Functional trainer buying guide for Australia
Choose a functional trainer around the cable movements you actually use. Compare high, low and mid-height pulley positions and check how far a user can step away while maintaining cable tension.
What to compare
Look at the clearance needed for a bench, the travel available for single-arm work and whether two people can train without crossing each other’s path. Ask which handles and attachments come with the model.
Plan the space
A dedicated cable station can keep rack work separate. A rack and trainer combination may suit a smaller room where one user alternates between exercises. Measure the operating footprint in both cases rather than relying on frame width alone.
Compare Bolt models
The Elysium lists two 220 lb stacks and 16 handle heights. The Ironclad lists a 2:1 pulley ratio and dual 250 lb stacks. Stack mass and resistance at the handle are different measurements, so compare usable resistance and cable travel for the same exercise. The Kraken has adjustable arms, while the Warlord combines a half rack and a functional trainer. Test whether the arm, bench or bar needs to move when you change exercises.
The Elysium lists two 220 lb stacks and 16 handle heights. The Ironclad lists dual 250 lb stacks and a 2:1 pulley ratio. A stack label does not on its own tell you the resistance at the handle. Ask for the effective resistance, cable travel and increments in the configuration you plan to use. Compare how quickly each side can be reset after a set.
Check setup and clearance
The Kraken’s arms adjust, which changes where the cable starts. Check the arm envelope with a bench and nearby equipment in place. The Warlord combines a half rack with cable stations. Check whether a barbell and a bench can remain in the rack while a user sets up a cable exercise, and identify which movements require clearing the rack first.
Decide which station fits your floor
Select a few exercises you know the station will handle every week. Test a high pulldown, a low row and a standing press at the intended user positions. Check that the handles can travel far enough and that the user can reach the pins and clips without standing in another person’s training area. For two-user layouts, draw both movement paths and keep the waiting area clear.
Shop the equipment in this guide
- Bolt Elysium functional trainer
- Bolt Warlord half rack and functional trainer
- Bolt Ironclad Functional Trainer
- Bolt Kraken Adjustable Arm Functional Trainer
Check Australian delivery areas and ask us to help compare models.