Cybex VR Overhead Press

The Cybex VR Overhead Press is a selectorized, single-station shoulder press from Cybex’s commercial VR2 line (product no. 4526, single-axis; 4527, Dual Axis). Counterbalanced input arms give deconditioned users a light starting weight, angled handles offer a choice between a “barbell” (horizontal) grip and a neutral grip that’s easier on compromised shoulders, and a cam provides variable resistance that’s heaviest at the top of the press, where the body’s leverage is best. The 4527 Dual Axis version goes further: it lets the user define their own pressing path within the safe plane of motion (including bringing the handles inward at the top, dumbbell-style) and adds resistance against that inward motion, shifting emphasis toward the deltoids. Both variants share a 205 lb (93 kg) weight stack, adjustable in 5 lb increments, and a 55” W x 62” L x 61” H footprint.

This is discontinued commercial gym equipment, not a current retail product — Cybex’s own site now redirects to Life Fitness (which acquired Cybex), and the VR2 generation has been fully superseded by VR3. It lives entirely in the used/remanufactured secondary market: commercial resellers price comparable VR2 overhead/shoulder presses anywhere from $650 for a low-stock used unit up to $3,799 for a fully remanufactured unit with a 1-year parts-and-labor warranty, with warranty terms ranging from 30-day parts-only to a full year depending on the dealer. At 519-542 lb and 55”x62”, it needs a dedicated commercial-caliber floor and freight/rigging to move, not a garage corner.

Independent coverage of this specific machine is essentially nonexistent — it isn’t sold direct-to-consumer, so outlets like GarageGymReviews never tested it, and this catalog has 0 reviews on file. What exists is a handful of commercial-reseller listings (broadly consistent on mechanism and condition, though one lists conflicting plate-loaded specs — flagged below) and a r/homegym post confirming that Cybex’s discontinued commercial presses are actively sought out for high-end home gyms, with real freight and refurbishment costs attached. Treat this page as an honest, spec-driven look at a well-regarded but unproven-on-this-site commercial machine, not a home-gym buying-guide pick. If you’re weighing a commercial selectorized single-station press for a serious home setup, the Ultra Converging Chest Press is a comparably positioned alternative worth cross-shopping.

Buying guide

Best GHD for a Home Gym — July 2026

Model	Cybex VR2 Overhead Press — single-axis (4526) or Dual Axis (4527)
Movement	Single-axis fixed path (4526), or Dual Axis user-defined path with 2-directional resistance (4527)
Warranty	None new (discontinued); reseller listings seen range from 30-day parts-only (used) to 1-year parts & labor (remanufactured)
Footprint	55" W x 62" L x 61" H (140 x 158 x 155 cm) — both variants
Generation	VR2 (discontinued; superseded by VR3, still sold new by Life Fitness/Cybex)
Weight stack	205 lb (93 kg), 5 lb increments
Machine weight	519 lb / 236 kg (single-axis 4526); 542 lb / 246 kg (Dual Axis 4527)

What is a Machine?

What a strength machine is

A strength machine guides the resistance along a fixed path so you can train a movement safely, often without a spotter. The main types: selectorized (pick weight with a pin), plate-loaded (add your own plates for a heavier ceiling and better feel), and functional trainers / cable machines (adjustable pulleys for dozens of exercises).

Machines vs. free weights

Machines shine for isolation, safety, and high-rep hypertrophy, and for training hard alone. Free weights build more stabilizer strength and carry over better to sport. Most well-rounded home gyms use a rack and barbell as the core and add one machine — often a cable/functional trainer or a lat-pulldown/row — to fill the gaps.

The sub-types worth knowing

“Machines” covers several categories that barely compete with each other: GHDs for hamstring and posterior-chain work, belt squats for loading the legs without the bar on your back, leg press / hack squat combos for heavy quad volume, reverse hypers for posterior-chain work and lower-back decompression, cable towers and functional trainers for pulling movements, and row machines. Pick the one that fills a gap in what your rack and barbell already do. Almost nobody needs two.

Space and standalone vs. rack-mounted

Most of these come in a standalone version and a cheaper rack-attachment version. The attachment saves floor space and money, but often gives up stability or range of motion — a tradeoff worth checking on the specific product rather than assuming, since it varies a lot between designs.

A note on ratings

Machine listings frequently show a manufacturer’s own on-site rating, which runs high (4.7–5.0 is typical) and sometimes pools reviews across a whole product family rather than the exact configuration you’re buying. Where we have independent hands-on coverage, our summaries anchor to that instead, and say so on the product page.

