This is what is wrong with the fitness industry

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Replies

  • LessJos
    LessJos Posts: 113 Member
    Screw pink. I want these: http://www.demonbells.com/product_p/2.htm
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Good point. To me, what's worse than books is the supplements. Especially when you have people like Jillian Michaels lending her face to 'fat burners', not that she doesn't lend her face to any product, as far as I can tell. Her actual education in the industry fits in a thimble but she's become America's fitness authority.

    Don't even get me started on BeachBody.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    20140118_181843.jpg

    I snapped this shot at a local ****'s Sporting Goods. 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.

    Additionally, here's the model used in the marketing campagin:

    20140118_181855.jpg

    The woman has absolutely ZERO muscle. That has to be the first time she even though about lifting a kettlebell. And is it just me, or are those arms a bit to Gumby-like to be natural? For her sake, I hope there is some photoshop occurring....

    Those look like my arms in that same position. It doesn't matter how much I lift or how much I can lift, I don't gain much visible muscle in my arms. Ever. No worries about looking manly over here. Sigh.

    I learned how to hold my arms in ballet so that it didn't look like I was about to start flapping away. I have to curve them more.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member

    too bad those are so expensive- I'd love a set.

    That being said that poor woman looks like a photo shop night mare. She's just a mess. Seriously- I feel really bad for her.

    And yes- I hate that the fitness industry things my vagina must have pink things in order to work out- it's so insulting.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    And yes- I hate that the fitness industry things my vagina must have pink things in order to work out- it's so insulting.

    Ironically this seems to be the opposite sentiment of the OP... i think
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
    Companies get away will millions versus what they actually pay out in law suits. Most end users don't even bother with claiming any money even if it's publicly announced that the company is being sued.
    Far worse though is the diet industry. Especially with books because the first amendment protects free speech and any author can convey whatever diet program they want to and there will be followers who buy into it. Remember Kevin Trudeau?
    Eh, free speech doesn't protect people when they make false claims that can actually be harmful to other people who listen.

    I think the problem is multifaceted:
    1) There hasn't been a lawyer who cares enough to try to bring up a case, or the case is too weak to bother.
    2) Regarding fitness magazines, they can always find an expert that will support the article and thus are absolved of any responsibility for the negative consequences of following it.
    3) If the author is a PhD or MD, you get into protecting academic freedom.

    Whatever the case, it is exceptionally unethical for someone to use his/her position of authority to push a fad diet or exercise program to make a buck. You'd like to make laws to shut these guys up, but then how do you prevent the same laws from silencing a legitimate breakthrough that defies conventional wisdom?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,941 Member
    Companies get away will millions versus what they actually pay out in law suits. Most end users don't even bother with claiming any money even if it's publicly announced that the company is being sued.
    Far worse though is the diet industry. Especially with books because the first amendment protects free speech and any author can convey whatever diet program they want to and there will be followers who buy into it. Remember Kevin Trudeau?
    Eh, free speech doesn't protect people when they make false claims that can actually be harmful to other people who listen.

    I think the problem is multifaceted:
    1) There hasn't been a lawyer who cares enough to try to bring up a case, or the case is too weak to bother.
    2) Regarding fitness magazines, they can always find an expert that will support the article and thus are absolved of any responsibility for the negative consequences of following it.
    3) If the author is a PhD or MD, you get into protecting academic freedom.

    Whatever the case, it is exceptionally unethical for someone to use his/her position of authority to push a fad diet or exercise program to make a buck. You'd like to make laws to shut these guys up, but then how do you prevent the same laws from silencing a legitimate breakthrough that defies conventional wisdom?
    Lol, unfortunately the amount of money made on these programs trumps ethics for many of these people.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    I have a 25 pound, cast iron kettle bell, and I already feel that it is getting too light for me. I am getting a heavier one soon.
  • IDk.

    If they made an entire line of pink kettle balls that went heavy (and I was into kettle balls) I'd probably buy them because I like the color pink.

    I agree I like pink...I would buy pink plates for lifting, I want pink gloves with orange lacy bits and pink and orange shoes...

    so what it's pink.

    ETA I don't want to live in a gender neutral society ...I am not a feminist either, I am just a woman who likes pink, I like purple and blue too..and when I had my son...he never wore pink as a baby..if he wants to now fine...he preferred trucks to dolls didn't have much to do with me.
    Like so?

    tumblr_m6a9nkpMTI1qfg4g6o1_500.jpg

    I would totally buy those.

    For sure...that way they know it's a woman lifting those heavy plates up cause no man gonna use pink plates...:laugh:

    I might have to go buy some spray paint...:drinker:

    ETA they even have a pink box for them....yah

    Yeah but see, now some feminist will complain "they have a separate workout area for women, like they cant lift normal weights, that's so sexist!"...

