Best Home Gym Equipment Comparisons
Overview
Some people are not comfortable working out around others. Others don’t have the patience to wait for other people to finish using the equipment. If you don’t have the time or patience to visit a commercial gym, you can just build your own gym at home. This way, you can exercise anytime. There is no need to spend a large amount of money on a gym membership just to get in shape.
With a home gym, you have complete control over the environment. You can pick the music you want to play and set your desired temperature inside the workout room. Your comfort level is guaranteed. A commercial gym can distract you from achieving your fitness goals. Running into acquaintances and friends who idly chat between sets can waste your time. When you have a home gym, you only need to focus on yourself. You won’t be distracted by idle social distraction. Here are some of the best home gyms today.
Why Work Out at Home
Working out privately promotes a feeling of safety, well-being and contentment for some people. If it’s not possible to access a gym locally, exercising at home is a good option. You can save time and money as you don’t need to travel to a gym near you. Gym membership is also costly. Gradually upgrading your home gym equipment can help lower the cost of building one.
When you have a home gym, you don’t need to worry about any parking fee. With a home gym, you can work out anytime you want. There’s no need to wait for your turn to use a machine. You also don’t need to pay any monthly membership fee.
back to menu ↑Best Home Gyms by Price
The best home gym depends on your needs and budget. Here are the best options by price.
Price Range: Over $1,600
- $2,599 – BodyCraft Xpress Pro Home Gym
- $2,490 – Body Solid EXM3000LPS Double Stack Home Gym
- $1,899 – BodyCraft Galena Pro Home Gym
Price Range: $1,000-$1,599
- $1,599 – Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym
- $1,497 – Body-Solid Freeweight Leverage Commercial Gym Package
- $1,250 – Body-Solid StrengthTech EXM2500S
Price Range: $600-$999
- $999 – Marcy Diamond Elite Smith Cage + Linear Bearings
- $850 – Total Gym XLS – Universal Home Gym for Total Body Workout
- $799 – Bowflex Blaze Home Gym
- $794 – Powerline BSG10X Home Gym (160 lbs Weight Stack)
- $699 – Marcy MWM-990 Home Gym
Price Range: $300-$599
- $589 – Bayou Fitness Total Trainer DLX-III Home Gym
- $449 – Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym
- $350 – Total Gym FORCE Home Gym Exercise Machine
Top Home Gym Picks
Here are your best options for the best home gyms. Consider your fitness goals and budget when choosing a home gym.
back to menu ↑Bowflex Blaze Home Gym – Best Bang for the Buck
You can upgrade the Bowflex Blaze Home Gym to 310 pounds or 410 pounds of resistance. The home gym provides over 60 exercises. It has a sliding bench where you can perform rows. Bowflex also offers a better warranty than other home gyms.
back to menu ↑Total Gym Force Home Gym – Superior Features and Quality
Total Gym has been in business for more than 40 years. The FORCE Home Gym is stable and doesn’t wobble. The 350-pound weight capacity will help you work out at home. The FORCE Home Gym is offered at a very reasonable price. Aside from the machine, you will also get dip bars, wing attachments, stability mat, leg pull, press up bars and squat stand. It has a training material such as workout and intermediate program DVDs and exercise flip chart. You will also receive a complete nutritional program that will help you achieve your fitness goals.
back to menu ↑Body Solid EXM3000LPS Home Gym – Two Weight Stacks Double Fun
Aside from being a home gym, the Body Solid EXM3000LPS allows you to have a partner that you can exercise with. Two persons can exercise simultaneously, each using an individual weight stack. The double stack home gym has 7 stations that are designed to target various muscle groups. You will hit every muscle group in your abdominals, back and lower and upper body. Multiple stations put you in the right angle and position to target the muscles. The multiple positions and dual weight stacks put less strain on the machine as the stations and stacks share the load.
back to menu ↑Marcy Diamond Elite Smith Cage System – Pulley or Weight Plate Design
The Marcy Diamond Elite can be used as a Smith machine, free weights and pulley machine. It has a press bar, free weight squat rack, Marcy Olympic weight bench, pec deck station, high cable crossover, leg developer and low pulley. The Smith machine has adjustable catches and safety stoppers that allow you to test heavy weights. You can also use the bench with dumbbells to isolate muscles. You will be able to hit every muscle group using the cage alone.
back to menu ↑How to Choose the Right Home Gym
You have to consider your main goal when looking for a home gym. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an advanced exerciser or a beginner because you can always customize your exercises to fit your needs. What you need to know is where you want your body to be in what time.
