Speediance Smart Home Gym, Multi-Functional Gym Machine for Full Body Strength Training, All-in-one Gym Equipment, Digital Weight System, Workout Station, Squat Rack, Gym Monster 2

This replaces an entire dumbbell rack, a C2/Rogue rower, cable machine, squat rack, etc. I use this mainly in offline mode to do HIIT weight training and cardio. I use the eccentric mode setting to ensure I get maximim gains in the least amount of time. I row daily in the free weight barbell mode with 95 lbs. concentric/130 lbs. eccentric. I use a wrist-mounted, universal interval timer (Gym Boss+) which has a combined tone and vibrate mode, and mainly use it for rowing in offline, free-weight mode. Sprint interval training rowing of 20 sec work and 10 sec rest for 7.5 min is the most efficient cardio workout. Any more than that and you wear your body out with free radicals and more stress on joints/etc. For squats, I use the belt squat attachment, since traditional barbell squats place unnecessary stress on the spine and increase CNS fatigue. The belt squat helps to avoid spinal injuries and combined with a good set of stable squat shoes (.75" incline, TPU heel, etc.), you can avoid knee injuries. Be sure to remove the platform cushioning pad to have the most stable platform as possible for squats (most squat platforms have hardwood on them to avoid any lateral movement in knees when lifting heavy). Belt squat machines are replacing reg. squat ones because they're safer and more effective. Squat University has great info on form. Also, I use Versa Gripp straps to train harder so that my grip strength for the day doesn't limit how heavy I can lift. This machine has silky smooth resistance. Watched some reviews that said this one has smoother resistance than the first model, so that's why I went with the Gen 2. Some reviewers also said the Gen 2 cooling fans are quieter than the first model, so that's another reason I went with the Gen 2. This machine is ultra silent, even when pulling full resistance. The overall sound level was another factor for me, so that's why I went with digital weights. This has ridiculous resistance with minimal motor whine to do stealth cardio/lifting with shared walls, ceilings, and floors. I went with this, instead of the Beyond Power Voltra, because of how compact everything is and the unlimited power on tap w/out the need for batteries. The GM has a small footprint in storage mode and it's very fast to set up and store to quickly knockout workouts. The Tonal requires a recurring membership and a permanant install, the Voltra requires a Power Rack (which takes up more space for similar GM features), and the other digital weight systems were either too underdeveloped or too large and made for commercial gyms. Since this is a precision, high-tech system (prob servo-like motors under the hood), be sure to use a quality surge protector/power conditioner to protect your investment and provide the smoothest resistance possible. For the 110 volt model, the manual says any voltage spike that reaches 260 volts can potentially damage the machine, so any lightning storm or power plant surges could potentially damage the machine. To ensure the machine never receives any surges and has the cleanest power possible, I recommend using a high-quality surge protector/conditioner that completely eliminates surges (SMP technology) and never wears out (doesn't use MOV surge protection). The best surge protector with this high tech surge elimination tech (SMP) and power conditioning at a reasonable price is the Furman Power Conditioner (PST-8). Another thing is that since I'm feeding the machine ultra-clean, conditioned power, this could be why my resistance feels extra smooth. Similar to how unconditioned power can create noise in audio systems and affect the sound quality, the same electrical noise may likely affect how smoothly the motors operate. Also, since digital weights are new tech that's still in the early adopter phase, expect there to be some issues that will eventually get worked out in updates/future models. During your workouts, use common sense and determine the level of risk you're comfortable with based on your current setup. I'm considering developing a manual "spotter arms" system as a fail safe in the event of a software glitch, bluetooth spotters/controls disconnecting, etc (I'll post my solution here later once I figure it out). All digital weight systems will have these similar issues though. And none of these home systems have the robust/redundant safety systems that you will find on airplanes. So the main thing is to use common sense, especially when you are lifting heavy. During heavy rows and similar exercises where a potential broken cable/attachment may hit your eyes, it makes sense to wear high-impact (ANSI Z87+) rated safety glasses. Accidents can happen and you only have one set of eyes. For example, the Liver King blinded himself in one eye when he snapped some resistance bands and they hit him in the eye. A great ANSI certified Z87.1-2020 (latest standard) with Z87+ (highest impact rating available) pair of safety glasses is the KleenGuard Maverick by Kimberly-Clark (established industrial brand and ANSI certified products). These are the best looking and certified Z87+ safety glasses I've found (w/clear or tinted sunglass lens options). Overall, I think this machine works great and provides more value than anything else currently. Speediance is the leader in the compact, complete-ownership, multi-machine home gym category. Eccentric weight is the future to accelerate gains and save time (auto extra weight on negative reps means you go at the same pace as the positive/concentric rep, instead of slowing down the negative rep with trad weights to make it harder), so this feature alone makes it worth it for me. It would be great to see a future Speediance model that has an even taller cable tower with a center cable mount and at least 400 lbs (similar to the Voltra that currently has 400lbs).

