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Are you looking to lose weight, build muscle, or firm up certain areas of your body? Do you hesitate at the thought of expensive and inconvenient fitness club memberships?
A home gym allows you to get in shape, whenever it's most convenient for you, and without strangers watching your every move. TopConsumerReviews.com reviews and ranks the best home gyms available today.
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Are you looking to work out? Do you want to lose some extra weight that you've built up? Maybe you want to add some muscle or firm up some areas of your body? Home gym systems provide the convenience of getting in shape at your home and on your schedule, without an audience of onlookers or stressful and expensive monthly membership dues.
There are basically two different types of home gym systems - gyms with weight plates, and gyms with resistance systems. Weight plate gyms come with a various set of weights that you use to work out. These home gyms are generally more complex, more expensive, and better recommended for serious body builder individuals. Resistance systems use methods other than heavy weights to fulfill your workout
regimen. These home gyms are typically much more affordable and easier to move, but depending on the type of system they may not be as effective or easy to operate.
Several different brands of home gyms exist today. These gyms range greatly in cost and quality, so before you make the decision to purchase a home gym, you need to consider several factors. Some of these include:
• Cost. What is the price range for the products offered?
• Weight Resistance. What is the maximum weight resistance accompanied with each home gym?
• Return Policy. Does the company enable you to return products for a full refund?
• Guarantee. Should a piece or part of the gym break does the company offer any guarantee for replacement?
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best Home Gyms available today. We hope you find these reviews helpful in finding a healthier, happier you.
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Bowflex Home Gyms is a nationally recognized name brand with a powerful and convenient line of home gyms. With thousands of commercials since 1996, most of us are familiar with at least one of their products. Bowflex is a resistance
home gym system, which provides safety over standard gym equipment that can fall and create serious injuries. Bowflex also makes buying their equipment easier with pre-approved financing, and even an occasional no interest offer if the balance is paid in full by the due date.
Unlike traditional plate weight machines, Bowflex home gyms utilize resistance technology with their patented Power Rod and SpiraFlex gyms. In addition to proven muscle-building effectiveness, Bowflex also reduces joint and tendon strain found in traditional weight stack home gyms.
Assembly takes approximately 1-3 hours depending on the model. Unlike large home gyms, Bowflex exercise equipment can fold up to a move it out of the way as needed.
There are up to 100 different exercises offered with the Bowflex home gym, depending on the model. Weight resistance is impressive, ranging from 210 to 300 pounds, with an option to add another 100 pounds for only $99. Leg resistance goes up to 600 pounds of force.
Equipment overview:
• Type of Home Gym: Resistance technology
• Cost Range: $649- $2,999)
• Different Models: 5
• Financing Available: Yes
• Weight Resistance: 210-300 pounds
• Return Policy: Up to 6 weeks, minus shipping, if you aren't satisfied with the initial results.
• Guarantee: 5-12 years for replacement parts, based on the model.
• Shipping: Free
We liked that Bowflex is built by fitness experts and is backed by a wonderful guarantee in the event something breaks or you aren't satisfied. With over 1 million Bowflex owners, Bowflex is a solid company that builds an effective, dependable product. If
you're looking for a reliable, safe home gym that will produce results, Bowflex should be your
first stop.
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If you've ever stayed up late flipping television channels you've probably come across Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley promoting the Total Gym home gym system. This resistance gym was initially sold to the rehabilitation market, but in 1995 Total Gym was licensed for the direct response and retail markets. Placing Total Gym on American TV allowed for a comprehensive demonstration to potential
customers and was a good way to broaden it's reach to the home gym market.
Total Gym is an incline plane training device that uses from 6 to 60% of an individual's body weight as resistance. A position change on the
glide board allows individuals to change the exercise and muscles they're working on.
Total Gym gym comes with a nice 30-day trial offer which allows you to try the product in your home before you're fully committed. The product comes fully assembled and is only 96 pounds, making the transportation of the equipment generally easy.
