Ares™ 2.0 Functional Trainer

Name: Ares™ 2.0 Functional Trainer
Brand: REP Fitness
Rating: 4.81 (14 reviews)

The Ares™ 2.0 is REP Fitness’s second-generation cable-machine attachment, turning a compatible PR-4000 or PR-5000 power rack into a dual-stack functional trainer, lat pulldown, and low row without adding any floor space. Reviewers consistently frame it as a meaningful upgrade over the original Ares: the weight stacks are rotated 90 degrees and set farther back (freeing up room to bench or use a safety squat bar inside the rack), swivel pulleys now extend to the lat pulldown and seated row stations (a feature REP calls typically commercial-only), and the trolleys store at the bottom of the uprights instead of the top, freeing the higher holes for barbell attachments. Garage Gym Reviews scores it 4.5/5 and TheJungleGymReviews calls the finished system “a powerful, space-efficient way to turn a REP rack into a full cable gym,” while a 1-year ownership video (Canadian Steve) confirms it holds up well, with occasional cable twisting as the main ongoing annoyance rather than a functional failure.

The tradeoff every source names is the same: it is rack-locked to REP’s own PR-4000/PR-5000 ecosystem, so it isn’t an option for owners of other brands’ racks, and it carries a premium price for that integration. Assembly is also nontrivial – cable routing needs care to avoid twisting, and REP’s own install video is effectively required alongside the printed manual. Dual independent 260 lb stacks (upgradeable to 310 lb each) let two people train at once or allow one person to superset without re-stacking weight, and the included footplate, D-handles, lat pulldown bar, and low row bar cover most cable-exercise needs out of the box.

Buying guide

Best GHD for a Home Gym — July 2026

Width	57.6" (adds ~6" of depth behind the rack)
Included	Footplate, four 2.5 lb integrated micro-adjustment weights, D-handles, lat pulldown bar, low row bar, connector banana clip
Shipping	LTL freight, over 1,000 lb
Warranty	Lifetime
Cable ratio	2:1 (100 lb on the stack feels like ~50 lb at the handle)
Cable travel	71.3"-94.9", varies with upright height
Weight stacks	Dual 260 lb selectorized stacks standard, upgradeable to 310 lb each
Upright heights	80" or 93"
Rack compatibility	REP PR-4000 or PR-5000 only (4-post or 6-post)
Total assembled height	82.1"-93.9" depending on configuration
Trolley cable capacity	450 lb

What is a Machine?

What a strength machine is

A strength machine guides the resistance along a fixed path so you can train a movement safely, often without a spotter. The main types: selectorized (pick weight with a pin), plate-loaded (add your own plates for a heavier ceiling and better feel), and functional trainers / cable machines (adjustable pulleys for dozens of exercises).

Machines vs. free weights

Machines shine for isolation, safety, and high-rep hypertrophy, and for training hard alone. Free weights build more stabilizer strength and carry over better to sport. Most well-rounded home gyms use a rack and barbell as the core and add one machine — often a cable/functional trainer or a lat-pulldown/row — to fill the gaps.

The sub-types worth knowing

“Machines” covers several categories that barely compete with each other: GHDs for hamstring and posterior-chain work, belt squats for loading the legs without the bar on your back, leg press / hack squat combos for heavy quad volume, reverse hypers for posterior-chain work and lower-back decompression, cable towers and functional trainers for pulling movements, and row machines. Pick the one that fills a gap in what your rack and barbell already do. Almost nobody needs two.

Space and standalone vs. rack-mounted

Most of these come in a standalone version and a cheaper rack-attachment version. The attachment saves floor space and money, but often gives up stability or range of motion — a tradeoff worth checking on the specific product rather than assuming, since it varies a lot between designs.

A note on ratings

Machine listings frequently show a manufacturer’s own on-site rating, which runs high (4.7–5.0 is typical) and sometimes pools reviews across a whole product family rather than the exact configuration you’re buying. Where we have independent hands-on coverage, our summaries anchor to that instead, and say so on the product page.

