The premise: high intentity, low reps, low weights.
The claim: double the results of conventional training in less than one-third of the time.
Excuse me? It doesn't quite add up. But according to the X Gym's owner and operator PJ Glassey, it's true.
Since 1998, Glassey has been operating two X Gyms in Alki and Belltown, both of which boast full memberships and waiting lists. Glassey has been searching for an Eastside location for a few years -- at his clients' continual bequest -- and finally found his ideal spot at 126 Central Way.
"The main focus is to change people's metabolism, primarily through strength training and secondarily through cardio protocols. The training is designed for high intensity. You will get to complete fatigue and beyond."
Glassey is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and exercise physiologist who has spent the better of the last 20 years studying and researching the body's reaction and adaptation to exercise routines. Once he learned that conventional weight training was pioneered in 1891, he became obsessed with finding a better way.
Glassey has developed seven tried-and-true protocols that combine low weights and low reps and are the antithesis of conventional training. To build bulk, trainers usually advise heavy weights, low reps. To obtain a leaner look, conventional wisdom espouses low weights, high reps. "It's the way we're lifting that makes the difference," he says. "All our protocols necessitate light weights -- you build up to a maximum heart rate so it's extremely safe."
He notes that muscle takes up less space than fat, so after following his routines, people naturally become leaner. "You're replacing loose tissue [fat] with dense tissue [muscle].
Because the workouts are so productive, X Gym's program requires only 20 minutes twice a week. Any more than that and the body doesn't have time to recover, says Glassey. Moreover, X Gym memberships are month-to-month with no contracts.
Clients rotate among seven different, individually-designed protocols every seven weeks; the program usually takes about a year to complete. "We don't want people to become dependent on us," Glassey said. He notes that many people feel well armed to head out on their own once they've mastered a few of the protocols. However, he has many clients who have been with him since the beginning.
After seven weeks, Glassey says he sees an average of 30-50 percent increase in strength as opposed to 10-15 percent from conventional training. "The rotation emphasizes different muscle energy systems and different muscle fiber types.
"When you get to maximum fatigue, your heart rate is maxed out, which gives you a four-hour post-metabolic spike."
The X Gym offers privacy while at the same time the right mix of motivation. Only two people work out on the weights at a time, each with a personal trainer. Glassey finds that even adding one more person to the mix can negate the client's motivation and potentially bottleneck the equiment. Having just one other person in the room is more motivating than working out alone.
Rates are $245 per month, which he says is half the price of a conventional personal trainer.
He offers a free trial workout and will not even allow people to sign up after the introductory visit to make sure they don't make an impulsive decision. This doesn't seem to deter people. He has a waiting list in both clubs and has Seattle members chomping at the bit and have no qualms about crossing the lake to work out in Kirkland.
X Gym also offers metabolic testing, nutrition guidance, cardio equipment (which members can just show up and use), showers , a 60-inch high- definition TV and a pro shop.
For more information, call the 822-9496, visit the xgym.com or e-mail pj@xgym.com.[[In-content Ad]]
