Best Value Home Gyms from $600 to $2500
If you’re just beginning to research your options for weight training equipment to support your weight training goals, you have probably realized that there is an overwhelming variety of products out there: from free weights and resistance bands to Smith machines and power racks. Many of the most popular home gyms are compact gyms that use weight stacks or power rods connected to cables, press arms, and other attachments that enable you to exercise all your major muscle groups with a single machine. Most machines of this type will fall into a price range from $600 to $2500. In general, the higher the price, the more exercises you’ll be able to perform with the machine. To help give you an idea of what your money can buy at various price points in the $600 to $2500 range, we’ve highlighted below six popular home gyms that offer high value in their price range, pointing out the key unique features of each system so you can quickly get a sense of what your money can buy at various price points.
Bowflex PR1000
Bowflex PR1000
Retailing around $600, the Bowflex PR1000 is one of the the most stripped-down Bowflex home gyms currently available. With its small footprint, comparatively low price, and exercises for the arms, shoulders, back, legs, chest, and abdominal muscles, it’s a good starter home gym. The main drawback for heavy lifters is that the 210 pounds of maximum resistance can’t be upgraded.
Body-Solid EXM1500S
Body-Solid EXM 1500S
The Body-Solid EXM1500S, which retails for around $850, provides a full body weight training workout with a machine that owners love for its quality construction and thoughtful ergonomic features. Of particular note is the off-to-the-side placement of the low pulley station, which reduces the machine footprint and allows you to quickly change your weight setting while performing exercises with the low pulley. Unfortunately for power users, you won’t be able to upgrade the 160-pound weight stack at this machine.
Body-Solid G4I
Body-Solid G4I
Moving into the over-$1000 price range, you’ll find the Body-Solid G4I, which retails for around $1,500. This machine’s Iso-Flex Press Arms provide multiple planes of motion for each exercise so you can develop your targeted muscles as well as your supporting muscles, as you would with free weights, and you can move from exercise to exercise without changing the machine setup. Like all Body-Solid machines, the G4I is notable for its high quality construction and lifetime warranty. Though users love this machine once it’s set up, initial assembly can be a bit of a pain, so you might want to consider springing for assembly help if your retailer provides it.
Bowflex Xtreme 2
Retailing around $1,600, the Bowflex Xtreme 2 provides a fast, complete workout with a compact footprint. This machine lacks a leg press station but makes up for it by allowing a full range of motion for squat exercises. Users like the full range of motion that the adjustable pulleys allow, as well as the fact that you can move from exercise to exercise without changing the cable setup. With resistance upgradeable from 210 pounds to 310 or 410 pounds, you are unlikely to max out the weight on this machine.
Body-Solid G6B
Retailing around $1,900, the Body-Solid G6B has a press arm that gives you multiple planes of motion while applying resistance in two directions, meaning this machine does an amazing job simulating free weight exercises and maximizing the intensity of each exercise rep. As with the previous Body-Solid machines mentioned, the G6B is notable for its high quality construction and lifetime warranty.
Bodycraft Xpress Pro
For those with the budget to afford the roughly $2,200 price tag of the Bodycraft Xpress Pro, there’s nothing that can beat the range of exercises possible with this machine. Add the $550 leg press attachment for an even more complete workout. Of particular note is the adjustable cable arm station with free range of motion handles that allows you to simulate free weights, as well as the doubling cable that allows you to increase the effective machine resistance from the 200-pound weight stack up to 400 pounds. This machine also provides maximum adjustability features for ergonomics and safety.
We hope these quick overviews of high-quality home gyms available at different price points helps you on your way to choosing the right weight training equipment for your budget and workout needs!