I’ll just skip any warmup and get to the meat and potatoes: I’m happy to write an unaffiliated review of the VOLTRA I resistance training technology by Beyond Power—one of the most versatile, highly beneficial pieces of equipment I’ve ever come across.
Usually, when I’m writing reviews or telling a coach about a tool they may want to consider integrating, it’s generally coming from a specific place. A lot of the time, that perspective sits somewhere on the “hey, this really can add some value to what you do” or the “maybe this could be useful and worth exploring” areas of the spectrum.
The VOLTRA I is a Swiss Army Knife of resistance training technology all in one convenient little package, smaller than a shoebox, says @rewirehp. Share on XHowever, there are a few instances where something truly stands out and gets me excited enough that I find myself jumping to the “must try” tier. I’m happy to report that the VOLTRA I is absolutely in that latter category for athletes, individuals, practitioners, and coaches alike.
What Does the VOLTRA I Do? Features & Functionality
The VOLTRA Iis a Swiss Army Knife of resistance training technology all in one convenient little package, smaller than a shoebox.
The high-level overview of the machine is that it offers various resistance settings to capture benefits generally seen in separate machines.
These include traditional cable machine resistance, lighter resistance modes for speed (think Vertimax), eccentric-overload aka flywheel settings, chain resistance, as well as adaptive isokinetic resistance. Some of those have been added over time to my pre-existing unit (they’re still in startup mode) via their software upgrades with potentially more to come in time. I’ll do my best to summarize the various features here.
- Weight Training Mode feels like an ultra-smooth cable machine. Think Keiser Functional Trainer-esque. This would be like traditional isotonic resistance you can preload prior to performing an exercise.
- You can add a flywheel feeling component by adding additional resistance to the eccentric portion of the movement.
- You can also add a chain-resistance-mimicking setting to this mode where resistance gets heavier the further you progress through the concentric phase of movement—similar to real chains on, say, a squat.
- Damper Mode simulates the resistance experienced during a parachute run with resistance increasing as speed increases.
- Resistance Band Mode sees the resistance increase as the range of motion increases, akin to a literal resistance band. This is ideal for movements where speed is the goal, such as loading a first step, lateral push off, and other athletic patterns.
- Isokinetic Mode provides adaptive resistance to the user on the concentric phase of movement with no eccentric load. This means the harder the user pulls or pushes, the more resistance the machine offers in order to adapt to the user’s given capabilities. This is highly useful as each rep is a living, adaptable, relative max. It’s also pragmatic because multiple athletes of various physical abilities can work on the same machine concurrently.
Those are the main settings; the machine, however, also has other qualities that really tie everything together.
Weight Training Mode feels like an ultra-smooth cable machine. Think Keiser Functional Trainer-esque. This would be like traditional isotonic resistance you can preload prior to performing an exercise, says @rewirehp. Share on XThe various attachments and accessories are very helpful. I’m a big fan of the rack attachments (including the new one that rotates in whatever direction it’s pulled for cleaner movement setups) as well as the base for vertical plane of movement exercises. The various settings are largely intuitive, with some light experimentation, so the whole thing is quite user friendly. Even some of the more functional/practical settings like the cable rollback are reasonably easy to figure out on your own. All in all, it was nice to dive into a piece of technology without feeling overwhelmed in start-up mode.
Who Is It For?
I personally view the VOLTRA I as something that’s soon-to-be ubiquitous across virtually all physical fitness, rehabilitation, and performance arenas with benefits to offer everybody.
It certainly has a place in home fitness due to the minimal fingerprint and sheer amount of boxes it can help you check (cable machine, flywheel, isokinetic machine, Vertimax-type settings, chain resistance mimetic).
That same Swiss Army Knife offering of features plus the minimal footprint makes it ideal for boutique gyms and training studios that want to integrate various pieces of equipment with those features but may not have adequate floor space.
