A Woman’s Guide: 10 Best Home Gyms For Women in 2023

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This is our review of the best home gyms for women.

Are you looking to set up your own gym at home? Then this article is for you.

As a female personal trainer, I know what kind of exercises work best for you as a woman. The traditional iron bodybuilder machines probably don’t address your needs. And they don’t have to, because there are plenty of good options for you.

Our team consists of many women, and we find that guys are not always aware of the differences. We are. So we agreed to write this article to help our fellow women find the best home gym.

For any home gym, I recommend you start with these few basic pieces: dumbbells, a mat, and resistance bands. With this equipment, you can perform a wide range of exercises. I discuss them further down the article.

If you’re looking for a portable exercise machine, consider the BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0. Or one of the other portables I review below in this article.

It provides hundreds of exercises and allows a wide range of movement. The resistance is also strong enough for women looking to get a good workout.

If you have more space and are looking for a bigger home gym machine, then I recommend the Force USA G3 All-In-One Trainer. It combines five strength training machines into one piece of equipment.

It also allows a wide range of movement, because the pulleys can freely rotate, and you can adjust the power rack to 50 different heights.

Remember that it is important to train every muscle in your body, not only the big ones, but also the small ones. And don’t forget your core. Keep a balance.

If you want to look for more options, I listed more recommendations below.

Table of Contents

• 10 Best Home Gyms For Women
  • Basics: Exercise Mat, Dumbbells, and Resistance Bands
    • Exercise Mat Recommendations
      • Amazon Basics Yoga Mat
      • BalanceFrom Three Fold Folding Exercise Mat
    • Dumbbells Recommendation
      • Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbell
    • Resistance Bands Recommendations
      • Beachbody Resistance Bands 
      • Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands
  • Smart Mirrors
    • Smart Mirror Recommendations
      • Mirror
      • Tempo Studio
  • All-in-one
    • All-in-one Recommendations
      • BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0
      • Body-Solid EXM2500S Home Gym
      • Force USA G3 All-In-One Trainer
• What to look for when choosing a home gym?
  • Exercises
  • Resistance
  • Multiple Users
  • Required Space
  • Quality and Budget
• Which is the best home gym for women?
• FAQ questions about home gyms for women
• What to do next?

10 Best Home Gyms For Women

Basics: Exercise Mat, Dumbbells, and Resistance Bands

The first thing you’ll need to get started is a few basics. These include an exercise mat, dumbbells, and resistance bands.

The exercise mat will protect your floors from sweat or damage if you accidentally drop your equipment. It also lessens the impact on your knees and joints, and protects you if you fall down.

Dumbbells are an effective way to add variety to your routine – they allow you to work different muscles than those targeted by other equipment. They are beginner-friendly, but can still be challenging, depending on the weight.

Resistance bands are affordable, lightweight, and easy to store. The bands have different levels of resistance, from light to heavy.

Resistance bands are also great for working on flexibility and balance, which helps you prevent injury and improves your performance. However, if this isn’t an option for some reason, then dumbbells will do just fine as well.

Exercise Mat Recommendations

Amazon Basics Yoga Mat

If you don’t have a home gym flooring, you need an exercise mat. I recommend the Amazon Basics Yoga Mat because it has the right thickness (1/2-inch-thick), is affordable, and has a non-slip surface.

This mat is thick enough to provide you with some cushioning, but thin enough to roll up easily and store. It has an included carrying strap and is lightweight enough to carry around.

The textured surface of this yoga mat makes it easy to keep a grip on it while you’re exercising, and it’s also easy to clean. It also comes in 6 colors: black, blue, gray, pink, purple, and red.

Amazon Basics Yoga Mat is the perfect exercise mat if you are a beginner or have limited space in your home.

BalanceFrom Three Fold Folding Exercise Mat

If the Amazon Basics Yoga Mat is not thick enough for you, try the BalanceFrom Three Fold Folding Exercise Mat. This mat is 1.5 inches thick and uses an Expanded Polyethylene Foam to provide cushioning.

