No more dumbbells or weight plates: Could a digital home gym replace your gym membership?

SINGAPORE – Many of Mr Tan Guo Xiang’s home workout videos on social media platform TikTok have at least one variation of the following comment: “What is that device you are using, and how much did it cost?”

That is because the 36-year-old software engineer, who also posts his videos on Instagram and YouTube, is not using dumbbells or weight plates in his strength training routine. Nor is he using other common gym equipment like a cable machine. 

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

The portable machine, which uses direct-drive technology, is armed with a 2.6m cable that can be used to perform popular strength training movements such as weighted squats, kickbacks and shoulder presses.

Users can set a resistance of up to 200 pounds (around 90kg) directly on the device. 

It is just one example of a fledgling frontier in the fitness world: digital gyms that operate on electromagnetic resistance.

After a health scare in 2025, Mr Tan was keen to get serious about his fitness. He previously had a gym membership, but felt he was unable to get the most out of it after three months.

“The friction of actually getting to the gym was too much. With a home gym, I just walk from one room to another,” says Mr Tan, who has a 37-year-old wife and two sons aged five and seven.

Mr Tan was drawn to digital gyms, particularly the Voltra 1, because of their sleek, compact design.

“It can be kept away in my drawer if needed, and it does not clash with the rest of our home’s interior design style, which is important to my wife,” he says of his Voltra 1.

The machine sits in the spare room of Mr Tan’s 1,250 sq ft HDB flat. In the event the room has to be repurposed one day – for instance, to become a bedroom for one of his sons – it will be much easier to find another place for the Voltra 1 than for an entire rack of dumbbells or a cable machine.

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

Mr Gaddiel See, sales and operations manager of Speediance Singapore, says that the company has sold more than 1,000 units of its Gym Monster V2 since launching in Singapore in the second half of 2023.

“What has been particularly striking is how organic this growth has been, with a significant portion of our new customers coming through word-of-mouth from existing owners,” he tells The Straits Times.

The Gym Monster V2 is a bulkier device, as it has two main components: a base platform that is 1.25m long, and an upper bar that is 1.85m high and equipped with a digital screen. Users can set a resistance of up to 100kg in total across its two cables. The set-up also comes with a bench.

Meanwhile, the Innodigym P1 is a flat, floor-based platform that looks similar to an aerobics stepper. The resistance on the basic P1 Lite model can go up to 60kg in total across the pulleys located on the far left and far right side of the platform. Higher specification variants ($1,209 to $2,109) can go up to 150kg resistance in total.

All three machines use direct-drive motors to generate digital resistance through their cables.

“The motor that powers digital resistance gives you a smooth, constant pull that feels safe like resistance bands, but with precise digital weight controls,” says Mr Poh Shen, co-founder of local fitness retailer The Great Company, which distributes the Innodigym devices in Singapore.

Moreover, gravity is not a factor in the same way that it is with dumbbells and barbells, he adds. “Lifting with digital resistance removes momentum entirely.” 

In turn, this can result in digital resistance being more challenging than a dumbbell or barbell of the same weight.

American fitness brand Tonal is credited as having pioneered the smart gym with its eponymous wall-mounted device, which launched in 2018 and is officially available only in the US.

The V-Form Trainer from Australian start-up Vitruvian was briefly available for purchase in Singapore through gym chain Fitness First in 2021. Since 2022, The Great Company has sold a few types of different digital gyms, including the V-Form Trainer, before settling on the Innodigym P1 in 2023.

“Their product offering provides us with more options for our customers, in terms of price, and also in terms of servicing different workout and resistance needs,” says Mr Poh, who adds that sales for the device have been steady.

What is the point of these digital gyms? 

Mr See says that digital gyms are made for the typical Singapore home because they are so compact.

“These machines are ideal for anyone who wants a complete, full-body strength training experience, but lives in an HDB flat or condominium where space is at an absolute premium.”

The Speediance Gym Monster V2 occupies less than 2.7 sq ft of floor space when folded up. It weighs 90kg, but has wheels that allow it to be rolled around easily. 

Meanwhile, the basic Innodigym P1 Lite is 75cm long, 35cm wide and 5.5cm tall, and weighs 12kg.

There is also no need to worry about disturbing downstairs neighbours, adds Mr See. 

“A traditional cable machine uses a physical stack of iron plates. When you drop the stack, it clangs. The Speediance Gym Monster, for instance, is virtually silent in operation. The only sound is the movement of the cable itself.”

With the Beyond Power Voltra 1, a cooling fan does kick in at higher weights, says Mr Tan. “But it just sounds like a CPU fan. It’s nothing your neighbours would notice.”

