Traditional Home Gyms

Reviewers favor Hoist, BodyCraft gyms

As for more traditional home gym equipment that uses a weight stack, Outside Magazine calls the Hoist V5 (*est. $3,400) "the Cadillac of all-in-one weight-lifting machines." This sentiment is echoed in the recommendations by Men's Journal, where the Hoist V5 is the Editors' Pick as the highest rated home gym. This gym includes a lat pulldown (for your upper back), chest press and leg extension/curl features, along with a chest-high cable for dumbbell-type exercises. The weight stack is 200 pounds. The leg press is an optional addition, which extends the width of the gym by another 34 inches. Without the leg press, the Hoist V5 costs about $2,700. In 2004, Men's Journal also liked the step-down Hoist V4 home gym (*est. $2,600 with optional leg press), saying the wide range of settings will safely accommodate users "whether you're 5'5" or 6'5"". Both the Hoist V5 and Hoist V4 fit on a 4' x 6' mat, but Men's Journal notes that the attempt to fit a lot of fitness equipment into a small footprint results in some awkward workout angles and parts getting in the way during certain exercises. Hoist offers a lifetime warranty on the frame and five years on other parts.

If you have more than one fitness buff in your household, the BodyCraft X2 Family Xpress (*Est. $3,300) accommodates multiple users with dual 200-pound weight stacks, an adjustable-position cable system for dumbbell-type exercises, an abdominal crunch station and an optional hip or knee raise/dip station. The included leg press has a 2:1 weight ratio, allowing up to 400 pounds of resistance. This home gym doesn't have a pec dec (for working pectoral muscles), but Home Gym Review says that the adjustable-position cable system offers a greater variety of exercise options than a pec dec. You'll need to clear a large space for this home gym though, as it has a footprint of 104" x 105" (with optional attachments).

The BodyCraft Galena (*Est. $1,300; $1,600 with optional leg press) is another model liked by home gym critics. This gym has an adjustable pec dec to simulate traditional and dumbbell-style flys, a 200-pound weight stack, an abdominal crunch station and an optional leg press. Plus, it's designed to fit in the corner of a room, so it takes up less space than other weight-stack equipment, with a footprint of only 58" x 72" -- a huge plus for many reviewers. The Galena receives a top review from Home Gym Reviews as well as a Best Buy rating from Consumer Guide. Both reviews cite the Galena's combination of a multi-station gym and a compact design. Four contributors to Epinions rated the Galena, giving it five stars and saying it's solid and has everything you need for a good workout. BodyCraft offers a lifetime warranty on its home gym.

The Body-Solid EXM line is highly rated by reviewers, who say these home gyms offer great value for the money. We included the Body-Solid EXM 2500S (*Est. $1,200) in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers in our last report, but a check of the manufacturer's website reveals the EXM 2500S has been discontinued. It was a reviewer favorite in the past though, and can still be found on many fitness equipment websites, so it's worth considering if you see one still available. The EXM 2500S home gym has a 210-pound weight stack, a pec dec (although this uses handles instead of the more traditional padded arm rests) and a separate cable abdominal crunch station. Optional added features include a leg press and vertical knee raise. The lower-end Body-Solid EXM 1500S (*Est. $660) is still available, but this home gym only has a 160-pound weight stack and no optional features. The higher-end Body-Solid EXM 3000 LPS home gym (*Est. $3,500) has a 210-pound weight stack and space for three people to work out simultaneously -- which, of course, takes up more space. This home gym also has a pec station and a 2:1 weight ratio (up to 420 pounds) for the leg press. Like the BodyCraft home gym equipment described above, Body-Solid gym offers a lifetime warranty.