The Best Home Gym for Strength Training in 2022

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Staying healthy, fit, and strong is the backbone of being a Rugged Man.

No matter your outdoorsman or prepping hobby of choice, having a fitness and strength training regimen is crucial to improving your skill set and your overall quality of life.

Between aerobic style exercises and jogging/running/hiking; cardio seems to be an easy equation to solve if you are dedicated but need or want to avoid a public gym.

Strength training, on the other hand, can be a difficult puzzle to solve if you do not have the proper equipment at home.

The one thing that can be said for gyms is that they offer a variety of ways to strength train, and being able to train each individual muscle group more dynamically certainly gets you to the next level in terms of building strength.

These days however, one is not required to go to a gym to obtain this access, you can get that same state of the art dynamism in the comfort of your home.

Why Invest in a Home Gym?

In today’s world we are all re-learning a lesson about how important it is to be self-sufficient.

You can have your access to athletic clubs cut off for indefinite periods of time, which can wreak havoc on your fitness if you do not have a back-up plan.

Athletic clubs can also have many drawbacks such as rules that may be annoying, music that may be terrible, or equipment that may be in and out of disrepair.

At home, you can create the environment you want, with the music and rules you choose, and no one will be abusing your equipment to cause needless repair issues.

Plus, being at home is always preferable to not. We are often required to spend long hours away from our homes, and a consistent gym routine only adds time away.

If you’re a prepper, this is a big no-no, as your home isn’t just your dwelling but home base as well. Home gyms offer you the ability to get the highest quality workout while being at home base.

Having a quality home gym might turn out to be the primary strength training plan for you and not the back-up.

Today we are going to answer some common questions and things to consider when finding The Best Home Gym for Strength Training in 2022 for you!

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The Best Home Gym for Strength Training in 2022

Marcy Smith Cage Machine with Workout Bench and Weight Bar

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I have chosen the Marcy Smith Cage Machine with Workout Bench and Weight Bar for The Best Home Gym for Strength Training in 2022.

I have used several different types of Smith Machines and this model is the best one I have ever used. There are a couple of big reasons why I encourage Smith Machines and particularly the SM-4008 model.

First, if you are like me and rarely have a friend around who can spot, the Smith Machine allows you to sort of self-spot by having the easy clip attachments.

This may not sound like a huge deal, but if you’re trying to build strength it will only come through taxing your muscles. Simply doing what is safe will keep you maintained, but it will not help you build much muscle.

The Smith Machine offers the ability to push yourself to the edge even when you’re by yourself, if you know strength training, you know this is a major perk.

However, the primary reason I chose this model is that The SM-4008 is simply not just a Smith machine.

In fact, if you have or acquire your own olympic bar you can bench press, squat, deadlift and military press entirely free of the Smith bar because this model comes with two pairs of bar holders that attach on the front of the cage.

Let me be clear, a Smith bar can provide an excellent and taxing workout on all of the aforementioned lifts, but having the versatility to go off the Smith bar not only increases your strength but ensures you have the dynamism to know the SM-4008 is the only home gym you’ll ever need.

FEATURES & SPECS:

Top/low cable system
Pull-up bar
Steel aircraft cables, rated to 2,000 lbs
Chest fly station
Multi-position bench
Pop-pin knob
Removable leg developer
4 storage posts for weight plates
The machine stands 84.5” high at its highest point, and measures 79.25” wide and 65” long
14-gauge square steel tubing and features an adjustable back pad for added support
Footplate on the bottom pulley which is there for stability when row training with the V-handle, handle straps, or shiver bar
Maximum weight on the bar is rated at 300lbs and the bench supports up to 600lbs
The bar weighs approximately 20lbs and is equipped with olympic sleeves for supporting olympic weights. The bar is approximately 51” end to end and offers approximately 47” of grip space.
Plates will need to be purchased separately as well as any free weight bar you would want to add.

What Kind of Workouts Can I Do With the SM-4008?

The SM-4008, as I’ve said, is the best Smith machine I have ever used.

The bench is adjustable and moveable, which allows for incline bench press, flat or standard bench press or decline bench press. You can raise it up for shoulder/military press, or you can remove the bench altogether for squats and/or deadlifts.

This model is listed as a Smith Machine combination with a pull up bar, cable crossovers, and a leg developer. This is perhaps the top reason I went with this particular model, and why I say this Smith Machine is the best.

You can obtain a very rigorous full body workout with the SM-4008. The pull-up bar speaks for itself and can help you develop your back, shoulders, and biceps.

The Crossover top/bottom cable system can be used for so much, from shoulders and back to chest and triceps to glutes, biceps, and even ab resistance.

There is a weight trolley with plate pegs attached to the back of the machine, and it is what is engaged when you utilize the cable system. This model comes with a tricep rope, a shiver bar, a V-handle, and an ankle/wrist strap.

These accessory items make the cable system perhaps the most diverse feature on the SM-4008, and dismisses any concerns about being able to properly address each muscle group.

With all the equipment and accessories, the SM-4008 is ready to give you the most complete workout one can obtain within their home. Not only can you rest assured each muscle group can be properly addressed, but you also have the ability to formulate virtually any type of strength regiment you’d like.

If you are like me and do three day splits with a fourth day of rest, with special taxation on each muscle group, you will be happy to know that you will not miss a beat with the SM-4008.

For instance, a chest routine might consist of engaging four chest lifts on this machine, with the bench itself allowing for incline, flat, and decline and the built-on butterfly machine as the fourth, or you could use the top cables for cable flys.

Likewise, if you prefer to do a full-body workout every other day, you can obviously make very quick work of it with the compact and multi-functional design of the SM-4008.

The low pulley and leg developer are there to make sure we don’t make the most important mistake of all, and that’s forgetting leg day. It has become a pretty classic joke in the workout grapevine to “not skip leg day” and while it is a humorous quip, it is also tremendous advice.

We all want to workout our “glamour” muscles and you certainly should train them hard. But equal attention must be given to the less glamorous lifts. From personal experience I can assure you that leg strength helps increase total strength.

Since I have become a devout leg day adherent, I have seen my deadlifts go up, my bench press go up, and my shoulder press go up. The four-padded leg development attachment is the cherry on top of this truly complete home gym.

“The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides a champion from someone who is not a champion.”

— Arnold Schwarzenegger

The SM-4008 is incredibly durable and if you take reasonable care of your equipment it should last you a lifetime. The durability is the final feather in the hat for me, in terms of why this is my favorite home gym.

If you have come to the realization that most arrive at; which is that fitness and strength training are lifelong commitments, then investing in the SM-4008 will pay for itself many times over.

I can think of no better addition to your shop or study than a fully functioning gym all in a less than 9’X9’ frame.

The SM-4008 is the perfect piece of fitness equipment for any Rugged Man and will probably stay out in front of capability, especially if you add an olympic free bar.

Remember, stretch thoroughly to stay flexible and finish your reps; even if you fail before they’re complete, lower the weight and finish them off.

Stay strong and remain Rugged!