Gym Gives Lifters More Than a Pound of Flesh

If you've lost interest in lifting dumbbells and strapping on weights, consider what a London fitness center is doing to liven up workouts. Last month, Gymbox added human weights, which allow exercisers to pump, well, flesh instead of iron.

The gym's five human weights, ranging from 66 to 342 pounds, can be used as free weights or on specially adapted weightlifting equipment. Gymbox promotes the concept as a visualization tool that lets weightlifters compare what they're lifting to an everyday object. Plus, the human weights can shout out encouragement to lift exercisers' spirits.

Although lifting live weights can make different demands on exercisers than lifting dead weights, American Council on Exercise spokesman Francisco Semiao says, "it's definitely exposing you to injury." Weightlifters can drop dumbbells that get too heavy -- but you shouldn't necessarily do that to a human weight, he explains. Plus, lifting people can be a bit like lifting a lopsided barbell, because a person's body weight is distributed unevenly. What's more, while you can lighten a barbell by taking off a single plate, it's not as easy to adjust a living weight.

-- Kathleen Hom