How it compares

	Ares™ 2.0 Functional Trainer	FM-6 Twin Functional Trainer	FM-HR Twin Functional Trainer	Monster Rhino Rack Trainer
GymRadar rating	4.81/5			5.0/5
Price	$2,999.99	$6,195.00	$5,295.00	$6,970.00
Width	57.6" (adds ~6" of depth behind the rack)
Included	Footplate, four 2.5 lb integrated micro-adjustment weights, D-handles, lat pulldown bar, low row bar, connector banana clip			Rhino Low Row Bracket and Footplate (removable), Multi Belt (adjustable 41"-61" waist); cable attachments (lat bars, etc.) are optional add-ons at checkout
Shipping	LTL freight, over 1,000 lb
Warranty	Lifetime	not stated in gathered sources for this specific SKU; Rogue's other Monster-platform racks (e.g. the Rhino Trainer line) carry a lifetime frame/weld warranty with 5-year coverage on pulleys/cables — likely comparable here but not independently confirmed		lifetime warranty on frame and welds; 5-year warranty on pulleys, cables, and guide rods
Cable ratio	2:1 (100 lb on the stack feels like ~50 lb at the handle)
Cable travel	71.3"-94.9", varies with upright height
Weight stacks	Dual 260 lb selectorized stacks standard, upgradeable to 310 lb each	dual 250lb or 300lb stacks (one per side); 2:1 ratio on the two functional-trainer trolleys, 1:1 on the shared lat pulldown/low row via a single-cable takeoff (no Y-attachment needed)	(2) independent stacks, 250lb or 300lb each, selectable per order
Upright heights	80" or 93"
Rack compatibility	REP PR-4000 or PR-5000 only (4-post or 6-post)
Total assembled height	82.1"-93.9" depending on configuration
Trolley cable capacity	450 lb

4.8/5 · 14 GymRadar reviews

Reviews by source

Retailer	4.9/5	161 reviews
Expert	4.81/5	14 reviews
Youtube	4.5/5	4 reviews	4 hands-on review videos considered (Garage Gym Reviews, Gluck's Gym, Canadian Steve's 1-year-ownership review, TheJungleGymReviews), all net-positive. Canadian Steve's 1-year review is the clearest durability signal: "very well designed and I absolutely love it," with cable twisting after ~6 months as the only real issue, and it "doesn't really affect it functionally." Gluck's Gym: "the best thing rep's ever made."
Reddit	4.5/5	6 reviews	6 on-topic r/homegym submissions considered (pullpush.io archive), all owner build/install posts, uniformly positive in tone ("finally finished the build... happy," "super stoked... cable system is super smooth," "really been enjoying this setup"). Minor comment-level gripes (lat-pulldown ROM tight on the 80" upright for taller owners, occasional cable tightness) but no thread expresses regret or advises against buying.

The Ares™ 2.0 is REP Fitness’s second-generation rack-mounted cable attachment, and independent coverage is unusually consistent: Garage Gym Reviews scores it 4.5/5, GymRadar’s 14 verified owners average 4.81/5, and four hands-on YouTube reviews (including a 1-year ownership video) all land positive. Functionality stands out – dual independent 260 lb stacks (upgradeable to 310 lb) with swivel pulleys now extended to the lat pulldown and seated row stations let two people train at once or one person superset without re-stacking weight, and REP’s redesigned footplate and rear-set stacks free up room to bench or use a safety squat bar inside the rack. Versatility is the weakest dimension by a wide margin: it only attaches to REP’s own PR-4000 or PR-5000 racks, so it’s a non-option for anyone on a different brand’s rack, and reviewers are unanimous that the rack-lock is the one real drawback of an otherwise excellent system.

+Functionality: Dual independent 260 lb stacks (up to 310 lb each) allow two athletes to train simultaneously or one to superset without re-stacking weight (manufacturer, Garage Gym Reviews)
+Functionality: Swivel pulleys now extend to the lat pulldown and seated row stations, not just the front trolleys -- a feature usually reserved for commercial-grade cable machines (manufacturer, GymRadar owners)
+Build quality: Weight stacks rotated 90 degrees and set farther back, plus a redesigned footplate, free up room to bench or use a safety squat bar inside the rack -- the biggest complaint about the original Ares (manufacturer, Garage Gym Reviews)
+Versatility: Adds a full cable gym -- lat pulldown, low row, functional trainer -- with zero added floor space, since it mounts directly onto an existing compatible rack (TheJungleGymReviews, r/homegym)
+Durability: A 1-year ownership review reports it held up well in daily use, calling it "very well designed" (Canadian Steve's Underground Gym, YouTube)

−Versatility: Rack-locked to REP's own PR-4000/PR-5000 ecosystem -- not an option for owners of any other brand's rack (Garage Gym Reviews, TheJungleGymReviews)
−Value: Premium price at $2,999.99 starting (before upright height, crossmember, color, or stack upgrades push it higher) is the direct cost of that integration (manufacturer, Garage Gym Reviews)
−Build quality: Cable twisting recurs as the most common owner complaint -- generally described as an annoyance to periodically re-route rather than a functional failure (Canadian Steve's 1-year review, multiple GymRadar owners)
−Functionality: Side trolleys are noticeably less smooth than the center lat pulldown/row station (TheJungleGymReviews)
−Build quality: Assembly is nontrivial -- cable routing needs care, and REP's own install video is effectively required alongside the printed manual (TheJungleGymReviews, multiple GymRadar owners)

$2,999.99

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