It's not much, but it's mine!

First for me having a garage gym. Getting back into some weightlifting. 💪🏻

Ever since I saw the first smart gyms released, I've wanted one because of the ability to change force curves and resistance modes, but I didn't want to pay the steep price.

About a year ago I thought it would be cool to make one myself. Just connect a motor to a gym cable. I knew basically nothing about motors and didn't think it would be that hard.

One expensive failed prototype later, I learned otherwise.

This is the current design.

It's designed to mount to a rack, but the mounting system is modular so it can also be adapted for a pole, floor mount, tree, or other setup.

Instead of a strap winding over itself, I'm using Dyneema cable with a geared lead screw that guides it across the drum in a single layer.

I'm also trying to keep the electronics modular so there isn't one required motor/controller/battery stack.

I'm currently ordering parts and building the full physical prototype. Once I've verified the design, I plan to release the CAD/CNC files, software, BOM, and build documentation as open source.

The design definitely isn't perfect yet, but I'm hoping other people eventually build it and improve on it.

I'll post the physical build and testing here as I make progress.

Recently got a Promaxima leg press that I traded. Super heavy and works great. A little older, but functions as it should

... not pictured my very disorganized rack attachments haphazardly piled in the closet...

Updated a couple of things. So here is my homegym latest form.

Landmark Everest all in one. Remington bench. Lionscool seated leg machine. Core adjustable dumbbell’s.

Live in a 1B1B so floor space is kind of precious. The gym is pretty far from where I live, so I wanted something I could actually keep at home without turning the living room into a warehouse.

I ended up getting an Innodigym omni x1 pro. After work, I can open it up, get through presses, rows, squats, etc., and then fold it back against the wall when I’m done.

Honestly, the fact that it doesn’t take over the room when I’m not using it is probably what I like most.

Picked up a very rusty ivanko plate which needed some tlc
Came out nice imo

https://reddit.com/link/1x61d24/video/o7auc14umhvh1/player

Hi guys,

Just wanted to share my garage conversion. Plan on adding some equipment but Im hoping this will be a good start for a functional fitness style gym mainly focusing on hiit style workouts. I've got dumbbells, kettlebells, a rack with barbell and weights as well as an air bike. Would appreciate thoughts on this as a start!

thanks all,

I added a pulley system to my leg extension machine and connected to my weight stack pulley system, and it actually works pretty well, I still need to clean up and probably a better cable (non-adjustable) for durability, but so far I think it will work
Equipment used:
-lions cool seated leg curl/extension machine
-Aluminum pulley
-adjustable cable
-4inch 10m bolt to replace stock and connect pulley to frame.
-20 inch cable extension to wrap around the frame and weight horns.
Note : I can also also lower the trolley all the way down parallel to the cable but I adjust the cable loop 2 inches too long so I ended up easing the trolly up a little bit which I think it works better since it feel like it improved the cable path.

Hey r/homegym,

I’m Mark, CEO of Force USA. I had a great time here last year, and I’m excited to be back for another AMA!

Force USA calls Salt Lake City home, right against the Wasatch Mountains. We train because it helps us do more outside the gym, whether that means skiing, climbing, spending time with family, or chasing the next goal. That same idea shapes our equipment: serious training capability, thoughtful use of space, and equipment designed to support life beyond the gym.

The r/homegym community has had a real influence on what we build and how we improve it. We read the praise, criticism, and feature requests, and we appreciate all of it.

The quick version

• Force USA began in the early 2000s with a focus on fitting more training capability into home and garage gyms. We’re known for combining multiple pieces of gym equipment into smart, space-saving designs built to be the CORNERSTONE™ of your gym.
• We have been on a quest to create the perfect home gym. Freestyle pulley arms with 180° of free movement. Dedicated center cable systems. Walk-through designs that fit a full gym into one footprint. Through every innovation and iteration, we learned one thing: There isn’t one. So we created multiple series instead.
• Our equipment is designed by people who train, then tested and refined through real use.
• We helped pioneer the All-In-One Trainer category the CORNERSTONE® of your home gym, continue developing space-efficient training systems, including the C10 Trainer, C10 Sliding Bench, and Folding MyRack Power Rack.
• Force USA equipment is now used in more than 30 countries, from home gyms and military bases to training facilities and firehouses.
• Since our last AMA, we introduced the M Series, including the M10 Trainer and M20 Trainer. You can also browse the full All-In-One Trainer collection.
• Recent highlights include the C20 being named Best All-in-One Home Gym by Garage Gym Reviews and Force USA equipment appearing in the winning home on HGTV’s Rock the Block.

