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Best home gym equipment
Going to the gym regularly is a good habit that most strive to attain. In fact, most health experts recommend recommends you get at least 150-minutes of exercise every week. The gym is the place we let out all our frustration, and sweat it out and tone out bodies.
However, did you know that it’s also one of the dirtiest places? According to this report conducted across different gyms, they found free weight had 364 more bacteria than a toilet seat. Who wants to carry any of that home?
At the gym, it’s never just you breaking the sweet. It’s many different people interacting and touching different equipment.
Besides, you’ve probably missed a session or two due to a long commute. Had to wake up earlier to avoid long lines at the cable machines.
Whether it’s the germs, or the long commute to and from, or investing in your own home gym is a move in the right direction. Having the right equipment at home is just as effective as working out the gym.
However many people struggle with space. Most gym equipment requires a lot of space and not everyone can afford a spare room to turn into a gym.
That’s why in this article, we’re talking about the best compact home gym. These machines are great for small spaces and a great way to get started with your home gym as they’re multi-functional.
Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure here.
If you’re curious or in a hurry:
BowFlex Xceed Home Gym is our top pick!
Best compact home gym
- Bowflex Home Gym Series
- Total Gym Indoor Home Workout
- BodyBoss Portable Home Gym
- CAP Barbell Olympic Trap Bar
- Weider Ultimate Body Works
- XMark Functional Trainer Cable Machine
- Marcy 150-lb Multifunctional Home Gym
Bowflex Home Gym Series
Bowflex Xceed is a great option for those looking for quality workout equipment with a small footprint. Considering all workouts you can do on this machine, it’s amazing that it only requires about 6′ x 6′ floor space.
Its compact design makes it a great alternative for beginners looking to advance their workouts and gain some muscle mass even with limited space.
This machine comes well packaged and protected. Even though the setup looks daunting, no need to be alarmed, it can be done thanks to well-written instructions.
Expect to spend at least 3-hours or more to set up and get it ready for use. Having extra tools such as a socket wrench will make the assembly process much easier. Assembly is best done with a partner or friend.
Its heavy-duty steel frame is solid and sturdy, keeps the equipment stable when in use. You don’t have to worry about any wobbling.
This machine doesn’t use weights but rather uses a system of bows and pulley to provide resistance as you work out. The more you pull on the rod, the harder your workout gets.
This also provides great flexibility as you can easily target different muscle groups.
You do however have to change the pulley position to transition between workouts. Which is not any different from adjusting the pin position to increase/decrease weights on a gym machine.
The resistance is set at 210-pounds max but you can upgrade to 310-pounds or 410lbs to make your workouts more effective.
With more than 60+ exercises, you won’t have to worry about outgrowing this machine any time soon. You can comfortably work out your chest, arms, shoulders, legs, and abs.
An exercise booklet is also provided to guide you on how best to target different muscle groups. In addition, it shows you how to position the cables and pulleys and right body position during workouts.
Also included are accessories such as a lat bar, squat bar, and ab training strap.
With Bowflex what you get is compact home gym equipment that works to replace your bench press station, putdown, and leg press machine at the gym.
It gives you all you need for a full-body workout.
Pros;
- Compact design.
- 60+ exercises are available.
- Adjustable seat.
- 210 lbs resistance.
Cons;
- Limited range of motion for some exercises.
- Resistance doesn’t match the expected level (lighter).
Total Gym Indoor Home Workout
Total indoor home Gym is a budget-friendly all-in-one fitness machine to tone, strengthen and condition your muscles. The machine is more than just a gliding bench as it can be used for 60+ workouts.
It comes fully assembled, all you have to do is connect the attachments and it’s ready for use. Attachments included; squat stand, dip bars, leg pull accessory, training deck, and 2-stability mats.
Once assembled, the full equipment is quite long and you will need about 10-feet lengthwise and 5-feet width.
An exercise booklet and cards are also included to help you make the most out of the Total Gym equipment. Besides, you also get a workout DVD and online subscriptions you can use to stream thousands of workouts.
