The Ultimate Guide to Getting Started on Tonal

Here’s what you need to know to maximize your results from day one.

January 31, 2025

Here’s everything you need to know to get started on your fitness journey on Tonal.

Even though Tonal is packed with innovative technology that’ll revolutionize your fitness journey, getting started is easy and intuitive. This guide covers everything from the basics—like setting up your Tonal—to the fun stuff, like optimizing your training. We’ll break everything down step-by-step so you can kickstart your journey and achieve your goals.

Before Your Tonal Arrives

Ordering your Tonal is an exciting first step. Even before installation day, there’s plenty you can do to set yourself up for success.

Prep for Installation

Set your space: Make sure your space is clear and tidy before your Tonal arrives. Read through our installation advice for more details
Picture your setup: Check out some of our members’ installations to see how Tonal looks in different spaces.
Get inspired: Explore DIY home gym tips, neon light accents, and some members’ design ideas while you’re waiting.
Store your Smart Accessories: Our floating Tonal Accessories Shelf—available in three finishes—is a stylish, space-saving way to store Smart Accessories and complete your home gym.

Download the Tonal Mobile App

You can use Tonal all by itself, but our app will take your training to the next level. Use it to browse through all our workouts and programs, learn about the coaches, review workout stats, track your goal progress, and even work out when you’re away from your Tonal.

Set Your Goals: Tonal acts as a personal trainer that learns about you and helps you achieve your goals—whether it’s building muscle, getting lean, or improving fitness. You’ll select training focus areas, ranging from weight loss and performance to functional strength and movement quality. Tonal uses specific key metrics to track each training goal and allows you to filter workout and programs that are geared toward your personal goals. Answer a few questions about your experience level and objectives after your first sign-in, and Tonal will suggest programs and workouts that are programmed to help you get there.

Explore Programs and Coaches: Check out Tonal’s thousands of workouts and programs for a preview of your options. Save workouts or programs in the app by checking the bookmark icon in the top right hand corner so you can jump right in once your Tonal arrives, and check out the live workout schedule to plan ahead. The app also gives you access to articles about Tonal’s coaches, fitness and nutrition tips, and more.
Track Your Progress: With the Tonal app, you can view your daily and weekly progress, as well as progress toward your personalized weekly targets for your specific training goals. From the home screen, you’ll see your activity history, Strength Score, total volume lifted, and weekly streak. Each one will give you a different snapshot of your strength journey, day-by-day and month-by-month.
Build Custom Workouts: Create your own Tonal workout in minutes. The Custom Workouts section in the Tonal mobile app makes it easy to build in sets and blocks from a list of every move on Tonal. Name your workouts, save them, and they’ll automatically appear on your trainer for when you’re ready to workout — complete with real-time stats and video demos for every move. You can also share your Custom Workouts with friends and family in the app.

Download the mobile app for iOS

Download the mobile app for Android

Once Your Tonal Arrives

Now that your Tonal is here, it’s time to get to know the trainer and how it works.

How to Turn On Tonal

First, make sure the power switch on the bottom of the trainer is on. The switch is located right where the power cord plugs in. Once the trainer is powered on, tap the screen to turn on Tonal. If you stop using your Tonal for 10 minutes, it’ll automatically go into sleep mode (just like a smartphone). Simply tap the screen to wake it back up.

Pair Your Smart Accessories

The Smart Accessories (rope, bar, and handles) are connected to Tonal by Bluetooth, enabling you to turn the weight on and off with the click of a button. The Smart Accessories also track your movements to provide Form Feedback.. Our team of professionals often pairs them for you during installation, but it’s always good to know how to do it yourself.

Activate Your Tonal Membership

Tap the Activate button on the screen to get started. Follow the prompts to create your primary user account, input your payment information for your membership, and complete the rest of the onboarding process. If you purchased Tonal with Affirm, you’ll be prompted to enter the same email address you used with Affirm.

Have multiple people in your house who want to work out? No problem—everyone can create a personalized account. There’s no limit to how many accounts you can have on Tonal. Log out of your account to allow others to create an account or log in.

Once you’ve signed in, Tonal will create an icon for your account (and anyone else who signs up) to make logging in and out a breeze. Want to use your Facebook photo? Log in to the mobile app, select Settings > Connected Apps > Facebook Photo

How to Adjust Tonal’s Arms

Arm position indicators on the screen ensure you’re set up for each move correctly during every workout, and moving Tonal arms will become second nature in no time. Each arm’s height, angle, and rotation can be adjusted to achieve more than 170 on-Tonal moves for a full-body workout.

When the arms are stored, grab the rounded shoulders at the top of each arm and pull them toward you as you rotate each toward the Tonal screen.
To pivot the arm angle up and down, pull and hold the angle lever in the middle of the arm, lifting or lowering the arm to the appropriate angle.
To adjust the height of the arm, pull the height lever behind the shoulder. Hold the lever as you raise or lower the arm.
To rotate the arm in or out, press and hold the circular rotate button near the middle of the arm and push or pull on the arm until it rotates.
Each time you adjust the arm height, angle, or rotation, it will click once securely in place.
Always double-check your arm is securely locked in place by pulling on the arm twice before beginning any exercise.

