HGT: EP 25 - Voltra 1 - Updated Pros & Cons
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- Опубликовано: 16 фев 2024
- After about 6 months of use I feel like I can share what it has been like to use the Voltra 1 as my primary cable machine.
I know what you want to hear; "its sucks", "It's not worth the money", or "you are better off waiting for a cheaper model".
Although that last one might be a good financial decision for you, I cant tell you this machine sucks.
As a matter of fact, I think this type of machine may be the future of cable exercises. It is much more versatile, with more exercise options than any cable machine, all while doing what a traditional cable machine can do using less space in your home gym.
Pros - many
Cons - few
You decide for yourself.
I am not endorsed by, or affiliated with Beyond Power. I bought my own machine without any discounts or incentives from them. These videos only help me by getting them to continue making improvements through software upgrades and possible new features.
Thank you for helping me, its already working and the machine just keeps getting better.
This is an amazing piece of tech, it just needs to be about half the price for it to really make sense for me. The current price point puts in up against full blown functional trainers. I hope they improve on this more and the next generations that come out become more affordable.
Thanks for honest video. For someone who has to move a lot this is worth the price for me on moving day moving forward.
Moving day is much easier when you can just pack it up and take it with you.
Great review. Thanks for going in depth about the cons.
Gotta be honest, they listen and make improvements. Good company so far.
Thanks for the informative video.
My pleasure, thank you for watching
It's a very cool device! I love how it can let you pick how long string goes out before resistance so you could hook this up to rack mounted leg curl/extension and use that vs weight and have much better range of motion and higher eccentrics. I spent so much already on gym rack weights dual cables from Rep but I like how it can be moved, taken on trips, just a ton of versatility.
As a new piece of technology that can replace or work alongside so many parts of home gym equipment, I think devices like this will begin to take the place of a lot of those bulky hard to move machines.
My favorite thing about Beyond Power right now is how responsive they are to their customers to work out bugs and do software updates that accommodate what the people want. That alone puts them at the top of my list. Cant wait to see how this evolves.
Thank you for subscribing, and thank you for your feedback!
Thanks for taking one for the team, and shelling out the cash to do an unbiased review! As many have already said $2400+ is a lot to front for a device with an unproven track record, but the ability to bump up the eccentric on lifts is a very attractive capability. Especially since there’s more focus on time under tension and eccentric overload for improved hypertrophy. Keep up the great work!
The eccentric adjustments are huge. There is quite a few options in here that are impossible without the innovation to bring tech into the gym.
@@homegymtalkagreed the eccentric modifier is a game changer. This may not be “the” machine that will change everything .. but.. maybe the v2. I guess its as u put it, let’s see what thr company does, software updates, warrantee extensions etc. The whole power output measurements, reps, its pretty slick. Thx for the review
I am curious to see what they do. There is a lot room for development here
What about the Maiak Go? Seems to have the same specs but 1/4 of the price. But doesn't seem to be available yet.
Your review inspired me to get a Voltra 1 with travel platform and bar mount. Used it now for about one week with platform and bar mount on pull up bar and think it's a great piece of equipment. I realised you can also combine chain with eccentric mode for quite effective exercises. Am toying with the thought of adding a second Voltra 1 plus small rack or the Vitruvian Trainer+ for bench exercises, squats....
Thats great!! They are pretty customizable with the various mounting options and settings. Happy to hear that it is working out for you. I see it as the future for cables at home. Such a space saver and easy to use.
Thanks man 🙏
💪🏻
love the capabilities of this. i think you did a fantastic job of showing real world usage and being honest about expectations. my issue is and always will be the battery. i don't have an ev because of battery limitations and have had crap luck with phone batteries. if this were 1-1.5k for one or 2.5k for 2 if most likely jump on board but for nearly 5k that's a tough choice.
i like the innovation though
My understanding is that the batteries are replaceable. It is not the typical AA batteries. Basically you are pulling against the most compact EV in the world. I will definitely investigate what the cost of a replacement battery pack is to determine the affordability of future replacements.
@@homegymtalk battery replacements are about $400-not cheap, but not pricey enough to invalidate the entire purchase
Thank you. I agree, that is a lot, but not enough to deter me. Guess it comes down to battery life. The battery and cable seem to be where the wear and tear will happen the most, but for what it is and what it does, that seems pretty reasonable to me.
@@homegymtalk thankfully, they also stock spare cables for $100
Looking good, I might get one, considering I don't have much space for a cable installation. And indeed, it would be better if you could more easily switch between weights, especially when doing supersets. Just a push and you're back to the previous setting. Shouldn't be too difficult to program.👍
After I did that video I reached out to beyond power and it seems that as a result of people speaking about it they have made an adjustment in the next software update to adjust by 1, 5, or 10lbs.
