The Full Body Workout You Can Do At Home In Just 20 Minutes, with Bruce Smith

Bruce: [00:00:00] So my name is Bruce Smith. Uh, very delighted to be here today.

And I'm the CEO and founder of Hydrow, which is a company that is designed to deliver the best 20 minutes of your day in your living room. And it really does. We have, uh, hundreds of thousands of customers who square by it.

Jeremy: Best 20 minutes of my day is spent working out. Convince me. How, how does it pull that off?

Bruce: Okay. So we could go way deep on the science, but basically when you sit on a bicycle, you know, to exercise, it's like, it's excellent. All movement is good. Huge fan. However, when you sit on a, on a rowing machine. Instead of just using your legs, which is basically two muscle groups, you're using your whole body, your core, all these muscles that you just, you honestly, like, don't think nobody ever thinks about their, so as like how, when's the last time you thought about your, so it's like probably not for a while, but turning on all of those muscles all at once.

Uh, so it's [00:01:00] basically six out of seven major muscle groups in your body. So 86 percent of your body's musculature gets turned on. And as a result. The, you know, the feeling you get from that full body engagement is it's just it's deeply satisfying in a way that people don't even have words for, but it's why rowers are such a rapid tribe.

You know, it's like, why else would, uh, college. People get up at four in the morning to make the band to get down to the water. Like there must they must have a screw loose, right? No, it's actually that rowing is that great. And that's that experience that we deliver to your home. And it really is. It's very different from other kinds of physical activity.

The closest things in terms of like Exercise like boxing is fun. Like a good boxer throws a punch through their whole body from the floor and cross country skiing, but you don't get the strength component as much. So you don't get that same endorphin rush and a couple of other things like that. But rowing really is, it's a, I am definitely a sports [00:02:00] chauvinist and rowing is definitely like the most efficient use of your, you know, fitness minutes in a day.

Yeah, I,

Zach: I row a little bit at the gym and I'm always surprised when my core starts to hurt and I'm just like why is that hurting? I'm rowing. It really hits everything. Um, and I, I know, I know a bunch of people who row out on the water and, and they swear by it. So like, like you were saying, like, it's, it's a thing, but all of those people that I talk to.

None of them like rowing on machines. I

Bruce: know. I know they hate it. So, so

Zach: why is that? And, and I'm, I'm guessing you might have a solve for that.

Bruce: Yeah. So, um, there's this machine. It's an amazing machine. It's called the Concept 2. This is when the PR person is like, why are you talking about the, like your competitor?

But anyway. It's an amazing machine. I have spent, uh, tens of thousands of hours, literally, like not no joke. Um, there were two days, a few years ago, like once a year, I would grow a hundred thousand meters in a day on a concept to, which takes like a really long time. It takes your [00:03:00] whole day. It's not a good, I wouldn't recommend it.

So, uh, the people who invented that machine, uh, Peter and dress Gacker invented it in Vermont in the eighties, and it was basically designed as a training tool and also a personality test, if you can. Grit your way through this machine, you can join our tribe. And then you can get out on the water and get to the good stuff.

And, like, I'm sort of, I don't know, like, I would like to be considered a revolutionary, a Canadian revolutionary. Um, you know, we want to actually skip that part and give you the creamy center, like that feeling of being on the water, the rhythm of being on the water, the immersive experience. It really is transformative with the great exercise.

And so that's, you know, that's where, that's why Hydra was born. It was to try and bridge the gap between what happens in that special world out on the water and what happens on the rowing machine. And I think. Like, you know, the, the feedback that we get from our members is that it really does. It's not like, of course, it's not as good as going out and doing it in real life, but it is a percentage of the [00:04:00] experience.

You know, it's, it's a real.

Jeremy: So explain how you do that. How do you put me in my living room on this machine and make me feel like I'm actually out on the water and getting all the benefits of doing that in real life?

Bruce: Yeah, so we, uh, we build three products and, you know, so we're, we built this machine and the machine is designed to be ultra smooth, like as smooth as, as smooth as the water, silky smooth. And so we replaced the, you know, traditional ring machines have a chain, we replaced that with a really, you know, like a quiet strap.

And we replaced the resistance mechanism with an electromagnetic system that uses an algorithm. So we can, we actually adjust it 240 times a second to make it feel like a boat. Exactly. And then at the same time, we also, we have a, you know, some computer features, so you can see a leaderboard and you can see other people, um, with you on the water.

