If you’re reading this, I bet the same thing has happened to you that happened to me for years. You walk into the gym at seven in the evening and it looks like there’s no room for anyone else.
The rack is taken, the only barbell worth using has disappeared, and three people are waiting in line to use an incline bench. At that moment, the idea of setting up a home gym stops being a dream and becomes a real necessity for anyone who takes strength training seriously.
But of course, here comes the usual problem: “I don’t have a huge house, Jesús—I live in an apartment and if I put a machine in there’s no room left for me.”
I have good news: that’s no longer an excuse today.
Today I’m going to tell you what the best home gym machines are, designed specifically for tight spaces, what you need to watch out for so you don’t get ripped off, and how you can keep your progress at the highest level without sacrificing your home’s square footage.
Before getting into specific models, I want you to understand my philosophy on equipment. In my career I’ve seen it all. People who spend a fortune on the typical infomercial multi-function machine that promises 50 exercises in one.
The result? A machine that does all 50 exercises poorly, that creaks when you load more than 40 kilos on it, that has no stability, and that ends up as the most expensive coat rack in the house.
To train with the Bilbo Method or with any effective strength system, we need two mandatory things:
👉🏻 safety
👉🏻 stability
When you’re going for maximum speed in the concentric phase (which is the key to recruiting explosive fibers), you can’t be thinking about whether the machine is going to tip over or if the cable is going to snap.
If a machine makes you feel unsafe, your brain unconsciously slows down your force output. That’s why, when space is limited, the solution is never to buy a cheap, small machine; the solution is to buy compact machines with commercial-gym quality.
If you asked me what machine doubles your training options in the smallest possible space, I’d tell you without hesitation: a wall-mounted functional pulley or a compact cable tower.
Pulleys are brutal because they give you constant tension that free weights can’t offer at certain angles. For accessory work in a shoulder workout, arms, or even rowing variations for the back muscles, a good pulley is the best option.
Why is it perfect for small homes? Because there are models that mount directly to the wall and use weight stacks or selector pins, and they let you adjust the height from floor to ceiling. With this you can do:
At Fitnessdigital they have several options for these low-profile pulleys that are rock solid. They take up no floor space and they’re a lifesaver if you want to break out of the monotony of dumbbells.
I work with them because their strength catalog is serious and their after-sales service actually responds. If you’re going to take the plunge and want to save a good chunk on your purchase, use our exclusive discount code BILBOTEAM when you place your order on their site.
Use our DISCOUNT CODE at Fitnessdigital:
The big headache for those of us who train heavy at home is how to do squats and bench press without putting in a four-post rack. Bench press is where you prove your grit, but it requires a support that won’t give out.
Here you have two smart options to optimize space:
Instead of a giant connected structure, you can use two independent, adjustable support towers. When you finish your sets of squats or set up the bench for pressing, you bring them together, put them in a corner of the closet, and the living room is clean again. The only important thing here is to look for supports that have a wide H-shaped or T-shaped base so they don’t wobble when you rack the bar. If you want to see the safety criteria I follow, you can check out my guide to choosing a rack or power cage.
There’s an in-between option that I really like for apartments: weight benches that have the spotter arms attached to the bench structure itself, and that also let you fold the seat section upward. When it’s folded, it takes up the same space as a fat ironing board leaning against the wall.
With a quality Olympic barbell, some good color Olympic plates that you can stack in a corner, and this type of support, you’ve got a strength temple set up in two square meters.
👉🏻 You can calculate your strength with our 1RM calculator to see how your numbers are climbing training in your own living room.
I know many of you are dying for a bench press machine or a Smith machine bench press because you’re terrified of training alone at home and failing. It’s a normal fear; failing with a free barbell on your chest when you’re alone at home can be dangerous.
For that, there are the new narrow-profile Smith machines. Just like wall pulleys, these guides are fixed to the structure or the wall and the bar moves in a fixed vertical track. If you get stuck halfway through a rep on a set to failure, you just twist your wrist a centimeter and the bar locks onto the safety catches.
It’s an excellent way to crush hypertrophy and do a strength exercise circuit with zero risk. Plus, modern versions come combined with pulley systems in the same structure, taking up half the space of traditional machines.
If your space problem is so extreme that you can’t even have a two-meter barbell because you’d hit the hallway walls, current technology gives you an alternative that sounds like science fiction but works.
I’m talking about digital training stations with magnetic resistance cables, like the one we reviewed in the Speediance Gym Monster review.
It’s the most expensive option, yes, but if space is your absolute priority, a machine that takes up the same space as a full-length mirror and lets you do deadlifts, squats, and bench press is something worth considering.
Here’s a video where I show it to you:
Setting up the home gym with the best home gym machines is only 50% of the work. The other 50% is knowing what to do with them. A classic mistake is buying the equipment and then stumbling around looking for random routines on the internet that are designed for a commercial gym with 40 different machines.
Your training has to be efficient.
It doesn’t matter if you only have a wall pulley, a pair of adjustable dumbbells, or a barbell with four plates. In my Training Plan I adapt the routine and progression of the Bilbo Method exactly to the equipment you have available at home. We’ll design a clear path to build muscle, improve your strength, and optimize your time without leaving home.
Join the Bilbo Team Training Plans
If you already have your compact machine or your main support, there are three tools you should absolutely have because they multiply the variations of your workouts and fit in a drawer:
Real progress in home training doesn’t depend on how many square meters you have, but on your consistency and the intensity you bring to each set.
If you choose quality compact machines, take advantage of wall corners, and use a serious progression system, you have everything you need to crush your personal records without putting up with the lines and waits at commercial centers.
Measure your space carefully, take a look at the Fitnessdigital catalog using our code BILBOTEAM to save money on the investment, and get down to serious training once and for all.
Expert in strength training and physical tests for civil service candidates. With over 30 years of experience and multiple national and European records, he shares his methods to improve strength, endurance, and performance safely.
