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The Body Solid GSCL360 is a leverage machine created with all the commercial build quality you would expect from Body Solid, but designed for use in your own home gym.
But how does this compare to their highly rated GLPH1100 Leg Press and Hack Squat machine?
In our review of the GSCL360, we’ll take a closer look at the key design and safety features, in addition to lower body exercise options. We’ve also added a summary of pros and cons, aggregated from customer reviews on Amazon, to guarantee you only buy the best leg press machine for your home.
Design features
While most commercial gyms will have some form of squat rack, leg press, or smith machine, far fewer will have a leverage machine for squats and calf raises.
If you haven’t seen or used a machine like the Body Solid GSCL360 before then it may look a bit more complicated to use than your standard squat rack.
But it’s actually surprisingly easy to use, bringing with it all the benefits to safety and exercise form you would expect from a leverage machine.
The single large footplate positioned directly below the shoulder pads is ideally placed for performing squats without the risk of being pinned under the weight.
Having the single pivot point means the weight on your shoulders follows you through a range of motion that makes it much easier to keep your back straight and head up.
Compared to squats, this lower impact nature of the exercise and range of motion helps keep the pressure off your lower back and knee joints. This is ideal for if you suffer from any injuries or can’t perform conventional barbell squats or deadlifts.
Behind the main footplate is a solid steel bar, raised off the ground with enough clearance to perform calf raises with a full range of motion.
Both the top of this bar and the top of the foot plate have been specially coated to provide extra grip and stability when performing your workouts.
One final feature worth mentioning is the weight plate storage pegs. As with most leg exercises, you will most likely be using a lot more weight than for upper body exercises.
To make it easier to store the extra weight plates, the Body Solid GSCL360 has been designed with 2 weight plate pegs, conveniently positioned for easy access.
Body Solid GSCL360 – Features Summary
- Exclusive DuraFirm shoulder and back pads are specifically contoured to conform to shoulders
- Heavy-gauge diamond plate foot platform is set to an ideal of 20-degree pitch
- Mainframe constructed of extra-large 3 x 3-Inch (width x depth)
- 12-gauge steel with four-sided welding
- Includes limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty
- Spring-loaded lockout handle positioned within reach for user safety
Exercise options
As the name suggests, the Body Solid GSCL360 leverage squat calf machine supports both squats and calf raises.
Extra thick Durafirm padding has been added to the shoulder blocks to prevent discomfort from the weight resting on your shoulders and back.
Handles have also been attached to improve your stability in both exercises, improving your form in both exercises, but particularly with squats.
Whereas flexibility and bone structure will often limit the depth you can reach with traditional barbell squats, the fixed plane of motion and space available means you can squat much lower without risking lower back injuries.
The added range of motion will also help develop additional strength in your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and even hip flexors.
For standing calf raises, the thickness of the bar allows you to position your toes at an angle that fully develops all areas of the calf.
This includes both heads of the gastrocnemius as well as the underlying soleus that together form the overall calf muscle.
Customer reviews
While weights benches and dumbbells will usually have a useful collection of customer reviews, it’s often difficult to say the same for larger items of weightlifting equipment.
This is fortunately not the case with the Body Solid GSCL360, where there are over 20 reviews on Amazon alone from customers who have purchased and used this leverage machine.
The following lists aim to provide an overall summary of the pros and cons mentioned most frequently throughout these online reviews.
Pros:
- Sturdy design
- Comfortable shoulder mount
- Heavy gauge weight carriage
- Solid construction
- An excellent alternative to bar squats if you suffer from any kind of discomfort in your lower back
- Takes up less space than most squat racks
- Large foot plate allows for multiple foot positions to isolate different sections of your quads and hamstrings
Cons:
- Poor quality assembly instructions make it a little complicated to put together
- Locking lever can be awkward to use for the first few workouts
What’s included in the warranty?
Body-Solid gym equipment includes a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
Review Overview
Overall Review Rating
4 / 5
The Body Solid GSCL360 Leverage Squat Calf Machine is engineered to target all major lower body muscle groups, while still ensuring safety at all times.
Squats with up to 800 pounds of resistance are made possible thanks to this high quality design, with the 20-degree pitch foot platform set at an angle that promotes complete development of your quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
The innovative calf raise block is round instead of square, eliminating the painful edge while providing a deep pre-stretch for maximum calf-developing workouts.
With over 20 years of experience, Body-Solid is a leading manufacturer and distributor of high quality fitness equipment for both home and commercial gyms.
Product dimensions: 43" (W) x 56" (H) 62" (D)
USA Home Gym gives in-depth insights into gym equipment, supplements, and fitness training methods. The motivation behind USA Home Gym is to provide you with information that goes beyond what you can find in any user manual, customer review, or other online review sites.
We go to great lengths to ensure that our reviews are completely comprehensive, usually covering everything from the design features to the warranty coverage and exercise options. This is all to help guide you towards the home gym equipment that’s best suited to your goals and budget, whilst also being the highest quality option in your chosen price range.