And then most important from my perspective, we broadcast. So we film on the water and we have some live workouts, but, [00:05:00] uh, we have this huge library of workouts. Nobody had really, like, nobody had done that before. Like, nobody had even tried. So, if you're a rower, you are told to show up and don't talk. So, you get your seat in an eight person boat, like, just be quiet.

And the coxswain, the person who steers, like, they're the only person who's allowed to talk. Don't smile, don't play music, don't have fun. So, we, like, broke all of those rules. And we want to, we really want you to feel that rhythm and feel that human connection, like, right away when you sit down. And so we, you know, we have rowers who talk and smile, uh, which is, which is in itself kind of sounds self evident, but it was like quite revolutionary when we started doing it.

And so we film, you know, and we, we capture that experience of being out of the water. So you take those three elements and you do get that splash and sweat, you know, to a degree, like in your living room, it's really, um, I wasn't sure it would work. And we tried it, you know, we put it, we We put some video up on a wall in front of some old school rowing machines and people just immediately fell into rhythm, like they just [00:06:00] follow the rhythm automatically.

And that, like, as human beings, like, we love nothing more than four on the floor, just ask Quincy Jones, you know, like, it's like that feeling of, like, moving with your heartbeat, moving with the rhythm of the day, moving with the rhythm of other human beings, like, That's really like we, we put that at the core of our experience and it's really, it's very different.

You know, it's, it's really, it's, it's way more Zen. It is not a dance party in your home and dance parties are great. Like huge fan of soul cycle, huge fan of Peloton. This is like a lifetime engagement with what you need the most, which is like a period of sanctuary, a period of full body mind, body connection, connection with nature.

And that's what we really aim to deliver.

Zach: I, I, you know, I, I have used one now and I, the leaderboard. It's amazing because it

Jeremy: I was going to ask, you are,

Zach: speed feature.

Jeremy: I was going to ask you how important that is to getting you on this machine.

Zach: Yeah, yeah, you've, you've really, like, you've really done a lot of work to, like, make this, like, such an enjoyable experience, like, [00:07:00] did that, so from, from the perspective of, like, the competitive people have something, the people who are looking for something relaxing, the people who are just looking for a row, the people who are looking for just this, this, you've, you've thought of all of these things, and it is very different and unique, and I, I applaud you on that, I, I think it's great, Was that your original plan, or did all of these things kind of come together separately, or did you have this vision right from the very beginning?

Bruce: So, the truth is, I believe that really great technology products have their origin in really great, like, real life analog experiences. And so not to get reductionist, but you know, your iPhone is based on like talking to people like that. It's a good thing communicating. And so I worked at a run club and, uh, it's called community around here in Boston.

I worked there for 10 years and it was highly unlikely run club. So we built this beautiful building. I didn't build it. I had to pay for it. But, um, I was the guy who got saddled with like fundraising for the, you know, the [00:08:00] last, you know, 15 million that we needed to pay for it. And, um. Filled it full of people and the people were from all walks of life.

So we started programs to serve, this was like 2008, 2009. So people were coming back from the war. There were a lot of invisible injuries, a lot of physical injuries. So we started a program for military vets and that was like really, really fun. And then we had a program for kids from the neighborhood who, you know, who like in a million years could never afford the fees to get on the water.

But, uh, cause it's, you know, it's not a cheap sport. It's like cheaper than golf, but it's still. You know, cheaper than golf and hockey, more expensive than swimming. And, um, so we made a free program for all the kids from the neighborhood and they didn't know how to swim. And so we had to teach them how to swim and all of these, so plus all the, you know, like traditional rowers, people who rode in college adults, like people who retired and wanted to do something.

So we had all of these people in the rowing club and they all wanted different kinds of experiences. So really it was just a reflection. Like it was an attempt to bring that to life and bring those [00:09:00] different community. He's to life in a digital way and give it a platform in people's homes. You didn't have to drive to a run club.

You didn't have to live in Boston. You could actually access those experiences right from your home. And, um, you know, it's still growing and it's evolving all the time because really like, like, you're not like you get the hydrow running machine and you get the subscription. But the real experience is that it's the other people, you know, like the athletes on the screen and then you and your friends who are on, you know, people make amazing friends.

