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Do you want a home gym that fits under your bed? This review of the Sole SRVO strength trainer explores all of this machine’s capabilities as well as its limitations due to its compact size.
Updated: March 27, 2024
The Sole SRVO is a compact home gym solution with tons of training options. It has a maximum resistance weight of 264 lbs but can fit under your bed. The SRVO is a small platform with a 5-inch step-up height. It has two cables with carabiners on the end for attaching many different handle options. The SRVO connects with the Sole+ app for guided training. The resistance is controlled on the machine or in the optional, free app. There are a few safety features to help you feel more confident while training with the SRVO on your own. I’ll recount my experience training with the SRVO: what I liked and what didn’t work for me.
The Sole SRVO feels like a midrange all-in-one compact trainer. It doesn’t have the premium features that higher-end options have, like touchscreens, better aesthetics, and high-tech features. Yet, it doesn’t feel cheap. It has a great performance, does what it needs to, and throws in a few extras.
The build quality feels right for its price. I think it’s a great option for shoppers who want to save a little money and not get tied to a subscription.
The SRVO itself is a 5-inch tall rectangular platform. It has an aluminum frame. The maximum weight capacity is 330 lbs. The SRVO itself weighs only 66 lbs. Because of how lightweight the SRVO is, you need to stand on the machine or push down with one foot onto the machine to stabilize it while training. The SRVO never felt flimsy or insubstantial to me, even when I was performing exercises with only one foot on the SRVO.
While the SRVO itself is really nice, I wasn’t thrilled with the quality of the bench and rack attachment. I felt a little hesitant to try a high amount of weight with it. There are plenty of safety features on SRVO, but I would have felt safer with a sturdier weight rack when bench pressing. If you are planning to use the heaviest weight on the SRVO, I suspect you will feel the same. The quality of the other accessories included in the complete trainer package was nice, and I will talk more about those further down.
The SRVO should be stored flat. It’s only 5 inches tall, so it’s perfect for storing under your bed. There are two transport wheels on one end of the SRVO and a handhold on the other side, so it’s easy to roll around. Don’t store the SRVO on its side. We briefly kept ours that way, and it temporarily messed up the tension. After using it once or twice it returned to normal, but avoid storing the SRVO this way.
The bench and rack attachment are nice extras, but they kind of defeat the purpose of how compact and storable the SRVO is. The bench folds down, but the process involves multiple steps and may not be ideal for exercisers in a hurry. There are transport wheels that reach the ground only when the bench is folded. The bench should be low enough to store under your bed as well.
I wish the SRVO complete trainer package came with a case for all of the additional items to make storage even easier.
The Sole SRVO is named for its two servo motors that created the resistance on the cables. The SRVO has a maximum resistance weight of 264 lbs when using both cables. The maximum tension on either cable is 132 lbs. The minimum resistance is 4 lbs per cable.
If you have been training with free weights, don’t expect the weight to feel exactly the same. I mainly use free weights in my strength training routine. Sometimes the weight on the SRVO felt heavier or lighter than I expected it to feel. After a few workouts, you will start to adjust to the differences between free weights and the SRVO’s cables.
The tension on the SRVO was pretty smooth overall. If you ever feel like the tension in the cables is off, check to make sure there are no visible signs of damage, check your tension settings in the Sole+ app, and maybe perform a few lightweight sets to see if that straightens things out. With proper use, we expect the SRVO to perform as expected.
While the Sole SRVO is an excellent compact gym solution for many users, it may not serve every style of training. I think the SRVO would work really well for my training. I’m a long-distance runner who lives in an apartment. A lot of my strength training is aimed at building endurance or hypertrophy, so most of my training is high repetitions. The SRVO is great for this style of training. It is ideal for new to intermediate exercisers to build strength. If you are not ready or not comfortable in a gym setting, the SRVO can replace a lot of your go-to machines and other equipment.
You can perform tons of different moves on the SRVO, but there are some obvious limitations. For one, moves that require an overhead or wall anchor, like a lat pull-down or seated row, won’t be possible. Lastly, the size of the SRVO could be limited for some users. I can comfortably deadlift and squat on the SRVO, but some users may have trouble finding the right positioning while staying on top of the SRVO’s platform.
When I first tried the SRVO, I thought it was pretty straightforward to use. However, the more I trained and dug through the app and product manual, the more features I discovered. For its price and lack of touchscreen and subscription, the SRVO is impressive with what it offers. There were only a few features I wish were improved or added to this device to make it perfect.
When it came time to assess the Sole SRVO, I spent a lot of time researching similar products from other brands to see what they had to offer. The main categories of features that most of these products offer are safety features, training content, movement/performance tracking, accessories, and training modes. The Sole SRVO has something for each of these categories. Compared to more affordable and more expensive alternatives, the SRVO is reasonably and competitively priced for what it has.
The Sole SRVO has extender safety cables. These cables attach to the ends of the cables on the SRVO and will not retract into the machine. The extender cables make sure you don’t have any weight/tension at a certain height.
It will stop resistance at a user-determined stop point, when the cables are held static for a set time, when the cables are dumped, and when the cables are dropped. I like all of these safety features, and I recommend anyone using the SRVO familiarize themselves with these features. Test them out, so you are prepared to use them should the situation ever arise that you need them.
