Womens Weights/Dumbells

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2004
Womens Weights/Dumbells
10
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 5:33pm
I'm very interested in redesigning the dumbell as we know it.

As I work out I notice it's shape has changed very little - while the rest of our personal world has been designed and fine tuned (just for us and often by us)! in one way or another.

My questions are these:

1) Would we women like to hold something more sculptural and beautiful as we are redefining our bodies?

2) Why are we working out with the often ugly uninspiring dumbell that was designed by men

so long ago?

3) Would we rather hold a piece of bronze, pewter, or at least forged iron/steel that was crafted to be just as effective, BUT beautiful?! Like us and the us we aspire to....

I am learning blacksmithing with this passion in mind.

Please let me hear from you.

Many Thanks, Seawords

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-18-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 5:48pm

I guess I look at weight training equipment as functional, cost effective and gets the job done.


 








 
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2001
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 7:15pm
I don't have any ideas about new shapes for dumbells but would love to hear any you come up with.Good luck!

Miss P




 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 8:13pm

Welcome to the board! Even though I love to look at beautiful things, a pretty dumbbell wouldn't make me more likely to use it.


I am most concerned that the shape

       ~~Rhonda~~


<

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2004
Tue, 08-03-2004 - 8:43am
Thanks so much for replying! Take care!
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2004
Tue, 08-03-2004 - 8:49am
Thanks so much. I would like to see more choices, more natural shapes.

The challenge is to forge them artistically while keeping them balanced

and rust proof of course. Just wondering if women would respond to new shapes.

Not to make them "pretty" but to make them more connected to us - through designs of nature.

Take care!
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2004
Tue, 08-03-2004 - 8:55am
Thanks so much for responding to my questions.

My intention is not to make a pretty dumbell, but to forge a more scuptural dumbell

that is closer to the natural world. I agree the challenge is to create it to be correctly balanced, etc...while giving it a spirit so to speak!

Take care and thanks.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2000
Tue, 08-03-2004 - 3:58pm
I look for cost first, then comfort. I *will* pay for comfort, and have selected coated dumbbells over plain ones - I'm a sweaty person (horses sweat, men perspire, women only glow - yeah, right!), and the coating helps my grip. The colors don't even match from one set to the other because I bought them at different times, different places. But honestly, I can't even relate to buying a designer product made out of a pricier material for show: When I work out, I don't care if my hair isn't done, if my teeth aren't brushed, if my socks don't match my old unitard, or if I've even changed underwear that morning (LOL! usually I'll workout then take my shower!). I'll never be the gal who puts on makeup to look good while working out because it doesn't matter in my books. For a totally common gal like me, brass, pewter, bronze or even sculpted forged iron is out of my league, LOL! ;^)

It'll be interesting if you go through with your redesign. At least we can say - hey, I've seen the designer on iVillage!












Cussette src="http://pages.ivillage.com/cussette/cross_icon.gif" width=15>, href="http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppfinances">Family Finances

Visit the href="http://pages.ivillage.com/familyfinances/">Family Finances Website for links, tips, discussions and answers to your
financial questions





href="http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppplaynov98n">November 1998 Playgroup and href="http://pages.ivillage.com/nov98_whoswho/">Website
src="http://pages.ivillage.com/cussette/portrait.jpg" width=100 border=0>
size=+0>Li'l Al's Place!

My greatest fear is
that there is no PMS and this is my personality!

C

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-15-2003
Tue, 08-03-2004 - 5:21pm
I've got the sweatiest hands west of the Mississippi...so a good grip is VIP to me.
“You can only grow if you’re willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” -Brian Tracy
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2004
Tue, 08-03-2004 - 7:52pm
Thanks so much for your response!
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2004
Tue, 08-03-2004 - 7:53pm
Thanks for responding!