This is what is wrong with the fitness industry

DrMAvDPhD

"Are you on a calorie deficit, it sounds like it lol."

I think she's just jealous of thin women.

Hardly. I'm thin myself. Being as skinny as that model is easy. I'm much more jealous of fitness models. That's a look that takes work.

SailorKnightWing

The photo on the kettlebell ad is definitely Photoshopped. She's taller than a full-sized window and if she opened her hands she could touch the ceiling...

cevalid

Is that 10 pounds or kilos?

jenifr818

Tagging to read later

mmipanda

It cracks me up when people blame certain industries, manufacturers and marketing/advertising for the availability or lack of availability of certain products. Pissed off that there aren't enough pink weights that are above 10lbs? Then start getting large numbers of women in the gym who lift some serious weight. There is no conspiracy to "hold women back" in the fitness industry. There aren't manufactures out there saying "what can we make that people don't want?". Advertising teams aren't saying, "Hmmm, let's create an ad that will humiliate and infuriate our target market.". It's simple, the majority of women out there are buying the lightweight cutesy pink crap, gimmick gear and apparel that is wrapped in a packaging that displays some unrealistic woman having an absolute blast with her pink 2lb kettle bell, matching sport bra in some swanky home gym. If it bothers you, there are two options. One, start your own company producing what YOU think the people want, packaging it with YOU on the box working your buns off and advertise with YOUR own commercial. Hey, maybe you’ll make a million, maybe you’ll go bankrupt in a week. Option two is start slapping the fools who buy this crap and educate them. </rant>

Ok a lot of peoples’ comments in this thread are ridiculous, but this one takes the effing cake.

Pissed off that there aren't enough pink weights that are above 10lbs?

No. Pissed off that as a female, I am expected to use oversized pink 10lb kettlebells? Yes in-f*cking-deed I am. OP said that that was the HIGHEST weight they went to. And somehow, nobody has said ANYTHING about the size variation between the male and female 10lb kettlebell. Apparently, its totally cool to make the female version 4x bigger because, like, ew, as if you would want to get ‘bulky’ by lifting anything heavier than a handbag.

“There is no conspiracy to "hold women back" in the fitness industry”

Bulldust. Just google ‘how to tone up without bulking up’ and your page will be flooded with advice for how women can tone up without gaining muscle mass. Some examples:
“You want to slim and tone, so you're eating right and working out. But how can you slim and tone while avoiding gaining muscle weight?” http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/toning/slim-and-tone-without-gaining-muscle-weight.html
“One of the main concerns that women have when they begin to weight train is the fear of getting too big and looking too manly.” http://christinasfitness.com/fitness/how-to-tone-up-without-bulking-up/
And HUNDREDS MORE. All female-centric. I have never, ever seen a male ask how he can tone up without gaining muscle mass. Why does this obsession exist? It’s become a self-perpetuating myth. Programs like NROL4W are trying to break through the barriers, but its going to take a lot of time to get there.

t's simple, the majority of women out there are buying the lightweight cutesy pink crap, gimmick gear and apparel that is wrapped in a packaging that displays some unrealistic woman having an absolute blast with her pink 2lb kettle bell, matching sport bra in some swanky home gym

Its called social conditioning. Why does pink = feminine? Because it’s been shoved down our throats for the last 50 years. Anything with a female target base is cutesy pink. And we are expected to gravitate towards that.

mmipanda

This was the heaviest of the "pretty" kettlebells clearly being marketed to women, and the lightest of the one's being marketed neutrally (or to men for that matter). Yes, they are the same exact weight.

I just can't believe nobody gives a damn about this. It is essentially saying that men's absolute minimum is women's absolute maximum. It's infuriating! The problem isn't the colour, its the mentality behind the entire thing.

cevalid

In defence of bright colours- In uni I had a (male) friend who would use yellow, pink and purple highlighters on his assignment sheets. He was a psych student and was using the positive colours to make the negative activity feel less negative.

I thought it was rubbish until I realised how much better I felt when using my bright purple and yellow handweights. (Admittedly, I only use them during ad breaks to work while I'm on the couch, and when I go to the gym I use the same gun metal and black as everyone else).

While I think its rubbish that the pink option only runs till 10 pounds(/kilos?), and the bad photoshopping on the model shows a worrying preoccupation with being very thin, and impossibly long limbed, I have no issue with products that are more aesthetically pleasing.

RllyGudTweetr

This was the heaviest of the "pretty" kettlebells clearly being marketed to women, and the lightest of the one's being marketed neutrally (or to men for that matter). Yes, they are the same exact weight.

I just can't believe nobody gives a damn about this. It is essentially saying that men's absolute minimum is women's absolute maximum. It's infuriating! The problem isn't the colour, its the mentality behind the entire thing.

What happens if a man chooses to buy the pink one?

mmipanda

I just can't believe nobody gives a damn about this. It is essentially saying that men's absolute minimum is women's absolute maximum. It's infuriating! The problem isn't the colour, its the mentality behind the entire thing.

What happens if a man chooses to buy the pink one?

they are breaking their social conditioning and will be frowned upon by society for picking small girly weights. duh.

Mother_Superior

This was the heaviest of the "pretty" kettlebells clearly being marketed to women, and the lightest of the one's being marketed neutrally (or to men for that matter). Yes, they are the same exact weight.

I just can't believe nobody gives a damn about this. It is essentially saying that men's absolute minimum is women's absolute maximum. It's infuriating! The problem isn't the colour, its the mentality behind the entire thing.

