Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
I Finally Built a Home Gym Using Multitools Instead of Buying 20 Machines
30
items My garage looked like a sad, empty parking spot for two years because full-size gym equipment costs a fortune and takes up every inch of space. I kept Googling compact alternatives until I landed on versatile, multi-function tools that do the work of...
Sections
6
All-in-One Cable and Pulley Systems
Adjustable Dumbbells That Replace a Full Rack
Multi-Function Benches for Every Angle
Resistance Band Kits That Travel Everywhere
Compact Multi-Gym Stations for Small Spaces
Smart Accessories That Make Everything Work Better
All-in-One Cable and Pulley Systems
I was paying $50 a month just to use the cable machine at my gym. Bought one of these, bolted it to my wall, and got that money back in three months flat.
Grab this if your apartment won't fit a full cable station. I mounted it on my door frame in ten minutes and now I do lat pulldowns, tricep pushdowns, and curls without leaving my hallway. Wish I'd stopped paying gym fees sooner.
SERTT Weight Cable Pulley System Gym
Use this when you want a proper lat pulldown but your ceiling is too low for a tower. My buddy is 6'3" in a basement with 7-foot ceilings and this was the only thing that worked for him.
Mikolo Fitness LAT and Lift Pulley System
Mounted this in my garage last spring. It replaced the $1,200 functional trainer I was eyeing. Does rows, chest flies, and face pulls. The build quality surprised me for the price.
Valor Fitness Wall Mounted Cable Machine with Dual
Perfect if you're renting and paranoid about drilling huge holes. The mounting hardware is minimal but solid. I've loaded it with 150 lbs and it hasn't budged.
Mikolo Wall Mount Cable Machine 118lb
Snag this for home gyms where floor space is basically nonexistent. It folds against the wall when you're done. My wife stopped complaining about the garage the day I installed it.
ARCHON Single Pulley Cable Station
Adjustable Dumbbells That Replace a Full Rack
I almost bought a 10-pair dumbbell rack until I measured it and realized it would eat my entire workout area. One set of adjustable dumbbells solved everything.
Switch weight in about two seconds by turning a dial. Replaced 15 pairs of dumbbells sitting in my closet. If you do supersets and hate fumbling with spin-lock collars, these are it.
Results Series 552 SelectTech Dumbbells
Try these if you want something more compact than the Bowflex. They're shaped like blocks so they don't roll off my bench, which happened constantly with round dumbbells on my sloped garage floor.
PowerBlock Elite EXP 90 Adjustable Dumbbells
These feel like regular dumbbells in your hand, not like you're holding a weird contraption. I bought them after returning a cheaper pair that felt awkward during shoulder presses.
NÜOBELL® Adjustable Dumbbell Set for Home
Get these if you lift heavy and don't trust plastic mechanisms. All steel, no wobble. My training partner dropped his from chest height and they survived. Not recommending that, just reporting facts.
AOC Adjustable Dumbbell Set 50-120LB
Keep these by your couch for those random moments you want to crank out a set. The weight changes fast and they sit in a neat little cradle. Visitors always ask about them.
MX Select MX55 Adjustable Dumbbells Review
Multi-Function Benches for Every Angle
A flat bench is fine until you realize you can't do incline presses, decline sit-ups, or seated curls on it. One adjustable bench opened up about 30 new exercises for me.
Use this if you want something that actually feels stable at steep incline angles. My old bench wobbled at anything past 45 degrees. This one locks solid at every position.
AB-3000 2.0 FID Adjustable Weight Bench
Toss this under your bed when company comes over. It folds flat and weighs almost nothing, but it held my 210-lb frame plus 70 lbs of dumbbells without a single creak.
FLYBIRD WB5 Adjustable Weight Bench 800LBS
Perfect for anyone working out in a living room. It folds up and rolls into a corner. I do flat bench, incline flies, and seated shoulder press all on this thing before folding it away.