Expanded Polyethylene Foam or EPE is a lightweight and flexible foam commonly used for packaging. It reduces impact, dampens vibrations, and protects surfaces. That is why some gym floor mats or gym equipment use this material.

As the name suggests, this exercise mat has a three-panel design that you can fold for convenient storage. It also has handles stitched on the side so you can carry it around easily. The vinyl cover makes it water-resistant, so it is easy to clean. You can choose from 4 colors: Purple, Blue, Pink, and Black.

This mat is more expensive than Amazon Basics Yoga Mat, but this is thicker, so it has better cushioning.

Dumbbells Recommendation

Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbell

Dumbbells are beginner-friendly equipment and are usually the first thing people buy when they start to work out. There are three types of dumbbells—smart, fixed, and adjustable.

If you’re looking for a set of dumbbells that will last for years, go for adjustable dumbbells like Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbell. You can adjust the weight of this dumbbell from 5 to 52 pounds in two-pound increments. This one set already combines 15 different weights, so you can use it as you get stronger. You can use the knob on the side to select the weights you need.

It has an included storage tray where you can keep all the weight plates. When not in use, they take up hardly any space at all. The dumbbells use solid steel and have a rubber coating to protect the weights from damage. The handles have a textured rubber grip that makes them easy to hold onto even when you’re sweating.

For women looking to build muscle, this is a great set of dumbbells.

Resistance Bands Recommendations

Beachbody Resistance Bands

If you’re looking for a way to work out that is fun and easy, Beachbody Resistance Bands are the way to go. They’re also a great way to get started if you’ve never worked out before.

Resistance bands use plastic and come in varying strengths. They are color-coded based on the following resistance levels:

• Yellow = Light Resistance
• Green = Medium Resistance
• Blue = Heavy Resistance

These resistance bands come in two different lengths: 9 and 12 inches. I recommend the 9 inches if you are skinny or have a height of around 5 feet and 6 inches. If you are tall and on the heavier side, then go for the 12 inches. Or go for whichever length you feel comfortable with; these are just my suggestions.

Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands

Try Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands if you need more resistance options. These come in five resistance levels, and they are color-coded just like Beachbody Resistance Bands. These resistance bands use natural latex and are free from non-natural thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).

Fit Simplify offers the following resistances:

• Extra Light (Green): 2-4 pounds
• Light (Blue): 6-8 pounds
• Medium (Yellow): 10-12 pounds
• Heavy (Red): 15-20 pounds
• Extra Heavy (Black): 25-30 pounds

Resistance bands like Fit Simplify are also great for therapy and rehabilitation. You can use them to help with physical therapy after an injury, or just to improve your strength and flexibility. You can also use these when you are pregnant to help you stay fit and healthy.

Fit Simplify Resistance Bands only come in 12-inch lengths. So if you are short and skinny, this may not be the right band for you.

Related Articles:

• A Woman’s Guide: 11 Best Weights for Women

Smart Mirrors

Smart fitness mirrors are great if you want to keep track of their progress and see how you are developing. They can help you set goals and stay motivated, as well as allow you to compare your progress to others.

You can use a smart fitness mirror to help with form, check posture, and alignment. Mirrors ensure that your form is correct at all times. They’re especially helpful if you don’t have a lot of space, but still want an effective workout.

Smart Mirror Recommendations

Mirror

If money is not an issue, a smart fitness mirror like Mirror is a must-try.

Mirror has a 43 inches full HD 1080p display with a 178-degree viewing angle. If you pair it with your smartwatch or heart rate monitor, you can monitor your metrics on the screen.

It also gives you weight recommendations and counts your reps, so you don’t have to do the math yourself.

You can access a large library of workouts with over 10,000 classes on-demand. There are weekly curated workouts, daily live classes, and one-on-one training sessions.

