Three questions narrow it down: how many people will train at once, do you want a weight stack or plate loading, and do you need a leg press?
A single-stack gym is the easiest to live with: pull a pin to change the weight, and every station runs off one stack. The Powerline P2X is our best-selling home gym. It has a 72.5 kg stack, a press arm, high, mid and low pulleys, a leg developer and functional side pulleys for flys and converging presses. The Fitness Factory EXM1 has the same stack on a narrower frame that arrives pre-welded, so it goes together faster. Both take the PP10 stack upgrade to 95 kg, and each has an optional leg press: the PLPX for the P2X and the EXMLP1 for the EXM1.
Plate-loaded gyms cost less up front, because you use your own plates. The Powerline PHG1000X is our entry home gym: chest press, pec fly, pulldown, row, leg extension and curl, and ab crunch in a compact front-access frame, loading standard plates up to 90 kg. At the other end, the Body-Solid SBL460P4 leverage gym loads Olympic plates on lever arms for over 40 exercises. It comes with a squat attachment and an adjustable bench, and safety guards at every station let you train hard without a spotter.
If two people train together, or you run a studio, the Body-Solid G9S has two independent 95 kg stacks, so two people can use different stations at once. It adds a Perfect Pec station and a built-in 2:1 leg press that gives up to 190 kg, on a heavy-commercial 2″ × 4″ frame.
| Home gym | Resistance | Stations | Leg press | Size (L × W × H) | Rated for | Frame warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powerline PHG1000X | Plate-loaded, standard plates, up to 90 kg | Chest press, pec fly, pulldown, row, leg extension/curl, ab crunch | — | 155 × 107 × 213 cm | Home | 10 years |
| Fitness Factory EXM1 | 72.5 kg stack (95 kg with PP10) | Press arm, high/mid/low pulleys, leg developer | Optional (EXMLP1) | 180 × 94 × 211 cm | Home | 10 years |
| Powerline P2X | 72.5 kg stack (95 kg with PP10) | Press arm, high/mid/low pulleys, leg developer, functional side pulleys | Optional 2:1 (PLPX), up to 145 kg | 180 × 127 × 211 cm | Home | 10 years |
| Body-Solid G9S | Two 95 kg stacks | Press arm, Perfect Pec, lat pulldown, mid-row, leg developer | Built in, 2:1, up to 190 kg | 226 × 183 × 213 cm | Heavy commercial | Lifetime |
| Body-Solid SBL460P4 | Plate-loaded, Olympic plates | 40+ exercises, squat attachment and F/I/D bench included | — (squat attachment) | 378 × 254 × 211 cm | Heavy commercial | Lifetime |
Take the footprint and add about 60 cm around it to get on and off and change the weight. The PHG1000X needs 155 × 107 cm, the EXM1 180 × 94 cm and the P2X 180 × 127 cm. The G9S needs 226 × 183 cm and the SBL460P4 about 378 × 254 cm with its bench and squat attachment. All five stand 211–213 cm tall, so a standard 2.4 m ceiling is enough.
A weight stack is quicker: move a pin and keep going, which suits circuits and anyone who doesn't own plates. Plate loading costs less up front and lets you add as much weight as the machine takes. The PHG1000X uses standard plates; the SBL460P4 uses Olympic plates and feels closest to free weights.
A multi-station gym has fixed stations, such as a press arm, pulldown and leg developer, that guide the movement, so it's easy to learn and safe to use alone. A functional trainer has two adjustable cable pulleys for free-moving exercises; it's more versatile but has no press or leg stations. The P2X does a bit of both. See our cable machines and functional trainers.
If you train two or three times a week, usually yes. A home gym is a one-off cost with no membership, travel or waiting for equipment, and a family can share it. Buy for the training you'll actually do: a single-stack gym covers most people, and a leg press or second stack is worth it only if you'll use it.
Yes. Every home gym ships free Australia-wide by freight from our Adelaide warehouse. They arrive in several cartons, and freight is usually left at your door, so plan for help to move them inside.