Ultimate All-in-One Gym Buying Guide

Setting up a home gym can totally transform your fitness routine. No more commuting to the gym, waiting for equipment, or dealing with crowded spaces and people that leave machines sweaty. However, you’re likely to get overwhelmed when you start shopping for an all-in-one home gym.

Don’t worry, though, we’re here to help! Our guide covers everything you need to know. Space, budget, fitness goals, we’ve gone through everything to give you the best information possible. 

By the time you’ve finished reading this, you’ll know exactly what to look for and the decision on which option to get will be a piece of cake.

What Is an All-In-One Home Gym: General Characteristics and Types?

Today’s active lifestyle requires us to keep track of the ongoing modern novelties that build up our daily life. Thus, the majority of us try to keep track of our fitness level and take up sports even at home, without wasting time on joining a commercial gym.

Here, an all-in-one fitness gym machine comes in handy, especially if you’re lacking space for several standalone units. An all-in-one home gym machine is a combination of several specific exercise attachments that target different muscles.

Your fitness level doesn’t matter at all, because you can use this trainer for different exercises with various attachments and training parts. You can regulate the tension level on your own without being restricted in motion.

Many people use a home gym as a stand-alone, doing a whole-body workout without any other equipment. It is possible to perform exercises with free weights, and attach a bench or squat rack for strength training.

Being equipped with diverse attachments, an all-in-one trainer offers a wide range of exercises to perform: bench presses, shoulder presses, lat pulldowns, leg presses, extensions, and curls, seated rows, etc. You can also do some muscle-isolated exercises such as tricep extensions, biceps curls, wrist curls, and calf raises.

Indeed, the variety of exercises you can do with the help of an all-in-one workout machine is almost unlimited that targets the whole body.

1. Weight Trainers With Weight Stacks (Or With Selectorized Resistance)

Such all-in-one fitness machines feature a stack with weight bricks, you can insert a pin into the specific pile to choose the weight resistance. The key advantage of a selectorized resistance system is that you can adjust the needed weight quickly and instantly while exercising without getting up from the equipment.

2. Home Gym Trainers With Plate Load (With Leverage System)

The resistance level is defined by the amount of weight plates you load. You can use the same plates as you utilize while a free-weight workout. A drawback you can face is that you waste more time loading and unloading the weight by interrupting your training.

3 Types of Training Machines an All-in-One Gym May Consist Of

A compact home gym is a fantastic concept because it offers versatility and functionality and doesn’t take up as much space. Let’s see what training machines are usually found in them and what you can use them for. 

1. Cable Machine (i.e. Lat Pulldown Machine)

A cable machine, which often includes a lat pulldown attachment, comprises pulleys, cables, and weight stacks. You can adjust the resistance based on the exercise you’re doing, and as far as the exercises go, you can do lat pulldowns, cable rows, tricep pushdowns, cable curls, cable flyers, seated rows, and more. 

2. Smith Machine

The smith machine includes a barbell attached to rails, enabling only a fixed vertical movement and offers extra stability and safety. You can do squats, bench presses, shoulder presses, lunges, calf raises, shrugs, etc.

Our expert, Jacek Szymanowski, shared his experience:

«Big fan of free weights here so my personal all in one home gym is My Rogue Power Rack with barbell and plates, landmine and Kettlebells. You can get it with a similar price to some all in one home gyms. Strength, balance, coordination, speed, power, cardio… name it! You just can’t go wrong with that setup.»

3. Power Rack

Also known as a power cage, the power rack has vertical posts with safety bars. It gives you an open area for free weight training with safety catchers. It’s a super versatile piece of equipment that lets you do squats, bench presses, shoulder presses, deadlifts, pull-ups, rack pulls, and different barbell exercises.

All-in-One Home Gym Accessories to Add

Building your all-in-one home gym doesn’t stop with getting the best workout machine for home, because adding accessories can significantly improve your workout experience and your range of exercises. The accessories challenge your body in different ways, and they’re a great way to add some diversity to your fitness routine. 