Cable is listed as a 12 month warranty on the Beyond Power website, would be interesting to see what they say if you approached them about an in warranty replacement for your cable or if they provide guidance on when the fraying is sufficient to require a replacement. They also just sell it directly it looks like.
They do provide a percentage of cable life left similar to a battery, after 6 months mine is at about 55% left. I am having a replacement sent in and will probably see how far I need to go before changing it.
Great review. I’d like to see lateral raises and overhead tricep extensions.
Home Gym Talk: Episode Nineteen - Shoulders & Arms (Leaving the ego at the door)
ruclips.net/video/FDR3yEtHhqE/видео.html
This video should show both of those exercises. I have some others where I was able to use the bench for tricep extensions as well.
Thanks so much for your excellent review, I've been considering this for my home gym. A few questions:
1. I saw you plug it in when it was mounted - if one was to rig a usb-c cable up in their rack, could he or she just leave it plugged in while lifting, or does it have to be disconnected?
2. What does the updating process look like? Do they update it with any frequency, does it have wifi or do you have to connect it to your computer?
3. I travel for work a good bit, is this something you could easily mount in a hotel room? I heard you mention something about mounting it to a wall, does it come with that accessory or do you have to get it separately? If that is something you have, it would be great to see in a future review
4. I keep a gym membership as it is tough to have everything at home I want to use, would this be easy to set up and use at my local. gym?
Great videos, so glad that lifting is aiding you in your recovery. Keep it up! I have MS and I would have wasted away by now if I wasn't a fellow gym rat! Seriously, you should see some people that are 10 years into it like I am, it starts with one symptom, but can get out of control so quickly. Every pound I gain is precious to me!
Color options would be great.
Agreed, I would love it in Black and Red!
Have the shogun flex, similar product- only goes to 44 pounds- was really happy with it until I broke the rope off….really tempted to get this
I did look at quite a few other models, but with the amount of weight I wanted this was the only thing that seems to be strong enough at the moment.
@@homegymtalk you know if they sell mounting accessories if you don’t have a squat rack? The website is a little unclear on that
I believe they have a wall mount. I know they sell a travel platform that you stand on. Works good for pull exercises.
You can do soooo much with cables. Shoulders. Chest. Arms. Back. I'm excited to see where this goes
Its a great option if its in your budget. It has become a staple in my home gym
You can do all of that and more (including eccentric) with the Synapse CCR. I hope this channel will do a review of that one some time!
Very cool. Is there a Virtual Spotter mode for Bench press (if you have two of them)?
They do have an assist mode, which I have not fully explored. I have not had the need for "virtual spotter" yet, but I will look into how the assist mode helps and add that into my next video for you.
Great video, I was hoping that you will talk about voltra after using it for a longer time. That's a nice in-depth analysis, and great observations. I'm a bit worried about the thread/cable - you've showed that it start to look 'worn out' noticeably after 6 month of use by 1 person (3-4 times a week) - that's not a commercial conditions, so it seems like it has worn out a bit fast. Is there an option to just replace the cable on your own, do Beyond Power sell replacement cable? I imagine that replacing cable on your own needs you to open this thing - does that violate the warranty? ALSO: it has only 12 months of warranty... only 1 year warranty for a premium product? It's a serious con for me - like I cannot be sure if this thing will work properly for years (which I would expect after paying more than 2k USD).
I am with you on that my friend. Not knowing how this device will perform down the road does make me nervous. If it fails, it's a brick, unless replaced or repaired. Big Con. But so far the service and support has been great. I reached out to Beyond Power last night and they are sending me a replacement cable, I assume that they will be selling them as well. They are sending me a link for a video on how to replace the cable myself. I will do a video on that when it comes in as well. Not sure about the warranty, but I will ask and report back in my next video.
How does it feel for lat pull downs? Does the cable rub on it going straight down or do you need to angle it?
I can use it straight up and down, prior to the most recent update it was a little jerky with the heavier weight. But they have addressed that in the most recent update. So, now it is smooth and it feels really good going up to 200 pounds
I’m not a huge cable user so I bought the Shogun Flex for $250. Have had it a few days and used it in two workouts so far. Probably nowhere near the quality of the Voltra but has an eccentric mode which works pretty smoothly. Battery life could be better but that’s possibly due to how much I’m changing the settings in the app trying to test the features.
I know there are some quality units out there. It really depends on how much weight you need and how much you use it. I like the quality of the Voltra with the heavy weight. I bet there are a lot of people that could get away with a smaller more affordable unit like the shogun
It says the Shogun FLEX goes up to 44lbs max. Is this correct?
