You might procrastinate when it comes to getting your weekly gym sessions in but a big factor could be the distance and time taken to travel to your gym. It would make life a lot easier if you were able workout at home. With a compact home gym, you can work out from home with little to no distractions. Contrary to what you might think, you really don’t need that much space to build your very own home gym.
Bowflex PR1000 Compact Home Gym [Editor’schoice]
- FULL BODY WORKOUT: 25 plus exercises that cover the entire body.
- POWER ROD RESISTANCE: Over 200 lb. Power Rod resistance.
- PULLEY POSITIONS: Multiple cable pulley position allows you to easily change the angle of resistance and increase effectiveness of many exercises.
- AEROBIC ROWING: Vertical bench press with incline and flat adjustment and converts to a rolling seat for aerobic rowing.
- DEVICE HOLDER: New integrated device holder to support your smart device.
If you’re looking for a compact home gym that offers several different ways to workout, check out this Bowflex PR1000. It takes the boring, mundane routine of exercising right out of the picture by offering different ways to switch up your exercise routine. This home gym features power rod resistance, a bench that converts to a rolling seat, and several cable pulleys that help your change resistance during your exercise.
With over 200 pounds of power rod resistance, you’ll be able to keep your body challenged. The bench easily transitions to a rolling seat so you can not only bench-press but also perform aerobic rowing exercises all in one workout. The media rack is built in with 4 positions, including a lower pulley and squat station.
Pros
- Aerobic rowing option
- Enjoyable and convenient to use
- Easy setup
- Simple to use
Cons
- Lower quality than most home gyms
- A tad pricier than most
Marcy Multifunction Steel Compact Home Gym
This gym’s heavy-duty steel construction is incredibly durable. You’d be impressed with the dual functioning press arm, double pulley stations and a foam roller padding to make leg workouts easier and more doable. Weighing about 150 pounds, its press arm function has two different settings, which are chest presses and vertical butterfly.
This home gym not only makes leg day more enjoyable, but arm workouts are also just as important and put to use with this gym. Double pulley stations are also included as these lateral bars help you lift weight while doing pull-ups. This ultimately provides more strength and tone to your body. The adjustable bicep pad also helps perform curls to enhance your overall strength.
Pros
- A lot of weight to keep you constantly challenging yourself
- Small, compact and convenient
- Assembly is easy
- Helps increase upper-body strength
Cons
- Leg workouts aren’t as effective as arm workouts
Body-Solid StrengthTech EXM2500S Compact Home Gym
- INDUSTRY LEADER: For 30+ years, Body Solid has held the widest array of products designed to meet the demands of the ever-changing fitness industry (home gym, free weight machines, treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, weight plates, kettlebells, dumbbells, flooring, accessories and more). Our products are cutting edge and reliable and are built for Life……Your Life.
- 14 UNIQUE WORKOUT STATIONS: Multi-Press Station Lat Pulldown/High Pulley, Ab Crunch/Mid Pulley, Leg Extension/Leg Curl, Seated Row/Low Pulley which features a 210 lbs stack with state of the art nylon bushings for smooth and quiet operation.
- INCLUDED ATTACHMENTS: Fully adjustable single-stack home gym workout machine featuring a no-cable change design lat pull down bar, low row bar, ab harness comfortable multi-position handgrips and adjustable hold-down pads to target several muscle groups (abs, biceps calves, delts forearms, glutes hamstrings, lats lower back, obliques pectorals, quads shoulders traps, tricepts and total body).
- EXERCISES: Use this home gym to complete a variety of full body workouts (pec fly, bench, incline, standing military and decline press, pull over, crossover, upright row wide and close grip front lat pulldowns and pull up, ab crunch, back extension bicep and leg curls, tricep press down and kickback, leg extension, glute kick.
- DIMENSIONS: Heavy-duty construction with 2" x 4" 12 gauge high tensile strength steel frame and sealed bearings. Measures 85"x61"x83". Lifetime manufacutrer warranty.
This Body-Solid gym contains equipment allows a tough and durable exercise experience. You’ll also get to enjoy its comfortable seat design as it has DuraFirm pads to give you ample support. It features a pec station as well as numerous workout activities for arms and legs.
This home gym has 210-pound iron weight stacks that come in 10lb plates and its heavy-duty steel means it’d be durable and tough. Featuring a pec station, along with an arm press, leg developer, and pulleys that are low, mid and high levels, the best part is it comes with a lifetime warranty.
Pros
- Compact and convenient size
- Quality is strong and durable
- Consists of efficient workouts for upper and lower body
- Structure and cables are well designed
Cons
- Setup instructions can be improved
What is a Compact Home Gym?
Working out at a gym takes a lot of time and effort: especially since a lot of time is spent traveling all the way to the gym. There’s finally a way to take the gym to your living room, without taking up too much space. That’s where a compact home gym comes in handy.
With a compact home gym, you can enjoy all different types of exercises and workout routines, without using up a large majority of space in your house.
Another great feature of a compact home gym is how flexible the machine can be while it transitions into different adjustable shapes to best represent different common workout machines. This helps you properly work out different parts of your body.
Benefits of Having your own Compact Home Gym
Workout Anytime, Anywhere
One of the biggest advantages of having a home gym is just that: it’s in your home. Whether it’s in the middle of the night or early in the morning, you no longer have to stress about factoring a certain amount of time in your day to travel all the way to the gym and back.
Instead, you save several time by staying at home, getting a quick workout in, then conveniently returning to tasks. All without ever leaving your home.
