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I recently enrolled for a gym membership at the new AI-enhanced Fred Fitness in Santa Monica.

No, the AI doesn’t work out for me. Nor do I let my robot drink my protein shake.

What the AI workout equipment does do for me, however, is create highly applicable personalization leveraging an algorithmically derived set of biometrics and goal assessment, including age, body fat, muscle mass, bone density, height to weight ratio, VO2 Max, cardio/heart health, desired workout time & frequency, and more.

 

Benefits Of AI Fitness

Once you have a baseline assessment (currently available for free) and run additional machine-specific tests to determine the appropriate routine of reps and weight loads for you and your goals, you are good to go.

You simply log into each machine with your digital key/wristband, let it load your profile and adjust the seat and height for you, and follow the program on the screen in front of you. No more walking around the room trying to figure out what to do next, trying to remember what your last settings were, or guessing where you are at in your workout routine or longer-term fitness progress.

Creating Space in a Crowded Market

There are a lot of gyms in Santa Monica, from the rough and rugged IRON  to the highly stylish workout club John Reed (complete with live DJs).  While building a new mega gym on Los Angeles’s West Side could appear to be a high-risk venture, Santa Monica is an ideal testing ground for a new and potentially disruptive fitness model. What other upscale town has more fitness centers and yoga studios than coffee shops?

 

Fred Fitness is the first AI gym location created by German fitness mogul Alfred Enzensberger, founder of the Clever Fit franchise (over 200 locations across Europe) and EGYM CEO Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer. The concept leverages EGYM’s advanced AI technology, which recently secured $200 million in growth capital and achieved a valuation of over $1 billion.

Will AI Put Trainers Out Of Work?

Maybe some, but price plays a big part here. It is hard to find an upscale gym like Fred Fitness for $150/month with full body assessments and a trainer. Equinox around the corner is nearly twice as much money for membership alone. Like in so many businesses where AI will replace mundane functions, however, trainers who embrace the emerging technology and leverage it to help their clients reach new heights, have the opportunity to contribute in more creative and meaningful ways.

 

I have a trainer who is an expert in kinesiology and peak performance and knows how to personalize and adapt each of my training sessions to address issues that the AI is not capturing, like: 

• Specialized recovery protocols following my knee surgery or a torn calf muscle.
• Catering workouts to prepare for my upcoming Spartan race.
• Adjusting and monitoring routines when I need to rebuild quickly without re-injuring myself. 

Other personalized factors I rely on my human expert for are perfecting my form for optimal outcomes and longevity, and helping me adapt to my physiological state at the beginning of each workout (based on hydration, the prior night’s sleep, the latest X-ray, etc).

Since optimizing health and human potential is my passion and area of expertise, the ongoing and real-time dialog and collaboration between my trainer and me is invaluable.

Rather than having a trainer with me every time I work out, run, bike, etc., however, I can focus my time (and money) with the trainer on these more advanced assessments and protocols. I can then use the AI for routine weight lifting and circuit training, while tracking progress in the same way I use my Oura ring for sleep or my Apple Watch to track my outdoor runs, swimming, and biking.

Impact Of AI Gyms On Fitness Industry

The other consumer benefit that will come from next-level AI gyms is that current gyms and fitness memberships will have to raise their game to compete in the future. It’s due time. Just as individuals can have dramatically different and personalized needs from a fitness club membership (from social interaction to natural light and aesthetics; from the latest equipment to classes and teachers, from exclusivity to alignment with the goals of the other members…), clubs will have to know and serve their niche well. Ultimately, AI will play a role in every model.

Fitness is one of the most promising gateways to preventive health and longevity. The increasing daily integration of health biometrics via your ring, your watch, your mirror, or your phone/camera is inevitable. The more we can personalize and measure our lifestyle and fitness protocols, the further along the path we will get to precision, personalized, and integrative healthcare. 

The Secret Ingredient: Whose Got The Music

Even with all the scientific validation, sensor technology, and capability to personalize one of the most important components of a great workout experience – Music, there is a serious gap. While a live DJ at John Reed may be cool for much of the crowd, music preference is far to critical in creating optional wellness and performance experiences to be lumped into a one-size-fits-all musical program. As a highly attuned music and health professional, this is the one factor that keeps me out of many group classes and gyms. 

 

One way to solve this is to drown out the club music with your own choice of music. But the untapped potential in AI-enhanced music and health experiences can offer us so much more. Take the Fred Fitness model for example. We have the technology to provide a personalized musical preference assessment to the AI client setup, allow clients to build responsive playlists in sync with the goals and duration of each sequence, and measure the effectiveness through both biometric sensors and performance outcomes. In addition, we can create a more immersive and pleasurable experience

Whether the current version of the AI Gym is a fit for you or not, I hope that the addition of the personalization technology and metrics gets more people to exercise more often and in ways that support their individual physiology, goals, and optimal well-being. My vision is the full integration of AI, biometrics, fitness science, and music to amplify health, happiness, and human potential.