Love the honest review. So honest that it seems to have pissed off some folks 😂. First time I’ve seen a video of yours but I’m immediately convinced to subscribe! Also, it’s not even like your completely bashing the product. Just listing pros and cons as a precaution to potential buyers, which is exactly what anyone looks for in a review before buying. High quality review!
Thanks for the video. I was thinking of getting this as I'm outgrowing my current home gym and was thinking this would work. But seems a bit more work than I want to do especially with needing a 20 Amp circuit. So going to go back to looking at the bowflex revolution as I do like being able to adjust those arms and doesn't require any electricity.
Thanks for leaving a comment Mike, I'm glad the video was useful. I've also looked at the bowflex revolution and it looks like a great machine that's able to get you a full body workout. i'm curious about the material quality and how it works. i can't seem to find any good review videos about that machine or atleast other users just posting about their experience.
You don’t need a 20 amp circuit nor a 12 gauge extension cord. I’ve used 15 amp circuit with the power cord it came with zero issues. You are the only person I’ve seen complain about this out of the 1000’s who own the GM. Your circuit must already be overloaded. A lot of your “cons” don’t make sense either. Cable training is unstable by design with is good training for tendons and joints. Heavy lifting with fixed axis machines are much worse for your joints. The accessories are cheap to keep cost down. If you are picky or need an upgrade, have at it. I did, especially the belt. The pad is supposed to have a “slit” for easy on and off… it won’t come off during a lift if you put it on correctly and doesn’t need a Velcro tab. Also, all cables on every machine that get a lot of use will eventually need to be replaced. You have some good points, but overall this review is bizarre and misleading. Especially when your friend is rolling around on the floor laughing like a maniac because you didn’t put a zip tie on.
Thank you for your thorough examination. As I stated in the video I am sharing my experience and the machine is still one of the best I’ve worked out on in terms of muscle contraction for non commercial equipment. That being said, I was tool to specifically use a circuit over 16Amp by the manufacturer when I told them what happened. The device also needs to be the ONLY device on that circuit. When I had the issue it was in my garage, the light was on and I was charging one of my lights. Had I know, I would have unplugged everything but again these are not things people usually think about hence the reason I am sharing, this has happened to others as well. For the tendons I am referring to using the barbell for any pressing movement. Example: At higher weights your form becomes jerky due to the constant weight and that is the issue, it’s best to use the handles. Agreed, the cheap accessories keep cost down. I am not picky, just saying what it is and what you should expect. Also, replacement accessories are expensive for the same quality, just check the website for yourself. Now the pad, that was me nick picking for the inconvenience, it slips off after every lifts. Other pads for the same price are better. Plus this pad doesn’t fit a regular barbell but other pads fit this and regular barbell. I prefer to use both machines and free weights so I need something that’ll accommodate both. Again, just my personal opinion. Agreed, cables do need replacement after certain use which is user dependent. I was still surprised how early some users on the Facebook group had to replace theirs compared to a steel cable usage data. To explain the laughing: For 3 weeks we had been trying to film a workout video and half way through the machine would start making this noise (again we didn’t know what was causing the noise). This occurred 3 times and we only have time to film on Saturdays. So you can imagine the frustration. Rather than get mad and throw a fit for wasting his time he just laughs it off. And remember this only happened towards the end of filming which is when we start lifting heavy and the fan picks up speed. I finally took the machine apart the third week to find the cause of the noise. Working out without the plate in the machine (which is unsafe) to discover the cord in the back would get sucked into the fan so I added the extra zip tie in that location. Apologies if my video seem misleading, but I tried my best to explain the reasoning behind any issue I had. It would be a while another story had i not explained that the noise was due to a cable coming in contact with the fan which was an error on my part. I hope you understand.
@@LegallySwoleI don’t mean to beat on you! Your channel is actually kind of cool. I’m planning on getting into the equipment review space as well, if for nothing else than some (free) equipment to review. Your video was shared on the Official Speediance page and now others are mentioning not buying it bc of the the 20amp circuit thing. Yes, everything is your experience and opinion which you are entitled to. However, I’ve had no problems with power and the company actually recommends a 15amp circuit (according to their comment on your video in their group.) Hence the misleading part. Trolls like Kyle are the worst part about this machine. He started a FB group which is now barely active where he and a couple of other trolls repeatedly trashed the company and machine. Then he sold it and now still bashes it with his comments on your video. Now he brags about his Rep Ares 2.0 which hasn’t even shipped yet. No doubt he’ll eventually troll that company too, right Kyle? Your video is more cons than pros, which is the only reason I chimed it. For the money and what is currently available, it’s the best machine for digital resistance that is out there. It’s not perfect, but the lifetime subscription is the major separator. I HATE monthly subscriptions. I hope your channel continues to grow! The b-roll is great. I’ll be following 👍🏼
@@thefunnyfitguy ok I understand now. Yeah that was not my intention. I actually have 5 other great videos showcasing the fun aspect of the machine. If they are saying 15 amp is fine I will. Heck if RUclips has a update feature. I was just trying to quote the specs and since 16 amps isn’t a stand circuit, sizing up to 20 seemed reasonable.
