Remember that creaky stationary bike your grandma used to have in her basement? Well, forget about it. Today’s big-ticket home-gym equipment is nothing like that. The treadmills, bikes, and rowing machines listed below are so advanced, you can join live classes or work out with a virtual personal trainer right from the comfort of your own living room. It’s 2019, people, there’s no need to schlep all the way to the gym to have someone yell at you to work harder and run faster.
Best treadmills
If you’re training for a hilly race but live nowhere near any hills, or if you’re just looking for an intense running workout, Steve Uria, founder of Switch Playground, likes that this treadmill “goes up to a 40 percent incline where most treadmills stop at 15.” Plus, it includes access to workouts from NordicTrack’s iFit pro trainers, like runs featuring video from scenic locations around the world. “It also automatically increases speed and incline for you as the trainer leading your workout accelerates or climbs,” says Uria. “All stats are saved so you can monitor your results and gauge progress.”
Best exercise bikes
Bringing the energy of a group workout class to the comfort of one’s home, it’s not surprising that the Peloton bike is hugely popular. According to Recode, Peloton finished 2018 with more customers than SoulCycle. Personal trainer Harry Hanson, founder of Hanson Fitness, loves it for helping clients get in shape fast, on their own schedules. “Users can go in a live or taped stream and they’ll be in a workout-class setting. This increases the motivation they need to get the workout done. It’s a great way to burn fat, release endorphins, and feel fabulous overall,” he says.
Best cardio machines
Compared to a bike or treadmill, Clayton says a rowing machine requires less maintenance and is lower-impact. Eric Salvador, head trainer at Fhitting Room and certified indoor-rowing instructor, agrees: “A rower is hands-down the best bang for your buck when it comes to investing in a big-ticket home-workout machine. Rowing is truly a full-body workout that uses almost every major muscle group in your body. Engaging so many muscles simultaneously elevates your heart rate and burns a lot of calories.”
Best free weights
“If someone is looking to improve their strength, they have to progressively increase the weight they are using,” says Clayton. “Five-pound dumbbells just don’t cut it.” To get a wide range of weights without taking up a huge amount of space — or spending a fortune — he likes these dumbbells, which can be adjusted to weigh anywhere between five and 52.5 pounds. They’re also a favorite of Thornhill’s, who says the “ability to change small [2.5-pound] increments in weight every step of the way” gives users the flexibility to do a variety of exercises and increase the difficulty as they progress.
Best weight machine
While it’s a big one-time investment, this weight machine’s high price tag makes sense when you consider that it incorporates nearly all the exercises you’d be able to do at a commercial gym. There’s a press station for bench and shoulder presses, pulleys for arm and leg work, and cables that can be used like free weights. “The BodyCraft allows you to work every muscle group in a variety of ways,” says Radan Sturm, founder of Liftonic, “and its exercises are strength-based to help you build muscle, boost metabolism, and burn fat.” There’s also space for two people to work out at once, so exercising at home doesn’t have to be a solitary affair.
