ABOUT AUTOMATED MUSCLE

The Automated Muscle Difference

Automated Muscle is the first theory of exercise/muscle building that addresses an individual’s behavior during an exercise as primary.

Without correct directives, the body’s instinctual protective mechanisms will short circuit and thwart the exercise effect.

Advantages over the common strength exercise recommendations.

While correct attentional focus during exercise has a plethora of benefits,
Automated Muscle’s use of the science has two main benefits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Physical

Research shows that with correct cueing, an individual learns physical skills much faster than those who are miscued. The physical skill we are trying to master with correct exercise is consistent and smooth movement of the physical object positively and negatively between two points. Accomplishment of this leads to an ideal blend of the contributing factors in muscular hypertrophy. In other words, we want to Automate the process of exercise. This leads to its second main benefit;

Psychological

Attitude and behavioral psychology play the most important role in an effective exercise program. Our instinctual mechanism are designed to protect us and creates a state of internal duress in times of intense physical stress. If exercise is going to yield it’s return, an individual’s state of mind has to be “standardized”. Muscles attempt to do what the brain commands. Up until now, exercise instruction has been taught in such a way that makes the process more psychologically distressing and makes it more likely to be the limiting factor in your exercise program. Automated Muscle changes this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUR STORY OF A SLOW SHOW

Meet Al & Nicole

 

In 2011, in preparation for the opening of what would be her first of two InForm Fitness Virginia studios, Nicole traveled the country visiting various veteran HIT strength studios to do research. While visiting Overload Fitness in Cleveland, OH, to discuss a possible business partnership with RenEx Exercise Equipment, she met and witnessed Al Coleman demonstrate a set of the Leg Press exercise to “failure.” Was it love at first sight? With Nicole witnessing someone physically pushing themselves with such intensity, and with Al suffering the immediate effects of such intensity, one could rest assured that it would take them both years to process this chance encounter. In fact, Mr. Coleman’s level of post exercise delirium left his memory vague at best about what would turn out to be a pivotal moment in his life.

Fast forward 8 years, Al relocated back to the Washington DC area where he grew up, bringing with him, his experience in training instructors, as well as developing and refining protocols to help another studio. Al reached out to Nicole on a whim, and the rest is history that’s still in the making. Nicole’s studios in Virginia provided a platform for Al to continue to develop and refine his ideas, which helped her business evolve.

On the personal side, Nicole and Al found in each other “their other half” as people say. After both having experienced the rougher side of life over the previous several years, the fortuitous partnership of Nicole and Al tells a love story of two people, coming together to help one another during a time when the rest of the world was falling apart.

Seeing obvious shortcomings in the way that high intensity strength exercise has been taught, Nicole and Al set out on a new course to change to way exercise is taught and delivered to the exercising public and hence Automated Muscle was born. From evolution to application, our refined methodology has proven to deliver a higher-quality workout. Indeed, as we upgraded our already state-of-the-art equipment, we also broke through significant barriers.

About Albert

Al became interested in strength exercise in high school to improve his performance as a baseball player. This interest became a passion when he went on to play Division 1 baseball and was at the mercy of ill-informed strength coaches. Needing to find a better way to keep him injury free than what was being presented to him by the college strength and conditioning staff, he chanced upon the SuperSlow technical manual while combing the shelves of a Borders. A few years later in 1999, Al passed the test of the most stringent certification in the industry; the SuperSlow Exercise Specialist Certification Following, Al spent the next 10 years under the tutelage of Master Instructor Rob Serraino and honed his craft.

From 2010-2019, Al worked for RenEx/Overload Fitness where he served as Director of Education. During this time, he worked in close concert with Ken Hutchins, Josh Trentine and Gus Diamantopoulos in refining the RenEx Protocol. In 2019, Al moved back to Washington, DC and began to work with Nicole Gustavson and her team. In reconnecting with Nicole, Al found both the ideal business and life companion.

About Nicole

As Owner of Phoenix Strength, Nicole is an example of her own perfect client. Middle-aged, over-scheduled and not yet successful in building more time into the day.

Nicole’s commitment to meaningful advocacy is rooted in the notion that, with the right skillset, she could effectively empower those who were willing to work hard enough to improve their quality of life beyond measure.

Parlaying a MA in Economics from the University of St. Andrews Scotland, Nicole’s early career was spent navigating the financial sectors of New York City, London and San Francisco, ultimately combining two skill sets: analytical research and writing for the institutional client. Later, a misguided attempt to pursue her love of advocacy led Nicole through a wrong turn into law school before she opened InForm Fitness in Virginia.

Nicole moved to Northern Virginia after a decade in Europe, a return to San Francisco, and a major career detour. As life never failed to surprise, when economic recession hit in the Fall of 2008, Nicole welcomed the birth of her twin daughters. Between search and transition, Nicole triumphed, albeit near inadvertently. Avid exercise hater, Nicole overcame her own obstacles by simply building strength. As she explored a modality for health so simple, yet genius, Nicole remained mission-driven to improve lives, her own included.

In 2010, she found the Power-of-10 methodology of strength training and put into practice all she learned. The name InForm Fitness is the predeceasing’s name for Phoenix Fitness, under which Nicole operated for over 8 years. InForm Fitness is still the name of the New York-based, flagship brand of Nicole’s longtime mentor, Adam Zickerman. To Adam, Nicole owes endless homage.

Our refined methodology has proven to deliver a higher-quality workout.

Seeing obvious shortcomings in the way that high intensity strength exercise has been taught, Nicole and Al set out on a new course to change to way exercise is taught and delivered to the exercising public and hence Automated Muscle was born. From evolution to application, our refined methodology has proven to deliver a higher-quality workout. Indeed, as we upgraded our already state-of-the-art equipment, we also broke through significant barriers.