Ask me anything about product design, engineering tradeoffs, assembly, customer service, planning a home gym, where we are headed next, or why I still believe Smith Machines deserve more respect.

The giveaway

We’re giving one member of the community a new 2027 Compact Leg Press & Hack Squat. The Compact Leg Press earned Most Innovative Leg Press recognition in Garage Gym Reviews’ 2025 Fitness Most Wanted awards, and the new model builds on that foundation.

How to enter

• Leave a question or comment in this thread.
• Follow u/forceusafitness on Instagram.
• Send u/forceusafitness an Instagram direct message containing your Reddit username.

The giveaway is open to legal residents of the contiguous United States who are 21 or older. Entries close Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. One winner will be selected at random on Friday, October 16, 2026. Read the official giveaway rules for complete details.

I’ll be here Wednesday, October 14, and Thursday, October 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Time, answering as many questions as I can.

I’ve got my coffee and a great view of the mountains. Fire away!

🙌🙌🙌UPDATES:🙌🙌🙌

10/14 1:00 pm: MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF OUR NEW ADJUSTABLE JAMMER ARMS COLLABORATION WITH PUSH N PULL. WE WANT YOUR HELP NAMING THE NEW ARMS. DM US YOUR IDEAS ON INSTAGRAM, AND IF YOUR NAME IS THE ONE WE USE, WE'LL SEND YOU THE FIRST PAIR FOR FREE!

10/14 5:00 pm: Thanks for a great first day everyone! I'll be back tomorrow at 9 am MST!

10/15 9:00 am: I'm back! Let the questions fly!

10/15 5:00 pm: Thank you to everyone who participated in our AMA. It was great to hear all of your questions, comments, and feedback!

I got a good deal on a TOG wrist curl machine. $380 for the wrist curl machine + a fixed bar votlra mount

I’ll be adding a 2nd Voltra to my gym on Black Friday and I’m passively looking for a 60 degree or 45 degree cybex plate loaded calf raise

I want to upgrade to a “better” row machine at some point, but that’ll be in 2028 or so (looking at the WM Row)

I’ve also broken my GMWD 3D hip abduction machine twice (had to weld it back together), so when that dies, I’ll have to buy a replacement; probably the shanty 3D hip abduction machine, unless someone else makes a better one at around that price point

I’m on the wait list for the JD stable curl and JD votlra travel mount & I’ll buy the beyond power Darth SaBar when I get the JD travel platform

That’s all my planned gym purchases for a bit

no ac gym lol

About a year ago, I decided to have quarterly strength goals for 2026. I needed equipment to make it happen, but our garage free space was essentially nonexistent. A friend was moving out of state, so he gave me his Marcy all in one gym. It worked well, but I used to lift regularly so I quickly hit its limits. I then added PowerBlock EXP Elites and the Ironmaster Super Bench 2.0 with the pull up and sit-up attachments to provide more versatility to my training.

This worked well in combination with a gym membership which gives me access to specialized machines, but I came to realize I would need a more extensive upgrade. After sooooo much research (a lot time in this forum in particular), I decided I wanted to create a digital-resistance-friendly setup which would give me lots of solid options for exercises. I bought a Voltra nomad bundle as a way to try out whether this would be viable. It wasn’t cheap, but it proved itself and then some.

I decided to go all in on the limited space I had available (about 8 x 8ft):
- Flooring tiles from American floor mats
- Bulletproof Fitness tri-post 2.0 rack (last piece to arrive)
- BPF VTS and accessories (off FB marketplace)
- GetRXD lat pulldown/low row footplate (had to modify this slightly)
- Second Voltra for bilateral resistance
- Wall control for all of the various attachments, etc.
- Portable AC (because it’s Florida)
- DIY platform to increase Voltra’s range of motion on the travel platform.

