FDA-Cleared Electrical Muscle Stimulation Concept Grows with Orthopedic Doctors’ Support
Thursday Evening Open House Demo Events Scheduled Through May at Hill Center Brentwood
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – When Jason Ritzen came across an electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) fitness studio in Miami Beach, he scoffed at the idea. Then he tried it. Now Ritzen owns the company, which just opened its second Manduu Nashville location in Hill Center Brentwood.
The team behind Manduu USA, headquartered in Franklin, includes a local mayor and career financial consultant, a former hospital executive, a longtime personal training entrepreneur and three leading orthopedic surgeons. They saw the results – and then the potential – in the highly efficient, incredibly effective program that leverages technology to reach deep inside the muscles while boosting fat-burning metabolism, helping people of all ages and fitness levels craft the body they want.
“As an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine, I am intrigued by Manduu: a personal trainer once a week, no crowded, confusing, intimidating gym, and far more efficient yet with very little impact on the joints,” said Malcolm E. Baxter, M.D., who along with his Hughston Clinic partners Dr. Joseph A. Wieck, M.D. and Dr. R. James Renfro Jr., M.D. helped launch Manduu’s Cool Springs and Brentwood studios.
“If you haven’t felt a good burn in your muscles like when you were young, give it a try and you will start to notice tone and strength that you’d forgotten about. Exercise can be repetitive, and that ‘good sore’ confirms that you’ve actually done something. It is an impressive option for a broad range of people.”
Ritzen, who has spent 20 years developing medical offices, surgery centers and diagnostic facilities, put together a team of entrepreneurs with proven credentials in finance, operations and fitness: Wiley Robinson, a registered nurse who ran a New Orleans hospital intensive care unit and directed physician practices before moving to Nashville and building one of the largest martial arts studio organizations in middle Tennessee; Corey and Robynne Napier, both career business operations executives and entrepreneurs; David Evans, who retired as chief financial officer of a Florida hospital; and the three orthopedic surgeons.
“This is the only FDA-cleared EMS system in the United States, so while millions of people are taking advantage of the technology in Europe, I knew we needed the expertise to explain the science and change the way people think about exercise,” Ritzen said. “The data doesn’t lie, and a weekly full-body scan measures a number of key health indicators with clinical accuracy. We’re now working with clients that range from professional athletes to seniors, people who are in great shape and those who haven’t exercised in years, and their bodies are being transformed.”
The human body runs on electrical impulses, and Manduu utilizes low-voltage current to activate more than 90 percent of muscle fibers in the body’s major muscle groups through a 15-minute, ultra-low impact session of flexing and resistance movements once a week. An FDA-certified Manduu personal trainer tailors the program to individuals based on their unique fitness goals, and the INBody™ scan measures skeletal muscle mass, total body fat, visceral fat, hydration, metabolic rate and other relevant metrics before each session. Clients appreciate the privacy, cleanliness, efficiency and expertise that Manduu offers.
“A lot of people are intimidated by a loud, smelly gym, and they’re not sure how to exercise safely without injuring themselves,” Ritzen says. “When you see our studio, you’ll recognize that this is the future of fitness training. We welcome people to come visit, and the first session is on us.”
Manduu Brentwood is holding Open House events each Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. through May 17, starting this Thursday, April 19. The public is invited to meet the team, see demos and ask questions while enjoying wine and bites courtesy of Circa Grill. Manduu Brentwood is located at 211 Franklin Road, Suite 125, in Hill Center Brentwood. To learn more or to schedule a complimentary first session, visit www.manduu.com.