If you notice a new suped-up ab-roller in the equipment pile the next time you hit the gym, you’d be looking at one of the latest pieces of athletic technology on the market: The ZeroWheel, created by a company out of Westchester’s startup accelerator, Element 46. Don’t let all the bells and whistles prevent you from testing it out, the device is designed to be “very accessible and user-friendly,” says Neil Singer, ZeroWheel’s CEO and co-founder. “I think that every fitness club should have one.”
ZeroWheel, based out of Armonk, is a new entry into the burgeoning “athletech” field and may soon become a fixture in fitness centers and home gyms around the country. As of early 2025, Singer said that six ZeroWheels are being used as a part of a pilot program in one Westchester fitness center, with others likely to roll out soon. The device is also being utilized in the L.A. Ram’s training room and by professional golfers, with interest pouring in from other athletic programs as well.
The device is being used in the L.A. Rams’ training room and by professional golfers.
What makes ZeroWheel better than the basic ab rollers currently on the market is its built-in tech: motors and processors that offer assistance or resistance for a range of workout modes. For example, if users roll their body out in front of them with the ZeroWheel, it can be set to provide resistance when they try to roll back, increasing the effort required to return to the starting position and creating a more challenging workout. It can also be set to assist users who are in the beginning stages of deepening their core strength, aiding them in getting back into the starting position without straining.
Despite its popularity for pro athletes and fancy gyms, ZeroWheel is designed to be used by anyone. “It’s meant to be able to hold up to a 300-pound body in order to get somebody who’s drastically out of shape to start working their core,” said Adam Cass, ZeroWheel’s co-founder and fitness director. While the device was designed to create an effective core workout, it can be used for any resistance exercise, such as a shoulder press against a wall.
The idea for ZeroWheel can be traced back to Singer’s own health struggles. After suffering recurring back injuries his doctor told him to focus on strengthening his core—a message he related to Cass, his trainer for more than two decades. Cass had him start working with an ab roller, which he became proficient at, and then the idea to add a resistance—and assistance—mode to the roller was born.
From there, Singer—who holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and specializes in motor control—tapped into his expertise to build the device. Now, after five years of ideation and fine-tuning, the ZeroWheel has hit the market. The company raised just shy of $2 million from a SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) funding round and is ready to create a new category in the “athletech” vertical.
The goal is to get ZeroWheel anywhere and everywhere, from gyms and private homes to nursing homes and military bases. “Trainers and people in the industry really relate to it,” says Singer. “The excitement we get from the professionals is really telling.”
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