Home gyms are all-in-one exercise machines that are great for building or toning muscle with their resistance system. When used correctly, you can get great results and build lean muscle.
They are perfect for people who have limited space for many different types of equipment and are also more budget friendly. With a cardio machine and a good home-gym combo, you will have a complete set-up at your home.
They usually offer lots of exercises; for example, most Bowflex home gyms offer about 50 or more different exercises. Of course, the versatility is a very subjective thing; it depends on your fitness goals, experience, and personal preferences.
Now let’s list the pros and cons:
Pros:
- They are great for muscle isolation. As you know, isolation exercises work only one major muscle group, and during the movement, you won’t need to engage other muscle groups. Home gyms are great for this kind of exercise because you do not need stabilizer muscles as much as with free weights.
- They are great for beginners. You have less chance of doing an exercise wrong or injuring yourself.
- They are safer and ideal for home use. It is not always possible to find a person to help you when working out with free weights. With home gyms, you usually do not need a gym buddy, the machine will assist you in difficult situations, but always read the manual and safety guide before using an exercise machine.
- Great for full-body workouts.
Cons:
- As we mentioned, home gyms are great for muscle isolation but this is also their weak point. With home gyms stabilizing muscles will not work as much as with the free weights. So it is best to support your routine with some free weight exercises.
- With some home gyms, it is hard to change the machine for the next exercise. If changing the position of pulleys and changing the resistance is cumbersome, you will be demotivated. So select an equipment that is easy to use.