GQ's Tonal 2 Review (2025)
FitnessI've been waiting my whole life for this—the smart home gym equipment adapts to your level of strength and motivates you to move.By Ali FinneyJanuary 8, 2025Images Courtesy Ali Finney; Collage by Brittany LogginsSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.I started running when I was 15—and I haven't stopped since. One of my favorite things about running is that as long as I have sneakers, I can workout whenever I want. I don't need a bike. I don't need weights. I don't need the optional yoga block that I never seem to be able to find. That low barrier to entry is what keeps me incredibly consistent as a runner. However, it's also kept me from venturing into strength training, something I know I need to do (especially as I get older) to support the miles that bring me so much joy. Enter: Tonal, which in many ways provides the same no-fuss, no-other-equiment-necessary as running.Tonal is a piece of smart fitness equipment that was initially launched in 2018 and became a mainstay in many athletes’ homes during the pandemic, reaching unicorn status with help from pro athlete investors including Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Maria Sharapova, Mike Tyson, Sue Bird, Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, and others. Today, the brand launched the Tonal 2, a reinvented, reconfigured upgrade that I tested out, and—spoiler alert—love.TonalTonal 2$4,295 TonalWhat Is Tonal 2?Total 2 is a home gym in a single machine (plus a few accessories). For many, it removes the barrier to entries that keep people from doing strength training, such as creating complicated setups, understanding exercise technique, and having easy access to certain equipment. Tonal 2 uses a cable system and magnetic weight that adjusts to how you’re functioning in a workout, and it can have adaptive weight management, so If you’re crushing it in a move, the system piles weight on; if you’re struggling in another, it takes it off.In sum, you can perform over 240 exercises by adjusting the height, width, and angles of the arms and combining that with the included ropes, handles, or barbell (plus a bench). The main piece of hardware is fixed to the wall and has a 24-inch interactive touchscreen. When you first turn the machine on, you go through an onboarding process that allows you to select why you’re working out and set your goals. (This determines the types of content that are served up to you when you work out.)Once you’re set up, you run through a five-minute strength assessment so that the Tonal can assess your lifting capabilities. Then, when you’re in a workout, it will set the weight for you automatically so that you can get right into the move. (At first, I found that the weights feel a little light, but after a few reps, I’m right at the place I need to be.) There are individual workouts as well as programs that span days or weeks, depending on your preferences.Reviewed by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney Photo by Ali Finney; Review by Ali Finney How Is Tonal 2 Different from the Original?Tonal 2 has some key updates from the original machine that make it even easier to use and interact with:1. Increased maximum weight of 250 poundsThe previous machine allowed users to lift up to 200 pounds, but Tonal 2 ups the ante. You can now lift up to 250 pounds—a feature that I likely won't be using myself, but is one that many people shopping for a piece of smart fitness equipment will enjoy.2. Smart ViewA new feature called Smart View allows users to watch a video of themselves doing a movement while also following along with a workout program. This is helpful because not only does it allow you to see if you're performing a move correctly, but if you aren’t, Tonal 2 can capture that and give you coaching cues that help you to make tweaks to nail down your form.3. DesignThere have been some design upgrades that make the machine look even sleeker than it used to: The all-black exterior is now accented with chrome, making it look very polished, and not like the eyesore that some workout equipment winds up looking like.4. Drop SetsWhen performing drop sets, the Tonal 2 is now able to assess when you start to get tired and slow down on a move, nearing the point of failure. When it detects this happening, the machine drops weight so that you can keep going for longer, helping you increase the intensity of your workout.Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This lever moves the arms up and down. Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This button widens and narrows the arms and changes the angles. What Is It Like Using Tonal 2?I've never really liked strength training in a way that kept me consistent with it. I would often perform strength workouts solely because a marathon training plan told me that I needed to, but I had no real desire to seek out new ways to get stronger. My favorites are:1. Workouts feel uniqueEvery Tonal 2 workout I've done fe
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
I started running when I was 15—and I haven't stopped since. One of my favorite things about running is that as long as I have sneakers, I can workout whenever I want. I don't need a bike. I don't need weights. I don't need the optional yoga block that I never seem to be able to find. That low barrier to entry is what keeps me incredibly consistent as a runner. However, it's also kept me from venturing into strength training, something I know I need to do (especially as I get older) to support the miles that bring me so much joy. Enter: Tonal, which in many ways provides the same no-fuss, no-other-equiment-necessary as running.