@@mreverybody1150 that’s correct. Certainly not enough for rows or pulldowns but gets the job done for accessories and will be easy to travel with.
I'm very interested. However, that string would definitely want to be easy to change. Especially if you want to use it as an all in one 5 days per week
I watched a video for changing it, but I haven’t tried it myself yet. Looks fairly straightforward but I will do a video on it when it is time to change it.
Is there an option to change the ratio to a 1:1, 2:1 and/or 4:1 ratio? That would really improve the "jerking" motion and provide versatility for different training modes as well as allow a much smoother experience.
Yea, that fraying seems a little worrisome especially for the price. I wonder what their reasoning was behind using that type of material.
Overall it's well built for a Gen 1 product.
Great question @marckspal. Currently there is no way to change the weight ratio. At least as far as my knowledge of the machine goes. I did look through it and although that is not an option, it appears to have various settings that will adjust the eccentric control. I am testing that out in future exercises to see how that effects the jerkiness during eccentric movements.
According to the Cable Health monitor, that fraying is happening at about 44% of cable integrity, meaning there is about 56% left on it. They did offer to send a replacement cable which I will also do a video on once I receive it. They stated that the cable was, "stronger than steel" when I asked. I guess we will see...
My understanding is that the smoothness resulting from higher weight ratios is a byproduct of the fact that the weight stack is not moving as far and therefore not as quickly as with a 1:1 ratio, so there’s less momentum. With this device there is no moving weight stack to gain momentum and “jerk” against the cable so I don’t think different “ratios” would be needed here.
This is one of those tricky decisions because the Pros far outweigh the Cons BUT items like the dialed motion unit offers a similar variation but will NEVER need a new battery, cable looks like it will last longer, etc. We can use real chains and real bands but overloading the eccentric like it does is next level. People just have to get used to having to replace cables and batteries after spending a lot of money. Guess this might be one of those amazing devices that is for people with deeper pockets than most.
I had looked into a unit like that before buying the voltra. I agree, I think the dialed motion unit allows for a true cable system experience. I found that for the type of cable use that I needed I was willing to have to replace some of the parts to have the pros of a true weight free experience. Thank you for the comment!
11:11 can you please make a video on the replacement of the string. 🙏🏾
They have shipped me a new cable and I will have that video up on that as soon as it arrives.
Is the string replacement covered in warranty?
This looks like such a cool device biggest problem is i dont have a power rack to hook it up to
They do have a travel platform and other ways to set it up in your home gym without a rack.
Me either. I think the travel platform will be good enough for most things and then you can buy their fixed mounting brackets and just fix them to a wall or plank of wood and position it however you want to
I ordered the travel platform, I am looking forward to seeing how much I can do with it. The fixed mounting brackets would be a great alternative to having a squat rack for sure. Looking to see how others have designed their hime gyms with the Voltra1.
@homegymtalk I'm definitely considering this but the price really needs to be knocked down that price is crazy
@@rybaldtI think a lot of people feel the same way.
As a Speediance owner I gotta say It's a nice piece of equipment, BUT...
The price tag is a killer. For a bench press or squats you'll need two of these. On top of that, you need a rack (a half-decent one adds $1500), and it takes much more space with the rack in the basement.
My speediance is perfect for basic push/pull workouts. But it lacks for squats, deadlift and bench press (220lbs max).
Vitruvian lacks in pull down capability, but it goes up to 440lbs. Great for squats, deadlifts and bench press.
My perfect combo is speediance + vitruvian. It will still cost less than two of those pullies + rack system.
The price would need to be cut by almost 50% to convince me.
Based on your setup, and the desire to have everything be electronic, that makes perfect sense. To replicate what you can do with those two devices using the Voltra1 would be expensive for sure.
Personally, I only use it to supplement the need for a full weight stack pulley system.
The Voltra1 does offer other mounts besides the rack mount that eliminate the need for the squat rack, but again, I would not feel comfortably moving all of my lifting to E-Weights.
I love me some old fashion squats and deadlifts with the barbell and heavy weights to throw around!!
@@homegymtalk thanks for the reply. We both agree then. I like "old school" weights too, digital weights have a different feel and no momentum/inertia (can be a good thing, less cheating). Digital weights feel heavier. I can squat 220 lbs 2-3x but I’ll barely squat 180lbs on speediamce. It’s weird. It blocks me at a certain phase due to no inertia.
I’d go with regular rack and weights but I’d need a proper rack with a safety hook - my 130lbs wife is great at everything but spotting 😆 and those are expensive and roomy (racks, wives even more pricey). To complete a set with a good rack and 440lbs costs more than vitruvian. If I go beyond 440lbs (which in squats feels more like 500lbs IMO) I can always sell and replace. I doubt it if my joints can manage to exceed 440lbs digital though.
