Gym memberships have climbed steadily over the past few years, often hitting €50-€70 monthly in cities. Add commute time, peak-hour crowds, and the logistics of fitting workouts around unpredictable schedules, and the appeal of training at home becomes obvious. Sprinkle in an ever-growing number of days spent working from home and home gyms start to look enticing, despite the space they take up.
At IFA Berlin this year, one company caught my eye; Speedience with the Gym Monster 2.
This isn’t a full review or verdict on the Speediance Gym Monster 2 because it warrants an introduction itself because it’s almost a category of its own.
What the Gym Monster 2 Actually Is
In plain terms, the Gym Monster 2 is a motorised resistance training system designed for home use. Instead of weight plates or stacks, it uses digital resistance based on motors that create tension you work against. A built-in screen handles workout guidance, tracking, and form feedback. The pitch is straightforward: replace your gym membership with a single unit that handles strength training, provides structured programmes, and tracks progress automatically.
The “gym replacement” ambition is bold. Whether it delivers on that depends heavily on what you’re replacing and what you prioritise in training. That’s what the full review will dig into. I myself am aiming for taking on dry January and having a whole month of looking after myself. And that should pave the way for a full review.
How It Differs From Traditional Equipment
The most obvious distinction is the absence of physical weights. No plates to load, no stacks clattering, no manual pin adjustments between sets. The Gym Monster 2 generates resistance electronically, adjusting instantly through software rather than mechanical changes.
Footprint matters here. A proper cable machine or multi-station gym occupies significant floor space even when not in use. The Gym Monster 2 folds more compactly, not pocket-sized, but manageable in apartments where dedicated gym rooms aren’t realistic. Ask me or my other half and you’ll get a varying opinion on whether this suits apartments, but I’d argue it fits.
The built-in screen shifts the experience toward guided workouts rather than freestyle training. This suits some users perfectly and frustrates others. If you prefer designing your own sessions or working purely instinctively, the software-driven approach might feel restrictive. If you want structure and don’t know where to start, it removes friction.
One feature I absolutely love is the control ring. This is something you wear on your finger. With a single click, you can turn resistance on or off. This removes any need for a spotter. It’s incredibly practical.
Digital Resistance in Practice
Motorised resistance sounds abstract until you use it. Instead of gravity pulling on metal plates, electric motors create tension that resists your movement. Adjust the load through the screen rather than physically changing anything. When you finish a set, resistance drops instantly, no racking heavy weights or resetting cables.
Safety features like emergency resistance release make sense on paper. If something goes wrong mid-rep, the system can cut resistance immediately, which isn’t possible with free weights suspended above you. That’s genuinely useful, though I haven’t stress-tested these scenarios yet.
The obvious question: how does it feel compared to actual weights? My first impressions suggest it’s different, rather than definitively better or worse. Free weights have physical momentum and require stabilisation throughout the movement. Digital resistance feels more controlled, almost too smooth in some exercises. Whether that’s a limitation or advantage depends on your training goals and experience level.
Sometimes, actions like Skireg can feel that the movement is a little too fast for the machine to keep up. But then again, the data and feedback you get in real time is 100x what you get in a gym. So again, this isn’t better or worse – it’s just different.
Some will see the 100kg resistance limit and laugh out loud at the paltry weight, but for me and most that is a lot of resistance.
The Screen and Guided Workout System
The integrated display handles everything—workout selection, form cues, real-time tracking, and progress summaries. Trainer-led sessions walk you through exercises with visual demonstrations and audio coaching. For beginners unfamiliar with proper form or programming, this removes significant barriers to starting strength training.
Real-time feedback theoretically corrects technique issues as they happen, though I’m reserving judgment on accuracy until I’ve tested this across various exercises. The software matters as much as the hardware here, if the guidance is generic or the interface frustrating, the entire experience suffers regardless of how well the resistance system performs.
Programmes range from beginner-friendly introductions to more structured training blocks. The depth and quality of this content library will be crucial for long-term engagement. A smart gym is only useful if you actually want to use it regularly.
Who This Seems Designed For
The Gym Monster 2 clearly targets people facing specific constraints. If you live in a smaller space but want structured strength training beyond body weight exercises, this addresses that directly. If you’re new to lifting and intimidated by designing workouts or ensuring proper form, the guided approach removes guesswork.
Home fitness enthusiasts who value convenience over maximal loading will find this appealing. If your priority is fitting quality training into unpredictable schedules rather than chasing powerlifting numbers, the trade-offs make more sense.
Serious lifters accustomed to heavy barbell work will have legitimate questions. Can digital resistance adequately replicate compound movements? Does it provide sufficient overload for continued progression? How does training volume compare to traditional methods? These aren’t dismissals, they’re reasonable concerns that require honest evaluation, another thing that you’ll need to come back for the full review for.
The Subscription Question
Smart gym equipment increasingly relies on subscription models for software access. The Gym Monster 2 follows this pattern, ongoing payment unlocks the full workout library, updates, and features. This isn’t unusual in the category, but it’s important for long-term cost calculations.
Some users accept subscriptions as standard for connected equipment. Others resent paying continuously for hardware they’ve already purchased. Both perspectives are valid. What matters is understanding total ownership costs upfront rather than discovering surprise fees after the fact.
My first reaction to the subscription is that it’s not worth it, and that the ads for non-subscribers take from the experience quite a bit. But I’ll need more time dedicated to the machine to fully understand that.
New year, new me.
The Speedience Gym Monster 2 is available for shipping to Ireland with pricing starting at €2895. Full review coming mid-late January.
