Recently, a retro fitness video made the Internet rounds. The 1940s commercial featured women engaging in several “womaneuvers” (their term) using some downright dangerous looking machines in place of good old fashioned weights. Here’s the video.
Try not to judge too hard! We’ve got our fair share of gimmicky workout tools with outrageous claims. Most of us know it’s a bunch of B.S. Making serious gains in the gym and getting a sculpted, lean look takes hard work, focus, and time. If you try to take shortcuts, you’ll either hurt yourself or look ridiculous — like the other people who make our list.
No. 2: The Slim Suit
Slim Suit isn’t completely ridiculous if you think about. It was most likely inspired by sauna suits, which are worn by wrestlers when cutting weight. Sauna suits increase the body’s temperature and thus, calories are burned. But Slim Suit claims you can lose weight by watching T.V and talking on the phone. We highly doubt that.
No. 3: The Shake Weight
This revolutionary tool claims to build definition, size, and strength in less time than you normally would using a regular weight. According to them, 6 minutes with the Shake Weight burns as much muscle energy as 42 minutes with a standard dumbbell.
No. 4: The Treadmill Bike
This is pretty straight forward. Combine a bike and a treadmill, and you get Treadmill Bike. We wouldn’t spend $2,500 on this, let alone $10.
No. 5: Horse Cardio
This product claims to mimic the movement of horseback riding because who doesn’t want a slim figure without actually getting on a horse?
No. 6: The Hawaii Chair
We give the company credit for thinking of a way to counteract all the sitting we do at work, but it’s just too gimmicky. Get up from your seat every 30 minutes to an hour, and take a walk around your office.
No. 7: A Face Trainer
The Face Trainer applies the principle of resistance training to the muscles we ignore in our face. Really? Why not just laugh? It’s essentially the same thing.
No. 8: The Slendertone
https://youtube.com/watch?v=HY5eBFMZsck
This device is essentially a vibrating belt.
No. 9: The Red Exerciser
This device claims to tighten and tone the muscles in the abdominal area, essentially functioning the same way as crunches.
