Speediance Gym Monster Smart Home Gym, Multifunctional Strength Training Machine, Smith Machine Power Cage Workout Station, Squat Rack Cable Machine, Full Body Fitness Equipment for Home Workout

DISCLAIMER: I'm not affiliated with Speediance in any way, nor am I being paid for this review. After two months of owning the machine and working out every single day, I wanted to give an in-depth overview of my experience as this has honestly been the best purchase for my health I've ever made and so far has exceeded all expectations. IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, BUY THIS MACHINE IF YOU ARE ON THE FENCE! FITNESS HISTORY: I'll be 40 this year, and have been in and out of every gym imaginable over the past 15 years. I've primarily worked out with free weights the entire time, with a few months of Orange Theory, Crossfit, F45 thrown in. Although I'm fairly fit and active, consistency has always been an issue for me. I'll go 12-18 months getting in amazing shape, take a 2 week vacation or get sick, then go 6 months sliding backwards until I repeat the cycle all over again. ALTERNATIVES: Before purchasing the Speediance, I was dead set on getting a Tonal after trying one out in a local mall. Unfortunately since I live in a Condo, I couldn't risk the noise that travels through the walls which IS a major issue if you research the Facebook / Reddit groups that talk about this. With that in mind, I was debating between Speediance, Vitruvian, and Oxefit as free standing solution. I chose Speediance since it was extremely compact compared to the Oxefit (which shouldn't be a part of any home gym unless you have a huge house), and the Vitruvian only allowed for exercises from the floor (the stand accessory was canceled last year due to lack of demand). POSITIVES: The Speediance honestly blew me away when I first received it and the build quality is much better than I was expecting after reading some complaints on the FB groups & Reddit. • Size: The Speediance is extremely compact and looks amazing next to my Peleton. It literally takes up around the same amount of floor space as my Powerblock Dumbbell stand. If you live in an apartment or condo, you can put this thing nearly anywhere and barely notice it once the platform is up. • Price / Subscription: I'm lucky enough in my career where price wasn't a determining factor in deciding between which smart gym to purchase. With that said, Speediance can't be beat if you purchase now with the free lifetime subscription, and there's no world where I could ever recommend purchasing a tonal at 2x the upfront cost + $750/yr in subscription fees. It honestly feels like a steal. • Cables vs Free Weights: I've done a lot of barbell/dumbell work in my day, but honestly rarely use cable machines outside of facepulls / lat pulldowns / tricep work. I was expecting this to feel like a Bowflex which is my only real experience with cable resistance, but it's nothing like that. The best way to explain it as it's like free weights on steroids and you can feel all the stabilizer muscles working. Bench presses, squats, deadlifts etc all feel much better to me than traditional free weights. • 220lb Resistance: I'm not a powerlifter or a large guy, but am strong for my size (5'7). My 1RM for barbell work is 180lb Bench, 220lb Squat, 240lb Deadlift. Originally I was worried that I would max out this machine fairly quickly for certain movements, but the cable resistance has humbled me. When I did my first strength assessment each lift was easily 25%+ less than what I can do with free weights, aka unless you are a huge power lifter you aren't going to max out this machine. • Variety of Movements: With free weights I will normally stick to the standard compound lifts and the accessory exercises I've always known. The huge array of different movements built into the software + instructions on how to perform them has really opened my eyes on how much I was limiting myself. Workouts are never boring now, and I think this is one of the biggest things motivating me to use this every day. • Screen Tilt: This is absolutely huge and allows you to look at the screen for almost every movement. IE when I do a bench press, I can tilt the screen 90 degrees and see every rep, power, etc. This is a small thing, but makes a big difference when working out which no other machine does to my knowledge. CONS: There's truly very few cons I've found with the Speediance. • Accessories: This is honestly the only area where Speediance feels "cheap", and I'm a little baffled at what they try to sell some of the accessories for (IE Handles). I'm including a section on all my top recommended third-party accessories I recommend, and a few accessories I think you should buy through Speediance. • Cable Burn: Without the cable extenders, some exercises will give you major cable burn causing you to never do them. Again, this is solvable with the Cable Extender accessory… INCLUDE IT WITH EVERY PURCHASE. TLDR; I had much more to say but I’ve hit the character limit for a review. Buy the machine!

