Xercise

Xercise is built around five ideas its maker spells out: a precision training system, pro-grade resistance, portability, full-body fitness and personal coaching. Developer SL Innovation Corporation, headquartered in Toronto, says it worked with the Computational Intelligence and Automation lab at the University of Waterloo for technical support, and that it runs its own manufacturing in China to keep the supply chain reliable.

Digital weight instead of plates

The core of the device is what the maker calls a Dynamic Digital Weight system, delivering resistance from 5 to 75 pounds that is adjusted automatically by an algorithm. The pitch is that it replaces weight stacks and manual plates with smooth transitions and instant feedback, while tracking power and speed in real time. The company says it supports modes including strength, recovery and endurance training.

SL Innovation describes the underlying approach as mechatronic resistance training. It argues that conventional equipment suffers from limits on speed work, instability from gravity and inertia, and reduced return force, and claims Xercise addresses these by providing constant force for more consistent results.

Sport-specific drills and app coaching

• Weight of 4kg, small enough to fit in a backpack, according to the maker
• More than 200 training modes covering areas such as core power, balance, power and precision
• Sport-focused programs, for example golf training targeting rotational core strength, oblique power and shoulder stability
• Companion app with guided, personalized and trackable plans from beginner to athlete level
• App mirroring to a TV for full-screen guided workouts and live performance data

The campaign cites a result in which two weeks of 15-pound diagonal explosive drills produced a 5% increase in swing speed; the source does not explain who conducted this or under what conditions. The maker also points to badminton and rowing as sports it can tailor training to.

As a Kickstarter project, Xercise still faces the usual hurdles of mass production, quality control and support infrastructure. The company's own factory and its university partnership are the factors it presents as backing for its ability to deliver.