Review: Tempo Home Gym – Is It Worth It?

It’s cliché to say, but your health isn’t just about healthy eating or working out — it’s a combination of the two. And sometimes, we all just need a reminder of that. Ideally regular, intensive exercise should become a staple in your life, and skipping it regularly will not only take its toll in the long run, but also impact your well-being in the short-term with potential weight gain and low moods. 

As with most things, getting started is always the hardest  part of working out. Research shows that proximity to a gym or workout facility strongly correlates with frequency of exercise. We’ve all made excuses for not squeezing in a workout. I don’t  have enough time. There will be too much traffic. The gym will be too crowded. And on and on.

One solution that millions of Americans have found while living through this pandemic is  bringing the gym home to you. While there are now many options available on the market, today we’ll review Tempo’s Home Gym and compare it with other market competitors to see if it’s worth investing in.

Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in!

What Does the Tempo Studio Offer? 

Source: Tempo

The Tempo Studio includes a sleek, 42-inch touchscreen embedded into a modern easel-style  stand. It has an impressive futuristic design and can be placed anywhere you like, be it your bedroom, living room, or even garage. Some home gym products are hard to move once setup, but that’s not the case with Tempo. 

As for the experience, Tempo’s screen displays all of the important data you would want from any fitness experience, including heart rate zoning, reps, and recommended weights — this is alongside the Tempo coaches who will be  pushing and instructing you throughout the entire class. You’ll also notice what looks like a camera beneath the screen — that’s Tempo’s 3D AI sensor which will take a skeleton-like rendering of your body during class and provide real-time form feedback to ensure you’re working out safely. The setup also includes a cabinet and a hidden rack behind the screen  for all of the resistance training equipment:

• • • Two 7.5 pound dumbbells
    • One 25 pound barbell
    • Six weight collars
    • A suite of competition grade plates
    • One  heart rate monitor
    • One  exercise mat
    • One Exercise roller

How is Tempo Different from watching Youtube?

Source: Tempo

As mentioned, Tempo comes outfitted with a 3D AI sensor that will not only correct your form in real-time, but your count reps so you can focus on the workout at hand. 

Tempo also uses specialized AI software and expert-backed fitness science to recommend weights, reps, and classes so that there’s no guesswork in knowing how to get after your fitness goals. 

Members have unlimited access to a growing catalogue of on-demand classes led by Tempo’s expert coaches and can also take part in live classes.  Despite being such a young company, Tempo offers a ton of variety  —  more than you might expect anyway — with new ones being added every week.

If you’re someone who relies on in-person exercise classes to hold you accountable and give you the communal energy to push harder, Tempo’s  class experience is perfect. You’ll be working out with one of Tempo’s coaches and be training with other members, with an opportunity for some friendly competition through a live leaderboard. 

Thus Tempo offers the feel and motivation of a normal in-person gym instructor, allowing you to reap the benefits of human interaction, but without the friction of leaving your own home. This obviously is perfect for times such as these, but for us,  it’s now something  we can’t imagine living without.

Pricing: Is Tempo worth the cost?

When it comes to daily routines, cost is clearly important. Tempo’s home gym studio is no small investment at $2,495   $2,395  (when you use code FITNESSMASTERLY100 for  $100 off.) Add on the $250 delivery fee that includes set-up —  and you’re up to at least $2,045 for the hardware.

To get the full experience, you’ll also need to spend $39 a month for Tempo’s membership and to  get unlimited access to all of the on-demand and live classes. 

If this all  sounds kind of pricey, let’s compare it to live streamed classes from SoulCycle or Barry’s bootcamp, which cost more than $20 per class. Assuming you take 5 classes per week (once per day with a couple of rest days), that’s at least $100 per week,  or roughly $5200/year, not including the cost of any equipment you might need.

Comparatively, Tempo’s home gym starts to feel like a bargain at $2,725 all-in for a year: $1995 (home  gym) + $250 (delivery) + $39 per month for classes. Plus by investing a chunk of change upfront, you are way more likely to ACTUALLY workout with a Tempo home gym vs paying for and traveling to individual classes.

Tempo Delivery Time: How long does it take to arrive?

The Tempo requires a  $250 delivery fee that includes a complimentary White Glove Delivery Service, meaning their delivery partner will set-up and power-on the Tempo and remove any related debris. The device comes with a 30-day testing period, too, so you can take a bit of time to test and make sure their home gym really is for you.

Pros and Cons of Tempo

The Tempo Studio, like any product, comes with its own set of pros and cons.

One of the best things about Tempo is its ease of access. You could place this device anywhere you like and enjoy a workout within the comfort of your own home at any time that suits you. Another thing many people appreciate about this device is how aesthetically pleasing it is. 

The design has a brilliant contemporary aesthetic  that helps it fit into any home. Tempo comes in a dark or light color. 

Tempo’s 42-inch touchscreen is bigger than most of its competitors. In fact, it is double the size of Tonal, which is another popular home gym. 

