Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym Review

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Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym Review

The Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym is one of the best lat pulldown fitness equipment available for any home gym. The home gym comes with many attachments, two pulley stations and it comes at a great price. It can withstand a user weight of 250 lbs. The home gym is very strong, sturdy and durable.

This enables the user to be more confident when it comes to using this machine. The trainee need not worry about the machine breaking down. Its frame is made of steel tubing of 2” x 2” that makes the machine very tough.

The machine can be adjusted by the user to perform tricep pull-downs, upright rows, seated rows, arm curls as well as many other workouts in addition to lat pulldowns. The Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym can be compared with the XMark XM-7618, however, there are a few additional features in the CB-12.

For instance, this home gym offers a mid-pulley station along with storage plates to store the weight plates and this is located to the rear base. The machine has a few extra accessories included. However, this home gym supports a lower weight capacity.

You can read through our Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym review 2021 to know all about this home gym.

Best Suited to Whom?

The Home Gym by Valor Fitness offers a lower pulley that allows the user to focus on bicep curls, shoulder raises, seated rows, and more exercises. The home gym has an upper pulley that is used for back exercises, ab crunches, triceps presses, and many other useful cable exercises.

The mid-range pulley has been designed to perform ab crunches and it can be used for various innovative and useful functional training exercises. This home gym is recommended for use at home.  It can accommodate a person who is 6’2” tall.

Tall users can use the machine, however, they might not be able to benefit from complete motion range for specific workouts. In addition to this, the seat can withstand a maximum user weight of about 250 lbs.

Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym Assembly, Design and Build Quality

Assembly

This machine is big in size and comes in big boxes with dimensions 7″ x 8″ x 7″ / 51lbs (195 x 20 x 18 cm / 23 kg) and 20″ x 14″ x 9″ / 33lbs (51 x 36 x 23 cm / 15 kg). The assembly process of this machine is very simple. It comes with an instruction manual.

It may take several minutes to go through from it and then the assembly process becomes easy for you. The user will require some adjustable wrenches, a rubber mallet, and Allen wrenches.

Design and Build Quality

The Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym has a frame that is constructed with 12-gauge steel and has a pewter finish that is corrosion-resistant and does not chip easily. The exceptions in this gym are the machine’s loading pegs and they have a finish of black paint. The back post that acts as a guide has a chrome finish.

Once assembled completely, the machine does not appear to be very huge. The footprint of this machine is about 57.5″L x 23.5″W (146 x 60 cm), but the lat bar is about 38″ (96.5 cm), so this calls for a usage area of a minimum of 80″ x 70″ (203 x 178 cm) so that the user can easily access it.

Its height is around 80″ (203 cm). Considering this factor, the home gym must fit easily into a room that has a ceiling height of 7′ (213 cm). It is necessary to acknowledge the fact that the lat bar holder enables the lat bar to move upward, and the grips add about 2″ (5 cm) extra to the total height of the home gym.

There is no weight stack with this Home Gym and it does not come with weight plates. You will need your own weight plates. Therefore, the net weight of this fitness machine is about 80 lbs (36 kg) without the weight plates.

The weight gives the machine a lot of stability. In addition to this, the user can use the storage pegs that are found on the back of the machine to keep the weight plates and this gives additional stability.

Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym Features

Adjustable Seat

The Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym comes with a seat that can be adjusted upwards or downwards in 4 different positions with some locking pull pins.

FootPlates/ Pedals

The home gym comes with textured footplates that are diamond plated fand enable the user to stand on these for additional stability when they execute curls as well as upright rows. The metallic footplates have been textured to give the user extra grip and stability.

The footplates can be unfolded and used for standing-up bicep curls. They can even be folded and used for seated rows.

Resistance

As mentioned earlier, this home gym from Valor Fitness does not come with weight plates. You will have to make use of your own weight plates or buy them separately.

The carriage has been designed for the regular 1″ weight plates, however, it can be loaded with the Olympic weight plates of 2″ in case you go for Olympic adapters.

User Weight Capacity

The seat of CB-12 Home Gym supports a maximum user weight of about 325 lbs (147 kg).

Safety Measures

The base of CB-12 does not come with adjustable stabilizers. The base bars have not got holes so as to anchor the base to the floor.

In case you wish to fix it to the floor, you can drill a few holes, however, this not be covered under the warranty.

Cable Crossovers

The unit’s cable can handle a weight limit of 300 lbs (136 kg). The maximum load that has been recommended for the Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym is about 250 lbs (113 kg).

The length of the cable is 42″ (106 cm), and this gives enough range of movement for users who are 6’2″ (188 cm) tall or taller.

Olympic Free-weight Rack

It does not come with the 2″ peg adapters required for the Olympic weight plates. However, it is compatible with different models from different manufacturers including Valor Fitness.

Other Features

(i) Lat Bar – It consists of the lat bar, a short row bar that has an extension chain, as well as the neoprene abs harness that comes with foam handles.

