. The smith cage and squat rack can be used to perform all powerlifting exercises. Availability of smith cage system and squat rack in the machine provides you an option to work safely in the confined guided movement of smith bar or work on stabilizing muscles simultaneously while training the big muscles using a free barbell and squat rack.

A multi-functional adjustable bench is included in the package. The bench is free from the frame and can be positioned according to exercise requirements and your convenience. 

The adjustable bench that comes with the Marcy Diamond Elite smith machine provides the options to exercise in a flat, inclined, or declined position to focus on different muscles. The bench also has a dual-action leg developer, detachable preacher curl pad, and preacher curl handle.

With a preacher curl handle that can be attached to leg developer, you don’t even need dumbbells to perform preacher curls. You can utilize the weight plates placed on the leg developer to train your biceps on the preacher pad.

The package includes the accessories like tricep ropes, ankle strap, handle grips, lat bar, and shiver bar to make it a complete home gym. All you need to buy to finish your garage gym setup along with Marcy MD-9010G is the weight plates.

Features & Specs

With seven workout stations, a multi-functional bench, and eight different accessories Marcy Dimond Elite smith cage can complete your garage gym even if it is the only machine there. Let us know about its technical specifications and features.

It can be deducted from the dimensions of the bench and the smith cage, that the machine setup needs a floor space of 95×80 inches approximately and the ceiling height should be a little over seven feet. However, to avoid accidents and to have some space for moving the weights, it is recommended that there should be about two feet of space open on each side of the machine.

The weight capacity of the smith machine and the bench indicates that you can go as heavy as 300 pounds on the smith bar for performing your powerlifting exercises.

The leg developer, preacher pad, and preacher curl attachment can be used to perform seated leg extensions, lying leg curls, bicep curls at up to 100 pounds of resistance.

Build Quality

Even though Marcy Dimond Elite smith machine MD9010G is considered as a smith machine home gym, it is built with strength and quality comparable to a commercial smith cage system. 

The total structure weighs about 237 pounds without weight plates. The hefty weight of the machine is due to its heavy-duty components. The frame is built using heavy-duty 14-gauge square steel tubes.

The base is wide and balanced on four stabilizer flat steel plates. There is no provision to bolt it to the floor but the weight, shape, and size of the machine keep it sturdy even under intense use. You can place the machine on grippy floor mats for added safety and protection of the garage gym flooring.

All the major elements are powder coated for rust resistance. The angled guide rods for the smith machine are chrome plated for a shiny finish and smooth operation. The smith machine uses linear bearing for the movement of the bar instead of the cheap plastic sleeves.

The six rollers on leg developer and the cushions in the bench and backrest of the peck fly deck are made of high-density foam. The cushions are covered with water-resistant artificial leather.

Overall the machine is built to last for a long time even under intense use while offering a versatile and convenient exercise platform.

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Assembly and Maintenance

It is a big machine having multiple exercise stations and hundreds of components. It won’t be easy to assemble it. But don’t worry, there is a detailed assembly instructions booklet included in the package.

The assembly instructions provided in the booklet are in detail and there are supporting diagrams and schematics to make it easier to understand.

Even after the how-to part is made easy by the instructions book, it is not easy to assemble the machine alone. The parts are heavy and you would need a partner at least till you complete assembling the frame.

The tools needed for assembly are adjustable spanners and a screwdriver. These are not included in the package you have to buy them separately.

After the assembly, the machine doesn’t need much maintenance other than lubricating the guide rods and linear bearings. You also need to keep the guide rods dust-free.

Aesthetics and Styling

Marcy Diamond Elite smith cage is not so appealing in terms of aesthetics and styling but it is not going to ruin the decor of your garage gym either. 

The monotonous shades of gray all over the machine make it look like a not-so-fun but sturdy exercise machine. The gray powder coating on the frame, chrome plating on guide rods and smith bar, gray and beige colored cushioning give it the look of a mean machine.

The angled design of the base and the top cage with cable pulley and smith machine attached along with adjustable bench and chest fly station provide the look of a complex machine. Altogether the machine looks like a big metal contraption and can suit any dull or vibrant background of your garage space.

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Marcy Dimond Elite Smith Cage Accessories 

Accessories like lat bar or tricep rope are the things that make cable pulleys usable. You cannot use cable without these accessories, still not every machine offers these included in the machine package.

But with Marcy MD-9010G you get more than what you need to make it a complete home gym. With the following accessories included in the package you just need some Olympic weight plates to complete your home gym setup.

The accessories included in the package are;

• Lat Bar 
• V Bar 
• Shiver Bar 
• Tricep Rope 
• Ankle Strap 
• 2 Single Handles 
• Foot Plate 
• Plate Posts 

Marcy MD-9010G Exercise Chart

Among the main machine and accessories that come along with the Marcy Dimond Elite smith cage, just the bench alone offers a platform to perform more than four different exercises. The smith machine and squat rack can be used to perform all powerlifting moves.

With two top cable pulleys, a lower pulley, and the attachments the possibilities exercises are only limited by your imagination. Among the many exercises, you can perform on Marcy MD-9010G here is the list of the most popular ones.

There is no pull-up station or dip station in the Marcy Dimond Elite smith machine, but there are alternatives to these exercises that can be performed on this machine to train the same muscles. With Marcy MD-9010G the possibilities are plenty, so you can get creative and develop a workout routine suitable to your fitness level and goals around this machine.

Pros & Cons 

Pros

• A mix of powder coated and chrome plated finish for protection from rust
• Heavy-duty steel construction
• Ultra-glide linear bearings for smooth noiseless operation
• Strong cables with a tensile strength of 2000 pounds
• Preacher curls can be performed without needing dumbbells
• Off the floor base
• Bench with leg developer included in the package
• Dual-action press arm station
• Angled smith machine for close natural movement
• Six weight storage posts to keep the gym area tidy

Cons

• No pull-up station
• No dip station
• Takes up huge space
• Need to be placed on mats to protect the floor

Is Marcy Dimond Elite MD-9010G Worth The Buy?

A smith machine is as good as its sliding mechanism. If the sliding mechanism utilizes cheap plastic sleeves you are bound to have issues like getting stuck during the movement or frequent breakage of the sleeve.

Marcy MD-9010G is a smith machine home gym setup that has a linear bearing to make the sliding movement of the smith bar smoother and noiseless. These bearings last longer and offer movement as good as a commercial-grade smith machine.

No machine in the market comes at a price point even near MD-9010G and offers the build quality and functionality similar to this amazing smith cage system. So, if you have enough space to accommodate this machine in your garage gym, then it is definitely worth the investment.

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Verdict

For beginner to intermediate level athletes looking to set up their home gym in a confined space Marcy MD-9010G is a blessing. This single versatile machine solves almost all your workout requirements.

The heavy-duty built, use of linear bearings for the smith machine, high strength cables, and the powder-coated finish of the machine makes it last longer. So, if you decide to buy this machine, you won’t need to worry about buying any gym machine for a long time.