One thing I didn't like about the Technogym Biostrength machines
AI is inescapable nowadays. Whether I'm at work, scrolling through my phone or even chatting to a friend, it's only ever a matter of time before it makes its presence felt in one way or another. The gym is an exception to this rule; a relatively low-tech space where I can lift weights away from ChatGPT's reach. That is, until now.
I was recently given a tour of fitness giant Technogym's Italian headquarters, during which I was introduced to the brand's new Biostrength machines which promise "30% better results" compared to traditional strength training. The secret sauce? You guessed it: AI, which works in tandem with a "Biodrive system" that uses aerospace technology to ensure optimal exercise effectiveness and execution.
"When it comes to strength training, most people don't really know how to train," Technogym's format manager Fabrizio Cecchinelli tells me. "Biostrength solves that. It measures your strength with three reps [a max-effort calibration test taken on the first use], then with this data in mind it creates a session for you."
Intrigued (and ever-skeptical), I decided the only way I could test these promises was to don my best fitness tracker and gym shoes and give it a go. And while I was very impressed with the results, there was still one niggling concern at the back of my mind.
The Technogym Biostrength kit looks a lot like standard gym resistance machines, with different versions for various exercises - the lat pulldown, leg extension and chest press, for example.
However, instead of using a selectorized stack of metal plates to decide how much you're lifting, there's a svelte touchscreen and a "patented Biodrive system which uses aerospace technology" to deliver six types of resistance. Fancy.
If you scan a QR code on the touchscreen through the Technogym app, or link to the machine via Bluetooth, it will remember your performance data from the calibration test onwards. This is then used to tailor all future workouts to your fitness level for maximum effectiveness.
"Biostrength allows you to train with the right load, range of motion, correct posture, speed of execution and even indicates the number of sets, repetitions and optimal recovery times," Technogym reports.
"It adapts to you thanks to a patented technology that uses artificial intelligence and scientific research, and ensures you get 30% better results in the same amount of time compared to classic training with equipment or free weights."
This is a huge claim. And, while it would take months to see whether or not the machines delivered accelerated muscle and strength gains, I do believe my decade-plus of strength training experience can provide a solid litmus test on whether Biostrength delivers an effective workout.
I love strength training and I'll never stop advocating for it. Why? Because I enjoy it, and I believe lifting weights offers more benefits than any other training style, whether that's boosting bone density, decreasing injury risk or improving your mental health. The problem is, it's not easy to get it right.
The body follows the SAID (specific adaptation to imposed demands) principle, meaning it adapts to deal with the demands you place on it. By this logic, if you lift weights that challenge you, progressively increase these weights over time and fuel yourself adequately, you should gradually grow stronger.
However, I've spoken to many people who do the exact same workout week in, week out - a sure-fire way to see your progress plateau. Others grab dumbbells so heavy their form falls apart, while more still repeatedly pick weights that are a cinch to lift.
When I first started strength training, I made each of these mistakes and many more besides. Equipment that could have walked me through early sessions would have boosted not only my results, but also my confidence in the gym, so my first impressions of the machine were overwhelmingly positive.
It's pretty hard to go wrong with the Biostrength machines. They have a set movement path to ensure your form is on point, machines auto-adjust their seats and back rests to suit your range of motion based on your calibration test, and they create personalized workout plans at the press of a button. Trainers can also remotely set sessions for you to do via the Technogym app, just like running coaches can do with apps like Runna or TrainingPeaks.
Biostrength stops you rushing through reps too by using an interactive on-screen graphic. You have to move the machine to keep a ball within the boundaries of an undulating track, which rises during the concentric (or lifting) phase of the movement, then falls during the slower eccentric (or lowering) portion of the exercise. At the end of my set, the machine served up a "compliance score" that reflected how well I'd stuck to its target tempo.
The machine even automatically overloaded the eccentric portion when I was doing lat pulldowns to help me get even more out of each rep - this is the strongest portion of any lift, meaning you can handle heavier weights here, so doing this will squeeze some extra effort out of each rep.
The sum of all these parts was that each exercise hit its target muscle incredibly effectively, optimizing my workout for my chosen training goal (in this case, gaining muscle). And I'm sure there are very few gym-goers who would turn their nose up at the chance to build muscle a bit faster.
There are four main programs on the Biostrength machines - muscle, power, strong and tone - with each one designed to deliver a stimulus in line with its name.
This is great for beginner-intermediate gym-goers, but I was concerned that seasoned lifters might feel constricted by these rigid structures. That was until Cecchinelli showed me the machine's party trick.
Alongside a free training option, there's also a custom mode containing a series of more advanced training techniques. These include several methods popularized during the golden age of bodybuilding in the 1970s. For example, pyramid sets (lifting progressively heavier weights, then progressively lighter ones) and drop sets (training to failure - a situation where you can't physically perform another rep - then grabbing a lighter weight).
Drop sets were a favorite of mine, particularly on the chest press where you'd otherwise need to enlist a spotter when training to failure. During those drop sets on the chest press, the Biostrength tech automatically knocked a bit of resistance off when it noticed I was struggling to move the machine, and repeated this process three or four times until my pecs were spent.
"Many people [who work for Technogym and train at the brand's on-site gym] do most of their workout with free weights, then come to the Biostrength machines for a finisher," says Cecchinelli. Rubbing my sore chest, I could definitely see the merit in that.
You're probably familiar with the phrase: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
I believe the same applies for exercise. The more you know, the wider the range of scenarios you'll be able to apply it to, making it much easier to hit your fitness goals.
My main concern with the Biostrength machines is that, by automating so much of the lifting process, it stops it being a learning experience, losing some of its value (and fun) as a result.
Perhaps this is just me worrying. I'm notoriously resistant to using tech in my training, sticking largely to free weights in the gym and only recently recruiting one of the best smartwatches to keep tabs on my running performance.
But I fear that, if beginners have always been spoon-fed effective strength training sessions by the Biostrength machines, they might become overly dependent on them and unsure how to work out when they're not available.
I loved trying these machines. The Cheshire Cat grin spread across my face while taking them for a spin made that much obvious. I was also impressed by their capabilities.
The personalized strength training sessions and automatically-adjusting resistance really do take the guesswork out of each exercise; I still remember how daunting it was stepping into a gym for the first time as a teenager, and these machines could help remedy that.
As a brilliant muscle-building tool, Biostrength has plenty to offer me today. The ability to easily use advanced training techniques like overloading the eccentric phase of a lift and performing drop sets on the chest press without the need for a spotter were particular highlights.
As a major proponent of strength training, the opportunity to allow more people to do it effectively gets a thumbs up from me. I also think I've found a way around my worry above.
It's simple: I believe the Biostrength machines should only ever form part of your exercise plans. This is partly to help you learn about wider training methods, and partly because these machines stick to rigid movement patterns. The human body, on the other hand, is built to move in a huge array of ways, so I think it's worth exploring as many of them as you can to find what works for you, as well as what you enjoy most.
And hey, if that turns out to be getting an almighty pump with an AI-powered chest finisher, I couldn't recommend the Biostrength machines enough.