(ii) Spring clips – The machine comes with spring clips of 25mm that secure the weight plates on pegs that are included with the machine.

Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym Workout Programs

The Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym is well-equipped with 9 pulleys that are made using heavy-duty nylon material. Metallic ball bearings have been integrated so as to ensure the travel of cables, as well as the weight load, is smooth.

The cable has been made using steel and is covered by a PVC sheet to avoid the pulleys from getting scratched.

1. Workout stations – In contrast to other home gyms and lat machines that have just the low and top pulleys, there are three different work stations in the Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym. They are:

(i) High pulley station – The machine has a high pulley station that is well-equipped with a single pulley that does not swivel. As mentioned earlier the machine comes with the lat bar. The lat bar is about 38″ (96.5 cm) and has curved and rubberized grips.

This workout station permits the user to execute workouts that develop the triceps, shoulders, as well as back muscles.

(ii) Mid pulley station – The mid pulley of the Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym is included in the upright bar that is located above the backrest. It enables the user to execute exercises like trunk rotations, ab crunches, mid rows, or even triceps extensions. The accessory of abs harness is included.

(iii) Low pulley station – The low pulley station of the Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym allows the user to perform a wide range of workouts inclusive of standing rows, low rows, bicep curls, leg curls, or leg abductions.

The station includes a short bar (20″ – 51 cm). However, the machine does not come with an ankle cuff required for many workouts. Also, the Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym cannot be provided with the attachment of a leg developer that is needed for leg extensions.

2. Exercise Types

(i) Lat Pull Downs: Lat Pulldowns focus on the lats and help in developing the upper body strength. It is important to strengthen the lats to stabilize the spine and it helps the user execute a lot of workouts more efficiently.

(ii) Low Cable Rows: Low Cable Rows is quite similar to the aerobic rowing workouts. The difference between them is that the low cable rows are strength building workouts that focus on the back and arms muscles, in particular, the forearms and lats.

It also works on the triceps and biceps. The user can flip the steel footplate vertically, thereby allowing the user to place their feet against it for more stability.

(iii) Ab Crunches: The ab crunch harness is fixed to the cable located above the vertical pad and can be used to get a strong core and solid abs. The user places their back against this pad and with the help of the foam-padded grips, they can hold the harness.

The core has to be tightened by way of contracting the ab muscles.

(iv) Cable Curls: When the user stands, they can execute some standard cable curls to get defined biceps. The lower utility bar is to be used as a low cable row. The user has to hold the handles with their palms in the direction of the machine.

Post this the user has to curl the bar very close to their upper body by bending their elbows and without moving their upper arms. After this, they have to get back to the start position and indulge in more reps.

To work more on the forearm, the hands have to be adjusted in a manner that they are facing the user’s body. You can have a look at some of the best lat machines in 2021 for more products available in the market.

Note: You must ensure that you are standing on the steel footplate that is placed on the ground so as to balance the unit’s weight for maximum safety.

Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym Warranty

The manufacturer Valor Fitness offers a warranty of three years on the frame of the Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym along with a warranty of two years on the cable and one year on the parts.

Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym Pros and Cons

Pros

  • It offers three work out stations
  • The frame is made of steel and is very sturdy
  • It has a user weight capacity of 250 lbs
  • It has quite a small footprint
  • The seat and knee stopper of this machine is adjustable
  • The machine has heavy-duty nylon pulleys, integrated with sealed ball bearings
  • The machine supports 1″ as well as 2″ weight plates
  • The machine includes a lat bar, a short bar, and an abs harness
  • The user can perform 25+ exercises on this machine
  • The assembly process is quite easy
  • The machine needs very less maintenance
  • An excellent warranty is offered by the manufacturer

Cons

  • The machine does not include Olympic sleeve adapters
  • The machine also does not have an Ankle cuff

Verdict

The Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym is among the best lat machines for home use that gives the user three distinct workout stations, i.e., a lat station, a mid-pulley station, as well as a low-pulley station. It has a very sturdy construction. It can support a maximum user weight of 250 lbs.

It enables the user to execute more than 25 different exercises, inclusive of pull-downs, press downs, curls, mid rows, low rows, etc. It includes many accessories, such as the lat bar, the abs harness, and the short bar.

If you are on the lookout for an affordable lat machine, then the Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym is a good pick as It would cost you less than $500!.

FAQs of Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym

Does the Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym allow the user to perform Tricep extensions?
The Tricep extensions can be performed by the user in seated position by making use of the center pulley. The top pulley cannot be used while standing.
Does the top pulldown of Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym swivel? Is the top pulldown fixed?
The top pulley of this machine is fixed and does not swivel.
Does Valor Fitness CB-12 Home Gym work with 1" plates or Olympic style plates?
The machine has been designed to work with 1" plates but even Olympic plates can be used on it as they do not rattle a lot. There are convertor sleeves that can be purchased to give the Olympic plates a snug fit.