Kettlebells have popped up at gyms across the U.S. The devices, which originated in Russia, are cast iron weight training implements that are shaped like spheres with handles.
Kettlebells pump up your workout because, unlike dumbbells, their weight isn't evenly distributed. When you do traditional dumbbell exercises with kettlebells, your stabilizer muscles have to work much harder.
In a 20-minute workout, kettlebells can help you burn as much as 300 calories. The quantity burned increases even more as your body works to rebuild muscle fibers as you recover after the workout.
A kettlebell workout works for the gym, so why not turn one into—an iPhone 5 case? That's exactly what Marware has done, blending concrete, asphalt and carbonite to create the world's first kettlebell iPhone case. The yellow and black case features chip-free rubberized paint to protect it during your workout.
The company also plans to release kettlebell cases for iPad Mini, iPad Retina, Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Kindle Fire HD 7".
Maybe that's one way to avoid leaving your iPhone unsupervised in your gym locker. What the Marware kettlebell case really does, however, is to highlight just how connected our smartphones and our workouts have become.
For one thing, smartphones make workouts social. Devices like Fitbit's Flex Wristband and Nike's FuelBand gather vital workout stats such as heart rate, calories burned and exercise intensity and transmit the information to apps like MyFitnessPal or RunKeeper. You can then use those apps to transmit your workout information to Facebook or Twitter.
Research shows that people who share their workout stats on Facebook tend to stick with their routines longer. Even if you don't want to share your personal exercise information, you can "Like" fitness companies on Facebook or "Follow" them on Twitter to receive product updates or daily inspirational messages.
So will you buy Marware's $400 Kettlebell iPhone case? Chances are, whether you do or not, that your smartphone is coming to the gym along with you.
Edited by
Brooke Neuman
