Interactive fitness company Mirror, which makes a reflective LCD display for following workouts at home, today announced it’s launching one-on-one personal training. Through two-way audio and video, coaches will be able to lead users through sessions while giving feedback. Users can choose trainers based on workout activity preferences (yoga, strength training, barre, etc.), session length, trainer motivational style, and schedule. At $40 a session, that’s pricier than a SoulCycle class, but still a fraction of the cost of a session with a personal trainer at most gyms.
The 40-inch, 1080p vertical display will set you back $1,495, and a subscription to the monthly content service, which lets you stream over 70 new live classes a week, is required to take part in the personal training classes. That’s an extra $39 a month, in addition to each $40 personal trainer session. Unfortunately, the screen isn’t touch-enabled — it’s controlled through an iOS app, and the device isn’t compatible with Android devices yet.
The Mirror has a 5-megapixel camera, which comes with a privacy cover, and microphone built in to the device. The company says both are only activated during the one-on-one personal training sessions.
Although nothing can really replicate an in-person experience at the gym, where a personal trainer can help modify your form and act as a partner for some workouts, Mirror is part of a growing trend of companies crossing tech with fitness, including ClassPass and Peloton. The idea is to give consumers more options to work up a sweat at home via live-streamed classes, which may be more appealing than a pricey gym membership or standard, non-interactive at-home gym gear. And Mirror is one of the first of these companies to actually make use of these devices’ preinstalled cameras, which up until now, have typically been used only to take and share selfies after workouts.
Mirror CEO Brynn Putnam is confident that “the home will always be the most convenient place to workout,” as she told The Verge in July. It’s fun that the sessions let you choose “trainer motivational style” as well — some days, you just need a coach yelling encouraging things at you while you work out from the comfort of your home, you know?