The Claim
• Shake Weight® Utilizes New Workout Technology Called Dynamic Inertia, which Increases Muscle Activity by More Than 300% Compared to Traditional Weights
• Scientifically Proven Results
• Get Incredible Results in Just 6 Minutes a Day
• Designed Specifically For Women
Revolutionary new product or fitness fad? Let’s take look.
Breakdown
First things first: Dynamic Inertia? Never heard of it. From a biomechanical perspective, dynamic inertia literally means ‘changing force and velocity’. In other words: it shakes. It seems that they did not invent a new principle of fitness, rather that they are simply restating the obvious using fancy buzzwords.
As for the “scientific results”, a study does exist. Some graduate students at San Diego State were paid to conduct research using the shake weight. They measured muscular activity during the use of a shake weight and compared it to muscular activity during a standard biceps curl with a dumbbell of the same weight. They did find that muscle activity is higher while using the shake weight, which that should be expected, as shaking something takes a lot of energy. However, just because something is energy-intensive does not make it effective exercise. Their study had nothing to do with physical results in terms of body composition improvement. The ‘scientific results’ are just that – the results of a scientific study. They are not physical results, as their advertisement implies.
How about the claim regarding ‘Just 6 Minutes a Day’? In college my exercise physiology professor had a simple rule that stuck with me: “If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is”. No form of exercise that only takes six minutes a day will produce dramatic results for you, and no special tool or magic powder will ever replace intelligent, hard work. Also during the aforementioned study the students made note that it is very difficult to continue using the produce for six consecutive minutes. So even if the claim was correct and provable (which it is not), the exercise would often be too difficult for the average individual to attempt.
Lastly, they specifically designed this for women by giving it an ergonomic grip and making it lightweight. Otherwise there is nothing about this product that is designed for women, besides the marketing material.
Conclusion
Bottom line: The Shake Weight® is ridiculous, and owes the majority of its popularity to the unique technique required of its users. Although its commercial instantly became one of our favorite infomercials of all time, you should save your money.
