- amp Fitness, a new strength machine powered by AI, will be exhibited at CES 2025
- It’s backed by influencers like online strength coach Chris Helia and actor Terry Crews.
- amp will be officially released in January 2025
When it comes to fitness, there are all kinds of gadgets designed to optimize your training, improve your health, and shoehorn technology into your offline physical activities. From the best smartwatches and running watches, to the best fitness apps and connectivity kits like Peloton, to even quirky things like continuous blood sugar monitors, technology is woven into the way we move and eat.
But one area where technology has so far failed to gain a foothold is strength training. Sure, Technogym’s AI-powered dumbbells come to mind, but while Strava is used for running and outdoor cycling, AllTrails is used for hiking, and Peloton is used for spin classes, barbells have real technology-enabled features. Innovation has not yet appeared.
That’s because, by its very nature, strength training is a primitive, offline, natural activity, and nothing more than having a device that counts reps or plans your next workout with some degree of inaccuracy is essential for strengthening. Because there’s very little room for that. Sensors cannot measure muscle growth. There are many apps that can help with programming, but from a hardware standpoint, there’s probably nothing that can enhance your strength training more than a rest timer.
But all that may be about to change. Showcased at this year’s CES 2025 conference and available for pre-order now, the amp takes the classic gym-based cable machine and jazzes it up with a futuristic design and AI smarts. This machine could be the “Peloton Moment” of strength training.
It’s essentially a sleek-looking, highly adjustable cable machine with a camera and companion app that attaches to the wall of your home. Multiple types of resistance can be electronically selected from start to finish static mode to “band” mode. “Band” mode mimics the use of a resistance band, starting loosely and increasing resistance as you reach the peak of the movement. A simple dial lets you control the level of resistance.
There are challenges and leaderboards to engage gamified Peloton addicts, as well as follow-along workouts and programs created in partnership with popular fitness influencers such as YouTube star Chris Helia. A press release states that the device is “equipped with an AI system that adapts workouts in real-time, ensuring users are always challenged and supported on their fitness journey.”
It is also supported by body builders like Rally Wheels. brooklyn 99 Actor Terry Crews also threw his (a lot of) weight into it.
There’s no denying that it looks great, like the wall-mounted Hydrow (another fitness-related success story). It seems incredibly easy to use. I was initially skeptical about the benefits that AI-powered machines could bring to strength training, but I’ve seen Amp achieve at least mild success in other post-COVID-19 at-home training areas. I’m sure there are. Technology has failed miserably at creating excitement. If it had been released in 2019, it probably would have been a huge success.
I can’t wait to get through this pace with proper strength training. The amp costs $1,795 in the US (about £1,450 / AU$2,900), which isn’t cheap, but it’s cheaper than the Peloton. It is available for pre-order now and is expected to be released in the US in early January.
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