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Franchising Magazine USA – Upgrade Labs Announces New Location Coming to Meridian, Idaho

man working out

Upgrade Labs– the world’s first Human Upgrade™ Center and brainchild of Bulletproof Coffee founder Dave Asprey – recently announced a new location coming to Meridian, Idaho. It will be located in Meridian at 2206 N. Eagle Road Suite 110 and is expected to debut in Q1 of 2023. This location is anticipated to be the brand’s first franchisee-owned location.

 

Upgrade Labs Meridian will be owned and operated by business partners and friends Hailey Smith and Becky Granden. The Idaho natives have both personally experienced the health benefits of biohacking and are self-described fitness enthusiasts. Their passion for wellness and experience with biohacking make them ideal partners to introduce biohacking to the Boise metropolitan area.

“We cannot wait to bring Upgrade Labs to Meridian and help the community achieve their health goals through biohacking,” said Smith. “Biohacking has changed both mine and Becky’s lives, and we are excited to be able to bring the innovative concept to our community.”

Upgrade Labs helps members reach their highest level of physical, cognitive and cellular performance through unique technologies, giving their members dramatically better results in less time than they would spend exercising the old way. Upgrade Labs uses technologies, including AI, to “upgrade” members and help them reach their highest levels of performance, recovery, and cognition. Members will see stronger immunity, reduced inflammation, increased energy, enhanced longevity, improved sleep quality, and much more.

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

 

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The Ultimate Health Podcast – How to Biohack Your Body & Mind to Live to 180+

man leaning on wood

Dave Asprey (IG: @dave.asprey) is an entrepreneur, four-time New York Times bestselling science author, and host of the top 100 podcast The Human Upgrade, formally Bulletproof Radio, which has more than 200 million downloads.

He’s the founder of Bulletproof Coffee and a leading voice in the movement to take control of our own biology.

Today Dave’s making his 5th appearance on the show, sharing a ton of practical ways to upgrade your diet and lifestyle to extend your life.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Skipping dinner vs breakfast is better metabolically
  • How long Dave fasts for + how he breaks a fast
  • The Bulletproof Diet
  • Dave’s recent mission in Peru
  • What is spiritual reframing?
  • Don’t underestimate ayahuasca and other “safer” options
  • Holotropic breathing stimulates altered states of consciousness
  • Health is an ill-defined goal
  • Upgrade Labs helps you reach your goals
  • Get more energy to dive deeper into self-improvement
  • 3 practical tips to gain energy now
  • Should you get tested for heavy metals?
  • Why you shouldn’t eat kale!
  • Get your hormones tested
  • People who have energy are kind to each other
  • Adrenal extracts are energizing
  • The benefits of adding salt to your water
  • How to structure your water
  • Structuring your water with a high-powered blender vs. a frother

 

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Franchising.com – Upgrade Labs Announces Newly Signed Meridian, Idaho Lease

Upgrade Labs Announces Newly Signed Meridian, Idaho Lease

September 15, 2022 // Franchising.com // SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Upgrade Labs, a Human Upgrade™ Center and brainchild of Bulletproof® Coffee founder Dave Asprey, has announced that its first location in Idaho will be opening in Meridian located at 2206 N. Eagle Road Suite 110. The new location is expected to open in Q1 of 2023 and is anticipated to be the brand’s first franchise location.

Upgrade Labs’ Meridian location will be owned and operated by Hailey Smith and Becky Granden. Both Idaho natives and fitness enthusiasts, the duo is excited to bring the future of health and wellness to their home state and the Boise community.

“We cannot wait to bring Upgrade Labs to Meridian and help the community achieve their health goals through biohacking,” said Smith. “Biohacking has changed both mine and Becky’s lives, and we are excited to be able to bring the innovative concept to our community.”

As the 13th fastest growing city in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Meridian is the perfect entrance into the Idaho for Upgrade Labs. Just 10 miles from Boise, Meridian also provides a centrally located area for the brand to serve the state’s capital and all of its metropolitan area.

“I have no doubt that Hailey and Becky are the perfect partners to bring Upgrade Labs into the Boise area,” said Asprey. “Their passion for biohacking and wanting to help make a difference in the lives of their community is evident. I am confident they will thrive in their new endeavor delivering the Upgrade Labs experience to Idaho for the first time.”

Upgrade Labs 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.”  

 

 

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International Franchise Association – Upgrade Labs Announces Newly Signed Meridian, Idaho Lease

Upgrade Labs Meridian

SANTA MONICA, Calif. –Upgrade Labs, the world’s first Human Upgrade™ Center and brainchild of Bulletproof® Coffee founder Dave Asprey, has announced that its first location in Idaho will be opening in Meridian located at 2206 N. Eagle Road Suite 110. The new location is expected to open in Q1 of 2023 and is anticipated to be the brand’s first franchise location.

