A lot of you know that I’m the proud owner of a Powertec rack system since last February. This month, I have decided to purchase a Powertec P-HC hyperextension/roman chair to do back and ab exercises. Here’s my initial impressions on the unit and why I decided to purchase it.

I have noticed that my lower back has gotten really weak as of late, and my abs are almost non-existent. Since I am tight on space in my basement, I wanted a machine that could do both jobs. A roman chair with an adjustable hyper-extension unit was just the thing. Luckily, Powertec has a model dubbed the P-HC. I headed over to Fitness Nutrition to see if they had this model in stock and see if I could get a deal. Unfortunately, they didn’t, but they promised me that they would have it in within two to three weeks. I paid a 50$ deposit using my credit card and left, patiently waiting for the exercise machine to come in. Total price was 350.00$ CDN plus taxes.

Fast forward three weeks, the unit is in. I went over to the store and picked up this rather medium-sized box. I drove home rather excited to put this thing together and work out on it, as my lower back has been killing me on the other exercises (notable the squat and rows…). Once home, I rushed downstairs, ripped open the box and assembled the unit within forty-five minutes using my trusty Mastercraft tools. Finally assembled, this thing takes up quite a bit of space! I didn’t know how I was going to fit it in with the rest of my equipment in the storage room, but I somehow managed to squeeze it next to the rack.

Those who know Powertec will whole-heartedly agree that they are absolute quality: the P-HC is made of pure carbon steel, and it’s a rock solid piece of machinery. The equipment once assembled, can’t be budged that easily, which is a good thing as I don’t want the machine to topple over or senselessly shake while I do my exercises on it!

I did some hypers and crunches on the PH-C today, and I’m happy to report that it does the job with no problems. The unit is well-built and solid, with no budging or rattles whatsoever.

For anyone looking for a great piece of equipment at a decent price, the Powertech P-HC is the way to go. American customers can order it from Amazon for 300.00$ USD + shipping.