Life Fitness G4 multi-gym with leg press

The Life Fitness G4 home gym with leg press brings over 30 exercises together in a frame that still fits in an ordinary room. You adjust the back pad from a flat bench press to 30 degrees, 45 degrees and a 70 degree shoulder press, and the fitted leg press and calf raise station means the heavy pressing work for your legs happens on the same machine.

The G4 is the fuller version of the G2: more pressing angles, dual-pivot arms that adjust to your body and a mid pulley on top. That makes it interesting if you want to run a complete programme at home without giving up variety, and equally suited to a personal training room where several people use the same station.

Life Fitness G4 at a glance

• Over 30 exercises: chest and abs, biceps and triceps, shoulders and back and your lower body are all covered on one station.
• Adjustable back pad: you move from a flat bench press to 30 degrees, 45 degrees and a 70 degree shoulder press, shifting the emphasis in your chest and shoulder work without changing position.
• Dual-pivot pec and reverse-fly arms: the arms self-adjust to your body, so the movement follows your shoulder width instead of the other way around.
• Leg press and calf raise included: the leg station is fitted on the left side, so you get heavy pressing work for your legs without a second machine.
• 160 lb weight stack: around 73 kg that you change with a pin, expandable with a supplementary 50 lb set to 210 lb.
• Mid pulley plus accessories: a revolving lat bar, low row bar, ab and triceps strap, ankle strap and pec fly extension are included, so you do not have to buy accessories first.
• Magnetic workout placards: the placards on the frame show how each exercise should be performed, useful while you are still building your programme.

Over 30 exercises on one station

The G4 is laid out like a complete programme in one frame, split across four groups. There are four exercises for chest and abs, seven for biceps and triceps, eight for shoulders and back and six for your lower body. In practice that covers every training goal: pushing, pulling, isolation work for your arms and focused leg work. Because moving between those exercises only means adjusting the back pad or a handle, rest times stay short and you genuinely get through a full programme in an hour.

Adjustable back pad and pressing angles

What sets this apart from a simpler station is mainly the back pad. You lay it flat for bench press, set it at 30 or 45 degrees for incline work and at 70 degrees for shoulder press. Each position shifts the emphasis slightly across your chest and front shoulder, which is exactly what you need when building a chest block over several weeks. You do not have to move a separate bench or change plates: adjust and carry on.

Dual-pivot arms and mid pulley

The pec and reverse-fly arms rotate around two points and therefore self-adjust to your body. In practice the movement follows your shoulder width instead of you having to fit the machine, which is most noticeable on extended-arm flyes. The cams also keep the resistance even through the whole range of motion, so you do not hit a dead spot halfway. The mid pulley gives you an attachment point at mid height for rows, ab work and triceps exercises.

Weight stack and resistance

The weight stack is 160 lb, around 73 kg. You move the pin and carry on, which is welcome in supersets or when several people train around the station. If you outgrow the stack on pulldown or low row, a supplementary 50 lb set is available, around 23 kg, taking you to 210 lb. The spacers at the bottom of the stack have to come out when those extra plates are fitted.

Leg press and calf raise

On this version the leg press and calf raise station is already fitted. That gives you the heavy pressing work for your legs on the same machine where you train your upper body: a leg press for quads, glutes and hamstrings, and calf raises from the same position. For many home users that is the part that makes a home gym complete, because otherwise heavy leg work falls back on squats with free weights. The station is fitted on the left side, seen from the front of the machine, and weighs around 66 kg on its own.

Space and set-up

The base station measures roughly 203 x 135 x 213 cm (l x w x h) and the leg press station extends it further on the left, so keep extra width free on that side; the manufacturer does not state a combined measurement. Also allow walking space to get in and out and to pull the lat bar freely. The 213 cm height is the measurement to check first, certainly in a basement, garage or attic with a sloping roof. Packed, the whole thing weighs around 241 kg.

Good to know

A home gym with guided movements is a different thing from free weights: your stabilising muscles work less, which makes training alone safer but also means you practise less technique for a free bench press, for instance. The leg press and calf raise station can only be fitted on the left side, seen from the front. That side is therefore fixed when you decide where the station goes, and it is also where you need walking space to get in and out of the leg press.

Frequently asked questions about the Life Fitness G4 home gym

How much space do I need?

The base station is around 203 cm long, 135 cm wide and 213 cm high, with the leg press station alongside it on the left. Also allow half a metre of walking space around it to get in and out and to pull the lat bar down. The height is the most important measurement to check in advance, certainly under a sloping roof or a lowered ceiling. Packed the whole thing weighs around 241 kg, which matters for the route inside.

What is the difference from the G2?

The G4 offers more variety on the same principle. Where the G2 works with a variable arc pressing station from one fixed seated position, on the G4 you adjust the back pad from flat to 30, 45 and 70 degrees. The G4 also has dual-pivot pec and reverse-fly arms and a mid pulley, and reaches over 30 exercises rather than over 25. In return the G4 is larger: roughly 203 x 135 cm of floor space against 180 x 122 cm.

How heavy is the weight stack?

The standard weight stack is 160 lb, around 73 kg. For most exercises on this station that is more than enough, even if you have trained for a while. If you outgrow it on the pulling exercises, you add a supplementary 50 lb set and reach 210 lb, around 95 kg. That upgrade is sold separately.

Which accessories are included?

As standard you get a revolving lat bar, a low row bar, an ab and triceps strap, an ankle strap and a pec fly and rear deltoid extension. Together with the mid pulley that means you can perform every exercise the station is designed for straight away, without buying separate handles first. The magnetic workout placards on the frame show the execution for each exercise.

Is this suitable for beginners?

Yes, particularly so. Because the movements are guided, the path is fixed and you do not have to learn a technique before you can train heavy. You also train alone safely, since you never press a bar over your chest without help. The placards on the frame help you get started if you do not yet know how to build a programme.

Can I train legs on it?

Yes, and on this version quite fully. Alongside the six lower body exercises the station offers as standard, you have leg press and calf raise on the fitted leg station. That covers both the isolated leg work and the heavy pressing work without adding a second machine. The leg station sits on the left side, seen from the front.