I don't know if you've made any friends, but there are these groups on Facebook where they like, they end up meeting up in real life. They send each other medals. They hold each other, you know, accountable. It's really, it's super cool. I love it. I'm so surprised at how well it's working. I shouldn't say I'm surprised, but I, but I am so yeah,

Jeremy: Uh, so, so the question I have as someone who has had, uh, you know, a StairMaster in my house, uh, you know, the online workout program that I subscribe to. They're all amazing. And when you do them, they all work. The [00:10:00] trick is doing them. So I'm going to ask you to put your, put your coach hat on for a minute. so whether it's this, whether it's getting on the hydrow or getting over to the gym or going out for the run, how, how would you convince someone? What is, what is, what are the, the magic words you can use to motivate somebody to get on that machine and to do the work, to discover all of this? 'cause it sounds like once you're in, this is a wonderful community.

It's a wonderful activity. There's so many reasons to do it. It's that first part, it's, it's just doing it. How do you get 'em to, from, from zero to, to going.

Bruce: and the, you know, the fitness world is full of amazing, uh, drying racks, you

Jeremy: It

Bruce: uh, it's an excellent. Yeah. It's just, it's really that part of it is really just pressing. So we think about it, um, in a very structured way. And I am curious about, um, like the overall fitness industry. Like it's always, people always say like, it's your fault that you didn't like follow the program.

Like, I'm a huge fan of Tony Horton. He's an amazing coach to P 90 X to P P 1 80 X. [00:11:00] You know, do P P 360 X, but eventually like it, it becomes like, you just can't do it anymore. And then you stop. And so people, you know, like over the past 50 years, like they've bought something, they do it for a little while and they don't get what they were promised in the end.

Like they don't get the six pack abs. They don't necessarily feel great. And our promise to people is like, give us. Give us just five minutes and we will deliver the hydrow high. Like you will get what we promise every single time. And I think that's our North star, like making sure that, um, people get what they expect to get.

So you, you know, whether you're on a weight loss journey or whether you're on a fitness journey or whether you just want to feel better, like we want to have a lifetime relationship with people. So that's number one. And then number two is really, it's a, it's all about personalization because everybody has different motivations.

And if you need 10 units of motivation to work out, so Um, Zach has 11 units of motivation, so he should give you a unit of [00:12:00] his motivation. Um, because he works out compulsively. He can't help it. I can tell from like his face, like he's, you know, low body fat percentage, like, you know, he works out, you know, a lot.

So other people have eight units of motivation to work out and they need two extrinsic units of motivation. And where does that come from? And for different people, it's really different. So if you're like, They are like a 41 year old mom with zero time, you know, two kids, a hard job, like you need that perfect moment in your day.

Like you need five or 10 minutes and you just need to turn, you know, turn things off for five minutes, turn on your body, get those hormones turning over. And, you know, you get that response from your body, even with five minutes. And you get that little bit of high and then you go about your day and that's that opportunity.

And then maybe you make an appointment with your friend, you promise your friend that you're going to do that. And they're part of the hydrow community. You know, you're on Facebook or Instagram, a little short DM. So it's finding [00:13:00] those extrinsic motivators and it's different for each person. And that's, I think like we're at this, um, moment in technology where we can personalize in a meaningful way for the first time.

So as a coach, like the only way that I could get my sort I coach like second level world championship boats, you know, like the lightweight men's aid. It's not an Olympic event. It's like a world championship event and the people in that boat want to go to the Olympics, but they're not at the level yet.

So how do I get them to be better faster? And it was all about personalization. You know, what are they endothermic or exothermic people? Do they need to eat a lot? But what kind of like, how does their hydration system work? Because everybody's so different. And yeah. Not just in the physiological side, but the motivation side and understanding that is something that we can actually do now.

It's a big data problem. So we're, you know, hydras at the beginning of that journey, but I think we are on the leading edge of that ability to bring people in, you got to start with something that, you know, people really love, but then personalizing the journey is where I think the biggest strides over the next five [00:14:00] years are going to happen and.

It's not going to be people we recognize. It's not your failure. You know, it's like opportunity and extrinsic motivation are necessary ingredient ingredients because we're all, you know, we're just human. Like we, everybody needs a hand.

Jeremy: I'm so glad you said that because I think that is something I know I wrestle with. I know that I need some sort of external motivation to get going sometimes. And I, I feel like I shouldn't need that. I should be able to toughen up and go and do the thing. So it's good to hear that. That is kind of normal, I guess, for, for those of us that struggle with that, that it's not, we don't all just have it automatically built in.

