Leg Press – Page 2 – Home Gym Resource

Most multi gyms have fairly limited options for exercising the lower body. A leg press changes that completely. But which multi gyms are good and also have a leg press? I’ve got your answers here. Here are the 6 best multi gyms with built in leg press or as an add-on. Bowflex BlazeBody Solid Fusion 500/3Bowflex RevolutionPowerline P2XBody Solid B6GRBodyCraft GL/GLX Which one of these is the best all-round? Click here to find my recommendations. Why are those the best options and why would you want a multi gym with leg press in the first place? Keep reading to find out. ImageBrandModelBuyBowFlexBlazeBuy on AmazonBody SolidFusion F500/3Buy on AmazonBowFlexRevolutionBuy on AmazonPowerlineP2XBuy on AmazonBody SolidG6BRBuy on Amazon Multi-gyms with leg press There are tons of all in one gyms out there but not all of them come with a leg press. In fact, most multi gyms don’t have any way of performing a leg press. Just want a separate leg press machine? Click here to find your best options. There are a few models out there that come with one as standard but more common is to have it available as an add-on. That means it will integrate into the multi-gym but you have to buy it separately. Usually the models that have a leg press either built in or as an option, are in the higher price ranges. Here is a list of multi-station gyms that either come with a leg press or have a possible add-on. Here you can see the brand and names of the multi gyms that have a leg press. You can also see if it comes with the machine or if it’s an add-on as well as the maximum resistance. BrandModelLeg pressMax leg press resistance (lbs.) BowFlexBlazeYes- add on410 BowFlexRevolutionYes- add on600 Total gymGTSYes% of bodyweight Total gymXLSYes% of bodyweight Life FitnessG4 Home GymYes- add on420 Life FitnessG2 Home GymYes- add on420 BodyCraftXpress pro 200 lbs.Yes- add on400 BodyCraftGLYes- add on400 BodyCraftGLXYes- add on400 BodyCraftElite Strength SystemYes- add on400 BodyCraftX2Yes400 Body SolidBSG10XYes- add on160 Body SolidFusion 500Yes- add on610 Body SolidFusion 600Yes- add on610 Body SolidG6BRYes- add on520 Body SolidG2BYes- add on420 Body SolidG3SYes- add on420 Body SolidG5SYes- add on520 Powerline P2XYes- add on420 Best multi gyms with leg press Above is a long list of possible options. But which are the best? Here is my top 5. What I’ve looked at in creating this list; Value for moneyQualityMaximum resistanceOverall exercise options 1. Bowflex Blaze The Bowflex Blaze has to be the overall winner. This gym just has so many things going for it for an amazing price. The machines that start coming close to the capabilities of this machine cost twice as much. Here’s what you get; 65 different exercises210 lbs. resistance standard. Upgrades to 310 and 410 lbs. are available. Seated leg pressHorizontal bench press (uncommon in multi gyms)SturdyHigh quality finishGood manufacturer support Check out my recommended multi-station home gyms here. BowFlex Blaze 65 different exercises 210 lbs. resistance standard. Upgrades to 310 and 410 lbs. are available. Seated leg press Horizontal bench press (uncommon in multi gyms) Sturdy High quality finish Good manufacturer support Buy on Amazon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCRFFWii34Q 2. Body-Solid Fusion 500/3 Next up is the Body Solid Fusion 500/3. FYI the difference between the 500/2 and 500/3 is the weight stack. The /2 has a 210 lbs. weight stack while the /3 has a 310 lbs. weight stack. While the /2 is probably enough for most people, the heavier resistance of the /3 is what makes this machine good. Since the resistance is doubled for the leg press, this gives you a maximum resistance of 620 lbs. This is enough for the vast majority of lifters, even the more advanced ones. The fact that it’s enough for most people makes it a great machine. One thing to keep in mind is; the weight stack can’t be upgraded later after you buy it. So if you expect to need more than 210/420 lbs. or resistance, go for the /3 model. Besides the resistance it’s a very well built machine with great warranty. It gives you a lot of adjustment options to make it fit your build. It looks good and there are also plenty of other add-on options like a dip station and hip station as well as some other options. So, if you want a high quality all round multi-gym with the highest leg press resistance on the market, this is the choice for you. This machine can build you a great physique and has a ton of exercise options. On the flipside, it’s quite expensive. However, considering the quality, warranty, exercise options and the highest resistance on the market, the value for money is good and it offers some things other machines that cost the same can’t. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3_aLIvVYZA 3. Bowflex Revolution Yes, another Bowflex on this list. They have been in the game for a very long time so they know what they’re doing. It’s not number one because the Blase just offers so much of what the Revolution does for less money. I put it after the F500 because it is, as the name suggests, something new. The way the machine provides resistance is very different from other machines. The number one and two are proven concepts that have worked for decades so you know they work and are reliable. The way they create resistance is called spiraflex. You can add plates that look like weight plates but aren’t. I could write many words on how it works but watching this video is much easier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekAzqa-3RCE Although the way it provides resistance is not traditional, that doesn’t mean you should avoid it. In fact it offers an incredible amount value for money. 90 exercise optionsHorizontal bench pressLinear resistance due to spiraflex210 lbs. of resistance but can be upgradedIt’s quite large The other thing that makes this home gym so good is that it’s not only usable for strength training and muscle building. It can also be turned into a rower. Rowing is a great low impact cardio exercise. That means you can save money because you don’t have to get a separate cardio machine. You get all of that for a price that is still in the mid-range of multi gyms with a leg press. That is pretty impressive and if you’re willing to try something new, the Bowflex Revolution is a great choice. 