Equipment Maker REP Fitness Teases New Digital Strength Training Tech

REP’s senior VP of performance tech Gary Warren spoke with ATN about how the brand is looking to fill the gap for strength-specific data and insights

U.S.-based equipment maker REP Fitness is launching a new division dedicated to data-driven development around strength training.

“We’re imagining a world where people can understand their strength training in the same way platforms like Whoop or Oura have helped them understand their heart rate, sleep and recovery,” REP Fitness senior vice president of performance technologies Gary Warren explained to Athletech News.

“Those platforms, and others, are excellent at measuring heart rate, sleep and recovery, and we’re not trying to outdo them there. What they can’t tell you is what happened inside a rep, set, or full lifting session,” Warren added.

Warren thinks those kinds of insights have been missing from strength training, as REP looks to fill the gap those tools leave in this specific sector.

He explained that REP identified an absence of data-driven guidance for strength training compared to cardio and recovery. While more people are picking up weights than ever before, it can be hard to know if you’re actually making progress towards your goals, he said, and data-driven strength training is the next frontier.

As fit tech giants like Technogym and EGYM leverage new strength innovations and connected ecosystems, Warren said REP isn’t looking to offer a competitive alternative, but to complement those systems already in place.

Artificial intelligence will likely be a component of that, used to translate training data into hyper-personalised insights, recommendations and improved workout outcomes.

“We believe the market has only scratched the surface of what’s possible when AI is applied to strength training,” Warren said.

As the division develops, it will integrate across multiple categories at REP that will extend to existing equipment offerings like racks, cable machines, cardio and more, with specific products and services offered to be revealed in 2027.

“We’ll introduce solutions that enhance equipment our customers already own, alongside entirely new categories designed specifically for the future of strength training,” Warren added.

“Until then, I can say that while mobile applications, educational experiences and other enterprise services will absolutely form part of the ecosystem, our focus isn’t on delivering workout videos or prescribing generic programs,” he said. “It’s about helping people, at home or in-club, measure their training more accurately, understand their progress more deeply and receive highly personalized insights and recommendations.”