Gold's Gym XR 55 Review
You do not have to break the bank to become stronger in the comfort of your own home.
Home gyms have always been a great option when you lack the time and funds to commit yourself to a gym.
One of the benefits of working out at home means that you do not have to share your equipment with strangers.
A popular budget home gym machine is the Gold’s Gym XR 55, an entry-level machine that has all the features you need to start getting stronger at home.
Keep reading this review to learn more about Gold’s Gym XR 55.
TLDR: Gold's Gym XR 55
Product Description
The Gold’s Gym XR 55 is a home gym unit that comes with weight stacks.
The XR 55 has ten 12.5 lb vinyl weight stacks, offering a maximum of 125 lb additional load to your exercises.
The home gym has a weight capacity of 330 lbs. It has six workout stations: curl pad for biceps, pectoral fly, chest presses, two pulley system, and a leg developer.
It is a machine that focuses on muscle development or to maintain muscle mass in major groups.
- The backrest and seat have three adjustable levels, and the preacher curl pad can also be adjusted or removed for other exercises.
- There is a lat bar, a dual-function handle for pectoral fly, or chest press. You can move the lat bar to the lower pulley to convert into a preacher curl station.
- The leg developer allows leg extensions.
- It comes with weight stacks for much higher resistance, which will be helpful in muscle development.
- The XR 55 is relatively small when you compare it with similar machines that do the same job.
- It is relatively low maintenance, you may need to grease the pulleys or tighten the bolts from time to time.
- The Gold’s Gym XR 55 is difficult to assemble, there are a lot of parts to put together and requires a few extra tools that are not in the pack.
- While the XR 55 is relatively small, you cannot fold the machine for storage and it has to be assembled where you want it to be.
- The unit also does not have a middle pulley, which limits some exercises.
- You cannot add more weight stacks when you become stronger.
- The machine is 89 inches in total height, its design is for people not taller than six feet.
- Some exercises may be difficult if you have longer arms or feet.
- The XR 55 uses a weight resistance system, the weight stacks do not reflect the amount of resistance you get in each workstation.
- This may be confusing as butterfly arms and press arms do not have the same resistance on the same weight plate.
Special Features
With a top and bottom pulley, there are more exercises you can attempt with the Gold’s Gym XR 55. The removable preacher curl pad will make some exercises easier.
The adjustability of the back, seats, and pads allows multiple users to have good form while using the XR 55.
The weight stacks sit behind the backrest and are partially enclosed for safety. Weight stacks use the common pin lock mechanism for quick and easy change between stacks.
Is It Worth It?
The Gold’s Gym XR 55 is an affordable unit to own. It features six workout stations, targeting the arms, chest, back, and legs.
For most home gyms, 36 basic exercises are enough for a solid workout, more if you include the variations.
The weight stacks offer good resistance to develop muscles and will last you for a while.
If you have a small space at home that you can dedicate to the XR 55, this is a good machine to own for beginner and intermediate level.
In-Depth Review of the Gold’s Gym XR 55
Size and Dimension
The Gold’s Gym XR 55 assembles at 83 inches high, 77 inches long and 43 inches wide. The unit weighs 320 lbs with the weight stacks.
Each vinyl has a weight stack of 12.5 lbs. When placing the unit, you may have to take care to leave space for the butterfly arms to move.
Quality and Durability
Pulleys have a plastic cover on the outside, but inside it is a steel outer with industrial strength ball bearings. The cables are steel ropes with a PVC layer, and it holds more than 330 lbs.
The backrest, seat, and curl attachment have 2-inch foam padding with vinyl cover, for comfort and durability. The pulldown bars and leg developer have rubber foam pads.
The XR 55 has quality expected from a low-cost home gym unit, but it has a durable build.
Additional Features
The Gold’s Gym XR 55 has three adjustment positions for its seat and backrest.
The height for the preacher curl pad can be raised, lowered, or removed, but the angle of the pad is non- adjustable. This flexibility allows other people to use the home gym.
You can use the multi-grip pulldown bar with the top pulley (lateral pulldown) or the bottom pulley (bicep curls).
The weight stacks utilize the pin lock mechanism, which allows for quick weight change during exercises.
With a quick way change the weights, so you can use circuit sets for a cardio/ strength session or drop sets to build more muscles.
Ease of Assembly
The unit is not easy to assemble with many moving parts.
The instructions are easy to follow, but it will require around four hours for one person to assemble it. You may need additional tools to put the XR 55 together.
Exercises to Do
You can also perform leg workouts like squats and leg extensions with the lower pulley. The XR 55 comes with an exercise chart to help you plan your workout.
The muscle groups that this machine targets: biceps, triceps, deltoids, pectoral, shoulders, hamstrings, and quadriceps.
You can have a full-body workout in one session using just this machine.
Warranty
The Gold’s Gym XR 55 has a 90- day part and labor warranty. (5)
What Do People Say About It?
On Amazon, the Gold’s Gym XR 55 has an average rating.
Most users comment about the low pulley system having a higher start out the weight. Almost everyone commented about the difficult assembly.
Some users do not like the cables as they were either short, do not move smoothly or they pinch and jam up.
On YouTube, reviews that feature a follow up show that the Gold’s Gym XR 55 machine is a great start-up machine for a beginner.
There are some issues with the design of the XR 55 workout stations.
One review mentions that the confusion with the weight resistance chart as the weight does not increase in a linear fashion when you change the weight stacks.
Final Verdict
The Gold’s Gym XR 55 is a beginner’s workout machine, especially if you are aiming to develop muscle mass from the start.
The six workout stations are the typical groups that you will aim to have better muscle definition. With the XR 55, you can track your progress easily with the weight stacks.
You may have to refer back to the weight resistance comparison chart as you get stronger, but you can easily find variations to increase strength before adding more weights.
Should you Invest in Gold’s Gym XR 55?
Yes, it is a piece of good entry-level exercise equipment that will not break the bank.
With the weight stacks resistance, you can use the Gold’s Gym XR 55 for a while before needing an upgrade. It is a good investment for a young person starting to workout.
If you like this review but the XR 55 is not what you are looking for, check out our other Gold’s Gym treadmill review or our other home gym reviews to know which one fits you better.
–The best price found from this Amazon seller.
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Article by:
Daniel DeMoss
I’m a personal trainer based in Denver (Matrix Gym) and a true fitness nerd. If I’m not training clients or working out at my home gym, I’m probably skiing, cycling or hiking with my dog Rufus.
Get in touch: daniel@dumbbellsreview.com