Speaking of the portability and small footprint aspect relative to features, the machine should legit be considered a must-have for all mobile or pop-up trainers. Those familiar with the scarce resources for some professional sports training staff when on the road (e.g., in the NBA) are likely already thinking of this as something they can bring along on road trips for sports teams. This has implications for pre-game prep and being able to get athletes sufficient post-game load on the road. I can see tissue recruitment/potentiation and movement prep benefits prior to competition as a key area it addresses.
The performance benefits make the VOLTRA I an ideal choice for athletes as well as those who train them. This can include speed coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, and rehabilitation specialists who want a reasonably cost-effective, convenient solution for reconditioning and return-to-play needs. The isokinetic mode in particular—being able to match the output of the user—means athletes are offered scaled challenges relative to the level of their present abilities.
I personally view the VOLTRA I as something that’s soon-to-be ubiquitous across virtually all physical fitness, rehabilitation, and performance arenas with benefits to offer everybody, says @rewirehp. Share on XThere’s more that could be said here because the device can benefit so many populations with so many use cases, but I think the best way to put it is that I use it daily and have trouble thinking of demographics who wouldn’t benefit from the technology.
How Do I Integrate The VOLTRA I Into My Programming With Athletes?
Arguably, the in-the-trenches coaching experience is the most important part when evaluating equipment. Here are some of the ways I’ve been integrating the VOLTRA I on the applied side.
From a logistics standpoint, I’ve enjoyed using it as a separate station at my gym. Having a more or less zero footprint machine that doesn’t take up real estate has made coaching groups even easier to navigate. On that same practical side of the coin, I’ve enjoyed the mobile aspect of the device for pop-up, off-site training. Once the outdoor attachment is ready, I plan on traveling with it.
As far as how I use it with clients, the modes I use the most are:
- The traditional weight training mode (akin to a cable machine)
- The added eccentric overload (the flywheel-type setting)
- The isokinetic mode
While, conceptually, I’m a huge fan of the Damper Mode, the length of the cable makes it better suited for loaded dynamic exercises and plyometrics as opposed to literal loaded sprinting. Perhaps a future update is in the works there?
Video 1. The VOLTRA I works just as well for sagittal and vertical displacement exercises as it does for horizontal force vectors. Here, the athlete is using the eccentric overload (flywheel stand-in) adjustment of Weight Training mode.
I’ve absolutely loved doing vertical displacement exercises on the platform using the flywheel/eccentric setting for training the brakes during the downward phase of vertical jumping as well as simply building general strength for squat variations. I also like having athletes do split squat variations with their hands on either side of the rack (hand supported split squats).
Having a more or less zero footprint machine that doesn’t take up real estate has made coaching groups even easier to navigate, says @rewirehp. Share on XAnother movement I’ve really enjoyed using the machine for is lateral lunge and lateral lunge/row combos with slant boards under the plant leg to develop competency in the frontal plane and change of direction activities.
Video 2. Using this movement not only for general strength, but also to capture intent, the appropriate muscle sets, and proper bony alignments for frontal plane competency prior to doing frontal plane athletic patterns/dynamics. This is an adaptive resistance isokinetic mode with no eccentric load so as not to fatigue the athlete as much prior to plyometric activity.
I tend to use a mix of the weight training with eccentric overload as well as the isokinetic mode for this.
Of course, I enjoy using the general weight training mode for simple things like single arm cable presses from a staggered stance as well as staggered stance cable rows. I should also mention that I only have one unit at the time of this writing, though the dual unit movements unlock so much more exercise selection possibilities and/or stations.
The isokinetic mode might be my favorite. I love the idea of the adaptable resistance and each rep being a relative max for both general strength and tissue recruitment purposes. The concept of each rep offering maximal resistance through the entire range of motion is also huge for rehab due to being able to strengthen each joint angle.
The unloaded eccentric component means there will likely be less delayed onset muscle soreness than you might expect from an eccentric version of this or from flywheels.