Thanks for the review. I think the overall issue IMO is that most of these smart gyms only have 2 year warranties. To me that doesn’t sound like the company really backs their products. If they had a 5 year warranty then I’d consider a decent purchase. But for a beginner to just invest over 3k in gym equipment sounds pretty crazy to me.
2 year warranty screams experimental. I'm sorry. I love innovation, but the Vivarium people want 3600 plus a membership to get started with a 2 year warranty. My Powerblocks are 20 years old and work like new. Even the rubber resistance bands i purchased has a lifetime replacement warranty and they were only 60 bucks.😂 These machines are interesting and i believe they are the future of home fitness and hotel fitness centers for sure. We just are not there yet. That said, i have yet to see a guy build a quality physique with these machines exclusively. And I'm including every niche or gimmick machine since the solo flex-- Bowflex, x3, Nordic this... Blah blah blah The majority of the people who buy these type of machines are novices and continue to look like novices. Why? Most stop using it. The majority of the "reviews" for these machines are really just unboxing and initial impression videos where the people are so excited to show you their new toy. Never seen a successful "after" video in all these years. Search RUclips and you will see I'm telling the truth. I'm not saying you can't build a quality physique with these things, i just have never seen it done in 35 years. Maintaining seems more feasible. I have seen guys who switched over after building up with traditional training to keep it together with machines. Never the other way around though.
Wait a sec... So If the Machine is a 20 amp draw, doesn't it have a 20 amp cable? Wouldn't that plug have an extra notch on it so it's impossible to plug into a 15 amp outlet?
So it’s actually a 16 amp draw, since breakers are incremented by 5, it’s safer to go with 20. And to your point, the plug they use is a regular 3 prong plug. Usually I’d be like 1800w divide by 120V and get a 15amp circuit but there’s that issue with the motor starting current overloading the 15 amp breaker so you still have to size up to prevent the voltage drop issues. Funny thing is even the internal breaker in the machine (I checked the part number) is a 20 amp rated breaker. I wish they’d add a HUGE sticker saying requires 20amp circuit; I don’t know how many people fried their boards not knowing this.
@@thefunnyfitguy the cord is if your outlet is not near the machine. I never said the cord was required. I had my machine placed in a good location and that location was not near the outlet so i had to buy a cord.
I owned two of these, first one was defective and had it replaced. Replaced all of the accessories because the quality is cheap. In the end I sold my machine because the durability wasn't there and customer service isn't great. I felt relieved to know I wouldn't have to put up with the hassle of maintaining it.
Dang two? The maintenance on this at this point in time isn’t for everyone. I like having maintenance free equipment to get quick workouts in while my son is taking his naps
@@LegallySwole yeah, fortunately I ordered via Amazon so sending machine 1 back and getting it replaced was smooth. The key is if you get a machine that works then it can be a good fit. For me the tipping point was reading a post from a customer whose machine broke and even though it was still under warranty, the company made it really tough to get it fixed. Also, I'm 6'4 and the Gym Monster isn't a tall machine so lifts like lat pulldowns aren't realistic. I replaced mine with the REP PR-5000 rack and their new Ares 2.0 cable system with dual 310-lb stacks. That'll keep me happy for a long time.
Are you the “Kyle” / turd who started his own Speediance Facebook group with the intent of exposing their shady business practices but ended up just becoming a whiny baby? And then sold his machine and still complains about it on yet another social media channel? Or is that another Kyle?
Kyle… did you block me on the Home Gym FB group for calling you out for being a troll? Are you still lurking on RUclips to comment on a machine you don’t even own anymore? You must be new to lifting. You complain too much for someone who actually works out often.
