Digital gym: The future of home training?

Singapore – Many of Tan Guo Xiang’s home workout videos on the social media platform TikTok include at least one comment such as:

That’s because the 36-year-old software engineer, who also posts videos on Instagram and YouTube, doesn’t use dumbbells or weight plates in his strength training routine. We also don’t use other common gym equipment like cable machines.

Instead, he uses a battery-powered device the size of a shoebox that weighs just under 6 kg. The Voltra 1 (US$2,099 including shipping, or S$2,700), manufactured by US company Beyond Power, was purchased in January.

This portable machine uses direct drive technology and features a 2.6 meter cable that can be used to perform common strength training movements such as weighted squats, kickbacks, and shoulder presses.

Users can set up to 200 pounds of resistance directly on the device.

This is just one example of the frontiers in the world of fitness. It is a digital gym that works using electromagnetic immunity.

After the 2025 health scare, Tan wanted to get serious about fitness. He previously had a gym membership, but after three months he felt he couldn’t get the most out of it.

“It was hard to actually go to the gym. With a home gym, you just walk from room to room.” Mr. Tan says.is married. He and his wife of 37 years have two sons. 5 years old and 7 years old.

Mr Tan was drawn to digital gyms, especially the Voltra 1, because of its sleek and compact design.

“I can keep it in a drawer if I want, and it doesn’t clash with the rest of the interior design style in the house, which is important to my wife,” he says. of Voltra 1.

The machine is located in a spare room in Mr Tan’s 1,250 square foot HDB apartment. If I need to repurpose a room someday, say to make it a bedroom for one of my sons, it’s much easier to find another place to put the Voltra 1 than it is to put an entire rack of dumbbells and cable machines.

Other digital gyms available in Singapore include Innodigym P1 (from $809) and Speediance Gym Monster V2 (from $4,999). Both are Chinese brands.

Speediance Singapore sales and operations manager Gadiel See said more than 1,000 units of the Gym Monster V2 have been sold since the company launched it in Singapore in the second half of 2023.

“What’s particularly surprising is how organic this growth has been. A significant proportion of our new customers come through word of mouth from existing owners,” he told The Straits Times.

The Gym Monster V2 is a larger device as it has two main components: a 1.25 meter long base platform and a 1.85 meter high top bar with a digital screen. Users can set up to a total resistance of 100kg across the two cables. The setup also comes with a bench.

The Innodigym P1, on the other hand, is a flat, floor-based platform similar to an aerobic stepper. The basic P1 Lite model has a combined resistance of up to 60kg on the pulleys on the left and right edges of the platform. Higher spec versions ($1,209 to $2,109) can deliver up to a total load capacity of 150kg.

All three machines use a direct-drive motor that creates a digital resistance through a cable.

“The motor driving the digital resistance provides a smooth, constant pull that feels as secure as a resistance band, but with precise digital weight control,” says Po Sheng, co-founder of The Great Company, a local fitness retailer that sells Innodigym devices in Singapore.

Plus, unlike dumbbells and barbells, gravity isn’t a factor, he added. “When you lift with digital resistance, you lose all momentum.”

As a result, digital resistance can be more difficult than a dumbbell or barbell of the same weight.

American fitness brand Tonal is known for pioneering the smart gym with its eponymous wall-mounted device that launched in 2018. Officially available only in the US.

Australian startup Vitruvian’s V-Form Trainer was temporarily available in Singapore through gym chain Fitness First in 2021. Since 2022, The Great Company has sold several types of digital gyms, including the V-Form Trainer, before settling on the Innodigym P1 in 2023.

“the “The product offering gives customers more choice, not only in terms of price, but also in terms of meeting different training and strength training needs,” said Poe, adding that sales of the device have been stable.

Mr See said the digital gym is tailored for a typical Singaporean household as it is very compact.

“These machines are ideal for those living in HDB flats or condos who want to experience a full-body strength workout but where space is at a premium.”

The Speediance Gym Monster V2 takes up less than 2.7 square feet of floor space when folded. It weighs 90kg, but it has wheels so you can easily roll it around.

The basic Innodigym P1 Lite, on the other hand, is 75cm long, 35cm wide, 5.5cm high and weighs 12kg.

There is also no need to worry about disturbing the neighbors downstairs, Shi added.

“Traditional cable machines use a physical stack of iron plates. When you drop the stack, it makes a rattling noise. The Speediance Gym Monster, for example, is almost silent in operation. The only sound is the movement of the cable itself.”

On the Beyond Power Voltra 1, the cooling fan kicks in when the weight is high, Tan said. “But it just sounds like a CPU fan. It’s not something your neighbors would notice.”

