When you walk into Los Angeles's newly opened Fred Fitness, you wouldn't think, "This place runs on AI." The space is open and welcoming, with warm wood beams, plant life scattered throughout, a comfy couch, window seating and even a community table where members can work between workouts. But as you venture further into the space, that's when you see it's filled with AI-powered machines and fitness tech designed to maximize your fitness journey.
Even on the window seats that look out onto the sidewalk, all members have access to Therabody JetBoots for compression, vibration and red light therapy to boost recovery. And behind the front desk -- where, yes, there are people to help you -- there's a Therabody massage gun.
Anna trying the Therabody JetBoots. Anna Gragert/CNET
I was intrigued. As a wellness expert who pays close attention to whether new technology and trends can actually benefit our health, I aimed to find out if Fred Fitness, the first full-scale AI gym, could potentially be the way of the future.
How does Fred Fitness work?
Fred Fitness was launched in mid-February by CEO Andre Enzensberger, whose brother Alfred founded the Clever Fit gym franchise in Germany. To break into the US market with a unique concept, Alfred teamed up with smart fitness technology company EGYM, which created Genius, an AI that generates training plans. Fred Fitness is now the first full-scale EGYM.
It all starts on your wrist, with a green band that is the key to your entire experience. It contains all your information and workout history -- your height, weight, strength, pace, reps, sets and even your biological age -- all controlled by Genius. Since it was my first time here, I was guided by General Manager Miguel Alvino, who emphasized, "We are super people-driven. The tech is just here to assist us."
Alvino demonstrates how the wristband connects to the fitness hub. Anna Gragert/CNET
In other words, it's not like your average gym where you can sign up and immediately begin working out on the machines. It involves teaching members how to use the machinery, and make adjustments. Fred Fitness has received negative feedback for taking away trainers' jobs with its AI tech, but even in the short time I was there, I saw several staff members walking around to offer members assistance.
The Fred Fitness fitness assessment
... continue reading