Smarter Workouts In Less Space

I am a desk jockey, and if I’m not careful, I can easily slip into a sedentary lifestyle. I do try to stay active, but when life gets busy, the time it takes to go to the gym seems nearly impossible to squeeze into my schedule, so when the opportunity to test the amp home fitness device arose, I was ready.

I wanted something convenient, easy to use, but that didn’t turn space into a “gym.” But honestly, could any home fitness machine live up to those expectations? Here’s what I’ve learned.

Key Features and Findings

The problem with most home fitness machines is that they take up a lot of space, which means creating a dedicated home gym that looks like a gym. That’s not a look I wanted. So, I looked at several options, and the amp fitness machine seemed to fit my requirements best.

It still looks like a home fitness machine, but it’s small enough to be unassuming, and I was able to have it mounted in an area where I have to walk past it several times a day. The end result is that I actually use this machine. And isn’t that the main point about having a home fitness machine?

Installation: The amp fitness machine is smaller than most home fitness machines, but it still requires some precise mounting.

For that reason, the company sends a professional installer for all machines sold. The installation takes less than an hour, and the person who installed mine was a pro at keeping the installation clean.

That said, I asked if there was a self-install option, and at this time, there is not. That wasn’t a problem for me, but for DIYers, it could be a frustration. It takes a couple of weeks to get on the installation schedule, and it looks like a pretty straightforward install, but I also understand the company’s hesitation to allow self-installation. If it’s not done properly, you could wind up with a very expensive mistake.

Design: One of the things that drew me to the Amp gym is its design. The actual machine is only a few inches wide, though it is around 6 feet tall.

The shelf that mounts to the side to hold your phone and water bottle also includes a charging stand, so you can’t use the “my phone was dead” excuse. And the accessory holder can be installed anywhere near the machine that suits you.

As for the design’s actual functionality, it’s kinda genius. The resistance arm raises and lowers in about 30 different positions when you combine the angle and the height.

And the accessories snap into the arm using a seatbelt design that’s so familiar you won’t give it a second thought. When you hear the click, you know whatever accessory you’re using is seated properly.

Even the accessories are pretty self-explanatory. Once clicked into place, you use the T-bar, handles, or rope for arms and core, or the ankle straps for legs.

My only complaint is that the double handles are fixed length, meaning, if you’re short like me, you have to stand pretty far back from the machine to use them. It works, but it doesn’t feel super comfortable when you’re performing some exercises with them.

Usability: The most important quality of any home fitness machine is how easy it is to use, and you can tell that amp put a lot of R&D time into making this machine as usable as possible.

All of the arm adjustments are easy. Press in to lift and lower the arm. Pull out to slide the height of the arm into one of 10 different positions, from nearly touching the floor to well above six feet high.

Then there are the resistance settings, which let you use the weights as free weights, as resistance bands, or as eccentric weights, which increase the weight as you relax.

And if you like making your workout feel like a game, you have that option too. A quick 20 minutes on this machine will leave you feeling like you’ve put in a full workout.

Beyond the app’s physical usability, though, is its functionality, and this is where I feel like Amp really shines.

There are over 500 different exercises included in the Amp app and an AI that generates a workout for you based on the muscle group you want to exercise, the amount of time you want to spend, the type of workout you want to do, and the difficulty level that suits you.

Monthly Subscription: Like other home fitness machines in this category, the Amp machine requires the app, which requires a monthly subscription fee to access the full benefits of the device.

One year is included in the purchase of the machine, but after that, the current subscription price is $23 per month.

That’s about half of some competitors’ monthly costs, and it includes all the customization you could want in a fitness app, including up to 15 profiles for other family members.

That said, once your year is up, you can continue to use the machine without the app, but you won’t get the full benefit of the amp. And it costs less than most gym memberships, so it seems like a pretty good deal given the benefits.

Important Specs to Know