Except the gray one doesn't say anywhere on it that it's for men. They're both 10 pounds, and one is pink. That's all the picture shows. The only sexism apparent in this picture is one that is created by bored people who have a pathological need to get bent out of shape over nothing at all.

RllyGudTweetr

I just can't believe nobody gives a damn about this. It is essentially saying that men's absolute minimum is women's absolute maximum. It's infuriating! The problem isn't the colour, its the mentality behind the entire thing.

What happens if a man chooses to buy the pink one?

they are breaking their social conditioning and will be frowned upon by society for picking small girly weights. duh.

See my earlier comment re: former heavyweight boxing champion Pinklon Thomas.

mmipanda

I just can't believe nobody gives a damn about this. It is essentially saying that men's absolute minimum is women's absolute maximum. It's infuriating! The problem isn't the colour, its the mentality behind the entire thing.

Except the gray one doesn't say anywhere on it that it's for men. They're both 10 pounds, and one is pink. That's all the picture shows. The only sexism apparent in this picture is one that is created by bored people who have a pathological need to get bent out of shape over nothing at all.

it is heavily implied. us women don't like nasty dark metals when we can have pretty pink things (again, social conditioning). if you can't see sexism in that picture, you probably also think feminism is a dirty word.


for what its worth, i would go for the metal ones because i don't like pink. but its the attitude behind the marketing that i have an issue with.

mmipanda

Who wants to tell former heavyweight boxing champion Pinklon Thomas that his trademark pink boxing trunks were obviously made for a girl because of their color?

Anyone?

looks like the fact that they were his trademark speaks clearly enough. Otherwise nobody would give a damn what colour he wore.

ATGsquats

This was the heaviest of the "pretty" kettlebells clearly being marketed to women, and the lightest of the one's being marketed neutrally (or to men for that matter). Yes, they are the same exact weight.

I just can't believe nobody gives a damn about this. It is essentially saying that men's absolute minimum is women's absolute maximum. It's infuriating! The problem isn't the colour, its the mentality behind the entire thing.

It's called marketing.

mmipanda

It's called marketing.

but its the attitude behind the marketing that i have an issue with.

i know its called marketing.

RllyGudTweetr

I just can't believe nobody gives a damn about this. It is essentially saying that men's absolute minimum is women's absolute maximum. It's infuriating! The problem isn't the colour, its the mentality behind the entire thing.

Except the gray one doesn't say anywhere on it that it's for men. They're both 10 pounds, and one is pink. That's all the picture shows. The only sexism apparent in this picture is one that is created by bored people who have a pathological need to get bent out of shape over nothing at all.

it is heavily implied. us women don't like nasty dark metals when we can have pretty pink things (again, social conditioning). if you can't see sexism in that picture, you probably also think feminism is a dirty word.

Ah, so anyone who has a different opinion than yours is wrong. Got it. Thanks for clearing that up.

ATGsquats

I just can't believe nobody gives a damn about this. It is essentially saying that men's absolute minimum is women's absolute maximum. It's infuriating! The problem isn't the colour, its the mentality behind the entire thing.

Except the gray one doesn't say anywhere on it that it's for men. They're both 10 pounds, and one is pink. That's all the picture shows. The only sexism apparent in this picture is one that is created by bored people who have a pathological need to get bent out of shape over nothing at all.

it is heavily implied. us women don't like nasty dark metals when we can have pretty pink things (again, social conditioning). if you can't see sexism in that picture, you probably also think feminism is a dirty word.


for what its worth, i would go for the metal ones because i don't like pink. but its the attitude behind the marketing that i have an issue with.

Those marketing the kettlebells, first and foremost, have intentions of selling and creating a profit, not to make sure your feelings are not hurt.

Jestinia

This is what's wrong with all advertising. There's a lot of criticism for the way toys are marketed as well.

Someone needs to come up with the Science Princess or something, complete with pink microscope and test tubes. I expect advertising execs to fail our children and society by turning most of our girls into fashion divas, but would some clever script writer with Disney connections please step up and save us? Thanks.

They have tons of pink test tubes and science stuff at Hobby Lobby.

You're welcome.

Thanks! Now I know what my niece is getting for her birthday. But a hit Disney movie could set off a proper princess scientist craze. I can dream, right?

Mother_Superior

I just can't believe nobody gives a damn about this. It is essentially saying that men's absolute minimum is women's absolute maximum. It's infuriating! The problem isn't the colour, its the mentality behind the entire thing.

Except the gray one doesn't say anywhere on it that it's for men. They're both 10 pounds, and one is pink. That's all the picture shows. The only sexism apparent in this picture is one that is created by bored people who have a pathological need to get bent out of shape over nothing at all.

it is heavily implied. us women don't like nasty dark metals when we can have pretty pink things (again, social conditioning). if you can't see sexism in that picture, you probably also think feminism is a dirty word.


for what its worth, i would go for the metal ones because i don't like pink. but its the attitude behind the marketing that i have an issue with.

LOL Well fellow person, pleas feel free to buy the metal ones, boldy making your point and holding your ever vigilant head high the whole time, while the rest of the world callously doesn't notice because they're too busy giving a damn about things that matter. And if you disagree with me then you probably hate all men. (See, I can make ridiculous assertions about people who disagree with me without knowing anything about them as well.)

Mlkmaid

Pink is such a cliché. I actually think that's the most insulting part. My kettlebell (from Sport's Authority) is neon green. I avoid pink in running clothes too.