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A review of the five best home multi gyms.
If you’ve got the cash to splash and the space to spare and you fancy a supplementary training facility for those days when you can’t make it to body pump, a home multi gym might be just what you’re looking for.
In fact, modern multi gyms are so good that you can probably do away with your other gym/training memberships altogether. After all, why bother footing three hundred-plus quid a year to exercise in a Petri dish (aka public gym) – which usually involves a time-consuming commute and obligatory conversation with the ingratiating instructors – when you can bring the gym to your home?
And, in case you’re wondering, if you did replace the outdoor gym for the indoor gym you won’t be sacrificing fitness. The versatility of even a run-of-the-mill home multi gym is such that there’s very few exercises you can’t do on them. Also, they offer some serious poundage for those trainers who like to go HEAVY!
Actually, with a home gym you can increase your fitness. Pray tell, how? Most people spend between 45 minutes and an hour at the gym. But they also spend between 20 and 30 minutes travelling to and from the gym. That wasted time could be reinvested back into training.
Furthermore, your usage is not restricted. When, for whatever reason, a person cannot make it to the gym – traffic, the weather, swarms of locust – they usually sack-off the session in favour of the couch appeasing their conscious with: ‘Well the intention was there.’ Which is understandable right? If you can’t make the gym then there’s no other possible way of keeping fit.
But with a home multi gym you’ll never have this problem. Once it’s installed it’ll always be there, quietly waiting for you to pay it some attention. And if you’re strapped for time or you’ve got a spare 20 minutes on the clock, after quickly whipping on your kit you’ll be pounding away in seconds.
A few things to consider before buying a multi gym
I’m reminded of the 7 Commandments of Animal Farm (with a slight modification): All multi gyms are equal, but some multi gyms are more equal than others. Yes it might be called a multi gym, however, that doesn’t mean it comes with the same range of features and weights as others.
So, before buying, have a good sniff about to make sure that you’re getting the most for your money. Consider the following criteria before clicking.
Weight stack
Firstly you need to consider why you are buying a multi gym. Is it muscle tonality and general fitness you seek or augmented strength? The reason why I ask is because your fitness aspiration determines the size of the weight stack.
A weight stack of around 50kg would suit those who aspire to increase their muscle tonality whilst improving general fitness. But the hulking behemoth who’s chasing Eddie Hall’s deadlift world record, well you’re going to need a hundred kees minimum.
One last point on the weight stack. If you’ve gone ahead and pigeonholed yourself in the ‘muscle tonality/fitness gain’ group, I advise reassessing your long-term goals before making a decision. You never know, in the future you could be gunning for that record. And, to echo the Capitalist’s mantra, it’s better to have more than you need.
Size
This is one place where size matters. Though I have no empirical evidence for you, just lazy supposition, I’m sure at least one person has bought a multi gym without first measuring the space where they plan to put it. And it wasn’t until they were halfway through assembling the thing that they realised that: It’s not gonna fit!
Don’t be that person. Pay close attention to all the dimensions that matter – height, width, depth (so all of them) – and make sure that there is ample room around the multi gym. Remember, you’re probably going to want to access all sides of the multi gym, not just the pec deck.
Assembly
Legend has it that it can take even a person versed in the secret art of IKEA flat pack between 4 and 6 hours to assemble a multi gym. Holy s#!t! I mean that’s like a whole day at work. And that’s for someone with genius level mechanical competency. If you’re anything like me then you can multiply that 4 or 6 by 10. Seriously, I haven’t got the patience for Lego.
Ok, let’s assume that you’re not entirely bereft of the ability to wield an Allen key and mini screwdriver, even you might want to pre-book a day’s holiday or start laying the groundwork (cough!) for (cough!) when (cough!) you (cough!) pull (cough! cough!) a sickie . . . cough! Cus it’s still going to cost you the day putting your spanking new multi gym together.
Exercise versatility
All multi gyms are equal, but some . . . you remember what I (Orwell) said right? Well this blatant contradiction is again supported by the fact that some multi gyms are more versatile than others. It is the contention of this fitness enthusiast that no multi gym should leave the factory unless it possesses the functionality that enables you to perform the following exercises:
However, dear reader, rest at ease. All of the multi gyms featured in this review satisfy the above criteria.
1: Sportstech Premium Multi Gym
Product Details (click on the image for availability)
𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬: This multi gym allows you to perform over 20 different exercises.
𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥: High-quality materials, such as the water-repellent and durable EVA padding material make even long training sessions very comfortable.
𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡: The ingenious and innovative design promises high quality down to the smallest detail.
𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘𝗧𝗬: Thanks to an intelligent construction and the extra wide and rubberized feet, the weight is optimally distributed and your floor is protected.
Sprotstech offers you the chance to own a highly versatile, gym-grade fitness tool for the home. Yes it’s going to set you back seven and a bit big ones but with this multi gym you’re getting some serious bang for your buck.
After you’ve put it together – which by all accounts ain’t too troublesome – you’ll have open access to a plethora of exercise options. This thing is the Swiss army knife of multi gyms. It boasts 30 exercise applications and the possibility of future up-grades.
One of the most frequent customer comments is regarding the build quality of Sportstech’s multi gym. The frame is constructed from industrial-grade metals which guarantee that it will stand the test of time. Also, the premium quality pads will for years to come provide you with a comfortable base from which to pump those guns or firm-up your glutes.
2: F4H Multi Gym Workout Station
Product Details (click on the image for availability)
Weight plates included. Addition Vertical Knee Raise (VKR) allowing you to work your lower body and build muscle.
This gym is built sturdily and using solid material that have been fully tested.
Possesses numerous functions including a hydraulic stepper. Heavy duty cables ensure that you can push your fitness goals.
