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The Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900 are two home gym systems from the Weider brand. How do they compare in features and which one is the best?
Weider is a brand that offers home gym systems that allow you to build muscle in a variety of places. The Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900 are two of these models.
The main differences between these two models include size, price, and maximum resistance. The Weider Pro 6900 offers more resistance but this does come at a slightly bigger size and price.
If you have the room, budget, and muscle strength for the lowest settings of the Weider Pro 6900, this is likely the best choice of the two.
For complete resistance training beginners who have trouble with the lightest settings of the Pro 6900, the Weider 2980 can also offer a nice amount of muscle growth and strength progress.
Additionally, if you are on a really tight budget, the Weider 2980 may be the only possible option of the two. If that is the case, keep in mind that there are resistance bands that also offer a nice amount of resistance at a low price.
This article will also go over some of the other features of the Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900, the resistance estimation charts for each model, and in what situations the differences between the two matter the most.
Most important differences Weider 2980 vs Weider Pro 6900
Both the 2980 and the Pro 6900 models are from the same Weider brand. Even so, since they are their own separate models, there will still be some differences.
Not all of these differences are that important. In the first table below you can see some of the most important features when it comes to investing in a home gym system.
| Feature | Weider 2980 | Weider Pro 6900 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight Stack | 80 lbs (36.29 kg) Vinyl | 125 lbs (56.7 kg) Vinyl |
| Max Resistance | 214 lbs (97.07 kg) | 330 lbs (149.69 kg) |
| Dimensions | 65” L x 37” W x 76” H | 77” L x 43” W x 83” H |
| Price | $ | $$ |
| Check Current Price | Check Current Price |
Other features Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900
There are other features besides the ones above. For some of these, the Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900 are similar, for others they are also different.
| Feature | Weider 2980 | Weider Pro 6900 |
|---|---|---|
| User Weight Limit | 300 lbs (136.08 kg) | 300 lbs (136.08 kg) |
| Weight | 183 lbs (83 kg) | 200 lbs (90.72 kg) |
| High Pulley Cable Exercises | Yes | Yes |
| Low Pulley Cable Exercises | Yes | Yes |
| Leg Extensions | Yes | Yes |
| Chest Fly | Yes | Yes |
| Chest Press | Yes | Yes |
| Preacher Curls | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 90-Day Parts & Labor Warranty | 90-Day Parts & Labor Warranty |
Differences Weider 2980 vs Weider Pro 6900 more in-depth
Seeing the differences between the Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900 in a table is definitely a helpful start.
That being said, some of the differences deserve a bit more explanation in the sense of for what type of people the differences matter in what ways. This can help you make a better decision between these two home gym systems.
Weight stack and max resistance
The main goals of home gym systems like the Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900 are to help you build muscle strength, endurance, mass, etc. To achieve these goals you have to engage your muscles so they get damaged enough.
This may sound counterintuitive but this damaging makes it so your body repairs these muscles, and adds a bit more to be better prepared to exert similar efforts in the future.
If you stick to exercises with the same weight, as your muscles become stronger this same effort may not damage your muscles enough to promote extra muscle growth.
By adding extra resistance to movements with these home gym systems you are better able to damage the muscles in a shorter amount of time.
The main limitation of the Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900 is that the resistance only goes up to a certain point.
The Weider 2980 has a weight stack of 80 lbs (36.29 kg) which allows you to do certain exercises with a resistance of up to 214 lbs (97.07 kg).
On the other hand, the Weider Pro 6900 has a weight stack of 125 lbs (56.7 kg) with a max resistance of up to 330 lbs (149.69 kg) for certain exercises. You can not add extra weight to either the Weider 2980 or Weider Pro 6900.
Additionally, the Weider Pro 6900 has more different weight levels to choose from. This allows you to build up the resistance for each exercise more gradually.
That means the Weider Pro 6900 can help you see more muscle growth and strength progress faster. Whether you need this extra resistance depends on how strong you currently are.
Winner: Weider Pro 6900
Weight resistance charts
The Weider home gym systems are made so certain stations get more resistance than others.
Below you can find weight resistance estimation charts for both the Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900 for the different stations from the user manuals.
These can help you decide which home gym system is the best choice for you. The resistance estimations are displayed in pounds.
