The Shake Weight Story

This is an essay I wrote for my English class. It's supposed to be a claim of value. Enjoy.

Evan Devereaux
Eng 145
Professor Glen Starkey
11/11/16

The Shake Weight Story
Optimizing Gains with the Pinnacle of Convenient Exercise


A young man, scrawny and untoned, new to the world of college and burdened with a full time job and a schedule too full to accommodate a gym membership. He struggles, always searching for definition. But his shoulders, triceps, and pectorals seem impossible to define as he lacks the proper equipment to do so. A lost wretch desperate for salvation, he wanders the gloom of his own mediocrity, the only thing pushing him forward is the despair nipping at his heels.Two years ago that young man was me. With the abundance of tanktops on campus and the beach only minutes from my house, looking tanned and toned is nothing if not mandatory for a young man in college. But with the hustle and bustle of my day to day schedule, I rarely have time to waste at the gym. I’ve always considered myself a man of great practicality, and I’ll admit I was skeptical when I first heard about the Shake Weight. I never could have imagined that for the reasonable price of twenty-three dollars, the tight, sculpted forearms I’ve always dreamed of were just a few shakes away. In this evaluation of the versatile, flab-blasting super-dumbbell that is the Shake Weight, I will explore three facets of the product that set it apart from other uninspired, less innovative exercise equipment. These facets that the Shake Weight tirelessly excels in will be presented as follows: convenience, functionality, efficacy.
Always at my side…
I am the proud owner of the original Shake Weight model. Described by its creators as a “special pulsating dumbbell for shaping and toning upper body,” the device weighs approximately 2.5 pounds and is roughly twelve inches long. While I am aware that, since its initial release, larger versions of the product have been made available, I am comfortable with the size of my Shake Weight. Afterall, it really isn’t the size of a Shake Weight that matters, but rather how one uses it. I actually prefer the smaller size of my Shake Weight as this permits the device to be easily transported. I can take my Shake Weight anywhere which allows me to get in a quick workout no matter where I have to be. If I’m on a lunch break at work, if I’m studying for a history exam, if I’m taking the train up to Davis to visit my friends, Shake Weight conveniently allows me to simultaneously blast my biceps whenever I need to.
A flawless, streamlined design…
One of the strongest qualities the Shake Weight boasts is its ergonomic design. This is an area where most other dumbbells fall flat. The way the Shake Weight feels in my hand is spectacular. When I use Shake Weight I can’t help but think to myself, this is how it’s supposed to be, this is just so right. But looks and feels aren’t the only things that make the Shake Weight’s design so perfect. The boys in the lab over at Fitness IQ really did their homework before bringing their creation to life. The science behind Shake Weight isn’t anything to shake a stick at. If you have seen an advertisement for Shake Weight then you are most likely familiar with dynamic inertia, a phrase coined by Fitness IQ, the creators of Shake Weight. What exactly is dynamic inertia? Aside from being the focal point of Shake Weight’s design, dynamic inertia, or what a physicist would call momentum, operates on basic principles. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, momentum is “the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity.” So how has Fitness IQ incorporated this concept of momentum into their product’s design? In an insightful review of the device, Doctor Michael Esco, associate professor in exercise science, describes the Shake Weight as “a dumbbell in which the weights on either end are attached to the handle by a spring.” According to Dr. Esco, “The weight bounces off the ends of the handle by the spring as it is shaken back and forth.” This ingenious design promotes constant muscular stimulation as the device only functions when physically engaged by the user. While this all sounds nice, is it too good to be true?
It gets results…
One of the biggest questions surrounding the Shake Weight is, does it work? In a fitness article by April Daniels Hussar, senior editor at CafeMedia, Hussar details a study conducted by a team of exercise scientists from the University of Wisconsin commissioned by the American Council on Exercise. The purpose of the study was to “investigate the degree of muscle activation” in users when exercising with the Shake Weight. The researchers discovered that compared to exercises with normal dumbbells, exercises with the Shake Weight increased muscle activity by sixty-six percent on average. My personal experience with the product has been extremely satisfactory. By following the daily six minute workout guides Fitness IQ has designed for Shake Weight users, I have achieved my ideal arm and upper body definition with relative ease.
In a world full of commitment, who wants to pay the outlandish prices of monthly gym subscriptions? Fitness IQ has opened me to a brand new world of convenient, effective exercise. Shake Weight has established itself as a superior product, truly a cut above the rest. Not only does it make toning my body above the belt much easier, the device is extremely accessible and utilizes the most advanced technology available for dumbbells. Most importantly, this device really works; and for the price, it can't be denied that Shake Weight is a wise investment. I encourage anyone with untoned arms to shake things up and buy Shake Weight.


















Work Cited

Esco, Michael. “Shake Weight: Fitness Expert’s Review.” WebMD, 2016, accessed 11/11/16
Hussar, April Daniels. “No Joke: The Shake Weight Works Muscles 66 Percent Harder.” Self,
2011, accessed 11/11/16

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

You made a logical reason to use the shake weight. I liked the beginning. Giving life and reason to the main character. If this was advertising. I would buy the product. You did very well with this topic.
Coyote