August, 2022 - Own an Upgrade Labs

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Upgrade Labs, the world’s first Human Upgrade™ Center and brainchild of Bulletproof® Coffee founder Dave Asprey, continues its expansion by partnering with Dr. Lee Howard to bring the concept to Nashville, Tennessee. This news comes as the brand is witnessing exponential growth and disrupting the fitness and wellness space. Driven by their passion to help individuals reach their highest level of physical, cognitive and cellular performance, the brand has teamed up with Dr. Howard and his partners, searching for operators who are looking to bring an exciting concept to their area.

“This partnership with Dr. Howard marks another milestone in achieving Upgrade Lab’s growth potential and reflects our commitment to finding partners that are invested in humankind’s future,” said Founder and CEO, Dave Asprey. “It’s not enough to just try to be healthy, we give you the exact steps to be faster, stronger, and resilient without even breaking a sweat.”

A graduate from The University of Tennessee, Martin with a B.S. in Biology/Biological Sciences, receiving his Doctor of Medicine from St. George’s University, Dr. Lee Howard has always been committed to the health of his community. Dr. Howard has gone on to become the Owner and Medical Director of local concepts including Compass Cellular Healing and Belle Meade Medical Spa, working alongside his wife, Kelly Howard, RN. With his robust background in healthcare and ties to the local community, Dr. Howard was a natural choice in bringing Upgrade Labs to the Nashville community.

“My entire career, and personal health journey, has led to my commitment of helping others maximizing their longevity,” said Dr. Howard. “Partnering with Upgrade Labs was an organic next step. Introducing the Nashville community to the leading brand that is challenging the way we see health and wellness is a unique and special opportunity for me.”

The brand helps members reach their highest level of physical performance & restorative abilities through unique technologies, giving dramatically better results in less time than they would spend exercising the old way. Each Upgrade location offers many innovative performance services such as The Cheat Machine, a patented, motorized resistance and computer software adaptive technology that gives you a week’s worth of resistance training in just 15 minutes. Additionally, Upgrade Labs pairs its performance services with a unique range of recovery services including The Big Squeeze, an FDA-approved full body detox massage and lymphatic drainage technology that gently removes excess water, slims the body, and expels toxins to improve the immune system. Members report having stronger immunity, reduced inflammation, increased energy, enhanced longevity, improved sleep quality, and much more.

“It’s not fair that only billionaires, celebrities and professional athletes can use technologies to become superhuman,” said Asprey. “Upgrade Labs is here to bring these possibilities to everyone. Like Bulletproof®, Upgrade Labs is one more step in my plan to Upgrade Humanity.”

Upgrade Labs is actively seeking franchise partners across the United States and Canada with a goal of awarding 100 licenses by the end of 2022. As the brand begins its franchise expansion, it is looking for single and multi-unit franchise partners that are passionate about upgrading humanity and want to introduce biohacking into new communities. Including the franchise fee, the initial investment for an Upgrade Labs location ranges from $663,000 to $1,070,000.

For more information about Upgrade Labs franchise opportunity, please visit https://ownanupgradelabs.com/.

About Upgrade Labs

Founded in 2017 and franchised since 2021, Upgrade Labs is the world’s first Human Upgrade™ Center and brainchild of Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof® Coffee and Father of Biohacking. Biohacking \ ˈbī- ō- ˌha- kiNG \ noun, the art and science of using technology and the environment around you in order to have full control of your biology. Upgrade Labs, the premier biohacking center, helps members reach their highest level of physical, cognitive and cellular performance through proprietary technologies. Each location offers services that help members become smarter, faster & stronger, resulting in a more rejuvenated & resilient version of themselves. The services offered help members spend less time exercising, decrease recovery times, and retain higher levels of concentration and tranquility. Equipped with cutting-edge technology and expert Biohacker Technicians, Upgrade Labs helps its members live their lives to the fullest potential. Membership packages are available and include a tailored selection of services. For more information, please visit https://www.upgradelabs.com/.

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Over the past decade, biohacking has gone mainstream, transforming from a small experimental initiative to a worldwide movement.

ANNA HAINES

With biohacking having its roots in Silicon Valley, it’s no surprise California remains a leader in the latest innovations in the field. Over the past decade, do-it-yourself biology has gone mainstream, transforming from a small experimental initiative to a worldwide movement. And while many of its practices, like intermittent fasting, remain disputable, biohacking continues to appeal to those seeking to streamline their health and add efficiency to their wellness routines. With the pandemic altering our relationship to touch, the latest biohacking inventions look like touchless technology—machines that claim to deliver benefits without the intervention of another human.

This past February, the Fairmont Spa Century Plaza set in the newly renovated Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, launched their first biohacking program. “After 40 years in the wellness industry studying and sharing the benefits of biohacking, I’m excited to introduce this new innovation at the Fairmont Spa Century Plaza,” says Dr. Oz Garcia, the biohacker who created the program with Magdaleena Nikolov, the general manager of spa, wellness and retail for Fairmont Century Plaza. “By combining ancient modalities with light therapy, sound therapy and new technology, Magdalena and I are pleased to offer guests and locals a solution for better sleep, relieving stress and regaining mindfulness.”

