A Table-Sized Weight Bench for a Shoebox Sized Apartment

The Score
Weightlifters trapped in small spaces may soon get more room to swing their guns
By Brett Zarda Posted 07.01.2008 at 5:24 pm 8 Comments

The Otto-Bench: Photo by Gabriel Prero/ Life Fitness
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A 450 square foot shoebox apartment was once a valid exemption from owning fitness equipment (and merely one component of your preemptive exercise avoidance plan). But you soon may have one less excuse for that gut.  The Otto-Bench, a concept created by Gabriel Prero, presents the first chink in your oversized armor. The aesthetically pleasing ottoman or coffee table, transforms seamlessly into a weight bench and houses all the required hardware needed to get buff. Sponsored by workout equipment manufacturer Life Fitness, the concept recently won an industrial design competition at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

The Otto-Bench: Photo by Gabriel Prero/ Life Fitness
As designed, the ottoman functions as a full size Olympic bench with both the long and short ends adjustable for incline lifts. Metal arms housed in the head of the unit pull out and snap up ninety degrees to create the bar holder. The bar then provides resistance through cables connected to an electronic unit (more on that below). Beneath the legs are a series of dumbbells that can be used for any number of traditional lifts. The outer surface of the bench (available in an array of pottery barn colors) is an anti-microbial cleanable surface ensuring you can still eat your dessert, er salad, while watching TV .

But, don’t put down the remote control quite yet. Life Fitness, which owns the design, has no immediate plans to commercialize or prototype it. The company is not certain there’s enough demand for such urban fitness products (a few comments below might change their mind). The details behind the ‘electronic resistance unit’ would also need to be ironed out and tested. Ironically, the product wouldn’t be the first from the company intended for the health conscious in tight quarters. The F3 folding treadmill minimizes the footprint necessary to take a jog in the comfort of your own pajamas. Should look great next to the dining room table, don’t you think?  
 
Launch the gallery here for a further look at the Otto-Bench.
 

8 Comments

Comments

nerd.herd
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 07/01/08 at 8:44 pm

I think a lot of people would use this it would allow them to work out and have a stylish piece of furniture.

the.nerd.herd.group.googlepages.com

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knd123
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 07/01/08 at 9:38 pm

put it on an info-mmercial and everyone and their dog will have one...promise

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palarious

from Detroit, Texas

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 07/02/08 at 3:40 am

that the economy doesn't take a nosedive too badly. but i rather like the idea.

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cs
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 07/02/08 at 5:22 pm

I don't think this would be limited to small apartments. I live in what supposedly is the average size house in the US and this would be perfect. Even people with 2000+ sq ft can have space issues (especially if they have a couple of kids).

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katpace
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 07/02/08 at 7:16 pm

My husband and I live in a 1,700 sf house, with no kids, and I would still find this useful and convenient. I agree with knd123--if they put it on an infomercial, it will sell.

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gateswork
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 07/02/08 at 7:19 pm

Where would I hang my clothes? ;-)

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jellybean
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 07/03/08 at 9:03 am

good design is always a good idea. as far as this selling, it all comes down to cost really, if the price is right, consumers will gladly choose the stylish design over the standard equipment. i disagree about the infomercial though, this seems it's targeting a higher class market then would be shopping off of infomercials.

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brainy435
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 07/03/08 at 2:34 pm

Just what everyone needs. A large, sweat-soaked coffee table. Is there a way to clean it?

Also, Olympic benches have to have a certain distance between the upright supports, in order for the counter-weights to work. That distance is much wider than shoulder width. I don't see how this meets that criteria. There was something that looked Olympic sized on the website, but it had a seperate bench.

This just seems like something meant to do two jobs in a mediocre fashion.

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