Product Review: The Shake Weight

I’m sure by now you’ve all seen the hilarious commercial for the Shake Weight and you might be wondering if it really works. The commercial claims that using the Shake Weight for just 6 minutes a day can give you toned and defined arms in a matter of weeks. Well, I was in the mall the other day and saw one of those “As Seen on TV” product booths and decided to buy one to test out their claims myself. Any time I hear something like “in just 6 minutes a day” my alarm bells start ringing, because it just sounds too good to be true. Is it?

The inventors of the Shake Weight say that they’ve come up with a technology called “dynamic inertia”, which is just a fancy way of saying that you hold the weight in place and shake it. They say that this technology helps you build and tone the muscles in your arms to give you a sleek and slender shape. So, I tried it out and here’s what I found:

Pros: It’s great for beginners. Anyone can learn how to use it. I definitely felt a burn within one minute of using it and you’re isolating your muscles in a way that’s similar to the way you contract your muscles during a plank (i.e. isometric contraction), which means it’s great for stability work.

Cons: It’s great for beginners. Which means that after about 4-6 weeks you won’t really see any major benefit from the Shake Weight. Eventually you’re going to have to increase the intensity, which isn’t really possible, because it only weighs 2.5 pounds. Their claims of getting sleek and toned in a matter of weeks if you use it for only 6 minutes a day are false, because you’re going to have to do a lot more if you want to burn the fat that’s surrounding your muscles (eating right, cardio, etc.). If working out for 6 minutes a day worked I would have a lot more hours in the day to train a lot more people and most likely I wouldn’t even have a job.

It doesn’t quite shake the way it does in the commercial either. When I opened the box I began looking for batteries, because in the commercial the shaking almost looks mechanical, but you quickly find out that it’s actually slower than they advertise. And that’s not all bad, because it means that you have to work a bit harder. But, it is false advertising, which always turns me off from products, because it makes it seem as if the inventors don’t fully believe in their product as is.

The DVD that came with the product had some exercises involving shaking the weight, but a lot of the 6 minute video were traditional exercises that you could do with any old weight. So what’s the point of having the Shake Weight at all? Oh, and did I mention false advertising? The trainer they used for the DVD was rail thin. Seriously, a stick bug. Are they trying to tell us that you will look like her after using this product for just 6 minutes a day? I promise you that you will not.

And one more thing… From a purely exercise theory perspective, our bodies are designed to move in many directions and it’s best to work out your muscles in a functional way, which means that you should do exercises that mimic every day movements (i.e. a squat with a curl and a press mimics picking up something from the floor and placing it on a shelf). For instance, your shoulders move up, down, and around, so working out your shoulders by just holding them in place doesn’t really help you use them in the way they are supposed to be used. It will definitely help build stability, but it won’t build strength. A muscle needs to go through a full range of motion around the joint to fully reap the benefits of building strength and tone, so just shaking this weight while holding your position will only build the muscle in that position. Make sense?

Bottom Line: It’s good if you’re just beginning, but don’t use it thinking that it’s some magical device that will get rid of your underarm fat. It won’t. It may help, but eventually you’re going to have to progress beyond it. Would I tell people to spend money on it? No. Just get yourself a set of weights and shake those.

4 Pieces of Fitness Gear You Shouldn’t Be Without

Deciding which pieces of workout equipment to get can be daunting. Especially when there’s a commercial for a new product that promises to tone your abs, thighs, and butt on every channel you flip through. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on machines and you don’t have to buy a “Shake Weight” or “Ab Rocket” without being sure if it really works. If you want to lose weight there are only 4 things that you need:

1. Stability Ball – A stability ball isn’t just for your core. It’s one of the most versatile pieces of equipment out there and you can use it to work out your entire body without using any added weight. Think push-ups, single-leg lunges, bridges, and planks. For an added challenge though, you can use it in combination with dumbbells, resistance bands, or medicine balls. The ball gives an extra boost to your workout by forcing you to balance, which works out the often underused stabilizer muscles (which are all the muscles that surround your major muscles), and it also creates some variety and fun. It also barely takes up any space and you can use it as a chair when not working out. Make sure you buy the right ball for your size. Most packages have a sizing chart, but the most important thing to be aware of is that your knees create a 90 degree angle when sitting on it.

2. Dumbbells – If you want to lose weight you need to combine cardio with resistance training, otherwise you’ll be all skin and no muscle (you know the lolly-pop head look? Your body is tiny and in comparison your head looks huge?) Muscle is important for maintaining weight loss after you’ve reached your goal, and dumbbells can definitely help you with that. They allow you to work in all planes of movement, which are the directions in which your body moves (front, back, side-to-side, and twisting). This is important for toning your body evenly and making sure there are no imbalances. They also allow you to mimic everyday movements, such as pushing, pulling, and lifting. If you’re new to fitness you want to choose a weight that will allow you to complete 8-12 repetitions, with the last few feeling very difficult. If you can do 20 or more, then the weight is too light and if you can’t do more than 4 then the weight is too heavy.

3. Resistance Bands – These rubberized tubes have handles on both ends and are extremely light and easy to carry making them very portable. Any exercise that you can do with a weight you can do with a band, just anchor it to a door, a pole, or your foot. They are better at pushing exercises, such as a chest press, so it’s a good idea to have bands even if you have weights. Just like the stability ball, there are different resistance levels indicated by the color of the band. Each brand of resistance band will have its own unique color coding, so refer to the package before buying.

4. Medicine Ball – These weighted balls come in 1 lb. increments. They allow for quick, powerful, and dynamic movements, and add fun and variety to your routine. They’re great for interval workouts when you want to get a 60 sec. cardio spurt.

In the weeks to come I’ll be test driving a new product every month. Keep your eyes peeled for my review on the “Shake Weight”!
If you have any questions on how to use any of these things or want some tips, just shoot me a comment.