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It’s not always convenient to go to the gym. There are days when it’s hard just to work up the motivation to get out of the house, and heading to the gym takes extra time out of your busy day. Sometimes there’s a wait for popular exercise machines and classes can be overcrowded. If you need childcare, you may have to budget for that additional expense.
It’s easy to see why having your own home gym has perks.
From innovative digital technology to classic heavy duty power racks for weight lifting, the world of home gyms offers a vast range of options for every fitness level from beginners to pros. Some are smart gyms with digital memberships and video classes while others are similar to traditional equipment you’d find at your neighborhood gym. You could spend countless hours trying to figure out which systems and equipment features might be the best for your needs, but we’ll help you save time and narrow down your list with these top picks for the best home gym.
Tempo Move
Key features:
Tempo Move offers a complete gym experience in the comfort of your living room. It connects to your smart TV, comes with weight plates (5, 2.5, and 1.25 pounds) and adjustable dumbbells (from 7.5 to 25 pounds) to use with your workouts. But what really makes it unique is its Tempo Core, a device that connects to your iPhone to track your movements and provide feedback in real time to help you adjust your positions.
Customers start their membership with a one-on-one session with a personal trainer to come up with a fitness plan based on their goals. (You can also connect with the fitness team at any time to change your routine if you feel it’s not right for you.)
If you need more weight, for an additional $10 a month you’ll get an extra 40 pounds of weight. Equipment can conveniently be stored in Tempo’s space-saving storage cabinet. You can also purchase additional accessories from Tempo like resistance bands, a yoga block, yoga strap, yoga mat, dumbbells, foldable squat rack and more.
Workouts range from live virtual workouts to on-demand sessions with a wide variety of classes, from cardio workouts to strength training. Examples of different exercises available include cardio-boxing, HIIT, low-impact, core, yoga and prenatal options. You can even work with a trainer one on one for workout and movement guidance (though this may be additional charge, depending on the subscription you choose).
Who it’s best for:
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Purchase Tempo
TRX
Key features:
The TRX Home2 System is a lightweight portable suspension trainer that can easily be set up just about anywhere. Whether you’re new to working out or have a more advanced skill level, this portable gym is designed for everyone, and uses your body weight to create a “full gym experience.”
It’s quick to set up: The included carabiner clips to a loop on the anchor of your choice, either a door anchor or a suspension anchor. You can then attach the anchor to an object that’s sturdy enough to support your weight such as a door or a tree.
Users can then perform a wide range of push and pull exercises using the padded handles and cradles attached to the straps, with their bodyweight as the resistance. It’s surprisingly tougher than typical, floor-based exercises—the lack of stability from the straps means that your body needs to recruit more muscles to stay balanced, giving you a better workout.
The trainer supports up to 350 pounds of user weight.
To get the most out of the equipment, the TRX Home2 System can be used in conjunction with the TRX Training Club ($5.99/mo- $19.99/mo). Launched in 2021, this membership program offers over 500 workouts across seven different training programs, including strength training, yoga, HIIT and core. Members can choose from on-demand and live classes to follow on their laptop, tablet or phone.
There are two TRX Training Club membership types currently available, “On Demand” ($5.99/mo) and “All Access” ($19.99/mo). With the On-Demand membership you get access to over 500 pre-recorded workouts, with new classes being added weekly. With the All-Access membership, in addition to the on-demand classes, you also get access to live classes and replays. The TRX Home2 System comes with a 30 day free trial for the TRX Training Club app.
Who it’s best for:
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Purchase TRX Home2 System
Mirror
Key features:
If you like the experience of a group fitness class, The Mirror provides a unique way to feel almost like you’re in the room with your instructor. This home gym experience is centered around an immersive full-length mirror that projects an instructor right in front of you on the mirror. At the same time, you can see your own reflection in the mirror to help you get into the correct positions. The Mirror takes up minimal space, can be mounted on the wall or set on a stand. It can also be used as a regular mirror when the smart gym is turned off.
