When looking to make the best use of a spare room or the garage at home, adding a home gym is a good idea for anyone wanting to either beef up or slim down. The years of use offset the initial outlay that this fitness equipment will get. The cost savings vs. paying for the expensive, recurring costs of a gym membership over many years ends up being a bargain.
Best 8 Universal Weight Machines Review:
Body-Solid F500 Fusion 500 Personal Trainer 210lb Stack
The gray and black Body-Solid F500 Fusion 500 is a home-based personal trainer made of steel with a powder finish designed for a spare room or in the garage. The system uses a 210-pound package of weights to enable power building exercises to improve various parts of the body either in isolation or exercised at the same time.
There is a bench with back support, plus two sets of roller pads fitted at the front.
The threaded cables (all the way to the press arms, unlike with many other competitors’ home gyms) work with a system of pulleys and cams to access the maximum pounds selected. The handles extend out to a 250-degree angle and fully extend to the highest reach of most people who will use this equipment. Each handle and pulley work independently, making it possible to use different weights on the left and right arm, or to continue developing one side of the body while resting an injury on the other. The latter aspect is particularly useful for athletes who often suffer sports injuries that put them out of action for costly periods of time.
Those two cables utilize cams to allow real flexibility of movement which opens up more routines while either standing or in the seated position. An exercise ball can also be introduced to further extend to the range of fitness activities.
The universal weight machine has durable nylon handles (multi-ring versions) and reinforced frame tubing using a sturdy gauge. The equipment when installed is just under 9 ½ inches tall, slightly over 11 inches wide, and 79 inches deep.
The product comes with a limited lifetime warranty from Body-Solid, Inc. The company has been making exercise equipment for over two decades and now has an extensive line of home gyms, dumbbells, kettlebells, and accessories.
BodyCraft Galena Pro Strength Training System
The BodyCraft Galena Pro Strength Training System is a professional home gym. There are two decks to sit on where it’s possible to perform a different range of exercises.
The weights at the center back of the equipment have a peg that is adjustable to change the weight and pressure applied when using the equipment. Making the change in increments to a maximum of 300 pounds is quick and easy using the central foot plate.
On the right side, there is a chest press with extra padding. The pec deck has a dual function. The lat pulls allow a full range of arm movement with added weighted tension.
On the left side, there is a raised pulley station, low rows, leg extensions, shoulder press, and more.
Each of the decks is padded on the seat and back for comfort. Both are adjustable for position, come with a durable vinyl cover that’s double-stitched to avoid seams coming apart over time and contains high-density foam filling for padding.
The pulley system uses ball bearings to keep the cable motion smooth with nylon reinforced by fiberglass. Industrial-grade cabling with a tensile rating up to 2,000 pounds is lubricated inside to maintain the apparatus running smoothly through this extensive gym machine. The weight plates have EZ Glide bushings in between to minimize the sound in this area.
The BodyCraft Galena Pro Strength is considerably more compact than many home gym setups. The steel tubes maintain its rigidity during use, and the equipment is covered with electrostatic paint to protect it. Once installed, it measures under 38-inches in height, under 54 inches wide, and exactly 68 inches deep. A lifetime warranty on defects covers both workmanship and materials.
TAG Fitness Functional Trainer
The TAG Fitness Functional Trainer is a multi-function trainer for the home gym focused predominantly around working the arms and shoulders. There are two columns of 210-pounds stacks of weights, which makes each side individually adjustable to suit personal body strengths and weaknesses.
Four pull up handles, two on the left-center and two on the right-center, provide a variety of ways to perform pull-up exercises to improve arm and shoulder strength.
The weights stacks are adjustable from 12-inches to 69-inches in 20 set positions. The pulley system is covered by strong metal to enhance its lifespan. Two ropes with comfort handle grip are accessible on each side when seated or in a standing position to work the triceps. There are a long bar, a short bar, and some chains to add to the accessories. Ankle straps are also provided.
The equipment does not come with its own deck for seated or laying back while working out (even though some promotional photography includes one). The installed equipment measures 68-inches tall by 45-inches wide by 88-inches deep and weighs 850 pounds.
Tag Fitness supplies a variety of fitness equipment at competitive prices. Unlike most suppliers, they do not charge a re-stocking fee on the above item.
Steelflex Functional Trainer
The Steelflex Functional Trainer is an exciting piece of workout equipment ideal for the basement or garage. It is built around the idea of innovative design to provide a full 360-degree range of movement without any of the normal directional return force that could potentially cause an injury.
The metal design is optimized with accurate laser cutting for exact precision. The 13-gauge steel used with the two by 4-inch oval-shaped tubing ensures stability for the equipment as a whole, as does the mirrored design from the front. The frame enjoys an electrostatically fixed two-layer powder to ensure safe usage of the equipment during frictional build-up. There is even a console that counts up the calories burned, counts the number of pulls, and so forth.
