{"id":256461,"date":"2025-07-11T15:06:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T15:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/256461\/"},"modified":"2025-07-11T15:06:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T15:06:14","slug":"is-your-home-gym-equipment-hot-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/256461\/","title":{"rendered":"Is your home gym equipment hot enough?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unlock the Editor\u2019s Digest for free<\/p>\n

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.<\/p>\n

For too long, the unspoken rule of the home workout was clear: hide the evidence. Brutish dumbbells, joylessly coloured yoga mats and\u00a0tangles of resistance bands were banished to the darkest recesses of a room, summoned only during fleeting moments of motivation before being exiled and forgotten. But what if the path to physical wellbeing was paved not with rubber and steel, but marble, oak or Italian leather?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"AdditionAddition Studio 1kg dumbbells in (from left) limestone, travertine and green marble, $109.95 each \u00a9 Andy Price<\/p>\n

Shane Reilly was inspired to launch her \u201cdecorative\u201d weights company Obshay<\/a> after tripping over equipment stored under her desk during Zoom calls. \u201cI settled on the idea that they should look like sculptures you could keep on your desk,\u201d says Reilly of\u00a0her marble-effect silicone weights. She\u2019s since moved from decorating New York penthouses and San Francisco homes to winning this year\u2019s Best Multipurpose Weight at the Women\u2019s Health Awards. Her two-year development process involved 3D printing, extensive testing and consulting medical professionals about ergonomic comfort, resulting in a\u00a0clang-free alternative to traditional dumbbells.<\/p>\n

\"Obshay<\/p>\n

Obshay<\/a> silicone Swirl weights, from \u00a359<\/p>\n

\"Pent<\/p>\n

Pent x Swarovski<\/a> crystal, steel and walnut Lova\u00a0kettlebell, \u00a3551<\/p>\n

Similarly, Subtle Impacts<\/a>\u2019 powder-coated cast-iron \u201csculptures\u201d are\u00a0equally at home curling a bicep as they are positioned among antique ceramics (or as a pair of hand weights that double as bookends to cradle your reading material). They come in\u00a0smooth finishes (Luna and Dusk) as well\u00a0as more textured options (Black and\u00a0Sand) for a firmer grip, which is recommended for heavier weights.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This new breed of kit might be pretty, but how practical is it? Forzini<\/a>, a M\u00e1laga-based furnishings company, sculpts its marble dumbbells (1-3kg) and kettlebells (3-8kg) from south Asian marble, which has a natural cooling effect. They\u2019re also shaped and weighted to be slip-free. CEO Nina Donskova admits they are \u201cnot designed to\u00a0be used for 10-hour training sessions\u201d, but for one hour they\u2019re \u201cfantastic\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"EquiptEquipt steel Ubarre weights, $149 each \u00a9 Benjamin Holtrop <\/p>\n

\n

I had the weight strap on my vintage Louis Vuitton and it blended perfectly<\/p>\n

Kodi Kitchen Berg, founder, Equipt<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

California-based Equipt<\/a>, founded by former actress Kodi Kitchen Berg, has designed the Ubarre, a sculptural steel weight with an ergonomic shape \u201cdesigned for comfort and utility\u201d, while the brand\u2019s wrist weights use metal balls instead of sand for \u201can extra level of security\u201d. The latter\u2019s vegan- leather components are made from recycled water bottles, and Berg will soon launch a\u00a0travel-friendly weight strap designed to attach to handbags. \u201cI had it on my vintage Louis Vuitton and it blended in perfectly,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Forzini<\/p>\n

Forzini<\/a> marble Apollo dumbbell sets, from \u20ac160<\/p>\n

\"Pent<\/p>\n

Pent<\/a> wood Sienna Premium skipping rope, \u00a3209<\/p>\n

\u201cGood design is almost invisible, but really good design you don\u2019t even notice,\u201d says interior designer Vicky Charles, who recently included a TechnoGym<\/a> banquette with built-in weights and stretch band hooks in the suites of the Dolomites\u2019 newly opened Hotel Ancora. Also noteworthy is design company Dienne Salotti\u2019<\/a>s sofa gym, a hot-stone-inspired couch that converts to\u00a0a workout station with a wooden floor, hidden storage for weights and a roll-out treadmill. It was so highly anticipated that orders had begun even before its unveiling at\u00a0May\u2019s Salone del Mobile.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For home workouts, Charles recommends equipment from Polish company Pent<\/a>, which kits out the likes of\u00a0Rosewood Doha and the Kasper 7 superyacht with kettlebells and skipping ropes\u00a0crafted from walnut, as well as offering a\u00a0collaboration with Swarovski. Clients increasingly want gyms to be \u201cas beautiful as the rest of their homes\u201d, says Charles, \u201cand then want to put\u00a0equally beautiful equipment in the space\u00a0as you would other furniture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SubtleSubtle Impacts cast-iron Luna\u00a020lb kettlebell, $161 \u00a9 Rachel Steffensmeier<\/p>\n

Jessica Thompson, global brand president at activewear brand Halara<\/a>, works out up to six days a week \u2013 at least half of that at home. \u201cI do my home exercise in my closet, so I want it all to feel aligned,\u201d she says. Aligned, that is, with her Jil Sander, Dries Van Noten and vintage Prada. Disappointed by the selection of yoga mats on offer \u2013 \u201ca lot come in terrible colours\u201d \u2013 she settled on an off-white padded exercise mat from Oceanfoam<\/a> that doubles as a rug in her closet area. She uses Bala<\/a> ankle and wrist weights, and has marble handweights from Lifted Movement<\/a> on her\u00a0wishlist. \u201cI like Bala because it has that\u00a0rubberised texture,\u201d says Thompson. \u201cWhereas with something like a marble, you\u2019re a little more limited in what you\u00a0can or should do with it. Marble weights can chip, so you have to be intentional about how you are setting them down or doing exercises where you\u00a0might traditionally tap them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Technogym<\/p>\n

Technogym<\/a> Home Gym bench, \u00a31,450<\/p>\n

\"Dienne<\/p>\n

Dienne Salotti<\/a> fabric sofa gym, POA<\/p>\n

Recommended<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Of course, there are those who eschew equipment entirely. \u201cI use a lot of my furniture to stretch,\u201d says Clotilde Chaumet, a Paris-based wellness instructor specialising in at-home workouts. Chaumet practises yoga on the shaggy rug in her living room\u00a0and deep back-stretches over the sculpted curves of her emerald-green Etcetera chair\u00a0\u2013 a minimalist approach that underscores a mood. Exercise increasingly happens where we live and using what we live with. Why not use equipment that slips into the seams of our lives? \u00a0<\/p>\n