Zinkin wanted to make strength training safer and more accessible to novices, and thus broaden the appeal of the sport.

It also allows weight resistance to be in any direction (i.e. down as well as up, or rotary), and for the user's range of motion to be constrained, thereby concentrating effort in a specific muscle group.

[2] The standard "Universal Gym" incorporated stations for eight or ten different exercises in a single large frame.

Often these units included non-weight exercise stations, such as a chin-up bar or a slant board for sit-ups.

Athletic and exercise venues of all sorts - schools, colleges, YMCAs, private gyms (such as the Vic Tanny chain), and professional sports teams - acquired Universal Gym machines to supplement or replace free weights.

In 2004, the Universal product line included Power Circuit Single Stations, Free Weight Machines, Classic Chrome Single Stations, and Multi-Station Machines — all based on the design of Zinkin's original Universal Gym.

In 1998, it was acquired by Flexible Flyer, a maker of outdoor recreational products such as sleds and swing sets.