The cables support a tensile strength of over 2,400 pounds. The weight stacks reach 210 pounds but it’s possible to add additional weights of either 310 pounds or 420-pound total for the most adventurous exercisers. Along with the heavy cables, the handles have been coated with PVC for protection and durability for repeated workouts over many months.
The equipment does come with some workout accessories, plus a spot to store an MP3 player, and a holder to keep a water bottle nearby. The measurements of this installed fitness equipment are 74-inches by 45-inches by 86-inches. The 964-pound weight includes the stack of weights.
Steelflex is part of FMI Fitness Master who have been offering fitness-related goods since 2003. The company, in turn, is part of a large conglomerate that has been making fitness equipment since 1983. Clearly, customers are in good hands with them.
Pro Maxima Outlaw with Weight Stack and Functional Trainer
The prominent red high-gauge steel frame with a powder protective coating that holds this functional trainer together is 3-inches wide and deep. The deck is thickly padded and comfortable. There is a double rack of different weights which are also easily adjustable to change the weight limits. Each weight stack covers 150 pounds. Red knobs pull out of the plate weights to slot into another hole (all numbered) to change the amount of weight in the system.
There is a dual lat pulldown system (which also supports low row) that offers up to 435 pounds of pressure. The cabling for the lat exercises is a nylon-coated cable similar to ones used in the airline industry that’s been pre-tested to a 4,800-pound carry limit; far more than what’s required here. Foot plates exist to facilitate row exercises. There’s also an area to perform chin up exercises too.
A storage area for accessories is provided. There is a lifetime warranty on the welding, weights and steel frame, 5-years coverage on the bushings, cams and pulleys, and rods, two years for the cables, and a year on the seating upholstery.
The Pro Maxima Outlaw is a professional product that is made to order for customers. The production time is 2 to 4 weeks. The return policy is limited to five days due to the custom nature of the personalized production for each customer.
Marcy Diamond Elite Smith Cage with Linear Bearings
The Marcy Diamond Elite Smith Cage is a silver-colored universal weight machine designed to be a complete solution to your workout needs. The equipment is essentially a 3-in-1 home gym that’s designed and built to function similarly to one you’d see in a commercial fitness gym.
There is a Smith workout machine complete with accurate linear ball bearings, a free-weight selection, and a nylon-fitted pulley-aided cable system (tensile strength of 2,000 pounds). In all, it’s possible to create a workout program that includes more than 100 different exercises all performed using this fitness equipment.
The dual cabling system supports easy pull downs at various weight levels with a full range of movement for the arms. The Smith Bar offers up to 600 pounds of weight. The 14-gauge steel frame has tubing that measures 2-inches by two 3/4-inches. An adjustable deck is provided that is fully padded in an attractive color. There are also roller pads and curl pads that are comfortably padded for easier bicep curl workouts. A footplate is present for seated rows exercises too. For bar exercises, there are stoppers to prevent Olympic bars from falling on you.
The quality of this product is clearly evident. The weights are not included as part of the package. The product is intended as a cage to perform weight exercises, and there are hooks and racks to fit weights onto. A 2-year limited warranty covers parts.
Body-Solid EXM3000LPS Light Commercial Gym
The Body-Solid EXM3000LPS Light Commercial Gym is a detailed home gym that aims to cover all your exercise needs in a single product.
An arm area provides a bench press, shoulder press and includes a press. Mid-row chest exercises and other chest exercise isolators help develop the right chest muscles. The lat pull-down bars extend the arms and work the shoulders.
Two seated decks are provided on either side of this equipment. DuraFirm padding is installed for better back support. When seated, it’s easy to reach over and adjust the weight selected from the two weight columns that offer a maximum of 210 pounds per stack. There is even a seated rowing area with comfortable seating and cables providing the necessary resistance.
The build quality here is excellent, and it’s possible to get a full workout with this equipment. Just add your own set of dumbbells to make the best use of the various exercise options provided.
An exercise DVD covers the basics of how to get the most out of the equipment which is ideal for people new to this type of fitness gear.
Costway Home Gym Weight Training Exercise Workout Equipment Fitness Strength Machine
The Costway Home Gym is a basic set of equipment constructed using steel tubes with a selection of rectangular weights at the back, a lat pull-down bar, and two chest press and chest fly setups. There was also room to add a preacher curl and a leg developer that is used while seated on the bench provided.
This all-black clad workout apparatus comes with a 90-pound stack of weights and a total capacity of 220 pounds. Once assembled, the machine measures just under 61-inches by just under 46 inches, by just under 10 inches.
The padded seat is cover in vinyl and is comfortable for long workouts. This equipment is not the largest or most complete by any means. It is lighter, less durable and lacks the weight capacity of other products reviewed in this guide. However, for exercisers on a budget, this product will certainly be good enough for several years of light to moderate use without any likely problems.
Whatever your product selection, we wish you every success in your fitness journey.
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