The RitFit M1 PRO Smith Machine Home Gym Review: The Stability And Motivation For Every Mom Hoping To Get Stronger

Momming is tough—fitting in exercise between carpooling, work, dinner, chores and finding that missing uniform can seem downright impossible. In fact, only 39 per cent of moms get an hour to themselves each day. And yet, getting enough time to work out is vital for moms and the whole family. Research even shows that when moms exercise, their kids get more physical activity too.

For some moms, the solution is simple—they find a way to fit workouts into the windows of time they do have, often with a kid (or in my case, five kids) in tow. Owning a home gym cuts down on commute time to and from the gym, along with the expenses of a gym membership. It also means you can roll out of bed and work out in your pajamas, and you have 24/7 access to the equipment you need.

So, I was excited to test out the RitFit M1 PRO Smith Machine Home Gym, an all-in-one home gym machine perfect for moms who are new to weightlifting and even better for those who have been at it for years. Here’s what I found.

What Is The RitFit M1 PRO Smith Machine Home Gym?

The weight lifting machine from RitFit Sports is meant to be a one-stop shop for all the muscles you’re hoping to work, and provides a seriously stable and helpful system to DIY your workout without a trainer or fancy gym. It comes in red or black, and has three options for total weight: 260 pounds, 320 pounds or 360 pounds, ranging from US$2100 to US$2400.

You can perform a variety of exercises using free weights, a Smith machine (a semi-controlled environment) and a cable system (the most controlled environment). For a small space, you have a nearly complete gym and a variety of stability options. For the price, you’re getting quite a few different machines for just a bit more money than what a cable machine alone might cost you. This makes an otherwise splurgy purchase actually quite smart and economical in the long run.

Our Review Of The RitFit M1 PRO Smith Machine Home Gym

The machine arrived in multiple very heavy and large boxes, which took two strong people with better backs than my own to carry down to the basement. The setup took an entire afternoon, which is worth noting if you are building it yourself. But, once it was put together and ready to go, it was shocking to see the seriously extensive capabilities in one machine with quite a small footprint.

I started to use the machine for my typical strength workouts, including cable tricep push downs, cable biceps, dips, pull up bars, cable rows, Smith squats, landmine presses, bench presses, cable crossovers and others. I initially struggled with setting everything up, but I quickly picked up how to customize the machine between exercises for my next workouts. Some of the functions the machine offers, such as the landmine presses, make it excellent for a mama who is already familiar with strength training, rather than a beginner. But, with a little patience and learning, anyone can use the machine.

The machine is also completely circuit-training friendly. I can do one activity on the left side, another on the right, and a third in the middle without changing the setup. For example, tricep pushdowns on one pillar, bicep curls on the other cable and a Smith machine bench press in the middle would all be possible without resetting any of the functions. As a mom with limited time, I don’t want to spend extra time moving and setting things up, and supersetting activities means a more difficult workout in a shorter amount of time—the main goal.

Pros

• 11 height levels, which makes it highly customizable for other users
• A full-body workout machine in a relatively small space
• The weights are bumper plates, which protect your floor and are safer
• Easy transition from the Smith machine to a free-weight bar
• The back of the machine has an excellent storage system to keep floor and nearby areas clear (which also makes it safer with little kids around)
• Has a landmine exercise option, which some machines don’t have
• Attachments on the pulleys are made of high-quality materials
• Sleek machine looks like a professional sports or college weight room rack
• The pull-up bar has numerous hand positions to help build muscle
• Includes charts of muscle groups and activities you can do

Cons

• Leg curl/extension machine and press machines are sold separately
• Substantial project to assemble, with very heavy boxes
• Inconvenient to store weights behind the rack on pegs (on the sides would be better)
• Loading plates on and off the cable machine can be more time-consuming than a pin and weight stack setup
• Safety arms are a bit shorter than some other options, which could impact safety during exercises like squats, bench presses or other free weight bar movements

Final Verdict

At first, I was somewhat intimidated to begin working out on a machine I wasn’t familiar with that had so many features and functions. But as I got to know the machine and all of its capabilities and customizable aspects, it became a highly versatile tool that helped me do more than I could in a typical workout—all from the convenience of home.

Learn more about RitFit's M1 PRO Smith Machine Home Gym here, along with RitFit's fitness equipment collection.