Equipment overview:
• Type of Home Gym: Resistance technology
• Cost Range: $599 - $876
• Different Models: 3
• Financing Available: No, but offers payment plan to spread out the cost.
• Weight Resistance: Dependant on your body weight at 6-60% of your total weight.
• Return Policy: 4 weeks trial period.
• Guarantee: Lifetime on the frame, and warranty on the parts ranges from 0- 6 months.
• Shipping: Free
With Total Gym, you can anticipate good toning and a pilates-style workout. This is a good machine for firming up specific body areas. The Total Gym also comes pre-assembled and is easy to move around if needed.
Since the resistance with Total Gym is dependant on your body weight, bodybuilders would probably be better served by looking at another type of home gym. Also, we think the parts warranty could be improved and standardized across all models.
If you're looking for a convenient home gym that will give you a workout at an affordable price, Total Gym is definitely worth your consideration.
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Founded in 1977, Sports Art began building fitness products for other companies in 1981. Throughout the '80s and '90s, Sports Art made home gym equipment for companies such as Schwinn, Universal, Precari, and Tunturi. As a result of their commitment to superior engineering Sports Art has focused on new product innovation and has established themselves as a leader with
commercial
and
home gym systems.
Sports Art Fitness provides a traditional weight stack strength training home gym. You can anticipate traditional strength exercises, including lat pull down, chest press, biceps curls, and leg curls. Rotation of the pulleys is flexible with high, medium and low positions available. The home gym purchase includes an instructional DVD.
The home gym comes with 3 sets of quality made pulleys.
Pulleys are set in deep grooves and wrapped to keep the cables properly functioning. The weight stack delivers smooth and quiet operation of the included 154 pounds. Assembly is approximately 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Equipment overview:
• Type of Home Gym: Weight Stack
• Cost Range: $1,799
• Different Models: 1
• Financing Available: No
• Weight Resistance: 154 pounds
• Return Policy: None.
• Guarantee: Life time guarantee on frame, 5 years for weight stacks and cables and 3 years for stuffing, one year on labor.
• Shipping: Free
Sports Art Fitness provides a very effective commercial grade home gym that is built to last. We liked the quality of the product but felt the one-price-fits-all equipment might not meet everyone's needs. But if you're looking for a high quality, traditional weight stack home gym, Sports Art Fitness provides an excellent product for your money.
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Joe and Ben Weider created Weider Health & Fitness which was comprised of magazines, supplements, and exercise equipment over 30 years ago.
The Weider home gyms reaffirm that you get what you pay for. Essentially the products aim to mimic commercial grade home gyms but unfortunately fall short of serious body building needs. Still, they can be effective at firming and toning up specific muscle groups and can give you a good workout. With a limited warranty, however, you're taking more of a risk than with some other systems.
Installation takes about 2-6 hours dependant on the model you choose. We found several complaints about installation issues with the door model. We also discovered quality issues with a number of past (and discontinued) models previously sold on the market.
Equipment overview:
• Type of Home Gym: Resistance technology and vinyl weights.
• Cost Range: $399- $699
• Different Models: 3
• Financing Available: No
• Weight Resistance: 175- 210 pounds
• Return Policy: 30 day trial offer on certain products.
• Guarantee: 90 day warranty
• Shipping: Not included
Overall, Weider home gyms left us wanting more. While effective for light workouts, they fall short of the commercial-grade muscle building models they try to mimic. We were disappointed with the limited warranty and shipping costs. We recommend you choose a higher ranked product for a solid work out.
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Epic home gyms provides a top-of-the-line commercial weight system with pivoting pulleys that work independently with machined weight plates. You can enjoy a free range of motion while performing a number of exercises that can define and strengthen your entire body. With 400 pounds of weight resistance this system is for the more serious body builder that is willing to pay the
price
for this equipment.
Epic provides your standard exercises for upper body and legs. Included are 7 workout stations, a standing squat station, calf raise and more.
