Force USA G9 Review: All-In-One Gym

In this Force USA G9 review, I will tell you everything you need to know about this all-in-one gym to decide if it’s right for you.

The Force USA G9, previously called the Force USA Monster G9, is one of seven all-in-one home gym and functional trainer models sold by Force USA. The combination of the following two features is what characterizes the G9:

• It has a more robust frame than the G3 and G6, making it suitable for certain commercial applications; AND…
• It has a plate-loaded pulley system, rather than a selectorized weight stack.

Model	Pros & Cons	Rating
Force USA G9 All-In-One Trainer Use code KING5 for 5% off	Pros: A 10-in-1 machine that optionally upgrades to 12-in-1 The only G-Series unit with built-in low row station/footplate, located inside the unit The plate-loaded cable system lets you load on as much weight as needed. You still get small enough weight increments with a 2:1 ratio when using either side of the functional trainer (both sides together is 1:1). One of the more compact G-Series models with a depth footprint of just 55", making it a top choice if space is a priority The uprights are 52" apart which is as far as you can get while still being able to fit a barbell (the j-hooks are offset to the inside for extra clearance). This width gives a better stretch on cable flies. Cons: Not enough space in the rack to do incline Smith machine exercises because of the shallow depth The holes on the uprights are spaced 3.75". Closer spacing would allow for more precise j-hook and spotter arm positioning. No band peg holes Lifters over 6'4" can't set the j-hooks high enough for squats. There's a workaround for this, but it's not ideal.	Rated 4.7 out of 5 in All-In-Ones View product page

Many people overlook the Force USA G9. But I argue that it’s the best value (bang for your buck) model out of the bunch. It beats the Force USA G3 on overall build quality. And it undercuts the Force USA G6, G10, G12, G15 and G20 in price by between 20-50%!

…Whether it’s the best model for you is a different question. In this Force USA G9 review, I’ll discuss everything you need to know about this all-in-one gym to decide if it’s the right piece of gym equipment for you.

RELATED POSTS:

• Force USA G3 in-depth review
• Force USA G6 in-depth review
• Force USA G10 in-depth review
• Force USA G12 in-depth review
• Force USA G15 in-depth review
• Force USA G20 in-depth review
• Force USA G3, G6, G9, G10, G12, G15 and G20 review and comparison guide

Use the table of contents to quickly navigate to any part of my Force USA G9 review:

What Comes with the Force USA G9?

The Force USA G9 is a 10-in-1 machine. It can be upgraded to a 12-in-1 machine if you buy the optional upgrade kit.

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The Force USA G9 comes standard with the following exercise stations:

1. Power rack
2. Functional trainer
3. Smith machine
4. Vertical leg press
5. Lat pulldown station (includes a leg holder attachment for the cable column, which can also double as a makeshift footplate if you want to do low rows on the functional trainer instead of on the built-in low row plate in the back of the unit)
6. Low row station (a permanent footplate in front of its own dedicated low pulley)
7. Chin up station
8. Dip station
9. Core trainer / Landmine station
10. Suspension trainer ring

It comes with these cable accessories:

• Short Angled Bar
• Lat Pulldown Bar
• Nylon Stirrup Handles
• Long Straight Bar
• Triceps Rope

NOTE: I’ll talk more about these cable accessories and show photos of each, later in this Force USA G9 review.

The following items are also included standard with the Force USA G9:

• 1 pair of quick-release Olympic collars
• 6 pairs of Olympic spring collars
• A 15-link chain with 2 snap links for each end

If you buy the optional upgrade kit for $399, you get these 2 attachments/exercise stations:

• Jammer arms
• Leg curl/extension

Force USA G9 Dimensions

External Width	79”
External Depth	58”
External Height	88″
Internal Width (Between Uprights)	48” (45″ between j-hooks/spotter arms, which are offset by 1.5″ to the inside on each side)
Internal Width (Smith Machine)	43”
Internal Depth	34”
Internal Height	79”

Force USA G9 Review: Features

Space-Saving Footprint

The Force USA G9’s footprint is about a third of the size that you’d need if you instead bought dedicated training equipment for each of its 10 exercise stations.

This is the ultimate type of setup for anyone with a limited amount of training space, who needs A LOT of exercise variety.

This includes home gym lifters who only have access to a small room or a portion of their garage or basement. It can also include certain commercial settings — from physical therapist offices to small community fitness centers.

With an all-in-one gym like the Force USA G9, you get most of the benefits and capabilities you’d get from having separate, specialized equipment. But you do lose out on some of the marginal benefits of dedicated equipment.

For example, most stations on the G9 will require at least some setup time in terms of moving components around before you can use them (e.g. you need to install the lat pulldown knee pad adapter on the j-hook before you can begin; whereas, you could just add the weight and go if you had a dedicated lat pulldown machine)…

…Similarly, designs on dedicated equipment can make some exercises easier (e.g. a dedicated 45-degree leg press is easier to get into position on, compared to laying down to get under the G9 vertical leg press attachment).

These are the types of unavoidable trade-offs you get when you opt for any all-in-one gym over specialized equipment. BUT you gain space efficiency, which is arguably the most compelling reason to buy an all-in-one gym in the first place.

Not to mention, you also get the big benefits of convenience and price savings — Speaking of price savings, I’ll talk about that more in the next section of this G9 review.

Great Bang for Your Buck

The Force USA G9 will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars compared to buying separate, specialized equipment to achieve the same capabilities.

Beyond that, the Force USA G9 is arguably the best bang for your buck model of all the Force USA G-Series units.

At $2,999 — before the 5% discount from using discount code KING5 — the Force USA G9 is tied with the G10 as the second least expensive option available. Only the Force USA G3 is less expensive, by $1,000…

…But that’s not the full story. You have to consider that the G9 comes with most of its attachments included standard — only the optional upgrade kit, which has 2 attachments, is sold separately.

Whereas, the G3 has several optional attachments sold separately. The G9 with the optional upgrade kit is only about a few hundred dollars more expensive than the G3 when you add the cost of all the optional accessories to the G3’s price.

You also have to consider that the G9 delivers a higher overall build quality than the G3. Plus it has some key features that the G3 lacks, including:

• a better Smith machine
• a slightly smoother-feeling pulley system
• a dedicated low row station
• a 1:1 pulley ratio when using both cables (2:1 when using one cable at a time)

Of course, the G9 lacks a couple of features that the G3 has (e.g. Westside hole spacing, band peg holes).

Depending on your preferences for different features, you could make a great case for the G9 being a better value for the money than the G3. You could go even further and say it’s the best value for the money of all the G-Series models (as is my opinion).

Versatile Design

The Force USA G9 is about as versatile as it gets. It has 10 different exercise stations. That’s more than any of the other Force USA all-in-one models have.

The only versatility it lacks compared to the other units is band peg holes, which are found on the Force USA G3, G6, G10, G15 and G20. Otherwise, the Force USA G9 lets you do as much as the other units.