Keep in mind that the weight resistance for the butterfly arm station (chest fly) is for each arm. Additionally, the actual resistance can vary because of things like friction between the machine parts.
| Weight Setting | High Pulley | Butterfly Arm | Arm Press | Leg Lever | Low Pulley |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | 11 | 16 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
| 1 | 26 | 22 | 44 | 57 | 55 |
| 2 | 42 | 30 | 62 | 85 | 86 |
| 3 | 61 | 41 | 97 | 111 | 119 |
| 4 | 70 | 51 | 127 | 159 | 148 |
| 5 | 86 | 63 | 144 | 182 | 163 |
| 6 | 101 | 82 | 173 | 214 | 187 |
Interesting to note is that the max resistance estimation for the butterfly arm (chest fly) station in the Weider Pro 6900 is lower than the Weider 2980.
| Weight Setting | High Pulley | Butterfly Arm | Arm Press | Leg Lever | Low Pulley |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 19 | 53 | 63 | 57 |
| 2 | 36 | 24 | 78 | 104 | 84 |
| 3 | 53 | 32 | 100 | 132 | 112 |
| 4 | 65 | 40 | 116 | 153 | 140 |
| 5 | 79 | 44 | 140 | 180 | 173 |
| 6 | 93 | 50 | 165 | 201 | 198 |
| 7 | 107 | 57 | 190 | 239 | 227 |
| 8 | 118 | 65 | 218 | 276 | 259 |
| 9 | 131 | 74 | 240 | 303 | 288 |
| 10 | 145 | 79 | 276 | 330 | 320 |
Weight and dimensions
There are some small differences between the dimensions of the Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900.
The Weider Pro 6900 is about 12 inches (30.48 cm) longer, 6 inches (15.24 cm) wider, and 7 inches (17.78 cm) higher.
These differences in dimensions are not that big. For most people, these won’t matter too much but for certain smaller rooms, the smaller size of the Weider 2980 does make a difference.
Winner: Weider 2980
Price
The Weider Pro 6900 is bigger and offers heavier resistance. This leads to this model also being pricier than the Weider 2980. The exact price differences depend on where you buy your models and vary over time.
Whether this extra investment is worth it to you depends on your budget and how much you value the extra resistance.
For most people who are not on a tight budget and are somewhat serious about resistance training, the slightly higher price of the Weider Pro 6900 will be worth it.
Resistance training beginners do want to make sure that the lowest weights of the Weider Pro 6900 are not too heavy to start with. In that case, the Weider 2980 is likely the better choice.
Lowest Price: Weider 2980
Best Value: Weider Pro 6900
User reviews
Generally, looking at the differences in features offers the most objective comparison, especially when comparing two models of the same company.
Sometimes it can be helpful to check out the specific reviews too. In the case of the Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900, the reviews are very similar.
There are a good amount of users that are not big fans of the jumps in resistance of the different stations. They have the impression the provided resistance estimations are not accurate.
Additionally, the boxes are missing certain parts every once in a while. This is a relatively common thing for fitness equipment with many moving parts like home gym systems but unpleasant nonetheless.
Overall, the Weider 2980 and Weider Pro 6900 are relatively good options for their price. You do have to keep in mind that they are not the most premium home gym systems out there.
Weider 2980 and Pro 6900 exercises
You can do the same exercises on the Weider 2980 as the Weider Pro 6900. Even so, it can be helpful to get an idea of what is possible. Some examples of exercises you can do on these machines include:
- Bicep curl variations
- Deadlifts
- Lat pulldowns
- Tricep pushdowns
- Lunges
- Shrugs
- Leg extensions
- Chest presses
- Chest fly
- Tricep kickbacks
- Bent-over rows
- Etc.
For some of these exercises it can be helpful to invest in other cable machine attachments.
Is the Weider 2980 or Weider Pro 6900 better for you?
Which of these two models is the best home gym system for you ultimately depends on what your budget is, how much room you have, and how strong you are.
The difference is not that big but the Weider 2980 is slightly smaller. Additionally, its resistance settings start lower. This can be helpful for resistance training beginners.
If you are able to lift the weights of the Weider Pro 6900, it can help you build more muscle faster due to the higher weight limits.
The Weider 2980 is a bit cheaper than the Weider Pro 6900, but if you have the budget, room, and strength this model is likely the better choice if you are somewhat serious about building muscle and strength.
