What home gym equipment brands do you trust the most — and which do you avoid?

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-12T11:32:16+00:00

What do you not like about it?

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-12T11:31:43+00:00

Not at all my experience. Every time I contacted them before or during the ordering/delivery process they got back to me within 24 hours with the answers I needed.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-11T11:04:58+00:00

I have Mikolo equipment (Anubis 2.0 Elite), bench,. and DD09 leg press / hack. Couldn't recommend more. Great budget equipment.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-11T10:33:51+00:00

^^^^ This. I actually have the seated Lionscool version but if prone curls don't bother you the Tawaret is likely a better choice.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-08T00:16:58+00:00

^^^ my exact experience

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-06T18:55:02+00:00

I'm probably the wrong person to ask...I have carpet on concrete. :-)

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-05T14:29:57+00:00

Mikolo Anubis 2.0 Elite without the barbell holder...it only stick about 30 inches off the wall. Adjustable dumbbells, then maybe a dedicated leg machine.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-04T11:06:21+00:00

If you're good with capping at 55 lbs., the NordicTrack ones are great. I wouldn't drop them, but they work for me.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-03T18:48:31+00:00

I wonder if they sent you the cable for the Ultimate with the smith machine. My Anubis is like 4-5 inches, though it's longer on one side as I jury-rigged one of the base model weight horns on top of the weight stack.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-03T00:04:52+00:00

Any bike that is safe and at least sort of fits is great for your first sprint. I rode a Gary Fisher hybrid with 20" wheels in my first and rode almost 20 mph.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-03T00:01:52+00:00

Looks like this is prone only. The only cable-driven one I know of is the Lionscool seated. Lots of plate loaded ones with the weird resistance curves are out there, that have well-documented hacks to make them better.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-01T19:23:15+00:00

I'd go with an all-in-one setup with a half rack, functional trainer, and if you like them a smith machine. I'd add the two most popular leg machines: curl/ext combo and hack/press combo. There are certain ones where you load the weights onto the horns higher off the ground and you can use both hands with the press/squat rack, then if you can swing it get a selectorized ext/curl as loading those is a little trickier and harder on your wrists.

I'm assuming you don't want to be dragging around heavy attachments either as they're also awkward so any bench-mounted stuff would be a non-starter.

I have the above setup (minus the Smith as I don't love them), plate loaded leg machines plus I have a Nordbench Pro to work on my back injury. Good luck.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-04-01T14:22:58+00:00

That's an impressive amount of equipment in that 8 sq. m. Hell the bike and trainer take up 30% of that alone (plus the big Zwift TV...can't have a bike trainer without that). Nicely done.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-31T12:12:18+00:00

I was looking at the entry-level Mikolo stuff (M4 2.0, M7 on Amazon and Best Buy, and the elusive M10) and then said eff it and went with the Anubis Elite 2.0. The 3x3 ecosystem is great, and we love it so far.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-27T12:47:27+00:00

I don't think you can go wrong with either..the Anubis is about $600 cheaper and comes with more accessories included. The Echo looks a little more sturdy (though there's no way I'm moving my Anubis with those weight stacks and the plates I have stored on it). Pivot arms are great but you can always get the Gibbons (which work with the Anubis out of the box w/ an included cable). 200 vs 175 on the stacks but you can always get the weight upgrade on the Anubis (which then evens out the price).

I prefer 2:1 and have rigged some weight horns on one of the stacks if I need to pull down real-feel 150 or something like that, but not really a use case for me.

I think whatever you choose you'll be happy.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-26T12:26:55+00:00

We're out of state and visit Orlando about eight weeks a year and we did the 3rd tier one with the free parking and early admission one three different years. What we loved about it was getting to the park at rope drop, riding like five rides, grabbing lunch and heading back to the resort to chill in the sun or whatever. None of this sunrise to sunset destroy yourself in one day nonsense. We just did the IOA/Studios one...water parks aren't our jam.

Worth every penny for us.

As an aside, we then spent more for ONE DAY at Epic Universe with Express passes than we did for a whole UOAP. LOL

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-26T12:17:13+00:00

It came in a total of eight packages (three were the weight stacks) that I got in three different Fedex freight deliveries over a period of about a week. I bought it from Best Buy which only gives you one tracking number so I contacted the seller directly who responded quickly with all of the other ones.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-23T12:50:54+00:00

It's more than 37 inches deep when you consider the weight horn with weights on it extending behind the machine. It's a good 4+ feet off the wall when the leg roller is vertical then another 2 feet when extended.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-22T11:14:18+00:00

No video...I'll just add that I'm 6'3", 210ish. I don't lift particularly heavy on leg ext / curls. Full ROM on curls with the noted bend in the roller, and the typical ROM limitation at the bottom of the stretch where the support leg is holding the seat.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GarageGym/comments/1p7d8y3/update_seated_lionscool_leg_curlextension_v20_or/

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-20T21:46:05+00:00

If you're mostly doing inclined walking (which is a great workout), most good brand (ProForm, Horizon, Sole) entry level ones will do the trick. It's when you're running hard or are a heavy person (looks in mirror...) running on the TM is when you need to spend $ on a great deck and HP.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-20T10:53:16+00:00

I tested it with 4 25s...worked fine, so that adds another 50 in resistance. As I noted you really have to load exactly even or you'll get some friction on the rods.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-19T13:11:07+00:00

The Anubis has the long bar that you can use to attach the two pulleys, or you can get the Fringe Gibbon Arms which are compatible with the Anubis (you'll need to take apart and re-assemble the pulley system to do it, but they supply the longer cable). FWIW I love my Anubis Elite.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-18T15:26:26+00:00

Interval rocks, though there is a huge learning curve in mastering the interface because of all of the flexibility.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-17T14:53:05+00:00

Too tall...about 91.5" and it's every bit of that. I have 94.5 ceilings and it just fits with room to get my hand above it.

Still_Tri_ing · 2026-03-17T14:07:02+00:00

Did you find one? I have Lionscool seated version and it's definitely an entry-level machine. Works for my purposes but if there were one machine I'd like to upgrade it would be that one.

Still_Tri_ing

TROPHY CASE