The machine is made of a heavy-duty tubular steel frame that keeps it sturdy and supports users’ weight well.
The machine is designed to use your body weight as resistance. As you work out whether pushing or pulling, the resistance created is by your body weight. At the highest incline setting, you’re working against at least 60% of your weight.
10-levels of resistance, you have just enough to make your workouts challenging. With a 375-pound max weight limit, high weight capacity users can work with at least 225-pounds of resistance at level 10.
When in use, the board glides very smoothly making it quick and easy to switch workouts. The auto-lock height adjustments allow taller users to comfortably use the machine.
You will never run out of ideas on how to work out your upper or lower body thanks to 80+ workouts available,
With Total Gym, what you get is a great all-around workout machine you can use for toning. Its foldable design makes it a great option for those with limited spaces.
Pros;
- 80+ workouts are available.
- Folds easily for storage.
- 10-levels of resistance.
- Low-impact.
- Total-body workouts.
Cons;
- The ankle harness is uncomfortable and hard.
BodyBoss Portable Home Gym
With the Bodyboss, what you get is a one-of-a-kind portable home gym. The idea behind this home gym equipment is a tool you can use to work out anywhere at any time.
It consists of a foldable VectorFit base, cloth-covered resistance bands that you connect to a handgrip or bar to workout.
Also included is a door anchor you can use for upper body chest exercises such as pull-downs or flies.
It’s designed to help you achieve the same results you’d at the gym with a full rack of dumbbells or a squat rack without the hustle. All you need to do squats at home now is the BodyBoss Home Gym.
When using the BodyBoss gym, a typical workout will involve you standing on the vector base, hooking up your resistance bands to the base while using a bar or hand grip.
Don’t let its compact size fool you, the true power of this compact home gym lies in its powerful resistance bands. Each resistance band provides up to 30-pounds of resistance.
Adjust the resistance by shortening or lengthening the bands to match your strength.
With 300+ workouts, you never have to worry about running out of workout ideas. Besides, the BodyBoss Home Gym comes with a free 3-week program that shows you how to make the most of your equipment.
Its portable, lightweight, and foldable design make it a great choice for apartments and those with limited space to work out.
Pros;
- Portable
- 300+ exercises
- Upper body + lower body + cardio resistance workouts.
Cons;
- Limited resistance.
CAP Barbell Olympic Trap Bar
If you’re looking for a deadlift bar with a small footprint for home use at an unbeatable price, then the CAP Barbell Olympic Trap Bar is for you. It’s well-designed to help you build strength and boost muscle growth.
This equipment is very easy to assembly with no drilling or hammering. You just need to adjust some bolts and it’s ready for use. Shouldn’t take you more than 20-minutes to have it ready for use.
It measures 50-in in length, 29-in in width, and 14-in in height. Its lightweight design makes it a good buy for a compact home gym as it doesn’t take up much space.
Even though this equipment can comfortably hold up to 500-lbs, its tubular steel frame is hollow which makes it more likely to bend with such a high weight limit. Keep it at 300-lbs max as a precaution.
You can comfortably do some do bent-over rows, pushups, shrugs, deadlifts, and standing back rows with this bar.
For some users, the CAP Barbell Trap Bar did come with some design flaws such that there isn’t a sufficient amount of space between the plate and the handles.
However, this is easily fixed by purchasing some o-ring, spacers, or clamps.
If you’re a professional bodybuilder, this might not be the bar for you, but for the average joe, the bar is more than enough for some serious weightlifting exercise.
Pros;
- Compact
- 500 lbs weight capacity
- Full body workout
Cons;
- Plates are too close to the handle
Weider Ultimate Body Works
With Weider Ultimate body works, the goal is to keep you fit, toned, and healthy. It offers you a little bit of everything such as; muscle building, toning, weight loss, or cross-training.
A great compact home gym machine for both beginners and intermediate strength training users.
