Working out at home is nice, but unless you have a huge house, you probably don’t have room for multiple machines. I’m one of those people…not the huge house people but the limited space people. I needed one good machine that could meet all my home gym needs.
That machine turned out to be the Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System.
Does a Home Gym Help With Strength Training?
If you’re looking to build muscle without having to leave the gym, then you may want to consider investing in a home gym. This fitness machine has a variety of workout stations that allow you to train your muscles.
If you find yourself using machines often at the gym and find yourself no longer wanting to invest in a gym membership or put up with the hassle of making time to go to the gym, then it may be time to invest in a home gym.
Home gyms are great for building muscle for your strength training routines. Resistance training to build your physical strength is so much easier with a dedicated machine and allows you to target various muscle groups.
Whether you are targeting your upper body or lower body, a home gym has enough options for you put together an endless variety of workouts.
Things to Consider Before Buying the Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System
The Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System was perfect for me, but whether it’s perfect for you depends on what you’re looking for in a home gym.
The first thing to consider is that it’s better suited for beginners.
It has a relatively light weight stack of 112 pounds (50.8 kg). Although the manufacturer states that you can get up to 280 pounds (127 kg) of resistance, many advanced users need more than this. This is especially true for weightlifters, powerlifters, or any other heavy weightlifter.
This brings us to another point…
This is a great home gym for people on a budget (which is likely why the weight stack is so light).
It’s a good, durable machine that will give you a great work out, but it is in a low-price range and sacrifices a few features for the price. However, it’s features that beginners can do without.
Something else to think about is the size.
It’s a compact machine which is exactly what you need if you don’t have a lot of space.
Apartment dwellers, this is the perfect choice!
However, this may not be suitable for tall people. Certain exercises such as leg presses can be uncomfortable and maybe even impossible to perform correctly.
Tall people may have issues with fitting comfortably on the seat at all.
With these considerations in mind, and if you’ve decided to keep reading, I’ll give you a proper introduction of the Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System .
Gold’s Gym XRS 50 – An All-Purpose Home Gym to Target the Whole Body
Who needs a gym membership when you can get a home gym at an affordable price that can give you a total body workout?
The Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System is a great machine for beginner to intermediate exercisers due to its ease of use, budget price range, and small footprint.
Plus, it’s backed by one of the most trusted names in home gym equipment – Gold’s Gym.
Technical Specs:
- Dimensions:
- Length: 78.6”
- Width: 37.6”
- Height: 63.63”
- Weight: 224 lbs. (101.6 kg)
- Functions:
- Press/butterfly arms
- Leg developer
- High/low pulleys w/ lat bar
Pros
- Great for beginners
- Quieter than other types of weight stacks
- Less expensive to replace
Cons
- Interior breaks down over time.
- Doesn’t last as long as other types
Features & Benefits of the Gold’s Gym XRS 50
Weight Stack
The Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System has a 112 lb. (50.8 kg) vinyl weight stack. Vinyl weight stacks have their pros and cons (and so does 112 lbs. of weight). We’ll go over the pros first.
Attachments and Accessories
The Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System comes with two attachments. One is a single-grip row handle. The other is a multi-grip lat bar.
Both attachments come with clips. While it doesn’t come with a lot of attachments and accessories, you can easily find some that will fit.
Materials
The Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System is a great machine made from durable, high-quality materials.
The frame of the machine is made from heavy-duty steel that is coated with a rust-proof paint. The seats are vinyl-covered foam pads that feature expert, precision stitching.
If you stay within the user weight limit of 300 pounds (136.1 kg), the seats will provide you with comfort and support for years to come.
I mentioned the weight stacks earlier. They are vinyl covered and the inside is filled with sand. This is one of the main ways the cost of the machine stays down.
Sand-filled vinyl weight stacks are an economic option. They’re good because they save you money, but the sand is prone to leaking.
However, as long as you take care of your weight stacks and don’t do any excessive slamming, they’ll last a good while.
Number of Exercises
The Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System is one machine but you can do quite a few exercises.
In fact, you can do over 35 different exercises which is why it’s possible to get a full body workout from this machine. Here are some examples.
Upper Body Workouts
- Chest Press
- Lat Pulldown
- Triceps Extensions
- Bicep Curls
- Rows
- Bent Over Rows
- Side Lateral Raises
- Face Pull
Lower Body Workouts
- Leg Press
- Machine Dead Lifts
Abdominal Workouts
- Standing Crunch
- Side Twists
XRS 50 Benefit: Learn Proper Form
One great benefit for beginners is that using a weight stack machine is like a “tutorial” before moving to free weights.
It helps to teach proper form when doing certain exercises.
Using proper form reduces the chance of injury and helps you to get the maximum benefit from the exercise you perform.
Even if you are an intermediate or advanced exerciser, using machines to refresh your form can keep you on the right path. Anyone can benefit from practicing proper form technique.
