Spandex & Wine
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Spandex & Wine
From Car Designer To Fitness Innovator: James Blake’s Journey To A Hypertrophy-Detecting Wearable
CLICK HERE for James' webstie
What if your watch could tell you when your set actually triggered muscle growth? We sit down with designer-turned-founder James Blake to explore how heartbreak, grit, and a lifetime of making useful things led to a new wearable that detects hypertrophy so you can stop guessing and start progressing with confidence.
James’ path is anything but linear: car design in the Bay Area, yacht projects in Miami, medical devices, and a turn into UX after building a language app to help his Native American children learn their heritage without written records. That project expanded to the Gathering of the Tribes and helped preserve dozens of languages. The same human-centered approach now powers his fitness tech: a watch and app that read the signals that matter for building muscle, making intensity visible for lifters who train alone, rebuild after trauma, or just want proof their effort counts.
We unpack how this tool differs from recovery-focused wearables, why so many people undertrain without realizing it, and how a real research partnership with Wartburg College is shaping validation, age adjustments, and user testing. James shares the pilot plan with the Country Club of Leawood, an unexpected early signal related to migraines, and a product philosophy that favors empowerment over subscriptions. The brand name—AONAR, Gaelic for lone wolf, resilience, and strength—reflects the mindset of showing up when life is heavy and the gym is your refuge.
If you’ve ever felt intimidated on the gym floor, you’ll hear practical encouragement and a simple truth: most people are in their own head, not judging you. Come for the story of resilience; stay for the science of training smarter. Subscribe, share this with a friend who lifts, and leave a review to help more people find tools that turn hard seasons into strength.
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Where we talk about living healthier, happier, and stronger one conversation at a time. And today's guest is fast. He's designed everything from cars to fit in appliances to medically climate. He even created an app to help his Native American children learn their native language. And now he is stepping into the fitness world with a brand new device designed specifically for hypertrophy training, a tool that helps you know whether you're looking at the intensity required to actually build methods. That is so cool. His journey is very powerful. After walking through a devastating divorce test, James found the gym to be a lifelike, a place where he could rebuild himself physically and emotionally. And now he wants to give back and help others do the same. We talk about all of it reinvention, resilience, innovation, and why the Fitness Center at the Country Club of Leewood is about to become a pilot testing partner for his new creation. So grab your coffee or your cabernet and enjoy this inspiring conversation with James. Good morning, James. How are you? Welcome to the Span X and Wine Podcast.
SPEAKER_00:Hey, how are you? Good.
SPEAKER_01:Doing well, yes. I'm excited and intrigued to have our conversation because I know you have some things in the works that you would mention to me, and I'm excited to dive in. So if you don't mind, just give a little introduction about yourself.
SPEAKER_00:Sure. My name is James Blake. I've been a college professor for a long time. Prior to that, I was a car designer. I designed cars. If you've ever heard of the 4C, it's like a two-door little sports car roadster that I designed. Used to live in the Bay Area. And then after that, I went and designed yachts in Miami for a little bit and realized that's not exactly what I want to do with my life, nor where I want to live. And then I started designing medical equipment for a while. And strangely, that led to designing home goods and like equipment for like cooking. I did a lot of like blenders and baking equipment, stuff like that. And then I became a college professor. And then life kind of went sideways. And now I'm in the fitness tech industry. I started a fitness startup using technology, and that's kind of why we're talking today.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my gosh. Okay, so that is just fascinating. All the different types of things that you have been working on throughout your career. I had no idea. I haven't had this conversation with you. So that is so interesting. From yachts to blenders to medical equipment. Um, so what are you working on right now?
SPEAKER_00:Um, yeah, so this is kind of a long, weird, interesting story. But um I got a divorce. Um I'm, you know, it worked out for the best. Um I found the right person. I've remarried since then. But um anybody who's gone through a divorce, especially a contentious or very painful one like I did, um, has to find ways to cope with it. And um, so I found my place in the gym. Um, and I realized at the gym, because I'm more of an academic, um not really a jock by any means. Um, but all the people that I saw that really stuck to it were either like recovering addicts or um incurred a lot of trauma or you know, went through a divorce, which is you know, a form of trauma essentially.
SPEAKER_01:Sure.
