Inspire Fitness strength accessories

Why choose Inspire Fitness strength accessories?

This brand builds home gyms as a system rather than as a set of separate machines. The weight stacks are designed from the drawing board to be topped up, and the frames already carry the mounting points for a leg press or an abdominal attachment. As a result an accessory here is rarely a loose handle you hang somewhere in between, but the next step in the same setup. Someone who started four years ago with a compact multi gym is often now training on a stack two blocks heavier, with a leg press added and the handles stored neatly on the frame. That is also why these accessories cost more on average than the loose handles of other brands: you are not buying a consumable, you are buying part of your machine.

The flip side of a system is that it is made to measure. A weight block slides over the guide rods of one specific stack, a leg press extension bolts into one specific frame, an accessory holder mounts on one specific profile. That is why these items list a series rather than a size: blocks of 22.5 kg exist for M1, M2, FT1, FT2, FT2 PRO, SCS and SF5, the leg press attachment belongs to M2, M3 and M5, the accessory holder to FT2 and SCS, and the complete accessory package to FT1 and FT2. So find your model designation first, usually on a sticker or type plate on the main frame, and order afterwards. That one glance prevents the mistake made most often in this category.

At the same time it pays to know what is not model-bound here, because it saves you money and hassle. The bars and handles in this range are not: a lat bar, a curl bar, an AB bar, D handles, an ankle strap and a chin/dip belt have a standard attachment and clip onto any common cable with an eye or a carabiner, whether the strength station underneath carries this brand or another one. You can therefore buy them separately if you switch machines later, and you can take them along to a second setup. Also take a look at the other fitness equipment from Inspire Fitness.

The Inspire Fitness strength accessories range

The seventeen items fall into four groups, and the first two are model-bound while the last two are not. This is how it is built up.

• Adding weight: separate blocks of 22.5 kg per machine series, for M1, M2, FT1, FT2, FT2 PRO, SCS and SF5, plus a two-piece set of two times 22.5 kg for FT1 and FT2. This raises the ceiling of your weight stack without you changing anything on the machine. There is also a weight stack adapter of 2.27 kg that lets you sit between two pins, which helps when a whole block is too coarse a jump for your weakest exercise.
• Adding stations: a leg press extension for M2, M3 and M5 that adds a real leg press to a machine that does not have one, and an AB crunch bench for focused abdominal work on the cable. These are the attachments that make your setup do more rather than simply weigh more.
• Bars and handles: a lat bar of 122 cm for wide pulldowns, a steel lat bar of 107 cm for tighter spaces, a steel curl bar of 50 cm, a dual hook curl bar, an EZ-curl bar whose angled grip spares your forearms, multi ring D handles with several attachment points and an AB bar. All universal: an eye or a hook and you are set.
• Belts, straps and storage: a chin/dip belt for hanging weight plates from your waist during pull-ups and dips, an adjustable ankle strap for leg work on the low pulley, and a steel chain of 40 cm you use to hang something lower or to gain extra length. On top of that an accessory holder for FT2 and SCS that parks your handles on the frame, and a complete accessory package for FT1 and FT2 that gets you sorted in one order.

Which Inspire Fitness strength accessories suit you?

What you need depends mostly on which model you own and on what is currently short: weight or exercises.

You are on the lowest pin and it still feels easy: then you need a weight block, not a handle. Check which series is printed on your frame and take the 22.5 kg block that belongs to it, or on an FT1 or FT2 go straight for the set of two.

Your jump per block is too big for one exercise: the weight stack adapter of 2.27 kg solves that. On lateral shoulder work or triceps a full block is often too much at once, and the adapter puts you exactly in between.

You want to train legs without a second machine: if you have an M2, M3 or M5, the leg press extension adds a real leg press to the frame already standing there. That is the cheapest way to bring a heavy compound movement into your setup.

You train on a machine from another brand: the bars and handles in this range are still for you. The lat bars, curl bars, D handles and the ankle strap have a standard attachment and simply hang from your cable; only the blocks and attachments are model-bound.

You are heavier than what your own body can load: take the chin/dip belt. You hang plates from your waist so pull-ups and dips give a training stimulus again instead of a warm-up. Combine it with a power rack or dip station if your machine has no pull-up bar.

You are just starting out and do not want to pick item by item: for an FT1 or FT2 there is a complete accessory package with the common bars and handles together. That is one order instead of six decisions, and you have everything the standard exercises call for.

What to look out for when buying Inspire Fitness strength accessories

Your model first, your accessory second

For roughly half of this range your model designation decides what you can order. M1, M2, M3, M5, FT1, FT2, FT2 PRO, SCS and SF5 are not variants of the same frame but genuinely different constructions, with different guide rods and different mounting points. So look up the designation on your machine before you choose, not after. If the sticker has worn off, check how much weight your stack holds and how many towers your machine has, because that will point you to the right model in most cases.

Model-bound or universal

This is the key dividing line and also the most underestimated one. Weight blocks, the weight stack adapter, the leg press extension and the accessory holder are fixed to the machine and made per series. The bars, handles, D handles, the ankle strap and the chin/dip belt are not: they hang from an eye or a carabiner and work on any common cable system. That means you can safely add a universal handle without knowing your model, but for anything that bolts or slides you do need to know what you are dealing with.

How much weight you add, and in what steps

A block of 22.5 kg is a substantial jump, so look not only at your maximum but also at the step towards it. For back and leg exercises a full block is usually about right; for shoulders, triceps and biceps it is often too coarse, and then the 2.27 kg adapter works better. Bear in mind too that a heavier stack puts more load on your frame and your floor. A solid, level surface or a mat under the machine keeps that quiet.

