Features that make home training safer and better
I'm a Beyond Power affiliate. If you buy a Voltra with my link or code TISSUEGUY, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Everything in this guide comes from my own training and programming with the unit.
- Auto Load and Auto Unload: I use these almost every day, for chest-supported rows, belt squats and nearly every other movement. You get into position without spending effort getting there. Auto Unload shuts the resistance off at whichever comes first: holding still for the time you set, or hitting a target rep count. This makes home gym training noticeably safer and more enjoyable.
- Assist Mode: a built-in spotter. It reduces resistance if you stall for the time you choose, from 1 to 5 seconds (Beyond Power). I mostly use it with clients when I want them to complete a specific number of reps or a set duration. When possible, I'd rather find the right load through trial and error than rely on Assist.
- Intense Mode: a different control setting that does less of the motor's automatic smoothing. Resistance feels rawer and more like a traditional cable stack, which is most noticeable at lighter loads and during the eccentric (Beyond Power). Use it when you want the load to feel more direct and less cushioned.
- Twin Mode: pairs two units. You set the load once and it changes on both. With variable resistance like Chains, Inverse Chains and Eccentric, Twin Mode makes sure both units give you the same resistance at every inch of the range. Custom Curves and Sled Pull don't run in Twin Mode, so unpair to use them (Beyond Cortex docs). Combined output goes up to 400 lb, or 800 lb in Isometric (Beyond Power). One thing to know: in Twin Mode, Assist, Auto Load/Unload and Remember Cable Length revert to whatever the main unit had set before pairing, so set those on the main unit first.
- User modes (Beginner, Normal, Sport): these set the device's limits on maximum output and cable speed. Sport is the most open, and it enables Direct Load. If a load or speed you want isn't available, check this setting first.
- Sessions: pre-build a whole workout: exercises, sets, reps, mode, rest, circuits, supersets, AMRAPs and drop sets. Sessions also record comparable data, with CSV export. Right now, guided Session training runs in the Beyond+ iOS app; Android doesn't support it yet (Beyond Cortex docs).