1. Resistance Bands

These are the epitome of versatility – they come in all kinds of resistance levels and they’re perfect for adding incremental resistance to your workouts. They can be used for stretching, strength training, and rehabilitation. Resistance bands are lightweight, portable, and good for a wide range of workouts that target different muscle groups.

2. Jump Rope

A simple, but super effective tool for cardio, the jump rope elevates your heart rate, improves agility, coordination, and footwork. It can also be used in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or as a warm-up tool.

3. TRX

TRX suspension trainers leverage your body weight to perform a range of workouts, and they can improve your strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability. The amount of exercises you can do with these is incredible. 

4. Slam Ball

This is a sturdy weighted ball that’s designed for high-impact exercises, like ball slams, tosses, and squats. Slam balls can help you develop strength, power, endurance and coordination and they’re a fantastic way to get a whole body workout.

5. Plyo Box

As the name suggests, a plyo box assists in plyometric training and allows you to do various explosive exercises, like box jumps, step-ups, and depth jumps. Plyo boxes are used to improve leg strength and power and can help with overall athletic performance. 

6. Foam Roller

A foam roller is used for self-myofascial release and helps your muscles recover, relieves tension, and reduces soreness. Ideally, you want to use one of these after your workout for recovery.

7. Suspension Rings

They’re similar to gymnastic rings and offer diverse upper body workouts that target the muscles in your back, arms, shoulders, chest, and core. They’re adjustable and allow for challenging bodyweight exercises.

4 Benefits of All-In-One Home Gym

More and more gym goers are switching to multi-workout gym trainers because they can provide multiple options to work out different muscle groups, as well as improve grip strength, body coordination, and overall performance. Most of us like it for its multifunctionality, applicability, and quality.

Besides these features, this piece of equipment has other strong sides that make it surpass separate training machines and free weights.

✅ Versatility

With all-in-one exercise equipment, you’ll be able to perform multiple exercises targeting the whole body. A great point is that you don’t need to search for a gym to train and choose a standalone unit to work out each muscle group separately.

This machine can include several trainers and numerous attachments, enabling you to perform an almost unlimited range of exercises for strengthening your upper and lower body.

✅ Opportunity to Customize the Machine

Besides the standard customization options such as adjusting the height and incline of a back or a leg roller, or changing the height of pulleys and cables, the majority of high-quality all-in-one training machines offer customers a wide range of attachments and accessories they can purchase optionally for their power cages.

It’s a big plus as you can choose the particular item you’d like to complement your trainer with. Since you know better what muscles you want to train more or whether you prefer a full-body functional trainer, you can manage your choice on your own. As a result, you get a customized training machine that fully meets your needs and expectations.

For example, with the Rogue all-in-one machine, you can add specific attachments that are compatible with the specific functional power towers. This way, you can also control the total price rate of the tool you’re going to buy.

Our expert, Sergiy Putsov, also added his pros and cons of all-in-one home gyms:

«Advantages of “all in one home gym” – ability to save time and train in your own comfortable environment without interruption of other people and waiting in line for a pair of dumbbells. Disadvantages – need to spend some budget on equipment and machines, lack of communication with people and diversity. Depending on the goals – not always possible to have all equipment needed for training.»

✅ Is Suitable for Users of All Levels

Despite the fact that an all-in-one weight machine is popular primarily among powerlifters and bodybuilders, this equipment can be utilized even by novices in training. There’s nothing daunting or frightening for beginners, as this training machine combines several training tools in one. Depending on the equipment modification, a user can choose the model that most fits their training goals.

No matter whether it’s equipped with weight stacks or is plate loaded, a user can adjust an appropriate weight load according to their physical condition. Moreover, selectorized trainers come with weight increments, so it’s easy to find the proper weight for a starter.

