CES 2019: this smart kettlebell counts your reps, sets & workout time
JAXJOX has announced a smart kettlebell at this year’s CES, that keeps tabs on your reps, sets and workout time. For some additional cash, you’ll also get access to the company’s fitness classes bringing the gym into your living room.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
Resembling a cannonball with a handle, a kettlebell is a cast-iron or cast steel ball with a handle attached to the top. Unlike traditional dumbbells, its center of mass is extended beyond the hand.
You can use a kettlebell to perform many types of exercises such as lunges, lifts, and shoulder presses. This helps to build strength and endurance, particularly in the lower back, legs, and shoulders, and increase grip strength. The workouts are quite effective and you can expect to lose up to 20 calories per minute, which equates to how much you would lose if you were to run a 6 minute mile.
The kettlebell has been around for a while now but it’s never been this smart. Retailing for $349, the JAXJOX Kettlebell Connectt records your workouts and provides you with on-demand fitness classes (for an extra $30 per month). The gizmo has adjustable weight which ranges between 12 and 42 pounds. There’s also a charging base where you can rest it when not in use.
At launch, there’ll be over 40 workout classes to choose from, with more added each month. The app is also capable of tapping into data from Fitbit’s and soon, the Apple Watch. The software will combine info from the kettlebell and other sources into a personal fitness score for each session, so you’ll have something to improve on next time around.
Kettlebell exercises have grown in popularity over the years. A couple of decades ago it was even embraced within the US Military and Special Forces. Used not only for increasing strength, it is also seen as an effective training method to prevent injury during chaotic combat.
According to Engadget, the smart kettlebell is just the first in a number of products JAXJOX is working on. In the near future, the company plans on adding a foam roller and dumbbells to its range of connected equipment.
Source: Engadget; JAXJOX
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