For more information about The Mirror Home Gym, check out our Tonal vs Mirror Review.
With Mirror, you can choose to take live classes or pick from over 10,000 on-demand classes, including boxing, dance, stretch, Pilates, toning, meditation, yoga and more. Classes are rated based on difficulty, so you can select the ones that are the best fit for your skill level. When choosing the classes, you can opt to listen to the instructor or just watch with music only. The Mirror tracks your progress including your heart rate and how many calories you burn.
Who it’s best for:
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Purchase Mirror
Tonal
Key features:
Tonal is a sophisticated machine that is smaller than a flatscreen television, but provides a full body workout through its patented system. This home fitness machine offers up to 200 pounds of resistance that can be used with up to 200 moves.
No metal weights are involved, saving you the hassle of racking and unracking weights. Instead, Tonal provides an efficient workout that gives you the right amount of resistance throughout your entire rep. The machine guides you with the help of 17 sensors that provide real-time monitoring to track things like range of motion and position. Tonal’s unique system uses magnets and electricity to make quick calculations to provide the appropriate weight resistance for the user for a safe and effective workout. For instance, if the machine detects that you are fatigued, it will automatically decrease the weight to be a better fit for your needs.
The Tonal device features an interactive 24-inch touchscreen display that allows you to select and watch guided classes such as barre, Pilates, meditation, kickboxing, yoga, high intensity workouts, recovery routines and more. The machine’s arms can be adjusted for upper body and lower body workouts.
You can use Tonal’s mobile app to track progress such as heart rate, range of motion and total volume lifted.
Note that Tonal should be installed professionally, which usually takes less than an hour. Installation is an additional $295 for all states except for Alaska and Hawaii.
For more information on Tonal, check out our in-depth Tonal review.
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Purchase Tonal
Bowflex
Key features:
Bowflex first brought its all-in-one exercise machine into people’s homes in the 1980s and continues to be a well-recognized name in the fitness industry, offering a range of equipment designed to help customers reach their goals. The PR3000 provides the full body home gym experience Bowflex is known for, with over 50 strength exercise options, ranging from five to 210 pounds of resistance.
This machine features a no-change cable pulley system, which allows you to switch between exercises without fussing with cables. While reviewers liked the machine overall, the most frequent complaint was that this machine was difficult to assemble.
Bowflex PR3000 comes with an instructional workout placard to show you how to do the various exercises that can be completed using this machine and there is also an owner’s manual with detailed instructions for a variety of exercises.
Who it’s best for:
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Purchase Bowflex PR3000
REP
Key features:
If training with heavy free weights and barbells is a priority, you’re going to need a good power rack. This piece of home gym equipment enables you to lift heavy weights safely without a spotting partner. Popular exercises that can be done with the help of a power rack include squats, deadlifts and bench presses.
The PR-4000 provides a heavy-duty power rack option made with three inch by three inch 11-gauge steel and 1,000 pounds of rackable capacity. The rack is highly customizable to fit your needs. Size options include a half-rack, four-post or six-post rack.
On the Rep Fitness website, you can build your own rack, starting with two choices for height, 80 inches or 93 inches. (Rep Fitness recommends the 93-inch option if you have the space.) You can also select depth, pull-up bar style, type of safeties, J-cups and weight storage features. A variety of color options are available for various aspects of the rack.
One convenient feature of the PR-4000 is the laser-cut numbers on the holes which help you line up attachments like J-cups and safeties. The rack also features one-inch hole spacing throughout the bench to help you get your ideal liftoff height. Rep Fitness offers an expanding list of attachment options for the PR-4000 including dip attachments, cables, row attachments, pull-up bars and storage.
Who it’s best for:
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Purchase REP Fitness PR-4000
MYRACK
Key features:
The Force USA MyRack is a durable budget-friendly power rack with over 20 attachment options that you can purchase for an additional price. This customizable power rack is 87 inches high x 47 inches wide x 55 inches deep and features Westside Spacing with 54 numbered options. This allows you to adjust the machine for your position for a variety of exercises from squats to bench presses.
