Training Day

With this personalized system, resistance is worthwhile

We humans have always been in awe and in fear of extremely intelligent computers—think Arnold Schwarzenegger with a glowing red eye and a tendency for destruction. But let’s start on a smaller scale. If computers took over the world of fitness, our workouts would probably be the better for it. Just ask the scores of professional athletes, including Shaquille O’Neil and Olympian Holly McPeak, who are flocking to a revolutionary neuro-muscular training system known as VERT (Velocity Enhanced Resistance Training). Actually, don’t ask them, because they probably won’t tell you anything. Most of them want to keep it their little secret. But don’t worry, we here at The Green have the scoop and are more than happy to share it with you.

Let’s get one thing straight: VERT is not for bodybuilders. If you want muscles to rival the Hulk, stick with conventional weights because it won’t happen with this high-tech training system. Don’t get me wrong, VERT builds muscle. In fact, it builds brand new fast-twitch muscle fiber. (In case you missed that class, fast-twitch muscle is what helps an athlete to be explosively powerful at key moments, such as when they need to jump higher and faster or swing a golf club with more power and speed.) The result is a lean, toned look and a level of power no other workout system can produce. Though the results are unparalleled, there is nothing aesthetically remarkable or futuristic about the VERT system itself. It is comprised of three modest-looking pieces of equipment: a leg extensionflexion machine, a bench press and a multi-function machine that offers 15 different full-body exercises. Instead, the inner-workings of VERT are what make it unique. The seemingly out-of-place computers attached to the machines send out 16,000 signals per second in order to sense exactly what you are doing at that moment, and then they adjust your workout accordingly. “It’s all about isokinetics,” says Kevin Ruthen, co-owner of the Jericho, New York VERT location. “In other words,” he explains, “the faster you move on these machines, the more resistance the computer sends your way. It’s the ultimate personalized workout.”

What brings VERT even further from the stone age of conventional weights is that it doesn’t need to break down muscle in order to rebuild it. VERT only builds brand new muscle, practically eliminating the need for time to recover and rebuild. Therefore, you can work your whole body at intense speeds with very short breaks and still be able to come back for more the very next day.

This may seem like an injury waiting to happen, but don’t fret. The computer is designed so that it will never give you more weight or resistance than you can handle at any given moment. In addition, each session is designed for the individual and supervised by a professional trainer. According to Mr. Ruthen, the only injury that has been suffered since the center opened a year-and-a-half ago was a twisted ankle when someone tripped over a workout mat on the way to a machine. It’s safe to assume that said lone injury wasn’t sustained by a professional athlete.

Though VERT was designed for athletes, it was soon discovered that it is also the perfect workout for those normal Joes who just want to get in shape. “Because you move at such fast speeds with few breaks, it is also a great cardio workout,” explains Ruthen. “In fact,” he continued, “it is nearly impossible to avoid losing body fat with this system.”

Did I mention how affordable it is? Your average session with a personal trainer at a gym can run between $70 and $120 a session. At VERT Peak Fitness Center, a session runs between $33 and $43. And don’t think that a lower price equals less attention. At VERT, there will never be more than four people in a session, and regardless of who the others are the trainers can still create personalized workouts designed to achieve the results you desire— whether that be a more powerful swing, the ability to jump higher and faster or losing 40 pounds. It also doesn’t hurt that the computer tracks everything you are doing so that you can see your personal progress on a convenient easy-to-read chart.

As of now there are only a few VERT centers in California, Denver and New York, but the word is spreading. I am willing to bet that VERT will take over a gym near you in the foreseeable future.

Sorry Shaq; the revolution has begun.