By: Maha Khan

DES MOINES, Iowa — This year’s Iowa State Fair is offering visitors more than just fried food and carnival rides. It’s also providing a glimpse into the future of athletic performance.

Former Iowa State University football player and longtime strength and conditioning coach Ben Durbin is introducing True Force, a patented system that combines precision engineering with artificial intelligence to potentially transform how strength is measured and training is prescribed.

Durbin’s concept for True Force was inspired by years of experience working with elite athletes, where even the most skilled coaches sometimes had to make informed guesses about training loads. Traditionally, programs were based on testing done during the off-season, with adjustments made as the season progressed. However, Durbin found this approach less than ideal.

“Even with all the experience in the world, there’s still an element of guesswork in coaching,” he reflects. “I wanted something that could help me understand exactly how hard an athlete should train on any given day.”

That drive led him to design a system capable of measuring an athlete’s force output in real-time. By capturing this data, the technology can estimate a true one-rep max for any exercise without requiring the athlete to perform a potentially risky max test. Coaches can then adjust training prescriptions immediately, ensuring that each workout is better tailored to an athlete’s capabilities at that moment.

Building the system was no small task. Durbin and his team paid close attention to every detail, from the physical mechanics to the software algorithms, to ensure the results would be accurate enough for professional use. The challenge wasn’t just in capturing data but in making sure that data could reliably guide training decisions.

“The hardest part was translating raw measurements into something coaches could trust and act on,” Durbin explains.

The result is a specially designed barbell embedded with high-precision force sensors. These sensors feed data into proprietary algorithms that process results within seconds. For the Iowa State Fair, the equipment has been reimagined to resemble lifting hay bales, creating an interactive and approachable experience for visitors.

True Force already has a presence in several locations beyond Iowa. Since securing its patent, Durbin’s company has placed 27 units in facilities across 10 states and two different countries. The system has garnered interest not just from sports teams but also from personal trainers, rehabilitation specialists, and recreational lifters who are looking to train with a more informed approach.

“There’s nothing else on the market that does exactly what this does,” Durbin says. “We’ve built something that’s consistent, repeatable, and easy to implement.”

At its core, True Force reflects Durbin’s long-standing commitment to detail and precision in coaching. Instead of relying solely on observation or outdated testing schedules, coaches can now make data-backed decisions based on real-time data. The system’s versatility also means it could help bridge the gap between elite athletic facilities and smaller training environments, making advanced analytics more accessible.

Durbin hopes this shift toward objective measurement will encourage further improvement across the entire industry.

“My vision is for every coach to have the ability to make more individualized training decisions,” he says. “When you base those choices on actual data, you take the guesswork out of the equation.”

While the current version of True Force is already delivering promising results, Durbin sees it as just the beginning. Plans are underway to integrate deeper analytics and advanced monitoring tools, providing even more insights into athlete performance, recovery, and long-term development.

For now, fairgoers can see and try the system for themselves in the Varied Industries Building. Whether it’s lifting hay bales at the fair or a barbell in the gym, the technology is designed to transform a simple act of strength into a more precise, measurable science.

“This is the next step in my coaching journey,” Durbin says. “It’s about giving athletes exactly what they need to perform at their best, every single time they train.”

Disclaimer: The content in this article is provided for general informational purposes. Individual experiences and outcomes may vary. Always consider consulting with a relevant professional before making decisions related to training or performance.