Edit: After spending a good amount of time with this thing I'm still a big fan. I just wanted to comment on how good customer service has been. They always get back with me pretty quick to help me out. Recently I even realized I threw away my weight belt in the chaos of all the boxes they send you with the family package and they sent me a new one out for free. My only slight criticism is I wish they would spend more time improving their product than trying to get me to buy the AI (which still seems like it needs a little work) and advertise for them on social media. They got to make their money somehow, but it seems a little too focused on these things sometimes. I haven't spent this much money in a long time and never really saw myself spending this much on a home gym, but I couldn't be happier with this thing really and I have no doubt I will get my moneys worth out of this thing over the years. There are plenty of thorough reviews out there, so I'll just hit the broad strokes and things I feel like they may have left out. Build Quality: You can really feel how high quality this thing is. Everything moves and slides so smoothly. All of the material feels very heavy duty like it will last a lifetime. It folds up to such a nice compact space that it's pretty hard to believe so much could be crammed into such a tiny, simple looking package, and it's pretty easy on the eyes too, so if you live in a small place like me it's a nice change of pace from what a bulky eyesore most fitness products can be. The main unit comes fully assembled and is easy to move around. Really the only thing you have to assemble are screwing the legs onto the bench and rowing machine. Smart Gym Features: The UI on the computer is very nice and easy to navigate, which is nice because this thing has a lot of features and I could see it being kind of a headache if they got it wrong. The workout programs are well designed and have really great detailed instructions on how to do over 800 exercises and over 90 programs, and counting, correctly and what muscles they target as well as tracking which muscles you've been using and what stage of recovery they're in, and on top of letting you add custom exercises they might have left out through the app and easily designing you own custom programs . It does too much for me to want to go over everything here and it also took some digging and time for me to figure everything out, but trust me when I say this thing is such a beast. When I contacted them I suggested they improve explaining how to use everything and they told me that they have a team working on more beginner content. All their videos are pretty high quality and I'm sure these will be no different. The tracking and feedback you get is unlike anything I've ever seen, no joke. I also love the different weight modes like eccentric overload as well as how simple it is to adjust the weight especially with the little Bluetooth finger knob it comes with. And last but definitely not least NO RECURRING MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED...for like 90% of the features. This right here means so much to me and makes me love this company so much more. For a pretty small monthly fee they have an AI personal trainer that uses all the metrics it measures to give you a constantly refined workout program that will help you figure out and accomplish your goals. Seems like something that a lot of folks will find worth it, and they definitely advertise it a lot in the UI, but it's by no means necessary to squeeze most of the juice out of the GM2. Sound and Music: The speakers sound awesome with the 2.1 system and you can easily adjust the volume levels of things like the instructor or sound effects individually. One of the few problems I had with this thing is that unlike the GM1, with the GM2 you only have 2 options right now for music and that's the library it comes loaded with (which is actually pretty good and has been expanding from what I've heard) or Apple Music. I contacted customer support and they replied within a few hours letting me know that they'll be putting out a feature sometime in the near future that will let you link your phone through Bluetooth soon just like they already let you do with the GM1, so you'll be able to use whatever app you prefer. I was worried they cut a deal with Apple or something for a minute! LOL Accessories: I went with the family package and I think it was worth it, especially since I got it on sale for $3,800 for the whole shebang. All of their products are very high quality and designed for this machine. You might be able to find each of these pieces from other brands for a little cheaper than the package price, but not much, and if you decide you want the Speediance brand of each of these things individually you'll be paying a TON more. I do like how they make it easy to use with other equipment you might have and they even include extra clips and latches to make it easy for you. The rack keeps everything looking a little more tidy, The rowing machine is so smooth, sturdy, solid and heavy and stands up nice on it's end to make it easy to store out of the way, The bench is nice and compact and slides so smoothly when you adjust it. The barbell is heavy and solid like a real one. The extension bands are real nice and feel much better going across your body than a rope or band. The upgraded handles feel so much nicer than the stock ones or most pully/resistance band handles out there, but really they're pretty expensive and the package without these could save you about $150, so this might be a bridge too far for some people and this would probably be the most expendable accessory if you're already going over budget with this thing. I'd also put the ski poles in this category. They're cool and useful, but honestly they're light cheap plastic and the $70 price tag is definitely too high, and this is probably about the only thing in the package you could find something similar and of higher quality for less money, but with the package it's not that expensive, so I'm happy to have it. So all and all I would highly recommend the Gym Monster 2! In it's current state it's an amazing product and they're working to continue to make it even better than it already is. It feels like one of the most life changing purchases I've made in a very long time. I really appreciate Speediance as a company and I'm a very big fan!

