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Best home gyms under $1000
Home gyms have proven to be one of the most effective at-home fitness equipment. When you have a home gym, you can exercise whenever you want.
You don’t have to wake up earlier or go to the gym late to avoid long lines at the cable machine. Not to forget no one is sweating around your equipment.
Despite all their advantages, getting the right home gym can be quite challenging. Besides, most popular brands are quite pricey.
Take for example Xmark Functional Trainer. Even though this home gym has so much to offer and is a fitness-enthusiast dream come true. Its high-end price makes it inaccessible to many.
Contrary to popular belief, high cost doesn’t always equal best value.
A high-end machine might not always be the right fit for you. While a professional bodybuilder might require something more diverse and with much higher resistance.
Those will not be the same requirements a beginner or intermediate user might have.
In this post, we share with you the best home gyms under 1000. In addition, we share with you a few key features to look out for when buying to get the best value for your money.
These are affordable and with a great variety of workouts to do. They’re well-built and will cater to both beginners and seasoned trainers alike.
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 Blaze Home Gym is our top pick!
Best home gym under 1000
- Bowflex Blaze Home Gym
- Total Gym APEX Strength Training Equipment
- Marcy 150-lb Multifunctional Workout Station
- Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym
- Total Gym XLS Home Gym Workout Machine
- Marcy Smith Cage Workout Machine
- Bowflex Xceed Home Gym
Bowflex Blaze Home Gym
Exercise from the comfort of your home with the Bowflex Blaze Home Gym. It’s built to reduce and prevent risk as it uses power rod resistance instead of free weights.
A great feature that makes it family-friendly for most ages.
With over 60 plus exercises available on this machine, you can avoid the monotony of doing the same exercises over and over again. With 210 lbs of upgradable power rod resistance, you have enough resistance to reach and exceed your fitness goals.
Besides, what sets the Blaze home gym apart is its slide rail design that turns it into a rowing machine for a quick cardio warm-up.
While the Blaze and sport might seem almost identical, the Bowflex Blaze Home Gym is the most updated version.
Key features;
- 60+ Exercises.
- 210 lbs power rod resistance.
- Upgradable power rob resistance up to 410 lbs.
- Sliding seat rail.
- Multiple-pulley positions.
- Lat tower.
- Horizontal bench press.
- 300 lbs weight capacity.
Cons;
- Takes 3hrs+ to setup
- Ros resistance is less than expected.
- Ab exercises are very limited.
Total Gym APEX Strength Training Equipment
With the Toal Gym Apex G3 what you get is an innovative piece of fitness equipment to replace all other machines at the gym. No matter if your goal is to burn calories, build muscle, or stretch, the Apex G3 can help you achieve it all.
It’s more than just a sliding glideboard as it can get you through 70 different full-body workouts. Switch between workouts to reach muscles in your arms, chest, back, or shoulder.
With 10-levels of resistance and your body weight, your workouts will turn into a true heart-pumping session. Besides, due to its low impact design, it makes for great workout equipment that the whole family can use every day.
Key features;
- 80+ exercises available
- 8-levels of resistance
- Total body workout
- Padded rolling glide board
- Cable pulley system
- Auto-lock height adjustment
- Arrives fully assembled.
- Foldable design.
- 375 max user weight.
Cons;
- Challenging to get on and off
Marcy 150-lb Multifunctional Workout Station
Burn calories and build some enviable muscle mass with Marcy’s 150 lbs multifunctional home gym. Why choose to deal with the long lines at the gym when you can get the same workout done in the comfort of your home?
This machine is built for the strength training enthusiast with limited space. It’s the true definition of a compact home gym.
It will have you sweating in no time thanks to its impressive 150 lbs weight stack. Besides, you can perform over 30+ exercises on this one machine. Just enough variety to build muscle.
Frame features;
- 150 lbs weight stack.
- Heavy-duty steel gauge frame.
- 300 lbs weight capacity.
Dimensions;
- 68” L x 36” W x 79” H
Workouts;
- Dual-action press arms.
- Dial-action leg developer.
- Lat workout station.
- Upper and lower pulley system.
- Padded press arms.
- Preacher curl pad (adjustable).
Accessories included;
- Lat bar.
- Anklet strap.
Cons;
- Uncomfortable for taller users.
- Limited range of motion.
- Assembly instructions are confusing.
Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym
Just like many others models in the Bowflex Home Gym Series. The PR300 uses power rod resistance to help you train your muscles while burning fat. This particular model uses about 210 lbs that can be upgraded to 310 lbs.
What sets it apart from other models in this series, is that you don’t have to change cables to switch from one exercise to another. A great feature that allows you to save time and work out for longer.
Besides with 50+ workouts available, you have more than enough variety to exercise both your upper and lower body muscles.
Frame;
- Heavy-duty steel frame
- 300 lbs user weight capacity
Dimensions;
- Assembled ( 64″L X 41″W x 83″H )
- Workout space required ( 75″ X 175″ )
Workouts;
- 50+ exercises
- 210 lbs power rod resistance
- Upgradeable resistance to 310 lbs
- No-change pulley/cable system.