MyRack’s range of attachments include a selection of cable crossovers, chin up bars, J-hooks, mono lifts, safety spotter arms, weight plate holders, and more. Each attachment is sold separately, so if you are on a budget, you can opt for only the attachments you need. You can also choose from three rack colors: black, red or blue.
While this rack does not come with assembly, several reviewers shared that assembly was simple and instructions were easy to follow.
Who it’s best for:
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Purchase Force MYRACK
Marcy
Key features:
If you are looking for an affordable home gym system that is similar to the weight stack lifting machines you’d regularly find at the gym, the Marcy MWM 990 may be a great fit for your needs. This machine uses cables and pulleys connected to a weight stack for over 30 strength training exercises targeting different muscle groups in the body. For example, you can use the dual action press arms to do vertical butterfly and chest press exercises or the upper pulley to focus on your core with an ab workout. You can also work out the lower body with leg extensions and curls using the dual-function leg developer. The machine features a padded press arm with oversized roller pads for extra comfort during chest exercises. The total leg developer’s foam roller pads provide comfort for leg exercises as well. Additional attachments are available for purchase such as a triceps rope and a single handle.
The Marcy MWM 990 is 68 inches long x 42 inches wide x 78 inches high and can support up to 300 pounds of user weight. Safety features include a weight stack lock that helps ensure a safe workout and a safety lock so that you can control who has access to the machine. Weights are stored behind a weight stack rather than lifted directly above you, providing additional protection.
While the Marcy MWM 990 does not come with assembly, Amazon reviewers share that there is a good instructional video that helps make it easy to put together.
Who it’s best for:
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Purchase Marcy MWM 990
MiM
Key features:
If you have the budget and space to go all-in on a power cage, MiM USA Hercules 1001 Commercial Smith Trainer is a strong and durable commercial quality machine that will provide just about everything you need for a full body workout. You can use this machine to perform a wide variety of exercises including squats, deadlifts, free weight exercises, incline chest presses, flat chest presses, triceps extensions and more. This machine is made for frequent, heavy-duty use.
This sturdy 680-pound MiM USA Hercules Smith machine is 87 inches wide x 67 inches long x 91 inches high and can support up to 800 pounds of user weight. Its features include a vertical leg press, dip and chin up station, jammer arms and an adjustable weight bench (with leg extension.)
At $5,695, this machine is pricey, but it comes with a lifetime warranty and a complete set of accessories that includes a V-handle, strap handle, ankle strap, triceps pull down rope, push bar, grips, leg press attachments, push and sit up attachments, arm workout tube, curl bar, straight bar, functional training bar, triceps bar, crossover handles, bar storage and hooks.
Who it’s best for:
Who it’s not best for:
Purchase MiM USA Hercules 1001 Commercial Smith Trainer
Rogue
Key features:
Want to match your workout equipment to your home or favorite color? This versatile Columbus, Ohio manufactured power rack not only comes in 11 colors, but it can be highly customized for your fitness needs. With the three by three-inch 11-gauge steel build of the RM-4 Monster Rack and the ⅝-inch hardware of the Infinity R-4, this home gym option combines desirable features from two of Rogue’s other racks while also adding new components like Slinger-compatible crossmembers.
This power rack is 90.375 inches high x 49 inches wide x 49 inches long and includes a Rogue-branded nameplate which helps add to the equipment’s stability. The unit comes with a 43-inch single skinny pull-up bar, Monster Lite J-cups with UHMW plastic inserts, pin/pipe safeties and band pegs. For an additional price, there are also a variety of customizations and accessories that you can add including SAML-24 Monster Lite safety spotter arms, Monster Lite strap safety system 2.0, and a concrete anchor kit. You can choose to add numbers to your uprights for an additional $100.
Keep in mind that this unit should be bolted to the floor, but does not come with floor mounting hardware.