Great machine until you have to get replacement cables. Then it's an act of God to them. Sat on hold for aver 30 minutes with the call service and still no answer. The cables backorder for months so buyer beware. Update speediance contacted me. About my review and they were trying to get the issue resolved by sending me the scale and bluetooth handles because I couldn't get cables to get the machine back to working. After trying multiple set of batteries in the scale it would never turn on. I could care less about the bluetooth handles. When the cables are broke and the machine doesn't work. Just finally through the scale away. I had also ordered three sets of cables and paid for them and finally one set of cables arrived. With the scale that didn't work. And the bluetooth handles that we will never use because of the ring. You thought you wouldnt use because its easier to just use the ring. That is until the ring stops working and you gueesed the ring ring quits working. It can be charged 100 percent and still not connect to the machine. I can usually connect it and disconnect it and mess with it for 10 minutes or so and it might connect. But becare the ring has a velcro stap held on by small plastic parts that break. Do not purchase speediance you will regret it

I’ve been using the Speediance Gym Monster 2 for a few weeks now, and I can honestly say it’s revitalized my home workout routine. This thing combines everything I need for a full-body workout. Initial thought on build Quality & Design: The build quality is exceptional. It’s solid, sturdy, and feels premium right out of the box. The design is sleek and compact, which is great for home gyms where space is at a premium. Despite being space-efficient, it doesn’t compromise on functionality or features. The machine has a professional feel to it. Rowing Machine: The rowing machine is one of the standout features for me. The resistance is smooth, adjustable, and provides a great full-body workout. I’ve used it for both cardio and strength-building, and it has really helped me increase my endurance and upper body strength. The rower’s design also allows for a natural and comfortable rowing motion, which minimizes strain on my joints. Incline Bench: The adjustable incline bench is a game-changer. I use it for a variety of exercises like chest presses, incline dumbbell presses, and even some bodyweight exercises. The adjustment mechanism is quick and easy, and it’s very stable even when lifting heavier weights. The padding is comfortable, and I don’t feel any discomfort even during longer sessions. Ease of Use & Versatility: The Gym Monster 2 is intuitive to set up and adjust. Whether I’m going for a heavy lift or a high-rep endurance workout, I can easily adjust the machine to suit my needs. The ability to switch between different types of exercises without having to move around a lot of equipment is fantastic. It really allows me to focus on my workout, not on setting things up. Final Thoughts: If you’re serious about working out at home and want an all-in-one solution that can handle a variety of exercises, the Speediance Gym Monster 2 is definitely worth it. It’s a top-tier machine with excellent build quality, versatility, and performance. Highly recommend for anyone looking to take their home gym to the next level!

The Gym Monster 2 has completely transformed my health journey this year. I’ve seen noticeable gains in both strength and body recomposition since using it consistently. The premade workout programs are clutch... you literally just pick one and follow along. No overthinking, no excuses. The variety of exercises you can do is wild, and the included accessories make every workout feel fresh and fun. Best part? Everything is INCLUDED. No memberships required. There is an optional AI coach subscription, but honestly, the free programs have been more than enough for me so I opted out. If you’re trying to stay consistent, having something this versatile right at home makes it a no-brainer. It removes all the barriers to showing up. Highly recommend to anyone serious about building muscle without the gym hassle!