Which bar for which exercise and which space

The lat bar of 122 cm gives you the wide hand position that hits your lats best, but it also demands width beside the machine. If your home gym stands in a corner or under a sloping roof, the steel lat bar of 107 cm is the more practical choice and you lose little in the exercise itself. For arm work you choose between a straight curl bar of 50 cm, a dual hook version and an EZ-curl bar; the last one angles your hands and takes tension off your wrist and elbow tendons. So measure your free space first, because a bar that only just fails to clear your frame upright never gets used.

Space and stability for an attachment

A leg press extension or an AB crunch bench makes your setup not only heavier but also larger. Allow for extra length behind or beside the machine plus walking room to get in and out. Also check that your machine stands on a flat, solid surface, because an attachment shifts the centre of gravity. Fitting an upgrade is plain bolt work, but do it with two people: the parts are heavy and you do not want to tighten anything out of true.

Our advice: decide first which of the two you are after. If you want to train heavier, a weight block for your series is the only sensible purchase and an extra handle adds nothing to it. If you want more exercises, a leg press extension, a lat bar and an ankle strap together get the most out of your machine. And then look at the accessory holder: handles that hang on the frame stay intact and actually get used, whereas handles on the floor lose their carabiner first.

Who are Inspire Fitness strength accessories suitable for?

• The owner who wants to build out their own machine: you have an M series, FT1, FT2 or SCS standing there and want to add weight or stations step by step. This is the range made for that, and ordering by brand name genuinely works here.
• Anyone who has outgrown their stack: you are stuck on the lowest pin and that is no longer training. A block of 22.5 kg lifts your ceiling in one go, for a fraction of a new machine.
• The home trainer short on space: an attachment on an existing frame costs far less floor than a separate second machine. The leg press extension in particular delivers the most exercise per square metre.
• Anyone training on a machine from another brand: you can buy the universal bars, D handles, ankle strap and chin/dip belt here separately. You attach them with an eye or a carabiner, exactly like any other cable handle.
• The beginner who wants to be done in one go: on an FT1 or FT2 you take the complete accessory package and need not look anything up afterwards. That is the quickest route from new machine to full training.
• Anyone who wants to dip and pull up heavy: with a chin/dip belt and a few plates those two exercises keep growing with you for years, even if you change nothing else in your setup.

Less suitable if you own a machine from another brand and are looking for an extra weight block, a replacement cable or a frame attachment for it: those items are built for this brand's own series here and will not fit other constructions. It is also not the sharpest corner of the market if you are mainly after the cheapest loose cable handle; this range costs more because these are parts of a machine and not quickly replaced consumables. And if you want something for the free weight floor, such as a lifting belt that supports your torso during heavy squats, this is not the brand that covers that side.

Need help choosing?

Would you like to buy Inspire Fitness strength accessories but are you not quite sure which handle, which attachment or which upgrade fits your machine? We are happy to help. You can reach our fitness specialists by phone on +31 85 773 00 57, send an email or visit our fitness store in Volkel, the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions about Inspire Fitness strength accessories

Does a weight block of 22.5 kg fit every machine from this brand?

No, you choose the block by your machine series. There are versions for M1, M2, FT1, FT2, FT2 PRO, SCS and SF5, each cut to the guide rods and the stack height of that specific frame. A block for an M series therefore will not simply slide into an FT stack, and the reverse is equally true. So look up the model designation on your frame first, usually on a sticker or type plate, and order the matching block afterwards. For FT1 and FT2 there is also a two-piece set of two times 22.5 kg if you want to step up sharply in one move.

Do the lat bars and curl bars also fit a strength station from another brand?

Yes. Cable accessories hang from the cable with a carabiner or snap hook, and the lat bars, curl bars, D handles, the AB bar and the ankle strap in this range have a plain eye or hook for that. So they work on any common strength station, cable crossover or lat pulley, whichever brand is on it. Only if your cable ends in a bare loop without a hook will you still need a separate snap hook. The confusion arises because the weight blocks and the attachments in the same range are model-bound: those two groups should not be mixed up.

What is the weight stack adapter of 2.27 kg for?

It makes your weight increments finer. The blocks in a stack are a fixed jump per pin, and for small muscle groups that is often too much at once. With the adapter you add just over two kilos to the pin you are on, so you can train between two settings. That is exactly what you need on lateral shoulder work, triceps and biceps, where you get stronger in small steps. For back and leg work it usually makes little difference and you can simply move up a pin.

Can I add a leg press to my machine later on?

You can if you have an M2, M3 or M5: for those series there is a leg press extension that couples to the existing frame. That gives you a real leg press without putting down a second machine, which saves a lot of floor at home. Do allow for extra length in the setup plus walking room to get in and out, and stand the machine on a flat, solid surface. Fitting is bolt work, but do it with two people because the parts are heavy. For the other series this attachment is not available.

What is the difference between a chin/dip belt and a lifting belt?

Both go around your waist but they do opposite things. A chin/dip belt has a chain or strap from which you hang weight plates, so you make pull-ups and dips heavier than your own body weight. A lifting belt carries nothing but supports your torso during heavy squats and deadlifts, because your abdominal muscles can push against it. This range carries the chin/dip belt, since that belongs to the pull-up and dip work on a home gym. So decide first whether you want to add weight or to support your torso, because those are two different purchases.