Each biohacking treatment is experienced in the Oakworks Curva Lounger, an anti-gravity chair featuring a NASA-inspired curve that is said to help the guest slip into a meditative state. Meditation is also encouraged via a neuro-acoustic headset, NuCalm, which plays meditations and relaxing music throughout the treatment. A PEMF mat is placed over the body, promoting relaxation through its infrared technology, while Normatec by Hyperice compression boots increase circulation and reduce inflammation. The space-like get-up is completed with a LED Face Visor placed over the face, which claims to boost collagen and improve cellular turnover through its combination of red, blue and amber light. Experiential rain showers, aromatherapy steam rooms, a Himalayan salt room and hammam complete the experience.

Upgrade Labs in The Beverly Hilton is one of the world’s first biohacking facilities.

But this 14,000-square-foot spa is not the first hotel to offer biohacking in Los Angeles, The Beverly Hilton opened one of the world’s first biohacking facilities—Upgrade Labs—four years ago. Located on the lower level of the hotel across the iconic pool where Angelina Jolie famously took a dip following her Golden Globe win in 1999, Upgrade Labs attracts locals and visitors alike for its wide variety of biohacking technologies.

The Cryotherapy chamber at Upgrade Labs in The Beverly Hilton.

Created by Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey, the technologies here are said to “help members reach their highest level of physical, cognitive and cellular performance” by lowering levels of inflammation, optimizing hormone levels and quickening muscle growth. The lab applications are divided into two sections: “Performance”— workouts that claim to deliver results in a fraction of the time of a normal workout with machines like the Cheat Machine (think, a stationary bike that uses artificial intelligence) and “Recovery—anti-inflammatory therapies like the Infrared Sauna (a sauna that uses infrared light) and Cryotherapy (a cold plunge chamber). The treatments have been so popular, they’ve added a Canadian location in Victoria to their flagship Santa Monica lab, and are planning to expand further.

While leaders in the field are found in California, it’s no surprise Equinox Hotel—the first hotel offering from the luxury fitness club brand—is leading the charge on the East Coast. Three of the five “circuits” available at the spa—a series of treatments designed for specific needs—involve touchless technology. The “Temperature Therapy Circuit” combines a short session in the cold chamber with a 30- or 60-minute session in the infrared sauna, to reduce inflammation and stimulate quick recovery. The “Inner Body Circuit” takes a non-invasive scan of the body’s carotenoid levels to assess the amount of free radicals in the body, followed by an IV drip of antioxidants and a selection of adaptogenic drinks and eats. Finally, the “Sleep Circuit” includes a 30-minute session on the Wave Table, which is said to provide the equivalent of three hours of sleep.

The REDCharger table at the Beverly Hilton’s Upgrade Labs.

But hotels aren’t the only places you’ll find the latest in touchless spa treatments. Vibe Health Lounge—San Luis Obispo’s newest day spa—is also leading the charge. While founder Christina Webster has over 15 years working with her hands as a certified massage therapist and licensed esthetician, she decided to incorporate non-invasive technologies into her spa offerings because of the pandemic. “I wanted to use technologies that are accessible to people who might be scared of COVID,” the founder tells Forbes. “Non-invasive technologies can work for people who want healing but want to stay safe.”

The non-invasive technologies Webster is referring to? The Lucia N°03, a tool that flashes wide spectrum, LED lights at a multitude of frequencies in various colors, creating a kaleidoscope effect that takes the guest on a visual journey. During the experience, the brain shifts from a beta state (alert and concentrated) to an alpha state (relaxed and meditative), resulting in lower stress and increased creativity. Vibe Health Lounge also offers a Vibroacoustic Crystal Healing Ritual which combines an ergonomic massage bed with a relaxing musical soundtrack and a pulsating light that incorporates crystals targeting the seven chakras of the body.

While these technologies are geared towards people who might not want human contact involved in their treatment, Webster says they are best experienced as an add-on, to help the guest ease into or out of another treatment that involves touch. The Lucia N°03, for example, can help relax the body prior to a massage, so the muscles are more open to receive treatment, while the Vibroacoustic Crystal Healing Ritual might spur creativity following a massage, when the mind and body is at its peak relaxation.

“These new healing modalities are outside the conventional offerings of a day spa as we wish to provide our guests with the most expansive experience possible,” says Webster. And while the jury is still out on whether any of these biohacking and touchless technologies work on their own, there is no harm in expanding our arsenal of wellness therapies. As Webster says, “healing and relaxation comes in many shapes and forms.” “These new healing modalities are outside the conventional offerings of a day spa as we wish to provide our guests with the most expansive experience possible,” says Webster. And while the jury is still out on whether any of these biohacking and touchless technologies work on their own, there is no harm in expanding our arsenal of wellness therapies. As Webster says, “healing and relaxation comes in many shapes and forms.”

See Post

Over the past decade, biohacking has gone mainstream, transforming from a small experimental initiative to a worldwide movement.

Upgrade Labs in The Beverly Hilton is one of the world’s first biohacking facilities.

The Cryotherapy chamber at Upgrade Labs in The Beverly Hilton.

The REDCharger table at the Beverly Hilton’s Upgrade Labs.

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