Shake Weight Review

Well, the $29.95 + $9.95 P&H shake weight for men, and the $19.95 + $9.95 shake weight for women, have really taken the public by storm; it has been extremely successful from a sales standpoint. However, log onto any respectable fitness website, and they will be hammering it to death. Is this appropriate?

Yes! Many of the shake weight claims sound outlandish (i.e. building muscle after only training for six minutes). You cannot expect to build quality muscle in just minutes a day. There has never been, nor will there ever be, that “magical fitness pill,” in any form. Fitness requires hard work and dedication. Otherwise, we would all be walking around with six-packs. You can learn more about the Shake Weight claims at their website.

But is there a place for the Shake Weight?

While other sites are busy slamming the shake weight for their seemingly ridiculous claims, I have decided to focus on it's potentially useful aspects. I do believe that there is a place for the shake weight as a fitness tool, but it certainly cannot supplant the quality of exercise gained from a gym membership. Thus, this product is obviously not for those already training at a gym, unless it is possibly used as a warm up device. So, who is it for?

I think the shake weight is possibly a good tool for those individuals who are elderly or those who have led a sedentary (inactive) lifestyle. Let's be perfectly honest, if you are overweight and don't already have a gym membership or at least a piece of home exercise equipment, what are you going to do? I would hope that you could overcome those feelings of fatigue and join a local gym, but having been obese at one time, I understand that is much easier said than done. You could walk/jog/run, but this is also extremely hard to do for those that have not exercised in years. I think that the Shake Weight could possibly act in a manner similar to a gateway drug. Once an elderly or sedentary individual has used this product for a period of time, they should then progress to a more strenuous exercise routine. Another option for the Shake Weight is as a rehabilitation tool, such as for people confined to wheelchairs. Instead of attempting to lug around dumbbells from a wheelchair, it may be easier to work with the shake weight as a single device. I have also heard from some people that find this product useful who travel for work and carry it with them so they could at least do some training while away from home.

But does it really work?

The short is answer is that the shake weight does work. It works multiple upper body muscle groups through isotonic contraction. This results in muscle work and calorie consumption. However, a six minute exercise will not burn enough calories to act as an appropriate exercise routine. If you train with this product for at least 20-30 minutes, then you could conceivably burn enough calories to make this a worthwhile training device, particularly for those who are sedentary.

So, why all the negative press from fitness sites?

I think that many fitness websites are missing the point with this device. Everyone who works hard at the gym will immediately step back, roll their eyes, and condemn this product; at least this was my first inclination. While I do not have a randomized controlled trial answer to my following question, I think it is thought-provoking: if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, would using this product and actually performing an exercise, regardless of what level, be better than not doing any exercise at all? The marketing of this device appears to be directed at this sedentary population. Could this device be a gateway to the gym for this group of individuals? I do not have the answer to these questions, but I cannot conclude that this device carries with it no benefits.

In summary:

1. GetFitDoc.com does not recommend the use of the shake weight to supplant your regular gym workout. We do believe that this device is potentially beneficial for those leading a sedentary lifestyle, the elderly, and those who travel frequently requiring light-weight exercise equipment. Furthermore, we believe that this product could have a niche in certain rehabilitation markets. Click here to go to the manufacturer's website if you are interested in learning more about this product.

2. GetFitDoc.com does feel that there are some potential uses for this device, but the claims made by the manufacturer do seem outlandish and should not be expected as typical results. We HIGHLY recommend using this product for considerably longer than the stated six minutes. We believe that it would benefit the trainer to use this product in a set fashion for 20-30 minutes.