Buying a Home Gym? Home Gym Reviews tells you what you need to know before you buy.

Home gyms come in so many different makes and models, it's easy to get confused.

Home Gym Reviews helps by giving you detailed brand reviews, product reviews and where to buy home gyms at a discount.

Thanks for visiting Home Gym Reviews - check back often as we're always adding new reviews, articles and tips.

A 'home gym' means many different things to different people. Here is a brief review of the different types of home gyms. (For more details see the Home Gym Reviews article Types of Home Gyms)

#1 Weight Stack Home Gyms - These are like the commercial pulley gyms you often see in health clubs. You choose your desired weight, move the pin into the stack and pull (or push) bars, plates, etc. to do your sets.

You can get one or two weight stacks, single or multistation weight stack home gyms.

#2 Free Weights & Weight Benches - These gyms consist of dumbbells and barbells, weight plates (circular discs that you load onto the dumbell or barbell), collars (to keep the plates in place), weight benches and sometimes a rack for placing your barbell on when resting between sets.

#3 Power Rod/Band Resistance - There are a number of power rod, band or crossbow home gyms - the most popular being the Bowflex Power Rod gyms.

Power rod home gyms use flexible resin-like rods to provide a progressive resistance. You can get variety of add-ons like rowing machines, lat towers, squat stations and more.

#4 Plate Loaded Machines - These are a cross between free weights and traditional machines. There are no weight stacks or pulleys. Plates must be loaded and unloaded manually using plates like those on barbells.

Smith machines and power cages fall into this category (Smith machines can also sometimes have weight stacks too). Plate loaded machines are used mainly for bodybuilding and building mass.

#5 Other/Misc. - There are a number of other home gyms on the market that don't fall into any of the categories above. For example the Total Gym and the Bowflex Revolution.

So those are 5 different types of home gyms. Each has their advantages and disadvantages and it really depends on what your goals are (as well as your space and budget limitations). For more information check out the links below:

Types of Home Gyms

Home Gym Buying Guide

Buying your home gym online has several advantages:

#1 Save Money

When you buy direct, you can save money on store mark-up. Plus home gym manufacturers are often the first ones to offer special discounts or closeout sales that you can take advantage of.

#2 Skip the Middleman

By skipping the middleman (the store) you not only save money, but you can often save yourself a hassle as well. Buying direct cuts out the middleman - an extra person to go through if you should have questions about your order.

#3 Choose from a Larger Selection

Buying a home gym online allows you to read a variety of home gym reviews before you buy. Then you can select from a wide range of brands, makes and models - instead of just the ones that the local store happens to carry. This lets you find a home gym that better suits your needs - and even get a better deal.

#4 Save on Sales Tax, Shipping etc.

Depending on who you buy from and where you live, you can also save money on sales tax when you buy direct online. You can also save on shipping charges - which can cost you up to $200 at a store.