SPEAKER_00:And um, you know, the gym is kind of a scary place if you haven't been there before, you know. And I realized not just through my own journey, but just watching people fall out of the gym that you know it is kind of your me time, it's also kind of you're like you're doing it by yourself a lot of the time. Um and if you're not seeing results and you know, life is stressful, you tend to quit, right? So um through extensive research and just acknowledging what was going on and seeing, um, I kind of developed an algorithm and a wearable that detects hypertrophy. Um if anybody doesn't know what that is, basically hypertrophy is when your muscles start building. But if you don't reach that point, you don't go to failure. And a lot of people are kind of conservative if they don't have like a personal trainer or a gym buddy, they don't push to that point, so then they don't build muscle, and because of that, they don't see the results they want, and then you know they quit going to the gym, which you know, all of it's logical and makes sense, but there's never been something to detect that. And through this journey I've been on, I've actually found out on accident I suffer from migraines a lot, so does my wife. Um, it's actually started to detect a little bit of um when they're gonna come on a little bit. So um I'm gonna start exploring that a little bit more. But I've partnered up with my alma mater, um, and they're letting me use their resources and they're giving me interns to build this business and build this tech startup. And so now I'm able to. I went to Wartbrook College for my undergrad. Um, backtrack. Um, and they're one of the few colleges that have like a sports science program. And if you ever really into the NFL or sports like that, you see like trainers on the side trying to get the players back into the game, like physical therapists basically. Um they probably graduated from my college, and that is one of their bigger degrees. So I'm partnering with them and using their resources and also giving them, they're giving me user testing and they're giving me the resources to help get research. Um, on top of that, they have like business department, a psychology department, an amazing communication arts department for like public relations, advertising, things like that. So um, you know, they gave me a lot, they gave me a college degree. I met my wife there, my current wife. Um we've been friends 20 years, and they've you know, they've given me a lot in my life that I wanted to give back. And yeah, in the process of that, they've given more. So I suggest to everyone just stay in contact with your alma mater if you can.
SPEAKER_01:So that is I've never heard of anything like this before. Is is this you know like the first um breakthrough or yes and no?
SPEAKER_00:Like there's a thing called the whoop that yes, okay, that's kind of similar but different. It's more focused on VO2 for like oxygen in your um your blood. Um but there's nothing like this other than that. Um, and the whoop, which you know, I've used um, I'm not trying to be like advertising for them or anything like that, but they're a little more focused on like your sleep and recovery, and I'm more focused on have you hit that point because we don't want to over-exercise and hurt yourself, and you don't want to under-exercise and not reach a goal, right?
SPEAKER_01:Right, right.
SPEAKER_00:And the other thing is it's more based on filling this niche, just like what do you call it? I guess, you know, trauma recovery niche, which is a huge segment of the exercise market that I just feel has never been addressed. Nobody really talks about it, or yeah. And you know, I don't think it's a superpower. Maybe it's just because I've gone through something, but I can walk into the gym and be like, okay, that one's working through something. I I have a pretty good idea what it is. Um I've met other people who are like personal trainers and things like that. They're like, oh yeah, that's former alcoholic, that's divorce. Um I mean. Um so I did used to go to like Genesis and Planet Fitness and things like that, but I ended up going to the gym where you're working at, and that's how we met. Um, mainly because I had an issue with students following me to gyms.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, okay.
SPEAKER_00:Makes sense. Um I wanted to be left alone. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I can understand that. So, and you mentioned that's how we connected. Um, and you had told me that you're going to have some prototypes. And so is is it a watch? Is it um a band? Is it a ring? What does it look like?
SPEAKER_00:I think the first prototype is gonna be a watch. Um, it's gonna have like an LCD screen. Um, it's also gonna have an app on your phone that you can customize it. Um you know, it's gonna be for men and women. So, you know, you can choose color schemes and things like that, um, tailor it to you. And I also want it to have a very strong community base. Um, I also don't want it to be like you're on it forever. I know a lot of these are subscription based and like want to keep you as a user for the rest of your life. Um, my plan is kind of like get you everything you need to know, and hopefully within six months, you know, you're on your way and you don't need me anymore. So that's kind of the plan. I'm gonna try to partner with therapists and things like that around so you have kind of like a basic uh you know way to deal with stress, like you know, recovery system to go, if that makes sense. Um that's that's how that came to be. Um I'm pretty big in the user interface or UX world currently. Um not to shoot my own horn, but I've switched from physical product design to basically digital product design. Um my children with my co-parent are Native American. Um and their tribe is in South Florida, and because of that, they're not learning their language, and their tribe uh technically is still at war with Andrew Jackson. Well, back up. Andrew Jackson declared war on them, and um their original homeland was modern day Atlanta and drove them all the way to the Everglades outside of Miami, creating mass genocide. So because of that, um they are afraid to write their language down because they don't want it used against them and they don't trust the government. Um so their tribe is technically still at war with the United States government.
SPEAKER_01:Well, okay.
SPEAKER_00:Because of that, there's never been a formal peace agreement. Um and because of that, you know, there's severe trust issues, and they don't write it down, they speak it to each other, but unless you go to school on the reservation, you don't learn the language, and you know, you don't really learn the dances and the customs and like the food and things like that. So that's how I started in the UX world. I created an application for my children, which went on to be basically for that tribe, and then that tribe brought it to the gathering of the tribes to help save a bunch of Native American languages. I think it was about 40 so far that I know of.