Upgrade Labs’ Meridian location will be owned and operated by Hailey Smith and Becky Granden. Both Idaho natives and fitness enthusiasts, the duo is excited to bring the future of health and wellness to their home state and the Boise community.

“We cannot wait to bring Upgrade Labs to Meridian and help the community achieve their health goals through biohacking,” said Smith. “Biohacking has changed both mine and Becky’s lives, and we are excited to be able to bring the innovative concept to our community.”

As the 13th fastest growing city in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Meridian is the perfect entrance into the Idaho for Upgrade Labs. Just 10 miles from Boise, Meridian also provides a centrally located area for the brand to serve the state’s capital and all of its metropolitan area.

“I have no doubt that Hailey and Becky are the perfect partners to bring Upgrade Labs into the Boise area,” said Asprey. “Their passion for biohacking and wanting to help make a difference in the lives of their community is evident. I am confident they will thrive in their new endeavor delivering the Upgrade Labs experience to Idaho for the first time.”

Upgrade Labs 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 single and multi-unit franchise partners across the United States and Canada. As the brand begins its franchise expansion, it is looking for 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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Club Industry – Upgrade Labs Announces Newly Signed Meridian, Idaho Lease

CLUB INDUSTRY – UPGRADE LABS ANNOUNCES NEWLY SIGNED MERIDIAN, IDAHO LEASE

SANTA MONICA, Calif. –Upgrade Labs, the world’s first Human Upgrade™ Center and brainchild of Bulletproof® Coffee founder Dave Asprey, has announced that its first location in Idaho will be opening in Meridian located at 2206 N. Eagle Road Suite 110. The new location is expected to open in Q1 of 2023 and is anticipated to be the brand’s first franchise location.

Upgrade Labs’ Meridian location will be owned and operated by Hailey Smith and Becky Granden. Both Idaho natives and fitness enthusiasts, the duo is excited to bring the future of health and wellness to their home state and the Boise community.

“We cannot wait to bring Upgrade Labs to Meridian and help the community achieve their health goals through biohacking,” said Smith. “Biohacking has changed both mine and Becky’s lives, and we are excited to be able to bring the innovative concept to our community.”

As the 13th fastest growing city in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Meridian is the perfect entrance into the Idaho for Upgrade Labs. Just 10 miles from Boise, Meridian also provides a centrally located area for the brand to serve the state’s capital and all of its metropolitan area.

“I have no doubt that Hailey and Becky are the perfect partners to bring Upgrade Labs into the Boise area,” said Asprey. “Their passion for biohacking and wanting to help make a difference in the lives of their community is evident. I am confident they will thrive in their new endeavor delivering the Upgrade Labs experience to Idaho for the first time.”

Upgrade Labs 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 single and multi-unit franchise partners across the United States and Canada. As the brand begins its franchise expansion, it is looking for 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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Club Industry – Upgrade Labs Continues Rapid Expansion, Announcing Plans for Growth Across Nashville

Club Industry Press Image of 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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Forbes – The Rise of Biohacking Spa Treatments

Biohacking at Beverly Hilton

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.
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.
 
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.

The REDCharger table at the Beverly Hilton's Upgrade Labs.
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.
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Franchise Magazine USA – UPGRADE LABS Targets Atlanta for Franchise Expansion

With successful centers operating in California and British Columbia, in addition to more in development, Upgrade Labs is set to continue its expansion, looking at areas in Atlanta metro counties. The brand hopes to award franchise licenses in counties including Clarke, Cobb, Coweta, Dekalb, Fayette, Fulton and Gwinnett. This news comes as the brand is witnessing exponential growth and disrupting the fitness and wellness space.

As the premier biohacking center, Upgrade Labs helps members reach their highest level of physical, cognitive and cellular performance through proprietary technologies. Each Upgrade location offers many innovative performance services such as The Cheat Machine, a patented, motorized resistance and computer software adaptive technology that gives member’s 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 that gently removes excess water, slims the body, and expels toxins to improve the immune system. Upgrade Labs has earned its popularity with members reporting to have increased strength, stronger immunity, reduced inflammation, increased energy, improved sleep quality, and much more.

The brand is looking for single and multi-unit franchise partners that are passionate about upgrading humanity and want to introduce biohacking into new communities. For more information about Upgrade Labs franchise opportunity, please visit https://ownanupgradelabs.com/  

(See page 7)

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Newman Times-Herald – Upgrade Labs Expanding to Metro Atlanta Areas

Upgrade Labs – a Human Upgrade™ Center is expanding and will be offering franchise licenses in counties including Clarke, Cobb, Coweta, Dekalb, Fayette, Fulton, and Gwinnett.