@@thefunnyfitguy dude, I blocked you b/c you send some serious stalker vibes. Once I sold my Gym Monster and found others to take over the Speediance User Group I created, I moved on. But your comments in that group were weird, you ranted about my FB account and even the profile pic of my dog being fake. Once I proved you were wrong I left it at that but you just kept going, even others in the group commented it was strange. I've been training for 20+ years and belong to several FB groups but about a week after I left my Speediance User Group you show up out of nowhere and comment on one of my posts in another group. And your comment was off, too, something about welcoming me and I think you brought up my dog again. I showed your comment to some FB friends from the Speediance User Group and even they thought it was creepy. So yeah, that's why I blocked you. I've had this FB account for 13 years and don't remember the last time I blocked someone so that's saying something. And now here you are on RUclips, trolling on Legally Swole's channel, dude that's mental. His video showed up in my feed and my comments related to what he was discussing, I even stated that I had owned/sold my Gym Monsters. At least have some respect for this guy's content. Didn't you claim to be some kind of fitness coach? If that's the case would you want someone randomly showing up in your channel to post off-topic comments? And since you're somehow fixated on my training, I run a 4-day upper/lower body split with a focus on functional movements. I do a daily dynamic and passive stretching routine along with some HIIT and LISS cardio on non-lifting days. There you go, dude, hopefully that makes you happy but hopefully do the right thing and delete you comment from this channel, Legally Swole shouldn't have to read about your weird obsession.
if the device needs 1600 w it means that even a 7 amp circuit would work (7 amp x 240v = max 1610 w) if nothing else is with the circuit connected. I have a 10 amp circuit in a seperated room which is only for my fridge (I think a fridge needs like 500 w) so I hope my speediance monster will work there.
So I spoke with some people a few months back and they are reporting their 15 amps circuit working. I hope everything works out for you but if the motor is design to draw 15 amps I don’t think a 7 amp circuit or 10 amp circuit will be wise even with higher voltages. Keep us posted if everything works out… I’m curious
Love the honest review. So honest that it seems to have pissed off some folks 😂. First time I’ve seen a video of yours but I’m immediately convinced to subscribe!
Also, it’s not even like your completely bashing the product. Just listing pros and cons as a precaution to potential buyers, which is exactly what anyone looks for in a review before buying. High quality review!
BRUTALLY HONEST! RESPECT!
Thank you 👊🏿💪🏿
Best review on RUclips.
Thanks for the video. I was thinking of getting this as I'm outgrowing my current home gym and was thinking this would work. But seems a bit more work than I want to do especially with needing a 20 Amp circuit. So going to go back to looking at the bowflex revolution as I do like being able to adjust those arms and doesn't require any electricity.
Thanks for leaving a comment Mike, I'm glad the video was useful. I've also looked at the bowflex revolution and it looks like a great machine that's able to get you a full body workout. i'm curious about the material quality and how it works. i can't seem to find any good review videos about that machine or atleast other users just posting about their experience.
You don’t need a 20 amp circuit nor a 12 gauge extension cord. I’ve used 15 amp circuit with the power cord it came with zero issues. You are the only person I’ve seen complain about this out of the 1000’s who own the GM. Your circuit must already be overloaded.
A lot of your “cons” don’t make sense either. Cable training is unstable by design with is good training for tendons and joints. Heavy lifting with fixed axis machines are much worse for your joints. The accessories are cheap to keep cost down. If you are picky or need an upgrade, have at it. I did, especially the belt. The pad is supposed to have a “slit” for easy on and off… it won’t come off during a lift if you put it on correctly and doesn’t need a Velcro tab. Also, all cables on every machine that get a lot of use will eventually need to be replaced.
You have some good points, but overall this review is bizarre and misleading. Especially when your friend is rolling around on the floor laughing like a maniac because you didn’t put a zip tie on.
Thank you for your thorough examination. As I stated in the video I am sharing my experience and the machine is still one of the best I’ve worked out on in terms of muscle contraction for non commercial equipment.
That being said, I was tool to specifically use a circuit over 16Amp by the manufacturer when I told them what happened. The device also needs to be the ONLY device on that circuit. When I had the issue it was in my garage, the light was on and I was charging one of my lights. Had I know, I would have unplugged everything but again these are not things people usually think about hence the reason I am sharing, this has happened to others as well.
For the tendons I am referring to using the barbell for any pressing movement. Example: At higher weights your form becomes jerky due to the constant weight and that is the issue, it’s best to use the handles.
Agreed, the cheap accessories keep cost down. I am not picky, just saying what it is and what you should expect. Also, replacement accessories are expensive for the same quality, just check the website for yourself.
