Top-rated home gyms are rarely cheap. A home gym is a significant purchase that should be duly considered before making a decision. Price, the amount of resistance offered, the machine's functionality and how these features match up with your fitness level and goal are important for selection of your new gym.
BodyCraft X2 Family Xpress
The BodyCraft X2 Family Xpress has two weight stacks that two people can use simultaneously. At $3,500, the machine is costly but worth the price if split between two people. The BodyCraft X2 Family Xpress uses an adjustable-position cable system that mimics free weight movements. It is a large machine but has multiple weight stations include an abdominal crunch station that is not commonly found on home gyms. The alternative of placing two home gyms side-by-side to accommodate two users would still be larger. The X2 is sturdy and the 200 lb. limit is enough for even advanced exercisers.
Bio Force 1.7
The Bio Force 1.7 is one of the few top-rated home gyms priced under $1,000. You can find this gym for $900. A nitrogen-charged cylinder system takes the place of a weight stack for smoother resistance while exercising. Even though you do not use regular weights, the machine has a sliding dial for adjusting the resistance from 10 to 170 lbs. Exercises for the whole body are possible such as bicep curls, hamstrings curls, leg extensions and lat pull-downs.
Bowflex Revolution
The Bowflex Revolution is not the same as the power rod home gym series you may have seen on infomercials or in print ads. The Bowflex Revolution is a more high-tech, commercial-quality gym than the machines with the rubber-like power rods. Weighted discs slide into the sides of the machine using Spira-Flex technology to allow you to choose up to 220 lbs. of resistance standard. An upgrade that raises the resistance to 600 lbs. is available. Over 100 exercises are possible on this machine. It has metal, free motion cable arms on the sides above the bench that rotate up and down out to the sides like your arms when you do jumping jacks.
Nordic Track Functional Trainer
The Nordic Track Functional Trainer machine has adjustable, free motion arms that rotate from pointing straight at the floor, outwards to the sides and up to the ceiling. There are 11 positions along the way to choose from for the metal arms to fix at. Cables run through the arms, which attach to a 200 lb. weight stack. With these different position, you can perform countless exercises though Nordic Track posts only eight on the machine. The arms move independently and if you use only one arm, you get 200 lbs. of resistance for just one side of the body. Attaching an ankle cuff to the end of the cable allows for leg exercises too. But besides moving up and down at the sides, the arms change angles forward and downward for three-dimensional movement. The angles, variety and weight earn this machine top marks.
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