You can do hundreds of exercises on this machine when you consider the capabilities of each station:

• The power rack lets you do nearly all of the barbell movements you can do in a dedicated, full-sized power rack. This includes squats, bench press, shoulder press and dozens more. A conservative estimate would be a total of 40+ barbell exercises.
• The functional trainer gives you 75+ different cable exercises. Seventy-five is honestly a low estimate. Many more variations are possible if you get creative because adjustable-height cables let you hit any angle with an unrestricted range of motion.
• The dedicated low row station lets you do 10+ exercises. This includes more than just low row variations. It also includes cable exercises such as biceps curls, bent over rows, upright rows and lateral raises.
• The Smith machine lets you do a Smith machine version of most of the exercises you can do in the power rack. Plus, there are some exercises unique to just the Smith machine. In total, this gives you 30+ Smith machine exercise possibilities.
• The landmine/core trainer is a very small piece of equipment. Yet it gives you access to at least 30 landmine exercises. My favorite is the T-bar row, but there are many more, including lots of core-focused movements.
• You can do 9 types of chin ups just based on the grip combinations of the various chin up bar handles. You can do more chin up variations if you think outside of the box (i.e. using bands, doing holds/hangs, adding weight, etc.).
• The dual-grip dip station lets you do — you guessed it — 2 basic dip exercises: wide grip and narrow grip dips. However, there are plenty of other dip variations possible with this dip setup. You can use it for non-dip exercises like incline push ups and inverted rows, which is a cool bonus!
• You get access to an impressive 80 suspension trainer exercises with the suspension trainer ring. You will need your own suspension trainer (i.e. TRX or another brand) to do these.
• The vertical leg press attachment gives you access to 3 leg press variations: narrow, shoulder width and wide stance. That’s not a lot of variations, but the leg press exercise is one of the most effective leg exercises you can do.

If you opt for the G9 upgrade kit, you can also get access to these exercises:

• The jammer arms enable 20+ lever-style exercises. This includes upper body and lower body movements; both push and pull movements. Basically, you can simulate almost any movement you could do on commercial gym weight machines (e.g. Hammer Strength machines).
• The leg curl/extension attachment offers the capability to perform 3 leg exercises, including standing hamstring curls, seated leg curls and hip thrusts. The leg curls and extensions in particular are the most desirable since they’re such popular isolation leg movements. Yet most home gym owners don’t have access to them unless they buy a larger dedicated machine.

I’ll give you more exercise examples when I discuss each exercise station in-depth later in this Force USA G9 review.

Build Quality

The Force USA G9 has a stronger, more reinforced frame than the Force USA G3 and Force USA G6. It’s not quite as beefy as the G20. It’s more or less on par with the G12, G10 and G15 in terms of strength and durability, though the G10 and G15 have the advantage of 11 gauge uprights instead of 12 gauge.

In any case, it’s able to withstand the higher demands of certain limited commercial settings. To be clear, this type of machine wouldn’t be used in a high-traffic big box gym. Rather, it’s designed for the following types of commercial gym spaces:

• Small commercial gyms and community fitness centers
• Physical therapy practices
• Personal training studios
• Fire department gyms
• Police department gyms
• Military base gyms
• Corporate/office gyms
• Hotel gyms

Even though it has can be used in limited commercial settings, it’s also great for use in a home gym setting.

Power Rack

The Force USA G9 power rack is really a “half rack” since it isn’t a full cage with four columns. Still, you can do virtually any barbell exercise in this half rack that you could do in a full-sized power rack. Plus, you get the added benefit of a smaller footprint.

There are dozens of barbell exercise variations you can do in the Force USA G9 power rack. I couldn’t possibly list them all, but here are several of my favorites (note that some of these require a flat/incline/decline adjustable weight bench):

• Squat
• Front squat
• Zercher squat
• Lunge
• Split squat
• Bench press
• Close grip bench press
• Incline bench press
• Decline bench press
• Pin press
• Overhead press
• Seated shoulder press
• Push press
• Barbell row / Yates row
• Rack pull
• Snatch grip rack pull
• Romanian deadlift
• Barbell shrug
• Power shrug
• Biceps curl

The Force USA G9 has the same 992 lb weight capacity rating as all the other Force USA all-in-one gym models. This is more than strong enough to handle all but the most elite lifters.

The Force USA G9 is tied with the Force USA G12 for having the widest power rack area of all the G-Series models. The distance between the uprights is 48″ from inside to inside (and 52″ from outside to outside).

That’s a full 7″ more than the Force USA G6. It’s 4″ more than the Force USA G3, G10 and G15. And it’s 3.5″ more than the Force USA G20.

This gives you plenty of extra room to work for both power rack exercises and pulley exercises. My favorite part of the extra wide space is that you get a better chest stretch on all chest fly variations because the cables are further apart. It makes the pulley setup more similar to a full-sized cable crossover unit, which traditionally has the pulley towers several feet apart.

The 48″ width between the uprights isn’t the full story when it comes to the power rack. On most power racks, the distance between the j-hooks and safeties is the same as the distance between the uprights. However, the Force USA G9 is so wide that the j-hooks and safety spotter arms needed to be offset, or “indented,” to the inside of each upright by 1.5 inches.

This makes the j-hooks and safeties 3 inches closer together than the uprights. So the distance between the j-hooks (and between spotter arms) is 45″ rather than 48″.

Why is it necessary to make the j-hooks and safeties closer together? It ensures you have enough room to fit the barbell shaft on the j-hooks and safety spotters. If they weren’t indented, the distance between the outsides of the j-hooks/safeties (52″) would be further apart than the length of a typical Olympic barbell shaft (51.5″).

When they’re indented, the distance between the outsides of the j-hooks/safeties is 49″. This gives you enough space to fit the barbell shaft with a little room to spare.

The Force USA G12 j-hooks and safeties have the same design because the G9 and G12 both have the same wide frame.

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Spotter Arms

The Force USA G9 includes a pair of safety spotter arms. These are used to catch the barbell at the bottom of the range of motion in case you fail or have to dump the weight.

Each Force USA G9 safety spotter has a protective rubber insert covering the length of the arm. This helps prevent damage to your barbell when setting it on, or dropping it against, the safeties. The rubber absorbs some of the impact and provides a soft surface to preserve the shaft’s knurling and finish.

The spotters have 15” of usable length. This is all you “need” to squat safely. But an additional ~3″ of length would have been ideal in my opinion. I typically squat in a 30 inch deep power rack, so I’m used to taking a relatively big step back when I walk out my squat. If I took the same step back on the Force USA G9 power rack, then I’d walk it past the spotter arms…

…This isn’t a real problem, though. You just have to take a smaller step back and you’ll be fine. You may feel a little closer to the uprights than you’d like at first. But you’ll get used to the shorter walkout distance in no time.

The 15″ spotter arm length on the G9 is the same as on the G6, G10, G12, G15 and G20. Only the G3 has longer spotter arms with 17.5″ of usable length.

J-Hooks

The Force USA G9 comes with a pair of j-hooks. They have the same exact design as the Force USA G12 j-hooks.

They’re also very similar to the Force USA G6, G10 and G15 j-hook designs, with the only differences being:

• The G6, G10 and G15 j-hooks aren’t “offset” to the inside of the uprights like the G9 j-hooks.
• The G6 j-hooks have a pop-pin mechanism for a redundant layer of security; the G9 j-hooks don’t.
• The G10 and G15 j-hooks don’t have a protruding bolt head on the upper portion.

Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice about the G9 j-hooks are the 4 holes on their underside. These allow you to make small height adjustments to the lat pulldown leg holder, which can attach to either j-hook.

The j-hooks have a protective rubber insert that lays across the surface where you rack the barbell. This is the same protective material used on the spotter arms.

Unfortunately, the upper/back portion of the j-hooks lacks any kind of protective covering. There’s also a large bolt head protruding from the middle of it. This makes it easier to scratch your barbell if you slam it into the back of the j-hook.

