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Home › Lifestyle › Hobbies & Leisure › Thinking about getting a home multigym? Need advice.

Thinking about getting a home multigym? Need advice.

Started by Charles Ortiz3 · · 👁 4 views · 27 replies

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Participants Charles Ortiz3ironseal8Mark Hill90Rebecca Kelly27Larry Phillips6Patrick Wright2Elizabeth Wells2swiftridge40darkowl12jadewolf16Daniel Chavez14Bryan JohnsonCarol Garcia2
Charles Ortiz3 Charles Ortiz3 NewcomerOP
2 messages
joined Oct 2019
#1 ·
I've been thinking about setting up a home gym for a while now... definitely looking at grabbing a leg press machine to hit those quads and calves, even though those things aren't cheap at all. I'm probably going to pick up a multi-gym for upper body stuff too since you can find them way cheaper... most of them only have small weight stacks like 45, 60, or 70 lbs, which kind of sucks... but some sites claim the actual resistance feels twice as heavy because of how the pulleys work. Like, if the stack says 70 lbs, you might actually be feeling closer to 140 lbs of tension...

Has anyone here actually used one of these home multi-gym setups, and does that part about the weight being doubled actually hold up?...

For example...
https://s9.postimg.cc/jnixig6rz/full_ST-9022-1_red1.jpg
ironseal8 ironseal8 Newcomer
4 messages
joined Jun 2018
#2 ·
This is a waste of money. You're better off just grabbing some dumbbells and a set of bars—maybe two short ones and one long one.

It'd be even better if you could pick up an adjustable bench and some squat racks to go with it.
Charles Ortiz3 Charles Ortiz3 NewcomerOP
2 messages
joined Oct 2019
#3 ·
ironseal8 said:That’s honestly just a waste of money, you're way better off just grabbing some dumbbells and maybe a couple of short bars and a long bar...

If you could somehow snag an adjustable bench and some squat racks too, man, that would be the dream...

I'd much rather hit up a local gym than have someone hovering over me while I'm trying to push myself to the limit...
ironseal8 ironseal8 Newcomer
4 messages
joined Jun 2018
#4 ·
Charles Ortiz3 said:I'd rather play it safe than have someone breathing down my neck because I worked myself to death.

Working until you collapse is just stupid. Especially if you're new to the job.
Charles Ortiz3 Charles Ortiz3 NewcomerOP
2 messages
joined Oct 2019
#5 ·
ironseal8 said:Honestly, training until you totally collapse is just pointless stupidity, especially if you're still new to this...

I wouldn't call myself a total newbie, though I guess I am one at the same time, and even though I hit the weights hard at home and have built up a decent physique, I really need to start moving some heavier iron, plus I just have this habit of pushing myself until I'm completely spent...
ironseal8 ironseal8 Newcomer
4 messages
joined Jun 2018
#6 ·
Charles Ortiz3 said:I’m not a newbie, but I am one. I train at home consistently and I’ve built a decent base, but I need more weight. I have a habit of training until I hit total failure.

If you aren't a beginner, then you know there's really only one real exercise on this machine: lat pulldowns.
Everything else is just some more or less ridiculous isolation movement.

If you actually care about your lats, you're better off installing a pull-up bar at your place. You can get abs out of it too, plus other stuff.
Charles Ortiz3 Charles Ortiz3 NewcomerOP
2 messages
joined Oct 2019
#7 ·
ironseal8 said:If you aren't just starting out, you already know there's really only one main lift on this machine, the lat pulldown...
Everything else is just some kind of silly isolation movement...

Isolation moves work for me though, so I'm not really looking to argue about it... do you happen to know if those pulleys actually make the weight feel twice as heavy as it really is or what...

And if you actually care about your lats, you might be better off just installing a pull-up bar at home, since you can hit abs and everything else too.

