The tendency to make previously dumb gadgets smarter doesn't seem to diminish. Now, following smart kettles that can tell you when it's tea time, there are these "smart" kettlebells from JaxJox. Thanks to them, with their awful name and clever technology, you can now get an innovative kettlebell pack that sits on an electronic weight base, allowing you to adjust the mass of the bell at the touch of a button. A kettlebell with an extension of 5 kg to 19 kg is effectively condensed into a pack.
You can also balance this piece of heavy plastic and get instant fit updates, reps, and power output right to your phone.
In summary, the JaxJox Kettlebell Connect aims to offer a complete workout that everyone can do in the comfort of their home, from complete amateurs to professional swingers (kettlebell swing, of course).
How does the JaxJox Kettlebell work?
Kettlebell fans can simply use the JaxJox creation as a standard kettlebell, adjusting weight on the go to make exercise easier or more difficult, but come alive with the connected app.
Available for Apple and Android, the free app collects user data over the weeks through heart rate monitors, FitBits, and other fitness trackers, and then creates a fairly comprehensive picture of health.
If you don't have any other type of fitness sensor, don't worry, because built-in sensors take care of repetition and counting, while keeping track of weight used, minutes of exercise, and average power.
Separate the thing and you will find a family of motion sensors, with a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer that take care of everything. Unfortunately, that's where the experience stops, as it's up to the user to watch one of the many training videos on Vimeo and kettlebells along with a guy in a strange orange room.
There is no digital assistant to tell you if you have nailed the technique or are doing it completely wrong and there is no one to sound an alarm when you are about to turn your back on a difficult to handle swing technique. Although it is rumored that JaxJox plans to take the Peloton route, and open a subscription-based training channel that could see him in the future before a live instructor.
But for now, count and collect reps, sets, weight, time spent exercising for over a week, and encourages you to do a little more. Arguably the best feature is Kettlebell Connect's ability to train the average power of each workout (a bit like a power meter on a bike does), helping users increase intensity over time.
What are their characteristics?
Unwrap the JaxJox from its relatively large box and the first thing to choose is its size. Anyone who spends some time in the gym will know that most kettlebells are made of cast iron or something equally brutal, but they come separately if they have shapes and sizes.
This is not the case with the Kettlebell Connect as this monster has to be big enough to house the special stacking system that allows the gadget to intelligently select a weight with the push of a button.
The weight itself is housed in an electronic base with simple plus and minus buttons to adjust the amount of weight secured within the outer casing. This unit should be plugged into the wall, but when fully charged, it lasts for approximately 14 hours without a power source.
But as we told you earlier, the fact that the external unit houses the internal weights, the kettlebell itself is a bulky thing. For starters, some beginner-level kettlebell users may find it a bit big and awkward to handle, and that large opening handle makes it difficult to feel comfortable lifting it overhead.
Regardless, it's constructed of some pretty solid materials, and like its cast iron counterparts, we highly recommend that you don't drop this on your toes.
JaxJox Connect's non – slip base ensures there is a nice, solid base to lift and drop the system on when moving between weights, but getting used to the technique is difficult. The lower half of the Kettlebell itself is elongated to accommodate such an extension of weights, making you feel unbalanced and the internal weight plates vibrate quite a bit when in use.
Who is it for?
Despite the rise in popularity of home class experiences, I find the whole business of working out in a bedroom or living room a bit strange. Having to change a coffee table to be in front of the TV or sweat on a carpet in the hallway is just weird. But hey, it's cheaper than a gym fee and safer with the CoVid-19, so I get it.
You don't have to be a professional Kettlebell athlete, but you'll be able to watch numerous exercise videos that highlight just how versatile this sporty element is, with everything from quick 10-minute abdominal workouts to 45-minute full-blown lung busters.
Sufficient sweating is enough for gym fans and we doubt anyone can do one of the longest workouts with a maximum weight selection of 19kg without passing out.
Price and availability
Don't ignore the price here, because the € 330 price would see most people in a well-equipped gym for a year or more, but it feels like a product that will outlast the January commitment subscription.
It's well built, the sensors and the app work together effortlessly, and it's easy enough to follow along with one of the highly streamlined videos currently on offer. Plus, there's the added benefit of data collection and visualization, which we all know helps convince us to train a little more.
However, its size and dimensions are likely to deter those who are seriously in their kettlebell classes and he was not convinced of the way he handled himself when performing a press or anything that required kettlebells to rest on his forearm; it just wasn't comfortable.
Finally, remember that a kettlebell is not like a treadmill or an exercise bike, where the risk of injury among the uninitiated is quite low. Here you literally swing 19kg of metal between your legs and it's very easy to go wrong. Call me traditionalist, but for that reason alone, I strongly suggest you try a face-to-face class with a trained instructor before delving into the JaxJox realm.