Upgrade Labs was founded in 2017 by Dave Asprey with a mission to help people reach their highest levels of performance. Asprey coined the term biohacking, which is the art and science of using technology with the environment in order to take control of human biology. The brand helps members reach their highest level of physical performance and 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 the 15 minutes. Additionally, Upgrade Labs pairs its performance services with a unique range of recovery services including The Big Squeeze, and 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.  

Published by The Newnan Times-Herald Newspaper.

 

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Franchise Times – Why New-Age Wellness Franchises Are Flying High

Pose a simple question to Dave Asprey, the founder of Upgrade Labs and the self-proclaimed father of biohacking, and you may get a complicated answer. Like, how old are you? “I identify as 28 percent old,” declares the smooth-faced and serene Asprey as he perches on a couch in his Santa Monica, California, biohacking studio, puffing on a vape now and then.

Huh? “I’m going to live to be 185. Chronologically I’m 49, but I’m 11 years younger biologically,” he adds to explain, although how that math works out is a mystery. “Our current best is 120. Of course we’re going to do this,” he says about increasing longevity, and he’s not the least bit afraid of living too long in a burning world. “I’m exceptionally excited about it. Let’s just make old people young. We can do it.”

Asprey is well-known in the field of biohacking, a term attributed to him when it was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018, he says. His “The Human Upgrade” show is tops on YouTube; he’s the author of four New York Times bestselling books, including “Superhuman.” With Upgrade Labs, the franchise just beginning to roll out, he’s hoping to take the “art and science of improving your biology”—his definition of biohacking—to the masses.

Upgrade Labs is far from alone in an exploding franchise space. Serotonin Centers, for example, is billed as “the nation’s first human longevity franchise” with the aim to “slow down the human biological clock.” QC Kinetix takes “natural biologics” from the customer, which means blood or stem cells, and injects them into those aching baby boomer joints. Restore Hyper Wellness, with more than 130 units in 34 states, offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy and cryotherapy, among others.

In a fast-growing variety of new-age wellness brands, franchised or not, you can get a hormone pill inserted under the skin for a mood booster. An IV drip could rev up your sex life. A weighted sleeping bag can crush your legs and stomach to pump lymphatic fluid into the upper body for detoxing. The introduction of healthy fecal matter into the system can improve gut health, or so the icky story goes.

Does any of it work? The founders of the brands—at least a dozen wellness franchises have popped up in the last few years— and their fast-growing number of franchisees believe so. All are quick to add they are prohibited by the FDA and other agencies in what they can claim.

Why are these services so alluring? Because they promise eternal life? Because our healthcare system is broken? Because traditional Western medicine is unaffordable and doesn’t work? All of the above, devotees might say, about a niche that could be called wacky or wondrous or maybe a little of both.

Dave-Asprey-bike-1000px.jpg

“It’s been a 20-year journey,” says Dave Asprey about his pathway to health.

Dave Asprey ‘willing to be a guinea pig’

Dave Asprey, the founder of new franchise Upgrade Labs, has tried just about everything to biohack his body for peak performance. He pops 100 pills a day—at one time including vitamins like B12, K1 and D3, plus “smart drugs” like Ciltep and aniracetam to improve cognition—loading them in one hand and tossing them back all at once. “I remember my college days, when we did beer bongs,” he told Men’s Journal. “It’s just like that.”

What’s the weirdest thing he’s tried? Concerned about his digestive system, and as a computer hacker knowing electric currents play a role in any network, “I got a pill from Russia with a battery and two electrodes, and I swallowed it,” he recalls. For two days it moved around, “lighting things up.” Did it work? “I don’t think so but it got stuck by my nerve in my left leg, and the leg was kicking up all the time. I’m willing to be a guinea pig.”

Desperation was his original motivation. “I used to weigh 300 pounds. I had the diseases of aging before I was 30,” he says, such as diabetes and hypertension. “I started running an anti-aging group in the Silicon Valley,” where he worked as a computer wiz.

All the members were in their 60s and older and had five times his energy, he says, so he started interviewing them about their methods. After making Bulletproof Coffee a success—his former company that sold yak-butter coffee, which he discovered on a meditative and climbing retreat in Nepal— he began buying and testing pieces of equipment to use in his home.

“I’ve tried 20 different technologies. It’s like a playground for adults,” he says about his studios in Los Angeles and Victoria, Canada, and he decided he wanted more than elite athletes and astronauts and hedge fund managers to have access. “I want to bring this to the world.”

