Durham gym's 'Smart 20 Workout' promises less exercise, better results

The new fitness approach is based on a data-driven “Smart 20 Workout." It involves 20 minutes of exercise just two days a week.

Seventy-year-old Kim Bauer’s experience with traditional gyms made her feel as though participants were trying to impress each other with the amount of weights they lifted or reps they counted. She came to The Exercise Coach to increase her fitness level without a big commitment of time.

“I'm proud to be my age, but I'm not going to compete,” Bauer said. “I value my time now and I wanted to make sure I was doing the right exercise and getting the maximum benefit.”

James Butler, owner of the Durham facility, says Bauer's goals are possible with their robotic system. New clients begin with a personal fitness assessment.

“Our technology can actually measure a person’s unique muscular make-up and their current abilities and then prescribe exercise that is perfectly appropriate for them,” Butler said.

When the client is engaged with a unit, there are no fast movements taking place, but the data displayed on a screen in front of the client records and reveals their effort in real time.

“Exercise results are not just based on the amount of time spent moving around but rather the degree to which someone can improve the quality of their muscles," Butler said. "The system learns and adapts to them second by second of each workout and then also session to session.”

The goal is to work all of a client’s muscle groups to the best of his or her ability, recruiting as many muscle fibers as possible for the client.

“It's five minutes and it's been shown to be as effective as 50 minutes of traditional cardio, whether they're on a treadmill or elliptical,” Butler said.

“And my energy level, of course, is better because you can't sit on the couch and develop strength,” Bauer said.

Butler encourages his clients to take a 30-day challenge called The Metabolic Comeback. It includes a list of recommended proteins, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and preferred beverages and seasonings.