A home gym without weights, without chains, without noise. Does it sound like science fiction? The Speediance Gym Monster 2 is a reality that has gained hundreds of thousands of users worldwide over the past year. Last year, it became the best-selling smart home gym on Amazon in both the US and Europe. We tested it for three months – and here are the results.
What exactly is it?
The Gym Monster 2 is a smart home gym powered by two electric motors. No physical weights, no plates – resistance from 3.5 to 100 kg is generated by motors with a lifespan of 10,000 hours (that's 13 years with a two-hour workout every day). The manufacturer, Speediance, operates in over 80 markets and has sold over 100,000 units.
Hardware: What's in the box
The heart of the machine is a 21.5" LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 1080×1920 px, Android 13, 4 GB RAM, and 64 GB of storage. Connectivity is provided by Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi on both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. The 2×10 W stereo speakers can handle even a louder workout.
When folded, its dimensions are 185×70×40 cm; when unfolded, it takes up a depth of 125 cm. For the workout itself, an area of 2–4 m² is sufficient. The machine weighs 85 kg, but thanks to its wheels, you can move it to another room in less than 5 minutes.
Variants and prices
The Gym Monster 2 is available in four variants:
- Basic – CZK 92,990
- Work (+ basic bench) – CZK 96,990
- Work Plus (+ adjustable bench) – CZK 99,990
- Family Plus (+ rowing machine) – CZK 109,990
The newer Gym Monster 2S model offers a maximum load of 120 kg, a weight of 82 kg, and automatic platform unfolding with a button. The Work Plus costs CZK 116,990, and the Family Plus costs CZK 129,990.
Workout: 1,000+ exercises in your pocket
The database contains over 90 workout plans and over 1,000 exercises – and 2–3 new programs are added every week. The machine offers 4 unique resistance modes:
- Standard – constant resistance like a classic dumbbell
- Eccentric – increased resistance even during the return (ideal for muscle building)
- Chain – resistance increases as the movement reaches the top phase
- Constant speed – stable resistance suitable for rehabilitation
The safety system detects load imbalance and automatically reduces resistance if overloaded – great for rehabilitation or beginners. The noise level during an intense workout is approximately 58 dB, which is roughly like a TV at normal volume.
Software and AI: Wellness+
Basic access to all exercises and programs is completely free. The premium Wellness+ subscription (24.9 USD/month or 249 USD/year, i.e., approximately CZK 520/month) adds:
- AI-powered personalized training plans continuously adjusted based on your results
- AI food scanning from photos with calorie and macronutrient calculation
- Sleep and HRV analysis
- Cardiovascular fitness tracking
- Comparison with a database of 100,000+ measurements from Speediance Intelligence Lab
The AI in the background is powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT in combination with Speediance tools – and it functions fully in Czech.
Mobile app and integration
The app is available for both iOS (Apple Health) and Android (Google Fit). It tracks dozens of metrics – heart rate, HRV, sleep, body fat, BMI, stress, and more – with overviews for 7, 30, and 365 days. Apple Watch displays heart rate directly on the machine's screen. You can play music via Speediance Music or Apple Music; Spotify is not natively supported, but it works flawlessly via Bluetooth from your smartphone.
Installation and first startup
The machine arrives on a pallet. Unpacking with two people is recommended (85 kg). From unpacking to screwing together the rower and the first workout, the whole process takes approximately 30 minutes. After plugging it into electricity, all you need to do is create a user profile – the machine supports multiple users with their own profiles.
Energy consumption
In standby mode, the machine consumes approximately 0.28 kWh per day, which is equivalent to about CZK 1.50 per day.
Conclusion: Who is the Gym Monster 2 ideal for?
The Speediance Gym Monster 2 is not cheap, but as a primary home solution or a complement to a gym, it offers an exceptional balance of performance, compactness, and smart features. The Work Plus variant is the optimal choice – the adjustable bench significantly expands the range of available exercises.
Pros: compactness, quiet operation, wide range of exercises, active software development, AI integration, rehabilitation modes, Apple Watch integration, multi-user profiles.
Cons: higher purchase price, sometimes imperfect Czech localization of the interface, Spotify without native support, AI food scanning weaker on specific Czech foods.
Sdílet:
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