SPEAKER_01:Um that's so cool.
SPEAKER_00:So I did that, and that's how I weaned my way into the UX world. I then went on to do stuff for like AI CPA exam website, and um kind of a project from Yale got picked up. I was asked to work on, where it was more of like they were very interested in the idea of taking exercise. And if you exercise and take care of yourself, your cellular age is different than your physical age, and it would basically tell you what to eat and what exercises to do, and like you know, you'd take photos of yourself, and I mean you'd be clothed, but you know, it'd be kind of like in compression clothes, and then it would tell you like your cellular age. That makes sense.
SPEAKER_01:It does make sense, and I was just having this conversation with you know, Steve.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So we he was just in here and we were talking about that, and he was talking about being sick and how his number went um up, like you know, his he keeps track of that. And I'm like, it's just a number, it's okay. So, how much validity is there to that? Like, I mean, I always think I I always feel younger than what my age is.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, I think to some degree there's validity to it, and to other degree it isn't. I think we can't truly understand how much damage we've done to ourselves in the past, if that makes sense. Um I I lived a very adventurous life in college, I'll put it that way. Um, I lived in New York, I lived in San Francisco, I lived in Iowa, um had lots of ridiculous adventures that it when I tell my children about, they're like, yeah, that didn't happen. I'm like, no, it did. Um really glad smartphones didn't exist back then. Um but that being said, um I think you can reverse a lot of it through exercise and good eating, like clean eating, things like that. Um so I think there's some validity to it. I just don't think we know the like we can easily plot yet. Like we can like like we can give a guesstimation, but we can't give you like a hard this is where you're at, if that makes sense.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah. So no, that doesn't make sense. Um I have to ask you too. You had said something about a superpower just a little while ago. Um, and I love how you come into the gym. Um it's like Captain America shirt.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I always wear um a Captain America suit kind of thing. It um so my kids have this debate that I'm either they're very they're really into Marvel, that I'm either Iron Man or Captain America. Um one thinks I'm kind of a dick, but loves me nonetheless, and the other one thinks I'm just super altruistic, and um they both think I can make anything, which I probably can if we're gonna be honest. But um but um but I told them kind of like my my goal, my physical goal is to look like Captain America, and just like, you know, if there was a combination of the two, that's who daddy would be. Um and they give me big hugs and kisses and just love me, and you know, they're kind of my world. Um, so it's just kind of a reminder that, you know, this is my fitness goal, and then there's people who love you, and you know, um, just keep at it, basically. So I know I look a little ridiculous to the outside world, but that's you know, just keeps me motivated, and that's why I do it. So I love it.
SPEAKER_01:I think that's fantastic. That is wonderful. Um, so when do you anticipate this device being out?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I applied for funding from the government um yesterday. The grants do January 5th, I believe. They're called SBIR grants. I've already kind of started working on it. I'm technically in phase one, but I think I'm probably close to phase two in my research and actually building. Um, I'm hoping probably by May or June to be testing the device at the gym. Um, and you know, there's gonna have to be things that we adjust for age range and stuff like that. Um so I'm hoping to have like a physical device that we test at the gym. Anybody who goes to our gym, you know, more than welcome to try it out and get your feedback and tell me what you think.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so I'm hoping by then I'll have some prototypes and you know the app for everybody to try out and get feedback and then make tweaks like that. And then probably a year from there we'll have it on the market and you can purchase it and get the app on the app store, and everything will be great.
SPEAKER_01:So that's so so cool. So from beginning to end, like how long would you say that it it'll take? Because we how long ago did you start?
SPEAKER_00:Um I started this adventure probably in June.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Um kind of in a weird rabbit hole, but um it just kind of was based off of my own journey and um just you know, I also joined uh like a men's support group who went through divorce because um yeah, it's painful. Um and mine was unique in a lot of different ways. So there's like a group of 30 of us, and um one of the things we all have like a very different walk in life, but one of the things that was apparent is all of us were kind of entrepreneurs on ask on accident, all of us were very into. Fitness. Um and all of us were highly empathetic people. Um so you know, I kind of kicked the idea around with them and um they're like that's brilliant, go forward. Um, you know, and I talked to my wife. I got married in August, um August 9th, actually. Um but she's amazing. Um, but she's also highly into fitness and has kind of guided me a little bit. Because to be honest, I wouldn't have started going to the gym if it wasn't for her. Um when I started going through the divorce, I was actually even reluctant to tell her. We've been very close friends, if not best friends, for 20 years, and I just kind of ashamed. Um, but I was like, you know what, if we're gonna have a real relationship and a real friendship, I need to tell her the truth. And she is going through the same thing. She was just a little further along than me, and she kind of gave me the playbook to get through it. Um and then once I was mostly healed, we started dating and life's been amazing ever since.
SPEAKER_01:So I'm happy for you.