Who it’s best for:
Who it’s not best for:
Purchase Rogue RML-490C
BestBuy
Key features:
Whether you are looking for a system that provides strength training, cardio or a combination, you don’t have to sacrifice since you can do both thanks to the versatility of this innovative all-in-one home gym machine.
The Fusion CST is a cable machine that provides strength training with a system of pulleys that use silent magnetic resistance to offer 20 digital power resistance levels. The machine features six precision cable ends, two squat pulleys, two ankle strap accessories and ergonomic removable handles. An iFIT Bluetooth chest strap heart rate monitor helps you identify your target zones, and track your progress towards achieving your goals.
A 10-inch Portal 10i tablet is included with the Nordictrack Fusion CST, allowing you to view your stats and iFit classes. (You’ll need an iFit membership to view the classes. Nordictrack’s iFit memberships start at $180/year and this machine comes with a one-month subscription to a family iFit membership.) The library of fitness workouts guided by skilled instructors includes bootcamp workouts, HIIT training, cross training, strength training and more, with new options added daily. You’ll also find iFit videos with tips on other complementary wellness related topics like nutrition and sleep.
Who it’s best for:
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Purchase Nordictrack Fusion CST
Owning a home gym has a wide variety of benefits, including the following:
Each home gym has different features, so the best way to learn how to use a home gym is by consulting the user manual. These manuals often have detailed instructions about the various ways you can use each home gym. Many home gyms also have videos and classes available to show you how to use the equipment.
Since home gyms vary in their fitness offerings, it’s important to have a clear idea of what your goals are. Some things to consider include:
From compact on-the-go home gyms to large power racks, size is a necessary consideration, especially if you have limited space. On the size-efficient side, the TRX Home2 System is a portable gym that can fit in a carry bag. On the other end of the spectrum, the MiM USA Hercules 1001 Commercial Smith Trainer is 87 inches wide x 67 inches long x 91 inches tall. It’s important to not only consider length and width, but also ceiling height when selecting a machine.
The exercises that you can do with a home gym will vary based on the type of machine/equipment you purchase. For instance, some home gyms (such as power racks) are designed for weight training exercises like squats, deadlifts and bench presses. Other machines, mainly the machines that incorporate digital technology, can be used with classes such as cardio-boxing, HIIT, yoga and more.
Each home gym allows you to customize the amount of weight you use for exercises, but maximum weights will vary based on the equipment. Look for a machine that can accommodate both your body weight and the amount of weight you plan to lift.
Many home gyms feature innovative digital technology to help you achieve your fitness goals. This may include:
Prices for home gyms range from budget-friendly equipment like TRX Home2 System ($199.95 without membership) to expensive splurges like MiM USA Hercules 1001 Commercial Smith Trainer ($5,725). Keep in mind that some home gyms require an additional fee for memberships on top of the price of the equipment.
A home gym can be a great way to achieve your fitness goals from the comfort of your own space. Depending on your needs, you can find a home gym for a variety of budgets. In some cases, you can even save money with certain home gyms that cost less than a yearly gym membership.
Home gyms vary in price. The home gyms on this list range from $199.95 for TRX Home2 System (without membership) to $5,725 for the MiM USA Hercules 1001 Commercial Smith Trainer.
Many home gyms feature guided classes which are a great way for beginners to create fitness routines, learn new skills, and set goals.
The type of flooring that is best for your home gym will vary based on your equipment and personal preferences. First, review the manufacturer’s recommendations. Some people prefer softer flooring for their feet such as rubber or carpet while others opt for hard floors like vinyl or wood. You may also want to consider getting a comfortable mat for floor exercises like yoga and crunches.
You don’t need a traditional gym membership to get a good workout. Home gyms bring a world of exercise options into the comfort of your own space to help you reach your fitness goals.
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.
Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning digital content writer and editor. This author is writing sponsored content paid for by Pillar4 and not affiliated with Sports Illustrated.