The Best Home Gym Cable Machines
danieldemoss February 27, 2020
The 10 Best Home Gym Cable Machines A cable machine is a valuable tool in a home where space is a luxury. While they can
The Best Power Towers Money Can Buy
The power tower or the knee raise station is smaller than a power rack. It is for use with bodyweight exercises. If you lack space for a power rack, you can use a power tower as an alternative exercise tool that targets most muscles.
This is also suitable if you are starting out and do not want to invest too heavily in heavyweights that you might not use later. Despite contrary belief, you can gain benefits just using your bodyweight if you have the right tools.
Calisthenic exercises are important in functional movement training and improve fine motor skills. Bodyweight workouts can help if you experience joint problems as weights can put extra stress on them.
The 5 Best Power Towers Money Can Buy
Once you have a list of requirements, here are the 5 best power towers that may fit your bill. These towers might look similar, but they have small differences that may help you make your decision.
5) BowFlex Body Tower
Price: $499
Special Features: Small enough to fit in a corner to save space. The tower can do around twenty different variations of exercises.
Dimensions: 53″ x 50″ x 77”
PS! For further information you can also check out my Bowflex Body Tower review article.
Pros
- The Bowflex Body Tower has a wide base for stability despite its 120 pounds overall body weight.
- The back pad is useful for leg workouts and decline pushups, a good variation to progress to.
- You can change the height of the EZ- adjust horizontal dip bars to change the difficulty of your workouts.
Cons
- At 77 inches tall, the BowFlex may be too small for a good workout if you are a tall person.
4) XMark Fitness Power Tower with Pull-up Station XM-4432 by Xmark Fitness
Price: $181.50
Special Features:
The Xmark XM- 4432 is a 14 gauge steel that weighs around 98 pounds. It has a padded foot bar for sit-ups. The skid-resistant feet keep the machine from moving and damaging your floor. The back pad features a 2.5-inch thick high-density cushion that has a double-stitched Duraguard vinyl. The unit has a 350 pounds weight capacity.
Dimensions: 54.5” x 48 “x 86″
Pros
- The ankle-pads have 5 different positions for different workouts and difficulty.
- It has push-up bars that target your pectorals, deltoids, and triceps.
- It is a useful progression to regular floor push-ups.
Cons
- Many people complain that the dip bars are thin and the backrest can become slippery when wet.
- The pull up frame station is behind the backrest, so you cannot park this in a corner if you want to use that.
3) Gold’s Gym XR 10.9 Power Tower
Price: $89.99
Special Features:
The Gold’s Gym XR 10.9 Power Tower weighs around 90 pounds, and it has four main stations: vertical knee raises, dips, push-ups, and pull-ups. The pull up and dip station features a multiple hand grips at the back of the backrest.
Dimensions: 57” x 41″ x 84”
Pros
- Good value for money for its size, a good choice if you are on a budget.
- The pull-up bar is at 7 feet height, suitable for tall people.
Cons
- The bars on the tower are not adjustable, and the tower is wobbly when doing dips and pull-ups.
- For people with narrow shoulders or smaller physique, the 24-inch gap between dip bars may be uncomfortable.
- The thin hand grips can pose a problem if you have large hands.
2) Stamina 1690 Power Tower
Price: $100
Special Features: There are five stations despite the size and look of the Stamina 1690 Power Tower. You can perform pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, vertical knee or leg raises, sit-ups, and push-ups. The power tower is compact enough to fit in tight spaces and has skid caps at the ends.
Dimension: 42″ X 49” X 81”
Pros
- It is one of the smallest power towers you can buy.
- The power tower forces you to develop better core and techniques to stop the base from wobbling.
- The Stamina Power Tower has foam padding on the handles for comfort.
- It’s easy to assemble and disassemble.
Cons
- The size of the tower creates a stability issue for taller or heavier people. It weighs 60 pounds and can carry 250 pounds maximum.
- The lack of support means it can be harder to perform exercises if you are a beginner.
- The Stamina 1690 targets more experienced because it will force you to engage more muscle groups.
1) Weider 200 Power Tower
Price: $120
Special Features: The pull up bar is around 7 feet off the ground, which can benefit taller people. But for others, you will have the additional hanging leg exercises to perform. At 90 pounds, it has a 300-pound maximum body weight capacity. The pull-up station sits behind the backrest, with the push-up bar below.
Dimension: 60” x 41” x 86.6”
In Depth Review: I’ve made a full overview of the Weider Power Tower in this article.
Pros
- The Weider Power Tower has padded handles for anti-slip and better comfort.
- The back cushions help support you when you are doing a leg raise.
- The back and arm cushions are comfortable and non- slip, so you can focus on the exercises instead of staying on the tower.
- While the dip bars are higher, the Weider has a footrest to help get into position if you are not six feet tall.
Cons
- The width of the knee raise and dip station can be too wide for smaller people.
- Many people reported that the assembly is tricky.
- The machine has stations front and back and requires more space to work out.
The Bottomline...
Comparing cost, build, and durability, the Weider 200 Power Tower is a good deal. The design fits both tall and short people, while the stability issue is not as pronounced.
In most cases, you realize that the tower will not wobble if your form is correct. This will encourage you to engage your core and focus on doing leg raises properly.
If you are looking for a good quality exercise equipment that is worth paying for, definitely pick The Weider Power Tower.
What To Look For When Buying A Power Tower?
There are a lot of exercises you can do using the power tower, so picking one that suits you is important.
Variety of Workouts
Power towers will offer a pull up station. Some builds will have bars underneath for sit-ups, push-ups, dips, and knee raise. Other brands offer sling straps for better comfort when you are doing inverted rows.
Hence, despite its appearance, the power tower is versatile. These exercises might sound simple, but they are difficult to master. When looking for exercise tools, variation is one of the best factors to consider.
Quality and Size
Like all gym equipment, quality and size matters. It should fit into your home gym while being heavy duty. The frame material decides the weight capacity, while the size will affect how stable the tower will be.
Power towers are usually made of steel for durability, but it is the thickness that determines the weight it can hold. A short and wide tower will be more stable, but your space may only fit a narrower version.
Hence, additional features like support brackets and stabilizer bars can be important factors to consider when buying one.
Adjustability
Finally, some brands have padded back support or slip-resistant handles. As you progress in your calisthenics exercise, you may find that having these extra features as a bonus.
When you can hold your weight longer, sweat can make handles slippery and dangerous. If you are sharing your gym, adjustable handles and heights can be helpful.
Article by:
Daniel DeMoss
I’m a personal trainer based in Denver (Matrix Gym) and a true fitness nerd. If I’m not training clients or working out at my home gym, I’m probably skiing, cycling or hiking with my dog Rufus.
Get in touch: daniel@dumbbellsreview.com
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