That's definitely something I'd look into adding...
Mark Hill90 Mark Hill90 Newcomer
1 message
joined May 2014
#8 ·
Charles Ortiz3 said:Do you actually know if they’re using pulleys to simulate double the weight or what?
.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulley
Rebecca Kelly27 Rebecca Kelly27 Newcomer
7 messages
joined Feb 2018
#9 ·
@Mark Hill90/">@@Mark Hill90

Can you make sense of this? I’m trying to figure out if there’s any actual logic behind what Charles Ortiz3 is saying here.
Larry Phillips6 Larry Phillips6 Member
10 messages
joined Jun 2018
#10 ·
Charles Ortiz3 said:Nah, some sites claim the actual weight feels twice as heavy because of pulley resistance. So if the weights are actually 150lbs, the user feels like they're pulling 300lbs.

The weight isn't heavier because of "resistance." It’s just that the force you're applying is increased based on how the pulleys are set up.

image

It's a basic pulley system. The left pulley is fixed to the frame, while the right one moves with the load.
That setup makes lifting easier.
You see this all the time on gym equipment like this where the pulley is attached directly to the weight stack.

You can also do it the other way around. Instead of the load being W in the top image, you're the one pulling the cable, and instead of the red arrow, there's a weight hanging from a FIXED pulley. In that case, lifting the weight becomes harder.

TLDR: If you want a heavier load, make sure the movable pulley moves with the section of cable you're pulling, not with the weight itself.
If there's no movable pulley, it's a 1:1 ratio. Whatever weight you have, that's what you're pulling.
Patrick Wright2 Patrick Wright2 Active Member
128 messages
joined Mar 2012
#11 ·
I honestly don't see how simulating double the weight would even be an argument for anything at all, 😁
Elizabeth Wells2 Elizabeth Wells2 Member
22 messages
joined May 2023
#12 ·
ironseal8 said:It’s nonsense. You're better off buying a few sets of weights, two short bars, and one long bar.

If you can grab an adjustable bench and some squat racks too, you're set.

+

This is definitely the way to go. Those all-in-one machines are gimmicks, especially if you actually intend to train.

Then again, if you were truly serious, you wouldn't have even started this thread.
Charles Ortiz3 Charles Ortiz3 NewcomerOP
2 messages
joined Oct 2019
#13 ·
Larry Phillips6 said:The weight isn't heavier because of some kind of "resistance," it's just that the force you're pulling with is increased because of how the pulleys are rigged up...

Maybe you thought I was talking about friction loss, but I just meant the resistance being created itself, honestly I don't really care about physics textbook lessons...

For example.
https://www.amazon.com/fitness-equipment...r_id=156260446
70 kg weights turning into 140 kg pull

There are all kinds of ways they list it, like on US sites they might say the actual weight is X pounds, but the "resistance" reaches Y pounds thanks to the pulley system...

But then on American classifieds or Craigslist, people usually claim the weight is "doubled," whereas most English sites won't say it's exactly double, just that it's higher depending on the machine, plus some descriptions list different potential resistance levels based on which pulley setup you use, so I'm just looking for some real-world feedback or gear recommendations...

Austin Clark59 said:+

That's definitely your best bet, those all-in-one multi-gym machines are pretty much useless, especially if you're actually serious about training...

Meaning, if you were actually serious, you probably wouldn't have even started this thread...

Did I ever say I was a pro or that I had gym experience? I just work out at home regularly, doing pushups, situps, squats... picked up a 45lb weighted vest and some dumbbells the other day, but I'm trying to build a home gym since I can't be bothered to drive to the local YMCA, and I want to move more weight... I've hit a wall with just bodyweight stuff so I need more load for muscle growth, etc., and I'll drop some decent cash on a leg press machine since those aren't cheap, but I don't want to blow that much on upper body stuff too, these multi-gym setups can be found for $667, but I'm worried the weight stack is too light, so I'm wondering if that doubling thing is actually true or if it's less than that... if I grab the one with 150lb weights and it actually feels like 300lbs, that would be perfect, and it's not a super expensive machine...
Larry Phillips6 Larry Phillips6 Member
10 messages
joined Jun 2018
#14 ·
Charles Ortiz3 said:I don't care about physics lessons.

Then why even start a thread?
Just grab any machine and start pulling cables. You're gonna waste money on something stupid regardless.