There is also no risk of accidentally damaging the flooring from a dropped weight, he adds. “I previously used adjustable dumbbells, but you always had to be careful. If you drop a heavy dumbbell, you risk gouging a hole in the floor.”

Even if the Voltra 1’s cable is dropped during use, the machine has a built-in slip detection feature that slows down the cable if a slip is detected.

For advanced lifters and athletes, these devices also offer unique training modes, such as eccentric loading, says Mr Poh.

“This adds more resistance as you return the cable, thereby increasing muscle time under tension. You can’t do this with regular dumbbells.”

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

What are the disadvantages of these digital gyms?

The Beyond Power Voltra 1 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 must either purchase additional mounting accessories, or figure out their own mounting set-ups. 

These cost upwards of US$99, and they must still be mounted on third-party equipment such as a calisthenics ladder, which Mr Tan has installed in his flat, or squat rack.

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

The Speediance Gym Monster does not have this issue, as its upper bar allows for top-down movements. 

Mr See adds that these devices are also not designed for explosive weightlifting movements such as the “clean and jerk” or “snatch”. “These movements rely on generating momentum through the bar, which does not translate well to a cable-based system.”

Digital gyms using floor-based platforms, such as the Innodigym, also require a “counterweight” to keep them stable. 

“You always need to be applying force downward on the platform. You can never lift your own body weight off it,” says Mr Tan, who sometimes uses a separately purchased floor platform (US$199), also from Beyond Power, with his Voltra 1. 

This means when users perform movements such as bench presses or hip thrusts – where they will not be standing or sitting on the platforms directly – they will need to find some other method to weigh the platforms down, such as with heavy dumbbells or furniture. 

Digital gyms, being electronic devices, require power to run. Both the Speediance Gym Monster V2 and Innodigym P1 must be hooked up to power outlets. Meanwhile, the Beyond Power Voltra 1 has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Mr Tan says that he usually charges the device once a week, after three to four hourly sessions.

Also, electronic devices typically have a finite lifespan. It is not clear how many years digital gyms can function for, since this is a very young market segment.

However, with proper care, keeping the machine away from excessive moisture and not overloading the cables, a well-maintained Speediance unit is engineered for a lifespan well in excess of 10 years, says Mr See.

He says that his own Speediance Gym Monster V2 still functions as well as it did when he acquired it in 2022. 

“The machine is very modular in nature, which makes it easy to replace the particular component should it fail,” he adds.

It is the same with the Beyond Power Voltra 1, says Mr Tan. “The components are replaceable individually. If the battery drains, I can buy a replacement pack. If the cable wears down, I can buy just that part.” 

For issues with the Innodigym, Mr Poh says The Great Company will continue to provide free diagnostic support even after the one-year warranty period, and customers can buy individual replacement parts like cables or internal components directly from it. 

The smart software bundled with some of these digital gyms are another potential source of problems.

Some models, such as the Australia-made Vitruvian Trainer+, can be used only with its accompanying software. Following media reports in late 2025 that the company went into administration, some users had to take matters into their own hands by developing their own app, so they can continue using their digital gym when the Vitruvian app goes fully offline.  

But the Speediance Gym Monster V2, Innodigym P1 and Beyond Power Voltra 1 can all be used without downloading any apps.

“You can still set a weight, perform any exercise and track your reps without the app. The app enhances the experience significantly, but the machine is not rendered useless without it,” says Mr See.

Can digital gyms actually make you stronger and fitter?

Associate Professor Kong Pui Wah of the National Institute of Education’s (NIE) Physical Education and Sports Science department, tells ST that the resistance training offered by these machines is not inferior to traditional weight training.

“Digital resistance training is an effective way of improving muscle strength and function,” says Prof Kong, who is also associate dean for continuing education and training at NIE’s Office of Graduate Studies and Professional Learning. 

“From a sports science perspective, the principles of resistance training apply universally, no matter whether the resistance comes from machines, barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, elastic bands, bodyweights or motor-based systems.”

She says that the benefits of traditional weight training are largely also applicable to digitally programmed resistance training, such as increases in muscle strength, muscle mass, functional performance and metabolic health. 

“Bone density improvements can also occur, depending on the type and magnitude of loading. In short, muscle adaptations are driven by mechanical loading and progression, not the brand or form of resistance,” she explains. 

What is important is for users to focus on the technique of their movements, to choose the appropriate load, and to progress that load over time.

As Prof Kong points out: “Ultimately, any form of resistance training is better than no resistance training at all.”