There’s also no risk of accidentally damaging the flooring with falling weights, he added. “I used to use adjustable dumbbells, but you always had to be careful. If you drop a heavy dumbbell, you run the risk of creating a hole in the floor.”

If the Voltra 1’s cable falls while in use, the machine has built-in slip detection that will slow the cable down if a slip is detected.

According to Poe, these devices also offer unique training modes such as eccentric loading for advanced lifters and athletes.

“This adds more resistance as you bring the cable back down, giving your muscles more time under tension. You can’t do this with regular dumbbells.”

Many devices also have complementary apps that provide access to workout libraries and help users track their workouts.

The most compact configuration of the Beyond Power Voltra 1 is when combined with another floor-based travel platform sold by the brand (US$199). However, this configuration is limited to bottom-up movements such as weighted squats and glute kickbacks. To perform top-down movements such as lateral pulldowns that work the back muscles, users will need to purchase additional mounting accessories or consider their own mounting setup.

These cost $99 or more and must be attached to third-party equipment, such as a gymnastics ladder that Tan installed on a flat rack or squat rack at home.

For Innodigym, the basic P1 Lite model comes with a wall mount. For the high-resistance P1 Plus ($1,209) and P1 Max ($2,109) models, the wall mount is a separate accessory that can be purchased for $200.

With the Speediance Gym Monster, this problem does not occur because the top bar allows for top-down movement.

See also added that these devices are not designed for explosive weightlifting movements such as the “clean and jerk” or the “snatch.” “These movements don’t translate well to cable-based systems because they rely on creating momentum through the bar.”

Digital gyms that use floor-based platforms also require a “counterweight” for stability. These include the Innodigym as well as the Beyond Power Voltra 1 combined with floor platform accessories.

“You always have to apply downward force on the platform; you can’t lift your own weight off the platform,” Tan says.

This means that if you perform movements such as bench presses or hip thrusts where the user does not stand or sit directly on the platform, you will need to find other ways to reduce the weight of the platform, such as heavy dumbbells or furniture.

Digital gyms are electronic devices and require electricity to operate. Both Speediance Gym Monster V2 and Innodigym P1 must be connected to a power outlet. The Beyond Power Voltra 1, on the other hand, has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Tan typically charges the device once a week after a three- to four-hour session.

Also, electronic devices usually have a limited lifespan. Digital gyms are a very young market segment, so it is unclear how many years they can function.

But with proper care, keeping the machine away from excessive moisture and not overloading the cables, a well-maintained Speediance unit is designed to last well over 10 years, says See.

His own Speediance Gym Monster V2 still works just as well today as it did when he bought it in 2022.

“This machine is very modular in nature, so if it breaks down, you can easily replace certain components,” he added.

Tan says the same goes for Beyond Power Voltra 1. “The components are individually replaceable. If the battery dies, you can buy a replacement pack. If the cable wears out, you can buy just that part.”

For Innodigym issues, The Great Company will continue to provide free diagnostic support after the one-year warranty period, and customers can purchase individual replacement parts, such as cables and internal components, directly from the company, Poe said.

Smart software bundled with some of these digital gyms teeth Another potential source of problems.

Some models, such as the Australian-made Vitruvian Trainer+, can only be used with the included software. Following media reports that the company will go bankrupt in late 2025, some users have had to take matters into their own hands by developing their own apps so they can continue using Digital Gym even after the Vitruvian app goes completely offline.

However, the Speediance Gym Monster V2, Innodigym P1, and Beyond Power Voltra 1 can all be used without downloading an app.

“You can still set the weight, perform any exercise, and track your reps without the app. An app greatly improves the experience, but it doesn’t make the machine useless without it,” says See.

Associate Professor Kong Pui Wah from the National Institute of Education’s (NIE) Department of Physical Education and Sports Science told ST that the strength training provided by these machines is not inferior to traditional weight training.

“Digital resistance training is an effective way to improve strength and function,” says Professor Kong, who is also Deputy Director of Continuing Education and Training in the NIE’s Office of Graduate Research and Professional Learning.

“From a sports science perspective, the principles of strength training apply universally, whether strength training is achieved with machines, barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, rubber bands, body weight, or motor-based systems.”

She says the benefits of traditional weight training can largely be applied to digitally programmed strength training, including increases in strength, muscle mass, functional performance and metabolic health.

“Depending on the type and magnitude of loading, improvements in bone density also occur, meaning muscle adaptations are driven by mechanical loading and progression, rather than the brand or form of resistance,” she added.

The important thing is for users to focus on their movement technique, choose the appropriate resistance, and improve that resistance over time.

Professor Kong points out that: “Ultimately, any form of strength training is better than no strength training at all.”