Our biggest concern came with two aspects, the lack of consumer information and lack of warranty or return policy. We found very little supplemental information, and limited consumer reviews and comments. This leads us to question how widely sold these systems are. Also, we found no mention of return or warranty information for Epic home gyms. We would be very wary of spending
thousands of dollars on
a product and not have a method of recovering costs should something happen shortly after delivery.
Equipment overview:
• Type of Home Gym: Machined weight plates
• Cost Range: $1,599
• Different Models: 1
• Financing Available: Yes
• Weight Resistance: 400 pounds
• Return Policy: None
• Guarantee: None
• Shipping: Not included
The Epic home gym system provides what appears to be commercial-grade, quality equipment. The home gym is a complete system and supports weight resistance that even serious body builders would enjoy. However, the lack of return or warranty information is very disappointing. Overall we feel the high price and risk outweighs the opportunity.
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Gold's Gym started in 1965 and has since expanded globally to a well respected commercial gym for the serious body builders and exercise fanatics. Unfortunately, their home gym equipment doesn't provide the same quality that we would expect with Gold's Gym name on it.
The system is a bargain-basement priced standard weight stack home gym. You can anticipate completing standard exercises on this equipment like chest presses, curls and a lat pull. Gold's Gym is said to add power and definition to the body, but equipment issues constantly seem to get in the way. With only 210 pounds of resistance, Gold's Gym home gym model doesn't give a lot of
challenge or opportunity for the average male body builder.
Installation and equipment issues seem to be another downfall of the Gold's Gym home systems. We found numerous complaints of bad or missing assembly instructions, adding hours to the time required to set up the home gym. There have even been reports of missing assembly instructions and having to wait up to 4 days to receive new ones. Many people who had setup issues found better
luck looking for tips online from other Gold's Gym customers than they did from the company itself.
Equipment overview:
• Type of Home Gym: Vinyl weight stack
• Cost Range: $257
• Different Models: 1
• Financing Available: No
• Weight Resistance: 210 pounds
• Return Policy: 30-day trial period on all products
• Guarantee: 90 days
• Shipping: Not included
At such a low price for a home gym, we weren't surprised that the quality of the equipment was off the mark. The lower weight resistance provided stands in contrast with the bulking muscle physic present in the Gold's Gym logo. We recommend you shop for your home gym from one of the higher ranked providers.
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Home Gyms in the News
Outside the temperature may be too arctic or hellacious to tempt one to head out for a jog. A gym membership can be expensive and sweating and getting red-faced in front of others is not some people's idea of a happy time. These are just some of the ...
Publ.Date : 2012-04-21T18:53:11Z
With a growing waiting list that includes a six-week-old baby, Oxford?s only gymnastics club has launched a search for a bigger home. Currently based at The Cherwell School, in Marston Ferry Road, Cherwell Gymnastics Club has space for around 120 children.
Publ.Date : 2012-05-07T08:40:04Z
TOLEDO, Ohio ? A 9-year-old boy removed from his mother's custody after his weight ballooned to more than 200 pounds returned home slimmer with a free gym membership, exercise equipment and even a new scale. His story has compelled donations ...
Publ.Date : 2012-05-11T16:13:28Z
A 2007 Los Angeles Times profile said she begins her day ?with a 45-minute routine in her home gym and then walks her five Australian shepherds.? It is unclear whether that regimen still holds, or whether Chief Lanier?s urban row house ...
Publ.Date : 2012-05-10T00:01:07Z
New home gym created from a father's desire to protect his young son is perfect fit for condo's and apartments. (PRWEB) May 01, 2012 Urban Rite Fitness is pleased to announce the introduction of a brand new way to exercise using The OttoBody Hidden Gym.
Publ.Date : 2012-05-02T01:00:43Z
If you're leisurely reading this story this morning, in the comfort of your home, then chances are you've already talked yourself out of going to the gym. Worse still, the good money is on you finding every excuse under the sun to weasel your way out of ...
Publ.Date : 2012-05-11T16:42:06Z
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