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By trevor smith
In partnership with tempo
/ Jan 31, 2024
I never thought I could afford a personal trainer. Then I found Tempo.
4.5 amazing
My TLDR on tempo
I was skeptical that a home gym could even come close to the workouts I get at the gym, but Tempo is legit. It's more like having a personal trainer waiting for me any time I want. The workouts are killer and the guidance for rep counting and weight recommendations make the whole experience easy to follow and more productive. Pricing starts at $36/month.
Pros
High quality weight set that you can load up to 255 lbs
Adjusts my weights and counts my reps in real time
Huge library of strength-based workouts with Coaches that aren't over-the-top
Body scanning in the app helps me track changes in my body fat and muscle mass
Workout variety that my wife enjoys too
cons
Currently only available on iOS
First time set up takes some time
Requires plenty of floor space
If you’re a busy dad who’s trying your hardest to stay fit, I know the struggle. I remember how committed I was to hitting the gym back in my 20s, but getting back to that routine feels impossible now. Between schlepping the kids to school, working a full day, and trying to keep up with the house, my free time is a luxury and I honestly don’t really want to spend it driving to the gym. I squeeze in a run – ok fine, a light jog – every now and then, but it’s not enough to make me feel like I’m really making a difference.
My partner and I have thought about building out a home gym, but we’ve had a hard time finding a setup that gets us both the type of workout we love and that we’ll stick with.
Enter: Tempo Move.
I never thought lifting weights at home would push me enough, but this home gym has completely changed my mind. Here’s how:
It’s basically an insanely affordable personal trainer
Unlike hiring a personal trainer, Tempo Move is incredibly affordable. With their bundles, you can get an entire set of adjustable free weights and unlimited virtual training for less than $50/month with a one-year contract
Since I’m not new to weight lifting, Tempo recommended a package with the barbell and extra weights, the Tempo Move Pro. For $75/month, I got an entire set of weight plates (125lbs total), dumbbells (7.5lbs), a barbell (25lbs), a storage cabinet, and full access to personalized, virtual training with real-time guidance with their iOS app.
If I were to go to a gym and work with a personal trainer, I’d be paying that same amount or more just for one session. And that doesn’t factor in the cost of leaving the house.
Even better – one membership account allows up to 6 users. Now my wife and even my dad can use it, and I don’t have to pay anything extra.
All that, and it barely takes up room in my crowded house.
The training adapts in real-time
This was the unexpected magic from the Tempo Move that I really love. When I synced the app with my Apple Watch, it factored in things like my sleep quality (ha!), heart rate, and muscle recovery, and then adapted my daily training recommendation for duration, intensity, and muscle group focus based on my body’s “readiness”. It was so cool, and honestly makes me trust their training recommendation so much more since it’s literally adapted to my body.
The real-time guidance takes my old weightlifting days up a notch
Lifting weights isn’t new to me, but it still can feel like a guessing game sometimes to figure out how many reps to do, how much weight to lift, or even know that my form is right. Tempo helps with all of that, tracking it all on-screen during my workout so I know exactly how hard to push and when to dial it back. It took a minute to get used to, but now I’m not sure I could go back to lifting without it. Anything that makes my life easier is worth it in my book.
They made it easy to find the right product
When you’re planning to commit to putting weight equipment in your home, it helps to know you’re choosing the right system. Tempo helps point you in the right direction through a brief quiz, which is surprisingly detailed and thoughtful. It didn't just ask for basic information like weight, height, and age. Instead, it delved into my daily habits, how much time I have to devote to exercise, how busy I am, how much workout space I have, and what my fitness goals are.
My recommendation was spot-on: the Tempo Move Pro, which offered the perfect amount of weights and fit seamlessly into our home.
Even still, Tempo offers a 30-day risk-free return policy if you don’t end up with something you love, which is just extra reassurance.
I’m totally sold on Tempo
Tempo Move has given me back part of my old life that I really, really missed. Lifting weights and finding a new routine that fits into this stage of life is pretty game-changing. Between the quality weights and the super smart, responsive training, it would be tough to find anything that would work better for us. Give it a shot, I’d love to hear what you think!
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