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Are multi station home gym's worth the money?

M

megaphoenix

New member
BOLT Multi Station Home Gym 2:1 Ratio Leg Press
Multi Station Home Gym

Something like that interests me. I do want to increase my upper torso the most (legs are fine too, if its part of the machine) and i figure that something like that might be more "useful" than using free weights and such. I presume because you are doing more of one single motion with these gyms, it might be better than fatigue setting in and doing wildly "strange" motions when trying to lift free weights.

$600-$1200 is a price range im happy with and my end result is mostly to be "pretty strong with a very "strong looking" body". So i dont mind too much if its not going to make me strong enough to be a professional weight lifter, just aslong as it can help make me ripped as anything :P

Are any of these gyms good? and worth buying? or there is a huge negative that im missing? :(
 
Short answer: No, multi-station home gyms are not worth the money, put the money into an olympic barbell and plates and a set of squat stands (or a rack if you're happy to spend a little more).

Yes there are a number of huge negatives you seem to be missing, to find out what they are buy this book, read it, visit the associated web forums and absorb as much as you can from them and have a read around the rest of this website, then read the book again.

I'm not sure if you're taking the piss with 'look stronger than I really am' as a desired outcome so I shall reserve judgement but suffice to say no matter what your goals are in relation to training a barbell will be better for achieving them than a multi-station home gym.
 
Increase your knowledge and you will answer your own question.

Stay where you are and you will simply buy this piece of crap.
 
^ Seconded.

For $600 you could get squat racks, a bench, a bar, and plates. For $1200 you could get a nice olympic bar, a power cage, and make up some flooring too.

Or you could go spend $2500 on a machine and you'd end up with something not nearly as useful.
 
Free weights are more versatile, buy a machine and you have to do the exercises the designers wanted you to do, with free weights you can do all of those exercises and more.

Of course, you don't need to buy any equipment at all to begin a programme of exercise... pushups, squats, inverted rows and a zillion variations of these in your home or nearby park... and if you won't do a few pushups every day, your "home gym machine" will just collect dust :)

Get the habit first, kit second!
 
if u dont have room for olympic stuff buy somekettlebells.

aust kettlebell have an adjustableone.
 
I was thinking about buying some equipment and working out at home but its just not practical for me as im living in an apartment and dont have much room to play with. Another reason i went against it is if you have something sitting in another room there is a lot of temptation to do something else, like play playstation - at the gym you are there so you may as well lift some heavy stuff lol
 
pseudonym said:
I'm not sure if you're taking the piss with 'look stronger than I really am' as a desired outcome so I shall reserve judgement but suffice to say no matter what your goals are in relation to training a barbell will be better for achieving them than a multi-station home gym.
Click to expand...

i meant it in the sense that i "look strong". i dont care if i can't lift 300kg, that part isn't important to me. "looking strong" is (and being strong enough for day to day use is also).

In any case, does that mean a power rack is a better investment? i use dumbbells now and i find its too "easy" to not lift them properly or to take a break. im happy doing the same action 20, 50 or 100 times in a row, yet i just would prefer a device where its "harder" to lift incorrectly and stuff like that.

Muscle Motion Power Rack Package 3 - $1095

If the multi stations are bad (i dont really get why, as i always see those type of things in gyms), would one of those power racks be good? im not saying i want it to be easy, just something that is more straight forward and repetitive that is "harder" to slack off on.
 
Whether you want to look or be strong makes no difference as a beginner. The two are the same until you can bench and row 1-1.5 times your bodyweight, squat and deadlift 1.5-2x bw, and do 6+ chinups. Get strong, you'll look strong.

It is not harder to lift incorrectly with a machine, it can be harder to lift properly, in fact. That's because machines are designed for an "average" build - same as bus or plane seats. Few people have the "average" build, so you will often not quite fit right in a machine. And machines have a particular range and direction of motion you're restricted to, which may or may not work well with your particular build, the way your shoulders sit, and so on.

