{"id":481067,"date":"2026-02-17T16:46:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/481067\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T16:46:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:46:18","slug":"i-tried-the-new-ai-personal-trainer-from-founder-of-tough-mudder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/481067\/","title":{"rendered":"I tried the new AI personal trainer from founder of Tough Mudder"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI is revolutionising industries the world over \u2014 but could it make you fitter, too? <\/p>\n

Here I am, on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at a south London gym, among the first in the UK to test CoachCube, the world\u2019s first AI-powered personal training cube. <\/p>\n

As AI has crept into healthcare and nutrition, it was only a matter of time before it entered the gym.<\/p>\n

Personal training is, as the name suggests, tailored to the individual and delivered one-to-one. Can the AI \u201cavatar\u201d in front of me really do that, at a fraction of the price \u2014 \u00a330 for an hour \u2014 of a real, living, breathing personal trainer? <\/p>\n

Will Dean, the founder of CoachCube, says: \u201cPersonal training works, but it\u2019s a luxury reserved for the few that can afford it. We\u2019re introducing a world-first approach to personalised strength training.\u201d<\/p>\n

I step into the cube, where I\u2019m surrounded by three projection screens. At the front of the cube sits a large squat rack and cable machine hybrid, with various attachments. There are more than 150 different exercises programmed into the cube and resistance is generated digitally via a magnetic motor capable of producing up to 200kg.<\/p>\n

\"Journalist<\/p>\n

Dean explains that CoachCube is unlocked by a phone. Users log in at a pre-booked time and are met by their avatar, which demonstrates exercises. Workouts are based on fitness scores as well as a readiness score: a combination of sleep, exercise done the day before and mood. Over time, CoachCube gets to know you, just like a personal trainer. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt learns your personality, it asks how you\u2019re feeling, picks up on your speech; whether you seem irritable or grumpy or happy,\u201d Dean says.<\/p>\n

\"Will<\/p>\n

\u2022 Can an AI coach really be a better personal trainer than a human?<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m given four exercises and my avatar guides me through each one. Workouts get harder over time, using progressive overload, the key principle behind building strength. They\u2019re also tailored to your specific goals.<\/p>\n

At first, weight training in the cube feels unusual, particularly during back squats, where resistance comes from a lightweight barbell and pulley system rather than stacked plates, but very quickly, the movement feels natural.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

As for form, this is where it gets interesting. There\u2019s no cheating in the cube. Cameras track and analyse your movement, prompting necessary corrections. After all, poor form can leave you sore and injured. \u201cBecause the resistance is digital, it stops instantly if you do something truly dangerous,\u201d Dean says.<\/p>\n

After each move, I\u2019m given a form score, which I\u2019m continually trying to beat. I don\u2019t think I have ever been so focused on improving my technique, which is no bad thing. <\/p>\n

\"A\"Journalist<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when AI can drive cars, it makes little sense that personal trainers are paid to watch people do push-ups,\u201d says Dean, who founded Tough Mudder.<\/p>\n

In my meagre efforts to find something wrong with CoachCube, I ask: \u201cBut what about if you turn up to a session nursing a sore knee? Or tight hamstrings?\u201d Turns out, CoachCube also responds to on-the-day constraints, adjusting workouts to suit your needs. It literally designs workouts there and then for your \u201coff\u201d days, detecting and compensating for hidden issues you might not even notice. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Can ChatGPT get you fit? Our expert put it to the test<\/a><\/p>\n

As a personal trainer myself, I feel confident walking into the weights room at the gym and training. I know how to structure a session and push myself so that I see results. But not everyone does. As a friend once said to me: \u201cI get nervous doing things wrong and looking stupid. At least with a PT [personal trainer], I know I\u2019m doing it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

What CoachCube, and undoubtedly future AI training iterations, don\u2019t offer, is that supportive, look-you-in-the-eyes, human reassurance. Yes, they can try to motivate you and pick up on your mood, but can they read the room like a real person can? And let\u2019s be honest, AI isn\u2019t going to have a heart to heart with you about external personal issues, which a real person will. Hairdresser chat, as they call it.<\/p>\n

\"Journalist<\/p>\n

Will Duru, the founder of the training app 12reps, which blends AI programming with human coaching, believes the future lies somewhere in between. <\/p>\n

He says: \u201cA lot of people fail with their training regime because they struggle to simply show up. AI can build excellent training programmes, but it doesn\u2019t hold you accountable. People also may not feel confident or supported and that has nothing to do with whether the workout was incorrect.<\/p>\n

\u201cA machine can\u2019t laugh with you or push you when you need it. That\u2019s the human bit. One-to-one will always win over apps and AI.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Will<\/p>\n

Dean tells me that CoachCube isn\u2019t designed to replace PTs entirely, \u201cjust the bad ones\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Lost weight lately? 21 rules to keep it off \u2014 by the experts<\/a><\/p>\n

The first full CoachCube studio opens in March, and more will follow in London and internationally, including New York next year. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d visit CoachCube and it would be like logging into your Gmail,\u201d Dean says. \u201cIt would continue to train you as normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019d need to see it leave the confines of major cities before I can fully embrace AI\u2019s role in personal training. For now, at least, I believe the human trainer still has a huge role that AI cannot ever fully replicate. <\/p>\n

Plus, there\u2019s still a nagging thought that every move, rep, bit of data I tell a machine, is being logged somewhere. But, there\u2019s no denying tech is getting better, rapidly. As I step out of the cube, it feels as if AI is here to stay on the gym floor. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"AI is revolutionising industries the world over \u2014 but could it make you fitter, too? Here I am,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":481068,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,407,84],"class_list":["post-481067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=481067"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481067\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/481068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=481067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=481067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=481067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}