The setup process is quite easy with the Weider Ultimate Body Works as it comes pretty much already assembled. All you have to do is insert a few pins, attachments and it’s ready for use.
Its innovating telescoping design allows the bench to easily expand or collapse to accommodate users of different heights. With 8-incline levels, you can easily customize your workouts.
Even though the bench uses your body weights as resistance. It also comes with an additional 4-bands to add on to resistance by up to 50lbs to make your workouts as difficult as you wish.
Thanks to its smooth sliding motion, you don’t have to worry about noise, you can use this machine in apartment buildings.
Take advantage of the handlebars provided and the pulley to target different types of muscles as you exercise. The cable is strategically positioned at the top to make upper bodyweight exercises much easier.
Space-saving collapsible design allows you to lower the Weider Ultimate Body Works to smaller dimensions for easy storage. You can even store it under the best
Pros
- Adjustable 8-level incline.
- Compact.
- Telescoping design.
- Additional resistance of up to 50lbs.
Cons;
- Height adjustment is quite a challenge
XMark Functional Trainer Cable Machine
Xmark Functional Trainer, you get a gym-quality almost commercial pulley machine for your resistance training workouts at home. Its compact design makes it a great addition to any compact home gym.
The machine comes in multiple boxes that are well-packaged with everything double boxed for extra protection. Expect to spend at least 3-hours putting it together as the assembly is quite the process.
The instructions aren’t very clear on how to install the cable and pulley system. Save yourself some time by installing each pulley as you thread the cable and not as indicated on the manual.
The frame is very solid and sturdy, it doesn’t budge even when doing pull-ups.
XMark functional trainer comes fully stacked with a 200 lbs weight stack on each side. Sufficient weight stack even for professionals who want to do more than just build strength.
The machine also comes with a smooth pulley you can adjust to 19-different settings.
With over 35+ exercises available, you never have to repeat the same exercises on this machine. Alternate between arms, chest, core, shoulder, and lower body exercises depending on your goals.
Extra exercise accessories included are all well-made and durable. This includes; a pair of hand straps, a tricep bar, a pair of long strap handles, a pair r short and long bars, ankle straps, and a leg curl strap.
If you want a compact home gym to test your limits, the XMark Functional trainer is for you. No more waiting to hop onto the cable machine.
Pros;
1. Compact
2. Dual 200lb weight stack
3. Quick-adjust pulley
4. Steady and grounded
Cons;
1. Very heavy weighing at 150lbs
2. Cannot upgrade the weight stack
Marcy 150-lb Multifunctional Home Gym
Marcy 150-lbs Home Gym, you’re getting a machine that does what you need it to do to make you bigger and stronger. It offers great functionality at a budget-friendly price. Its compact size makes it a great buy for those with limited spaces.
The machine arrives well-packed and shrink-wrapped for extra protection with all parts labeled. The assembly instructions are not written but drawn and are very easy to follow along.
The Marcy Home Gym is stacked with a 150-lb weight stack that should keep you busy for a good while before you outgrow it. The pulley and cable system is well connected to the weight stack.
Adjust it either high or low to match your workout needs.
What stands out about this machine is it comes fully stacked with dual functioning press arms, a leg developer, and a removable curl pad. You’re not missing out on much at the gym when using this machine.
Different workouts you can do on this system include; pectoral flies, seated bench press, tricep pushdown, bicep curls, leg extension, and leg curls among others.
You don’t have to worry about your safety when using this machine. It’s made with heavy-duty steel tubing that is reinforced to always keep it sturdy. Besides, the machine also comes with a child lock for extra safety at home.
Accessories include; a lat bar extension and ankle strap that you can use for your workouts.
If your goal is to seriously build muscle and develop your upper body especially glutes, bicep, and tricep, then the Marcy Home Gym is for you.
Pros;
1.Dual-action press arms.
2.Removable curl pad.
3. 35+ strength training exercises.
4. Leg developer.
Cons;
1. Not suitable for 6-ft and above
2. Resistance cannot be upgraded
