A New Way to Exercise
By Nicole Sharp, Photography by Pete GradyThere is a gym turning heads in Eagle where trainers stay by your side, cheering you through each exercise. The machines are medical grade, the success stories abundant, and the cost affordable. Oh, and you’re only allowed to exercise two times a week in 20 minute sessions.
The gym is called Superslow Zone. I was pleased to meet with General Manager and Trainer Jeff Kempthorn, along with owners Rob Imerson, Cary Imerson, and Patricia Kempthorn, in order to make sense of this exercise regimen that goes against everything we know about fitness.
The idea of slow motion exercise comes from the work of Ken Hutchin, who set out to find a way to strengthen patients diagnosed with osteoporosis. Eventually, he found that slow motion exercise not only strengthened his patients, but also helped to reverse osteoporosis while being easy on joints.
Patricia Kempthorn, a client-turned-owner (and Idaho’s former First Lady), is a prime example of how this system can change a life. Several years ago, she had the opportunity to try this life-changing program.
“I’ve never been an athlete, and I’ve never really connected with exercise before. It was always a chore,” she said. After four sessions, not only did she notice improvement, but she was also convinced the system works.
Two years later, she can see differences in all areas of her life, including her physical strength, core strength, and even her improved immune system, to name a few.
“Twenty minutes of exercise just two times a week goes against everything we’ve ever been taught,” Jeff said. While it may not be conventional, the success stories can’t be denied. During a typical work out, a trainer is with you the entire time, recording reps and encouraging you to continue.
Safety is key—in fact, this is the “safest workout as far as strength training goes,” Jeff explained.
Jeff asked if I would try a typical workout, and at first I was surprised. I wasn’t dressed for the occasion—I was wearing these great high-heeled, make-me-three-inches-taller boots—but my boots and I jumped on a machine anyway. The hardest part was learning to move slowly on the exercise machine.
“In today’s fast paced society where speed is king, going slow feels counterintuitive,” Jeff says.
There was no sweating, but I did notice a cardio change, and I was able to complete the entire workout in those boots.
My legs wobbled as I left, and the following day I had that tight sensation in my muscles, but I didn’t feel as if I’d been hit by a truck.
“This is what I love—this workout fits so seamlessly into life. I can exercise and go straight to a meeting afterwards,” Patricia said.
“It works, and it works for everyone—whether you are 20 or 80,” Jeff concludes.
Of course there is data driven science behind these workouts, and the folks at Superslow Zone are happy to go into greater detail. Call to treat yourself to a free consultation and learn why this workout is right for you.
“After a lifetime of being someone who does not exercise, I go religiously,” Patricia said. She believes in the Super Slow method so much that she drives 40 minutes to do a 20 minute workout. “I see it as something I will do for the rest of my life. I never thought I would say anything like that.”