Now the pad, that was me nick picking for the inconvenience, it slips off after every lifts. Other pads for the same price are better. Plus this pad doesn’t fit a regular barbell but other pads fit this and regular barbell. I prefer to use both machines and free weights so I need something that’ll accommodate both. Again, just my personal opinion.
Agreed, cables do need replacement after certain use which is user dependent. I was still surprised how early some users on the Facebook group had to replace theirs compared to a steel cable usage data.
To explain the laughing: For 3 weeks we had been trying to film a workout video and half way through the machine would start making this noise (again we didn’t know what was causing the noise). This occurred 3 times and we only have time to film on Saturdays. So you can imagine the frustration. Rather than get mad and throw a fit for wasting his time he just laughs it off. And remember this only happened towards the end of filming which is when we start lifting heavy and the fan picks up speed. I finally took the machine apart the third week to find the cause of the noise. Working out without the plate in the machine (which is unsafe) to discover the cord in the back would get sucked into the fan so I added the extra zip tie in that location.
Apologies if my video seem misleading, but I tried my best to explain the reasoning behind any issue I had. It would be a while another story had i not explained that the noise was due to a cable coming in contact with the fan which was an error on my part. I hope you understand.
@@LegallySwoleI don’t mean to beat on you! Your channel is actually kind of cool.
I’m planning on getting into the equipment review space as well, if for nothing else than some (free) equipment to review.
Your video was shared on the Official Speediance page and now others are mentioning not buying it bc of the the 20amp circuit thing. Yes, everything is your experience and opinion which you are entitled to. However, I’ve had no problems with power and the company actually recommends a 15amp circuit (according to their comment on your video in their group.) Hence the misleading part.
Trolls like Kyle are the worst part about this machine. He started a FB group which is now barely active where he and a couple of other trolls repeatedly trashed the company and machine. Then he sold it and now still bashes it with his comments on your video. Now he brags about his Rep Ares 2.0 which hasn’t even shipped yet. No doubt he’ll eventually troll that company too, right Kyle?
Your video is more cons than pros, which is the only reason I chimed it. For the money and what is currently available, it’s the best machine for digital resistance that is out there. It’s not perfect, but the lifetime subscription is the major separator. I HATE monthly subscriptions.
I hope your channel continues to grow! The b-roll is great. I’ll be following 👍🏼
@@thefunnyfitguy ok I understand now. Yeah that was not my intention. I actually have 5 other great videos showcasing the fun aspect of the machine. If they are saying 15 amp is fine I will. Heck if RUclips has a update feature. I was just trying to quote the specs and since 16 amps isn’t a stand circuit, sizing up to 20 seemed reasonable.
You’re literally a clown dude.. a troll on the internet nothing more.
@@LegallySwolehe’s trolling you don’t pay any mind to this coward🤣 dudes a loser in real life guaranteed
Thanks for the review. I think the overall issue IMO is that most of these smart gyms only have 2 year warranties. To me that doesn’t sound like the company really backs their products. If they had a 5 year warranty then I’d consider a decent purchase. But for a beginner to just invest over 3k in gym equipment sounds pretty crazy to me.
2 year warranty screams experimental. I'm sorry.
I love innovation, but the Vivarium people want 3600 plus a membership to get started with a 2 year warranty.
My Powerblocks are 20 years old and work like new. Even the rubber resistance bands i purchased has a lifetime replacement warranty and they were only 60 bucks.😂
These machines are interesting and i believe they are the future of home fitness and hotel fitness centers for sure. We just are not there yet.
That said, i have yet to see a guy build a quality physique with these machines exclusively. And I'm including every niche or gimmick machine since the solo flex-- Bowflex, x3, Nordic this... Blah blah blah
The majority of the people who buy these type of machines are novices and continue to look like novices. Why? Most stop using it.
The majority of the "reviews" for these machines are really just unboxing and initial impression videos where the people are so excited to show you their new toy.
Never seen a successful "after" video in all these years. Search RUclips and you will see I'm telling the truth.
I'm not saying you can't build a quality physique with these things, i just have never seen it done in 35 years.
Maintaining seems more feasible. I have seen guys who switched over after building up with traditional training to keep it together with machines. Never the other way around though.
great to know about the 20amp circuit requirement thx
No problem 👍
Wait a sec... So If the Machine is a 20 amp draw, doesn't it have a 20 amp cable? Wouldn't that plug have an extra notch on it so it's impossible to plug into a 15 amp outlet?
