WHEN SCIENCE, ROBOTICS, AND EXERCISE COMBINE

By Matthew Harris
Inside Memphis Business

The gym can be a daunting place. Machines might look difficult to use, and inexperienced weightlifters run of the risk of injury. There is also a significant time commitment to make the daily pilgrimage to the gym. To provide an alternative option, several gyms have begun to open nationwide with a focus on using science and robotics to create efficient and safe workout programs, self-branded as “smart gyms.”

The Exercise Coach is one such national gym network of high-tech fitness studios  designed for quick and efficient workouts. Byhalia, Mississippi, residents Rick and Brenda Frembgen teamed up with The Exercise Coach to open the first “smart gym” in Collierville, with hopes to open two more facilities in the coming year.

The Frembgen’s gym relies on computers and artificial intelligence, rather than traditional dumbbells and weights. Members are given a unique code when joining that allows them to sync to the gym’s specialized machines. The computerized units then adjust based on the individual’s strengths and weaknesses to provide a difficult, but efficient, workout without the risk of injury. 

The Exercise Coach says the machines can be used by all levels of athletes, from novice to advanced. The machines also track workout data so that members can get a better sense of their progress and improvement.

The workouts are designed to be compact and are marketed towards men and women with busy lifestyles. Members meet for two 20-minute workout sessions per week that are guided by personal trainers and staff. According to its press release, The Exercise Coach claims that “two 20-minute workouts per week can’t be matched in effectiveness with even seven days a week of traditional activity-based exercise.”