Exercise equipment with small footprint

S.McArthur

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May 31, 2018
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Greenbrier, TN
My old cable gym is just that, it's time to upgrade to something better...and doesn't have cables getting hung up on the pulleys. I've looked around but like everything fitness/diet, there is 1000000000 "best pieces" equipment.
Prefer a small footprint, nothing overly fancy. I'm not body building, just trying to keep active. I've used a bowflex before but it didn't feel right. No, Chris, I'm spending $15k, so easy on the recommendations.
 
A quality incline/decline stand alone bench is worth its weight in gold with a set of dumbbells (that being the caveat). Using dumbbells (even the adjustable kind) with just a stand alone bench, you can work out nearly every part of your body with a little creativity. You are hard pressed to find something more functional/ simple with a smaller footprint.
 
A quality incline/decline stand alone bench is worth its weight in gold with a set of dumbbells (that being the caveat). Using dumbbells (even the adjustable kind) with just a stand alone bench, you can work out nearly every part of your body with a little creativity. You are hard pressed to find something more functional/ simple with a smaller footprint.
I have a small bench, doesn’t really decline though. I do need something with a pull down on it, and some leg stuff. Kind of hard to find a balance of saving space and enough stuff to do why I want.
 
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What do you consider "small" in terms of foot print?

When COVID hit and all the gyms shut down, I bought this on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00823OQHU/?tag=wranglerorg-20

It's commercial grade, priced decently, and paired with a bench, free weights, and a few other small things, I've managed to turn our spare living room into a really nice home gym!
 
Once I accepted that I am not really interested in getting huge, I have been more than satisfied with a simple bench, rack, Oly bar and weight.

I also have an assortment of kettlebells.

All in all it takes up about 7' square in my basement. I do have to go outside to do overhead work due to ceiling height.
 
I didnt like bowflex either. Used one a few years back for one work out and just hated the feel.
Six months ago I was in the market for something simple and small. Ended up with a Bowflex. After a week of using it, it no longer feels wierd and gives a pretty good workout for a worn out busted up 48 yr old.
That system Chris got is pretty damn cool but about $1600 more than I paid.
 
I bought a bow flex once. It was enough to exercise just putting that thing together! It ended up just being a garage ornament.
 
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I did use my TRX equipment for quite a while but not recently. The equipment is small and light, you just need an anchor point, overhead is prefered but high on a wall will do. You will need some space while using it but that space can be re-captured when you are not exercising. I put an overhead anchor in the garage and used it will the wife was at work.
 
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What do you consider "small" in terms of foot print?

When COVID hit and all the gyms shut down, I bought this on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00823OQHU/?tag=wranglerorg-20

It's commercial grade, priced decently, and paired with a bench, free weights, and a few other small things, I've managed to turn our spare living room into a really nice home gym!
That’s about perfect, a little pricey, but that seems to cover most everything.
 
That’s about perfect, a little pricey, but that seems to cover most everything.
When I bought it in June it was $2000. It’s gone up quite a bit since COVID. It’s really nice though. Took me about 2 hours to put together but it does almost anything you could think of. I thought it would be cheaper and flimsy, but it definitely is not in any way.
 
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A nice splitting maul doesn’t take up much room feel free to come over my house and exercise away
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I'm going to build some more overhead shelves in my garage, that will clear up some floor space for a decent sized piece of equipment. I have 20ft(+/-) ceiling in the garage, it's wasted space.
Basically what I've been doing, but only over the garage door for now. My garage is much bigger than the picture, and my shelves are bigger.
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Nice pull up/ Dip station works wonders. I am a big fan of kettlebells and dumbbells. As Chris asked, it all depends on your view of foot print. If you're not looking to get huge, and just want to get a good level of work out to stay healthy and strong, kettlebells and Dips/Pull Up stations work wonders.

Walking and jogging work the legs further if you need to. I've been able to get a better workout at home in half the time than I did waiting for equipment at the gym and no penalty for slamming weights either. I do have a treadmill and a NordicTrack at home as well, which get used in the winter more than anything else, for obvious reasons.
 
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When I bought it in June it was $2000. It’s gone up quite a bit since COVID. It’s really nice though. Took me about 2 hours to put together but it does almost anything you could think of. I thought it would be cheaper and flimsy, but it definitely is not in any way.
Chris i thought you picked up some sort of Bowflex pro when you set up your home gym? You had said it weighed like 400lbs but moved it in a back of a pick up truck?