If you’re careful, it’s pretty easy to avoid hitting the back of the j-hook since the lower portion extends out further than most j-hooks. Still, there will be times when you rack the bar after an intense set and can’t help but slam it into this unprotected area…

…For the vast majority of lifters who don’t care about getting the occasional minor cosmetic imperfection on their bar, you can ignore this next part.

But if you’re like me and try to keep your barbells in as pristine condition as possible (within reason), then I would recommend covering it somehow. Here are a couple of ideas:

• Simply put some foam tape over the bolt and the back surface. This will last a while, but you’ll eventually need to re-apply as it wears down.
• Use a strong adhesive to cover the bolt with rubber bumpers. I’d recommend cutting a groove into the rubber bumper so that it lays flat across the bolt head. Then add a second bumper on top if needed. This will be a long-term solution.

If you’re looking for the model with the best j-hooks, that would be the Force USA G20. It has roller j-hooks that let you effortlessly center a loaded barbell. Plus, they have a tall back, which lets you rack the bar higher up without worrying about hitting the uprights.

Hole Spacing & Hole Accessibility

Each upright on the Force USA G9 power rack has sixteen 1″ diameter holes for installing the j-hooks, safety spotter arms and dip station. The G9 has uniform 3.75″ hole spacing just like the G6 and G12.

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A NOTE ON MAX J-HOOK HOLE HEIGHT:

Because of the pulley design, the uppermost two j-hook holes are inaccessible on the Force USA G9 (and G12)…sort of. Let me explain:

The functional trainer is designed such that the j-hook (or spotter arms or dip attachment) should always be below the pulley. This is because the cable runs from the pulley to the top of the rack, and is positioned directly in front of the j-hook holes. In other words, the cable blocks the holes above it, so the attachments must go below the pulley.

When the pulley is at its highest setting, the pulley itself blocks the highest two j-hook holes. When the j-hooks are in the highest accessible hole (i.e. 3rd hole from the top), the barbell will be 60″ above the floor. This is plenty high for the vast majority of lifters. However, it can be an issue for very tall guys squatting in the power rack; specifically, guys over 6’5″…

…There’s a caveat to this. Technically, there is a workaround for installing the j-hooks in these two otherwise inaccessible holes. You can move the cables to the outside of the uprights and then install the j-hooks. There will be enough slack that the cable will push back with the barbell when you rack it.

However, this is officially not recommended by Force USA because the bar knurling would eventually wear the cable down if you did this regularly. Of course, you could mitigate much of the wear by putting athletic tape around the cable where the bar would hit into.

Bottom line, though — if you use this trick, it should only be an occasional occurrence. For example, it might come in handy if you’re a personal trainer or physical therapist and every once in a while you have a very tall client.

However, if you’re over 6’5″ yourself and plan on frequently squatting in your all-in-one gym, you may want to look into the Force USA G20, Force USA G6 or the Force USA G3 instead. It would be possible for lifters of this height to squat on the Force USA G10 and Force USA G15 as well, but the short internal height of these units might make these users feel too cramped when inside the unit.

I’ve included a video below showing a 6’4″ lifter using this workaround to install the j-hooks in the second-highest hole. He has some trouble getting it over the j-hooks even at his tall stature — And he’s using a high bar position with an empty bar, which means the bar is already as high as possible on his back. He would be better suited using the hole below, which wouldn’t require using a workaround. This is why I say that the G9 power rack is suitable for squatters as tall as 6’5″.

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The 3.75″ hole spacing on the Force USA G9 is larger than the G3’s Westside hole spacing (1″ in the bench area, 2″ in the squat area) and uniform 1″ hole spacing on the G10, G15 and G20.

In an ideal world, I would’ve preferred tighter hole spacing on the G9. But it’s not the end of the world. You’ll just have to accept that sometimes your j-hook or safety arm height setting on a given exercise will be “good enough” instead of “ideal.”

The 3.75″ hole spacing is fine for most lifters. In fact, I consider hole spacing of 4″ or less to be satisfactory for both safety and performance. You can still set the j-hooks and spotter arms accurately enough to bench and squat safely and effectively.

The further you go above 4″ hole spacing, the more likely you are to have to set the j-hooks/safeties in a compromising position: either too low or too high. This means you’ll either have to set the j-hooks much lower than you’d like, which means you waste more energy unracking the bar — and/or you’ll have to set the spotter arms much lower than the bottom of the range of motion, which can be particularly dangerous on bench press.

With 3.75″ hole spacing, the worst-case scenario is having to install the j-hooks or spotters ~3″ below their ideal positions. Any performance loss is minimal and safety isn’t significantly impacted.

Functional Trainer

The Force USA G9 functional trainer is the focal point of this all-in-one gym model. It is easily the most versatile of the nine exercise stations on the G9.

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The functional trainer includes two pulleys: one on each of the power rack uprights.

The pulleys are connected via cables to a single plate-loaded weight carriage. You can adjust each pulley independently to any one of the 16 height settings (same number of settings as on the G12).

Sixteen height settings is plenty for any cable movement. However, it’s worth noting that the Force USA G6 and Force USA G20 both have 19 height settings. And the Force USA G3, G10 and G15 all have 22 height settings.

The cable is 16″ above the floor at the lowest setting and 73″ above the floor at the highest setting.

The pulley adjustment mechanism only requires one hand to adjust. This is an upgrade over the G3, which is designed for two-hand adjustments. It’s a small detail, but remember — you’ll likely be adjusting the pulleys several times every session. It removes some tedium from your workout by making the transition between exercises more efficient.

The action of the Force USA G9 functional trainer is very smooth. It’s the same smoothness as on the G6, G10, G12, G15 and G20. It’s a little bit smoother than on the G3.

I should note that the Force USA G9 is one of just two Force USA all-in-one gym models where two people can’t use each pulley column independently for two different exercises. The other is the G10.

The reason why both cable columns can’t be used independently is because both sides are connected to a single weight carriage. Whereas, each cable column on the G3 connects to two separate weight carriages. The G6, G12, G15 and G20 all have two weight stacks that their cable columns connect to separately…

…Ultimately, this is a necessary trade-off for the G9 to have its dedicated low row station. Not to mention, if there were two plate-loaded weight carriages, it would take up more space and you’d spend twice as much time loading on plates for double pulley exercises.

The plate-loaded weight carriage has two 12″ long weight plate holders. Having such long plate holders is great because it gives you plenty of space to load on a lot of weight.

These holders are slightly angled up. This convenient little feature ensures the plates stay on even if you load plates to the very end — no collar required!

A plate-loaded system like the Force USA G9 may not give you the convenience of selectorized weight stack systems like the Force USA G6, Force USA G12, Force USA G15 and Force USA G20, all of which let you adjust the resistance almost instantly. BUT, you do get a couple of big benefits with the G9’s plate loaded system as a trade-off:

• You can potentially load on much more total weight. Note that the actual max weight depends largely on the thickness of the weight plates you use (i.e. classic cast iron plates or regular bumpers or competition bumpers, etc.).
• You can save A LOT of money. Selectorized weight stacks are expensive. The main difference between the G9 and G12 is that the G12 has a selectorized weight stack, and you pay a premium for that ($4,499 vs $2,999). You even pay more for the G6 than the G9 ($3,499 vs $2,999) — and the G6 has a much lighter weight stack than the G12.

