How to Build a High-Tech Home Gym

Looking to shape up before summer—and all its accompanying shirtlessness—gets into full swing? Here are some high-tech exercise equipment that will give you the full professional gym experience from the comfort of your own home.

SkillMill Connect

An all-in-one workout wonder, the SkillMill Connect is a perfect marriage between contemporary and classic workout equipment. Inspired by Olympic athletes, this motorless "treadmill" is built to improve power, speed, stamina and agility—all in a single machine, and all driven by the user’s momentum. But just because the SkillMill has a Flintstone-esque fuel source doesn’t mean the machine isn’t modern. Users can access guided virtual training programs on their smartphone simply by scanning QR codes on the SkillMill—or download customized training regimens built specifically for the SkillMill via the accompanying mywellness app. The mywellness app will also let SkillMill owners keep track of their performance, goals and customized settings as data syncs seamlessly from the device’s onboard monitor to the cloud-based app.

The SkillMill Connect is available for $9,740.

ICAROS

If the idea of reps fills you with existential dread, then the ICAROS (pronounced like the unfortunate boy who flew too close to the sun) may be the ideal workout equipment for you. ICAROS is a gyroscopic virtual reality workout device—a hardware and software solution—that lets users immerse themselves in flight/racetrack/underwater gaming simulations while they work on their core muscles, shoulder muscles, balance and body control. ICAROS players have the choice of playing on their own or in multiplayer scenarios against other ICAROS users around the world and the ICAROS offers six nonstop hours of "gamercising" before the device’s controller requires a recharge, which typically takes about 30 minutes. Users should just make sure they don’t fly too close to the virtual reality sun.

The ICAROS costs $9,200, before VAT and shipping costs from the Munich-based company.

Peloton Tread

The makers of the wildly popular, Wi-Fi-enabled workout bike are back with an equally ingenious new piece of exercise equipment. The Peloton Tread hopes to revolutionize the home running market much in the same way the Peloton Bike did for home spinning—and with a similar arsenal of features. Equipped with a 32-inch touchscreen and internet-connectivity, the Tread will enable users to pick from a diverse line-up of 10-plus daily live class streams, from pure running to more full-body fitness routines. And if your schedule can’t accommodate a live class, Tread owners can choose from a constantly updating on-demand library of over 1,000 workout classes—effectively fighting fitness fatigue via variety. Peloton owners will also be able to keep track of their health metrics in real-time and keep track of their exercise progress through the Tread’s robust bio-analytics software.

The Peloton Tread will be available this fall for $3,995 but interested parties can reserve one now for a deposit of $250, which will be applied to the purchase when the device is available.

Power Plate My7

Harness the power of vibration—at home. Engineered to activate your muscles’ reflexive response to vibration, the Power Plate My7—which resembles something like a futuristic scale—accelerates the training and fitness goals of its users by giving them that much more from every workout. Power Plate users go through their regular workout routines, while maintaining contact with the plate, which, as it vibrates, causes constant subconscious contractions in the trainee’s muscles, adding another layer of conditioning to each exercise session. But the Power Plate is so much more than a pretty, and super shaky, base. The device comes equipped with 250 customized programs and more than 1,000 individual exercises, as well as exercise videos and coaching tips for full-body vibration workouts—all of which can be accessed via the Power Plate’s touchscreen monitor.

The Power Plate My7 is available for $7,995.