Ideal for home use. This gym can provide a varied workout for a much lower cost.
Fit4Home have entered the market with a more affordable home multi gym. And though it doesn’t offer the range of exercise versatility as other products, it’ll more than meet the requirements of the person looking for muscular tonality and general fitness.
This is a smaller sleeker multi gym than Sportstech’s. Consequently it won’t take up as much room making it the perfect addition to a modest-sized home gym. And though Fit4Home has compromised on priced they haven’t compromised on quality.
Made from heavy duty materials – from the frames through to the cables – this multi gym will provide a faithful fitness friend for years. In fact, if the customer reviews are anything to go by, you’ll wear out before it does.
3: HOMCOM Multi Gym Workstation
Product Details (click on the image for availability)
High and low pulley system with let bar, dual function chest press/pec combination.
Thick padded seat and backrest, protective cover around the weight plates for added safety.
Strong tubular steel upright frame with black coating.
Overall dimension: 156L x 113W x 205H cm. Assembly Required.
There’s no denying it, this is a Happy Shopper home multi gym. But before you turn your nose up, hear me out for a second. Though it’s as basic as they come – understatement: the thing’s skeletal! – it more than satisfies the range of exercises outlined in the introduction.
The good people at HOMCOM have manufactured a cheap and cheerful product for the person building a home gym on a budget. And thank god someone did because we can’t all afford to splash 700-plus squid on a weights rig.
So what do you get for your that modest stack of cash? Well, for starters, you’re guaranteed to get the bare necessities: a metal structure and somewhere to park your derrière. Also, thrown into the bargain, HOMCOM’s multi gym comes with a couple of uprights to push against and a few other bits and bobs – biceps curl and lat pulldown bar.
And that’s your lot. But remember, though this is undeniably a simple piece of kit, and it has received a number of negative reviews, it only costs £379.99 – which is ridiculously cheap for a home gym.
4:TecTake Fitness Power Station
Product Details (click on the image for availability)
The solid robust tubing with plastic-coated steel cables ensures the best safety and stability during any exercise.
With its versatile training options and compact design, this multi-station is ideal for a full-body workout even in smaller homes or basements.
Enables the user to perform over 10 different resistance exercises.
TecTake’s multi gym is an expensive version of HOMCOM’s. For nearly £250 more you are getting more or less exactly the same set-up, even down to the size of the weight stack. And if it wasn’t for the grey paint job you’d be hard pushed to distinguish one from the other.
I get what you’re thinking: ‘He’s not selling this well.’ But the truth is I’m not here to sell, my job is to provide honest reviews whilst dispelling some of the confusion that can cloud our judgement when trying to decide between exercise equipment.
And the truth here is, though TecTake’s multi gym looks quite nice – from a minimalist’s perspective – and satisfies our list of basic requirements, it seems to be over priced in the market place. As a consumer you have to ask: For that extra £250 what am I getting different? What sets it apart from HOMCOM’s multi gym? Or why don’t I just chuck in another £45 and upgrade to Sportstech’s all singing all dancing premium quality slice of Gold’s?
Of course, these are questions only you can answer. But I know what I’d do.
5: 470 Exercises - T3-X - Ultimate Home Gym
Product Details (click on the image for availability)
Sliding bench with regulated angle of seating and backrest, upper pulley and other pulleys, smith machine, leg press, butterfly, upper and lower gate, preacher bench, handles for pull-ups, professional accessory rack and much more!
Uses: Home Gyms, Personal Trainers Studios, Uniformed Services Units, Small Fitness Clubs!
Only 22m² need to use the machine comfortably! 7 independent training stations!
+200 VARIOUS exercises for every muscle part IN STANDARD!
Sliding bench with regulated angle of seating and backrest, upper pulley and other pulleys, smith machine, leg press, butterfly, upper and lower gate, preacher bench, handles for pull-ups, professional accessory rack and much more!
I just had to include this multi gym for the sole reason of its ridiculousness (it’s training equipment porn: you can’t stop looking at it even though you know you should). This is a multi gym for the 1% or someone who possess precisely zero financial acumen.
Who, I want to know, who spends £8500 on a home gym? That’s 10% of the price of the first property I ever loaned from the bank. Don’t get me wrong, it looks immense – looks like a transformer preparing to morph into a mechanical man. I’d hate to have to dust the thing though – could you imagine it? It’d take forever. But then I suppose if you can afford to wax £8500 on a home gym then you can also afford to pay a cleaner to keep it shiny and new.
Ok, enough verbal foreplay, what exactly do you get for the yearly salary of a minimum wage worker?
According to the manufacturer’s spiel you can perform 200-plus different exercises on the T3- Ultimate Home Gym. If you crunch the numbers (Google calculator crunched mine) it’s actually only costing you £42.50 for each individual exercise variation. Which doesn’t sound that much.
Irritatingly you are told about every conceivable aspect of the T3-X Ultimate except how much weight it comes with. For your eight and a bit grand do you get 100Kgs? 200? 300? Nobody knows because this important information (important when buying a home gym) is not supplied.
However, going off the pictures you’ll have enough weight to get in shape for the next Arnold Classic.
Conclusion
Though there are undeniably a number of limitations that come with a home multi gym – their size and expense being the two most obvious (though personally I’d put assembly first followed by dusting) – once you have one you’ll never need to stray further than the front door to get your fitness fix. That, in my opinion, is one hefty positive which outweighs the lighter limitations.
(As we are very interested in user feedback at Hungry4Fitness, I would be very grateful if you could take a few seconds out of your day to leave a comment. Thanks in advance!)
Blog Author
Adam Priest is a former Royal Marines Commando, personal trainer, lecturer, boxing and Thai boxing enthusiast.