This is a new strength and condition machine and the closest comparison to this machine is the Concept2 StrengthErg, a machine that I got to test recently. The concepts are the same—the harder you push yourself on an exercise, the harder the machine pushes back in the concentric phase of the movement. This unique aspect is both the best part of these machines and also the reason why I would have advise caution in purchasing them.
The best way I can describe the Air Rhino is that it’s a HIIT monster with strength upside. The first part is pretty self explanatory since you’ll be peeling yourself off the floor if you’re doing deadlifts or squats for time. The unique aspect of the machine and separates this from the competition is Rhino Mode, which adds magnetic resistance on top of the air damper to truly push you to the limit. The most obvious way to program this would be to set a rep total and you try to get the highest output total possible, which is something you’d be looking to improve over time.
The adjustability and versatility of the Air Rhino is what sold me on it for my gym. You can manually set the start height of the rope with zero resistance to seamlessly switch between attachments and exercises. For me, my biggest sticking point has been pushing into the ground on deadlifts and this machine has helped correct that problem. Being able to set the height allows you to work the top part of the movement as well without having to fatigue yourself and pull from the ground.
I really like this machine and I use it daily. It’s lightweight but is still built like a tank. If I’m not using it for sticking points or HIIT work, I’m at least using it to warm up. If you don’t think you’d use it for any of the reasons I’ve outlined or if space is tight, I wouldn’t consider this machine. This machine does not replace anything in your gym for strength training so you’ll need to weigh how important that aspect is to you given the nearly 4’x4’ footprint.
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