Machines are not bad, they're just not as good as free weights. Gyms have them because they require little or no instruction in use. "Just sit down, choose the weight you're using, and push on these handles." So if the gym's business model is, "sign them up for 12 months, give them a workout plan, send them off to do it then forget about them," that's ideal.

A workout with machines is definitely better than sitting on your bum watching Oprah and eating Tim Tams. But free weights, if used with proper form, are better still.

If you are the type of person to slack off, you will slack off whether you have machines, free weights, just your bodyweight in a local park, the Twisty Abserciser 6000, or whatever. If you're slack you're slack.

To deal with slackness, I advise finding a training partner and/or a professional trainer. If you make appointments to do workouts, you're more likely to do them. Even if you just have an appointment once a week, and promise to do your own private workout another couple of times a week - you'll need to do the other workouts to keep up with the partner/trainer in your weekly one.

Again, you don't need to buy any equipment at all to begin physical training. Soldiers get fit and strong and their instructors never take them into a weight room. Running, pushups, situps, pullups, squats, burpees, dragging around cement-filled artillery shells, and so on. Just get your body moving.
 
I think im not doing some of the weights properly cos im rarely ever having rest days. im assuming my arms just aren't resting enough to not hurt when i lift weights the next day.

I figure i don't need a machine (i looked up a bunch of internet sites and a lot said free weights are superior), i just feel that i should be buying something (or some things) to focus me on getting stronger. 8kg dumbbells probably aren't going to help too much and thats all i currently have. I just figure stuff like the power rack is a direct "you lift this up" thing and its harder to do it the "wrong way" or anything like that.
 
Machines are expensive for what they can do, which as I said is usually less than what free weights can do. For example, in one of my gyms there's a $4,400 machine just for shoulder press. You could get a serviceable squat rack, bar and 200kg of plates for 1/4 to 1/2 that, new.

If you have lots of money to spend on machines, rather than spending (say) $2,500 on machines, it would be better to spend $1,400 on serviceable rack, bar and plates, and $100 on instruction in a few basic compound exercises. You'll get more out of your training by spending less, but spending it wisely.
 
Kyle Aaron said:
Machines are expensive for what they can do, which as I said is usually less than what free weights can do. For example, in one of my gyms there's a $4,400 machine just for shoulder press. You could get a serviceable squat rack, bar and 200kg of plates for 1/4 to 1/2 that, new.

If you have lots of money to spend on machines, rather than spending (say) $2,500 on machines, it would be better to spend $1,400 on serviceable rack, bar and plates, and $100 on instruction in a few basic compound exercises. You'll get more out of your training by spending less, but spending it wisely.
Click to expand...

Totally agree mate.

Just for a rough idea, I have a squat rack, bench, weight tree, standard bar and about 160kg of weight and have spent less than $1000 on it all. Some was bought new, some used. Hopefully by friday I'll have added a cheap power rack to the mix and then I can get rid of the squat racks. This will still be cheaper than a machine and 1000x more useful.
 
yeah thats all i should need to do now. find a good bench and power rack which is safe, has a good amount of weights included and is able to be upgraded (i mean its easy to buy extra plates).

My knowledge of recommendable brands comes from nothing though. I might figure that samsung and sony are good TV brands, but power racks? no idea who is who, lol.

I am excited about it though. The thought of going from 8kg dumbbells to being able to squat barbells twice my weight is exciting. I figure its like finally learning to swim or drive a car. Just the feeling of pride that comes from knowing you can do something :D
 
Muscle motion offers a great power rack, one of the better value for money racks around.

I got this power rack last month and it has been very good, I feel very safe benching and squatting in this rack.

This is a great package to get you started
http://www.gymdirect.com.au/item/3-Package-Deal-_-Power-Rack--+-FIBEV-flat-incline-bench-+-Olympic-bar-+-80kg-Olympic-weights-$1095/530.htm
 
Muscle Motion Power Rack Package 2 - $1450

Thats the one im now thinking of getting. The only difference i know between the one thats $1095 and the $1450 one is a difference in weights (former is 80, latter is 145). It seems like it would do everything i want and be a great purchase, but i dunno. i guess im nervous about making a purchase that big without know its exactly what i need :(
 
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