Pair Your Devices and Apps

Headphones and Speakers: Nothing gets you in the zone quite like music. To pair Bluetooth headphones or speakers, swipe down from the top of the display to access the Settings menu. Hit Bluetooth to pair your device. Now you’re all set to listen to your Tonal coach, Apple Music, or favorite Tonal Radio Station.
Apple Watch: Track your heart rate, turn weight on and off, add or subtract weight, control music, or pause and play workouts straight from your Apple Watch. Your watch will even notify you with vibrations when you reach the last few reps or seconds of a set.
Heart Rate Monitor: Use Tonal’s heart rate zones feature to track your heart rate and see real-time data during a workout with a paired Bluetooth heart rate monitor
Strava: Automatically log and share your Tonal workouts in the Strava app when you pair your account. From the Tonal mobile app, navigate to Settings > Connected Apps > Strava.

Complete the Strength Assessment

Just like a personal trainer, Tonal gauges your strength and range of motion before you train. To start, select the Intro to Tonal Workout from the home screen. In this quick session, you’ll complete four full-body moves at gradually increasing weights. When you’re finished, Tonal sets your Strength Score, the primary performance metric Tonal uses to track your progress over time. Your Strength Score also determines the best starting weight for you for each exercise.

Digital weight may feel different than what you’re used to in the gym, and that’s normal. Tonal provides constant resistance throughout each rep, unlike free weights that are difficult to get moving at first, but easier to keep in motion once you have some momentum. Lifting digital weight feels harder than free weights because there’s no momentum assisting you. To help you feel safe and confident, Tonal is programmed to be conservative with starting resistance to help you get acclimated. Tonal takes the guesswork out of strength training by adjusting your weight in one-pound increments as you get stronger.

If you ever want to recalibrate your weight (for example, when returning after an extended break or coming back to Tonal after pregnancy) go to your Profile, select “About You,” and hit “Recalibrate” to have Tonal reset your starting weights all over again.

Join a Program

Multi-week programs are the best way to introduce yourself to Tonal because the exercises repeat week over week so you can gain competency and confidence. Following a consistent program over two to four weeks is the fastest and most efficient way to reach your goals. Learn more about our programs with this ultimate Tonal workout guide and our list of the best programs for beginners. Filter programs in the app or on Tonal by training effect goals to find ones that aligns with your aims. The enhanced workout details provide a snapshot of how well individual workouts or programs match your goals.

Tonal also offers multi-coach programs to give you more variety and introduce you to several coaches at once. Try School of Gains or Big Lift Energy to dial in your form on Tonal. Four-Week Fast Track: Accelerate Level I, a four-week, beginner-friendly program featuring three expert coaches guiding you through basic movement patterns to improve your all-around fitness.

If you are more advanced and want to target a specific muscle group, check out the Ultimate Series, including Ultimate Arms with Coach Ackeem Emmons and Ultimate Back with Coach Kendall Wood.

Discover Your Perfect Workout

Along with programs, Tonal offers hundreds of one-off workouts. Look at the symbols next to each workout or program name to see the level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), and focus (upper body, lower body, core, or full body). The browser makes it easy for you to navigate all of the workouts and filter by coach, duration, modality, and training goal. Remember to always prioritize mastering your form with the basics before tackling anything more advanced.

Get a taste of the variety of Tonal’s offerings with these excellent workouts:

Strength: Sculpted Shoulders and Arms with Coach Joe Rodonis
High-Intensity: Express Burn with Coach Ackeem Emmons
Yoga: Grounding Yin Yoga with Coach Shelby Hicks
Mobility: Juice the Joints with Coach Ash Wilking
Recovery: Full-Body Deload with Coach Kristina Centenari

Find a Coach You Love

Tonal’s coaches are diverse in their personalities and training styles so there’s someone for everyone. First, read up on each coach to see who you might connect with best. Then, test each out by trying different workouts or programs. A low-commitment way to give a coach a test run? Try one of their Quick Fit workouts.

A low-commitment way to give a coach a test run? Try one of their Quick Fit workouts. Here are a few favorites:

Full-Body: Quick Fit: Big Lift Basics with Coach Tim Landicho
Upper-Body: Quick Fit: Pull to Build with Coach Joe Rodonis
Core: Quick Fit: Attack the Abs with Coach Ash Wilking
Lower-Body Quick Fit: Lower-Body Power with Coach Kristina Centenari

When You’re Feeling Confident on Tonal

Once you’ve completed a few workouts and you’re feeling more comfortable on Tonal, you can start to explore more of Tonal’s features to take your fitness to the next level.

Explore New Modalities

Along with strength training, Tonal offers all kinds of workout content. Try Tonal High Intensity (a combination of strength and interval training), dance cardio, kickboxing, barre, bootcamp, and Pilates.

