The genius is aware of all. It is aware of my top, my weight, my hydration, my cardio stamina — even, regrettably, my physique’s visceral fats share. I’m standing on a bioelectrical impedance gadget — which appears loads like a scale however with metallic handles and metallic foot pads — and it’s sending low-grade, painless electrical alerts via my palms and toes to measure my muscle, fats and water. The chances of every are then fed into an AI program.
Welcome to , which touts itself as L.A.’s “first full-scale AI-powered gymnasium.” You is likely to be questioning: What does that even imply? Largely that AI-powered software program, known as Genius, is built-in into every bit of cardio and energy tools on the gymnasium. All through your exercise, it capabilities as an ever-present however imperceptible pressure, sparking beneath the floor, like a digital mycelium community with an agenda: that will help you attain your coaching purpose (whether or not that’s weight reduction, energy constructing or firming) in probably the most environment friendly approach doable.
The Santa Monica facility opened in mid-February in an 11,500-square-foot former Patagonia retailer on 4th Road. Fred Health CEO Andre Enzensberger says the gymnasium has about 400 members, who pay $150 a month to be bossed round by an algorithm.
At first look, Fred Health appears like nothing greater than a high-end gymnasium in a tony neighborhood. It’s ethereal and brilliant, with hovering ceilings, uncovered wooden rafters and leafy hanging crops. On a current Wednesday afternoon, it was sparsely populated, with only a few dozen members understanding on brand-new, still-gleaming treadmills, bikes and elliptical machines. The energy machines use electrical motors to create resistance as a substitute of bodily weights, so there’s no clanking. It’s comparatively quiet however for the whirring of cardio tools and a mix of lo-fi and digital pop music on the sound system. Not precisely “The Matrix.”
However the train machines at Fred Health are tailor-made to you. They know members’ names and physique evaluation information, they usually’ve configured personalised exercise packages personalized to their objectives and health talents. They’re additionally gamified, which means their screens show a “Pac-Man”-like online game that members “play” by transferring the load throughout reps and units. Seize the handles of a seated rowing machine, for instance, and pull the load sooner or slower to maneuver your on-screen avatar — a ball — up or down inside a maze and “eat” cash as you go. Aggressive? The gymnasium retains observe of your scores, for those who select to take part, and shows the knowledge on an app and a wall-mounted monitor to encourage a way of neighborhood.
“I find it irresistible as a result of it’s enjoyable and completely automated,” says Keverton Marinho, a 32-year-old new member. “I simply play — I don’t have to consider something.”
The gamification could also be enjoyable, however it’s purposeful too, Enzensberger says.
“It helps members practice on the right velocity,” he says. “It regulates time underneath pressure, which means how briskly you push or how sluggish you launch the load. So your exercise is simpler.”
There’s no becoming a member of price at Fred Health and the month-to-month membership contains entry to licensed private trainers — although not limitless classes — who seek the advice of with members about their AI-generated coaching packages. Trainers additionally wander the gymnasium ground, answering questions and providing corrections after they discover somebody’s type is off. That human factor is crucial, Enzensberger says.
“AI is so huge proper now, however we’re very happy with the human facet of our gymnasium — the group — and the way we complement the AI precision,” he mentioned.
Earlier than becoming a member of, potential members bear a free full-body evaluation from Genius to get a health baseline. A “physique composition analyzer” breaks down fats and lean muscle mass limb by limb and offers stats about foundational muscle energy, base metabolic charge and hydration ranges, amongst different metrics. That info is then interpreted by the AI. Many gyms provide health assessments once you join private coaching, and luxurious well being golf equipment, similar to Equinox and Santa Monica’s Love Life, do in-depth well being and health testing for brand new members; however most common gymnasium memberships don’t embrace health assessments.
After the physique composition evaluation, which measures your metabolism, a human coach leads the member-to-be via totally different train circuits on machines that measure their energy, cardio and suppleness. There’s additionally a collection of on-screen questions associated to exercise objectives, train expertise and preferences.
Genius then assigns the member a “organic age” — totally different out of your chronological age in years. It’s like an general health rating, says Fred Health normal supervisor Miguel Alvino.
“It’s a metric we use to present folks an thought of the place their energy and areas of enchancment are in comparison with their calendar age,” Alvino explains.
From that time on, once you log onto an train machine along with your wristband, it calls up your personalised coaching program. The machine then bodily adjusts to your top and limb size, elevating or decreasing its seat and altering the place of its handles in accordance with your physique. The AI can also be adaptive, using machine studying. So it’ll evolve with you as you get fitter.
“The machines proceed to find out about your capabilities,” Enzensberger says. “And that information is collected and fed into the AI to continually generate a greater coaching program for you.”
Fred Health is the mind baby of Andre Enzensberger’s brother, Alfred, who’s the president and founding father of Munich-based , a health franchise with greater than 500 areas all through Europe. Alfred Enzensberger partnered with Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer, CEO of , a world health expertise firm additionally primarily based in Munich, in 2023 to create a full AI gymnasium. EGYM wrote Genius, which was deployed in August 2024. They introduced in Andre Enzensberger as CEO.
There are different gyms with good or AI-powered tools in Southern California, similar to L.A.’s (with tools from EGYM) and in Orange County. However at Fred Health, “Every bit of equipment is tied into the community,” Andre Enzensberger says. “We’re using what the AI system can do on a a lot bigger, fuller scale.”
Los Angeles was the best metropolis through which to launch the enterprise, given its historical past as a hub for health and tech tradition, he says. “We needed to embrace the open-mindedness of the folks of Los Angeles. Fred Health is groundbreaking and requires individuals who need to expertise coaching in a brand new approach.”
I loved Genius’ steerage throughout my exercise. The treadmill set itself to a decrease velocity than I usually run at, although at the next incline, as a result of Genius knew my train purpose was energy constructing, not weight reduction. And I liked the gamification factor of the weight-lifting machines, even going as far as to snort out loud mid-rep — although I ponder whether the sport would get outdated over time. However in the long run, what retains me coming again to a gymnasium is the promise of a sauna or steam after my exercise. And Fred Health, sadly, doesn’t present these facilities, which was disappointing.
However development is on the horizon. A second Fred Health is now underway in downtown Culver Metropolis — it’s planning to open in early 2026 — and the corporate hopes to open 4 further services inside three to 5 years. The areas into consideration are downtown L.A., West Hollywood and Glendale.
“That is only a fashionable gymnasium that’s enjoyable to make use of — and folks find it irresistible as a result of it takes the guesswork out,” Enzensberger says. “Every thing is absolutely guided.”
