Functional Trainer Guide: Is This Home Gym Upgrade Worth It?
While dumbbells are essential for any home gym, a functional trainer can take your workouts to the next level. If you're considering this significant upgrade but feeling overwhelmed with questions about effectiveness, setup, and value, this comprehensive guide will help you make an informed decision.
What Exercises Can You Do with a Functional Trainer?
A functional trainer offers incredible versatility for a complete full-body workout:
Upper Body Training
- Arms: Various curls using bars or handles for isolation, tricep extensions, dips, pull-downs, and skull crushers
- Shoulders: Presses, rows, and flies
- Chest: Bench press, flies, and straight-arm exercises
- Back: Pull-ups (using the integrated bar), lat pull-downs, straight-arm exercises, back flies, and rows of all varieties
Core Workouts
Functional trainers open up a whole new world of core training opportunities:
- Weighted crunches and cable crunches
- Knee lifts
- Side bends
- Wood choppers
- And many more creative variations
Lower Body Exercises
While not replacing dedicated leg machines for serious bodybuilders, functional trainers provide plenty of options for leg development:
- Squats and lunges
- Deadlifts
- Leg raises
- Calf raises
- Belt-assisted variations
One major advantage of the weight stack system is the ability to quickly adjust weight for drop sets, allowing you to push out extra reps when you're reaching failure.
Assembly: Can You Build It Yourself?
Yes, you can! While intimidating at first glance, building a functional trainer is achievable even for those who aren't particularly handy. Here are some tips for successful assembly:
- Delivery planning: Prepare a safe area for delivery as the unit arrives in a large crate that requires careful unpacking
- Moving parts: Be prepared to transport numerous heavy components to your setup location
- Assembly help: While possible to assemble solo, having a second person helps with balancing heavy pieces and makes the process more enjoyable
Common assembly challenges include:
- Cable routing, which may require multiple attempts to get right
- Locating small parts that might be hidden in packaging
- Following manuals that sometimes include unnecessary steps
Essential Accessories and Attachments
The right attachments dramatically increase the versatility of your functional trainer:
Must-Have Attachments
- Handles: Standard attachments that mimic dumbbell exercises
- Bars: Look for designs with spinning ends to reduce wrist strain during exercises
- Rope grip: Great for targeting muscles from different angles, especially for tricep work
- Back support attachment: Game-changer for flies and bench press, allowing heavier lifts without a bench
Unexpected Favorite: The Belt
The belt attachment is surprisingly versatile:
- Provides comfort during heavy squats without bar pressure on shoulders or neck
- Can be used creatively for various exercises when strapped around the waist
Additional Options
- Dip bars: Available with narrow and wide grip options
Is a Functional Trainer Worth the Investment?
For those serious about home fitness, a functional trainer offers exceptional value:
- Provides workout flexibility around busy schedules
- Eliminates ongoing gym membership costs
- Offers sufficient weight and exercise variety for continued strength gains
- Combines multiple pieces of equipment in one footprint
While the initial investment is significant, the long-term benefits make functional trainers a worthwhile addition to any home gym setup for those looking to take their training to the next level.