The Force USA G9 has a 1-to-1 pulley ratio. This means the amount of resistance you feel is the same as the amount of weight you load on. In contrast, the Force USA G3, G6, G10, G15 and G20 all have a 2-to-1 pulley ratio, where the resistance is halved (the G10 and G15 also have a 4-to-1 ratio option).

So the G9 allows you to use twice as much resistance compared to if it had a 2-to-1 ratio. The benefit of this is that you can progress further on exercises that require a lot of weight (e.g. cable squats, low rows). And since it’s a plate-loaded setup, it takes less time to load on the plates to achieve the same amount of resistance as a 2-to-1 ratio plate-loaded system like the G3. The only other G-Series model with a 1-to-1 pulley ratio is the G12 (note: the G20’s third weight stack that comes with its optional Lat Row Station Upgrade also uses a 1-to-1 ratio).

NOTE ABOUT THE G9 PULLEY RATIO: The G9’s pulley ratio is 1-to-1 when you’re using both sides of the functional trainer at the same time. It’s also 1-to-1 when you’re using the low pulley in the back of the machine (i.e. the low row station). However, it’s a 2-to-1 ratio when you’re using just one side of the functional trainer. This is because each of the two functional trainer pulleys is connected to just one plate-loaded weight carriage on the back of the machine. As such, the resistance is halved when using just one side.

The combination of the G9’s 12″ long plate holders and its 1-to-1 pulley ratio, give you the ability to add A LOT of resistance. As mentioned previously, the total amount of weight depends on the types and size of the plates you’re using:

• If you only have super thick crumb bumper plates (45 lb plates are 3.75″ thick), you could fit three 45 lb plates per holder, for a max of 270 lbs.
• If you’re using regular cast iron plates (45 lb plates are 1.5″ thick), you could fit a whopping eight 45 lb plates per holder, for a total of 720 lbs!
• There are many different types of plates with thicknesses between the two sizes listed above (e.g. competition bumpers, rubber-coated Olympic plates, regular bumper plates) and some that are thinner (e.g. steel powerlifting plates). However, the point is that even with the thickest plates, most people will be able to load on more weight than they need… which means your strength progression will never hit a ceiling.

The following functional trainer cable accessories come included with the G9 (click to view the full-sized photo):

• Short Angled Bar: This cable accessory is ideal for underhand rows, close grip overhand rows, biceps curls and triceps pushdowns.
• Lat Pulldown Bar: This is your go-to bar for lat pulldowns. Its angled ends make it perfect for using an extra wide grip. You can also do narrower lat pulldown variations by gripping closer together on the straight portion with an overhand or underhand grip. This bar’s utility goes beyond lat pulldowns to many other movements such as low rows (any grip width; overhand/underhand), rear delt rows, upright rows, straight-arm pulldowns, biceps curls and cable pressdowns.
• Nylon Stirrup Handles: This pair of handles is the most versatile cable accessory you can use. You can position them wherever you can position your hand. This allows you to do a ton of unilateral or bilateral movements. Some of the most common stirrup handle movements include chest flyes, unilateral rows, shoulder presses, bilateral or unilateral lat pulldowns, rear and side lateral raises, bench press, concentration curls, underhand triceps extensions and more.
• Long Straight Bar: This bar connects to both pulleys, making it excellent for cable variations of squats, bench press, low rows, standing rows, curls, triceps pressdowns and others. It has a thick diameter with a grippy coating that makes it great to hold onto.
• Triceps Rope: The triceps rope is a classic cable accessory, best known for its application in triceps pushdowns. It’s also an excellent tool for face pulls, upright rows and hammer curls.

This is the same number of cable accessories that come with the G12. The G3, G6, G10, G15 and G20 all come with more cable accessories.

It would be nice if a few more were included with the G9. In particular, I think a close grip cable row handle would have been perfect for the G9’s low row station. Luckily, you can buy decent quality cable attachments on Amazon at affordable prices if you want additional accessories for your G9.

Lat Pulldown Station

The Force USA G9 comes standard with an attachment to hold your legs in place while doing lat pulldowns so that your butt doesn’t come off the seat.

The attachment has 2 roller pads made of foam. They’re both covered in commercial-grade vinyl upholstery to protect the foam from coming apart over time.

This leg holder attachment doesn’t come with an actual seat like the Force USA G3 lat pulldown seat attachment. Rather, it’s designed to be used with a weight bench for the seat. I like this better because a bench is 100% stable, whereas the G3’s seat attachment flexes a bit if you use momentum.

It attaches to either of the j-hooks with one pin. It has a secondary pop-pin built into it that you insert into any of the four holes on the bottom of the j-hook to make micro-adjustments to leg holder height. The micro-adjustments ensure you can get a firm fit against your thighs.

The leg holder attachment can also be used as a makeshift footplate for cable rows on either of the functional trainer columns. You install it at the lowest hole on the power rack and plant your feet against the rollers to stabilize your torso and keep from sliding forward during rows. You can forcefully drive your feet into it without issue.

However, the G9 has a dedicated low row station with a large steel footplate inside the unit. As such, you don’t need to use the leg holder attachment as a footplate for rows on the G9 unless you want to. I’ll talk more about the G9’s dedicated low row station below:

Low Row Station

The Force USA G9 is the only Force USA all-in-one gym model that comes standard with a dedicated low-row station. It’s permanently installed in the rear of the rack.

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Note: The close grip row handle shown in the photo above doesn’t come with the G9. If you want one, you can decent quality ones on Amazon for a good price.

I see this as a standout feature in the G9 since I’m a BIG fan of cable rows.

All of the other models are capable of low rows. However, the setup is less efficient — For example, on the G6, you have to do the workaround of positioning the lat pulldown leg holder pad at the base of the power rack to plant your feet on.

The G3 has an even less effective workaround for creating a makeshift low row footplate. You have to just use a band peg to put your feet against.

The G10, G12, G15 and G20 are better in that they have true low row footplate attachments that you can install on the foot of the rack. But these still require a bit of a set up time in terms of installing and moving the pulley into place. Whereas, the G9’s footplate is always there and ready to go with the pulley permanently in the low position.

Note: On the G20, you can get the same efficient low row setup as the G9 if you purchase the optional G20 Lat Row Station Upgrade. It gives you a dedicated low row station in the back of the rack with a built-in footplate.

Here are the key benefits of the Force USA G9’s dedicated low row station vs the alternative of using the leg holder pad method:

• You get a faster setup time.
• You take up less space by staying inside the rack.
• You can achieve a stronger and more comfortable stance because the steel footplate provides a larger and more stable area to plant your feet.

The action on the low row cable is just as smooth as on the main functional trainer cable columns:

Smith Machine

The Force USA G9 Smith machine lets you do a variation of nearly all the barbell exercises you can do in the power rack. Plus, there are a few other exercises you can only do in a Smith machine.

But just because you can do Smith machine variations of certain barbell exercises, does not necessarily mean that you should. The Smith barbell is on a fixed vertical track. As such, it’s not ideal for certain free weight exercises where the bar or your body needs more freedom of movement (e.g. back squats)…

…That being said, there are plenty of exercises that the Smith machine is excellent for — despite what you may hear from some of the more hard-headed gym bros out there (I used to be one!).