You should also get comfortable pressing the start/stop button to engage and disengage the weight. There are speakers in the SRVO that announce the weight being applied or taken off. Their only other function is to announce when the SRVO has been paired via Bluetooth or disconnected. I wish the volume went lower, turned off, or paired to headphones. As it is, the SRVO is safer but very disruptive to anyone around you. Not to the level that you would disturb a neighbor, thankfully, but it is something to be mindful of.
When using the SRVO bench, make sure to tighten all of the adjustment knobs and screws. Ensure that the bottom latch is fixed. If you are using the rack make sure that everything is secure before loading the weight onto the racked bar.
The basic package for the SRVO comes with a belt, a pair of metal handles, a straight bar, and a pair of ankle attachments. The complete set comes with a short bar, 3 safety extension cables, a tricep rope, and a bench with an attached rack. There is also a soft pad with cutouts to perfectly fit the SRVO and its console. There’s also a clip that attaches to the straight bar with a button that turns the weight on and off. This is super useful because you don’t have to reach for the button on the SRVO itself to start/stop the resistance.
The SRVO does not have a touchscreen display unlike many of the other smart home gym systems. It has a simple digital console with a dial and start/stop button. The screen shows your current weight. The number will flash if the resistance is not applied to the cables. The SRVO will count your total reps and show those on the screen. It does not show other metrics, but you can see more in the Sole+ app if you are following a workout.
There are three training modes on the SRVO: standard, eccentric, and isokinetic. The resistance will remain constant during the standard mode. This is ‘mode 1’ on the SRVO Eccentric mode is ‘mode 2’ and increases the resistance during the eccentric action. It has a 10 to 7 eccentric to concentric. ‘Mode 3’ is the isokinetic mode. This mode varies the resistance according to your speed. For instance, if you pull faster, the resistance will increase. Isokinetic mode keeps the speed, not the resistance, constant.
While most users will stick with the standard mode, these other training options are really cool. More advanced users will enjoy incorporating them into their training.
Without the bench and rack, I was pleased with the SRVO’s performance. I think racking the bar while using a higher weight still gives me pause, but I felt confident in the rest of my training on the SRVO.
One benefit I saw as a primarily free-weight user was noticing the imbalance in my lifting form. When doing squats and deadlifts, I could hear the cables moving out of sync as well as feel it. Training bilaterally on the SRVO helped me engage muscles on both sides of my body more equally.
Setting up the SRVO and its attachments initially and for each exercise can take a little more time than using free weights. I suggest reviewing your workout plan beforehand to have the proper accessories nearby. If you are creating the workout yourself, try to plan rests and necessary accessories swaps at the same time. This could reduce your workout time, so you aren’t taking a lot of unplanned rests. The SRVO is potentially faster than working out at a gym because you don’t have to wait for equipment to open up for use. You also don’t have to add or take off weight plates. Adjusting your weight is as simple as turning a dial.
The Sole+ app is where you will find all of the training content for the SRVO. You do not have to use the app unless you want to. Sole+ is free with your purchase of the SRVO. There are video workout classes, tutorials, and preset and custom programs.
The videos are instructor-led and set in a studio. They incorporate moves on and off of the SRVO. The classes are fun and good quality. Sole+ workouts are backed by music, but the songs don’t coincide with the workout like they do in Peloton classes. I wish I had a little more control over the music. Sometimes, I just turned it down all of the way and listened to the instructor.
The programs are my favorite way to use the SRVO. Whether you create your own custom program or follow one of the presets, it makes using the SRVO much easier. You can set your weight beforehand, eliminating one obstacle during your workout. It can take a little time to create your own workout, so make sure to account for that. The Sole+ app has tons of exercises to choose from and you can filter by muscle group. Each exercise has a demonstration of how to perform the exercise with the SRVO, which I find super helpful. You can set your rest time between sets and exercises. The app will also count your reps for you. My headphones were paired with my phone, and I was able to hear the rep counter while also listening to music on Spotify.
If you already have a subscription to another training platform, you could still use the SRVO for those workouts. I had the most success with the Peloton Gym workouts. These are self-paced workouts, so I didn’t feel rushed trying to swap out the SRVO attachments. I think I fared pretty well. I took 33 minutes to finish what Peloton estimated was a 30-minute workout.
A video class will be more challenging, but just remember that you can pause an on-demand workout from Peloton, iFIT, or many other training platforms if necessary. Fortunately, instructors usually let you know what’s on deck during the rests so you can prepare yourself. Definitely sneak a look at the exercises included in the workout before you start if that’s an option on your platform.
Lastly, the SRVO is a great product for just doing your own thing. Whether you are following a personal trainer’s prescribed program or entirely winging it, the SRVO supports hundreds of exercises, so you can reach your goals. The only limitation might be the maximum resistance. As I’ve mentioned before, it caps out at 264 lbs, so it’s not going to be the best fit for very strong athletes. It’s not the best tool for maximizing strength and power.
All in all, the SRVO has tons of training options. It’s a great backup or replacement for the gym or bulky home fitness equipment.
