Interested about an all-American fitness machine? Then that’s what we’re talking about today – the Marcy Smith Cage Workout Machine – not one, not two, but 6 of the Best Marcy Smith Machines out there!
Over the last decade, several new brand names have emerged in the fitness industry, including in the Smith machines category. Fortunately, there remain a handful of trusted names that had been here for more than half a century, keeping the price reasonable while maintaining quality. Such are the Marcy Smith machine gym cages that we’re going to talk about today.
The Marcy machine name goes back to mid-1960s when Walter Marcyan founded the Marcy Fitness Products company. In 1965, Marcyan – a multi-awarded weightlifter and bodybuilder, contestant to the first Mr. USA competition, chiropractic doctor, founder of the House of Health, and the same man who equipped the state-of-the-art gym in the White House during President Reagan’s time – invented and produced a multi-station weightlifting machine called the Circuit Trainer.
Let’s see how this training machine has evolved through the years and found its way to become the Marcy Smith Machine Cage System of today, and how it has kept Marcyan’s legacy.
Our Top Marcy Smith Cage Workout Machines at a Glance:
We’ll review 6 of the best weight training fitness equipment you can have in your home gym, and for a quick glimpse, you’ll see below our top picks.
2. Marcy Smith Machine SM-4008
3. Marcy SM-4903 Smith Machine with Cables
Our top recommendation is the Marcy MD-5139, a home gym that helps you lift more, aids in your stability and posture, and allows you to do different types of exercises including squats, lunges, and more without need for a spotter. It’s the best Marcy Smith machine to help you target all the muscles you want to work to get closer to your fitness goals.
Here are our top six picks.
Top 6 Best Marcy Smith Machines
1. Marcy MD-5139
The Marcy Smith MD-5139 cage is a home gym machine meant for working out your whole body. It has a single lower pulley system and dual cross-over pulleys. Watch this video below to know more about the MD-5139. NOTE: The MD-9010G shown below is the same as MD-5139 but a different color (black/silver vs the black/white combination of MD-5139).
The structural components are made of heavy-duty steel and uses aircraft cable with 2000-lb tensile strength for the pulley systems. The weight bar has a capacity of 300 lbs, while the bench can handle up to 600 lbs of weight, including that of the user.
The MD-5139 comes with the whole assembly, plus ankle strap, plate posts, lat/V/shiver bars, triceps rope, two single handles, and foot plate. I must admit searching for the equipment was not easy, but this Marcy Smith cage eventually made the search worthwhile.
Here is why you shouldn’t miss what this multi-station machine offers.
Features
All in one gym: The Marcy power cage is designed in such a way that you comprehensively work your arms and legs, arms and chest, in one station, saving you the need to switch from one station or equipment to another.
Storage: It has a rack and pegs for storing weight plates, dumbbells, and kettle weights, allowing easy access whenever you need them.
Pros
- Solid and durable construction; high weight capacity
- Versatile and multi-functional; it’s practically a mini-gym
- Works out the whole body
Cons
- Assembling is a task, which is expected for most machines of this type and size
2. Marcy Smith Machine SM-4008
A cheaper but almost similar cage machine is the Marcy SM-4008 Combo Smith machine with bench. It’s also an all-in-one device for weightlifting and body building.
If you’ve been looking at the MD-5139 and wondering where they differ, the SM-4008 doesn’t have a preacher’s curl pad and a lat bar; what it has instead is a pull-up bar that the MD-5139 doesn’t have. Now, if you think you’ll have more use for a pull-up bar, then you should continue looking over the features of this combo fitness machine
Features
Design and quality: Like the other equipment in this list, this Marcy Smith machine with bench is made of high-quality material. Its frame is built of 14-gauge steel, and the pulley systems use a 2000-lb tension aircraft cables.
The SM-4008 home gym machine has an adjustable back pad to accommodate various workouts and provide comfort and support to your back.
Versatility: This Marcy cage includes a chest/butterfly station, an adjustable and multi-position bench, removable leg station, pull-up bars and cross pulleys, low pulley system, and several accessories to offer more variety to your workouts.