How it compares

	Cybex VR Overhead Press	Ultra Converging Chest Press	Athena® Selectorized Side-Mount Functional Trainer	The Back Attack™
GymRadar rating			5.0/5
Price			$949.99	$4,999.00
Model	Cybex VR2 Overhead Press — single-axis (4526) or Dual Axis (4527)	Matrix Ultra Converging Chest Press (G7-S13 / G7-S13-02; Ultra Base trim G7-S13B)
Movement	Single-axis fixed path (4526), or Dual Axis user-defined path with 2-directional resistance (4527)	Independent converging (isolateral) press arms
Warranty	None new (discontinued); reseller listings seen range from 30-day parts-only (used) to 1-year parts & labor (remanufactured)	Manufacturer's standard warranty; extended 12/24/36-month parts & labor options available through resellers
Footprint	55" W x 62" L x 61" H (140 x 158 x 155 cm) — both variants	55" W x 55.4" D x 53" H static; ~66.3" D in use		82" W x 82" H x 51" D
Generation	VR2 (discontinued; superseded by VR3, still sold new by Life Fitness/Cybex)			Gen 3 (current production) — full/flat back pad, two structural arms, 4-way Encore attachment holes, smaller footprint than earlier generations
Weight stack	205 lb (93 kg), 5 lb increments	240 lb (108 kg) total, 4.5 kg increments; max training weight ~247.5 lb (111.4 kg)	170 lbs per side stock (feels like 85 lbs at 2:1 ratio); upgradeable to 220 lbs per side (feels like 110 lbs)
Machine weight	519 lb / 236 kg (single-axis 4526); 542 lb / 246 kg (Dual Axis 4527)	768 lb (348 kg)

Reviews by source

Expert

0.0/5

0 reviews

The Cybex VR Overhead Press is solid, well-documented commercial hardware on paper: the official VR2 Owner’s Manual gives clear, internally consistent specs (205 lb stack, 519-542 lb machine weight depending on variant, 55”x62” footprint), and the Dual Axis version’s user-defined pressing path is a genuinely thoughtful piece of biomechanics for a shoulder-press machine. Commercial resellers agree on the mechanism and condition tiers, and a r/homegym post about hunting down a (different, plate-loaded) discontinued Cybex press confirms the broader phenomenon this page represents: enthusiasts do seek out old Cybex commercial machines for high-end home gyms, freight hassles and all. But this specific SKU has zero independent evidence behind it — no editorial review, no confirmed owner video, and 0 catalog reviews on this site. It’s also discontinued, so there’s no new-unit price or warranty to anchor to; used/remanufactured listings span roughly $650 to $3,799 with wildly different warranty terms, and at least one reseller (CTX Home Gyms) describes a plate-loaded configuration that contradicts the manufacturer manual’s selectorized weight-stack spec — a discrepancy this page can’t resolve without inspecting a unit firsthand. Score it as well-engineered commercial iron with a completely unproven track record on this site.

+Functionality: Dual Axis variant (4527) lets the user define their own pressing path within a safe plane, adding resistance against inward motion at the top to emphasize the deltoids — a thoughtful mechanism versus a fixed-path press
+Design: counterbalanced input arms give deconditioned users a light starting weight; dual grip options (barbell/neutral) accommodate shoulder limitations; cam-based variable resistance loads heaviest where leverage is best
+Specs: manufacturer manual gives clear, internally consistent numbers across both variants (205 lb stack in 5 lb increments, 55"x62"x61" footprint)
+Pedigree: built by Cybex, a legacy commercial-strength brand (now part of Life Fitness) with a long track record in commercial gyms
+Availability: actively resold through multiple commercial-equipment dealers (used, refurbished, and remanufactured tiers), so a unit can generally be sourced with some searching

−Evidence: 0 catalog reviews and no independent editorial coverage exist for this machine — it isn't sold direct-to-consumer, so review outlets have never tested it, and no confirmed-VR2 owner video was found
−Discontinued: no longer sold new (Cybex's site now redirects to Life Fitness; VR2 has been superseded by VR3), so there's no manufacturer warranty or authoritative price to anchor a purchase decision to
−Price: used/remanufactured listings span roughly $650 to $3,799 depending on dealer and condition, with warranty terms from 30-day parts-only to 1-year parts & labor — a buyer has to shop carefully to know what they're actually getting
−Spec conflict: one reseller (CTX Home Gyms) describes this machine as plate-loaded with no weight stack, which contradicts the manufacturer manual's selectorized 205 lb stack spec — unresolved without inspecting a unit in person
−Fit: 519-542 lb machine weight and a 55"x62" footprint mean this needs a dedicated commercial-caliber floor and professional freight/rigging to relocate — a poor fit for most home-gym buyers versus a rack-mounted press