- Leg extension/curl
- Incline bench
Accessories included;
- Exercise guide
- Handgrip (for lat pulldowns)
- Ankle cuff
Cons;
- Rod resistance is less than expected.
- Tedious assembly process
Total Gym XLS Home Gym Workout Machine
There’s a reason why the XLS is the most popular home gym model from Total Gym. And it’s not just because of those Chuck Norris endorsements.
The Total Gym XLS is that good. With just one machine you can replace all other equipment in your home gym. Besides, the 80+ workouts you can do with it are a true testament to its amazing variety.
‘Both beginners and seasoned strength training enthusiasts will love using it. Its high weight capacity of 400 pounds is an impressive feature that makes it stand out among competitors.
To help you tone and firm your body, this machine uses your body weight as resistance.
The higher the incline the higher the resistance and with 6-levels to work with, you can make your workouts as intense as you want them to be.
If you’re not sure how to get started, just use the exercise chart provided.
Frame;
- Heavy-duty steel frame.
- 400 lbs weight capacity.
Dimensions;
- Assembled it measures 90″L x 19″W x 43″H
- Folded for storage 51″L x 19″W x 9″H
Workouts;
- 80 plus exercises
- 6-levels of resistance
- Full-body workouts
- Strength training, cardio combined with stretching exercises
Accessories included;
- Ribbed squat stand
- Wing attachment
- Leg pull accessory
- Ankle cuffs
- Workout chart with a nutritional guide
Cons;
- Very heavy and difficult to move around.
Marcy Smith Cage Workout Machine
Looking for a commercial-quality home gym designed for personal use? This Marcy’s Smith Cage machine is for you.
Despite its overwhelming assembly process. The Marcy’s Smith Cage is a well-built machine that any professional bodybuilder will appreciate. It comes with 3-different strength training machines and 6-different workout stations.
A powerful combination that allows you to perform over 100+ exercises.
Frame;
- Heavy-duty all-steel frame.
- Aircraft cable with 2000 lbs tensile strength.
Dimensions;
- 86” L x 73” W x 85” H assembled cage.
- 48” L x 27” W x 49” H assembled bench.
Resistance;
- Plate loaded.
Workouts;
- Dual-function press arms.
- Dual-function leg developer.
- Free-weight rack.
- Butterfly press station.
- Preacher curl pad.
- Upper and lower pulleys.
- 300 lbs max bar weight.
- 600 lbs max bench weight.
Accessories included;
- V-Bar.
- Lat bar.
- Plate posts.
- Footplate.
- A pair of single handles.
- Tricep rope.
- Shiver bar.
- Key features;
Cons;
- Tedious 8-hour or more assembly process
- The bench doesn’t lay flat.
Bowflex Xceed Home Gym
Xceed is the most compact home gyms from the Bowflex Series and also one of the few budget pieces. Despite its affordable price, you get a high-quality piece of fitness equipment.
With 210 lbs of power rod resistance, you have enough for effective and efficient workouts.
Besides, you can upgrade the resistance to 410 lbs. There are also 60+ exercises you can do with this home gym thanks to its multiple pulley/cable positions.
With such a great variety of workouts and resistance, you’ll never have to worry about outgrowing the Bowflex Xceed Home Gym.
Built to last;
- Long-lasting heavy-duty steel frame.
- 300 lbs max user weight.
Dimensions;
- 53″L x 49″W x 82″H when assembled.
- 125″L x 121″W workout space required.
Workouts;
- 65+ full-body workouts.
- 210 lbs power rod resistance.
- Upgradable resistance to 410 lbs.
- Multiple cable/pulley positions.
- Leg extension/curl.
- Quick-release seat.
Accessories included;
- Ab training strap
- Squat bar
- Lat bar
Cons;
- Limited range of motion for some exercises.
- Resistance doesn’t match the expected level (lighter).
Home gym buying guide
Space
How much space do you have available? Measure out your space and use this information as your buying guide. While some home gyms are built to be compact, this is not always the case.
Home gyms such as Bowflex Xceed are a perfect example of a compact home gym. Even though it’s well-built to handle more than 60 exercises, you only require about 6″ X 6″ space.
However other commercial-quality models such as Marcy Smith Cage do require a good amount of space.
Resistance
The amount of resistance you need will ultimately depend on your goals and fitness level. Besides, most of the home gyms can be upgraded to increase resistance.
A good example being the Marcy multi-functioning workout station. Even though this unit comes with only 150 lbs of power rod resistance, it can be upgraded to 310 lbs.
With machines such as Marcy Smith Cage whereby you load weight plates, this doesn’t have to be a problem as you can go as high as you wish.
However, with machines that use rod resistance, the upgrade is often limited to a certain level even with upgrades.
The number of exercises.
The joy of owning a home gym is that you can do the same exercises you did at the gym.
While one machine might be able to handle 100+ exercises, others might only be able to handle 30+ exercises.
The Marcy Smith cage is a good example as it offers the most number at 100-exercises. However, keep in mind that home gyms with more workouts are likely to be more expensive and a lot heavier.
While more exercise provides a good variety to work with. Only choose more if you can handle all the extra exercises and intend to do them regularly.