Hypertrophy or Building Muscle
Look for a weight plate or weight stack home gym if you want to build muscles. This kind of home gym allows you to use maximum weight to build muscles. Your muscles tear when you work out with heavy weight. The muscle repairs itself and grows bigger. This is how muscle mass is built.
back to menu ↑Losing or Toning Fat
You can get any home gym if you want to lose fat, tone your body or burn calories. A resistance-based home gym is a good choice as the amount of weight you’re exercising with is less than a weight-based home gym. High repetition and low weight exercises help you burn more calories, which in turn helps tone the body and eliminate fat.
If your original goal is to tone your body and shed some weight and eventually add muscle, you should use a weight-based home gym from the beginning.
back to menu ↑Home Gym Styles
Here are the benefits of weight-based and resistance-based home gyms.
back to menu ↑Resistance-based Home Gyms (Bands, Bodyweight and Rods)
A resistance-based home gym is a good option for beginners and those who have physical limitations because the system’s smooth movement is easy on the joints. You would not experience the same strain that a weight plate or weight stack home gym causes on the body. However, the bands and rods will lose elasticity over time.
You have to replace or upgrade your bands or rods when this happens, which can be expensive. It is also hard to build muscle mass using a resistance-style home gym. This kind of home gym can help you burn calories, tone the body and maintain an elevated heart rate but if you want to build muscle mass, you should be able to heavy weights.
back to menu ↑Weight-based Home Gyms (Stacks and Plates)
A weight-based home gym uses weight plates or weight stacks as the resistance system. It can withstand all the abuse that you can do. You don’t need to worry about replacing bands or roads because you don’t need to replace weight plates or weight stacks. When you outgrow the stacks or plates, you have to purchase more. Some stacks don’t offer a weight upgrade. A weight plate home gym usually doesn’t come with any weights. A weight-based home gym is more expensive than a resistance-based gym.
back to menu ↑What You Need to Know about Resistance-based Home Gyms
You can separate the kinds of resistance-based home gym into 2 groups – Bowflex and other resistance-based home gyms. Bowflex is well-known for its state-of-the-art resistance systems and premium quality machines. The company mainly uses rods as the resistance system. Higher end models use resistance plates. Bowflex machines are made in the same style as weight stack gyms with a horizontal or seated bench that lets you do exercises for the whole body.
Total Gym is also popular. The company uses bands, inclined bench and bodyweight as the resistance system. If you’re looking for a home gym, you have to conduct your research and choose one that suits your needs.
How a Home Gym Works and the Benefits of Using One
Variety and Convenience
Home gyms allow you to do over 30 different exercises that can target all muscle groups in the body. It’s also very convenient. You don’t need to go to the gym or miss another exercise workout. You’re free to choose your own schedule.
back to menu ↑Muscle Gain and Burn Calories
A home gym allows you to enjoy a full body workout. An entry-level home gym provides 30 to 40 exercise options for the lower and upper body as well as abdominal area. There are also home gyms that provide more than 100 exercise options. Home gyms help you build muscle and strength, burn calories and improve your cardiovascular fitness.
back to menu ↑Low Impact
A resistance-based home gym allows you to do low impact exercises. This kind of exercises allows the muscles to relax and stretch in a consistent manner and prevents the bounce and shock at the end of the movement that causes muscle spasms. You can do these exercises on a home gym to enjoy a pain-free exercise routine.
back to menu ↑Great for All Fitness Levels
Home gyms are ideal for all fitness levels. It’s convenient for those who want to do a full body workout at home. A weight-based home gym is ideal for advanced users. This kind of gym can help you build muscle with 50 to 60 exercise options by shocking the muscles into growing. A weight-based home gym can be used at low weight and high repetition to tone muscles. There are also compact home gyms for those who want to shed excess pounds, tone the body and live a healthier lifestyle.
back to menu ↑Final Word
Determine your personal goal when choosing a home gym. Weight-based home gyms are perfect for those who want to build muscles. Resistance-based home gyms are a good choice for those who simply want to burn calories, tone up or get in shape. Whatever you choose, just make sure that the home gym fits your goals because it’s a serious investment. The right choice will help you achieve your dream body and live a healthier lifestyle.
Photo sources: pixabay.com