The Tempo Studio  costs $1995. Whether this is a pro or con heavily depends upon which way you look at it. Tempo costs about $1000 less than Tonal but $500 more than Mirror, another notable competitor. 

Everything on the Tempo home screen is customized to your own fitness metrics. Every user can create an account on the device and save their personal training history. This allows each household member to keep their records safe without sharing it with anyone else, hence helping you avoid confusion and customize your training to your own personal goals. Tempo allows you to create an unlimited number of profiles under one subscription, while Mirror only allows for 6.

Source: Tempo

The gym’s monthly subscription is also nominally priced, which you could see as a pro. It costs less than most gym subscriptions. Another great thing about Tempo is that it comes with its own set of competition-grade equipment. All of these are included within the original cost ($1995). There are no hidden material costs, which is nice given how most other home gyms will require you to purchase your own equipment.

This device has almost everything you’d need to tone your body and get into shape. You can also take the workouts at your own pace. Classes are anywhere from 10-60+ minutes long you can get a class in even if you’re short on time. This is a massive benefit that in-person gyms sometimes miss out on.

Many customers have also remarked on how great the platform’s instructors are. All of the coaches  who connect with you through Tempo are qualified experts who will make sure your workouts are the best that they can be. 

The AI system also offers personalized weight recommendations. It counts your reps while giving you accurate reports and detailed feedback, and learns from your performance, so that Tempo will continuously challenge you as you progress.All of this happens in real-time, which is another excellent pro.

Tempo’s Home Gym also monitors your heart rate during class, which informs how Tempo calculates your overall calorie burn following a class. The in-class screen also displays real-life leaderboards that can help motivate you to work harder and make more progress. 

While the Tempo Home Gym certainly has many compelling pros, it isn’t without its faults. 

• • One important con is that, because everything is connected to the internet. If your WiFi connection is slow, you may experience buffering interruptions during workouts. However, an adapter can easily fix it. 
  • Currently, you cannot partner up with another person to train during class (this would throw off Tempo’s 3D sensor).
  • Some users also feel that the device should come with its own bench, allowing them to try out exercises that would normally be done benched. Tempo does have plans to release a bench sometime in 2021, however.
  • The $39 monthly membership cost can add up. Tempo’s membership is required for the first 12 months of having it, however, you can choose to suspend the membership after that and retain access to a limited library of on-demand classes. If you choose to go for it, you will be able to connect with other users and workout with the community and keep up with newly released classes.

Lastly, you cannot customize your own music. At this time, you’re only able to choose a genre of pre-selected music. Many people feel let down by this. However, you have the option to turn up the trainers’ volume and turn down the music so you can put your own on in the background.  However, music isn’t as significant for most people, so this con can sometimes be overlooked.

Tempo Alternatives: How does Tempo compare to other home gyms?

There are many other excellent personal home gyms available on the market. Below is a comparison between Tonal, Mirror, Tempo, and Echelon:

What Are Customers Saying About Tempo’s Home Gym?

Below is a list of genuine and honest customer reviews from Tempo’s website. The product has received numerous positive reviews, so it is safe to say that all of Tempo’s customers have loved the product, save for some constructive criticism!

The Verdict: Is Tempo Home Gym Worth It?

Overall, the Tempo Home Gym is an excellent product that can help you reach your fitness goals, as long as you commit to the regimen and train regularly. 

Tempo is more affordable than some competitors, like Tonal, but comes at a higher price than others like Mirror or Echelon. Whether or not you choose Tempo depends heavily upon how much you’re willing to spend on your home gym.It is worth nothing that Tempo has a financing option through Affirm if that’s something you’d like to explore. 

However, if you can afford it, Tempo does seem like an excellent choice, especially because it offers a completely different kind of  workout than Tonal with its provided free weights and has a significantly larger screen, too, at almost double the size.

With an eye-pleasing design and included high-end equipment, you’re getting a lot of value for the price.

Whether or not you go to Tempo also depends upon what kind of workout you’d like to focus on. Tempo provides strength-training, HIIT/cardio, and mobility and recovery classes, so there’s plenty to choose from.  A side note that Tempo has great speakers that will ensure you can hear the music and the coach clearly, however, adjusting the volume for the coach or the music is as easy as pressing a couple buttons. You can also connect bluetooth headphones so you don’t disturb any loved ones while you workout. 

Its monthly subscription is also affordable and costs as much as its competitors in all cases, save for Tonal, which costs $10 more.

All in all, the Tempo Home Gym is an excellent product that can address almost every gym need, especially those concerned with cardio workouts and strength training. It is best for people who cannot go to the gym due to time constraints, work, transport problems, or simply a lack of motivation. 

Click below to learn more about Tempo, and if you’re ready to pull the trigger, don’t forget to use coupon code FITNESSMASTERLY100 at checkout for $100 off!