Review: Shake Weight works, if you use it along with common sense fitness routine

By April MacIntyre Nov 15, 2011, 23:29 GMT

The lure of the Shake Weight finally caught up to me after a respected friend swore it made a difference in her arms.

My pal Monique Marvez, a Showtime network Latin Diva, told me in no uncertain terms that this borderline lewd hand weight that simulates a male masturbatory act got rid of the jiggle in the underarm area. 

It's not really something you want to do in public.

So I went and got one, and I used the Shake Weight for the last 5 days to see what the hoopla was about.

This hand held weight became an overnight sight gag from its suggestive infomercial and even TV animated comedy 'South Park' took the Mickey out of it in a parody, posted below.

The Shake Weight is designed to help you tone and work your upper body: arms, shoulders, and chest. The original product was marketed to women but recently a men’s version has hit the airwaves too.  It's biggest caveat is to keep at least 6 inches away from your face, so you don't knock yourself out while vigorously shaking the weight.

The weight is a regular dumbbell, is 2.5 pound in weight with spring action on either end. According to the official website, Dynamic Inertia is the magic bullet that this uses to refine and tone muscle mass.

The claim that the official website makes is that by just shaking this weight for 6 minutes a day is enough to get your arms in shape.  I tried doing this for a solid 6 minutes and I was knackered and sore at the end of it; 6 minutes never felt so long.

There are a few claims that I have trouble with concerning this product.

This is not a solo fix-all. You need to keep a food journal, work out hard (cardio, minimum 30-60 minutes a day) at least 5-6 days a week, and use this in concert with all those things. It is a useful tool in fitness, but just a small part of it.

Will this bulk you up? No way. But it will help tome and tighten the pesky arm area that so many women struggle with. This is not a body building product.

What I liked about the Shake Weight is for a person like me who is at a desk writing or working a lot, it is a great stand up and take a break exercise - like doing squats - to get blood moving to extremities and boost metabolism.

Shake Weights are affordable (under $20) and has a money back guarantee.

The Shake Weight will augment your regular training, but you have to use it. Trying a few times and then laying it down never to be used again will not get you where you need to be. If you work an hour at a desk, carve out a 6 minute break at least once a day to do this and you will feel and see some results.

Consistency and doing all the things you know you must (eat right, exercise, get good sleep) and it will be a nice addition to the home gym or office.