Workout Tool Design - Yamaha Design

Project Overview

Yamaha and Yamaha Motor designers based in the USA worked on the designs of workout tools. It is no exaggeration to say that in the USA, working out has become a routine, daily activity. You see strength training equipment lying around people’s houses on such a regular basis that it is clear that workout tools are an essential part of life for Americans. What kinds of new value can be created when both Yamahas—with their common philosophy of creating Kando—design these everyday tools based on each other’s design methodologies? We presumed that musical instruments and mobility tools are highly similar to workout tools in that they are all tools with strong physicality. By focusing on the appeals of musical instruments and mobility tools—for example, the joy and pleasure people experience when they master these tools, or their immersion in the process of getting there—we aimed to elevate them into tools that bear the distinct hallmarks of both Yamahas.

*Kando is a Japanese word for the simultaneous feelings of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that we experience when we encounter something of exceptional value.

Works

THE HOLDER

The part the palm of the hand wraps around is made of a wooden material shaped with soft curved surfaces to gently follow the shape of the palm. And the part where the fingertips support the dumbbells with delicate control is made of a hard metal material. Providing relaxation in the palm of the hand and tension at the fingertips at the same time aims to encourage a good balance of relaxation and stress, necessary for a workout and to maximize strength.
The combination of these two materials, tailored to fit the parts of the human hand, creates a dynamic form that fits the user’s body nicely like a violin’s beautifully taut body or a rider seat.
Inside the dumbbell is a module with an accelerometer and a communication chip that detects and records the user's daily workout movements, time, etc and sends the information to a pre-defined device such as a smartphone app.

THE GRIPPER

This is a unique hand grip in which each finger part is independent. The palm side, which serves as the fulcrum to support the grip, is made of softly sculpted wood, while the fingertip parts are made of cold metal. The fingertip side has a mechanism that allows each finger to be operated independently, like a trumpet. This gives the feeling of delicate manipulation with each finger, increasing the tension at the fingertips. It is a tool that simultaneously gives the user the combination of relaxation and stress needed for a workout and the expectation of maximum performance.
The length of each pipe of the grip can be tuned one by one according to the size of the user's fingers.

THE EXTENDER

This is a new muscle training device inspired by the hydraulic arm bar. It can be used for 2-way training, mainly across the broad back muscles, arms and shoulders.
The first way is to grip both ends of the upper part with your hands and hold the wooden part of the base with your feet while pulling up with your entire upper body, just like a rowing machine. This allows the user to train the broad back muscles. The cylindrical part in the center is a hydraulic damper, and the load can be changed by adjusting the dial below it.

Creative Process

Workout Tool Design2022