Inspire Fitness FTX Functional Trainer Review – GarageGymPro

Specifications 

Our Experience Using This Home Gym

The Inspire Fitness FTX functional trainer is one of most popular trainers and it's considered a good alternative to joining a commercial gym.

I wanted to really get under the hood of this machine, so I went through the whole process - from ordering to using it - so I could give you some real insight. I've been using the Inspire FTX for about 1 year so here is my first hand experience.

What I really love about this trainer is how well the cables moved. Often with home gym machines it's a bit clunky or the cables stick and mess with my rhythm.

The Inspire FTX cables were gliding like a dream and even though it's a bit louder than the FT1 and FT2 Inspire models, it's still not very noisy. 

There's a lot to like about the FTX and I have been able to develop an awesome workout. I am able do a lot of different movements and train effectively and efficiently, though I would have appreciated a bit more weight. 

It also looks really good and is small, but despite being compact, there's still two weight stacks, and a range of grips, handles and attachments, with an ankle strap for lower body movements. 

What lets the Inspire FTX down is the lack of weight and the fact some accessories aren't included. 

The FT1 and FT2 both have additional accessories included to give you a full, challenging workout, and similar products like the Titan Fitness full functional trainer have up to 400 pounds of resistance. However, that being said the 165 pound weight stacks are still plenty for most users. 

I was also a bit disappointed by the delivery and self-installation. The set up instructions themselves are good, but just getting the various bits and pieces inside was challenging and some beginners could struggle. 

Size & Dimensions In The Home

Once I had the Inspire Fitness FTX functional trainer set up I could actually see what it looked like, and I was impressed.

It has a matte back powder coat finish and sleek design that worked well alongside my other equipment. It's compact too, at least 10 inches smaller than comparable models, so it's perfect for a smaller home gym. 

The design, as well as the dimensions, make it great for home use. The V shape means it fits comfortably in the corner and doesn't have to take up a lot of room in the middle of your gym.

If you want a good looking piece that will match a modern home gym then this trainer is definitely the one for you. 

Design & Build Quality

The frame is made from heavy duty steel and is very solid. It felt very stable (once set up) and even though it's heavier than other models I did really appreciate how durable it was.

There's a limited lifetime frame warranty too so that, combined with the construction quality, gave me quite a lot of confidence that it would stand up to serious use. 

Workout Options & Versatility

The FTX comes with two handles, a straight bar, a dual hook curl bar, a pull up bar, and an included accessories tricep rope as standard, so I found it easy to train my whole body.

There are 30 different configurations with the FTX, so you won't struggle for workout options. However, if you are a taller user (probably over 6ft 3) then you might find it a bit more challenging to do all the exercises. 

The straight bar and curled handles are good for most exercises, but you can purchase additional extras for the Inspire FTX too, and I got the ab bar for increased resistance during my abdominal routine.

The ab bar was decent, and was definitely a good investment, but if you want to target everything you may have to purchase the other attachments too. 

I found it good for a wide range of exercises, but because there's only an ankle strap for your lower body it's tough to get a good leg workout. 

Weight Range

Each weight stack is 165 pounds, but with a resistance ratio of 2:1. This means the actual max weight you can pull is 82.5 pounds on each pulley, and you can't upgrade the weight stacks on the FTX model.

That's still a reasonable amount of resistance for most beginners or intermediate lifters, but not enough for serious lifters. 

Assembling This Product

Inspire provide a detailed manual and there's a video online (1) to help you through each step. I do have some experience with this and I thought it was somewhat simple.

The only challenging bits were the abundance of smaller nuts and bolts and the two weight stacks but even then it didn't take me long.

All in all it was a 3-4 hour job, but it is heavy and the full unit weighs over 540 pounds, so it's worth getting a friend to help you out. 

Price Guide

This is a mid range functional trainer which is perfect for beginners or intermediates who need something that's not too big and bulky.  

It's the cheapest of the Inspire Fitness functional trainer range and offers some good value for money at around $2000. It can actually save you money because it removes the need to buy lots of smaller pieces of training equipment.

It's worth spending a bit extra to get all the accessories with it if you can, but even with those extra costs it's still good value.

Shipping And Warranty

Ordering the FTX was pretty straight forward. It's a popular model and you can find it in fitness equipment stores, or online. I ordered direct from Inspire, but you can easily find it on Amazon or other 3rd party websites. 

It took 5 days to arrive, which is pretty standard, and got delivered to me in about 9 different boxes, 6 of which were just for the dual weight stacks.

The packaging itself was a bit beaten up but still functional I guess, but the main issue was that it was HEAVY.

I was genuinely surprised at how difficult it was to lift each box inside, and I ended up asking a buddy for help. You shouldn't necessarily let this put you off, but make sure you have somebody there to help you get it in inside. 

Inspire offer a limited lifetime warranty on the FTX which protects it from any material and construction defects. This helps to protect your investment, and should give you increased confidence in the trainer. 

Who Should Buy The FTX?

Despite some delivery issues, the Inspire Fitness FTX is a solid trainer and perfect for someone buying their first functional trainer.

If you're an experienced lifter who wants a full functional trainer then you're better off looking at the FT1 or FT2 (more below).

Unique Features Of The Inspire Fitness FTX Model

The Inspire FX full functional trainer is well made and I can see why it's so popular. There are a few key reasons why it stands out from the crowd: 

Electrostatic Powder Coat 

The heavy duty steel frame itself looks great with a matte black powder coat finish, but also has an electrostatic power coating on top.

This helps to protect from ay dents or damage, and can stop rust and corrosion from occurring on the outside of the equipment. 

It's worth noting that the FTX isn't designed to be used outside and the electrostatic coating will only go so far.

However, it should protect the metal from the moisture and humidity in the air and keep it looking good for longer. 

Space-Saving Design  

This is one of the best features of the Inspire FTX functional trainer.

It's noticeable smaller than other models and the V positioning makes it perfect to sit in the corner of a small gym.

Despite having one of the industry's smallest footprints, it's still sturdy, with a wide base to support the 544 pounds. 

You can install it in any room or even in the corner of a garage gym without disrupting the area with a lot of equipment. 

Infinite Exercises 

The FTX has multiple pulleys, grips, pull up bar and attachments which offer up to 30 different positions to give you complete freedom in how you train.

At this affordable price point it's really impressive and can save you a fortune buying lots of different gym equipment to target different muscle grounds. 

If you are looking to do compound and isolation exercises, then using the Inspire FTX trainer is one of the best ways to do it.