Here’s a brief list of some of the best uses for the Force USA G9 Smith machine:

• Smith machine front squat
• Smith machine hack squat
• Smith machine kneeling squat
• Smith machine Bulgarian split squat
• Smith machine Jefferson squat
• Smith machine flat bench press
• Smith machine rear delt row
• Smith machine Romanian deadlift
• Smith machine single leg Romanian deadlift
• Smith machine power shrug
• Smith machine rack pull
• Smith machine hip thrust
• Smith machine glute kickback
• Smith machine calf raise (seated, standing or even donkey variation)

There are plenty more variations than those listed…

…Particularly, there are a bunch more Smith machine “booty” exercises — Just search for them on Instagram and Pinterest. Many female trainees (and maybe some guys) will appreciate this!

It’s important to note that you can’t do Smith machine incline bench press due to insufficient internal depth inside the G9. There isn’t enough room to put an adjustable bench far enough back while in the incline position. This is a trade-off that comes with having a compact footprint. You run into the same issue with the G12. Only the G3, G6, G10, G15 and G20 have enough internal depth for incline Smith machine exercises. However, there is a decent alternative exercise: Incline press on the functional trainer using the long straight bar attachment.

Although you can’t do incline work on the G9 Smith machine, you can do Smith machine flat bench press.

The Force USA G9 Smith machine has the same 770 lb weight capacity rating as the other Force USA all-in-one gym models. That’s plenty for the vast majority of lifters.

It has the same 12″ loadable sleeve length as the other models’ Smith machines. This may only be an issue if you just have super thick bumper plates (i.e. crumb bumper plates/hi-temp bumpers), in which case you could only load on ~270 lbs of plates. But even in this worst-case scenario, 270 lbs is plenty of weight for the exercises most people do on the Smith machine.

Most people will have other types of weight plates, whether that’s somewhat thinner bumper plates or the much thinner cast iron weight plate — in which case, you can potentially load several hundred more pounds of weight.

The Force USA G9 Smith machine also has safety catches, as do the other models. The safety catches are connected to the Smith track. You set the height by rotating it so it sits atop one of the chrome pegs on the column behind the track. You should set it at or just below the range of motion for whichever Smith machine exercise you’re doing.

I recommend using the safety catches all the time for any Smith machine exercise where you could potentially get stuck under the bar. Do it even if you’re using light weight just to make it a habit.

The Force USA G9 Smith machine has a VERY smooth gliding action. It’s just as smooth as any high-end Smith machine you’d find in a large commercial gym. The smoothness is the same as on the G20, G15, G12, G10 and G6. The G9 Smith machine is, however, notably smoother than the Force USA G3 Smith machine.

The G9 has a counterbalanced Smith machine, as do the G10 and G15. Whereas the G3, G6 and G20 Smith machines all have non-counterbalanced Smith machines.

The resistance of the empty bar is less than its actual weight on counterbalanced Smith machines.

The video below shows the G12 Smith machine, which has the same counterbalanced Smith machine as the G9:

A non-counterbalanced Smith machine like the ones on the G3, G6 and G20 has a starting weight of 45 lbs.

The Force USA G9 Smith machine has a starting weight of 0 lbs…

…The main benefit of this is that lifters can perform movements at very light weights. This is something that would be very useful if you’re using the Force USA G9 in a personal training studio to train pure beginners. Similarly, it’s perfect for use in a physical therapy setting for rehab.

Even if never need to use super light weights, there is a bonus benefit to a counterbalanced system: You don’t have to factor in the weight of the bar when calculating the total load. You just add up the weights of all the plates.

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Vertical Leg Press

The leg press plate is one of my favorite attachments on the Force USA G9. Really, it’s a favorite on all of the G-Series models.

One benefit of the leg press is the fact that it’s for vertical leg pressing. Vertical leg pressing gives you a similar training effect to a 45-degree leg press machine, but with less weight required.

This is helpful because it takes less time to load on the weight. More importantly, you don’t need as much total weight in your gym. If you had a 45-degree leg press, you’d have to invest in a lot more weight plates once you get strong enough.

The Force USA G9 leg press attachment has the same design as the Force USA G20, G15, G12, G10 and G6.

It is different than the Force USA G3 leg press plate, though. The G9 plate has a more angular shape compared to the rectangular G3 plate shape. The installation mechanism is different, too. And the G3 plate is sold separately, while the G9 plate comes standard.

The G9 leg press attachment attaches to the hooks on each end of the Smith machine bar via pop-pins. They’re very easy to use and make the plate super secure. It’s a better system than the G3 leg press attachment, which uses two pins that go through the leg press plate and holes in the Smith bar shaft.

Both methods are safe, but it’s faster to install the G9’s plate. Plus, there’s zero wiggle room in the connection.

The Force USA G9 vertical leg press plate is 29.5″ wide. This is the same width as the G20, G15, G12, G10 and G6 leg press plates. It’s just a half-inch wider than the G3 plate. This plate width lets you leg press with a wide, medium and narrow width stance:

The G3 leg press plate has two advantages over the G9 leg press plate:

• It can be locked into place so that the plate stays parallel to the floor without having to think about your ankle position.
• It has spotter rails that you control with your hands to rack and unrack the weight. Some people find this a bit more convenient.

The up and down motion is super smooth when you’re leg pressing on the Force USA G9. It’s just as smooth as when you’re doing regular Smith machine exercises. This is to be expected since the leg press plate is installed directly on the Smith bar.

The motion is smoother than when leg pressing on the Force USA G3 since the G3 Smith machine has some drag.

Make a habit of setting the Smith machine safety catches at or just below the lowest point in your range of motion whenever performing vertical leg presses on the G9. This ensures you won’t get stuck under the weight if you fail at the bottom of a rep.

TIP: You can do leg presses while lying on the floor, too. Lying on the bench just makes it more comfortable because it’s padded. If you use the floor, you may want to get a foam exercise mat to cushion your back and head, especially once you’re pressing heavier loads.

Dip Station

The Force USA G9 dip station consists of two pieces: A left side and right side. You attach one on each power rack upright at the same height. You install them just like a pair of j-hooks.

It has two pairs of grip handles: wide grip handles (21″ apart) and narrow grip handles (27.5″ apart). This gives you the ability to do two basic dip exercises off the bat:

• Wide grip dips, which are better for emphasizing the chest
• Narrow grip dips, which will target the triceps more

The handles are rubber-coated to give you a more comfortable and non-slip grip. Each handle has a 30mm (1-3/16″) diameter, which is not too narrow and not too thick.

You do dips over the midline of the G9 unit since the two halves of the dip station attach to both uprights. This has a couple of benefits over the Y-dip style attachment seen on many power racks and which attaches on a single upright:

• You can lean forward as much as you want without bumping into anything. On some power racks with Y-dip bars, your head will make contact with the upright if you lean too far forward.
• You can face either direction: forward or back. On most Y-dip bars, your legs would bump into the upright at the bottom of the rep if you did dips facing away from the rack.
• The rack is more stable since your weight is distributed over its midline, instead of off to the side on a single upright.

There are some less obvious exercises you can do on the Force USA G9 dip station:

• Band-assisted dips (by attaching a band to the suspension trainer ring, then looping it around your feet)
• Inverted rows
• Incline push ups

You can check out these creative dip variations to find more creative ways to use the dip attachment.

Chin Up Station

The Force USA G9 chin up station is a multi-grip setup. It has:

• Two oblique bars
• Four short bars that are parallel to each other
• Two longer straight bars that are perpendicular to the short bars; both bars angle downward at their ends

There are several grip position combinations made possible by these bar segments. They let you do all of these chin up variations:

• Normal width pronated grip
• Normal width supinated grip
• Normal width semi-supinated grip
• Close pronated grip
• Close supinated grip
• Close semi-pronated grip (using diagonal and straight segments)
• Wide pronated grip
• Wide neutral grip
• Close neutral grip

The chin up handle diameters are 33mm (1.3″) thick on steel portions and 38mm (1.5″) thick on the padded portions. Both measurements are right in the sweet spot of comfort for most lifters.

