It sounds too good to be true: The Exercise Coach offers a 20-minute workout twice a week.
After years of training in gyms and trying different fitness programs, it was difficult for me to imagine a cardio- and muscle-toning exercise that I could do in such a short time.
After taking my four sessions free of charge, which is a perk for new clients, it’s easy to understand why.
This is a great workout for busy professionals with only 20 minutes. You can push yourself to the limit in this time period, whether you’re doing five minutes of cardio or five reps on a machine for leg-press. The high-tech resistance and cardio machines of Exercise Coach are equipped with computers that store your exertion and track each minute. The machines keep track of your three best attempts and then average them so that when you return, you can set a goal.
It sounds far more complicated than it actually is.
Clients are asked to attend 20-minute sessions twice per week. However, this is because the body needs rest and recovery.
The first session was short. We went through each of my attempts on each machine to find my average. The second session was intense. I worked up quite a sweat doing leg presses, chest pulls, and shoulder exercises. I was also able to bike through a three-minute session. The cardio and ab-burning machines were the focus of my third and fourth sessions. The burn was still there a few days later.
Bastien believes that short interval training is the best way to lose weight and gain muscle. Most of the clients of the Exercise Coach are baby boomers, including downtown lawyers and managers, as well as doctors at the Texas Medical Center. There are also some student athletes. She estimates that the studio has between 40 and 50 clients each day.
The Chicago-based company was established in 2000. It now has 23 locations across Illinois, Indiana and North Carolina. Brad Bundy and David Pittman opened Houston’s first West University location in April, and Memorial’s second location at the 9412 Gaylord this month.
A new studio with high-tech equipment is opening in Weston on Thursday for fitness enthusiasts.
Smart Fitness Studio is also known as The Exercise Coach. It claims its machine-controlled robotics and artificial intelligence can give gymgoers a full body workout in just 20 minutes. According to the company, the franchise has replaced traditional gym equipment like dumbbells, weights, and treadmills with technology-enabled equipment that adapts to individual strengths and weaknesses.
Alex Duran, a Sunrise and Suwanee resident, opened the gym at 16678 Saddle Club Road, Weston, as one of four franchisees. He plans to open it in three years. Duran’s five kids are part owners of the local business.
Duran stated that he has a few health issues stemming from injuries he sustained as a child. “Once I saw [the technology], it was clear that I wanted to be more than a client.
The Exercise Coach is not equipped to provide
As a precaution against social distancing, the Exercise Coach is not equipped to provide personal training sessions. Every employee is subject to temperature checks and must wear masks before they start their shift. After equipment is used, coaches disinfect it.
The Exercise Coach was established in 2000 and started franchising in 2011. There are currently more than 100 studios across the country, including ones in Davie and Fort Lauderdale. Cory Pyatt, Michael Pyatt’s niece, and a Fort Lauderdale location will open Feb. 18.
An Exercise Coach franchise location can cost anywhere from $120,000 to $325,000. Its locations span 800 to 2,000 square feet.
The company plans to open 250 locations in the U.S. by 2022 and 100 more in Japan by the end of 2022. Brian Cygan, the founder and CEO of Exercise Coach, is the company’s founder.