We also overhauled the garage storage. It’s still very tight on space, but I’m able to get in good workouts efficiently, and the space is much more enjoyable (Sonos Move 2 speaker really helps with that).

Honestly, this has been a fun project. I’m still settling into my new routine and I’ll see what I regret vs. love. So far it’s a big upgrade to my at-home workouts.

I got my FORCE USA CLP2027 in a couple of days ago and finally assembled it today.

Came in 3 boxes and seemingly appeared packaged well but this thing was beat to hell with scuffs and scratches all over it. Kind of frustrating to wait for a back ordered product this long and it come in scratched up. All apparently cosmetic at least. The long upright did have a bent piece that was easily straightened with the screw that went thru it so again annoying but not the end of the world.

The instructions also sucked. No videos online and only a step by step book with exploded diagrams only. Not even language telling you what to do on those pages.

They also thought they helped by packaging things with Step labels on them but they didn’t put all the hardware in the bags that correspond to those steps. Again super annoying and caused delays.

Took about 2.5 hours to assemble and used basic sized sockets so at least there’s that.

All in all 5/10 on packaging and shipping. 2/10 on instructions. Hoping it lasts awhile since it’s together now.

Having just assembled an entire power rack from another “Chinese” maker that was packaged flawlessly buying anything more expensive from Force based on this experience would give me pause. I couldn’t imagine getting a C20 rack in with this much surface damage.

It’s not the best or the fanciest, but it’s just absolutely perfect for me and my wife. I thank myself for investing in this equipment every time I use it. I’ll turn 50 soon, I wish I had started building this 10 years ago.
I started with the rack and a few small things in 2022 and just kept adding a few things here and there. The only equipment I really want is a cable for pull down and functional movements. I can get by without though.
I like to use the Gymverse app and I try to lift 3 days a week with a few days of cardio and other activities if I can.
I hate the gym vibe, but love lifting weights so for me, this is the ultimate solution.
I hope everyone is appreciating your gym gear and home workout spaces however big or small!! It’s a true luxury in life!

I’ve always loved doing heavy sled drags and heavy sled pushes. I have a long 35-yard driveway which is perfect for sled work. A prowler has never been an option for me due to the noise it makes. I’ve had a Tank MX for years and it works ok but it has always lacked that high-end resistance where it barely budges with maximum effort and the resistance profile of it is different than a prowler. I discovered the Aerobis Pain Train scouring the internet a few months ago. They market it as “the only quiet high resistance sled which mimics a traditional sled.” It is made in Germany and the company is in Germany. I took a chance and bought it. Got it in a week. It is awesome. It does exactly what it says it does: it mimics a prowler. With high resistance it is hard to get it to move just like a prowler. The resistance is adjustable with the dial in front and takes a second to change. The handles are comfortable and ergonomic. It is very easy to maneuver and to turn around (much more so than the Tank MX). It’s also much smaller than the Tank MX. I’m very happy with this purchase and will be selling the Tank MX. Highly recommend the Pain Train sled if you want a traditional sled/prowler without the noise.

I used it a bit in the beginning but I started just driving 8 minutes up the street to use full gym. I work from home so the only social interaction I get is at the gym.

I was getting annoyed with weight limitations on the single vertical post, pinching fingers, using 2.5lb plates as spacers, and if working out with my wife the annoyance of having to change the weights when vertically stacked.

I considered the Fringe Sport OEM option ($120, can be had for about $100 with the sales that happen from time to time) and the TNT Hellbox attachment from Porter PhysED fitness ($300, and I read that it was just $250 about 2 or 3 months ago).

I decided I could just make my own.

Step 1: scanned all the big "budget" rack providers websites and found "Folding Rack Wall Connectors & Hinges" 3x3 with 5/8" holes a 4 pack of the 8" "Folding Wall Connector" for $54.

