Home multigyms: review of the best models

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2014-05-13

All the data in the article is current as of spring 2014!

Personally, I have a negative attitude towards multi-gym machines (also known as power complexes or stations). For the most part, they are unreliable, inconvenient, break easily, and are limited to training only the upper body. However, people buy them for their homes quite willingly. The reason is simple: their price and compactness.

Indeed, such multi-complexes can be purchased for as little as 10,000 rubles. But I want to tell you right away: for 10,000, 20,000, or even 30,000 rubles, you will not buy anything worthwhile. While preparing this article, I reviewed several hundred of these home complexes. 90% of them are complete garbage. The remaining 10% cost as much as a new car.

So, what distinguishes a good multi-gym from a bad one:

1. The presence of squat racks. This is a mandatory condition. However, 90% of complexes do not have such racks. They only come with a bench for:

But with such a setup, you cannot properly train your lower body. In other words, with machines that lack racks, you can only train your upper body. And that’s only 50% of the result.

2. The presence of a pull-up bar and dip bars. This is not mandatory but desirable, especially for men. Women can do without these options. However, most multi-stations have such fragile constructions that manufacturers are simply afraid to attach pull-up bars and dip bars to them.

3. The presence of upper and lower pulleys. This means a cable that can be pulled either from the lower block or the upper one. Thankfully, this feature is almost present on all multi-gym machines.

4. The presence of a bench press rack. Typically, if there are squat racks, they are suitable for bench pressing as well.

Of course, with these options, any power station will not be loaded with blocks but with free weights. That means you need to separately buy a barbell and plates. And even if such a machine is relatively inexpensive, you will have to spend more on these as well.

Now, I hope you understand that all this together cannot possibly cost 30,000 rubles or less. Generally, the cost of such machines exceeds 100,000. However, I managed to find 4 multi-gym machines (from several hundred) that I liked for their functionality and price, and that meet the criteria mentioned above.

Power Complex Atemi AGS 5000

Among the inexpensive options, this is the most optimal choice. It costs only 15,000 rubles. However, you will need to buy a bench separately. And a good bench with an adjustable backrest will cost you at least another 10,000 rubles. What? There are cheaper ones? I said GOOD bench. And don’t forget about the barbell and plates. That’s at least another 15,000.

What do you get for this money? Essentially, just: racks for squats and bench presses, upper and lower pulleys, and a pull-up bar. But these are the most important options. This is quite enough to perform all the basic exercises. I believe that buying this for 25,000 rubles (including a bench) is a very good option.

In addition, there are safety racks (the long orange ones). The height of both racks is adjustable. This means you can train alone without worrying about being crushed by the barbell.

The upper and lower pulleys will allow you to perform all the exercises that can be done with these blocks. You just need to have a necessary set of different handles.

In general, if you don’t have a lot of money, I recommend getting it. I don't advise you to save money and buy some "set of block garbage" at 1.5 times less the price. The issue isn't just the presence of blocks, but the fact that block multi-stations simply lack squat racks. And without squats, there’s no good butt (for women) and no powerful legs (for men).

Multi-Station House Fit HG-2017

This will cost you about 45,000 - 50,000 rubles. But it comes with a bench and a barbell. However, the barbell is secured in a Smith machine. But this complex has racks for free weights as well (if you ever want to purchase those). I consider this option to be the most suitable for women. Let me explain why.

1. It does not have dip bars or pull-up bars. Which, in general, women don’t need.

2. It’s not very convenient to work with heavy weights in the Smith machine. But it is quite comfortable and safer to work with medium and light weights.

3. In addition to the necessary options, it also has arm crossover, leg curls, and leg extensions. And these exercises are usually liked by women.

So (if you are a woman), all you will need for a complete workout is to buy some plates. By the way, the adjustable bench allows you to bench press not only lying down but also at an incline and seated.

Multi-Complex Powertec MK-HR11

This will cost you about 45,000. Judging by its appearance – it’s very sturdy. It has everything necessary except for dip bars. There are safety racks, which is quite relevant since people often train alone at home.

In terms of functionality, it is identical to the first option. However, it is more expensive. Therefore, I have included it here just as an option. And it looks better too.

Power Station Powertec WB-PR11

This is the "older brother" of the previous option. It costs about 70,000. As you can understand, that’s quite expensive. But it is built on the basis of a power rack. And having a power rack makes this machine practically "indestructible." You can lift any weight with it. It will withstand it all. And it also has dip bars.

The height of the dip bars, safety racks, and regular racks is adjustable. There are different positions for pull-up handles. In general, this is the sturdiest and most reliable machine available at this price point. It has everything necessary to perform all basic exercises. However, the Powertec brand is quite expensive. And due to the brand, there's a good markup on the price. But I think this power station will serve you for a very long time. In short, I recommend it to guys who like to work with heavy weights.

Conclusions

I specifically did not provide links to specific stores so that you don't think this article is just blatant advertising. Besides, I suspect many will not like it, as I provided relatively expensive options. After all, you also need to buy plates and a barbell for all these machines (except for the second option). But these are the most suitable home multi-gym machines, in my view. Not those where you can do as many exercises as possible, but those where you can do as many BASIC exercises as possible.

I want to say again that I liked all 4 options. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be here. But let everyone choose what suits them best in terms of preferences and budget.

That’s all. I tried my best and scoured the entire internet to ensure I didn’t miss anything valuable by accident. These 4 power complexes are all that I liked. Of course, there are other good options for 200,000 rubles and more. But that’s not meant for "ordinary mortals." Thank you for your attention.