If you have been on the site Indiegogo recently you might have noticed two of the biggest projects currently acquiring money there: BionicGym and Silk’n Lipo. Both are crowdfunded fitness devices that claim to be able to burn calories and melt away fat with no effort on the part of the wearer. Are these new technological miracles, or more of the same kind of “cures” that have been sold over the decades without success?
Silk’n Lipo, Liposuction At Home
First product is the Silk’n Lipo. It doesn’t just claim to burn fat, it claims that it gives you the same results as liposuction, an invasive medical procedure that removes fat from under the dermis by sucking it directly out, at home. All without any incisions or need for sterile conditions or medication.
Unlike other products of this kind, they don’t specify that diet and exercise are necessary for it to work. The whole idea is that you don’t need to do anything, including additional dieting efforts, in order to see results. It is a bold statement and one that most products shy away from.
It works by placing the device via a strap to targeted high fat areas such as the stomach, thighs, upper arms, butt or hips. It combined low level light therapy (LLLT) and electro-muscle stimulation (EMS) to tighten skin, burn fat and increase muscle. They claim you only have to wear it 15 minutes a day and the device costs under $350.
BionicGym, The Crowdfunded Fitness Cardio Machine
And next is BionicGym. The most funded in the site’s Fitness section, it has made more than $2 million at the time of this writing. It works by taking a control panel and slipping it into a holster that wraps around your thigh. It then stimulates your heart rate by pumping currents through your legs.
They claim that you can burn up to 500 calories an hour or more while sitting around watching TV. This has been claimed before with other products, though BionicGym does appear to have been studied more thoroughly than past devices, with published research in eight journals including the Journal of Applied Physiology and the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
While it certainly seems a bit too good to be true, they have done some interesting experiments with the technology. The European Space Agency tried it out as a potential solution to lack of activity while in zero gravity. Anything tested for astronauts is a fascinating product to at least keep at eye on.
Though maybe not enough for the almost $500 price tag, crowdfunded fitness “miracle” or not.
What do you think? Too good to be true, or is technology finally reaching a stage where this could work? I admit, I am more than a little skeptical.
Sources: BionicGym, Silk’n Lipo