Safe lifts!
Price would need to be lower for me as well but I've got a buddy who has a Speediance and I wasn't impressed. Why design a cable machine that short when the standard height of a functional trainer is 7-ft. There are 2 motors in a Speediance but the max weight is only 220-lbs. Whoever designed the Speediance workout videos didn't know what they were doing. My buddy said you can design your own workouts but the software sucks so he uses the basic workout mode for his training program and the Hevy app b/c Speediance can't do any of that. Seems like you're paying a lot of money for that gym and only using a small part of it when a decent cable machine would beat it.
Hope the price comes down on these
I think we are all hoping for that!
The accuracy of the weight on such a small machine is crazy!
Apart from the cost, have you ever wanted to use two of these at the same time for dual arm use?
I have actually thought about grabbing ing another one. I think cloning them and doubling the weight on some exercises would be amazing. Haven’t pulled the trigger yet, I am still into my barbell exercises too much to need 400lbs on a rack
@@homegymtalk Hey man, i've really appreciated the content on the Voltra 1. Do you have a referral code/link for the device?
Thank you for asking. I dont have that kind of relationship with them. I just review them for myself and you guys, no affiliation. Just want my fellow gym goers to be informed on whats out there.
Can you use it 90° tilted? Does the screen tilt as well?
Yes you can! The screen tilts and adjusts to the 0 or 90 degree angle.
I am thinking about screwing the Fixed Rack Mount right on the wall behind the curtain so i can turn my livingroom into a gym@mtalk. I do already have a stall bar next to it and a pull-up bar in my corridor and some Vipr weights
That sounds like a great idea. If I didn’t have the squat rack I would do something similar
Can you use it whilst it's charging?
Yes, it will work while charging, unless it is below 5%.
Force=mass x acceleration, the fact that it isn’t moving with the 90lbs actually means it’s pretty dead on the money, if voltra was more than 90, it would pull it back up.
That is a great point. I definitely should’ve paid more attention in science class.
presets would be perfect! one click to set the weight quickly!
I am pushing hard for this. I feel like that one change alone would make this device ten times more amazing!!
They are coming from an iOS app. Will allow for programming in drop sets etc.
12-month warranty for a minimum $2,100 price tag. So basically the company has no confidence in its durability. How is that not a con?
I am not sure how a working product with replaceable parts for wear and tear is considered a con. This machine is extremely well made and well thought out. I cant imagine a lifetime warranty, I dont even have one of those on my iPhone…
@@homegymtalk not saying there should be a lifetime warranty but 12 months is short for the minimum $2,100 price tag. Wear and tear aside with the cable, you've got a motor, software components, etc. that could develop issues. Other companies such as Speediance, Vitruvian, Tonal, etc. that use magnetic resistance for their cabling systems all have a minimum 2-year warranty.
Absolutely agree. I dont know much about their reasoning for the one year warranty, so I cant speak on it too much.
I do feel like the future of electronic gym equipment is going to be full of new products like this with future iterations being much better and probably with longer warranties as the tech gets better.
For me it is worth working with them because I believe that the product will eventually become a reasonable replacement for weight stacks, but that just from my perspective.
I can see how others may be deterred by the limited warranty and what “could” go wrong with it. Happy to be one of the ones putting it through the tests to see what it can do so you dont have to risk it if it doesn’t hold up.
I will keep challenging it to see what it can handle and keep you updated in future videos. Thank you for watching, and for your input!
@@homegymtalkyeah, I'd be interested in the Voltra if they went with a 2-yr warranty and I like the concept. There's a lot of versatility with this system, especially like you said if you had a pair of them. You could put up some solid weight with just a rack/cage and not have to deal with the hassle of plate stacks.
I mean it’s in an environment where it will probably get trashed pretty easy
Man, for $2500 or around $2700 or more to your door you could've gotten a whole lot more and for 2 of these to do flies and crossovers Oh Good Gracious over $5400 you could've gotten a stupid Great cable set up or a whole gym. I can't understand the price tag on this with all that is out there. It's no where worth the price. Do you realize what you could get for $2700 or $5400. You must not
Oh Well
I get it, it may not be for everyone. I dont have the space for something that large in my home gym to set up a double cable system in addition to my squat rack. Personally, I love the versatility of this and it is worth the price for me. It does work as a travel unit and it has many more functions than a traditional weighted cable pulley system. My favorite part is that if I move this is coming with me and I wont be selling my weight-rack on facebook marketplace for half of what I paid for it.