New fitness studio using artificial intelligence prepares to open in Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky’s first fitness studio utilizing artificial intelligence will open Wednesday off Shelbyville Road.

The Exercise Coach is a gym that uses smart technology to customize a client’s workout. Instead of using traditional weights, the machines use electric linear motors and computers.

Mayria and Kendrick Porter are excited to open The Exercise Coach in their own neighborhood of Middletown. The company has franchises all over the globe, and the couple said they fell in love with the workouts after trying one in Cincinnati.

“The machines adjust to your strengths and weaknesses,” Kendrick Porter said. “We’re the first ones with this kind of technology here in the Louisville area.”

The equipment is designed with artificial intelligence to adjust to a client's ability and effort and fatigue the muscles in a short amount of time, maximizing a workout in 20 minutes, the Porters said.

Gyms took a hit because of safety concerns and shutdowns with the coronavirus, and memberships are slow to pick back up. So opening a business — let alone a specialty gym in the middle of a pandemic — has its challenges.

“It’s really just kind of a labor of love,” Mayria Porter said. “We’ve always wanted to open up our own business ever since our days at Central High in the business magnet. And this was the perfect fit.”

Mayria Porter added it was “a no-brainer” to open a fitness studio that makes sense for clients trying to balance fitness and safety during a pandemic. Clients must book their sessions in advance, allowing them to have the entire facility to themselves with a trainer. There is an option to book a semi-private training session with up to four people.

Unlike a traditional gym, there is no need to share equipment or adjust weights since it’s controlled by computers. And everything is cleaned by the staff in between sessions.

“It's safe. It's one-on-one,” Mayria Porter said. “So when you come, you'll get individualized attention. So there is a reduced risk of injury, too. It's twice a week, 20 minutes per session. So if you're a busy professional, and maybe you don't like big box gyms, this might be the place for you.”

The fitness studio officially opens Wednesday at 12340-A Shelbyville Road, and there are nearly 100 consultations already booked for the near future.

Clients have the option to pay by the month or by the session. The Middletown location is offering new clients their first two sessions for free as a way to celebrate its grand opening. Visit the gym’s website to learn more or to book a session.