The regular mantra of “diet and exercise” just wasn’t cutting it, nor was the shame he felt when those methods didn’t work. “When I was 22/23, I’d had three knee surgeries. I’m going to the gym every day. I was sitting at Carl’s Jr. and I ordered chicken salad with no chicken and no dressing,” and meanwhile his friends were wolfing down the big burgers “and they weighed half of what I did. I thought, it’s not me, it’s my body,” he says.

“Turns out all the things I’ve been told about diet and exercise were just not true. Our bodies are elegantly designed to respond to a signal to change. We’re using AI and machine learning to get a very pure signal” sent to your body so it heals faster, or to your brain so your thinking is clearer, or to your skin so it looks smooth.

“So it took us about seven years to build a business around it,” he says, and the new franchise will include machines to address such common health issues as energy levels, brain power, muscle building, recovery and stress and resilience.

Upgrade-Labs-1000px.jpg

Beth Ewen of Franchise Times tries The Big Squeeze at Upgrade Labs.

Take The Big Squeeze, for example, a medical grade compressor that pushes cellular waste from the lower body to the upper where it gets flushed out through the kidneys. Bryan Torrellas, assistant manager at the Santa Monica studio, helps me into an oversized pair of white pajama-type pants and zips me into the compressor, which looks like a sleeping bag with separate legs. The crushing feeling starts at the toes and works up through the abdomen, then down again, like the most intense massage ever.

The Cheat Machine is based on adaptive resistance, Torrellas says, so if you use 50 percent of your maximum ability to push the weights out, it adds 50 percent of resistance on the way back. “It can add up to a week’s worth of lifting in 15 minutes,” he says.

The Cold HIIT uses cold compresses around your thighs and upper arms to mimic the beneficial hormone-boosting effects of a long workout in 20 minutes, he says; after the workout, you lie on a cold bed so the lactic acid in your muscles disperses quickly and evenly to avoid soreness.

When new clients come in, they step on a machine that analyzes the health of each individual cell and prints out the results, which “biohack techs” then use to create a program based on the client’s goals.

Range of investment to start an Upgrade Labs is $663,000 to $1.07 million; unlimited-use memberships in the Santa Monica studio cost $499 a month, but that amount will be lower in the franchise model because not all the equipment in that studio will be in the franchise store. A rendering is not yet available for the new model, which will feature greenery and open spaces, says Ashley Costantino, a recently hired marketing executive for Upgrade Labs.

Three agreements had been signed as of mid-March, in Boise, Idaho; Salt Lake City; and Nashville, Tennessee. Early adopters are fans of Asprey’s “Human Upgrade” and other offerings. “Dave has a big following and people trust what he does,” she says. Costantino was with Xponential Fitness, marketing several of its fitness concepts including Row House and Club Pilates.

Efficiency is the name of the game for Upgrade Labs, Asprey says, because who has the time for the regular way. “What’s the return per minute you spend here?” is the question front and center. “Based on your goal, we create a menu for you to get there the quickest.”

“It’s been a 20-year journey,” from an unhealthy youth to today, which he says was eventually determined to be caused by toxic mold in his household as a child.

At 6-foot-4, “I weigh 220 and I’m around 11, 12 percent body fat. I did all the stuff that was supposed to work back then. Low-fat diet, an hour and a half in the gym six days a week. I’m mad about that. I want that time back,” he says.

Asprey was an avid reader of science fiction in his youth, and notes things in those books are now coming true today. “My grandmother was a nuclear engineer. My grandfather worked on purifying plutonium.” Asprey Labs at Vassar is named for an aunt who worked there, he says; another aunt taught computer science at Stanford.

“I had a computer when I was 8 years old, before DOS,” which is saying something for someone who is 49—or 28 percent old—today. Albuquerque and Roswell, New Mexico, were the cities where he grew up. “I’ve got aliens and radiation in my makeup so that explains everything,” he says with a laugh.

As for other franchises popping up in the wellness space, or even the wide adoption of the term he says he coined—biohacking—in 2011, he’s all for it. “I’m happy to be a curator of awesomeness,” he says.

“A lot of people worry: what if everyone who goes to Upgrade Labs lives 25 years longer?” What will happen, he says people ask. “It’s going to do great things for the world,” creating a group of village elders with peak wisdom to guide the rest of us. “If you live to be 180 you’re not going to throw that bottle in the ocean.”

He broadens the point. “Life on Earth will be here forever.” The question is, will humans be part of it? “It’s up to us to take control of ourselves. It’s my moral responsibility to turn your energy on all the way so you can do what you’re supposed to do.”