XRS 50 Benefit: Targeted Muscle Groups
Machines are the perfect solution to work out a targeted muscle or muscle group.
Since the Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System offers a full-body workout, you can target any muscle group with this machine.
This allows you to use your machine daily without overworking your muscles.
You can easily give your muscles the recommended 72 hours of rest without interrupting your workout routine.
The ability to target muscle groups is why the Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System is a great choice for rehabilitation.
Of course, most rehabilitation occurs at a rehabilitation center, but it’s still nice to have options at home.
A Few Areas That Could Be Improved
Let’s be honest – budget products usually sacrifice a few features.
The Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System is no exception, however it’s nothing that makes it a deal breaker.
One thing that stood out to me, more because of personal preference than anything, is the noise it makes.
I don’t mean weights clinking. If you don’t put the machine together just right, it sounds like a “rickety” piece of equipment. Follow those instructions carefully.
This brings me to the next point.
If you have no patience, this isn’t the right machine for you.
This machine is difficult to set up! The instructions are great but there are just so many pieces, screws, and steps to get through. It’s going to take several hours, even if you’re skilled at assembling things.
If you can get past these two hiccups, you’ll be good to go!
Don’t Take My Word for It: Consumer Reviews from Around the Globe
Michael R. from Frederick, MD – 5 Stars
Review on Influenster
- Absolutely loved this machine! It was incredibly easy to assemble and use! I use it on a daily basis and have zero issues! It is everything I need and I highly recommend it!
Lurch from Canada – 5 Stars
Review on Walmart Canada
- A solid piece of equipment with many different exercises that can be done with a limited risk of injury …assembly was simple yet time consuming..(probably 5 hours total with a few breaks) of course the next one could be done twice as fast,but hopefully this will last for sometime…I have benched one weight plate from the maximum,and the machine seemed solid and made no funny noises…it should pay for itself in no time with savings on gas and gym fee’s…it is not very mobile obviously,so make sure you assemble it close to desired area of operation…I ordered site to store to save about $30…it arrives in 2 large heavy boxes which 2 employee’s loaded into my SUV. 🙂
Zayra G. from Los Angeles, CA – 5 Stars
Review on Walmart Canada
- Great work out machine! Really helps with my back work outs, shoulders, arms, and even abdominal area! I would recommend this machine to anyone working out to build muscle or lose weight! They have these everywhere!
Comparison Shopping
In order to give you an accurate picture of the Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System, I compared to other home gyms on the market.
The criteria we used for comparison included benefits, functionality, quality, size, and price.
While a couple of the machines had a few advantages over the Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System , it still comes out as a great home gym to invest in.
Body-Solid StrengthTech EXM2500S Home Gym
The Body-Solid StrengthTech EXM2500S Home Gym is extremely versatile. It has a lot of extra exercise options that the XRS 50 doesn’t have.
It’s also taller so tall people can easily use this machine.
It’s heavier and the legs are a little wider, so it has more stability than the XRS 50.
All these features are great, but there are still a few reasons the XRS 50 would be preferred over the Body-Solid:
- The Body-Solid is expensive. You can easily drop up to $2,000, especially if you get it shipped to you.
- The Body-Solid is extremely complicated to assemble.
- For beginners, the Body-Solid can be intimidating.
Marcy Multi-Function Home Gym
The Marcy Multi-Function Home Gym is more closely matched with the Gold’s Gym XRS 50.
They have the same basic functions; however, the Marcy home gym has few upgrades like an adjustable preacher curl pad and 150 pounds of weight stacks.
What you’ll have to decide is if the Marcy home gym is worth two times as much as the XRS 50.
I will point out that the Marcy home gym is made of a higher quality steel than the XRS 50.
This makes it much more durable and sturdier. Durability and sturdiness are important so you may just decide that it’s worth the extra money.
Bowflex Home Gym Series
The Bowflex Home Gym Series is one of the oldest and most popular home gyms.
It’s a different animal than the XRS 50, but it can offer you some of the same workouts. In fact, it may offer you a few more than the XRS 50.
However, I would not recommend it over the XRS 50.
One of the most important reasons is that the Bowflex does nothing to help your form. You’ll literally be free styling your exercises.
Another reason is that, although you will get a good targeted muscle workout with the Bowflex, some of it ends up being more of a cardio workout.
This isn’t bad unless your goal is specifically building muscle. Plus, the Bowflex cost twice as much as the XRS 50 so you don’t want to spend that much on a machine that isn’t meeting your needs.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System is a machine that will give most people a great workout.
It’s affordable, it has a solid steel frame, and the weight stacks are heavy enough for the average person. It’s an excellent starter machine.
After you get used to machine exercising and building your form, you can always upgrade to a better/more advanced machine.
That’s the beauty of the Gold’s Gym XRS 50 Home Gym System – it’s priced just right for a later upgrade.
I feel confident in recommending this machine for anyone who needs an affordable, compact home gym.
