Really Happy With My Purchase So Far
Recently received my Gym Monster 2 and have used it a few times now. Based on my experience thus far, I can tell you I am really happy with my purchase! Having the GM2 is a game changer. With all of life's commitments, it can be hard to find the time and the motivation to get to a gym. I can now easily get in a quality workout at the convenience of home. No more wasted time. No more excuses. If space is limited, the GM2 is also a practical solution. It allows me to hit every major muscle group without taking up much room compared to having weights and traditional home gym equipment. I prefer the feel of free weights and the professional gym equipment you find at gyms, but the convenience and practicality of the GM2 is unbeatable and the movement and feel of the GM2 is still very good and smooth. The machine itself seems to be very well built. I've seen some reviews of people complaining about the quality of the accessories, but to be honest, I think they are just fine. I guess we will see if they pass the test of time. I've only used the free lift mode so far, so can't comment on the classes or AI functionality. I likely will never use those functions, so not having to pay a mandatory monthly / annual fee was key for me. Kudos to Speediance for bucking the trend and going this route. I personally would not buy anything like this if it charged a subscription. Overall, no complaints with the performance and quality of the GM2 so far. However, I'll give it a 4/5 mainly due to the following reasons. 1) This is an expensive piece of equipment, so it won't be a viable solution for everyone. Would be great if Speediance can get the cost down so that it is more accessible to more customers. In addition, the price difference between the different models (ie. the accessories package that comes with the GM2) is quite high for what you get. For example, right now the price difference between the Works and Works Plus is $400. I believe the only difference is the Works comes with a flat bench and the Works Plus an incline bench. Seems quite steep. I personally think there should be no flat bench option and all customers should get the incline bench at the Works price. 2) Given the price tag, I think white glove delivery should not only be offered, but come standard with any GM purchase (it does in the US but not in Canada). There was no way I could have moved the GM2 into my house and down into the basement without help. I must say, I was very impressed with the packaging. Everything was well protected and neatly packaged. The GM2 itself doesn't require any assembly. Just need to get it out of the box (which I was easily able to do alone) and plug it in. The bench and the rower were quite easy to put together. All the parts and pieces are well labelled so you know exactly what is used where. The instructions are very easy to follow. Getting rid of all the packaging was the biggest pain (there's a lot of it). Having white glove delivery so that the movers can take the packaging with them would have been really nice, especially given the price. If you are thinking about getting the GM2, I would highly recommend it. It might be pricey, but if it's within your budget, I think it's a solid investment into yourself and your health!