I got this for my birthday. I haven't worked out seriously in a few years, and I don't have time consistently to work with a trainer, but I wanted to get back into it. I went with the Gym Monster 2 because I often work out alone without anyone else at home. I tend to over do it, so I was excited about the safety features. The Gym Monster 2 itself works really well! There's a good variety of exercises in the library, and its still expanding. The majority of the exercises have weight and pause/resume controlled with the ring, which I like because it allows you to pause timed workouts as needed and adjust the weight (while the weight is off) during the workout. Once you do the strength assessment, the AI does a really good job of setting weight recommendations for different exercises based on the target muscles. I've also used the AI spotters, and I really enjoy having spotter 1 as an option, because it will help decrease the weight during the last couple sets if it detects you're really struggling. I've mostly used the AI custom work outs, the rowing bench, and the ski attachments. There was a bit of a learning curve for the AI workouts, but I've learned is that you can rearrange the order of the exercises so that all the exercises using the same attachments are grouped together. In my experience, the AI trainer is comparable to hiring a physical trainer. I've found that the AI trainer will push me harder than my trainer did, but that I can back it off when I need to. I was most excited for the rowing, but so far it's my least favorite exercise. As far as I can tell there is limited ring support for rowing, so there isn't a way to pause/resume the workouts from the bench during a rowing exercise, which is not great for someone with asthma. If I have to stop to catch my breath, I have to take off the foot straps, get up, pause the workout at the top of the screen, catch my breath, restart from the top of the screen (which restarts the set clock), sit down, and redo the foot straps. All instead of just pausing/resuming with the ring like most work outs. That being said, it's still a great cardio work out, and I find that there's enough resistance to be challenging! I'm mostly disappointed because I can't get the full time per set if I need to pause. I really enjoy the ski work outs! I hadn't done anything similar previously, but I find that I can get a good cardio and strength work out at the same time. Unlike the rowing where theres an automatic 3 seconds between sets, on the ski exercises you have to use the ring to turn on the weight and start each new set, which gives me better control over the workout and allows me to take a break if I need it. I've just started the ski workouts within the last couple weeks, so I'm still at resistance 1-2, but I find it's a good weight for now. The only big issue I had was with delivery: I scheduled with the delivery company, they gave me a window, then they showed up 2 hours before the window without letting me know they were coming early and my very expensive gym monster was sitting on the front porch clearly visible from a well traveled road for 2 hours until I could get home.

I have been using this for several weeks now. The GM2 system is great for beginners or intermediate strength training. Not only does it have the full capability of a pully machine functional trainer, but it adds the ability to track progress, adjust weights manually or automatically in 1-lb increments, and has hundreds of built-in movements, workouts, and multi-week programs that you can choose from in addition to the basic free lift mode. This is a big help for anyone new to strength training, or intermediate lifters that want some variety without having to design custom workouts. HARDWARE The packaging of the unit was excellent and well thought out. The main unit requires no assembly but if you order the rower then it will require some minor assembly. I did not find this to be a problem. All of the hardware required for each step of rower assembly was in individually packaged zipper-style bags that made it very easy to identify and use. No prying parts of a vacuum packed card. They even include a bag of spare hardware components for when you inevitably drop or lose a piece. The GM2 itself is heavy duty and very well built. The pulleys and cables are very smooth and quiet and I have had no issues after a month of use. I did purchase some third party attachments as upgrades to the stock items and for personal preference and it handles all of them very well. The angled bench is a basic bench that fits well on the platform and is great for all of the included exercises. That said, I have seen folks use a third party bench, which if you already have one should be fine. I have another heavier bench at home and have no issues using either one. I have never used a rower before, but I found the unit to be very sturdy and smooth. The stock handles are inexpensive plastic. They are functional but I opted to order some different handles for personal preference. I did later receive the smart handles with the bluetooth weight on/off buttons and they are very sturdy and are now my go-to basic handle. The cable extensions are a great item for moves that may have the cables running against your arms and I love the bent gate carabiners on them that make attaching/detaching items easier than a standard carabiner. Though many times I find myself not using them as it has not really been an issue. The rowing bar that came with the rower has a good feel and weight to it. Very solid and perfectly sized for the machine. I have used the barbell attachment on many exercises and I did purchase some lifting gloves to use for heavier weights. If you have not used a machine like this before, the tension (weight equivalent) that it can put on the cables is significant but the one thing you will not have it the inertia associated with heavy weight plates at the end of a barbell, meaning that the bar will feel a little shaky compared to a free weight barbell. Typically I prefer to use handles for most exercises, even bench presses, opting for a dumbbell style bench press which I can actually get better range of motion with. I would like to see them offer a curl bar with a weight on/off feature. I purchased a third party curl bar designed for resistance bands and it works great in conjunction with the bluetooth ring. There has been some prior complaints about bluetooth ring connectivity, but that seems to be mostly resolved with a recent software update. I find the ring to be a convenient way to turn on and off the weight but I also have the smart handles and defer to them most of the time. The ring brings you the added capability