AEKE K1 Smart Home Gym and AI-Powered Personal Trainer

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The AEKE K1 has taken a lot of popular technology from other home gym equipment options and crammed it into one machine. So yes, it functions like a resistance trainer. Think Tonal or Speediance Gym Monster. It is also a mirror so you can see yourself while you work out and work on your form and technique. Think Lululemon mirror or Fiture. It has an AI-powered home gym, motors to bring out the mat, and a massive screen. Think... well, not sure if anyone does this. The point is, it does a lot. But does it do it well?

We will cover that here.

As someone who reviews smart home gym equipment and eBikes, I have assembled a lot of products. Normally, it is not too bad, but it gets old and if you are not comfortable with it... well, it can stink. The Aeke K1 came in two boxes. One for the bench and one for the trainer. First thing to note. This was was the best packaging I have ran into. Everything is so stabilized and designed to survive shipping. Yet, unboxing it was a breeze. I cover this in the video here, if you want to see more. 

Now.... assembling. Not a single bolt. Unbox, fold out the legs on your bench, plug in the machine, and get to using it. So. Ridiculously, Simple. 

If you are like me, you are going to notice how this has a higher-end feel to it. The machine lines, styling, and base feel so well thought out. The accessories don't have that cheap plasticky look or feel. The screen is massive, sharp, and vibrant. The user interface is easy to jump into and start using. 

Overall, I was very pleased with quality of the product, look, and functionality out of the gate. This is a machine you accept delivery on and be doing your first lift 10 minutes later. Pretty amazing.

I tested a pre-release version of this machine. This mean the software was still being fine-tuned and I am sure many more features and functionality are to come. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and newsletter here, as I will make more content as this platform matures.

Considering I am reviewing a very early release, it worked really well. I found no major bugs, only small items that already in the works to be fixed. This includes items like streaming music from your phone disconnecting when you start an exercise mode. Another thing I want to see improved is the feedback system. It needs a little fine-tuning with how it detects what you are doing and how it suggests improvements. Currently, it tends to tell you the same thing over and over which can get annoying. I look forward to new features such as build your own workout and manual exercise lift screen showing all available exercise types. 

The AEKE K1 comes with a nice arrangement of accessories. This includes:

• Handles - These provide exercises where the arms are independent of each other. Think dumbbells. Has an integrated button to activate resistance.
• Barbell - One long bar where your hands work together. Think bench press. This also has a button to activate resistance.
• Heart Rate Monitor - More data and tied into the health assessment feature.
• Ankle Strap - Get those leg exercises in!
• Smart Scale - Weigh yourself and get additional biometric data. This also ties into the health assessment feature. I have not tested this yet, so stay tuned for future content.
• Adjustable Bench - This thing is REALLY nice. Push a button and fold the legs in save space. Push button again to release legs and exercise. Has incline ability that works really well. Material and overall build quality is top notch. I was surprised at home much I was impressed by the bench.

First, I have to point out how responsive the interface is. If a swipe, it swipes fluidly and quickly. (This is not always the case with other products) When I select something and it needs to load, it is very quick. A product can really test you when every click results in a long load time.

As far different methods of generating exercises:

AI Coach - Answer a few questions about the exercise type you are looking for and it will generate a custom course for you on the fly. I love this mode.

Fitness Combos - Want ideas? In this screen you see a bunch of pre-built combos and suggestions. Select one and you are on your way to a great workout.

Free Training - Just what it sounds like. All the features but just you and the machine. Do whatever exercises you want!

Games - This mode has various games to get cardio and mix it up. These often use the camera to interact with the game.

The UI is built in a way that it will easily support anyone, beginner to advanced. Don't know your way around resistance training? It does not matter here. The machine will build exercise plans, teach you how to perform exercises, give you feedback, track results, and be prepared with the best settings for you for the next time you do the same movement. Wonderful experience.

The first time I tested this, (talked a little bit about it in the unboxing video) I was a little worried this might not be a match for everyone. The reason for this was that on the original lift, the resistance seemed smooth, challenging, and representative of the real weight selected. On the return, it was not. It was much lighter, which for me is not a good thing. I want the resistance to be consistent throughout the motion. While I was testing, a major update came through and this was significantly improved telling me this is software and they are still fine-tuning their resistance algorithms. While not perfect, it is getting there. I tell you this because I only expect it to continue to improve.

Outside of that, the resistance has worked very well. The machine provides up to 220 lbs. of resistance which is going to be more than enough for most people to get a quality full-body workout. 

It also has multiple modes to help you target muscles differently;

• Constant
• Eccentric
• Elastic
• Concentric

These modes alert when and how the resistance ramps in and out. This can be great if you want to push muscles in certain ways. Personally, I like constant for most but the other modes have great uses!

A common question and concern with digital resistance is if you can build muscle. I have spent significant time with the Tonal and Speediance Gym Monster and now beginning to use the AEKE K1. I can tell you that you can most definitely build muscle with these machines. Because you can do so many exercises, target muscles through different motions and exercises, and have very challenging resistance throughout the range of motion, you can very much push your muscles and see results. An obvious downside is if you lift more than 220 lbs. and if so, this might not be for you. Otherwise, this is a great whole-body exercise option that lets you see results but also strengthen your whole body (Think core, back... not just big arms). 

This is a machine that offers so much yet folds up with the push of a button and can be rolled away. Having a machine that offers so much, but does not dominate your house is such a huge benefit. From there, this is the top option as far as technology and features integrated into the machine. Not everyone is a resistance training expert. Having a machine that builds exercises, introduces exercises you never thought of, has personal trainer features to train you and assist through the workout cannot be understated. It can take someone who is a complete novice and have get fantastic exercise and reach their goals from the comfort of their house (maybe in their pajamas.... no judgement here!). The screen is massive, detailed, fast, but using the mirror and feedback system has you perfecting movements and avoiding injury. In short, this is a well though out machine that can very much support serious lifters to someone brand new to lifting.

So far, I have very much enjoyed the AEKE K1, but that dose not mean it is perfect. Here are reasons you should question purchasing.

1. Brand New Company - It is always a risk to purchase a product from a company that has not been around long. This is something to consider. Although, I will say it is hard to believe a company would build a product this well-designed and just walk away, but still a concern.
2. Resistance Location - Other options allow you to move the resistance points offering addition exercise options and more variety for targeting muscles. I do enjoy this flexibility and the ability to have the resistance from from infront and above you. In terms of the AEKE K1, you can still a full body exercise. You just need to use different exercises that they will teach you. The only exercise I have not been able to find an option to perform via the AEKE K1 is lat pulldowns.
3. New Product- I have been amazed how few bugs exist and how many features are included out of the gate considering this is pre-release. That being said, you are still getting a product that is new, improving their software, and building out the UI and features. As I test this in last December 2024, you may run into small issues features you wonder don't work a certain way. I expect everything to improve and be enhanced at an alarmingly fast rate, but still something to consider.