This is the same type of multi-grip chin up bar as on the G6, G10, G12, G15 and G20 (though the G20 also has a globe-style chin up station on one side of the rack).

It is different than the “Monkey style” chin up bar that comes with the Force USA G3. And while the G9 and G3 chin up bars look quite different, the exercise possibilities on each are nearly the same — with the notable exception that you can do close neutral grip chin ups on the G9, but not on the G3.

Another difference between the G9 and G3 chin up bars is that the G9 chin up bar has rubber covers to enhance grip on the wide grip portion and smooth powder coated steel everywhere else. In comparison, the G3 chin up bar has knurling on several portions, which enhances your grip.

Ideally, I wish the Force USA G9 chin up station had knurled handles. But that’s a relatively minor complaint. All in all, the G9 chin up station is great in both feel and function.

Landmine / Core Trainer

The Force USA G9 comes with a landmine/core trainer station. This includes:

• A landmine attachment, which holds one end of the barbell.
• A dual-handle attachment that you can slide over the other end of the barbell. One set of handles is straight (for an overhand grip) and the other set is parallel (for a neutral grip). This handle attachment is designed for t-bar rows — which is an excellent exercise for building upper back thickness.

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The landmine attachment installs permanently at the base of the rack, in front of one of the power rack uprights. You can install it on either the inside or outside. I recommend putting it on the outside since it will be out of the way.

This attachment takes up a tiny amount of space but gives you a ton of exercise variety. Here’s a small sample of 30+ exercises you can do with it. Many are excellent core strength/stability builders:

• T-bar row
• Landmine press
• Landmine floor press
• Landmine kneeling press
• Landmine hand-to-hand pass
• Landmine anti-rotation
• Landmine windmill
• Landmine rear delt row
• Landmine one arm row
• Landmine hack squat
• Landmine deadlift
• Landmine single leg RDL

Suspension Trainer Ring

The suspension trainer ring is a small, but useful little feature. It lets you install a suspension trainer unit to the Force USA G9 with ease.

The suspension trainer ring is located under the upper crossbeam that the chin up station is welded on. The ring is formed by the curved part of a U-bolt. The two ends of the U-bolt insert through the bottom of the crossbeam and come out the top, where they’re secured with washers and nuts. The hardware is robust, making the ring highly secure.

The ring gives you a fast and convenient way to install a suspension trainer:

• You can simply hook the suspension trainer clip directly to the ring.
• Or you can loop the extension strap portion through the ring.

The suspension trainer will never slide side to side, which is something you’d have to worry about if you attached it to a power rack beam that didn’t have a ring.

You get access to at least 80 exercises when you use a suspension trainer on the Force USA G9. Here’s a small sample of the many possible movements:

• Suspension trainer knee tuck
• Suspension trainer pike
• Suspension trainer inverted row
• Suspension trainer scapular retractions
• Suspension trainer chest press
• Suspension trainer reverse fly
• Suspension trainer triceps dip
• Suspension trainer biceps curl
• Suspension trainer decline push up
• Suspension trainer pistol squat
• Suspension trainer hip thrust

The suspension trainer ring has a hidden use: You can attach bands to it so you can do:

• Band resistance exercises like band triceps pushdowns, band face pulls, band lat pulldowns and high to low band woodchops.
• Band-assisted exercises like band-assisted dips and band-assisted pull ups (perfect if you can’t lift your full body weight on these exercises)

Note that the Force USA G9 does not come with a suspension trainer. You can get one on Amazon for a reasonable price if you don’t have one already. I recommend the TRX, which is the industry standard.

Jammer Arms

The G9 upgrade kit, launched in November 2022, includes jammer arms that give you the ability to do lever-style machine exercises on the G9 power rack.

Jammer arms had been a highly requested feature on the G9 and all other G-Series models for that matter.

Originally, the newer G10 and G15 were the only models that had jammer arms. And I knew the G20 was going to eventually get jammer arms, too. However, I didn’t expect them to make jammer arms available for the G9 or any of the other older G-Series models (i.e. G3, G6, G12), which also now have their own jammer arms available.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see this development!

The G9 jammer arms are very similar to the jammer arms for the G10, G15 and G20 (and G3, which uses the G20 jammer arms). There are a couple of differences:

• The G9 jammer arms have been modified to fit the larger 1″ holes and 3.75″ hole spacing rather than 5/8″ holes and 1″ hole spacing.
• The G9 jammer arms use a j-hook style installation mechanism. There is also a secondary pin that inserts through the jammer arm bracket just outside of the upright, to keep the jammer arms from moving around during use. Compare this the G3/G10/G15/G20 jammer arms that have two pins that insert through two upright holes, one of which is secured with a threaded knob.

The G9 jammer arms are the exact same as the G12 jammer arms. And they’re almost the same the same as the G6 jammer arms, except that the G9/G12 jammer arms have an offset rubber stopper pad, which allows you to prop the arms on the G9/G12 spotter arms, which as I’ve explained in this review are also offset.

If you have a home gym, you don’t have the space or budget for multiple dedicated commercial lever-style machines (e.g. Hammer Strength machines). The G9 jammer arms provide a budget-friendly and space-efficient way to emulate most of the machine exercises that you could normally have access to in a commercial gym.

It’s all about how you position yourself AND the jammer arms to get the angle you want to hit. There are different ways you can manipulate these variables:

• Adjust the height of the jammer arms
• Use a bench, stand, bend over or kneel
• Start with the jammer arms against the upright (default position) or prop them up on the spotter arms (more on this later)

My favorite use for jammer arms is for hypertrophy training (i.e. muscle building). Since the arm is swinging through a fixed path, you don’t have to worry about stabilizing the weight. You can put all your focus on the target muscle. It’s a great way to build the mind-muscle connection.

Here are a few examples of some popular jammer arm movements:

• Jammer Arm Standing Overhead Press
• Jammer Arm Seated Overhead Pres
• Jammer Arm Split Squat
• Jammer Arm Incline Bench Press
• Jammer Arm Bent Over Rows
• Jammer Arm Chest-Supported Rows

If you’re an athlete you may also find the jammer arms useful for training explosiveness by using light weight and rapid speed on exercises like the push press.

One of the unique aspects of these jammer arms is the slight bend in the arm, around 30 degrees, which allows for propping on the spotter arms. This enables exercises that require the jammer arms to be in a straight-out position at the start of the lift so that you can get directly beneath the weight (e.g. flat bench). This feature is not commonly found in other jammer arms on the market. Other jammer arms are usually just straight, which makes them harder to prop up.

Whether you prop the jammer arms on the spotter arms or you keep it in the default starting position against the uprights, they’ll be cushioned by rubber stoppers on the back of the arm. This protects both the jammer arm and whatever surface it’s touching.

The jammer arms feature ergonomic, rubber-coated handles in a unique U-shape design that provides a comfortable and secure grip.

This handle shape creates one neutral grip segment and two different straight grip segments, providing an array of hand position and leverage options.

The neutral grip gives you a more shoulder-friendly grip option.

