Gizmodo: gym

Unsurprisingly, Gyms Don't Like iPod Nano's Video Recording Inside Locker Rooms

Jason Chen — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:40:00 EDT

Gyms already forbid people from use camera-equipped gadgets, like smartphones and Flip digital cameras inside locker rooms, since nobody wants their hairy junk posted onto the internet. But now you can add iPod Nanos to the list of no-no items.

The Life Time Fitness just restricted the Nano from not just locker rooms, but from workout areas too. You can listen to music on your Nano, of course, it's just that you can't use it as a recording device. Hold and stare at your player too long and the woman on the elliptical might give you a hard time about what you're staring at.

All perfectly natural, but it's something we'll see more of once we get gadgets that play music as well as take video. [Twin Cities via Apple Insider]

Is iPhone 3.0's Mysterious iProd a Bitchy Personal Trainer?

matt buchanan — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:55:30 EDT

In addition to referencing brand new iPhones and iPods, the iPhone 3.0 OS also mentions the intriguing "iProd." Which is what British publications called a bitchy digital personal trainer Apple patented last year.

Apple filed patents on an iPod touch-like personal trainer that tracks your fitness level and schedule, has personalized workouts, answers nutrition and health questions and monitors your heart-rate and motion through sensors to track your workouts. And if you wimp out of your workout, it bitches at you. Hence, "iProd," though it's mentioned nowhere in the actual patent application.

Personally, I'm still on the bandwagon "iProd0,1" is a generic iProduct placeholder, which is in fact standing in for magic French toast. [New Scientist, Times Online - Thanks Evan!]

Multigym-in-a-Closet Keeps Your Fitness Under Wraps

AddyDugdale — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:45:00 EDT

Gym bunnies amongst you might be interested in the Murphy Gym, a shallow cupboard full of the kind of equipment you need to look like a condom stuffed with walnuts—marbled walnuts if you are either a hunk of Kobe beef, or if you like popping S.T.E.Roids as if they were M&Ms. I'm also guessing that this little gym-in-a-closet might be appealing to pervy modders out there, who could swap the chest expander for something even more black and rubbery. And for those of you who like a nice bit of bedroom farce, this could be the cupboard that the really thin lover, clad in black polo neck and jeans, hides in when his lady friend's husband returns home from work early. [Apartment Therapy]

Nike + iPod to Jack Directly Into Gym Equipment

matt buchanan — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:20:45 EST

Nike + iPod is great for running, not so great for most other stuff in the gym. So, Nike and Apple are teaming up with most of the major gym equipment makers—Life Fitness, Precor, Star Trac and Technogym—to make their cardio equipment Nike + iPod-friendly. You'll be able to track workouts on stair steppers, ellipticals, bikes and treadmills and upload them to NikePlus.com, like the standard Nike + iPod. Of course, this all requires to your gym to either buy new equipment or upgrade what they've got, so you might have to wait a while to get on board. [AppleInsider]

Aquafit Gymnasium-Spa Hybrid is Watery, Ironic

Haroon Malik — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:45:00 EST

Apparently, sitting at your chair all day while blogging about gadgets is not supposed to be so good for your health. That's where Dimension One Spas' Aquafit 19 Dual Temp comes in. The $40,000 gymnasium/spa allows users to have a full, underwater cardiovascular workout by using the included rower, tricep pull-down and simulated jogger or swimming facilities.

The exercise area maintains the water temperature at levels that are ideal for the body's thermoregulation during an intensive workout, while the spa area heats up to get things steamy and soothing. Additionally, the spa area is positioned so close to the gymnasium portion of the tub, you won't have to expend any more calories than is necessary to get there, which is kind of ironic for a gym. So ironic, it's giving us muscle ache just thinking about it. [Bornrich]

Ferrari Home Gym Protected From Annoying Oxidants

gizmodo.com — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 23:20:30 EDT

The Ferrari home gymnasium, titled 'Unica', is a muscle caviar—an onslaught to the senses and so elite you'll be out of pocket if you so much as glare in its direction. Constructed from nothing but the finest Italian materials, it will set you back a cool $20,290.

The ultra chic gymnasium is preloaded with 25 different exercises, all guided via the onboard Wellness Mate computer. A key card is supplied that may be inserted into both the Wellness Mate and your PC, to corroborate vital fitness progress.

In case you were wondering, yes, the frame is "subject to cataphoresis anti-corrosion treatment prior to being painted" - so you'll be okay submerging it in salt water for a few weeks. Now if you guys can convince Blam to let me into his mansion to try it out, maybe we can get a proper review going. [Product Page]

User-Powered Gym Saves Money (For the Gym)

Jason Chen — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 18:30:32 EST

Imagine a gym that ran its lights and TVs off the energy that was generated by all the treadmills and stairmasters being used. That's exactly what some guy in Hong Kong did, hamsterizing his gym to power a few TVs and 60-watt light bulbs with workout-power.

This is just a gimmick to get more customers, since all the electricity generated in a year by these only adds up to $183, whereas the installation cost was $15,000. Still, kinda cool if they knock off some of the membership fees for participants. That would get rid of one of about six excuses we have not to work out. – Jason Chen

Gym powered by clients [Uber Gizmo]

Web-based Exercise Machine Keeps You from Looking Like a Spaz

Louis Ramirez — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:22:41 EST

Nothing's more humbling than being at the gym and having some bulky meathead call you out for doing an exercise the wrong way (especially as you try to save face in front of the Shakira-like beauty on the treadmill in front of you). Well, that's where Hammacher's new Interactive Personal Trainer System comes in. This all-in-one home system connects to the Internet and downloads exercise routines you can follow to get in shape. It demonstrates the proper technique on the built-in LCD and keeps you from looking like a moron while trying to do tricep kickbacks. The downside, it'll cost you $16,000. For that kinda money, just get a real trainer. – Louis Ramirez

The Only Interactive Personal Trainer System [Born Rich]