    I do wonder about the color association, maybe loading up a guy's bench press with pink weights will help him increase, because hey, they've got to be easy girlie weights right?!?! ;)
  • ImpishVanity
    ImpishVanity Posts: 224 Member
    I would really just like to see ANY color in weights. I don't care if it's pink, blue, purple, green, etc. Why does everything have to be grey and bland? BORING
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Sorry but I think that you are overdoing it and over thinking the reason for having a pink kettle bell or any kind of dumbbell for that matter.

    At my gym, 15 lbs dumbbell weights are pink and a lot of men use them to warm up and they don't complain about the color.

    And if the lady had ZERO muscle she would be death. She may not have muscle definition (besides having super long arms, probably due to photo shop gone bad), but she does have muscles, so let's not over do it with the labeling.

    It is not that is something wrong with the fitness industry, is that something is wrong with the ultra feminist attitude that some of our gender population is having.
  • I believe the point was that the weights marketed to women only went up to 10lbs, implying that women don't (can't) lift heavier, which is ridiculous. And why would you use a model with no muscle tone to advertise a product that develops muscle?
    So the point is not what color you like or how cute you look working out- no one looks cute sweaty and if you're not sweating then you're not working out. The point is that the fitness industry, like most industries, are patronizing women and, incorrectly, think we're inferior because most of us don't feel a need to bench our body weight.
    Moving your body and working your muscles is what's important, not the color of the equipment. So, rock on pink girls, but don't limit yourself to "pink" standards.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I believe the point was that the weights marketed to women only went up to 10lbs,
    But they didn't. Are people under the impression those are the only two weights sold in the store? Check out their web site. There are all different colors and shapes and sizes and none are marked 'womens' or 'mens'.
  • ebayaddict0127
    ebayaddict0127 Posts: 523 Member
    First - made me laugh that the store's name was edited.
    Second - why does everything have to be pink for women? Sure I don't mind the color, but it doesn't motivate me more. Have you seen those pink tool kits for women? Ugh.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    That's all advertising, not just for fitness products.

    And honestly I don't see the point in commenting on that lady's body. My arms are tiny and I lift weights.
  • ebayaddict0127
    ebayaddict0127 Posts: 523 Member
    This is what's wrong with all advertising. There's a lot of criticism for the way toys are marketed as well.

    ToysRUs-2-550x414.jpg

    I just intend to buy my daughter toys that will be fun for her. I always wanted an erector set, but never got one, because it was a "boy toy." Same went for Transformers, model cars, and chemistry sets. Hrmmph! However, I adored my Barbies and Barbie playsets, too. So, yeah, she'll have/she has "pink and blue" toys and can be a "pirate princess," if she wants to be. :happy:

    I have one 10 month old niece and one niece on the way. I bought her a "boy" colored airplane toy for Christmas. I intend to continue to buy them anything they enjoy - pink, blue, green, cars, trucks, dolls.. whatever. And I have two nephews. If they want a baby doll, this aunt will buy it for them!
  • harphy
    harphy Posts: 290 Member
    Wow....I used 70 pounds solid iron! KB last time for a version of deadlifts and it wasn't too heavy. That's more than half of my weight. 10lbd...is this a joke?
  • Bukovnik
    Bukovnik Posts: 18 Member
    Indeed, they'd deliver an excellent uppercut...........CHIN MUSIC
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    IDk.

    If they made an entire line of pink kettle balls that went heavy (and I was into kettle balls) I'd probably buy them because I like the color pink.

    I agree I like pink...I would buy pink plates for lifting, I want pink gloves with orange lacy bits and pink and orange shoes...

    so what it's pink.

    ETA I don't want to live in a gender neutral society ...I am not a feminist either, I am just a woman who likes pink, I like purple and blue too..and when I had my son...he never wore pink as a baby..if he wants to now fine...he preferred trucks to dolls didn't have much to do with me.
    Like so?

    tumblr_m6a9nkpMTI1qfg4g6o1_500.jpg

    I would totally buy those.

    For sure...that way they know it's a woman lifting those heavy plates up cause no man gonna use pink plates...:laugh:

    I might have to go buy some spray paint...:drinker:

    ETA they even have a pink box for them....yah

    I just recently got a barbell from the metal supermarket and just a little over my body weight in plates. I've been lifting weights at the gym for almost two years (and have danced and done strength training forever before that as well), and wanted some weights at home. My husband went out to get me some friction tape to put on the barbell (because it is a smooth, steel pipe). He chose pink tape. So, I basically have a pink barbell now, but the weights are still gray. I probably wouldn't have chosen pink, but it does look nice.
  • Crumpet_Girl
    Crumpet_Girl Posts: 276 Member
    Thank god for meggings and kilts!

