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5 Best Compact Home Gyms for 2023
Working out daily is important and that’s why we’ve put together our list of the best compact home gyms.
In our guide How To Be The Strongest, we lay out why everyone should be doing resistance training twice a week.
Now, of course, you could always buy some pull up bars or grab a bodybuilding book or two but probably your best initial investment is a compact home gym.
These are gyms designed to fit into relatively small spaces so that you can exercise whenever and wherever you want.
Marcy Multifunction Home Gym
Very good value, and could be the best except for the light 150 lbs. Maximum.
Bowflex Home Gym Series: Xtreme 2SE
It’s not the cheapest choice but it is the best. It supports more than 70 exercises.
Weider Ultimate Body Works
A versatile bench solution that’s easy to put away within the comfort of your home.
Bowflex Home Gym Series: Xtreme 2SE
Bowflex is one of the big names in the gym industry, so it ought not to come as a surprise that the Xtreme 2SE is our top pick.
This is remarkably compact but built of heavy duty steel which guarantees it’s going to last.
It offers a natural 210 lbs. of Power Rod resistance but you can upgrade that to 410 lbs. if you want to.
It’s very easy to operate too.
QUICK FACT
The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE is supplied with 7 workout regimes designed by professional trainers and supports more than 70 exercises that support the whole of your body.
PROS
1. Very versatile – there’s nothing that you can’t exercise on this gym if you want to
2. Supports over 70 exercises
3. Small footprint – for the amount of equipment this is incredible
CONS
1. May still be too big for some spaces
2. A little expensive
3. To add extra resistance, you have to disassemble the unit
Marcy Multifunction Steel Home Gym
Another big name for fitness fans is Marcy and their Steel Home Gym is an excellent product.
It’s not the flashiest and doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the Bowflex but it provides true value for money.
We also found that their setup instructions were very easy to follow and it was ready to use in just a few minutes.
QUICK FACT
This home gym includes a leg extension station, lat bar, chest/arm press and a biceps pad (which can be removed).
PROS
1. Really vibrant, attractive design with Incredible value – you won’t get a lower priced gym of this quality
2. Very well constructed
3. Has everything you need to get the basics done
CONS
1. It’s not as nice to use as more expensive gyms
2. It only packs 150 lbs. of weight which isn’t much
3. It’s not very well packed when it arrives
Weider Ultimate Body Works
If you want something a bit smaller than the Weider Ultimate Body Works is probably the right choice for you.
It folds away easily and it works using a pulley system – that is it supplies resistance based on your body weight.
You can also use resistance bands to add a further 50 lbs. of challenge.
You can target all muscle groups thanks to the variable incline.
QUICK FACT
This is perfect for a total body workout and it can support a pilates workout as well as a strength routine – that’s extra bang for your buck.
PROS
1. Very well made
2. Super affordable
3. Store it anywhere
CONS
1. The bench is a bit small
2. Quite heavy
3. Sliding action is noisy
BodyBoss 2.0
If you want a very budget entry to the world of home gyms, you can do worse than the BodyBoss 2.0 which offers a lot of options for resistance training but you will need to buy weights separately if you want to weight train.
However, what it does – it does very well and it’s very easy to simulate a full workout with this home gym kit.
QUICK FACT
Each band offers a natural resistance of 30 lbs. but that can then be increased by shortening the band.
PROS
1.Very low cost
2. Fits anywhere
3. Does a good job
CONS
1. No weights included
2. Hand grips may not suit all hands
3. No workout tapes included
Bullworker Power Pack | Cross Training Portable Home Gym for Total Body Fitness
For a rather more refined resistance training home gym – again, no weights included, you might consider the Bullworker Power Pack.
This is designed for body builders that want to target specific muscle groups easily and effectively but there’s no reason that anyone shouldn’t take advantage of this system.
Quick Fact: Everything is included for you to succeed including instruction manuals, springs, casing, workout routines, etc.
QUICK FACT
Everything is included for you to succeed including instruction manuals, springs, casing, workout routines, etc.
PROS
1. The best pure resistance trainer we’ve tested
2. The documentation is brilliant
3. Easy to operate
CONS
1. No weights
2. A little expensive
3. Some users experience teething problems with this trainer