If you use the straight grip segment closer to the rack, the load feels heavier. The one farther away decreases the resistance. One technique you can use is to go to failure on the heavier straight grip, then immediately move to the lighter straight grip to continue to the set; kind of like a drop set.

Each jammer arm features a 12″ weight horn for loading plates. That give you all the space you need to load plates on even for heavier movements.

Unfortunately there’s no easy way to attach band resistance to jammer arms since the G9 doesn’t band peg holes in the base of the rack like most of the other G-Series units. If you want to do this, you’ll need to figure out a creative workaround for anchoring the band.

Leg Curl/Extension

The leg curl/extension attachment comes bundled with the jammer arms when you purchase G9 upgrade kit.

It’s nearly the same as the leg curl/extension attachments available on the G3, G10, G15 and G20, except that those attachments have a smaller peg that fits into the 5/8″ power rack holes on those models.

However, the G9 leg curl/extension attachment has a 1″ peg to fit into the 1″ holes on the G9 rack. It is 100% identical to the leg curl/extension attachments available for the G6 and G12 since those models also have 1″ holes.

The G9 leg curl/extension attachment consists of:

• A sturdy frame that attaches to your power rack
• A lever portion that connects to the frame on a hinge
• A weight horn on the bottom of the lever that extends forward
• Two high-density foam rollers with sweat-resistant covers (the top one is removable)
• A convenient pop-pin adjustment mechanism, which allows you to adjust the position of the bottom roller as needed for your leg length

The G9 leg curl/extension attachment is designed to be inserted into any hole on the power rack upright, similar to a j-hook. This bracket wraps around the upright to hold it securely in place.

There is an additional pin that you insert through the bracket, just to the side of the upright, which prevents the bracket from rotating on the upright while in use.

I don’t have any photos of leg curl/extension attached to the G9. But you can see exactly how it would work in the photo below of the same type of attachment on the G20:

The attachment makes it possible to do these popular leg exercises:

• Seated Leg Extensions: You’ll need to sit on a weight bench for this exercise. Make sure the top roller on the attachment is around the same height as the bench. I recommend doing unilateral (single-leg) leg extensions for best results. You can do bilateral leg extensions, but you may notice that the resistance is uneven between your left and right leg since the weight isn’t centered.
• Single-leg Standing Leg Curls: Lying leg curls are not possible with this attachment. However, standing single-leg leg curls using one leg at a time are possible. By using one leg at a time instead of both, you prevent the stronger leg from compensating for the weaker leg.
• Hip Thrusts: You must first take off the top roller pad. Then get your hips under the bottom roller and put your back on a bench. The main negative of using this attachment for hip thrusts is that you’re limited by how much weight you can load on the weight horn. Eventually you won’t be able to add enough weight to challenge yourself. At that point, you’ll have move on to barbell hip thrusts.

Accessory Storage

The Force USA G9 comes with a dedicated area to hang all the included cable accessories as well as other gym accessories you may own.

It is located inside the rack, toward the rear. It includes a large panel with an exercise diagram showing 35 common functional trainer exercises you can do on the G9. There are 6 storage hooks below the panel to hang your accessories on.

This is plenty of storage space for all of the included cable accessories. You’ll have extra room for other gym accessories you may already own (e.g. lifting belt, grip trainers, dip belt, neck harness) since you can add multiple accessories to a single hook.

Additionally, you can drape any of your flexible accessories like resistance bands, wraps or chains over the panel itself. But chances are the hooks will be all you’ll need.

Having a convenient and well-placed storage area like this is essential for convenience and keeping your gym clutter-free.

Weight Plate Storage

The Force USA G9 comes with a dedicated weight plate storage section toward the back of the rack on both sides. There are 3 plate holders on the left and 3 on the right. This gives most people enough room to store all the plates in their collection.

Not only can you store all your plates, but having 6 total storage pegs lets you organize the plates by size (e.g. 45/55 lb plates together, 35/25 lb plates together; 15/10/5 lb plates together). You can get the plates you need faster than if you had just 2 or 4 storage pegs. You won’t have to strip off all the weights from the holder just to get to the one you need in the back.

I like that the storage pegs are angled ~30-40 degrees toward the front of the unit. This design is also seen on the G12. However, most other all-in-one gyms or regular power racks have their storage pegs sticking straight out to the sides.

This unique angled plate holder position does two things:

• It puts the weights closer to the Smith machine and power rack. This makes it a bit easier and faster to transfer the plates to and from the Smith bar or the barbell on the power rack.
• It positions the weights slightly away from the plate holders on the pulley system. This ensures the stored weights don’t get in your way when moving plates on or off the weight carriage.

You can optionally remove the Olympic storage pegs to reveal 1” standard-sized diameter pegs. Many people will have no use for the standard-sized pegs. But there are more than a few home gym lifters out there who will appreciate it. This includes anyone with spin-lock dumbbells and barbells in their gym, with no place to store the plates.

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Barbell Storage

The Force USA G9 comes with a vertical barbell holder on the outside of the machine, toward the rear. It has spots for an Olympic barbell (~2” diameter) and a standard barbell (1” diameter).

This feature lets you conveniently store your barbell out the way when you’re using another exercise station or after you finish your workout.

Your ceiling needs to be at least 7’11” high to put a full-length Olympic barbell in the bar holder. This is higher than the max height of the Force USA G9. This measurement accounts for the distance needed to lift the bar in and out of the storage sleeve.

Most ceilings are 8 feet or higher, so this shouldn’t be an issue for most people. You can find an alternative bar storage method such as this or this if your ceilings are too short. Or you can simply store the bar in the j-hooks when you’re done training.

Olympic AND Standard Compatibility

The Force USA G9 is compatible with Olympic AND standard plates AND bars.

As mentioned in the previous sections of this Force USA G9 review, the G9 is built for use with Olympic plates and bars first and foremost. But it is adaptable for compatibility with standard-sized plates and barbells. This includes:

• Weight storage
• Barbell storage
• Smith machine bar sleeves
• Plate-loaded weight carriage for the pulley system

This dual compatibility is something only a minority of users will care about. But those who do care will be very happy that they can use their existing equipment on this machine.

Missing Features

Band Peg Holes

The Force USA G9 has no band peg holes. Same with the G12. This means you can’t do any band-resisted exercises in the power rack, Smith machine or on the pulley system.

If that’s something essential to you, then you have two options:

• Consider the G3, G6, G10, G15 or G20 instead. Note that the G10 and G15 band pegs are only in the Smith machine area, so you can’t add band resistance to power rack exercises or cable exercises.
• Or if you are set on getting the G9, there is a workaround for getting band pegs: Buy and install mountable band pegs. You will have to either bolt them to the floor just outside of the G9’s footprint. Or if you have the G9 on a lifting platform, you can bolt them into that.

Bolt-down Capability

If you look closely at photos of the G9 (or G12), it may appear to have a bolt-down capability since there are holes in the feet:

Unfortunately, these were not designed for bolting the unit to the floor. Theoretically, you could put a bolt through them and into the floor, but it’s not built for that purpose. And Force USA doesn’t advertise or recommend doing that.

Why not? A few reasons:

• Those plates with the holes aren’t welded to the frame like on the bolt-able G3, G6 and G20 models.
• There are only holes on the front of the rack.
• The diameter of the holes doesn’t readily allow for a 5/8″+ bolt, which is standard when bolting racks down.

You’d probably be fine if you wanted to put bolts in simply to prevent the rack from shifting out of place over time. But that’s it.