    http://meggingsman.com/

    http://www.utilikilts.com/

    :heart:
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    because kettlebells are for hippie muthafuka crossfitters.... just get a barbell and deadlift.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    The fitness industry has long known that females will spend more money than males on personal self improvement. This is actually how the word "TONED" came about. Rather than saying "weight lifting" (which was associated with building huge muscles with males) "toning" sounded much softer and more feminine and didn't reek of muscularity. This help to create many "toning" programs out there catering to females and yes it's made the fitness industry BILLIONS.
    Unfortunately lots of females out there are under the impression that female muscles can grow at the same rate as male muscles and that's why there is so much confusion on how to train. Good thing is that sites like this help to dispell the myths of muscle gain (especially on a calorie deficit) and how hard it actually is to put on pounds of muscle with moderate training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    When I met with the trainer at my gym last week, he wanted to know what I had done previously. After I explained what NROLFW was, he said he didn't know women were supposed to train differently from men. I like that guy! He never used the word "tone", either.
    NROLFW got written for the same reason NROL for Abs and for MidLife did. They can't just leave a good book alone. They have to rewrite it in endless sequels to milk it for every dime. Next will be NROL for Europeans or NROL for Gays.

    NROL for life is very similiar to the original book, but it does have some different information in it as well (from what I recall).
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Of course it does. Mostly irrelevant and patronizing, if you ask me. :laugh:

    A pink kettlebell doesn't bother me one bit, I think it's cool. But rebranding a good, universal book about lifting to be more 'female friendly' kind of did.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Of course it does. Mostly irrelevant and patronizing, if you ask me. :laugh:

    A pink kettlebell doesn't bother me one bit, I think it's cool. But rebranding a good, universal book about lifting to be more 'female friendly' kind of did.

    I was talking about the LIFE book. I didn't like the women book either. Although the reasoning behind it was simply to get more women into weight lifting and in that sense it did work. I liked the LIFE book, that was the one I was talking about. I liked that it had a lot of variations and ways to start at one level and increase and clearly described form. Because I have long term structural issues that began with a birth defect that was corrected with casts and shoes, then I went on to become a dancer and had a growing problem while doing that, and then developed a painful knee condition due to the growing problem, worn away cartilage, structural issues, and my extreme active life as a teenage dancer. I was injured in a car accident while still in PT, and then two years later was hit by a car while riding my bike, and I've had torn muscles and broken bones and many injuries (all under the age of 19). But, I still went on to dance school and became a professional dancer. So, the life book was helpful to me in my thirties when I was having a flair up of past injuries (and I have the structural issue that will always be an issue for me). It also had more and updated information and presented some different workout plans and helped me to build my own weight lifting plan. But, whenever I say LIFE book, people always think I'm talking about the women's book. I didn't relate to the baby boomer talk in the life book, but I did appreciate reading about the challenges the author and trainer have faced and overcome, and for that alone it was worth checking out of the library. I checked all of their books out, and chose to purchase the life one. At that time the Supercharged one had not been released. That one is their most updated. It is the original book revised. Authors do that all the time.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Of course it does. Mostly irrelevant and patronizing, if you ask me. :laugh:

    A pink kettlebell doesn't bother me one bit, I think it's cool. But rebranding a good, universal book about lifting to be more 'female friendly' kind of did.

    I was talking about the LIFE book. I didn't like the women book either. Although the reasoning behind it was simply to get more women into weight lifting and in that sense it did work. I liked the LIFE book, that was the one I was talking about.
    Oh, sorry! I did read your post wrong. I would kind of like to check out the LIFE one but I was disappointed in the WOMEN one. I think it just depends on the authors. LIFE is back to Shuler and Cosgrove, so I'd probably like it. Forsythe kind of rubbed me wrong. She reminds me of Pamela Peeke, who did Body For Life for Women. I don't love her either. :laugh:
  • sara1029
    sara1029 Posts: 18 Member
    I am sure the pink ones were more $$$$$$$$$!
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    I hate pink. I could care less if they sell pink weights, but I sure as hell won't be buying any. If they made, say, sparkly black weights? I'd be all over that.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Of course it does. Mostly irrelevant and patronizing, if you ask me. :laugh:

    A pink kettlebell doesn't bother me one bit, I think it's cool. But rebranding a good, universal book about lifting to be more 'female friendly' kind of did.

    I was talking about the LIFE book. I didn't like the women book either. Although the reasoning behind it was simply to get more women into weight lifting and in that sense it did work. I liked the LIFE book, that was the one I was talking about.
    Oh, sorry! I did read your post wrong. I would kind of like to check out the LIFE one but I was disappointed in the WOMEN one. I think it just depends on the authors. LIFE is back to Shuler and Cosgrove, so I'd probably like it. Forsythe kind of rubbed me wrong. She reminds me of Pamela Peeke, who did Body For Life for Women. I don't love her either. :laugh:

    It really is a beginner book, though. So, you may not like it if you are already experienced and knowledgeable. I just personally liked it, and preferred it over the women's book, but have moved on. I like Strong Curves also for the workouts and info.