And it's a matter of turning the key that turns it on. It's harnessing that, that I guess characteristic that we

Bruce: Exactly. There's some, you know, some really good books. Uh, BJ Fogg is actually a hydrow, you know, owner and, uh, he wrote tiny habits, which is a really, really great. Framework to understand how to, you know, change habits, but it's more than habits. Like it just changes over time. So when I, like in my thirties, I still thought I was going to make the national team and I trained two or three hours a day and I [00:15:00] had no problem with motivation.

I mean, I got my hands full with the company, you know, and like getting my ass out of bed in the morning. Like, you know, that is hard. You know, I prioritize like half an hour of sleep or half an hour of working out. It's a toss up, you know, so, uh, and I work at it, I work in the industry. So, uh, I think it's, it's so important to recognize that.

And it's just, it's not something like you buy it and then you don't get the thing that you were promised and then you give up. It's like, uh, participate in a community, find your place, find your relevant peer group, find those extrinsic motivators that work for you. And we can deliver that whole package with hydrow.

It's really, it's the funnest project ever. I love working here. Yeah,

Zach: but it's not just rowing, right? I mean, there's the app and then there's, there's other things that you can do. Like there's, you know, there's mindfulness. Can you talk a little bit more about like the other benefits that you get with the program and with the system that are not just the rowing

Bruce: aspect?

So, yeah, we [00:16:00] definitely we do not want you to row every day. You know, um, so Hydrow is it's a whole health company. Um, and we started with rowing because we know if you can do one thing in your home, like, if you have space for one machine, growing is the most complete solution. But that certainly is not what you should do every single day.

Like, we want you to have. Uh, really, you know, great relationship with your body. So that mind body connection is crucial. So we have yoga and strength and awareness. Like those are our two big other territories. And that includes classes around Pilates. And we have this, I don't know if you've done any classes with Pete Donahoe.

He's this, um, I worked with him coaching national team stuff, and he is the best movement coach I've ever met. You know, he was a hurdler for Ireland. And then he's kind of like the, like real life cool running sky. Like he, he, uh, competed in the bobsled for Ireland, you know, and had some great results, uh, at the Olympics.

And, um, he has the most, just like the, the best direction and the most complete, like [00:17:00] five, 10, 20 minute movement routines to really, you know, rat centered around the outdoor exercises. Like it's, it's just. Having that opportunity and that space in your home and then the screen can deliver that or if you're traveling, you know, uh, the phone can deliver that.

I use the phone quite a bit. I use the phone and other people's running machines too. Um, it's really, uh, I like that quite a bit. So overall, you know, being there for people's whole health journey is our long term goal and we'll be adding. The two things that, you know, from my perspective, and I think the science backs this up, um, you want a really great cardio exercise and you want to do strength.

And those are the two most effective tools to maintain, you know, really healthy body. And so we'll be adding a strength component, uh, with hydrows offering, uh, in the next, um, in the next several months.

Jeremy: Will that be another, another machine, another device or is that?

Bruce: Yeah. Another machine. There's this really, there's like a revolution happening around all of this stuff because the ability with digital resistance to change, um, [00:18:00] the resistance within each rep, just, I used to do all kinds of stuff with like bands and weights and like how to get, um, you know, eccentric loading and how to do negatives.

Like you can do all of that stuff now from a tiny little platform in your home. And we'll be, uh, we'll be offering a similar device in the future. Oh, I can't wait for that.

Zach: I've I've read about some of that stuff and it's, it's, I haven't actually used one before, so I'm very

Bruce: intrigued by that. We've got, um, we've got a whole workshop devoted to it, and it is so much fun to play with, and it's, it's radical.

It's so personalized. Talk about personalization. So the Hydrow machine uses that same personalized resistance, so it's, um, it's something that we can adjust over the year, and as we go further down that personalized road, we'll be able to really, like, dial it in for you personally. It's, it's such an exciting field to be in.

Zach: Well, if you ever need someone to come out to Boston to test one out [00:19:00] for you, just, just give me a shout.

Jeremy: We may know a guy. Yeah.

Bruce: Yeah.

Jeremy: so we have talked a ton about the physical benefits of this and the community aspect. All of this, I mean, for me, the reason I dragged my butt into the gym today, it always comes back to how my head works through the rest of the day and how I deal with my emotions and all that.

