New silly (and sexual) fitness device Free Flexor: Does it work?
(CBS) - There's a new fitness gadget making its rounds. Even more silly (not to mention sexual) than the good ol' Thigh Master and newcomer Shake Weight, the Free Flexor makes us giggle when it's in use.
Just watch this commercial we found on YouTube, for starters. Within seconds, you will blush, laugh, and copy and paste the URL. We'd tell you why it makes us laugh, but we're too ashamed to get into it. (No pun intended.) Guaranteed, you will share it with your friends. Some of them might even buy it for novelty alone. I'm not judging - I have a Shake Weight at home. I don't know if it really works, but it sure is a great conversation piece at house parties.
Now about the Free Flexor... We have yet to try it, so we couldn't tell you if it is effective or not. To get the lowdown, we turned to fitness experts for their opinions...
It's just a gimmick
Tom Seryak, personal trainer and owner of private strength and conditioning facility in Dublin, Ohio, believes the Free Flexor is just another gimmick marketed to a gigantic sector of the population that wants results without having to do the work. "This product will, at best, improve forearm/grip-specific strength endurance, but nothing else," he explains. "The product claims to 'build strength' and 'get you ripped' using male fitness models that got strong and ripped doing something else - probably lifting barbells and eating a lean diet for a long period of time."
Use regular weights to tone up
Shonda Lewis, 2009 Arnold Sports Festival Figure winner and founder of Arnold Sports Festival's Rock Star Bikini Contest, questions the ability for the Free Flexor to tone you up like it does the guys in the commercial. "Interesting theory. There is always some new item in the market. I'm not sure this is doing anything more revolutionary than a pull down on a machine," Lewis explains. "It appears aimed towards men, but men don't seem to be accepting of it according to the comments on the Youtube ad." Lewis adds that you can do exercises without weights to obtain tone."
It's a waste of money
Personal trainer and fitness pro Nicole Palacios, says, "Without trying the device, I would have to say it's a waste of money," she explains. "It's simply another gimmicky gadget that might seem like a great idea, but if you're trying to get the body of one of the guys on their infomercial, you will have to train much differently." Palacios adds that any one exercise is not going to train your whole body effectively enough to burn calories and build muscle. Palacios stresses, "It's imperative to use a variety of modalities when training, as well as using functional exercises (motions you would do in real life) in order to get in amazing shape and lose weight and build muscle."
The fitness experts have spoken. They believe the Free Flexor is not as effective as it seems. However, you can buy it for fun - it's only $39.95 and that may just be worth the laughs.
