Top 5 Home Gym Equipment Options for Every Budget
Can't seem to make it to the gym? You're not alone. In fact, 67% of people with gym memberships never use them. One of the biggest hurdles is simply getting to the health club. The solution? Bring the workouts to you with a home gym unit that allows you to strengthen and tone from head to toe in the comfort of your house.
Budget-Friendly Option
Affordable home gym options may not be as flashy as the pricier models, but they will still help you improve your strength and get closer to your health goals. While some systems don't look like much, they can offer up to 50 body shaping exercises that target every muscle group. Many budget systems primarily use your body weight as resistance, with the option to add up to 50 pounds of additional weight for more challenging lifts.
According to customer reviews, many affordable options are praised for their price and versatility, with setup taking about half an hour and the equipment holding up well even with daily use.
Mid-Range Pick: Power Line Home Gym with Leg Press
There are a number of home gyms that fall into the mid-range price category. If you've been saving up for a home gym but don't want to spend a fortune, these are excellent options.
The Power Line Home Gym with Leg Press comes with low, mid, and high pulleys as well as a 160-pound weight stack, which can be upgraded to 210 pounds. This home gym is suitable for users of any size thanks to adjustable seats that ensure a perfect height. Users report that, although the assembly can be challenging, the quality of the equipment is excellent for the price point.
Premium Option: Bowflex Revolution Home Gym
The Bowflex PR 3000 is a total body home gym with more than 50 strength exercises and no cable changes needed between sets, thanks to the quick change power rod system.
The Bowflex Revolution home gym offers a compact total body workout. What sets the Revolution apart is the company's SpiraFlex resistance technology, which delivers ultra-smooth, consistent resistance through the entire range of motion—an important ingredient in building lean, strong muscle.
The Revolution utilizes lightweight interlocking plates which let you quickly and easily adjust the resistance from 10 to 220 pounds for upper body workouts, with the option to upgrade to 300 pounds. The machine duplicates virtually every exercise from your local gym, with freedom arms that adjust 170 degrees to work muscles from various angles with 10 different settings.
The machine also includes a leg press plate for your lower body, along with a 5-position foot harness. All told, the Revolution supports more than 100 exercises, including a comprehensive core and abs workout.
Value Pick: Marcy 150-Pound Stack Home Gym
Get over 30 strength training exercises with the Marcy 150-pound stack home gym to effectively burn calories and increase your muscle mass. This home gym features dual-functioning press arms for chest press and pec fly exercises.
The dual-function leg developer properly aligns with the knee joints for effective leg extensions and leg curls. The multi-position high and low pulleys and cables are connected to a 150-pound adjustable weight stack for smooth and controlled body exercises—no need to load and unload weight plates. You can also work on toning your abs and triceps with the adjustable preacher curl pad.
A common comment with these lower-end gyms is that the exercises don't fit everyone perfectly. If you're six feet or over, you may not fit comfortably in exercises that use the leg developer or the chest press. With a smaller general footprint, the MWM 990 was clearly designed for the average person. If you're taller, your range of motion on some exercises may be restricted.
Body-Solid G1S Home Gym
This home gym is centered on a 160-pound weight stack and provides more than 40 exercise options. Divided into five workout stations, it works your upper body, lower body, and abs. Along with high, mid, and low pulley stations, the G1S also has a chest press station and a leg developer station.
Exercises you can perform include lat pull-downs, triceps press-downs, ab crunches, and seated rows. You can also do leg extensions and curls, but the G1S doesn't come with a leg press. Also, it doesn't have upgradable resistance, and its maximum user weight isn't defined. These are important factors to consider if you want your machine to grow with you as you get stronger, or if you currently weigh more than 300 pounds.
For added comfort and durability, the G1S seat pad is contoured and adjustable, and its cables, pulleys, and upholstery are high quality. It comes with a water bottle holder and a triceps strap. Add-ons for the machine include an accessory rack, weight stack adapter plates, an ab crunch harness, and a multi-purpose bar. Guaranteed by Body-Solid for a lifetime, it has one of the best warranties in the industry.