Tonal is a piece of smart fitness equipment that was initially launched in 2018 and became a mainstay in many athletes’ homes during the pandemic, reaching unicorn status with help from pro athlete investors including Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Maria Sharapova, Mike Tyson, Sue Bird, Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, and others. Today, the brand launched the Tonal 2, a reinvented, reconfigured upgrade that I tested out, and—spoiler alert—love.
What Is Tonal 2?
Total 2 is a home gym in a single machine (plus a few accessories). For many, it removes the barrier to entries that keep people from doing strength training, such as creating complicated setups, understanding exercise technique, and having easy access to certain equipment. Tonal 2 uses a cable system and magnetic weight that adjusts to how you’re functioning in a workout, and it can have adaptive weight management, so If you’re crushing it in a move, the system piles weight on; if you’re struggling in another, it takes it off.
In sum, you can perform over 240 exercises by adjusting the height, width, and angles of the arms and combining that with the included ropes, handles, or barbell (plus a bench). The main piece of hardware is fixed to the wall and has a 24-inch interactive touchscreen. When you first turn the machine on, you go through an onboarding process that allows you to select why you’re working out and set your goals. (This determines the types of content that are served up to you when you work out.)
Once you’re set up, you run through a five-minute strength assessment so that the Tonal can assess your lifting capabilities. Then, when you’re in a workout, it will set the weight for you automatically so that you can get right into the move. (At first, I found that the weights feel a little light, but after a few reps, I’m right at the place I need to be.) There are individual workouts as well as programs that span days or weeks, depending on your preferences.
How Is Tonal 2 Different from the Original?
Tonal 2 has some key updates from the original machine that make it even easier to use and interact with:
The previous machine allowed users to lift up to 200 pounds, but Tonal 2 ups the ante. You can now lift up to 250 pounds—a feature that I likely won't be using myself, but is one that many people shopping for a piece of smart fitness equipment will enjoy.
A new feature called Smart View allows users to watch a video of themselves doing a movement while also following along with a workout program. This is helpful because not only does it allow you to see if you're performing a move correctly, but if you aren’t, Tonal 2 can capture that and give you coaching cues that help you to make tweaks to nail down your form.
There have been some design upgrades that make the machine look even sleeker than it used to: The all-black exterior is now accented with chrome, making it look very polished, and not like the eyesore that some workout equipment winds up looking like.
When performing drop sets, the Tonal 2 is now able to assess when you start to get tired and slow down on a move, nearing the point of failure. When it detects this happening, the machine drops weight so that you can keep going for longer, helping you increase the intensity of your workout.
What Is It Like Using Tonal 2?
I've never really liked strength training in a way that kept me consistent with it. I would often perform strength workouts solely because a marathon training plan told me that I needed to, but I had no real desire to seek out new ways to get stronger. My favorites are:
Every Tonal 2 workout I've done feels unique and different, and I never get bored. That's particularly true if you follow programs, which I’ve done fairly consistently while testing out the equipment. The trainers keep you energized and moving in different ways each day and the coaching cues match up with the type of workout that you’re doing so you feel properly guided. Peloton gets a ton of credit for making really fun and engaging content that keeps you sweating along, and the Tonal (in my experience), is of the same caliber. I love that different coaches give you different types of motivation and the workouts themselves range from HIIT and yoga to strength training and meditation. You really can do it all from this machine. training to
A big part of the reason that I never felt like I’d keep up with workouts is that I never had the right equipment in place to do the various exercises I needed to get stronger over time, but the Tonal 2 helped clear that up for me. It has everything you need to do over 240 moves, which pretty much ensures that I no longer have that excuse.
Not to chastise the fitness industry at large, but many of the machines out there take up a ton of space and look really clunky. The Tonal 2, in the right room, can simply disappear on the wall and look like it should live there rather than that it has to live there.
I started lifting heavier than I was previously able to in days—not months. Perhaps that’s a sign that I phoned it in a little in the beginning, but it’s likely just proof that consistently showing up to workouts can really pay off quickly. Seeing those small wins made me want to keep hitting my workouts morning after morning.
Would We Recommend Tonal 2?
Hell yeah. For people who just want to get fit and don’t want to overcomplicate things too much, the Tonal 2 is 100% a must-buy. There are workouts for everyone, from beginners all the way up to competitive athletes. I think those keen on meticulously programming their own workouts may be better served with a gym membership, where you can get in there and craft your own routine. But for me, Tonal 2 made me stay consistent and get in a lot more strength training than I ever have before. I know in a year, I’ll be able to say the same thing.