✅ Preserving Safety

All-in-one home gym equipment helps you keep proper form while performing exercises. You won’t drop the weights, like when training with free weights, because the bar is safely secured on the rail while traveling smoothly. The weights are safely secured, so you don’t interact with them directly.

Additionally, the rack itself can be equipped with safety hooks you can use to place the barbell on them if you have more strength to pull it.

What to Consider When Buying an All-In-One Home Gym?

As we talk about the all-in-one home gym machine, you need to consider several important factors that are vital for this type of trainer equipment like the opportunity to switch between various exercises, the machine’s component quality, and the weight capacity you can utilize during the workout.

Consider the following points when choosing the best all-in-one gym equipment to make it possible to improve your general performance and broaden your training routine.

1. Convenience in Usage

As an all-in-one training machine involves various weight trainers in one unit, it should be designed in a way that it’ll be easy for a user to switch instantly between them. It should be easy to alternate strength and resistance training modes without wasting time between sets.

2. Dimensions

Since an all-in-one trainer is a combination of several training machines, the overall dimensions can be quite bulky. So, if you want to buy such equipment for a home gym, pay attention to the trainer’s footprint. Check whether some models have side-attached panels you can fold when they’re not in use. Some have weight benches that can be moved and stored separately.

3. Machine Modification

As you already noticed from our review of top multi-workout machines, there are different models: a standalone all-in-one gym machine, attachment modification (i.e., pulley or cable system), and a power tower with the possibility to add different attachments and accessories. So, consider how much space you have to accommodate a home gym and your training goals.

4. Diversity of Attachments

If you want an all-inclusive home gym trainer, consider models that feature numerous attachments, including a weight bench, barbell, weight plates, and other accessories. Although it’s better to choose a training machine that has a minimal necessary attachment kit that includes lat pulldowns, row cables, tricep ropes, a single cable handle, a curl bar, or a wide grip bar.

These add-ons will enable you to diversify your training and you’ll work out more muscles.

5. Range of Resistance

You need a good resistance range so you can use progressive overload and challenge yourself and adjust the resistance as your fitness level progresses. Look for systems with adjustable resistance to support different exercises and fitness levels. 

6. Weight Capacity

Make sure your all-in-one home gym has weight capacity that’s suitable for your needs. It should comfortably support your weight and the amount of weight you plan to use during workouts. So, before buying anything, check the maximum user weight and the weight stack capacity. Additionally, it’s good to check some online home gym reviews.

7. Adjustability

The best exercise machine for home offers a lot of workout variety, so don’t settle for anything less than that. Make sure it covers a wide range of workouts to target different muscle groups and look for attachments and stations that allow for exercises like chest press, pull-ups, lat pulldowns, rows, squats, and more. 

Recommended All-In-One Home Gym

Titan Functional Trainer

• Item dimensions: 64″ L x 44″ W x 82″ H
• Item weight: 672 lb
• Type of resistance (stack/plate loaded): stack, 200 lb on each side (10 lb increment)
• Attachments: short and long bar, ankle strap, dual stirrup handles, rope handles, single and double D-handles
• Max resistance weight: 400 lb
• Pulley ratio: 2:1
• Extra features: Weight indication stickers, accessory hooks, rubber feet
• Warranty: 1-year warranty

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This trainer includes a 15.5″ short and 49″ long bar, ankle strap, dual stirrup handles, rope handles, and single and double D-handles. Thus, such a great variety enables you to switch between exercises and maximize your performance.

You can adjust the pulley across 20 vertical height positions to add some horizontal tension while doing regular exercises such as lunges, squats, and step-ups. Hence, you can perform numerous exercises such as pulldowns, flies, squats, lunges, twists, etc., and upgrade your workout. 

FAQ

Is It Worth Buying a Multi Gym?

