When potential business owners come to us looking to find out how they can join our mission to bring the future of fitness into their communities, they start by learning Rob's story. Because the men and women who open up Smart Fit Method studios don't just want to make money or own a gym.
When you open up a Smart Fit Method, it's because you want to make a difference.
We sat down with founder Rob Darnbrough to have him tell us the story of how The Smart Fit Method was born, a story he tells to every new studio owner.
What's The Smart Fit Method's Mission?
Our mission is to bring certified personal trainers using the latest in high-tech fitness equipment to our communities at a price that makes sense for real people. No trends, no bull, just science-backed protocols and measurable results.
We want to train our clients like pro athletes and have them see the same results as celebrities without spending money like them. But the best part is we do it all safely, making fitness accessible to those who need it the most.
How did Rob come up with the idea for The Smart Fit Method?
Rob's story is one he tells frequently, hoping to inspire the people who stand to benefit from fitness the most. Unfortunately, those people are not likely to seek out a training program.
Illness, injury, and age make ordinary fitness solutions unhelpful and often dangerous to trainees - until now.
"During my career as a professional competitive cyclist," Rob tells us, "I followed the fitness industry’s 'more is more' mentality to the letter. I prided myself on being the fittest person in the room – always. My lifestyle, combined with my entrepreneurial ambitions, led me to a diagnosis that almost ended my life. At 49 years old, I had developed a thoracic aortic aneurysm, which has a 56% survival rate within 5 years of diagnosis."
What does a thoracic aortic aneurysm diagnosis mean?
"The doctors warned me never to exercise again. Don’t lift anything over 40 pounds, and don’t even think of walking up a hill. Four months of my prescribed sedentary lifestyle netted me severe depression, a loss of 15lbs of muscle, and the biological age of a 54 year old man. I aged 5 years in only four months."
Unable to exercise, Rob was forbidden from seeking out a solution to his problem. This is classic advice given by nervous doctors who would be held liable should their patient injure themselves or exacerbate their condition.
Many of our trainees can relate to this as illness and injury have put them on the sidelines of their own lives and doctors have cautioned them against exercise. They were victims of osteoporosis, osteopenia, sarcopenia, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, heart disease, and more.
What can you do? Well, nothing. Before, you couldn't do anything to improve your position without fear of making your condition worse. That is, until The Smart Fit Method opened its doors.
So, what changed for Rob Darnbrough?
"That was as much as I could take before my entrepreneurial instincts told me it was time to do something – not just for me, but for the millions of people like me who desperately needed an answer."
The Smart Fit Method is the answer for anyone who has let their illness and injury put them on the sidelines. Rob is proof that we can all get back into the game with the right guidance and the right equipment.
How The Smart Fit Method makes training safe
The Smart Fit Method takes a unique approach to training in the longevity space. Other programs have some of the components, but nobody has the complete package and certainly not at prices that make sense for everyone.
Here's how we're doing it better.
Certified personal training
It all starts with expert guidance. Our 3 to 1 ratio of clients to trainers ensures an expert is always on-hand to give guidance, correct posture, assist with machines, and more. All of our trainers have received 3rd party certifications like NASM or hold Bachelor's Degrees in Exercise Science. Additionally they have undergone our own Smart Fit Academy to ensure only the highest quality training staff makes it onto our floors.
AI-powered equipment
Our studios come equipped with technology that sits on the edge of innovation with science-backed protocols that ensure our trainees are always following the most optimized training methods.
ARX - AI-powered robotic weight training machines that allow users to lift their maximum potential weights while minimizing injury from human-error. ARX can be found in most professional fitness settings, NFL facilities, and in celebrities' homes.
Vasper Systems - NASA technologies adapted for both rehabilitation and athletic performance allow trainees to boost recovery and strength gains while remaining pain and injury-free. Vaspers are sold for home use to professional athletes to improve performance and rehabilitate injuries.
CAROL Bike with LiveO2- The latest in AI-powered cardiovascular training, CAROL outperforms every other spin bike on the market. AI controls resistance and matches your ability so you can enjoy the ride. LiveO2 technology boosts VO2 Max improvements and enhances Zone 2 capabilities with elevation training protocols.
BioCharger NG - Help your body's natural detox processes with a 15-minute BioCharger protocol mimicking the natural PEMF energies of planet Earth.
Smart Body Scan - Equipped with Fit3D and Styku scanners, studios monitor fat mass, lean mass, and other important health markers.
Smart Fit App - Our own innovation is our proprietary app where clients can view all of their data and progress metrics, including scan results and strength training data. The power of precise progress-tracking in the palm of your hand, plus accountability and booking tools to keep you consistent.
Join The Smart Fit Method as a studio owner
The bottom line is this: we're taking training personally. You're not a number when you're in a Smart Fit Method studio. Our trainers know your name, and they make personal connections that build lifelong relationships.
Our franchising team treats our partnerships the same way.
Rob Darnbrough is eager to make a personal connection with any potential business owner who is curious about joining the mission to make life-saving fitness protocols available at prices that make sense for their communities. As a studio owner, you won’t just be making money, you’ll also be changing lives – permanently. So schedule a call our team today, and let’s move together into the future of fitness.