This Marcy workout bench and weight bar cage will not only help you develop your chest and shoulders, but also strengthen your thigh muscles and train your legs with the bottom pulley system and leg developer.
It measures 65″ x 79.25″ x 84.5″ (LWH) and is only slightly smaller than the MD-5139 when fully assembled. The bench is also a tad smaller, but the weight capacities of the SM-4008’s bench and weight bar are the same with those of the MD-5139.
Pros
- Works different muscles groups
- Has a butterfly press, leg developer, and pull-up bar
- Cheaper than other models
Cons
- Difficult to assemble by yourself
3. Marcy SM-4903 Smith Machine with Cables
In the price spectrum, the Marcy SM-4903 Smith machine slots between the cheaper SM-4008 and the more expensive MD-5139. All these models are similar in that they are all steel-built, versatile cage machines but vary in their specific offerings.
Features
The SM-4903 weight bench is another all-around gym equipment that packs with it dip handles, a band anchor, and a weight plate rack that the first two models in this list don’t have. Please note that this package misses the butterfly press and foot plate, so if those are important to you, make sure to factor that information in your decision.
This mini-gym also comes with a multi-grip pull-up bar, linear bearing, and dual crossover-swivel upper and lower pulley systems. It is longer than both models but has a shorter bench.
This equipment will be perfect for performing diverse exercises such as triceps extension, shoulder press, bench dips, and biceps curl, among others. It’s a complete home gym in one equipment.
Pros
- Durable and stable; solidly constructed
- Multi-grip pull-up bar is an improvement on the other models
- Comes with a plate rack for convenient organizing and storage
Cons
- Doesn’t have leg developer and butterfly press
4. Marcy SM-4033
After going through all three of the best Marcy Smith machine models so far, are you feeling like you want one model but wished it had one feature of this model and another feature of the other? I totally feel you! I actually wanted to ask didn’t they have a model that had it all?
As it turns out, they do – the Marcy SM-4033 Smith machine is the ultimate solution to your fitness needs. See what we’ve got here!
Features
Basically, it starts with all stations and equipment that the MD-5139 has and adds a multi-grip pull-up bar, dip handle, landmine exercise attachment, bar rest, dual cross-swivel upper pulley, and bar storage. However, it foregoes the leg developer.
Weight capacity: The weight capacity for the bench is 600 lbs, for the safety catches and the bar is 300 lbs. The maximum user weight it can handle is 300 lbs. It comes with accessories like landmine attachment, short bar, and triceps ropes.
Pull-up station: One of the differences between the Marcy 4033 strength training machine and the other Smith machines lies in its pull-up station. That’s because it has three grip options.
The grips include wide, medium, and close overhand grips, the underhand grip, and the wide, medium, and narrow neutral grips. This feature helps you experience more intensive muscle exercises.
Pros
- Has pull-up and dip stations
- Adjustable cable system
- Has the most number of features and accessories among all Marcy cage machines
Cons
- Does not have a leg developer
5. Marcy MWM-990 Home Gym
The Marcy 150-lb Stack Home Gym that comes with both arm and leg developing stations in one mini-gym structure. With it, you can do your calorie-burning, muscle strengthening and building, and weight loss workouts right in your home.
Features
The MWM-990 measures 68” x 36” x 79” (LWH) and boasts of a 300-lb weight capacity. The steel tubing structure is reinforced with guard rods to ensure stability and durability. The station comes with a 150-lb weight stack that you can customize depending on your skill level.
Here are some of the reasons you should invest in the Marcy 150lb stack home gym with weights:
Press arms: It is equipped with dual-function press arms that works both as a chest press and butterfly press to work out your pecs, triceps, biceps, and other upper body muscles.
Removable Preacher Curl pad: The Marcy Smith 150lb Stack machine 150 lb has a removable curl pad, which you can use with the lower pully to isolate forearm muscles.