So it’s actually a 16 amp draw, since breakers are incremented by 5, it’s safer to go with 20.
And to your point, the plug they use is a regular 3 prong plug. Usually I’d be like 1800w divide by 120V and get a 15amp circuit but there’s that issue with the motor starting current overloading the 15 amp breaker so you still have to size up to prevent the voltage drop issues.
Funny thing is even the internal breaker in the machine (I checked the part number) is a 20 amp rated breaker.
I wish they’d add a HUGE sticker saying requires 20amp circuit; I don’t know how many people fried their boards not knowing this.
It doesn’t need a dedicated 15 amp circuit. I have no clue what he’s talking about. Mine runs fine without a 12 gauge extension cord either.
@@thefunnyfitguy the cord is if your outlet is not near the machine. I never said the cord was required. I had my machine placed in a good location and that location was not near the outlet so i had to buy a cord.
@@LegallySwolegotcha. I’m pretty sure any indoor/outdoor extension cord would work. However, 12 gauge would certainly get the job done!
I owned two of these, first one was defective and had it replaced. Replaced all of the accessories because the quality is cheap. In the end I sold my machine because the durability wasn't there and customer service isn't great. I felt relieved to know I wouldn't have to put up with the hassle of maintaining it.
Dang two? The maintenance on this at this point in time isn’t for everyone. I like having maintenance free equipment to get quick workouts in while my son is taking his naps
@@LegallySwole yeah, fortunately I ordered via Amazon so sending machine 1 back and getting it replaced was smooth. The key is if you get a machine that works then it can be a good fit. For me the tipping point was reading a post from a customer whose machine broke and even though it was still under warranty, the company made it really tough to get it fixed. Also, I'm 6'4 and the Gym Monster isn't a tall machine so lifts like lat pulldowns aren't realistic.
I replaced mine with the REP PR-5000 rack and their new Ares 2.0 cable system with dual 310-lb stacks. That'll keep me happy for a long time.
Are you the “Kyle” / turd who started his own Speediance Facebook group with the intent of exposing their shady business practices but ended up just becoming a whiny baby? And then sold his machine and still complains about it on yet another social media channel?
Or is that another Kyle?
Kyle… did you block me on the Home Gym FB group for calling you out for being a troll? Are you still lurking on RUclips to comment on a machine you don’t even own anymore?
You must be new to lifting. You complain too much for someone who actually works out often.
@@thefunnyfitguy dude, I blocked you b/c you send some serious stalker vibes. Once I sold my Gym Monster and found others to take over the Speediance User Group I created, I moved on. But your comments in that group were weird, you ranted about my FB account and even the profile pic of my dog being fake. Once I proved you were wrong I left it at that but you just kept going, even others in the group commented it was strange. I've been training for 20+ years and belong to several FB groups but about a week after I left my Speediance User Group you show up out of nowhere and comment on one of my posts in another group. And your comment was off, too, something about welcoming me and I think you brought up my dog again. I showed your comment to some FB friends from the Speediance User Group and even they thought it was creepy. So yeah, that's why I blocked you. I've had this FB account for 13 years and don't remember the last time I blocked someone so that's saying something.
And now here you are on RUclips, trolling on Legally Swole's channel, dude that's mental. His video showed up in my feed and my comments related to what he was discussing, I even stated that I had owned/sold my Gym Monsters. At least have some respect for this guy's content. Didn't you claim to be some kind of fitness coach? If that's the case would you want someone randomly showing up in your channel to post off-topic comments?
And since you're somehow fixated on my training, I run a 4-day upper/lower body split with a focus on functional movements. I do a daily dynamic and passive stretching routine along with some HIIT and LISS cardio on non-lifting days. There you go, dude, hopefully that makes you happy but hopefully do the right thing and delete you comment from this channel, Legally Swole shouldn't have to read about your weird obsession.
if the device needs 1600 w it means that even a 7 amp circuit would work (7 amp x 240v = max 1610 w) if nothing else is with the circuit connected.
I have a 10 amp circuit in a seperated room which is only for my fridge (I think a fridge needs like 500 w) so I hope my speediance monster will work there.
So I spoke with some people a few months back and they are reporting their 15 amps circuit working.
I hope everything works out for you but if the motor is design to draw 15 amps I don’t think a 7 amp circuit or 10 amp circuit will be wise even with higher voltages.
Keep us posted if everything works out… I’m curious