Tonal, the Personal Trainer Built for Your Living Room
An intelligent workout machine that learns like a person
Tonal, a new digital training system from a team of Apple, Fitbit and Nest alums, is working to bring the luxury of personal trainers and organized workouts home. Comprised of a screen a bit smaller than a full-length mirror and adjustable arms that hold a cable system, Tonal mounts to the wall (with the help of an installation guide) and requires no extra purchases if you opt into their accessories plan, which includes another set of handles, a smart bar, rope, bench, mat and roller. After a brief training session aimed to teach you about Tonal and show the system your current fitness level, a custom program is put together to meet your goals. Your sessions are led by video recordings of a real trainer, but the machine’s ability to monitor your progress makes the on-screen trainer feel like they’re more present than you’d expect.
Tonal is the most intelligent workout partner we’ve seen on the market and leverages the power of digital weights to offer workouts never before possible. Sensors are tucked away nearly everywhere to be responsive to user efforts—upping the weight, analyzing reps for consistency or weak points (and when noticed, a digital spotter will take a bit of the weight off to make sure the rep is finished) and a near never-ending stream of varying, expert-led programs. And the sensor set is future-proof, so you can imagine ways the on-screen trainer can learn your behaviors and offer even better instruction over time.
The system does come with a fairly hefty price tag of $2,995, but for the trouble you’d otherwise go to—from choosing a gym to hiring a personal trainer to committing to classes and beyond—this system is worth it. Plus, it supports multiple profiles so each member of your household can use it with maximum benefit.
Images courtesy of Tonal
