I design and build gym equipment and see improvements every year at these trade shows. There is always some new way of solving equipment problems or making them better. Equipment has improved a lot over the decades. The Aussie builders have a long way to go, however, but are innovative which is good.
Hammer make a few excellent machines and many that are not so great and some that are bad. Eg., the seated calf machine. I wouldn't put one in my gym. The incline, bench and decline are excellent and give the whole line a boost. Muscleheads like them so tell gym owners who often install a whole line. Foolish. I so dislike having those plates banging around and being left on the machine or the floor. Hammer make a line with weight stacks but gym owners in Australia buy the cheaper plate loading ones. By the time these machines are imported to Australia they cost twice what the Americans pay for the same thing.
The general public have plenty to see. Lots of people go to gyms so there is widespread interest in this industry. People sell supplements, clothes, watches, apparatus, and much more. You can walk around and see different things every time you go. You can try the machines which is what I like.
There are displays that are interesting to the public. Bodybuilders, fitness girls, aerobics, etc.
In your opinion, who makes the best machines? Out of all I tried:
Leg Ext: Nautilus (circa late 70's)
Leg Press: Hammer
Leg curl: Any of them really
Standing calf: Any of them, but particularly the really heavy ones from the 1970's
Pec Dec: Again, anything recent
Seated Bench press: Hammer
Cable station: Again anything with enough resistance, not that crap where anyone can use the whole stack.
Back: It all goes to Hammer outside of any lat pulldown that feels heavy and has 300 pounds of resistance.
I left out arm machines since I don't like to use them, but throw your opinion on those. I really liked the old Nautilus machine where you did curls with your arm straight, but I hated the handle less triceps extension.
