What exactly constitutes smart home gym equipment? Is it really better than the stuff that’s not considered smart? If you’re interested in home gyms, knowing which ones are considered smart can help you decide what to purchase and what to avoid.
Here’s an overview of some smart home gym equipment, along with the ways they make your fitness routine smarter, more effective, and more convenient.
What are smart home gym equipment?
Smart home gym equipment includes fitness machines with Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. With these machines, users can stream virtual classes and interact online with other users and trainers. As such, they can be connected to other smart devices such as phones or TVs. Some smart home gym equipment is also versatile and adjustable unlike the traditional versions. This means that you can use one piece of equipment for a variety of exercises.
In this article, we will take a look at 6 most common smart pieces of home gym equipment.
1. Smart workout mirror
This mirror captures your entire body to give you a full-length view of your workout progress. It then generates data on your exercise, like calories burned, to help keep you motivated during your training session. Some models even come with virtual fitness trainers that offer exercise tips and encouragement. The mirror also syncs with apps on your phone to track overall fitness progress over time.
For some workouts, it may be best if you combine a smart mirror with other smart equipment. A home treadmill or stationary bike, for example, can accurately track some exercises without an extra gadgetry purchase. By contrast, more intensive workouts may require monitoring equipment in addition to smart home gym equipment.
MAXPRO Fitness on Amazon provides one of the best smart workout mirrors that comes with equipment but also with exercise programs to get you started. With this mirror, you can also connect to Bluetooth and APPS to track your progress - an overall fitness solution.
2. Tonal: Smart strength training station
Tonal was one of our most anticipated products when I first got started, but it also turned out to be one of my most ambitious. What makes Tonal so special is that it pairs with a smartphone app to provide a truly smart strength training experience. It tracks reps, sets, exercise progress and more in real time and allows users to program routines and interact with trainers. The best part? All of these features work together seamlessly—and it’s all controlled through an iOS or Android smartphone via Bluetooth Smart connection.
3. The poloton bike: Smart exercise bike
The poloton bike, which has been referred to as a smart exercise bike or an intelligent bicycle, can help you stay fit and healthy at home. Using sensors, satellites and GPS receivers, it gives you live feedback on your heart rate and other key health data. It also helps you measure your physical activity over time while providing videos with customized workout programs that suit your goals. This smart exercise bike will not only motivate you to get fit but also give accurate statistics about how much calories are burned during workouts.
4. Bowflex Max Trainer M9: Smart elliptical
It might not be a smart home gym piece of equipment, but it’s definitely one you should consider for your at-home fitness routine. It’s a great way to combine cardio and resistance training in one simple machine, and it works by simulating outdoor activities like running or walking on varied terrain. There are 20 different workouts on board that get progressively more difficult as time goes on so you can challenge yourself if you want—and change things up if you feel like doing something new!
Check it out on Amazon here.
5. NordicTrack Commercial X22i: Smart treadmill
A smart treadmill features built-in sensors that automatically track and record your progress, so you can see what you're doing right (and wrong) as you exercise. Using Bluetooth technology, a smart treadmill can sync with your smartphone or tablet to give you real-time access to more than 200 apps designed specifically for use at home. These range from interactive training programs to calorie counters, speed and incline monitors, and more. Prices vary by brand.
Check it out on Amazon here.
6. Smart dumbbells
Often referred to as connected dumbbells, these allow you to control how much weight is on each dumbbell with a few simple clicks. This way, you can adjust weights depending on your fitness goals. Each dumbbell syncs with an app so you know exactly how much weight you’re lifting and can track your progress over time. If that’s not enough data for you, some connected dumbbells also measure heart rate and activity level. These may cost more than traditional dumbbells but offer a solution for those who want to track their workouts without a full smart home gym setup.
Check it out on Amazon here.
Which is better: Traditional equipment or smart?
It might be easy to assume that smart equipment automatically outperforms traditional, but in reality, there’s no best type of gym equipment. Both types of equipment have their benefits and drawbacks. Consider a few factors when deciding whether or not you want to invest in smart home gym equipment—it can help narrow down your decision: your budget, how much space you have, how much you can lift and store at home.
The positive about smart equipment is that it can track your progress and also provide a variety of workouts from professionals. Whereas, traditional equipment, although it is still really powerful, it leaves you to guessing whether you are performing the right exercises, whether your form is right and how many calories you burned in a given training session.
Smart equipment is better in the sense that it is easier to use and helps you exercise the right way but if you are an experienced exerciser, you can get a great workout in with traditional equipment.