I purchased the Gym Monster (GM 1) almost 6 months ago and I have been incredibly pleased with the product and its versatility. As a long time gym goer, I am impressed with the machine's ability to adapt to all workouts, with significant weight capacity, up to 220 lbs. (And in fact if feels heavier than lifting regular weights due to the electronic pulley resistance / technology.) The machine is easy to set up - it basically works straight out of the box, and it's pretty intuitive with the various workouts and movements. There are a ton of workouts and programs available from beginner level to more advanced types of movements and courses. What's even more exciting is the community around the machine where some users can upload their custom workouts for all members to use. So you will find hundreds of movements and workouts available for the various muscle groups. And even better is the community on Facebook where a lot of users can help with technical troubleshooting and/or offer advice for weightlifting as necessary. (Reddit as well, but Facebook has more audience in my opinion.) The AI aspect (software) is pretty powerful and automatically adjusts the weight for my intensity, and in a recent software update, it offers programs and workouts to fit my specific goals. It will also adapt to my daily/weekly workout routine and suggest different workouts and programs based on my muscle fatigue. I think it's pretty cool! Overall it's a great, smart, at-home gym that rivals a real gym workout experience, and in my opinion, better than a lot of other competing products in the market.

I had been looking into home gyms for a while, done research on several competitors and alternatives, and eventually settled on the GM. Since then, I’ve probably worked out more in 3 months than I did all of last year. This makes it SO easy to workout any time, and also has a ton of different workouts, different programs, etc that make it easy to follow along with. Yes, they do have an OPTIONAL paid subscription available, but I canceled mine after I got used to using the machine. And like I said, it already comes with a ton of free programs you can follow, so I’ve just been using that and love it! I almost opted for getting the one with the bigger screen, but I’m glad I didn’t because it’s not really necessary. As for the experience, it’s definitely a bit different than using free weights, but you get used to it. And it’s definitely a still a challenge to complete the workouts. The speaker it comes with isn’t that great, but whenever I want to play music I just use my JBL and jam out. The overall quality of the machine is good, but the accessories can be kinda expensive, so I recommend buying the bundle if you think you’ll want to use it at some point.

I spent a lot of time debating between the Speediance Gym Monster, AEKE, and Tonal. Speediance ultimately won me over for two reasons: zero monthly fees for guided workouts and no requirement to drill into my walls. Compared to the AEKE, this machine is far more versatile because it includes high mounting points for exercises like lat pull-downs and tricep extensions, which the AEKE lacks. Compared to Tonal, the base mounting points allow for a much more natural feel during squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. The community matters. I joined the facebook groups for each machine prior to buying. AEKE's is small, I wish them the best and further group. Tonal is the OG with tens of thousands of members. But Speediance has just about half of Tonal's members and I got a lot of tips on GM1 vs GM2 and third party attachments before I purchased. Recommended accessories from my perspective: The Bench & Screen: I 100% recommend the adjustable bench - it opens up so much variety. Also, the screen tilt feature is a small detail that makes a massive difference when you're mid-set - don't spend extra on the Max screen (I think you can only get it direct from Speediance) Bluetooth handles: As a middle-aged lifter, digital weight is a revelation. Using the Bluetooth handles, I can get perfectly braced and in position before "turning on" the weight. It saves my joints and makes me feel safe pushing heavy loads alone. I also bought a third party wireless foot pedal. The included finger control ring I use from time to time. Great for Beginners: My wife, who was always intimidated by traditional barbells, now works out independently. I designed custom workouts for her, and she just follows the on-screen prompts. We also love the "Partner Lift" function for working out together. The 220 lb Limit: I initially worried 220 lbs wouldn't be enough, but digital tension feels heavier than iron. By focusing on unilateral movements to fix imbalances and protect my joints, I’ve found it’s more than enough. Again I'm a middle aged lifter. Young powerlifters, you may be looking at products like the Voltra. Overall Verdict: It’s not quite as polished as Tonal, but it’s incredibly close. When you factor in the lack of a need for a high cost $60/month subscription, it’s a no-brainer. They do have Wellness+ which I believe runs only $200ish a year, but I haven't explored it myself. This has been an awesome machine that has brought me back to regular strength training. It's been great to roll downstairs and get to working out rather than driving to the gym.

