Onnit, founded in 2010, offers some unconventional methods to well-being, from its products to training methods in its gym.
The company’s flagship supplement, Alpha Brain, enhances the brain, not one’s muscles. Alpha Brain is a nootropic, or mental supplement, that has beneficial cognitive effects such as greater focus, memory and mental clarity, according to Onnit Chief Fitness Officer John Wolf.
Onnit’s products, as well as a state-of-the-art gym with a cryosauna and hot sauna, are all informed by Onnit’s culture and philosophy of Total Human Optimization. It is a mantra preached by the trainers at the Onnit Academy Gym and CEO Aubrey Marcus.
“I think it’s a big mistake of our culture in general that we look at everything in isolation of everything else,” Marcus said.
Marcus said if someone has a weight-loss goal, he or she usually only thinks about using a cardio machine and working out, not also sleeping right, eating right, using supplements right or even training right.
“Total Human Optimization is just a way to look at things,” Marcus said. “You don’t build muscle in the gym, you build it when you recover.”
For workouts Onnit sells kettlebells, or ball-shaped weights with a handle that can weigh 9 to 88 pounds. The company also sells clubs and maces for lifting. All the products can also be used inside the Onnit Academy Gym, next door to the headquarters on Freidrich Lane.
“You’ll see kettlebells at some places, you may see sandbags at some other places, but you’ll never see clubs or maces,” Wolf said. “We specialize in those, but we also specialize in how we teach these things. Even if someone uses a kettlebell, it doesn’t mean that they’re using it well.”
Supplements and apparel are on display at the front lobby of Onnit Academy Gym.[/caption]
Growing in Austin
As an Austin company, Onnit held a number of South by Southwest Conferences and Festivals activities in March to promote the brand, including a live podcast session with Onnit CEO Aubrey Marcus and Joe Rogan, an Ultimate Fighting Championship commentator and comedian.
Portraits and sports jerseys of athletes adorn the walls of the Onnit Academy Gym, including Triple H from World Wrestling Entertainment and Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller. Onnit plans to expand its gym by adding floating tanks, another unconventional wellness tool that is not normally seen in a gym, Onnit Member Services Representative Ty Burge said.