No More Gym Memberships
Take that gym membership card and throw it away. With a compact home gym, you no longer have to pay monthly gym membership fees.
Usually, the only payment you need to worry about with a compact home gym is the fee for the equipment itself and any extra set up fees that may occur. Once you’ve made those initial payments, you will see yourself save a lot of money as you enjoy your workouts in the comfort of your home.
No More Distracting Gym Atmosphere
When you’re at a gym, it’s easy to feel self-conscious about the way you may exercise. It becomes distracting knowing people do watch you as you work out. With a compact home gym, you no longer have to deal with lingering or judgmental eyes.
You are free to work out however you please. Crank the volume on your music as high as you’d like without dealing with obnoxious headphone wires. With a home gym, you can move as you please at whatever pace you desire.
You Can Use Whatever Equipment You Please
Sometimes, the equipment you desire at a crowded gym can already be taken by someone else. This might force you to withdraw from completing the workout you were planning, resulting in your whole routine being thrown off course.
With a compact gym however, you no longer have to worry about this as the only person who will be using your equipment is, of course, you.
Factors to Consider
How Much You’re Willing to Spend
Even though it’ll save you monthly gym membership fees in the long run, the initial payment you’ll be making is a little bit more pricey than you may like.
Before making this possibly expensive purchase, decide what exactly you’re looking for in a home gym to best determine how much you’re willing to spend on one.
Available Space in Your Home
Even though compact home gyms have rather small footprints, it may not be compact enough depending on the size of the area that you are planning to place it. Fortunately, some of these gyms do fold and store easily. But constantly doing that several times a day could be a possible waste of time and a hassle.
Determine how much space you currently have in your home by using exact measurements. Then decide if there are any compact home gyms available that take up approximately that much space.
What Type and How Many Exercises Are You Planning to Complete
The different types of gyms differ mainly based on what type of exercises you’d like to complete and how often you are planning to use it. If you would like to work on strength training, search for compact home gyms that provide a variety of heavy and lightweight options that help you tone and strengthen your muscles. Decide whether or not you’d like to complete several workout routines daily, or just a few times a week.
More expensive and durable home gyms can handle several workouts a day. Cheaper equipment won’t last as long if it’s not made for extended and powerful workout routines.
Some machines offer several different ways to exercise. So you if you like to mix and match, there are certain home gyms that could be perfect for you.
There are also home workout gyms that include a few different exercises if you like to keep a consistent routine. It all depends on what you are comfortable with when working out.
Durability and Warranty
If you are planning to use a compact home gym several times a day, make sure you pick a tough and durable machine. Consider choosing a warranty to be safe. Just in case equipment does end up breaking, especially if it’s poorly constructed or cheaply made. Make sure you have full awareness of what this warranty covers and doesn’t.
Ease of Use and Assembly
There are a variety of ways to go about assembling your home gym. One is to have a compact home gym that has already been assembled for you, so you can get started right away. There are some that are partially assembled and require you to finish putting the rest of the equipment together.
Some require you to put the whole home gym together yourself. This can be a stressful and overwhelming process as there are normally a lot of parts. If you are an equipment assembling rookie, this can become confusing and tedious.
Equipment to Consider
When selecting a home gym that’s right for you and your desired workout routine, you first need to decide which equipment will be included with your whole gym set itself.
Here are the equipment you may want to consider including:
Power Rack
If you would like an efficient workout that provides tone and strength, then a power rack sounds like the best type of equipment for you. A great feature of the power rack is it can serve several purposes.
If you hang it high enough, you can engage in a pull-up and chin-up workout. Want the perfect workout for your triceps? You can adjust it into the dip station. If you decide to complete workouts featuring dumbells, the rack poles work to keep the barbell from dropping and ultimately hurting you in the process.
Weight Bench
If strengthening your hamstrings is a workout goal you’re striving for, consider purchasing a home gym with a weight bench. Be sure to purchase a weight bench that adjusts and inclines properly to complete different types of hamstring and leg workouts.
A lot of workout benches include hamstring curl attachments. These are great if you want to complete a consistent amount of curls to help with toning your body.
Dumbbells
The dumbbell is a popular piece of equipment that helps you complete a myriad of workouts. It’s even better if these dumbbells are adjustable. You can quickly switch out the amount of weight you’d like to use. We have previously review the Bowflex SelectTech 552, which are one of the best adjustable dumbbells on the market.
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Most fitness enthusiasts love how dumbbells provide a smoother workout transition experience. Dumbbells are also smaller than almost all of the other equipment needed in home gyms. This makes them easy and convenient to store wherever you please.
Dumbbells only weigh up to about 50 pounds. They can’t exactly replace the strengthening benefits that barbells can provide. However, if you workout with them consistently and use them several times a day, they can still provide tone and strength.
Floor Mats
Hardwood floors look great with your decor but don’t feel great when you’re exercising on them. To make your workout more comfortable, try purchasing floor mats. They’ll make workouts more enjoyable and heavy lifting less straining and unpleasant. The best type of mat to purchase is one similar to a yoga mat, particularly floor mats that are made of rubber. This makes it easier to get on the ground and perform crunches without feeling the uncomfortably hard floor.
Best Compact Home Gym for the Money
Winner = Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym
If you love working out in your own private space, a compact home gym is most ideal. Afterall, it only takes up a small space yet gives you so much variety and possibility in your exercise routine. With the best compact home gym, you’ll now be able to achieve your fitness goals and strengthen your body. No more time or money wasted on gym memberships!