On Tonal 2, you can combine strength and cardio in one heart-pumping workout with Aero HIIT. Try Getting Started with Aero led by Coach Ash Wilking and learn how to practice Aero moves with proper form so you can start incorporating them into your routine.
On recovery days, relax and recharge with breathwork and meditation in a yoga or mobility class. If you’re pregnant or recently had a baby, Tonal can support you through your journey with pre- and postpartum workouts.

Train Together

Even though Tonal lets you work out from home on your schedule, you don’t have to go at it alone. Partner Workouts allow you to train alongside a friend or family member, automatically adjusting the weight to each participant and tracking your progress individually. Invite friends to join you in a workout from wherever they are with a Virtual Group Workout or exercise with a Tonal coach and other members in real-time in a Live Workout.

Dynamic Weight Modes

With Tonal’s digital weights, you can enjoy the benefits of variable resistance training techniques at the touch of a button. Variable resistance training through dynamic weight modes alters the resistance within a single rep, or between reps in a set, to help you get stronger.

Spotter Mode: Automatically reduces the weight if you’re struggling with a rep, and increases it when you’re ready to safely complete your set.
Smart Flex Mode: Intelligently matches your strength by continuously adding or subtracting weight at your strongest and weakest points in a specific exercise to challenge you throughout the rep.
Eccentric Mode: Adds weight during the eccentric (lowering) portion of each exercise to improve strength, flexibility, and range of motion, and reduce injury risk.
Chains Mode: Increases resistance during the concentric (lifting) portion of each exercise to increase max strength and prep your nervous system for heavier lifting.
Burnout Mode: Reduces weight within a set as you get fatigued so you can lift until you reach failure without sacrificing safety or form.

Adaptive Drop Sets

Weightlifters have long used drop sets—in which you gradually reduce resistance during a set as you approach failure—to build muscle quicker and more efficiently, but this technique requires lots of extra equipment or a dedicated spotter. With Tonal’s Drop Sets, though, Tonal senses when you’re fatigued and automatically lowers the weight in real-time so you can get in more reps near-failure, which studies show are most effective at stimulating muscle growth. Give it a try with Intro to Drop Sets led by Coach Joe Rodonis.

Work Out On-the-Go

Mobile Workouts on the mobile app give you access to guided workouts such as yoga, bootcamp, Pilates, barre, kickboxing, and more. If you’re ever traveling or away from home, you can find plenty of ways to move your body and maintain your streak.

Workout Summaries and Stats

After every workout, Tonal shows you a summary of what you accomplished, including workout duration, time under tension, total pounds lifted, and moves completed. It’s the quickest way to see how you’re getting closer to your personal goals. On the app, you’ll also see the progress you’ve made toward your personalized weekly targets for each of your goals.

Strength Score

Exclusive to Tonal, Strength Score is a comprehensive system that gives you a complete picture of your progress as you get stronger. Access your Strength Score on Tonal or in the mobile app to track your progress, view muscle group breakdowns, and see how you compare to other Tonal members. Watch the Tonal Talk on Strength Score to learn more.

Form Feedback

Form Feedback senses the length and position of Tonal’s cables to detect the pace, range of motion, positioning, balance, symmetry, and smoothness of your movements to deliver immediate, actionable corrections to your technique.

Smart View

In addition to incorporating data points from Tonal’s cable, Smart View utilizes Tonal 2’s on-trainer camera to provide real-time coaching cues. Activate the camera to view yourself during your workout and quickly check your form. On Tonal 1, you can set up Smart View on your phone. Watch footage of your workouts and review coaching cues on the app, just like an athlete studying game tape.

Heart Rate Zones

You can target different heart rate zones to get the most out of your physical activity and measure how hard you’re going during a workout. The Heart Rate Zone feature lets you see your heart rate in real time and how long you spent in each heart rate zone at the end of each workout. To use this feature, pair your Apple Watch or Bluetooth heart rate monitor.

Muscle View and Muscle Readiness

Tonal’s muscle diagrams can be found in the lower right corner throughout your workout and help you easily understand which muscles are being targeted for every movement. Check out the Muscle View before a workout to see what body parts you’ll be working. Tonal also displays a muscle diagram illustrating which muscle groups are fresh and ready to workout and which ones need to recover.

Recovery Mode

For those tired muscles, try a workout in Recovery Mode, which automatically lowers the weight for each exercise to around 50 to 60 percent of your one-rep max. Recovery workouts improve your mobility, stability, and range of motion without tiring out already-fatigued muscles.

Achievements

Mark key moments in your fitness journey by earning Tonal Achievements, such as hitting 50,000 pounds or completing your 50th workout. Collect Badges for sweating it out on special occasions like your birthday and the first time you try a new workout.

Leaderboard

There’s nothing like a little friendly competition to give you that extra boost or motivation. Tonal’s Leaderboard is a way to celebrate your consistency and push yourself.

Connect with Friends

On the mobile app, you can follow friends’ activities and achievements, and get inspired by the larger Tonal community. Cheer on your friends and celebrate wins together. Find accountability buddies in the Official Tonal Community on Facebook.

Ready to power your progress on Tonal? It’s time to tap in!