I tell athletes to get stronger all the time, and I also know how often that work disappears the minute the gym is a drive, or its cold outside and the sun sets at 4:30 pm.

So a 12.8 lb box that can load 230 lb of cable is the kind of tool I actually want at home.

Nike Strength is now selling Beyond Power’s VOLTRA I and it went on sale this week for $2,199; which is a crap load of money but its about 1/90th the size of a full rack set up in your garage.

What’s Happening

This is a retail partnership, not a co-designed product. Nike Strength says the VOLTRA I and its accessories are designed and built by Beyond Power and ship directly from Beyond Power. You buy it through Nike Strength, but Beyond Power handles shipping and returns.

Nike Strength’s product page pitches it as “Smaller than a shoebox. Loaded like a weight room.”

What the VOLTRA I Actually Is

Think of it as a cable machine without the weight stack. A motor creates the resistance electronically, anywhere from 5 to 230 lb in 1 lb steps, on an 8.5 ft cable. No plates, no pins.

The interesting part is that the load doesn’t have to behave like a normal weight. Nike Strength lists eight training modes:

• Weight Training
• Resistance Band
• Damper, where the load rises the faster you pull
• Isokinetic, which holds the cable at a set speed no matter how hard you push
• Isometric Testing
• Rowing
• Skiing
• Sled Pull

There are also resistance profiles that change the load during a single rep. Eccentric Overload makes the lowering part of the rep heavier. Chains gets harder as you extend, like hanging chains off a barbell, and Inverse Chains does the opposite.

Every rep gets measured: speed, power, force and range of motion, on the device or in the Beyond+ app for iOS and Android. You can export sessions as a spreadsheet file. The app is recommended but not required, and there’s no subscription.

Beyond Power’s Firmware 2.0 update raised every VOLTRA I to the 230 lb max, including the first units that shipped in 2023. So older owners got a free upgrade.

Price and Availability

• VOLTRA I: $2,199, which includes a 65W USB-C charger, a carry case, a screen protector and a carabiner
• Hero Bundle: $2,199 through December 25. You get the VOLTRA I plus your choice of mount, your choice of 24″ bar and a Basic Handle. Nike Strength values the bundle at $2,606. A Travel Platform or Rotator Add-on is $99 more.
• Accessories: a long list of mounts, bars, handles and cases, many of them marked down at launch
• U.S. shipping only
• HSA/FSA eligible, according to Nike Strength, or pay in four interest-free installments through Shop Pay
• Returns within 14 days of delivery, and restocking fees apply

The 3×3″ Sliding Rack Mount fits every Nike Strength and Jordan Strength rack.

My Thoughts

For most endurance athletes, $2,199 for a cable machine is a lot of money. Strength work is the first thing most athletes skip, and a pair of dumbbells and a band will cover most of what a runner or cyclist needs. I’m not telling anyone they need this to get faster.

But the modes are what caught my eye. Rowing, skiing and a sled pull that Nike Strength says comes with race presets are pure hybrid racing stuff. If you train for HYROX or DEKA in a garage, being able to practice a sled pull without a turf lane is genuinely useful. Isometric testing and eccentric loading also matter for the injury side of things. Heavy, slow lowering is a classic tool for cranky tendons, and having a number on the screen is a nice way to see whether you’re actually getting stronger.

The other big draw is size. A 12.8 lb box you can throw in a bag and strap to a tree means strength work can travel to a race weekend or an altitude block. That’s the use case I’d pay attention to.

What I’d want to know before buying is how it feels at the high end and how the motor holds up over years, not weeks. I haven’t trained on one yet. If you already own a Nike Strength rack and have been eyeing one, the Hero Bundle through December 25 is the cleanest way in.