The speediance gym monster is a great piece of equipment for a home gym. But it's held back by the control ring severely. Ill start with the things it does well. Its a great home gym machine, especially if you dont have very much space for equipment. It folds away when you dont need it, its quiet, has a large variety of decent workout programs, and it provides great resistance to help you train. It comes pre assembled, and is large which can make it a bit difficult to move down stairs it shouldn't need to be moved often once its in place, so that isnt a big issue but you'll need a second person to get it into place. The one, giant issue i have with it? The control ring. It sits on your finger and you tap it to start or stop the machine, and twist the knob to the sides to adjust weight. It just... Doesnt work. I have average sized fingers for a man, but the loop is so tight even on it's loosest position that it cuts off some circulation to my finger, its awkward to press, and when you press it it often registers as a twist instead, which could be dangerous jf the machine overloaded you and you need to drop the weight quickly. I would even go so far as to say that this poorly thought out control scheme is a safety hazard, its ridiculous that it made it through product testing. If the ring wasnt so poorly implemented, this would easily be a 5 star machine, it's really too bad that they're letting a core piece of the user experience exist in such a poor state. Outside of that... It would be nice to have more music options, and to be able to connect my pixel watch to the machine so it could read my heartrate.

Overall very cool and advanced piece of equipment. One of the cable snapped on my third use because I let one of the handles down too fast and when it hit the pulley it caused it to snap. I was able to fix it without a replacement, but one cable is a few inches shorter than the other. It doesn’t matter because it would never be pulled out that far. My only two gripes are, I wish the cables were made out of steel instead of like a nylon cord and the Bluetooth finger remote is a little difficult to use and is absolutely required. Therefore, if the battery dies in the middle of your workout, your workout is essentially done. I also worry about long-term reliability of this machine. It is tremendously expensive and at the end of the day it is a computer, something that makes me nervous. With all that said, the resistance is good and you can definitely get a full workout in using this machine. It’s also amazing when it comes to space savings. I also bought a TRX and a pair of adjustable dumbbells. Buying a second bench would help to jump between exercises more quickly. I’m very advanced with lifting/training and I’ve been a certified personal trainer since 2009. In my opinion, this machine would be fine for the majority of people. For me, it’s a great supplement and works great when I don’t have enough time to get to the gym.

I recently purchased Speediance Gym Monster. It’s a nice machine, which has a compact freestanding design. The digital resistance provides smooth, controlled motion and easy weight adjustments. The system offers hundreds of workouts and programs. I also appreciate that unlike Tonal, this machine does not require a monthly subscription. Gym Monster arrived pre-assembled enabling quick start-up. It also supports a myriad of accessories like barbells, handles, triceps ropes, ankle straps, ski handles, bench, etc. For the most part, the Gym Monster has the same functions as Tonal. However, it’s cheaper than Tonal and is portable. There is a lot to love about this machine.

First off, let me just say that I've been in the market for gym equipment ever since I bought my home last year. Like most people, I'm certain, it is quite easy for me to get overwhelmed with the many options for dumbbells, squat racks, benches, etc., not really reaching a conclusion on what I ultimately need to cover the range of workouts and movements that I had been wanting for my home setup. The Speediance Gym Monster honestly is one of the best (large) purchases that I've made that gives quite the bang for your buck. Is the software and user-interface perfect? No, but it is sufficient and more than what I originally expected. The guided workouts are fantastic, and the workout programs can be scheduled so you won't have to spend a great deal of time trying to figure out which chest, leg, or whatever workout you're doing for a particular day. Having the structure built in for programs means all I have to do is show up. The Bluetooth "spotter" device is pretty good, but just make sure you keep it charged. There have been a few times that the wheel to adjust the weight doesn't respond, but it seems that it's pretty responsive if you just charge it via the USB-C cable provided. It's worth mentioning that while this device doesn't require you to mount it to a wall, the caveat is that this is a heavy boy and let me tell ya ... if you plan on carrying this thing up a flight of stairs, you'll definitely need help and don't plan on working out that day either because you'll get a good workout trying to lift it. But once you get it where it needs to live, it does have wheels so it's fairly easy to maneuver. The screen is large, resolution is great, and it has very good touch responsiveness. The build quality is superb, and it doesn't feel as if anything is lacking in the quality control department; this thing feels sturdy and not cheap at all. I've done a pretty wide range of workouts so far, and the trainers definitely will get you sweating and I'm writing this review with sore legs from a workout that whooped my behind. I think this is a great all-in-one solution if you're wanting to do some lifting and have limited space or not wanting to buy a plethora of equipment. Time will tell how long things will hold up, but I have reason to believe that it'll last a good while, and I don't have any sense of buyer's remorse at all with it. Though it's not strictly speaking cheap, I do think it is one of the most competitively priced machines in its sector.