Dumbbells get smarter: Amazon’s Alexa gets a workout in weights that integrate voice control

The NordicTrack iSelect Adjustable Dumbbells work with Amazon’s Alexa voice control. (iFIT Photo)

Is this the fitness tech you’ve been weighting for?

Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa has been integrated into dumbbells made by iFIT’s NordicTrack, bringing smart technology to traditional exercise gear.

NordicTrack iSelect Adjustable Dumbbells allow a user to electronically adjust from 5 to 50 pounds using simple voice commands and an Alexa-enabled device. A motorized weight selector responds to the voice prompts and makes the necessary adjustments, according to an iFIT news release on Tuesday.

The dumbbells are priced at $429 on Amazon.

Much like not changing the TV channel with your fingers or not using your eyes to look outside at the weather, Alexa steps in again to allow voice to make a process more seamless. Forget all that “no pain, no gain” stuff you learned changing out weights the old-fashioned way.

iFIT offered up some examples of how Alexa can join your workout with three skills for the dumbbells:

Setting weight to a specific amount: e.g. “Alexa, set weights to 35 pounds.”
Increasing or decreasing weight: e.g. “Alexa, decrease weight by 10 pounds.”
Setting weight presets for specific exercises: “Alexa, set weight for biceps curls.”

My voice feels more buff already!

“Our patent-pending electronic adjustment eliminates the pain points of cumbersome mid-workout weight change found on other adjustable dumbbells, like decreased heart rate and reduced time under tension, creating a truly uninterrupted and transformative experience,” Mark Watterson, chief experience officer for iFIT, said in a statement.

The dumbbells can also be adjusted mechanically with a simple turn of a knob.