The pandemic has restrained most of us to our homes, and not that we needed any more excuses to bunk the gym, but now we have a legitimate one – there’s literally a virus on the loose! But ignoring our health and fitness is something we simply cannot afford to do anymore. If there’s one thing that COVID-19 has instilled into us, it’s that health really is wealth. And, as much as I love procrastinating, and putting off any form of exercise for as long as I can, I cannot deny the fact that health must be considered a top priority for us all. And, so what if we cannot go to the gym, we can bring the gym to us! This collection of home gyms will not only motivate you and excite you to workout, but will also ensure you stick to your daily exercise routine. No more skipping leg days!
Oliver Perretta’s Kondition was inspired by a piece of furniture that actually resembles a standard workout bench, IKEA’s BEKANT series. Both IKEA’s BEKANT and Perretta’s Kondition have similar personalities. They appear as modest, simple furniture designs whose true essence shines through in their ability to blend into any given room. At first, an unassuming side bench or low-rise table during living room hours, and then an adjustable home workout with a sliding bench come gym time. Perretta was certain to make bullnose corners for Kondition’s workout station to enhance both the piece’s adaptive nature and its approachability in its inherent baby-proof design. Additionally, Perretta plans to utilize aluminum extrusion in any eventual construction process to ensure a high strength to weight ratio for more intense workouts. Stamped panels also make for easy and deep cleaning so that job won’t ever feel stressful after a good sweat.
Peloton Vibe caters to every sense and muscle from start to finish, it is truly a whole vibe. The bench has a unique multi-position arm that can be moved to work with a variety of exercises. The lower portion stores a set of dumbbells that help expand to a larger range of guided workouts by the Peloton App service. Once you complete your workout, the bench seat and arm surface seamlessly transform into a massage experience. It utilizes built-in massage balls that can rotate and heat up based on your preferences. At-home gym equipment AND at-home spa? I would work out more often simply so I can make the most of the heated massage feature.
The ARENA creates a workout system that can be used across over 300 movement types and in tandem with multiple styles from strength training to cardio, HIIT, athletic training, conditioning, weight-loss, and even recovery. ARENA provides a physical platform for you to work out on, while a motor-controlled high-performance cable passes from within it, giving you the ability to simulate a variety of exercises. The cable is controlled by algorithms within the ARENA that can simulate any force curve as well as dynamically adapt to users’ speed of movement to help you achieve your desired training result (muscle gain, weight-loss…).
A simple web search can lead you to a host of foldable and space-saving exercise bikes but if you do your research, you’ll find there are none that can provide professional quality work out at home and fold up to the size of a carry-on bag when you’re done! This is where the Breakaway Bike steps in with its immensely compact size. Made from aerospace-grade aluminum, the bike measures 16 x 23 x 8-inches when packed down and weighs only 35 pounds. The bike boasts of being the world’s first exercise bike that can be conveniently folded down so you can pick it up and store it away in a closet at home or under a table in the office until it’s time to get pumping! Get a full-sized workout, close up shop in seconds, and hide it away under the bed – it’s all so easy. Interestingly, you can also load the Breakaway Bike in the boot of your car or can fit it in the overhead bin to be carried where your work takes you!
Whilst gym equipment may look right at home in… well, a gym, it does clash with the décor of most domestic settings. Seeing as we certainly don’t need another excuse not to exercise, it’s about time we have a more desirable alternative to all that clunky equipment! The solution is FUORIPISTA, a piece of fitness equipment that is undoubtedly an aesthetically pleasing object while meeting our functional demands. FUORIPISTA’s transparent legs achieve a visually light design so it can sit unobtrusively within the room. These legs have been paired with a wooden body that makes up the frame of the bicycle; with the design being treated in a manner that complements the existing furniture within the room instead of standing out and creating disharmony.
The XBody Actiwave introduces an electrifying new way to enhance your workouts… literally! The all-new tech consists of a wearable suit with sensors and nodes that work in tandem with a personal training system. The system will simultaneously provide instruction, track your fitness, suggest improvements, and give your muscles a boost! It uses electric muscle stimulation (EMS) technology to increase the efficiency of workouts.“Our assignment was to give shape to the new wireless system for Actiwave. The wireless system consists of Actiwear control unit and the Fitbelt holder belt. The main control unit makes it possible to move freely, while the Fitbelt held it fit on you during workout,” designers told YD.
Developed from a collaboration between personal trainers and product designers, AIIR was designed to reduce joint stress and promote healthy posture. Contained within an 8.5″ x 6″ travel case, AIIR Flow is the smaller of the two workout kits and comes with two durable, carbon-steel push-up bars so you can get an arm and chest workout anywhere. The push-up bars come with spring-loaded, folding supports that dislodge from and fold inside both ends of each handle for ultimate portability. The push-up bars pack down to the size of a water bottle and can support up to 300lbs when in use. Each handle was designed to be ergonomic and promote healthy posture through a slightly inclined and elevated build.
Designed to provide a full workout in a portable format, the STRAFFR is a resistance-training band that lets you exercise all parts of your body, mimicking the gym workout… but it’s more than just a replacement for the gym’s equipment. The STRAFFR is quite literally a sensor in itself, constantly providing exercise data to you via your phone, giving you the feedback of a personal trainer at home. With just a band and an app, STRAFFR aims at giving you the ability to go through a full workout in the comfort of your home or even a hotel (if you’re traveling). The app comes with a variety of exercises that get optimized based on your performance to create a training plan that’s unique to you, while the band itself is all the equipment you really need. Designed around the idea of resistance training, the elastic band communicates with the app as you stretch it, telling your phone how you’re doing. The band comes with a variety of markings that allow you to customize the intensity of your workout by just narrowing your grip.
Meet the FLiPBENCH by Brazyn Life – a versatile wall-mounted fold-out bench that’s ideal for all kinds of apartments, big and small, and even your studio or your garage. Designed to be compact and aesthetic when closed, the FLiPBENCH sits flat against your wall until you need to exercise. When it’s workout time, the bench opens right out, creating a dedicated workout nook/area within your flat without ruining your home’s decor or eating into your apartment’s floor space… and the best part? You have the option to add a colored back panel that matches your wall, allowing it to blend right into your home’s decor.
Since physical fitness has become integral to our daily routines, the purpose behind Stoyka aims to strike a balance in using living spaces as fitness studios. In finding that harmony, the designers behind Stoyka integrated a storage system into the power rack, which slides out from behind the power rack’s rear wall. These sliding racks carry enough room to store the power rack’s barbells, round weighted plates, as well as rack accessories like support beams and spotter’s arms. Interchangeable by design, the Stoyka seamlessly blends into any home or office space simply by sliding the hidden storage panels behind the power rack’s rear wall. Equipped with the means for strength HIIT training and balance and flexibility exercises, Stoyka comes complete with reinforced racks, hooks, safety stops, crossbars, and removable wall bars.