You can remove the Preacher curl pad if you want to use the leg developer station, which has four thick foam rollers to keep you comfortable during leg and quad workouts.
Upper and Lower Pulleys and Lat Bar – Perfect for doing different combinations of workouts, including lat pull-downs, standing leg curls, and many more.
Pros
- Space-saving design
- Ideal for fast and easy workouts
Cons
- Does not come with most accessories offered by other Marcy Smith Machines
- You can’t do pullups, hanging leg/knee raises
Related: For a cheaper alternative, here are the best power tower with bench
6. Marcy Pro Home Gym
Do weight training at home with this Marcy Pro home gym. It is a complete Marcy Smith machine that includes an adjustable and comfortably padded workout bench, press bar with safety stops and catches, Olympic weight station with height-adjustable bar holder, press arms, high and low pulley systems, pull-up bar, dip station, and leg developer.
Features
Comfort: This home gym has a well-designed and adjustable bench and is padded with high-density cushioning material to ensure your safety and comfort.
Versatility: This multi-functional machine is all you’ll ever need to work out and isolate the different muscles you want to strengthen – from the lower body to your upper body muscles. You can do bench and chest presses, pull-ups, hanging leg raises, and many more.
Pros
- Strong and durable
- Easy to assemble; best done with 2 people at least
- Comes with weight post for your weight plates
Cons
- Ships in 4 boxes, each arriving a week apart – can be a long wait
Why Choose Marcy Smith Machines for Your Home Gym
Let’s face it, not all of us have the luxury of space. We may have home gyms but just enough to accommodate a few pieces of fitness equipment. Having a Marcy Smith Cage Machine lets you use several sets of equipment in one whole ‘cage’. So not only do you save on space, you also have a well-put-together mini-gym. In other words, it keeps things organized and pleasing to the eye, and you get to enjoy these practical and aesthetic benefits while keeping yourself fit.
Benefits of the Marcy Smith Machine for Home
Versatility
This Marcy Smith cage features commercial quality construction. Also, the home gym machine has multiple stations for different exercises.
Safety
All the equipment above have been tested and approved for home use. Most important of all, each machine was designed for people working out without a spotter, so it has safety catches and provisions for users who are lifting and bench pressing alone.
Price
Unlike commercial home gym machines, the Marcy strength training equipment is budget-friendly. You’ll not break the bank when purchasing these equipment.
How to Choose a Marcy Home Gym
Safety Mechanisms Used
The Marcy home gyms have some of the best safety precaution features, from safety pins to spotter’s arms, so check for these features when picking a model.
Weight Plate Holders
The Marcy Combo Smith machines provide posts and racks for organizing weight plates. Make sure that the weight plate holder can accommodate a reasonable number of plates when piled together. Take note of the weight capacity and compare it with the weights you normally use.
Frame
Marcy Smith machines are made of steel, but make sure to check on the maximum weight that its different stations can take and compare this to your weight. Take note that the bench press weight capacity includes not only your weight but also that of the weight you’re lifting.
Always take into consideration the dimensions of the cage to make sure that it will fit inside your gym. Aside from the footprint, consider it’s height and add considerable headroom for doing chin-ups, pull-ups, and similar workouts.
Adjustability & Linear Bearings
A Smith cage should be adjustable. It should come with linear bearings to aid the sliding up-and-down movement of the barbell along the supporting vertical bars. In this review, only the MD-5139, SM-4903, and SM-4032 have this feature.
Warranty
This best home gym equipment are covered with a reasonable warranty.
Final Thoughts
Marcy Smith machines have diverse features. They are well constructed with steel frames and will serve you for a long time. If budget is not an issue and you want the most complete and most versatile of these Smith machines, then I would recommend the MD-5139. You’ll never go wrong with it.
Written by Kathleen Langdon – TheHealthPot.com Founder
Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES)
Kathleen, a mother of two, struggled with ongoing weight and health issues. She created this website after she turned her life around. She built Thehealthpot.com to help inspire and motivate others with their fitness goals. Read more about Kathleen here.