Izabela Webber, owner of The Exercise Coach in Newport Beach, details what to expect when your workout routine meets cutting-edge technology at her studio.
By Jessie Dax-Setkus
Technology is all the rage these days and, now, it has even found its way into your fitness routine. The Exercise Coach, which opened in Newport Beach last summer, offers a high-tech workout that aims to cut down on time spent at the gym. Rather than exercising for six or seven days a week for an hour each time, the company boasts the ability for clients to start seeing results after just two 20-minute sessions.
Izabela Webber, owner of the local studio, explains what goes into this targeted workout and what to expect as a first-timer in this tech-focused space.
What is your fitness background?
Izabela Webber: My career … [was] in the financial space, but health and fitness have been my passion[s] since I was young. I have always been looking for a more meaningful purpose in my life and what better way than helping people achieve the benefits of strength training?
What was the inspiration behind your smart fitness studio?
IW: It was The Exercise Coach Game Plan, starting with the brand’s motto “Strength Changes Everything”—because it does. We determine the quality of our lives through our relationship with our physical bodies, including exercise, nutrition and recovery. Being healthy and strong positively impacts every aspect of our lives. [We have] better relationships, more energy at home and work [or when] playing with your kids and grandkids [plus we’re able to go] for longer walks and hikes [and play] stronger golf, tennis and pickleball games, to name a few. [I was also inspired by] the small, private, clean boutique fitness studio design [and] the Nutrition Playbook, which gives a play-by-play to reset your metabolism in 30 days.
What does a typical workout entail?
IW: A 20-minute, full-body strength training session using our proprietary Exerbotics machines plus concentrated cardio—five minutes … [on] our cardio equipment is the equivalent of 50 minutes of traditional cardio. Throughout each exercise, both the concentric and eccentric phases activate primary and secondary muscle groups. It is not about movement quantity, but movement quality.
How do two 20-minute sessions provide you with results?
IW: By following The Exercise Coach Game Plan. [First up is] scientifically personalized exercise [with] Exerbotics strength training plus concentrated cardio. [It’s] safe, coach-led, ability-based and joint-friendly [as well as] effective [with] data-driven protocols, real-time feedback and proof of progress. [It is also] efficient. [Then, you need to add] healthy eating [with the help of the] Nutrition Playbook, Metabolic Comeback and Coach Fuel [protein powder. Lastly, it provides] motivational support [thanks to the] team approach, accountability and education.
What should a first-timer expect?
IW: After introducing clients to our science and technology, we measure their joints’ range of motion and body strength level. … Our no-to-low-impact strength training sessions are customized to each client’s fitness level. Clients who commit to two 20-minute strength training sessions weekly achieve optimum results. I always say consistency is key.
Any plans for the future of The Exercise Coach?
IW: Developing new equipment, technology and methods, along with a companion nutrition plan, has been a constant in The Exercise Coach’s history. It’s incredible how our technology keeps getting better. Before our most recent software update a few months ago, we had to retest our clients’ strength levels. Now our equipment is smarter and automatically adjusts the intensity as our clients get stronger with each session. We launched our proof of progress app last year, and our “Strength Changes Everything” podcast library—with our founder, Brian Cygan, and [another] studio owner, Amy Hudson—keeps growing.
What equipment should you bring to each and every workout?
IW: Comfortable workout clothes and shoes. We are a dry workout; busy people like doctors come in their scrubs during lunch or work breaks, have their session and return to work. … And, ideally, [you’ll want] a rested, hydrated and recovered body. It is in recovery that our muscles gain strength.
Step Up to the Challenge
Keep up with the technology involved in a session at The Exercise Coach with these accessories from local stores.
