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Alexa, make the dumbbell lighter: Smart dumbbells with voice control

20.1.2022

Translation: machine translated

They have dumbbells in their name and are just supposed to be heavy. But even dumbbells are no longer safe from having to perform on cue: The NordicTrack iSelect dumbbells adjust their weight to your preferences.

Admittedly: The idea behind Alexa-controlled dumbbells isn't all that stupid. The desire to be able to adjust the training weight as easily as possible has probably existed ever since dumbbells were invented. And anyone who doesn't want to put a dumbbell tree full of weights in their home is looking for compact alternatives. Screw, plug and turn until the weight matches your own ideas for the next exercise.

Since we live in the year 2022, a purely mechanical solution can of course no longer be the ideal solution. Something digital is needed, NordicTrack thought to itself, and brought voice-controlled dumbbells onto the market with iSelect. Their practical benefit: Not only can you adjust the weight from 5 to 50 pounds by voice command, but you can also save 15 presets for your favorite exercises. Then all it takes is one command for "biceps curls" and you're ready for the corresponding workout program from iFit on your tablet.

NordicTrack is a brand of iFit, a "Health and Fitness Subscription Technology Company" - and that already says where the journey is heading. To the web, where every fitness company in the world seeks its salvation. Because that's where you stay connected to it, where you go from being a one-time buyer to a permanent paying customer. Besides, the impression is created that old dumbbells belong to the old iron.

How it started

Früher waren Gewichte sehr dumm und sahen aus wie Bügeleisen. Weil dieser alte Grieche weder Hemd noch Hose noch ein Tablet mit Trainingsanweisungen hat, schaut er traurig.
Source: gemeinfrei

From the ancient athlete to the contemporary gym pumper, the dumbbell has gone through manageable stages of development. Fitness enthusiasts of today wear at least rudimentary clothes, but still lift iron. Theoretically, you can train with 2000-year-old dumbbells. So from a manufacturer's perspective, any innovation is welcome. The smart NordicTrack iSelect dumbbells are designed to integrate you into the brave new world of fitness and get you excited about online workouts.

How it's going

Heute dagegen sehen Hantelstationen aus wie ein auf den Rücken gefallenes Gürteltier und Alexa legt die Gewichte auf.
Source: iFit

The 15 presets save you from having to think about the right weight. But not much more. You'll need to place the dumbbells in their holders either way. Then the same thing happens as with mechanical solutions, which work simply and quickly. Through an adjustment mechanism, you pick up more weight or drop off weight plates.

Product test
The trick with the click
by Michael Restin

You just don't have to turn the wheel yourself anymore with the NordicTrack iSelect. At least you still can: if you're not so talkative or accidentally drop the dumbbell on your router, the weight can also be adjusted mechanically via a knob. You can see it above in the cover picture. What you don't see is Alexa's icy reply to a wheezing "Ahhlexah, zehhhn Khiloh wheenigher!": "I'm having trouble understanding you right now."

Smart Dumbbells are...

...a smart idea
43%
...a stupid idea
57%

The competition has ended.

Titelbild: iFit

88 people like this article

Michael Restin

Senior Editor

Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.ch

Simple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.

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