Vision Fitness Knows Intuitive Equipment Is the Key to Delivering Results

Across the Vision Fitness selectorized strength portfolio, the focus is on keeping things simple for users of all skill levels

Vision Fitness, the Johnson Health Tech-owned equipment brand, knows there are already enough barriers between everyday people and healthier lives. The traffic on the way to the gym, scheduling restrictions and dietary upkeep are just a few. 

As a result, Vision Fitness focuses on simplicity without losing integrity. The products are intuitive. They give you a sweat, not a headache and stand the test of time. The brand’s recently launched Keystone and Access lines build on that foundation as well, each tailored to a different expression of usability and performance. 

Pete Borchert, the Director of Product Development at Vision Fitness, spoke with Athletech News to explain why these innovations and philosophy behind them has never been more vital as gyms work to keep pace with evolving consumer demands.

The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length

Athletech News (ATN): Strength training is surging across demographics right now. What are operators getting right, and where are they still struggling to meet the demand?

Pete Borchert (PB): I think a lot of operators are getting it right. We often look at how fitness facility floors have changed over time. Over the last 20 years, they’ve changed significantly. I think that accentuates the desire for strength training, movement training and all things musculoskeletal. It doesn’t take away from cardiovascular training, but it’s much more holistic. We’ve seen the floors adapt to that and I think operators are accounting for it quite well.

Where it gets a bit challenging, is in the abundance of modalities, tools and ways to approach strength training. They make strength training confusing, especially for people who want to strength train, but aren’t passionate about it or can’t fully invest themselves. 

The general public needs more help and guidance, and while it’s very valuable, it’s not cheap to hire personal trainers one-on-one. That’s an area operators could really lean into. 

ATN: Vision Fitness is expanding its selectorized strength portfolio with the Access and Keystone lines. Why did you feel the market needed two distinct approaches to strength equipment?

PB: Strength training isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. As it’s becoming more popular, users need choices.

We’re also seeing that fitness spaces are changing. Strength training used to be most prevalent in the traditional health club setting, but we’re now seeing everyone from corporate businesses, to police and fire, to multi-family housing and schools all make significant investments in it.

So, as equipment providers, we want to meet that need. We’re creating products for people who don’t want to have to get a PhD in weightlifting to use a machine. One of our primary goals is to ensure that our designs are what we consider to be “intuitively obvious.” We’ve really focused on simplicity. That’s a key part of the Vision brand and how we’re approaching these products.

ATN: A lot of operators are trying to add strength without overcrowding their floor or intimidating exercisers. How did those realities shape the design philosophy behind the Access line?

PB: Not everybody wants or needs heavy-duty products where you’re going to be lifting massive amounts of weight all day long, and many operators don’t have the space or the budget for it.

We wanted to make something more user-friendly for people who know they need to do more musculoskeletal, strength and resistance training, but want “simple”. They want to be able to get on, easily execute the exercise and then get on to the next piece to get a whole-body workout quickly. That’s what Access was designed around.

It was also designed for the operator that wants a product they know is going to hold up. We did not scrimp on the integrity of the design and build. All our strength equipment goes through Johnson’s extensive testing protocols, which exceed standard lifecycle testing standards. Everything in the Access Series is designed for reliability. 

ATN: How does the Keystone line address the facilities that need equipment that can withstand heavy usage each day while still delivering versatility and value?

PB: These products have a slightly larger structure and larger tubing, so there’s a little more mass that provides more structural integrity and stability to withstand heavy usage.

The Keystone products also feature more adjustability. This makes them great for spaces that have a larger variety of users, where they need to accommodate a wide range of skillsets and range of motion. The Keystone line also features the option to add additional features such as a rep counter and timer. 

This series was also designed to maximize the space. The low stack height offers clean, open sight lines. The back-to-back configurations save space in busy commercial fitness facilities. The open frame design makes entering and exiting easy for users as well. All of these features create a space that is welcoming and approachable. 

ATN: Strength has gotten crowded with specialized or niche equipment. How should operators balance innovation with practicality when deciding what deserves floor space?

PB: It depends on the facility, the operator and who they’re going after. There’s definitely a place for specialized machine-defined movement if you have a customer base that wants that higher, more premium experience. They love the complexity and the kind of micro-adjustability of a product. But when we look at the general mass market, they can be intimidating. They’re not intuitively obvious in a lot of cases. I’ve been developing fitness equipment for 36 years, and there are some pieces out there that even I’m not quite sure what it’s doing. It takes a while to figure it out and not everybody wants to do that. 

When making product decisions, operators need to know who their market is and who they’re trying to serve. If it’s that more professional, premium user that’s really into strength training, then a lot of those pieces are probably a good fit. But for the general population, the simpler the better. 

ATN: There’s a lot of noise in the strength category right now. Before operators commit to new equipment, what do they need to consider?

PB: I’ve been to a lot of facilities where they’ve tried some of these more niche products. Some members are attracted to that, but in many cases, I’ll see those products disappear a couple of years later. Guess why? It’s because nobody used them and they took up valuable floor space. It’s great that people are trying new things, but at the same time, it’s a balance. You don’t want to frustrate users, especially if there isn’t a lot of staff to help them overcome some of the obstacles more complex products present. 

ATN: From your perspective, how has the role of selectorized strength equipment evolved?

PB: There was a time when we started to see more functionally-oriented, movement-based training become popular and the space dedicated to machine-defined movements shrank, but it never went away, especially in the general population. That’s because it’s simple. I don’t have to become an expert in how to move my body because the machine helps do that for me. It’s a nice balance that’s going on, but I don’t think we’re ever going to get away from having both open space and machines now. 

ATN: As operators think about future-proofing their facilities, what do you believe they should prioritize most when investing in strength equipment?

PB: It always comes back to one thing: products that last. They’re a big investment for businesses and operators need safe products that are well-engineered and proven. 

Operators should also be attentive to different training protocols — what their members and customers are looking for — and be able to adapt to them. Listening is a big part of it. They also need to be experts in the field. There are some trends that might not be worth pursuing, and it’s important that we educate ourselves and others on how to do things in a way that really provides results, but also with a high degree of safety. 

We should all consider how we can make fitness more accessible as well. How do we create spaces that more people can utilize that get them results? That’s going to be a challenge for all of us as we move forward.