That said, there’s not much of a reason to bolt down the Force USA G9 in the first place. This is for two reasons:

• It has a stable design by default thanks to its extra wide, flat foot design; and a heavy weight even without weights on it.
• It doesn’t have band pegs. You won’t be pulling up on the rack with band tension from band-resisted exercises.

Force USA Training App

When it comes to the Force USA G9, many potential buyers or current owners are sometimes left scratching their heads because of the sheer number of exercise options.

For some, they’re not sure about all the exercises they can do with it. This can make some folks hesitant to buy, and those who do might not be using the G9 to its full potential.

Enter the Force USA Training App. It’s pretty handy, showing all the exercises you can do with the G9 and also with other models in the G-Series or X-Series. Plus, the app has specific workout routines tailored for a machine like the G9.

Having taken it for a spin, I can say the app is surprisingly good. Instead of just being another generic fitness app, this one actually solves a real and specific need — to help users get the most out of their all-in-one trainer.

Here are the main app features to know about:

• Workout Program Library: It’s packed with different workouts for different training goals, whether you’re a beginner or more advanced.
• Exercise Library: There are loads of short demo videos showing how to do exercises on all of the different G9 exercise stations. This is a great way to find new exercises or to learn proper form for an exercise that your routine calls for.
• Progress & Performance Tracking: You can see how you’ve been doing over time, with records of your past workouts and highlights of your best lifts. The “Program Pyramid” on the home screen is a cool visual way to see how you’re sticking to your plan.
• User-Friendly Design: It’s easy to get around the app and find what you’re looking for, which means you’ll probably use it more often.
• Workout Flow: When you start a workout, the app guides you through each step. You can change the weight and reps as you go, and then just tap to move to the next set.
• Rest Timer: After each set, a timer pops up to let you know exactly how long to rest before starting your next lift. This helps prevent distractions and keeps your workouts efficient.

There is a drawback, though: you can’t make your own custom workout from scratch in the app. So if you have a specific routine you love, that might be a bit of a bummer. Still, you can always use the exercise library to get ideas on how to use your G9.

Personally, I have my own routine and I’ve been using Google Sheets to keep track of it for a while now. But having tried out this app, I think it could be a big help for a lot of Force USA G9 owners, especially if they’re just starting out with lifting.

Shipping

US Shipping

The Force USA G9 is sold exclusively through ForceUSA.com in America. It ships to the lower 48 US states. Shipping costs $249, which is a very fair rate considering how large and heavy the Force USA G9 shipment is.

The unit ships via freight and comes inside a large crate, on a pallet. The total shipping weight is 608 lbs.

Freight shipping is used because it greatly reduces the likelihood of damage vs traditional ground shipping. The freight company will reach out to coordinate a shipping date and time because you have to be home to sign for the delivery. Make sure to inspect the shipment for any damage before you sign.

Note that it’s a curbside delivery, meaning the shipping guys won’t be able to bring this inside your home.

International Shipping

Shipping to Australia

Normally, I would recommend Australian customers buy through GymAndFitness.com.au, since they also accept my KING5 discount code. Unfortunately, they no longer carry the G9. You may be able to find it from another Australian retailer if you search around.

Shipping to Canada

Canadians are finally able to get ahold of the G-Series units thanks to the recent launch of ForceUSA.ca. My KING5 code work here as well so be sure to use it for an extra 5% off your order.

Shipping to the Middle East

For any of my readers in the Gulf countries, I recommend buying your G9 through Garner Fitness Supplies (Garner.ae) or Alqudra Sports Equipment (Alqudra.sa). These retailers, which have the same parent company, both carry all of the G-Series units, plus a ton of other equipment.

My KING5 code is also valid on both of these sites for 5% off your order.

Garner is located in the UAE and can ship anywhere within the UAE. Plus, they can export to Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia (if needed). Alqudra is located in Saudi Arabia and can ship throughout the country, as well as export to Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE (if needed).

Who Is the Force USA G9 Best for?

The Force USA G9 is the “sleeper” of the G-Series. That is, it’s easy to overlook. But it’s one of the best deals considering its price, build quality and features.

So, who’s it for?

There are a few groups of people who should strongly consider buying the G9.

The first group includes home gym lifters who are serious about strength training but don’t need special features like Westside hole spacing, band pegs or a selectorized weight stack. Here’s why:

• If you’re a serious powerlifter, you may want hyper-precise hole spacing and the ability to use band pegs. The G3 and G20 may be better for you in that case — and possibly the G10 and G15, though remember that the G10/G15 band peg holes are only in the Smith machine region. However, if band work and hole spacing aren’t that important and you care more about being able to lift heavy weight, the G9 is better than the G3 in some ways. You can add more resistance to the G9 since its pulley ratio is 1:1 (when using both cables or using the rear cable for low rows) instead of 2:1. It’s also easier and faster to add weight on the G9 vs the G3. For example, you have to load the plates onto four weight holders for the G3 vs just two for the G9 on any double pulley exercise.
• The G9 saves you A LOT of money ($500-3,000) compared to the selectorized models (G6/G12/G15/G20). It’s an easy choice if you don’t need a selectorized weight stack. It also saves you hundreds compared to the G10, which is the other higher-end plate-loaded model.

The Force USA G9 is also great for fire stations, police departments and military bases with a gym area. Here’s why:

• It can stand up to daily use from multiple people and has a lifetime structural warranty to back up that claim.
• These types of places are more likely to already have plenty of weight plates in their gym for their other equipment. In this case, a plate-loaded machine may make more sense.
• These places have limited budgets and all major expenses need to be approved. The lower price of $2,999 is easier to justify than the significantly higher price tags for the G12, G15 and G20, which are the other higher-end models in terms of build quality.

Another ideal use case for the Force USA G9 is in small rec centers or fitness centers, office gyms or hotel gyms. Here’s why:

• These places often have limited space. Much of the space is often dominated by cardio equipment. An all-in-one gym machine like the G9 would greatly increase resistance training exercise options for their visitors without taking up too much floor space.
• These smaller gyms don’t get extremely busy. There wouldn’t be an issue of people constantly waiting to use one of the exercise stations, which would happen in a high-traffic commercial gym.

The final group of people who should choose the G9 is anyone who loves back training so much that a dedicated low row station is a must-have. Although you can do low rows on all other models with a non-permanent setup, the G9 has the best and most convenient setup. That is, unless you also consider the G20 with the optional Lat Row Station Upgrade, which gives the G20 a dedicated low row station with a built-in footplate.

I see the G9’s dedicated low row station as a big selling point since cable rows are a staple of my training. I don’t think it makes sense to pick the G9 only because of this feature, but it can be a tie-breaker if you’re deciding between the G9 and another unit.

Overall Rating

Buy the Force USA G9 – Use KING5 for 5% OFF »

Force USA G9 vs G3 vs G6 vs G10 vs G12 vs G15 vs G20

If you’ve finished reading my Force USA G9 review and are still weighing the G9 against the other G-Series models, I recommend you read my in-depth Monster G3, G6, G9, G10, G12, G15 and G20 comparison and buying guide.

You can check out all of the Force USA all-in-one gym models by clicking below:

Check Current Prices – Force USA G3, G6, G9, G10, G12, G15 & G20 »

And remember, you can use code KING5 to get 5% off your entire order. It applies to any model you buy:

P.S. To my Canadian readers — Don’t forget that you can also use discount code KING5 when you order through ForceUSA.ca.