Talk to me about that connection between the movement and doing this kind of activity on a regular basis and how it helps us manage our mental health.

Bruce: Yeah. There's this thing with water. So, um, it's really interesting. So I think through the pandemic, everybody was aware, like, you know, like go stare at a tree and it makes you feel better. Like there's, there's something about nature. Like literally there were directions I would get like occasional texts, like go stare at a tree.

Um, Did you do? I don't know if you did

Jeremy: I moved to the mountains where I'm now surrounded by trees in the middle of all of it, so I found the benefits for sure.

Bruce: So there's science around this too. And it's the same with water, only more so. And the experience of water, even if it's digital, the experience of water [00:20:00] is a key pillar. So you got like five pillars for whole health and mind body connection is one, but the experience of nature is definitely one.

And it's something that, um, if you can't, it's way better to do it in real life. If you can't do it in real life, do it digitally and you will feel better. And so it's, it's stacking all of those benefits. So it's human connection and physical connection and mind body connection and experience of nature.

And when you take all of those pieces and you put them into one concentrated experience on hydrow you end up with what, um You know, definitely our members say it's like a it's just a it's a genuine respite from the pressures that we all experienced from our phones, from our TVs, from work, like all of that stuff like this is sanctuary.

And I think that to me, that's what people need the most in the world. If we're going to, we're going to be kinder to each other and ourselves. You need that moment of sanctuary to recharge. And that's what we try and deliver in people's lives. And [00:21:00] it's really important to recognize it's not like Like, adrenaline's great, and dance parties are great, but if you're going to do something for your whole life Like, you need that moment to really recharge and we think that this is just an amazing way to do it. I was actually a little surprised

Zach: by that. I know when I go to the gym that I go to that does not have hydrows and I row, there's water, but it's usually just my sweat and it's painful and grueling and all of those things. But when I tried the hydrow, I And, and was looking at the water, I was really surprised by the sense of calm and the sense of, I guess, ease at which I was still sweating, still doing the same physical activity, but from a digital screen of, with just water on it.

It was, it was amazing. Yeah,

Bruce: it is kind of, and, um, we've done some work with VR and that, you know, that's definitely like the form factor doesn't work for working out yet, but we do have some, um, like we shot some stuff in three 60 and we put it on some Oculus goggles and it's only going to get [00:22:00] better and better at that overall experience.

It is, I just think the, um, like people are so. Alienated from each other like there's like the level of trust between tribes is like so diminished. And when you have this moment of like, you're just you're moving in synchronicity with another human being, and it's just it's completely natural. It's based on a physical thing.

It's not language. It's not like somebody's opinion. You're, you know, you're just moving with them. Like it is ultra valuable in this moment in time. And that's, um you It's a little bit frustrating as a company. So people look at our website and then they get the hydrow and they're like, yeah, I bought the hydrow and then three workouts in and it's really consistent.

After three workouts, they're like, holy shit, this was amazing. I had no idea. And we're like, what do you mean? You have no idea. We told you it was great. And they're like, no, no, but I didn't know how great. It's really like if somebody has an idea on how to fix that problem, I would welcome some [00:23:00] input.

Jeremy: That's incredible. I love

Bruce: Yeah, I know three workouts in like, no, we want to, we want everybody to know this.

So

Jeremy: Yeah. Well, I mean, that's, there's your new slogan. Give us three workouts and we'll change your life. I

Bruce: yeah, exactly. Yeah, no, that's good. Actually, yeah, stealing that.

Jeremy: Yeah. Write that down real quick. Uh, well, awesome. This has been amazing. I know Zach's been loving using the machine. I've got to get my hands on one myself where if you're someone like me, you want to try this out.

Where do we learn more about you? Where do we learn more about the hydrow?

Bruce: So, uh, we are in many hotels and some gyms and we have a hotel finder on our website. The best thing, though, just order one. It's a 30 day money back guarantee. Zero risk. We have two models. One is like ultra smooth and large and very slick. It has a 22 inch screen. The other is small and made for smaller homes and easy to move around.

Um, prime days coming up, uh, both available on Amazon prime. So, um, yeah, they're, they're, uh, money back guarantee. So I would encourage people just like, try it out. If you love it, great. If you [00:24:00] don't love it, give it to your neighbor. You know, it's all good.

Jeremy: Give us three workouts. We'll change your life.

Bruce: Yeah, exactly.

Jeremy: That's awesome. I think we got everything in there that we need.