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322 Part VI: Conquering the Gym (Even at Home)

Photograph by Sunstreak Productions, Inc.

A basic unit has one 200-pound stack of weight plates in 5- to 10-pound incre-

ments. This means only one person can use the machine at a time. A basic

multi-gym costs $800 to $3,500. If the whole family plans to work out together,

you may want a multi-gym with two or three weight stacks, but these can run

up to $10,000.

Good high-end brands include Paramount, Pacific, Vectra, and California

Gym. For reliable models under $1,000, look at Hoist and Bodyguard.

With the exception of the rather expensive Bowflex systems that many people

swear by, we haven’t yet found a multi-gym sold on TV or in a department

store or discount warehouse that isn’t cheaply made. They wobble, they’re

poorly designed, and the resistance never moves as smoothly as a weight

stack. Even some of the TV demonstrators can’t help arching their backs on

some of the moves. And, sure, you may be able to do 52 exercises with one

of these contraptions, but it’ll take you about 3 hours just to make the adjust-

ments, which will give you one more reason to blow off your workout.

Take your time shopping for a multi-gym. Try out a whole bunch of different

machines, and pay attention to which exercises feel most comfortable. Multi-

gyms that look the same sitting on the showroom floor may actually have

Figure 20-2:

Multi-gyms

are safe and

easy to use.