I have had a membership at gum for a few years. I got it one day when I was feeling particularly inspired to be buff and healthy, but then after a few weeks of being pretty good about going, I slowly started to fall off and eventually stopped going altogether.
I fell into the gym membership trap like so many before me. I knew I wasn’t going, but cancelling the membership required actually going to the gym, looking someone in the eye and telling them I didn’t want to keep going to the gym. They make it impossible to cancel online for that very reason, knowing that the relatively small monthly cost is often something people will just deal with to avoid the embarrassment of cancelling in person. Well, that was me until I sat down and crunched the numbers. I was paying $35 per month, and an extra $59 once a year for their annual “you totally forgot about this membership, didn’t you” fee. That came out to $539 per year and let’s just say I’ve been letting this madness slide for a long time so I’ll truncate my overall costs to two years of that which hit me with a price tag of just under $1,080! Once I realized what I was paying I marched in and proudly said “Yes, II’d like to cancel!”
After mustering up the courage to admit my failings and get that fee off my books, I went about the process of trying to find a basic home gym system I could get set up for the amount I was spending on that membership. It was a challenge, but I eventually landed on the TOSSFD Home Gym.
Working Out is Expensive!
Any of you who have already started looking into getting home gym equipment can attest to the insane cost of workout equipment. Weights cost well over a dollar a pound, stationary bikes are only affordable if you don’t mind riding something that feels like it will come apart at the seams the moment you push too hard, and treadmills … my goodness, are treadmills expensive. At that high end with the treadmills you’ll find a number of really nice gym gadgets. Full weight sets, rowing machines, bikes and ellipticals with big screens where video trainers who, for a subscription fee, can hang out and yell at you to “push just a little harder!!!” It’s all exciting stuff, but the big ticket item I had my eye on was the weight station. You’ve seen them, big contraptions made of steel bars, benches, foam pads and pulleys. The upright bench press/cable pull/leg press/ab crunch machine all in one. They are the very image of a home gym. It’s one of those things we’ve been seeing infomercials for since we were kids, so I just had to have one! The problem is, my budget was between $500 and $600 so most of the good weight stations available were out of reach. My first instinct sent me to Amazon but at this point those reviews and products are getting really hard to trust. I’ve had my fair share of bad buys on Amazon so I backed away from that potential cliff and tried my luck at a few other stores.
Where to Shop For Affordable Gym Stuff
I looked at all the regular sports/fitness stores. I tried Dicks, Academy, even Play it Again. They all had high-end and low-end stuff to pick from, but even their budget options were really pricey. So I broadened my search. Target, still too much. Meijer, not really much of a selection in this category. Walmart…. BINGO! There were a few interesting options at the store so I went home, got online and dug through their collection. I landed on the TOSSFD brand mostly because of the reviews and price tag (only $579.99 when I found it!) and now here we are!
The TOSSFD Home Gym
Ok, the first thing I need to draw your attention to is the fact that this brand is all over the place. Just looking for it on the Walmart site is a bit confusing because it is one of those strange letter salad brand names that sort of pops up over-night and then changes later to something else (the label on the bench says “Wflgft,” whatever that means.) It’s going to make you pause and ask yourself where this thing is actually coming from. But this is the reality of bargain shopping today, sometimes you just have to let go of your brand name biases to find the hidden gems amongst the, let’s call them “less optimal products.” TOSSFD isn’t a name people know and trust, I’m not even sure it’s still what the brand is called any more. Luckily for us, though, that means there is a big stock of home gym equipment sitting in a Walmart warehouse somewhere that is being sold out at a discount because whoever made this has clearly moved onto their next batch of products!
That issue aside, let’s look at this 148lb stack home gym. Apart from the cost, the main selling point for me was the footprint. It’s a remarkably compact design, only taking up 15.25’ in length and about 34 and a half inches in width. That’s pretty compact for something that gives you around 30 different workouts, and with my limited space it really seemed like the perfect option. With a relatively small footprint this thing still gives you a chest press, lat pulldown bar, row station, leg extension and a preacher curl pad! It’s missing the side cable station a lot of people are usually looking for with a home gym, but that can be handled with the lat pulldown if you’re willing to buy a couple of different handle attachments since it is adjustable.
The weight stack is nice quality, though a bit more weight would have been nice to have. They are built in a way that makes them feel like a big single unit so you don’t have that rattle you tend to get from loose plates. The bar and chest press are the real star of the show here, sturdy and easy to use. They really put a lot of effort into making the chest press feel good because let’s face it, most guys would just do the bench press all day if that’s all they needed to do. It’s the manliest workout.
Downsides
This is a bargain product by a brand that may or may not actually exist. You’re going to have to deal with some rough spots for this kind of price tag. While the machine is great and pretty fun to work on, a few of the features feel like an afterthought. The arm pad and leg press are a bit on the small side and don’t exactly feel great. The arm pad in particular is way too narrow for me, so I find myself pressing my elbows together awkwardly to do curls. Bad form can cause injuries so just be careful with the less well thought out bits. The positioning of the interchangeable arm pad/leg press is odd as well, sitting way up between your legs and in your face while you’re trying to do the other workouts in a seated position. I have taken to leaving the attachments off completely while doing chest and cable workouts.
Another drawback is the assembly. This thing comes in 4 boxes and has a lot of parts. This thing took me hours to assemble by myself. I literally took a lunch break half way through. I would recommend getting some help putting it together, especially if you’re not already fairly strong. The instructions are ok. Not great, but legible enough, and the included hardware is pretty janky. I used my own tools, so be ready for a frustrating day or two of trying to get the whole thing upright and functional.
Basic Specs
Let’s end this review with some specs so you all know exactly what you’re getting here.
- Weight Stack: 148 lbs
- Max Load Capacity: ~450 lbs
- Exercises Supported: 30+
- Frame Material: Reinforced steel
- Pulley System: Dual pulley with steel components
- Dimensions: ~63.39″ L x 34.65″ W x 80.71″ H
- Product Weight: ~108 lbs
- Base Design: T-shaped with anti-slip pads
- Adjustability: Seat height, pads, foot positions
So is this the right machine for you? Maybe. I’m not sure I can really recommend a truly off-brand budget item like this without some caveats but I have had a good time with it so far so if you’re willing to take a shot as a much lesser-known product with some downsides to save a huge amount of money, this is a good option!
Bio: Every since George was disappointed with a toy that did match up to the advertising, he became a tireless advocate for consumers. He’ll review anything that folks have to spend their hard-earned dollars on. George is grateful that he gets to use his skills as a writer and an artist to help connect with consumers and help them make the best decisions possible.
Disclaimer: The review is for informational and educational purposes only. Before starting any fitness routine, be sure to check with your medical provider.
