frequently asked questions (FAQ)

20 Minutes To Fitness is a strength training studio that will change the way you look at exercise, while delivering a host of health, fitness and sports-enhancing benefits.
Our program is unique in several ways:
You’ll train differently. We use a scientifically based fitness approach known as “slow-cadence” (or slow motion) training. Working on specialized physical therapy equipment, you’ll lift weights in a series of ultra slow movements, causing your muscles to work harder and producing far better, faster results (50 to 59% better) than traditional strength training.

You’ll work with a certified Personal Fitness Coach. Your Coach will stay at your side, calibrating the equipment for you and leading you through each exercise.

You’ll complete your workout in a quiet, “non-gym” environment.

Your workout only takes 20 minutes! During each session, you will be training on six to seven machines, taking each major muscle group to exhaustion. Because of the nature of the training regimen, it only takes 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 minutes of exercise per machine to reach muscle failure. And since we work by appointment only, there is no waiting for equipment.

You’ll train only once – or at most twice – a week. Because of the nature of the workout, you’ll get all the health and fitness benefits with just one session a week. Some clients, however, find a twice-a week program more beneficial due to their physical condition.

With slow cadence training, weight is lifted in a series of ultra slow movements, eliminating gravity and momentum. Within 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 minutes on each machine, your muscles will reach exhaustion – the goal of slow-cadence training. Once a training session is complete, the muscle should be allowed to rest and recover for a period of three to six days.

When muscle failure is achieved, it sets off a series of physiological changes that supercharge the body to burn fat as it rebuilds the exhausted muscle. That’s why slow-cadence workouts are proven to stimulate lean muscle formation far more efficiently and safely than regular weightlifting or aerobics.

Our training regimen is safe for men and women 18 to 80 – and older. (Younger teens require parental permission.) Our scientifically engineered equipment works for persons who can leg press 800 pounds — as well as those who can handle only 40 pounds.

Originally designed for use in physical therapy, our state-of-the-art
equipment is the safest equipment available for strength training.

• Our equipment offers “double stacking” of weights, so weight can be increased in smaller weight increments.
• Our equipment’s cams and pulleys are specially calibrated to produce less friction as well as to provide continuous, even resistance wherever you are in your range of motion.

When performed under the supervision of our certified Personal Fitness Coaches with our Slow Cadence protocol, our training is extremely safe, effective and time efficient.

Some experts who have researched slow cadence strength training contend that no additional cardio is necessary to supplement the cardio benefits gained by slow cadence training. They reason that the heart is the body’s primary muscle, and sufficient cardio is achieved during slow cadence training. Others believe that Slow Cadence training provides many benefits, including cardio, but still advocate some additional form of cardio activity to complement your training.

To achieve the full benefit of the slow cadence strength training provided by 20 Minutes To Fitness, you should avoid strenuous exercise for approximately 48 hours after your workout. After that – we say, “Go for it!” After this important recovery period, you do not need to participate in any other form of fitness. And, this is the only form of strength training that you will ever need.

Because each person’s body, metabolism and eating habits are different, the extent and timing of the results gained through our slow cadence training is different for each person. However, on average, you should begin to notice results within four to six weeks of beginning your training. During your orientation, we will determine your specific goals and will work with you to reach and maintain them.
What we do know is that:

• Strength training is extremely beneficial to everyone, and
• Slow cadence strength training is by far the most effective method of strength training and provides proven results.

Some people try this approach. When they later return to 20 Minutes to Fitness, they tell us that their regular gyms:

• Don’t offer the slow cadence strength training protocol offered by 20 Minutes To Fitness;
• Don’t have the safe, specialized equipment that it takes to effectively conduct the slow cadence strength training;
• Don’t have trainers who are specially trained to ensure they complete their slow cadence workout safely and properly; and
• Don’t offer the distraction–free, semi-private environment offered at 20 Minutes To Fitness studios.

20 Minutes To Fitness® slow cadence training strengthens your muscles, resulting in a number of proven benefits:

• Reduces the risk of exercise-related injuries to almost zero.
• Increases bone density, which helps prevent osteoporosis.
• Burns calories by increasing the body’s metabolic rate.
• Controls arthritis by inducing the manufacture of synovial fluid and
  forcing it to circulate throughout the joint spaces.
• Improves emotional well being by increasing the flow of oxygen
  and the release of positive mood altering chemicals in the brain.

The slow-cadence weight-training movement began at the University of Florida School of Medicine in 1982 where research showed that extremely slow weight lifting improved strength, bone density and overall functionality. Once an obscure practice, slow-cadence techniques have grown in popularity in recent years. It is today endorsed by athletic trainers, fitness experts and doctors, including Fulton C. Kornack, M.D., who is on the clinical faculty of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. The 20 Minutes To Fitness Advisory Board today includes several nationally certified fitness trainers, a former body builder, a registered nurse, a licensed physical therapist, a licensed chiropractic physician and a licensed dietician/certified nutritionist.

Yes. To achieve the best possible results and maintain a safe training experience, we believe a certified Personal Fitness Coach is essential for any type of serious strength training.
Our trained and certified Personal Fitness Coaches will:

• Assure that each piece of equipment is correctly calibrated;
• Assure that the equipment is set correctly to fit you;
• Properly and safely position you in the equipment;
• Coach you on special relaxation techniques to keep you comfortable during the training; and
• Encourage you to fully exhaust your muscles so that you gain the full 20 Minutes To Fitness “Slow Cadence” benefits.

First of all, we do not believe in “annual contracts or memberships” that would tie you to any type of artificial commitment to our training.

Your initial one-hour orientation and workout session is complimentary.

After that, you can “pay as you go” through single session rates. We also offer packages of 6, 12 or 24 sessions with discounts of up to 20%. Depending on the location of the 20 Minutes To Fitness studio, fees range from $35 to $55 per session.

All of our training is backed by our 100% Money Back Guaranty:
If a client is not 100% satisfied with a training session, we will either repeat that session for no charge or refund the fee for that session.

The 20 Minutes To Fitness Slow Cadence strength training is a much better value than more traditional forms of strength training. It also leaves you with much more time to spend on the other things you enjoy!

* Prices may vary depending on the 20 Minutes To Fitness studio location