Thus, I also see this as a phenomenal way to microdose strength work in-season for athletes without taxing their CNS or physiology on the whole quite as much. Speaking of in-season and pop-up training options, I like the idea of bringing this on the court (or field) as a way to achieve tissue recruitment, loaded movement prep, and going beyond the typical pre-game routines.
Video 3. Weight Training (cable feel) mode.
This whole section is still a living document, but hopefully this gets prospective users excited about a lot of different possibilities on the rehab-to-performance spectrum.
Specs: Cost Breakdown and Room for Development Moving Forward
When you factor in everything it does, the VOLTRA I is ultra-affordably priced at $2,099, with the ability to net two for dual-pulley setups for $4,774 (at the time of this writing). You will need to pay à la carte to add accessories, be it a platform, travel bag, 3D omnidirectional rack setup, and more. That’s going to be easily within budget for those who were already planning to add various types of equipment to their offerings, but could be something other trainers need to save for.
The good news is that it has so many helpful features and functions, while being incredibly efficient to house and move, that all of these factors collectively bump it up near the top of the benefits-relative-to-cost equipment power rankings.
So far, the Beyond Power team has been amazingly receptive to input about everything from features to functionality. I’ve brought to their attention the need for a pop-up mobile training attachment for trees, fences, poles, etc. and that’s in the works. I’ve also brought up an ultra-mild software issue (the equipment got a little extra warm once), and their support team has gone above and beyond to ensure I experienced no further issues.
As a practitioner, I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered such a receptive team in the sports technology space. It really is this—the quality of the team and their drive to problem solve for the end consumer—that makes me believe Beyond Power will not only take the resistance training technology market by storm as a lead product, but also have a ton of staying power.
As coaches, a lot of the time we are used to techies coming in and trying to “disrupt” fitness, but Beyond Power has an excellent onboard mix of both technological specialists and those who understand the actual needs of coaches—I could not ask for a better team behind the brand.
If there is one thing I haven’t been in love with so far (but is fixable) is the platform for squatting and vertical displacement/sagittal dominant movement (e.g., curls, split squats, rtc.). If newbies aren’t careful about having their mass on the deck when they load it, the deck can get pulled upwards from under them. Ideally, a solution able to bolt the deck down would be great, or a way to make the loading phase something easier for one person to do (such as in the form of a remote) rather than a probable two-person undertaking. Again, something that is most definitely fixable from a software and/or hardware standpoint that’s easy enough to navigate in the meantime with a bit of mild supervision.
Parting Shots
I’ve written reviews before and I’ve told other coaches about equipment I use and recommended they integrate certain things—but I’m not sure I’ve ever been so much in the camp of “you gotta try this” about anything else I’ve reviewed. There are a handful of things I can think of in this category for sure, but few that offer such a wide array of benefits to so many potential users.
I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered such a receptive team in sports technology. The team’s quality and drive to problem solve makes me believe Beyond Power has a ton of staying power, says @rewirehp. Share on XThe wide array of features and holes plugged by one machine speak for themselves. So does the corresponding collection of use cases and those whom it can help. The ease-of-integration level grades out very high with comparatively low costs involved, user-friendliness, minimal footprint, portability, and convenience factors.
While the price may not be something everybody will be able to pull off on a whim, it’s many times more cost-effective than buying all the equipment needed to execute what this one singular unit does (cable machine, Vertimax, flywheel, isokinetic machine, and more).
I think for me, the only thing I like to also have in addition to the VOLTRA I (as someone who has a physical gym space and isn’t as mobile) is at least one Keiser Functional Trainer in order to have more stations going at once and because you may not be able to move your racks to accomplish more distance between two VOLTRA units for certain movements (e.g., cable row/press variations).
But aside from that (and that may be a less common want relegated to some biomechanics-lead coaches), integrating the VOLTRA I is a no-brainer. My advice would be to find a local coach that has a unit so you can try it first (I’m hoping the team adds local channel partners/places you can demo the tech) before making a call on purchasing.
In summation, I’m confident the VOLTRA I adds a ton of value for both trainer and trainee alike.
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