Bionic

I was walking in Kreuzplatz and saw Bionic — well actually, I saw a Bionic suit in the window and I was curious. Bionic is a fitness studio that uses a machine that sends electrical pulses through your body to move the muscles. The machine, developed in Germany, has previously been used for muscle rehabilitation but now is used for fitness, muscle growth, and fat loss.
I was wondering how it would feel wearing the Bionic suit and having the electricity pass through. The staff said you’ve just got to feel it — which is why they offer a trial session. I asked when I could book on one of the sessions and they had availability the next day, so I booked!
The trial session took a full hour. Breakdown is as follows:
— 10 mins getting acquainted with the machine, seeing the studio amenities
— 15 mins getting a full body fat/​muscle test with the personal trainer Rolf walking me through the whole report
— 5 mins suiting up with the Bionic suit
— 20 mins for the actual workout
— 10 mins changing, debrief, next steps
I was immediately impressed how thorough the trial session was. The full body fat/​muscle test was very useful. They had a scale that took all the measurements and did all the calculations based on my age and height but they value add was how the personal trainer Rolf walked me through everything — he was very patient and spoke perfect English — he was great!
Next up was suiting up with the Bionic suit. They give you an under layer to change into. Then the instructor puts the Bionic suit on you. It’s damp because it needs to be to conduct the electricity and it’s quite a snug fit. Then he plugs you into the machine — it’s like being plugged into the Matrix!
The workout itself lasted 20 mins. Even professional athletes, like my personal trainer Rolf, only use the machine for 20 mins at a time because it’s very intensive. The machine builds deep tissue muscles. You start out with simple stretches with the machine to get used to the electricity flowing through then end the session with lots of cardio, lunges, squats, etc. The instructor is there every step of the way pushing you — only as much as you’d like to — and changing the electricity output to the appropriate levels.
The studio is quite small — but doesn’t feel small at all when working out. They’ve got two machines to have two people working out at a time, always with a personal trainer. They have a locker room in the back for changing, toilets, and showering. They also have towels, water, fruit, as well as styling products in case you need to get ready from the studio.
The only downside to Bionic is the cost. It’s CHF 99 per session, no contract. If you sign up for 12 months it’s CHF 49 and if you sign up for 18 months it’s CHF 45. Still pretty expensive with no corporate discounts available. You do get 5 free workouts if you refer a friend that signs up for a contract.
Overall, I really enjoyed the opportunity to try out Bionic. It’s a great workout and look forward to seeing how my muscles recover from the workout. I hope to come back and I will definitely be referring friends here!