BowFlex Weight Bench Series
Splurged on this after two budget benches broke on me. The pad density is firm without being uncomfortable, and the steel frame feels like it could survive a car running over it.
Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0
Grab this if you're just starting out and don't want to drop $400 on a bench you might not use. I bought one for my sister who was new to lifting and she's still using it two years later.
PASYOU Adjustable Weight Bench, Foldable
Resistance Band Kits That Travel Everywhere
Started using bands during a work trip when hotels had terrible gyms. Now they're a permanent part of my home setup because they add tension curves dumbbells just can't replicate.
Stack multiple bands on one handle to get up to 200 lbs of resistance. I bring these when visiting my parents for the holidays so I don't lose two weeks of training every December.
Bodylastics Patented Basic Resistance Bands
Pair these with a pull-up bar if you can't do full pull-ups yet. My girlfriend went from zero to eight unassisted pull-ups in about three months using the green band.
WODFitters Pro Series Pull-Up Assistance Bands
Throw these in your gym bag for warm-ups and glute activation. They cost almost nothing and my physical therapist recommended the exact same ones for my hip rehab.
Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands
Swap out those cheap latex bands that keep rolling up your thighs. These fabric ones stay put during squats and hip thrusts. Way less annoying, way more focus on the actual exercise.
Gymbee Premium Resistance Bands for Working Out
Use this for banded deadlifts and bench press if you're an intermediate lifter looking to push past a plateau. Added 15 lbs to my bench max in six weeks using accommodating resistance with these.
EliteFTS Pro Average Resistance Band
Compact Multi-Gym Stations for Small Spaces
Wanted a full gym but only had an 8x8 corner to work with. These stations pack multiple exercise functions into a footprint smaller than a dining table.
Does over 60 exercises in a space about the size of a yoga mat. I set this up in my spare bedroom and still have room for a desk. Chest, back, legs, arms, all covered.
BowFlex Blaze Home Gym
Try this if joint pain keeps you away from free weights. The gliding motion is smooth and low-impact. My dad has bad knees and this is the only equipment he'll actually use consistently.
Watch Total Gym APEX G5 - Video on Amazon Live
Get this for a basement gym on a budget. It's not fancy but it does chest press, lat pulldown, leg developer, and low row. Took me about two hours to assemble with one helper.
Marcy Multifunction Steel Home Gym 150lb Weight Stack
Picked this up for under $300 when I was broke after moving. It's basic but it works. Six exercises, small footprint. Kept me training for a full year until I could afford to upgrade.
Weider 2980 X Home Gym : Sports & Outdoors
Splurge pick for anyone who has a dedicated room. Two people can work out simultaneously on different stations. My roommate and I split the cost and it was cheaper than two gym memberships within a year.
Body-Solid (EXM3000LPS) Multi-Station 210lb Dual
Smart Accessories That Make Everything Work Better
The big equipment gets all the attention but these smaller tools filled gaps I didn't realize existed. Each one made my workouts smoother or solved an annoying problem I kept ignoring.
Keep a set of these around for landmine presses, floor presses, and loaded carries. They're dead-bounce so they won't crack your garage floor. Learned that lesson the hard way with iron plates.
Rogue Echo Bumper Plates V2
Hang this from a door or pull-up bar for rows, chest presses, and about 100 other bodyweight moves. Weighs almost nothing, packs into a small bag. I've taken it camping twice.
TRX All-In-One Home Gym System
Get this before your barbells end up leaning against the wall and falling on your foot at 6 AM. Happened to me. Twice. Now everything is racked and organized.
Wall Mounted 6 Barbell Rack - Titan Fitness
Use this as a bench, a step platform, or an ab station depending on how you configure it. Three pieces of equipment in one. Ideal for anyone who keeps tripping over gear in a tight space.
Yes4All Multifunctional Aerobic Deck
Toss this in any doorframe for pull-ups, chin-ups, and hanging leg raises. No screws, no drilling. I've had mine for four years across three apartments and it still works perfectly.
Iron Gym Pull-Up Bar