Introduction
Exponent Edge is a company that develops innovative home gym equipment, allowing you to achieve your fitness goals in a limited space.
During the interview with Jay Benoit, the founder of Exponent Edge, he shares his experience as a long-time home gym owner and the inspiration behind his innovative home gym products. Jay discusses the challenges of balancing family life, fitness goals, and limited space, which led him to create unique equipment solutions.
In addition, Jay also emphasizes the importance of patent protection for inventors and the significance of versatility and upgradability in home gym equipment. He discusses various products, including the Infinity Bench, Infinity Arm, and Flex Wedge, and more.
You can listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. An outline of the conversation is below.
(1:09) Building a Home Gym in a Confined Space
Outside of family and career, fitness has been his top hobby for the past 20 years, including weightlifting, running, and various sports. With that, Jay has had a home gym owner for over 20 years.
He started his first home gym in a detached garage with basic equipment like an Olympic bench, squat rack, and dumbbells. Despite the challenges of finding equipment, he managed to work out regularly in the garage. Over the years, he moved to larger spaces before settling in his current 180-square-foot basement gym. Jay understands the challenges of building home gyms in confined spaces and shares his expertise on maximizing equipment usage in small areas.
When he couldn’t perform specific exercises at home, such as nordic curls and calf training, he started creating unique equipment to address these limitations.
Six years ago, he began developing home gym equipment out of necessity, and Exponent Edge was born.
He first attempted to secure licensing agreements but, after several years, realized he needed to start his own business to bring his product to market.
(14:04) Product Development and Patents
In the section, Jay shares his experience of trying to license his product idea to established companies instead of selling it on his own. He contacted several groups, but some never responded, and some declined. He almost reached a deal with one company, but it ultimately didn’t go through as these companies had their own priorities. Jay also discusses the importance of patent protection for inventors and the significance of filing first to secure patent rights. He advises inventors to be cautious about sharing their ideas publicly without protection and encourages them to use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) when collaborating with others.
(36:38) Challenges of Pre-Orders and Customer Complaints + Pre-Orders
There are many challenges of managing manufacturing and shipping delays for his business. He explains that he relies on external manufacturers for mass production and is dependent on their turnaround times. Jay also mentions unexpected delays caused by uncontrollable factors such as cargo ship accidents or port congestion.
When issues arise, Jay emphasizes the importance of communication with customers during these situations and shares his frustration with the time frames involved in pre-orders.
Benoit is working to improve his inventory management and aims to eliminate the need for pre-orders shortly.
(39:29) The Infinity Bench
The Infinity bench was designed to address the limitations of standard incline benches, particularly for overhead exercises like military press and tricep work. Benoit explains that the bench’s unique design allows for optimal positioning, enabling users to perform these exercises effectively without hitting the bench. The bench was initially conceived for military press and overhead tricep work but was later expanded to function as a chest and back support at various angles.
(46:40) The Infinity Arm
Jay discusses the versatility of the Infinity Arm. This test back support device offers minimal 16 positions for support pads, with the ability to modify angles in dumbbell presses and isolation curls by up to five degrees. He considers it the most versatile “rack attached arm” on the market.
(50:45) Unique Barbells
Jay also talks about his custom-built barbells, specifically the Infinity Bar and Cambered Bar. The Infinity Bar, designed for bodybuilders and powerlifters, functions well for both types of training, while the Cambered Bar, with a 4-inch camber, is rack-mountable and offers additional range of motion for curls and squats, making it ideal for those with shoulder issues.
(55:34) Calf Training with the Flex Wedge and Calf Cups
Jay wanted a better solution for performing optimal calf raises at home.
He explains that the device is designed to help individuals perform calf raises more effectively without worrying about falling back or forward.
The Flex Wedge functions as more than just a calf raise device, as it can be used for front or back foot elevated exercises, such as lunges, and various squat variations. It comes with numerous positions, including a flat platform and angled positions for performing calf raises. The device has undergone improvements, including the addition of a diamond plate platform for better grip and the inclusion of handles for added stability.
(1:04:21) Partnerships in the Home Gym Community
Jay discusses his partnership with Larry of Bulletproof Fitness and their collaboration on gym equipment. Benoit shares that they communicate frequently and have found synergy in their businesses. He mentions a specific attachment that Larry is developing for a bench, which works well with Benoit’s own device. Benoit expresses his excitement about the potential for partnerships and collaboration among small businesses in the industry.
(1:07:07) Experiences at HomeGymCon & the Future
He highlights the benefits of meeting people in person, networking, and receiving valuable feedback from individuals on his products. Benoit emphasizes the importance of camaraderie among small business owners, as they all face similar challenges in growing their businesses.
He mentioned that he was looking forward to sharing new products at next year’s event and plans to improve his transportation method to bring more equipment. Benoit also discusses his future goals for the company, including expanding into staple home gym items and releasing unique equipment.
