fitness mirrors in gym design and equipment selection
As gym design consultants and gym equipment selection experts we monitor the emergence of fitness mirrors as a space-saving new technology
If you are interested in our insights on sustainable gym equipment see our blog post here.
For insights on the impact of virtual fitness on the gym design process see here.
Fitness Mirror by Lululemon
Sitting within the powerhouse that is Lululemon with its retail and clothing arm, training content and now fitness hardware, the studio Mirror is available in various different packages from anywhere between $700-$1700 depending on the options a home gym user wishes to integrate into their fitness mirror purchase.
The standard package comes with the mirror, mirror stand, mirror lens cap, warranty and costs $795.
bviously it also performs a dual function as a simple, low-tech mirror when not in use but more than anything it in a sense blends into the background for the 23hrs a day when not needed, if anything making a space feel larger than it is rather than taking up floor space in a private apartment, hotel room or home gym.
It will keep track of your workouts and progress through the built-in software and via Apple health or Strava apps for example. A variety of classes and instructors are offered, with both equipment based workouts and bodyweight only workout options.
A couple of bands, both short and long, and a pair of dumbbells would likely be enough home gym equipment for most people to gain maximum benefit from the Mirror’s capabilities in fact.
Daily live classes are available and new classes are added weekly
NordicTrack Vault - a fitness mirror for luxury home gyms
NordicTrack have built a fine reputation as a solid, reliable home gym equipment brand. The NordicTrack Vault is a fitness mirror and in-built gym equipment storage solution - part cupboard, part mirror, part virtual fitness trainer, part home gym. It’s a lot of things at once in other words.. and therein lies its beauty.
For this piece of kit NordicTrack partnered with another powerhouse fitness brand iFit, opening up an offer of virtual fitness classes and instructors. So NordicTrack make the hardware while iFIT deliver the software and user experience component.
There are currently two different purchase options available, either the Vault Complete, which comes with the equipment set-up, or the Vault Standalone which is the mirror and storage but no equipment in the package.
Vault Complete ($1,999) Vault standalone ($1,499)
Tonal fitness mirror home gym equipment
The Tonal mirror makes a clear departure from both the Lululemon Mirror and the NordicTrack Vault mirror in that the hardware braves beyond the wall, venturing into the home gym floor directly in front of its own wall space.
Essentially the kit involves a 24-inch touch-screen display securely mounted to a wall with adjustable ‘arms’ extending out from it, with tension and resistance varying according to the user’s preferences.
After an initial strength assessment with the virtual trainer / A.I. software in the mirror, resistance is automatically set for each rep and set in the home gym workout.
Those A.I, gym equipment sensors provide real time feedback on performance and form, just as an in-real-life personal trainer would do (or at least, that is the claim!) and the ‘spotter’ function senses when a user is struggling with a final rep, adjusting the resistance slightly to help them complete the set.
Virtual trainers and a variety of classes provide motivation and remove the headache of programming of a workout, whether that be at home, in a corporate office gym or a hotel room.
A Tonal training app helps to track progress over time, reviews muscle groups worked in each workout over time, and a host of other data points that may or may not be of interest to the average home gym user,depending on their particular mindset.
All-Star US athletes such as LeBron James and Serena Williams are on board with Tonal and pushing its benefits as a fitness mirror, virtual trainer and home gym three-in-one package.