On American marketplaces, they usually claim the weight is "doubled," but most English sites say it's just heavier, not necessarily double—probably depending on the machine. Plus, some descriptions list different potential weights based on pulley setups for various exercises, which are usually just slightly higher, not double. That's why I want to hear about actual experiences or gear recommendations.

Ads, listings, and brochures all claim whatever they want.

You want real-world experience? Good luck finding someone who actually used a dynamometer on a cable to measure the exact force needed to pull, say, a 50 lb weight on a machine.
Regarding pulley ratios, the weight can only be multiplied by whole numbers. So it’s either doubled or halved, not "just a little bit more."
The only other thing that might bump the resistance up "a little" is friction in the pulley bearings and weight guide rods. And that's negligible. Maybe it adds a couple pounds if you're lucky. Resistance in pulleys and guides is a sign of a cheap, low-quality machine, not something a manufacturer would brag about.
swiftridge40 swiftridge40 Member
17 messages
joined Sep 2013
#15 ·
ironseal8 said:This is total nonsense. You're much better off just grabbing some dumbbells and a barbell set.

If you can swing an adjustable bench and some rack stands too, then you're actually set.

I’m with ironseal8 on this one, but honestly? I'd still grab the machine. It's got a lat pulldown, chest presses, curls—all that. What are you going to do for back with just a bar and some weights? Sure, you can do bent-over rows or deadlifts, but that's it. No lat machine, no pull-downs, and zero pull-up options. Just limited.

https://www.fitness.com/exercises/back-exercises.aspx
Charles Ortiz3 Charles Ortiz3 NewcomerOP
2 messages
joined Oct 2019
#16 ·
swiftridge40 said:I’m totally on board with what ironseal8 was saying, but honestly, I’d grab that machine too since it actually gives you a lat pulldown, which is huge for chest, front delts, biceps, whatever... but if you just stick to barbells and dumbbells, you’re basically stuck with bent-over rows and deadlifts, and that’s about it... you miss out on the lat machine, the pull-downs, and having a pull-up bar...

https://www.fitness.com/exercises/back-exercises.aspx

Here’s a look at what these things usually come with...


You can hit back too, just skip to 1:50...
darkowl12 darkowl12 Member
10 messages
joined Jan 2012
#17 ·
To me feels like buying the most overpriced coat rack you could possibly find for your house😬

In my experience—and I've seen plenty of gym setups—most of these machines are actually pretty poorly made and lack any real precision.
The truth is, you can pull off almost all of those exercises WITHOUT a machine—just grab some free weights instead.
If I were starting out, I’d definitely stick to free weights and maybe add this (CHIN DIP)
https://www.google.com/search?q=spra...y7PrH9S1KGmcM:
Of course, if you do go the machine route, you've got to look for something rock-solid that doesn't wobble—something built with thick, heavy-duty steel rather than some flimsy little toy.
jadewolf16 jadewolf16 Active Member
80 messages
joined Oct 2014
#18 ·
So, I used to have this whole home gym setup going—pulley machines, the works—but honestly? I ended up tossing everything except my bench, the barbell, and the rack
Daniel Chavez14 Daniel Chavez14 Member
25 messages
joined Jan 2003
#19 ·
In my humble opinion, the only muscle group you can't really build properly using just bodyweight and dumbbells is the posterior chain. (Seriously though, if anyone knows a killer exercise for the glutes and hamstrings that doesn't require a machine, please let me know.) Also, I’ve never quite understood the advantage of a barbell over a pair of sufficiently heavy dumbbells.
Larry Phillips6 Larry Phillips6 Member
10 messages
joined Jun 2018
#20 ·
Daniel Chavez14 said:I've never really understood why anyone would pick a long barbell over a pair of (sufficiently heavy) Bubbles.

How are you supposed to hit a 265+ lb squat or deadlift with just Bubbles? What about Olympic lifts?
Sure, there are alternatives, but it’s just not the same thing.

Plus, you can load a barbell pretty much however you want—anywhere from 45 lbs to well over 1,000 lbs.
With Bubbles, you're always going to hit a ceiling.

Third off, what does "sufficiently heavy" even mean? How do you expect one single pair of Bubbles to cover every exercise you'll need now and in the future once you actually get stronger?

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