Yes, buying a multi-functional gym machine can be a worthy investment that you’ll enjoy using daily. Having such a training machine at home means you don’t need to prolong a gym membership monthly, waste time getting there, and force yourself to train too early or late in the evening. You get one almost all-inclusive piece of equipment instead of several separate tools that will occupy much more space. Moreover, a multi-functional trainer will enable you to work out multiple muscles at the same time.

Are Home Gyms a Good Idea?

Yes, it’s a great idea for those who are serious about their long-term fitness goals. Such a training machine will help to work out the muscles, increase general strength, and maintain your physical condition. Due to its versatility, there’s no need to search for separate training pieces of equipment as you have an all-in-one home fitness trainer that targets the upper and lower body.

What Is the Best All-Round Gym Machine?

The answer to that question really depends on your needs and preferences. While we highly recommend the Titan Functional Trainer, we still encourage you to do your own research. Choose a trainer that’s versatile, well-built, and adaptable. You want something that will be suitable for strength training, functional fitness, and even rehabilitation exercises so you get a well-rounded piece of equipment.

Can You Get Ripped With A Multi Gym Machine?

Yes, you can get a ripped physique with a multi-gym machine, but only if you work out consistently and combine it with a healthy diet. Multi-gym machines can be used for a lot of different workouts and are very effective at targeting different muscle groups. Adjusting resistance levels, including compound movements, and maintaining progressive overload will help build muscle mass and definition when combined with proper nutrition and adequate recovery (sleep).

Can An All-In-One Home Gym Trainer Replace Gym Training?

Although all-in-one gym trainers are versatile and convenient, they won’t necessarily replace gym training for everyone. Yes, you can do all sorts of workouts, even those that engage your whole body, but some people prefer gyms for access to diverse equipment and heavier weights. And keep in mind that even people who have a complete home gym like to visit a commercial one every now and then simply for the social aspect. It all comes down to what’s important to you and what workouts you want to do. 

Conclusion

If you’re a fitness enthusiast who is in search of effective ways to pump up your muscles at your own pace and load, an all-in-one fitness machine is a decent option for you to try. Get your training done with our recommendation – Titan Functional Trainer, which will enable you to manage your weight and add numerous attachments to activate more muscles in one training session.

Struggle to define what multifunctional training machine will accommodate your apartment and training regime? Can’t decide which training attachment to add to your equipment? Don’t worry, our experts will give you a detailed and personalized response by providing you with true feedback on the chosen gym machines.

Experts Who Contributed To This Article

Sergii Putsov

20 years of Oly Lifting & Training experience

• Instagram

Jacek Szymanowski

M.Sc.Eng. Biotechnology, Sports Nutritionist

• Instagram

Also read:

• Beginner’s Guide To Cable Machines
• Ultimate Lat Pulldown Machine Guide
• Seated Calf Raise
• Seated Calf Raise Alternatives
• Belt Squat
• How to Use a Balance Board
• Sandbag Workout
• Ghd Sit Up

References:

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2. A Comparison of Muscle Activation Between a Smith Machine and Free Weight Bench Press // LWW: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/ 2010/03000/ A_Comparison_of _Muscle_Activation_ Between_a_ Smith.26.aspx
3. Effects of range of motion on resistance training adaptations: A systematic review and meta-analysis // Onlinelibrary: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com /doi/10.1111/sms.14006
4. Differences in Muscle Activation and Kinematics Between Cable-Based and Selectorized Weight Training // LWW: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/ 2017/02000/ Differences_in_ Muscle_Activation_and_ Kinematics.5.aspx
5. Effects of Training With Free Weights Versus Machines on Muscle Mass, Strength, Free Testosterone, and Free Cortisol Levels // LWW: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/ 2020/07000/Effects_ of_Training_With _Free_Weights_ Versus.6.aspx
6. Photo by repfitness.com; photo by roguefitness.com; photo by Slatan, Canva; photo by cottonbro studio, Canva; photo by Albina Gavrilovic , Canva; photo by Kzenon, Canva.