4. Powerline P2X The Powerline P2X is not the newest model on the list. That has as a benefit that you can find it discounted pretty deeply if you look around. The price is one of the lowest on the list but it still offers a lot of features. You can choose which side you want to attach the leg press160 lbs. of resistance. Upgradable to 210 lbs. Double resistance for leg pressCompact size https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4HGqp_SKrY 5. Body Solid G6BR The body solid is not a cheap machine but for anyone looking for a great workout, this multi gym is pretty awesome. The biggest benefit of this machine is the biangular resistance. Usually gym machines only offer resistance in one way. With this machine they’ve found a way to actually offer resistance from two angles at the same time. This mimics free weights more while still having the safety and smooth motions of a machine. This extra angle of resistance activates your muscles 25% more, making your workouts more effective. Besides that, the resistance is high enough for the vast majority of even serious gym goers. While the resistance is not as high as on the F500, it’s a bit cheaper as well. It’s rated for commercial use so you can be sure that this thing will survive for centuries in a home gym, even if you train hard. Also it’s RED! Check out my recommended multi-station home gyms here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO52tynM--I 6. BodyCraft GL/GLX The BodyCraft GL and GLX are pretty much exactly what you would expect from a high quality multi-station home gym. Good resistance High qualityAverage price/good value for money200 lbs. resistance. 400 lbs. resistance for leg press and bench press. Space saving design. Even with leg press it’s still reasonably small.Good looking Benefits of leg press Why would you want a leg press in the first place? The leg press is a very popular exercise. But does that justify paying a lot of money to be able to do it at home? Well, if it was popular for no reason, no you shouldn’t pay for a single exercise. But in my opinion the popularity is justified. Suggested post: How big is a leg press machine? The leg press is a great exercise to develop your lower body. It’s a movement where you move different joints at the same time (compound lift). This means you have to use a lot of your leg musculature in a single movement. This makes a leg press very efficient in training the lower body since you hit most of the lower body muscles in one move. If you look at the leg extension and leg curl for example, you only use one muscle. This means more different exercises to get a similar result. Another benefit of compound lifts is that your muscles learn to work together better, resulting in more real world strength. Also, with compound lifts you can usually lift much more weight because you’re using more muscles. This also helps in building extra muscle and strength. The leg press is also a very approachable exercise. It’s not too intimidating for beginners and a safe way to build your lower body. To summarize why you want a leg press; SafeTime efficientGreat for lower body developmentBetter strength and muscle gains compared to isolation exercisesIntegrative for more real world strength How much leg press resistance do you need? The maximum resistance is an important number since most people are much stronger on the leg press than other exercises. Legs are a strong body part so you need a lot of resistance to get a good training impulse. Suggested post: How much resistance does a multi gym have? You can look on www.strengthlevel.com to see what the average numbers are for all different exercises. Let’s look at what two different people can expect to push on the leg press; Example 1: Male, 50, 180 lbs.: Without any training: 154 lbs. With a few months training: 247 lbs.After 1-2 years of training: 368 lbs. Example 2: Female, 25, 120 lbs. Without any training: 71 lbs. With a few months training: 137 lbs.After 1-2 years of training: 231 lbs. Example 3: Male, 23, 200 lbs. Without any training: 209 lbs. With a few months training: 325 lbs.After 1-2 years of training: 476 lbs. Of course these are averages but they give a good indication of what you can expect. As you can see, most people can easily reach a leg press of more than 200 lbs. That’s why most leg press add-ons double the resistance of the weight stack compared to other exercises. They do this through the use of pulleys. The good news is that through using this system, most leg press add-ons can provide at least 400 lbs. of resistance. 400 lbs. is enough for most people but if you want to get really strong, look for a machine that can offer 500 lbs. or more of resistance. Home gym with built in leg press or separate machine? Why wouldn’t you get a separate leg press machine instead of a leg press that’s part of a multi gym? One isn’t necessarily better than the other. Let’s go over the pros and cons of both. Suggested post: Separate machines vs. all in one All in one Usually cheaper: As an add-on, the leg press station is usually quite a bit cheaper than getting a separate leg press. More space efficient: Because the leg press station uses parts of the multi gym, there is less material necessary. Also, they are designed so they fit next to each other perfectly where separate machines might need more space around them. Slick looking: A leg press station that’s part of the bigger multi gym looks pretty good. The style is exactly the same and it becomes an integrated part of the all in one gym. Only deal with one brand for service: If something breaks you know exactly who you need to call. Also there’s only one machine you have to maintain. Although a leg press station does add extra moving parts which means it becomes more complicated and more complicated to maintain. Don’t need anything else: Some leg press machines are plate loaded (Selectorized leg press machines are quite expensive.) If you have a plate loaded leg press, you’ll need a ton of weight plates. For people that already have plates that’s not a big problem but if you don’t, It’s not really worth getting for just the leg press. Separate Higher resistance possible: The biggest benefit of a separate machine is that the resistance can be much higher. Especially with plate loaded options, you can press much more. Multi gyms are often a little limited in resistance. Many people can press much more on the leg press than other exercises they will to on their multi gym and it’s easy to exceed the maximum resistance. With a separate machine, especially plate loaded ones, you can load much more weight. Lot of choice: There are lots and lots of different leg press machines. You can get exactly what you want or need. With a multi-gym, you’re lucky there is a leg press extension. Most multi gyms don’t even offer this option. More flexibility to fit into your space: A leg press station that’s connected to your multi gym can only go in one space. The location decided by the manufacturer. If you space doesn’t allow to put something in that location, you’re out of luck. With a separate machine you’ve got a lot of flexibility to put it anywhere you want. On the flipside, separate machines are usually bigger in total. There are a few good reasons to go for either option and it depends on your situation what’s the best. An all in one machine with extra leg press station has some good benefits over the separate machine and vice versa.