You will get live in-class feedback from the coaches to help you improve your form and technique. You can also get exercises specially customized to your fitness level and body.

The Mirror has competitions and games, so you can compete with others. You can also exercise with your friends if you need more motivation.

When not in use, this fitness mirror looks like an ordinary mirror. It will fit well in your home, and you won’t have to worry about it taking up space, as it is sleek and compact. You have the option to mount it on a wall or put it on a stand.

However, you can do much exercise with the Mirror alone. You will need additional equipment, like weights. Mirror offers a package that includes additional devices, and of course, it comes with a price.

Tempo Studio

Another option for you is the Tempo Studio. This smart fitness mirror has a 42 inches HD screen, a bit smaller than the Mirror. However, Tempo Studio has touch screen features, so it is more convenient to use.

Tempo is a freestanding fitness mirror, which means you cannot mount it on a wall. It has a stand and storage area below the screen where you can store all the equipment you need during your workouts. Tempo Studio already includes additional equipment. And Tempo focuses more on weightlifting.

The starter package has the following extra equipment:

• 5mm Workout Mat
• 2 x 7.5 lb Dumbbells
• 4 x Collars
• 75 lb of Weight Plates

Tempo uses the 3D Tempo Vision™ where it evaluates your body and goals, so it can give you personalized workouts. The AI-powered sensors will guide you and correct your form so you can achieve the best results.

You can get access to live and on-demand workout classes focusing on strength training, HIIT, pilates, yoga, and more. And get support and coaching from a certified trainer.

Related Articles:

• Fitness Mirrors Guide for your Home Gym

All-in-one

All-in-one is a versatile piece of equipment you can use to get a total body workout. With the right tools, you can do everything from toning your arms to working out your legs.

All-in-one equipment comes in different shapes, forms and prices. Ranging from portable boards with resistance bands to heavy machines, with pulleys and other accessories.

There are many reasons women choose to purchase an all-in-one home gym:

• All-in-one units are easy to use and versatile. It is easy to change your workouts and target different areas of your body.
• All-in-one units are durable and compact. They generally use heavy-duty steel frames, which means they’ll last longer than other types of equipment.
• All-in-one gyms are cost-effective. Compared to purchasing a weight bench, dumbbells, and a full set of cables for your home gym, all-in-one units are generally less expensive. It takes less space too. All you need is one machine that does it all—no extra equipment required.

If you need more inspiration, check out our article on the 10 best full body workout machines for your home gym.

All-in-one Recommendations

BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0

If you want more than just dumbbells and resistance bands, try out compact home gyms like BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0. This home gym combines all the bulky equipment you see in the gym into one compact total body workout system.

The BodyBoss kit comes with all the equipment you need, including a fold up vector fit base, workout bar, handles, wrist/ankle straps, resistance bands, a door anchor, and even a carrying bag. At standard length, the resistance bands can give you up to 30 lbs of resistance. But you can increase the resistance up to 70-80 lbs if you shorten it. You have ten anchor points to adjust on. The shorter the band, the higher the resistance.

The base platform can hold up to 500 lbs, so you know it’s sturdy. It has a non-slip base that will keep your equipment in place. The anchor point can pivot to 180 degrees, giving you a wide range of movement. The workout bar is collapsible and has a total length of 42 inches. The bar can rotate a full 360 degrees and has rubber grips to prevent slipping.

With this home gym, you can do hundreds of exercises, which is the perfect equipment for a woman like you.

Body-Solid EXM2500S Home Gym

If you want an all-in-one machine, I recommend the Body-Solid EXM2500S Home Gym. This home gym combines several machines into one.

It has a leg extension, a lat pulldown station, a perfect pec station, a seated row, a chest press, and an ab crunch. What I love about this home gym is that it can help you work almost all of the major muscles in your body.