SPEAKER_00:That's wonderful.
SPEAKER_01:And you had mentioned that you don't plan to keep people for a long amount of time, but I feel like if you build this community and you have that side to it, I I feel like people will want to. They might already be there physically, but to have that community uh is so huge, and you know that for overall wellness, how important that is.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, like I kind of want it to be more of a like you can be on it till you need it, but if you get to a point where you feel like you can stay on it and you can mentor and give back, like I'm not gonna kick you off. You know, it's it's just I just know too many of these subscription-based stuff just wants you, just wants to feed off your money forever and wants you there forever. You know what I mean? And that's not the goal. The goal is to give back a little bit and help and kind of fix the world a little bit. I know everybody's like, and make the world a better place, but I mean, I've designed so many stuff that did not make the world a better place, and just you know, I really am trying to, you know, actively I guess correct my sins.
SPEAKER_01:Sounds like now you are. I mean, you're you're giving back in so many ways. You've given back to the Native American community, you're giving back to your fitness community as well, and just those that have gone through some of the trauma like you experienced. I I think that's that's fantastic.
SPEAKER_00:So thank you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. So I would love to do a follow-up once you have the prototype out, and I will keep the listeners updated as to um where you're at. So I want to stay as to stay in communication. I know I'll see you here. Um, is there like a place that people can follow you?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I have a website called, well, my company's called Honor. Um it's not spelled the way you think, it's A-O-N-A-R. It's Gaelic. Um, and I chose that because it means lone wolf. Um, and lone wolf is everybody's taken that. Um, but it also in Gaelic means resilient and strength. It depends on how the tone and inflection is used and how it's used in the sentence. Um I was raised 95% of my life thinking that I was 50% Irish and 50% French Canadian, and I just recently did a DNA test, and um, I have 0% Irish um in my blood. Oh, so I've like learned all this things about Irish heritage and learned Gaelic and all these other things, but turns out I'm 50% German. So thanks, mom and dad. But um anyways, in fairness, they probably didn't know, but uh yeah, and I'm just a mutt. I have a lot of like apparently I'm British, Norwegian, French, Canadian, all kinds of stuff. But um that's that's besides the point. But I studied all that. I've been very, very into Irish culture my whole life, and so I have a strong appreciation for the Irish culture and the Irish, even though apparently I'm not. I thought I was. Um that being said, um, that's how I came up with the name. Um, and you can register there if you want for you know to be a user tester or just to get like a newsletter to see how we're doing and what's going on. But I've built a little website there that you can register there your email address and get in contact with me there. Um I also have a LinkedIn page at the moment. Um and that's that's my little perfect deal. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. I will definitely put that website on in the show notes as well. Is there anything that I didn't ask you that you wanted to comment on, or did I leave anything out?
SPEAKER_00:No, I think we nailed most of it. I just, you know, it's you know, this is a new realm for me, and you know, it's you know, it's exciting being on a podcast talking about work I'm doing. So I appreciate the opportunity. Yeah, no. So and I also say if you're new to the fitness world, you know, you know, I was too. Don't give up. Um, don't be intimidated. You know a lot of times people think they're you're being judged while you're in the gym or something, and to be honest, 90% of the time everybody's just listening to their music and in their their own head trying to get their stuff done. So um you know, just take it one day at a time. And it's the biggest stress relief I've ever had, and it's helped me substantially in my growth and my healing, and you know, like I said, I'm not really a jock, I'm I'm an academic, and yeah, so you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yes. And I agree with you that first step, just get to the gym, take that first step, and it's gonna be fine. Yeah, yeah. Well, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to be here. I truly appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00:Of course. It was great talking to you, and I'll see you soon.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you. Wasn't that incredible? I love meeting people who are using their gifts to make the world healthier and stronger. And James is absolutely one of them. I will make sure that I update you as soon as we start the pilot testing, when everything is out for the public. I'm so excited for him to launch all of this. And if today's episode inspired you, please share it with a friend who might need a little spark of motivation or some new hope on their fitness journey. And stay tuned. Like I said, I will keep you posted on everything. And I have included James' website in the show notes, so make sure you check that out. Thank you for listening, for showing up for yourself, and for being part of this healthy, happy community. I'll see you next time at Spandex Online. Thank you for listening. If you're enjoying this podcast, be sure to follow Spandex Online so that you don't miss an episode. To do this, just go to the podcast and click subscribe or follow wherever you're listening. Look for the plus sign or follow button. This is one of the best things that you can do for the podcast. If you'd also be willing to get a five-star review, that would be amazing and much appreciated. Lastly, please share an episode with a friend or five to keep the love going. And join the Spandex and Wine community in our private Facebook group by searching Spandex and Wine. Feel free to reach out to me at any time by emailing info at spandexnwine.com or text me at 913 392 2877. I appreciate you. Thank you.
