Machine type home gyms come in various styles but are basically several different pieces of exercise equipment within a single steel framed structure. These can be broken down into several categories.

The "home gym" we traditionally think of as a "home gym" is a fairly impressive piece of equipment that takes up no little floor space, is up to 7 feet higher or higher, and to the novice may seem a little intimidating.

A home gym machine will usually include as a minimum:

• bench which is often upright
• press arms for doing pressing/pushing exercises
• lat pulldown - overhead cable and pulley system attached to wide bar
• low row - ground level cable and pulley system usually attached to shorter bar of handle
• leg extension - usually located at front of bench
• leg curl - also usually located at front of bench
• weight stack - composed of several plates of metal stacked on top of each other. The amount you lift is changed by moving a steel pin to include or exclude more plates from your load

Not all home gyms come equipped to perform all of these exercises out of the box but many do. Most can be upgraded to about any configuration you desire. That is what makes them so popular over time. If you choose your home gym carefully you should be able to find one that not only serves your fitness needs today but which will handle your routines as you advance.

Bodyweight and Resistance Type typified by the Total Gym advertised on television are a popular first step for many people. These gyms are basically a simple included board which glides on an adjustable steel frame.

You sit or lie down on the board and pull on cables which are attached to the board via pulleys. When you pull on the cables the board is pulled up the steel frame with your body weight acting as the load. The effort can be increased by increasing the incline of the board.

The TV stars and models make setting up and putting away an easy process however users have found that it is better to leave the machine set up. Keep in mind that the people demonstrating any piece of home gym equipment can make it look easy to use because they are already fit and have the strength required.

Power Rod types of home gyms are of the "Bowflex" type. While Bowflex is the most well known power rod home gym there are other brands available.

Instead of using a metal weight stack as the load it uses power rods. As you push of pull on the bar, power rods which are connected to the bar via cables bend. The rigid rod of course resists being bent and thereby creates resistance. Resistance is changed by changing the number of rods in use.

Power rod gyms take up less space than a traditional home gym and are more convenient for many people to use. They are not as durable however and therefor are usually not the home gym machine of choice for serious muscle builders. But they are great for achieving and maintaining overall fitness.

Cheaper models such as the "Bandflex" use the same principle except that instead of bending power rods you are stretching bungee cords.