In an exercise equipment market flooded with multi-gyms --- compact, multiple-station strenght-training machines designed for home use --- not much equipment stands out from the crowd. But the shared, multi-decade development history behind this type of equipment works in your favor. Since most multi-gyms come the same attachments and equipment, getting familiar with any one multi-gym will give you a good idea of how to use the others, too.
Reasons to Use a Home Gym
No multi-gym can equal the sheer number of exercises possible in a real gym. But multi-gyms offer the same basic benefits as regular gym workouts, including increased muscular strength and endurance, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and reduced risk of developing diabetes. Purchasing a multi-gym represents a significant investment, but will pay for itself over time in fees saved: You don't have to pay for a gym membership, or waste time and gas getting to and from the gym.
Leg Exercises
Most multi-gyms come with a leg developer, a set of two parallel foam-padded bars connected with a third, perpendicular, unpadded bar. The leg developer attaches to the multi-gym via a hinge near the top, and a pulley cable near the bottom connects it to the gym's resistance mechanism. You use the leg developer to do leg extensions or leg curls, slipping your legs between the leg developer's padded bars and moving it against the multi-gym's resistance. These exercises isolate your quads and hamstrings, respectively --- an almost impossible feat without gym equipment. Rarely, a multi-gym will also come with a leg press station, or squat bars that let you perform squats against the gym's resistance.
Arm Exercises
Almost every multi-gym comes with the same basic arm exercise options: A lat tower for doing lat pulldowns, a press arm for doing chest presses, and sometimes but not always, butterfly arms for doing pec flyes. Many home gyms also offer a curl bench, a slanted platform for anchoring your elbows as you perform a variety of curl exercises. If you're creative, you can put the lat tower's high pulley to work for other types of exercises, including triceps pushdowns and high rows. Some multi-gyms also offer a low pulley that you can use for biceps curls and several row exercises.
Basic Principles
The same basic principles apply to any type of weight lifting, whether you do it at home with a multi-gym or in an actual gym. Always warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of cardio activity before you lift weights: Use a home cardio machine, jump rope or go for a brisk walk around the block. Stretch the muscles you intend to work before lifting --- this helps prepare them for the exertion --- then stretch again after lifting, and cool down with another 5 to 10 minutes of cardio.
Sets and Reps
Theories and opinions abound on the best balance of sets and repetitions for weight lifting. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that to maintain good health, healthy adults should do eight to 10 strength-training exercises twice a week, completing a single set of eight to 12 repetitions for each exercise. According to recommendations by the Mayo Clinic, a single set of 12 to 15 repetitions, with enough weight that you can barely finish the final repetition, is sufficient.
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