The second you examine the build quality and specs for the Rep Fitness FT-5000 2.0 Functional Trainer, you’ll understand why it’s the best functional trainer overall in 2023.
I’ve been raving about the FT-5000 for the past few years, and in February 2023, the company announced the FT-5000 2.0. The newest addition to the Rep Fitness family includes some impressive upgrades that build upon what I’ve long deemed the best home gym functional trainer on the market.
Perhaps just as impressive is that the upgrades haven’t come at any additional cost. The unit is still just $2499 with free shipping.
Why The FT-5000 2.0 Is The Best Functional Trainer Overall
A lot of gym product manufacturers like to claim that their products are “commercial-grade,” and many fail to live up to that statement. Rep Fitness, however, is an exception to that rule.
The FT-5000 2.0 features a bevy of upgraded parts that sit on a frame that weighs more than 400 pounds before the two 224-pound weight stacks are even added into the mix. You’re looking at an 875-pound product that won’t move around even during the most intense workout maneuvers.
Those weight stacks provide 448 pounds which at a 2:1 ratio leaves a maximum pull weight of 124 pounds. Those weights are secured by a magnetic pin that easily slides into place. They also feature stickers for both LBS and KG, allowing easy weight selection based on your preferences.
Supporting the unit’s weight is an 11-gauge frame, the same steel thickness we’ve learned to expect from more expensive commercial gym products.
The frame is then protected with a double-coated, chip-resistant, electrostatic powder coating topped with a matte black finish. In my opinion, Rep Fitness offers some of the best powder coatings among gym product manufacturers.
To improve the original design, Rep Fitness has also added a slimmer and lighter troller that doesn’t rely on rollers. The FT-5000 2.0 also provides repositioned handles that make for easy adjustments. They’ve also manufactured the handles to move at higher and lower ranges of motion.
According to Rep Fitness, the new design offers 4 inches of additional range of motion over the FT-5000. The same ROM is available on the bottom because the company flipped its trolley on the newly designed functional trainer.
The lowest grip point is now 13.7 inches, and the highest position is 72.8″. This will drastically help perform better tricep pushdowns and bicep curls, among many other movements.
If that’s not enough to excite you, Rep Fitness also provides pre-lubricated uprights and cable column markings that are laser etched with 21 positions for maximum ROM. You might recall that the original functional trainer had 16 available positions. More positions equal better muscle activation, which is a big win in my book.
The cables on the FT-5000 2.0 roll incredibly smooth along aluminum pulleys that should last for decades with proper maintenance.
Speaking of cables, to earn the title of Best Functional trainer overall, the company increased cable length to 86 inches, allowing for an increase in the number and type of workouts that can be performed. A new secondary safety pin can be placed under or over the trolley system to prevent injury caused by accidental slippage.
Rep Fitness might be light on included attachments for the FT-5000 2.0, but they have provided a nice pair of polymer D-handles to get you started. The handles are incredibly durable, and just like the functional trainer, they are certainly commercial-grade.
Attaching the handles to the product’s pulleys is also a breeze and very secure, thanks to a welded ring that simplifies swapping out attachments alongside a solid carabiner.
There’s also a mountable diagram demonstrating 12 movements you can do on the machine. I used to think these diagrams were silly because it’s just a handful of workouts. In recent years I’ve trained myself to use those workouts regularly because they are among the best muscle-isolating options.
Below the diagram of starting functional movements are several pins that act as attachment holders. This is pretty standard on most functional trainers these days.
The Best Functional Trainer Pull-Up Bar
I can’t say enough good things about the pull-up bar that Rep Fitness has continued to endorse on its functional trainer. If you read my Bells of Steel Arch Nemesis Swiss Bar review, it’s pretty obvious I love multiple grip points, and the FT-5000 2.0 provides a pull-up bar with my favorite grip points among every functional trainer currently on the market.
The urethane grips on the FT-5000 2.0 are among the best in the industry, and the placement of the handles allows for numerous body weight and shoulder workouts to be performed with ease. The multiple grip placement ensures you can work your grip, arm, and back muscles with various pull-up and hanging-based exercises.
Because the trainer is only 85.5 inches (7’1″) in height, it’s also easy to grab onto the handles without much effort.
To give you an idea of the functional trainer’s height, here’s a picture of Blake, a Rep Fitness Engineer who is 6’2″ tall.
Overall, it’s easy to rate the FT-5000 2.0 as the best functional trainer overall in 2023 because the specs speak for themselves.
Pros
- Excellent price + free shipping
- Aluminum pulleys
- Amazing range of motion.
- The best pull-up bar on the market.
- 21 laser-etched positions.
- A massive 86″ cable pull.
- Two 224-pound weight stacks.
- Additional safety pin for the trolley system.
- One of the best powder coats available.
Cons
- It’s heavy at nearly 875 pounds.
- It takes hours to assemble.
- It only comes with one pair of D-handles.
If you’re not sold yet, check out how this product compares to our other choices for the best functional trainers for a home gym.
