Tonal Review – The Ultimate for Strength Training at Home

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I promised you guys I’d do a review of my entire home gym equipment so I’m not letting you down! So far we’ve covered two of my three smart home devices – The Mirror review, Peloton review, and now we’re moving on to what might be my favorite of all three – Tonal.

Again – this is NOT sponsored, I bought this with my own money and I’ve been using it for a months now so giving you guys my very honest review of the entire machine how it works and what it does!

LET’S START OFF WITH WHAT IS IT?

Tonal is an at-home strength training machine that uses electromagnetism to create resistance and mounts to your wall for a personalized workout with over 200 exercises, like deadlifts, bicep curls, and overhead presses, and on-demand coaching.

The way I like to put it is think of it as the Peloton of Strength training.

Tonal looks like a vertical TV screen that attaches to your wall. It has two arms that look like the standard arms of a weight machine and can be stowed away when not in use. It uses digital weights to provide users with a strength-based workout. The screen shows you workout videos as well as your progress during a workout. 

Tonal’s screen is what makes it stand out as a home-workout product, as well as its ability to replicate any weight room equipment with its digital weights. It’s honestly the only piece of weight equipment you would need to get a full body workout.

ARE THERE EXTRAS REQUIRED WHEN PURCHASING?

You can choose to add on the accessories bundle for extra; it includes Smart Handles, Smart Bar, a rope, bench, mat, and roller. To be entirely honest, I don’t really know why it is “extra” and not a requirement because I don’t know how you can even utilize the whole machine without the extras package so I would suggest adding this in as an essential item price.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

When you use Tonal for the first time, you register as a user then go through a practice workout where the machine learns your current strength levels. It then creates a workout plan for you based on the practice workout, as well as other variables that you choose such as how often you want to work out and what your workout goals are. If you prefer not to follow a workout plan then you can simply use Tonal as free weights.

Some users create their own workout plan on their own or with a personal trainer. Either way, Tonal measures several data points as you workout so you can easily track your progress.

HOW DO YOU SET IT UP?

A trained technician installs the Tonal machine for you. As long as you have 16″ studs in your home and a reliable WiFi connection, then you’ll have no issues with the installation. 

Installation isn’t free. It’s $250 and you are required to have a trained technician install it for you.

CONS? PRICE?

I’m going to be honest – Tonal is probably my favorite of all 3 of my machines BUT it also is quite the investment and the most expensive of the three.  You’ll be looking at a little over $4k when it’s all said and done. The base package is $2,995 and doesn’t include the bench, mat, or any other accessories. Like I mentioned above this kind of is a necessity if you want to utilize the full potential of the machine and the accessory set is an additional $495. Delivery and installation is $250 and don’t forget taxes. You also have to subscribe to their workout video service for at least 12 months at the rate of $49 per month. There are financing options available for $150 a month, which is comparable to many luxury gyms and studios. It’s worth it in the end but it does come at a steep “set up” cost is what I call it.

Another thing to consider which they don’t tell you initially – because of how complicated and how extremely heavy the machine is and how it has to be installed properly, if you do ever move you will have to have Tonal come remove the equipment from your home and re-install it into your new home to make sure everything has been done properly. To be honest, I’d want this done anyways because of the weight of the machine but just something to note in case you are planning on moving soon.

HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN YOU LIFT?

Tonal is equipped to pack 200 lbs of resistance. This means you don’t need to fuss with weight tracks or metal plates. Instead, the weights on this gym are all digital.

What I love most is that it features smart handles, which allows you to adjust the amount you a lifting with just a click of a button. You can have the weights off, get into position and then click the button on your smart handle to turn the weight on and start your set making it easy to get into correct form etc…

TECHNOLOGY FEATURES

Tonal has some of the most amazing tech features which makes it so unique and I can’t get enough of: 

1. Spotter Mode: The spotter feature lightens the load as it begins to feel you struggle, just as if you had someone spotting you at the gym. Once you work through a set and begin to slow down due to fatigue, Tonal will begin to decrease the load in an intuitive way that allows you to finish the set, but also get the work in, it’s pretty rad.
2. Chains/Eccentric: The chains and eccentric mode are, in my opinion, a serious enthusiast’s best friend. They’re easy to turn on mid-workout and provide extra resistance on both the lowering (eccentric) and lifting (chains/concentric) portions of the movement.
3. Strength Assessment: Before beginning your journey with Tonal, you’ll be asked to perform a strength assessment (which I mentioned above). This entails moving through an assessment exercise protocol for various reps that Tonal will then use to adjust weights accordingly for workouts. If you’re brand new to strength training, then this is an awesome feature to get you started.
4. Continual Tracking: This part of the tech is awesome for someone that loves data and tracking their progress. For every workout, Tonal tracks multiple variables including: time under tension, reps, sets, load, volume, and range of motion. It’s great for a beginner because it provides a broader understanding of their current training level, and it’s great for advanced enthusiasts because it can provide intrinsic goals to chase.

WORKOUT TYPES

Tonal offers members access to hundreds of workout classes led by the ten coaches. These classes range in length from 20 to 60 minutes and cover a broad range of exercises so that you can get a complete workout from the machine. Here are some of the current class categories:

Strength Training: This is Tonal’s main focus, and you can choose from hundreds of workouts designed to target different muscle groups to help you build muscle, improve overall fitness, or better excel at your preferred sport.

Cardio Classes: These classes combine weights with intense bursts of speed to max out your heart rate and build endurance.

Partner Workouts: These workouts are designed for two people who are switching off between sets. The system’s AI will automatically adjust weight levels between participants so that both parties get a good workout.

Custom Workouts: It’s possible to build your own workout by choosing from Tonal’s available movements and adjusting the reps and sets for each one.

Tonal equipment allows you to choose from more than 170 moves. Popular options include the barbell bent-over row, bench press, Bulgarian split squat, deadlift, goblet squat, lateral lunge, and more. You can filter these movements by the part of the body they target. Once you build up a class you like, you can name and save these workouts and repeat them as often as desired.

Yoga: You can stream yoga classes from the Tonal screen to improve your strength, stability, and balance. Workouts range from power yoga routines to post-workout recovery sessions.

Free Lift: It’s possible to create your own workout on the spot through Tonal’s Free Lift Mode. You can complete as many movements as you want, and the program’s AI will count your reps and sets and give you real-time weight suggestions.

Overall, this is a phenomenal machine and probably the one I get the most use out of. I’m more of a strength training person rather than cardio gal so I love this type of machine so much and you really can utilize it for every kind of workout out there! I hope this gave you guys some insight into this machine since I don’t feel like there’s a ton of information out there on Tonal right now! Let me know if you guys have any additional questions!

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