Marist Implements New Tech for Gym Goers

Photo by Risen Wang on Unsplash.

When Brennick Hendrick-Fox saw the view of the Hudson River from the windows of the McCormick Fitness Center, he was confident Marist College would be the quintessential partner for RedPrint. 

“We know Marist as a prestigious school with a great campus, but the view overlooking the Hudson still blew us away,” Hendrick-Fox said. 

Hendrick-Fox is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of RedPrint, a mobile application that interacts with existing gym equipment to provide instructional videos to help students gain confidence in the gym. 

Along with his co-founder and the CEO of RedPrint, Michael Heitz, Hendrick-Fox  attended the University of Buffalo. Heitz studied architecture and Hendrick-Fox studied business and corporate communications. They grew up in Albany and have heard about Marist through friends and family who have gone to the school. 

“Working with Zak Harkenrider and Julie Byron has made us confident that the Marist Athletic department is committed to providing the best resources possible for their students,” Hendrick-Fox said. 

Similar to Apple or Android Pay, a student can simply hop on the machine they wish to use and tap their phone against a RedPrint tag. This gives them access to instructional videos, tips or advice and tracks workout activity. It is now available in all Marist gyms.

Redprint is exclusively used in university gyms. Student trainers from the university post instructional videos, or else the more advanced gym goers have the option to film a how-to guide. Marist is one of the first colleges to use the program, joining the University of Buffalo and SUNY Oswego. The app also helps colleges track how often each of the machines are used so they understand what the students want. 

The technology is also meant to help students get more comfortable in the gym to build a life-long love of fitness. Many students will look to a veteran gym goer for workout guidance, but RedPrint will streamline that process and help students feel comfortable watching those with more experience.

“Social anxiety for students is a very real factor for whether or not they use the facility,” Hendrick-Fox said. “Redprint's social features like activity feeds, followers/following help students get familiar with one another.”

Students can follow their friends on the app and have the option of downloading their friend’s routine. There are also videos from more established trainers who can offer free and paid routines. 

RedPrint is altering the way students approach exercise. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that health-related habits formed in early adulthood are carried throughout their lifespan. By making more students feel comfortable working out in the gym, RedPrint is encouraging healthy habits that will benefit them in the long run. 

“Partnering with a modern well-equipped fitness center, like McCormick at Marist, assures us that the school also highly values health and fitness,” Hendrick-Fox said.