to make adjustments on the weight, dialing it up or down, without having to get up and use the screen interface. SOFTWARE I have found the system to be relatively easy to use. It also has an associated phone app that mirrors most of the functionality you will find on the display. During the time I have had the machine they have pushed out several additional movements, workouts and programs as well as periodic challenges which can be fun to participate in and keep your motivation. They also pushed a complete software upgrade to add expanded AI functionality. In the basic free-lift mode you can setup any exercise you want by telling it how much weight you want, the resistance profile, and if you are using a barbell (two sided) or handle (one-sided) type of attachment. If you prefer to use the included workouts and movements there are hundreds to choose from. You can also configure your own custom movements and combine them into custom workouts, though I do not think at the time of this writing that the custom movements you configure are fully integrated into the AI interface yet. I say yet as it is obvious the company continues to improve and develop this software. One thing you can not get from a traditional pully machine or free weights is the eccentric loading mode, which gives you more tension on the return stroke of the move. Some science based lifters will say that this eccentric loading is significant when it comes to building muscle mass (hypertrophy) quickly. I find that I use this mode fairly often. You can also set it up for “chain mode” type resistance giving you more resistance the farther you pull the cable, and even a constant speed mode. There are several assist modes built in which help you finish your reps and aid with safety. For example, one of the assist modes releases a little bit of tension to help you get that last rep in, while another will dynamically reduce the weight if it senses you struggling or pausing a move for a few seconds. There are also some other safety features I have found if you end up dropping one end of the bar or have significant uneven loading which will immediately take the tension off the cables. The advanced AI features are still young in their development but have a lot of potential and the company has been pushing periodic software updates. Currently it can help you adjust weights based on performance and will generate custom workouts based on the goals you input and what it calculates as fatigue on the particular muscle group. I find that helpful at times, but also as I get more educated on strength training I find myself setting up my own custom workouts. If they can integrate your custom moves and workouts into the AI system and build a bit more advanced reporting with an export feature it will grow into a very strong system. STRENGTHS Ability to do nearly every move you can think of for a pully machine, including barbell moves, dumbbell (handle) moves, and pull down type moves. I actually find it much easier to get into position and setup for an exercise with this machine where I can get in position unloaded, and then turn on the weight versus trying to wrestle heavy weights into position. Ability to use various resistance profiles like eccentric mode. Ability to do full body workouts and cardio such as rowing. Very small footprint. You don’t need space for a giant rack and storage for a bunch of heavy plates. WEAKNESSES Height: For folks that are tall (not me) and want to do pull-down type exercises you will probably have to do them seated or in a different position. There is not currently a bench that connects to it for your traditional leg curls and extensions, though there is an after market, third party item that will accomplish this. That said, most of those exercises can be done easy enough with the ankle straps. Handles: The basic handles are pretty basic, as are the basic ski handles. The Smart handles are great but expensive. There are tons of options here though for third party attachments to fit your needs. Basically anything you can attach to a carabiner would work. Weight limit: Some have complained about being limited to 220lbs of resistance. I suspect this is related to how much tension you can get on a motor that is plugged into a standard household outlet. Honestly though, I have not found this to be an issue. Most beginners and many intermediate lifters will only hit that limit maybe on deadlifts and squats. If you need more than that you are probably a more advanced lifter. I am sure you could rig up some additional tension with bands or plates but at that point you probably want to transition to a full rack system. Remember the target market for this. It fits that market very well. Customer Service I believe this is a Chinese company. My initial feelings when I hear that is low quality but I have been pleasantly surprised. I have to say that this system is very solid and high quality. While there is some social media chatter about customer service I see that they are very engaged with making improvements in software and hardware and actively monitor social media platforms for user feedback. A lot of the complaints you may see in those groups tend to get addressed as evidenced by changes they have made in hardware and software and stuff they include with the system, like extra D-ring clips for the cables. While they may struggle by U.S. expectations with holidays like the Chinese new year I find most of the social media chatter superficial keyboard warriors and I give them some grace for being a young company that is still building out their presence. Personally, I have been satisfied with any customer service interaction and impressed in their engagement with end users regarding enhancements. It will be interesting to see how this product evolves over time. It’s really good now and has potential to be great. Does it work for me? Yes, it was the right fit for my needs and I use it almost daily. It has saved me time running back and forth to a gym that I have free use of, allows me to workout on my time schedule and focus on the issues I need. I still hit the local gym occasionally, but more so just as a progress check against their dedicated movement machines. I will say, that I am working out much more than I would have been doing otherwise, and staying engaged doing it.

Worth every penny. The workouts are engaging and adjust to your needs. The features on this machine are impressive and it is premium built. The only negative I can say about it is it does not support Bluetooth devices like external speakers or AirPods. It does have Bluetooth, but only with other Speediance Bluetooth accessories. Other than that, everything else is perfect.