According to Body-Solid, this home gym can target the following muscles:

• Abs
• Biceps
• Delts
• Lats
• Obliques
• Pectorals
• Quads
• Shoulders
• Total Body
• Traps
• Triceps

I think this is an excellent machine for women, because it has a single-weight stack of 210 lbs, 

which is enough to give you a challenge. If you go to their website, you’ll see a list of 22 exercises that you can do on this machine. It includes all the muscles each exercise can target, and instructions on how to do the workout.

Force USA G3 All-In-One Trainer

Consider this full-body workout machine if you are not afraid of iron, and look for serious power training. Force USA G3 All-In-One Trainer combines five strength training machines into one piece of equipment.

You can use this equipment as a power rack, smith machine, functional trainer, multi-grip chin-up and pull-up station, and a landmine station. It has 18 attachments, so you can do over 75 exercises in just one machine. If you need more, you can add the optional attachments I listed below.

• Leg Press
• Stability Bar
• Straight Chin-up Bar
• Lat Pulldown Seat

The pulley ratio is 2:1. So if you load 100 lbs, you will get a resistance of 50 lbs. The pulleys are 48 inches apart and can freely rotate, so you can stand outside and exercise at a wider angle. You can adjust the power rack to 50 different heights, so you can use it for many types of exercises.

However, this machine is expensive and takes up a lo

Related Articles:

• A Woman’s Guide: 11 Best Weights for Women
• The 10 Best Full Body Workout Machines For Home Gym
• How to choose your Home Gym Machine
• The 9 Best Compact Home Gyms
• 50 Best Gym Gifts For Her

What to look for when choosing a home gym?

Exercises

First, you’ll want to consider what exercises you will be doing. Do you have a primary goal (like weight loss or muscle gain)? Or are you just looking for an easy way to get fitter? Does this machine cater to all your needs, or will it require an additional purchase? The more specific your needs, the easier it will be to narrow down the options.

If you want to gain muscles, go for equipment that provides resistance, like dumbbells and all-in-ones. If you want to lose weight, go for equipment that burns calories, like cardio machines. For flexibility and balance, try the resistance bands. Smart mirrors are great if you want a full-length mirror that can show you from multiple angles and help you assess your form.

Resistance

You need to make sure that your machine offers resistance or weights. Without this feature, it will be hard to build muscle or burn fat. Resistance training is crucial for maintaining muscle tone and strength throughout your body.

If you are a beginner, you should start with a machine that offers a low resistance level. Or you can start with your body weight. You can then increase the resistance level as you get stronger.

Multiple Users

Second, does it support multiple users at once? If the machine is not exclusive to you, you need to look for a home gym that supports multiple users. Check all the users’ physiques and preferences to see if the machine can accommodate everyone in your home.

Required Space

When choosing a home gym, you’ll want to consider the available space. If you don’t have much room, equipment like dumbbells, resistance bands, fitness mirrors, and compact home gyms may be a better option. All-in-ones require more space and are often heavier.

Quality and Budget

I know it is tempting to choose the cheapest option possible when buying fitness equipment. But remember that most of the time, affordable options usually mean poor quality materials and less durability.

It is essential to look for machines made from durable materials like steel and wood instead of plastic. And if they’re more expensive up front, but last longer, they can actually be more affordable.

Always check out reviews of the fitness equipment you want to purchase from professionals and other users who have already bought the machine. Or try it yourself when you go to the physical store —if you can.

Which is the best home gym for women?

If you are looking for a portable home gym for women, consider the BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0.

It provides hundreds of exercises and allows a wide range of movement. The resistance is also strong enough for women looking to get a good workout. And it has good customer ratings.

If you have more space and are looking for a bigger home gym machine, then I recommend the Force USA G3 All-In-One Trainer. It combines five strength training machines into one piece of equipment.

FAQ questions about home gyms for women

What to do next?

So there you have it. I hope I helped you find the best home gym for women.

If you’re still not sure, contact me with your questions, or leave your comment below. And I will personally help you choose.

Happy training in your home gym,
Inge van Haselen
Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach