The Temple of Gainz Quadsend is the rare home gym machine where the hype is not really the problem. The problem is figuring out whether you have the money and space to justify something this serious.
I backed the early Kickstarter and had been waiting about six months for this unit to arrive. After a week of use, my first impression is blunt: this is the best hack squat and leg press combo unit I have used.
That does not make it the right purchase for everyone. It is expensive, large, and heavy. But if you are comparing pure movement quality, build quality, and attention to detail, this is operating in a different class than budget combo units.
Size And Cost Are The First Filters
The Quadsend is not small. The unit is 99.3 inches long, which came in just under the 100-inch limit I was willing to give this type of machine in my gym. Width depends on configuration. The hack squat foot plate is about 36 inches wide, the smaller plate-loading horn brings the machine to about 50 inches, storage horns move it to roughly 55 inches, and the largest plate-loading horn can push it to about 66 inches.
The small weight horn was enough for my use. I have loaded six plates per side on leg press and still had room left, so most home gym owners are not going to need the widest setup.
Price is the other filter. I bought in at the Kickstarter price of $3,500. The base unit later moved closer to $4,200, and add-ons can push the package toward $5,000. That is a huge jump over something like a RitFit Gazelle, even though the RitFit GAZELLE PRO is a solid value piece in its own category.
The Quadsend is not trying to win on price. It is trying to win on execution.
The Hack Squat Is The Star
The hack squat is the movement that sold me. The range of motion feels essentially unlimited because the machine does not run into the usual combo-unit problem where the leg press seat interferes with the hack squat path.
The foot plate is massive. On the RitFit Gazelle, my toes could run off the top of the plate in some positions. On the Quadsend, I could use high, low, wide, or narrow stances without feeling boxed in.
The details matter too. The shoulder pads feel substantial, the handles are knurled, the safeties are smooth, and the machine includes an auto-unlocking feature in lower safety positions. I am too tall to use that feature on hack squats, but it works for me on leg press.
Reverse-band hack squats are also excellent because the machine includes multiple band peg locations. That lets you dial in exactly where you want assistance or added tension through the movement.
The Leg Press Is Just As Polished
Switching from hack squat to leg press is straightforward. The middle pad pulls out, the leg press foot plate flips into place, and the pin stores directly on the machine. It is the kind of detail that sounds small until you use it repeatedly.
The leg press feels smooth, stable, and complete. The safeties work well, the lower handles are easy to reach, and the built-in calf raise block is useful. I did not install the grip tape on the tread plates and still had no issue with traction.
The machine also handled uneven loading impressively well. Loading one side heavily and leaving the other side empty did not create the drag or binding you might expect from a cheaper machine. That is where the commercial-quality feel shows up.
Not Every Attachment Is Essential
The reverse hack press style attachment was not a favorite. It works, and some lifters may find a use for it, but compared with the hack squat and leg press it feels more cumbersome and less stable. It is not the reason to buy this machine.
Storage is thoughtful, though. The machine has places to store many of its pieces if you have enough clearance around it. In my setup, I prefer keeping some parts near the bottom for faster changes, but the built-in storage points are another sign that Temple of Gainz thought through the home gym use case.
Verdict
The Quadsend is not the best combo unit because it is the cheapest or easiest to fit. It is the best because it does not feel like a compromised combo unit.
If you need something smaller or cheaper, there are other machines worth considering. If you have the budget and the room, this is the one that ends the comparison. The hack squat is outstanding, the leg press is outstanding, and the machine quality supports both movements without the usual home gym compromises.
For my gym, the Quadsend replaces the need to keep searching for a better leg press and hack squat solution. That is exactly what a premium piece should do.