Step 2: looked through Amazon for the least bad seeming olympic plate wall mount horns with a 3deg slant and decent (> 9") length plus a "300lb weight capacity". The actual length beyond the rubber o-ring is just shy of 9" excluding the length of the rubber cap on the distal end. $29 for a 4-pack.

Step 3: picked up 7/16" - 14 hex bolts that were 4" long from lowes (already have the nuts and washers, otherwise I may have tried to see if I could make 1/2" bolts work) to secure the weight horns to the "Folding Wall Connector".

Step 4: the bottom flange holes on the "Folding Wall Connector" didn't line up the way I hoped so I had to drill a new hole just offset from one of the existing holes. Even though it is a 1/4" thick flange, I'd rather drill that instead of putting a new hole in the top of the Mammoth Belt Squat.

Step 5: mount "Folding Wall Connector" to mammoth belt squat first and then mount the weight horns second.

Honestly, if that TNT Hellbox were under $250 shipped, I would have just bought that instead. I ended up spending $83 shipped to my house and I have enough parts to make a second DIY weight horn if I wanted. Also used one of the "Folding Wall Connector" units on my PR4000 to make a nice inside the rack mounting point for the Mammoth Belt Squat. I can't store it there though because the cables from my Lat/Low row setup is in the way.

Second time posting but I have updated the home gym a bit more. Added mirrors and barbell and bumpers. The room is 2.8 by 3.6m and is located in my apartment.

To anyone on the fence about getting a home gym. Get the home gym. I'm down 30kgs!!! Started the home gym around May/June. Still a long way to go but I'll show a face pic just to illustrate how much my face has changed. Will post body changes in time but this is just for anyone reading wondering if they will use the home gym if they are starting their weight loss journey ... Yes, you will.

For now I have everything I need, I will likely get more bumpers as I progress but I can do a lot in this gym for my goals right now. Everything you see is a Facebook marketplace find, auction house find or Amazon purchase except for a few of the cable machine attachments which 1 or 2 came from factory weights in the UK.

Man was this thing packed safe! Got it about 98% assembled and realized a pully was missing in one of the assemblys as well as missing the pull up strap but blazzed is sending me replacments. They responded to the email within a couple hours on a sunday night.

Took from about noon to 7pm assembling by myself. Not including unpacking and getting it all downstairs. Add a couple hours for that because of all the wrap.

Tips:

Would 100% use a drill/impact for the bolts when tightening it'll probably save you an hour. Its a 36mm socket for the bolts, Google will lie to you and say like 24 or something. O'rileys auto shop rents them out, probably other shops do too.

Make sure you also have some Allen wrenches there's a couple set pins that the ones that come with it don't fit. I used my electric screwdriver that had the right size.

The pulleys step he doesn't mention that some of the pulleys have little guides on them, those don't go on the bottom ones, he doesn't say it till after you are past that step.

Dont tighten down the guide rods for the smith untill you get the screw in the top or you are gonna have a bad time.

It came with lube but the bottle didnt say what kind so I got the spray kind they use in the video.

Smith machine bolts seemed like they didnt line up but once everything was tightened real good it was a good fit.

In their video they tell you when to tighten all the bolts for the frame but don't say anything about when to tighten them up for the pulleys, my assumption is you can do it right before putting the cables on. My baby was asleep at 7 so have to go back through to tighten everything up.

Quality:

Because everything is packed great I didn't find a single scratch on anything.

Every piece feels and looks high quality, super heavy thick steel.

The cable on the side I could assemble feels smooth very good quality.

I did get a couple rusty nuts but they are sending replacements with the missing pieces.

Accessories:

I bought the landmine and the dip bar and they both seem very high quality.

I probably wouldnt have got the landmine if I was to order again because of my limited space but the dip bar is awesome with 3 different holes for width, its very sturdy.

The cable attachments it comes with are also high quality, no complaints.

Let me know if you have any questions. This is an assembly review since I can't fully use the equipment yet.

This is in a basement with 90" ceilings.

Picked up a bunch of rusty plates for 0.32/lb. Decent end result after some effort.