A new type of fitness studio opened in the Holzweg on Friday (19th April, 2013).  The “microfitnessstudio” run by Carolyn Cozzo is part of the “Bodystreet” chain of fitness studios and it is called “micro” for a reason – because it is small.

There is, of course, a reason for it being so small.  In fact, the studio only has 100 square metres of floor space and two machines.  But these machines are the key to the training on offer.

For a start, training is by appointment.  Each training session lasts 20 minutes and is accompanied by a personal trainer who, because there are only two machines, only has two people to train.

And then there is the machine itself, which rather than using weights or force to train the muscles uses something called “electrical muscle stimulation” (EMS).

To train with one of the machines you first have to put on a special jacket which is then connected by a cable to the machine, as well as straps on your legs and upper arms and a waistband.  Under this you wear a special undergarment to help conduct the electricity better and also for hygienic reasons.

When the current is applied, different levels can be set to stimulate the muscles by different amounts, with the preferred settings stored on a chip card.  With the muscles stimulated, the training begins.  Apparently 20 minutes of training under these conditions is the equivalent to a 3 hour traditional workout, making it more suited to someone with a tight schedule.

One 20 minute session is also the amount of time that the studio recommend training each week and their prices reflect this.  They offer 6, 12 and 18 month contracts based on exactly that model: one appointment per week, with the price per week starting at €19.90 and going up the shorter the contract length is.

Anyone who prefers not to commit themselves to the weekly appointment can instead buy a card for 10 sessions and book these on an ad-hoc basis, but this pushes the price up to €49.90 per session.

The good news for AllThingsGerman readers is that the trainers speak a variety of languages, so at present they can offer sessions in English, Spanish or Italian.