Compare
Buy in this order, not all at once.
Price against floor space, and what each piece genuinely unlocks for women lifting at home — a garage, a spare room, or a corner of the basement.
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Safety notice — Bowflex SelectTech 552
The original Bowflex SelectTech 552 adjustable dumbbells were recalled in 2025 because plates could dislodge from the handle during use. The current Results Series redesign adds metal locking tabs that fix the problem. If you already own a pair, check which version you have before your next session; if you are buying, confirm the listing is for the Results Series and not old recalled stock from a marketplace or resale seller.
The mistake in most home gym guides is treating the build as one purchase. It almost never is. Space is the binding constraint for most women setting up at home — a shared garage, a spare bedroom, half a basement — and floor area is usually harder to find than budget. So this table lists footprint next to price, because a wall-mounted pull-up bar that uses one square foot and a squat stand that needs twenty with walkaround space are not competing on cost alone. Training alone is the second constraint that shapes the order. Once your squat and press get heavy enough that you cannot safely bail without a spotter, adjustable safeties stop being optional — the REP PR-1000 is a stand, not a full cage, so check the configuration before you load it heavy on your own. Build mechanism matters too: dial-based adjustable dumbbells are compact and quick, but a solid-steel selectorized block like the PowerBlock Elite EXP tolerates being set down hard at the end of a set to failure. Sort by price to build in stages, or by footprint if the room decides for you.
| Best for | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horse Stall Mats (3/4" thick) | Flooring | $50–80 per mat | Covers workout area only — cut to fit | Protecting flooring from dropped weights; the standard budget flooring choice among home gym builders | — |
| Titan Wall-Mounted Pull-Up Bar | Pull-Up Bar | $60–90 | About 1 sq ft — mounts to the wall, zero floor space used | Apartments or spare rooms with no floor space left after dumbbells and a bench | — |
| Flybird Adjustable Bench (FB149) | Bench | $130–160 | Folds flat for vertical storage — stores in a closet or behind a door | Small apartments needing incline/decline/flat versatility without a permanent bench footprint | — |
| REP PR-1000 Squat Stand | Squat Stand / Rack | $300–350 | ~20 sq ft with walkaround space; folds against the wall when not in use | Anyone wanting real barbell squat/bench work without a full power cage | Not a full cage — no safety spotter arms in some configurations, so check the specific model if training heavy alone. |
| PowerBlock Elite EXP | Adjustable Dumbbells | $399–449 | Compact — stacks in a small cradle, no dial mechanism to break | Lifters who train to failure or drop weights — solid steel construction handles drops safely, unlike dial-based systems | Expandable in stages (up to 70 lb, then 90 lb per hand) via separate add-on kits (~$100–150 each), so it grows with you instead of needing replacement. |
| Buy firstBowflex SelectTech 552 (Results Series) | Adjustable Dumbbells | $429 | Compact — approx. 15" x 14" x 7" per pair with stand | Beginner to intermediate lifters who want a 5–52.5 lb range in one small footprint | IMPORTANT: the original SelectTech 552 was recalled in 2025 (plates could dislodge during use). The current Results Series adds metal locking tabs to fix this. Make sure any copy or links point to the Results Series, not old recalled stock. |
Horse Stall Mats (3/4" thick)
- Category
- Flooring
- Price
- $50–80 per mat
- Footprint
- Covers workout area only — cut to fit
- Best for
- Protecting flooring from dropped weights; the standard budget flooring choice among home gym builders
- Notes
- —
Titan Wall-Mounted Pull-Up Bar
- Category
- Pull-Up Bar
- Price
- $60–90
- Footprint
- About 1 sq ft — mounts to the wall, zero floor space used
- Best for
- Apartments or spare rooms with no floor space left after dumbbells and a bench
- Notes
- —
Flybird Adjustable Bench (FB149)
- Category
- Bench
- Price
- $130–160
- Footprint
- Folds flat for vertical storage — stores in a closet or behind a door
- Best for
- Small apartments needing incline/decline/flat versatility without a permanent bench footprint
- Notes
- —
REP PR-1000 Squat Stand
- Category
- Squat Stand / Rack
- Price
- $300–350
- Footprint
- ~20 sq ft with walkaround space; folds against the wall when not in use
- Best for
- Anyone wanting real barbell squat/bench work without a full power cage
- Notes
- Not a full cage — no safety spotter arms in some configurations, so check the specific model if training heavy alone.
PowerBlock Elite EXP
- Category
- Adjustable Dumbbells
- Price
- $399–449
- Footprint
- Compact — stacks in a small cradle, no dial mechanism to break
- Best for
- Lifters who train to failure or drop weights — solid steel construction handles drops safely, unlike dial-based systems
- Notes
- Expandable in stages (up to 70 lb, then 90 lb per hand) via separate add-on kits (~$100–150 each), so it grows with you instead of needing replacement.
Bowflex SelectTech 552 (Results Series)
- Category
- Adjustable Dumbbells
- Price
- $429
- Footprint
- Compact — approx. 15" x 14" x 7" per pair with stand
- Best for
- Beginner to intermediate lifters who want a 5–52.5 lb range in one small footprint
- Notes
- IMPORTANT: the original SelectTech 552 was recalled in 2025 (plates could dislodge during use). The current Results Series adds metal locking tabs to fix this. Make sure any copy or links point to the Results Series, not old recalled stock.
Strength After 40 provides general fitness information, not medical advice. Consult a healthcare provider before starting any new training program.