An All-in-One Gym Solution?
With an ever-rising trend of fitness content on social media, especially as a result of the pandemic, people have been looking to get into shape and become stronger. However, a lot of people don’t want to get a gym membership, whether they are uncomfortable working out with strangers or don’t want to travel to the local gym.
What is it?
One solution that has come out is the Tonal All-in-One Home Gym. It is a workout machine that you attach to your wall. It consists of a steel frame with a 24” touchscreen display, adjustable arms, and a separate bench. Instead of needing free weights, the Tonal machine uses electromagnetic technology to create up to 200 lbs of resistance. This saves you the hassle and cost of buying equipment like dumbbells or weight plates. With the screen, you can display your fitness progress in addition to a list of custom workout programs to try.
One solution that has come out is the Tonal All-in-One Home Gym. It is a workout machine that you attach to your wall. It consists of a steel frame with a 24” touchscreen display, adjustable arms, and a separate bench. Instead of needing free weights, the Tonal machine uses electromagnetic technology to create up to 200 lbs of resistance. This saves you the hassle and cost of buying equipment like dumbbells or weight plates. With the screen, you can display your fitness progress in addition to a list of custom workout programs to try.
What differentiates the Tonal from typical workout machines is its smart features. The Tonal Gym contains sensors that monitor your movement and give you suggestions on the proper form or what weight to use for the next workout as you progressively get stronger. You can set goals for the number of reps you want to complete in the session, and the Tonal system adjusts the weight as you go so that you can complete the set.
How it relates to ubicomp
The Tonal Gym is related to the field of ubicomp using ‘Cloud, Crowd, and Shroud’. The ‘Crowd’ aspect has to do with how you can connect with others to see their workout progress and what workout programs they join. You can even work with others synchronously and see their stats in real-time.
In addition, when choosing a workout program, Tonal has the most popular workout programs shown at the top of the list. The ‘Cloud’ aspect has to do with Tonal collecting your muscle-building data and entering that with the data coming from a pool of users. Lastly, the ‘Shroud’ aspect has to do with how the system contains sensors that track your movement while doing muscle-building exercises and send that information to the cloud.
Issues
The Tonal is not without its cons. One of the obvious issues with the Tonal system is the cost, both upfront and monthly. The machine itself costs about $4000, which doesn’t include some of the additional smart accessories. As for the monthly cost, it would run you about $60 a month for its subscription to the personal training programs and other cloud features.
Others might not find it practical to attach a steel frame to their wall, especially if they live in an apartment or their home gym is on the smaller side. There have also been reported usability issues such as:
- Feedback can get annoying: One of the main selling points of the machine might also need more work. The spotter, burnout, and form feedback can get over vigilant and try to make recommendations where it is not necessarily as useful.
- Difficulty changing weight: Many movements restrict the ability to change weights on the fly using the buttons on the machines, especially when working with a heavier weight.
How successful is it (Any Competitors)?
The Tonal company has an estimated annual revenue of $68.7M with a current valuation of $600M as of April 2023, so it seems to be on par in comparison to other health and fitness companies like Mirror and Peleton.
Personal thoughts
I first heard about the Tonal gym machine from a commercial aired around 2021 that starred LeBron James, one of the greatest NBA players of all time. I think that played a part in a lot of the hype around systems like the Tonal.
“Stars like LeBron and Serena Williams are using it, I should too!”
I have to say that the cost removes this as a realistic option for a good amount of people. I have a membership at LA Fitness that runs me $30 a month, and I go about 3–4 times a week. Apart from cost, I feel like the Tonal system also lacks some of the workouts that I am otherwise able to do in the gym such as leg day and cardio. It also has a limit of 200 lbs of resistance, so the Tonal is probably better for beginners in the muscle-building journey.
Future improvements?
One of the big improvements that users have brought up is for the nagging suggestions. It would be beneficial if Tonal could refine them so that they are more accurate and useful. A proposed feature to add is to have a camera to watch your form.
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