When first stepping foot onto UNF’s forest-covered campus, the questions consuming your brain are probably not ‘when do I get my first homework assignment?’ or ‘where’s the gym?’  My guess is that they have a little more to do with the location of the nearest liquor store or the color of your bed sheets.

However, after settling in to your classes, making a few friends and possibly gaining the Freshman 15, the location of the nature trails or the gymnasium may become increasingly important to you. If you are not one who enjoys working out in front of your peers, or you aren’t in the mood to fight over the limited equipment at the on-campus gym, then I’d suggest buying some small, lightweight equipment for your dorm room, whether it be a yoga mat, an exercise ball, or possibly, the Shake Weight.

I’m sure you have all seen the not-so-subtle commercials which portray the Shake Weight in an interesting and confusing light. Well, I decided to head to Bed Bath & Beyond, where my mom surprisingly knew they were in stock, and see for myself how well this arm-toner works.

Upon removing this device from its packaging, I imagined it being a lot bigger and much heavier, but it is no more than 3 pounds and can easily fit inside your backpack.  It also appeared to be more of a travel-exercise tool as opposed to something you just grab around the house.

Those troubles aside, I popped in the 6-minute DVD which was provided with the Shake Weight and began learning moves on how my arm fat was going to ‘melt away.’  Now, I recommend being alone when using the Shake Weight, to spare you from any embarrassment you may feel while holding this pulsating rubber weight in one hand, while it wiggles and vibrates.

Honestly, I could not stop laughing the entire time I was “working out.”  The DVD showed me how to use the Shake Weight as a dumbbell more so than in its vibrating form, which makes no sense considering a 3-pound dumbbell will do virtually nothing, and I would rather buy an actual weight, rather than one that squirms.  After about 10 minutes, my arm started to hurt, but not in a good, feeling sore kind of way, it was more like a genuine pain in my upper arm.

Also, as someone who has been in the gym from a young age, I know that working both arms at the same time is more effective than working each arm individually. While there are both good and bad to the Shake Weight’s use, I would have to say that it is only useful to those who consider themselves beginners when it comes to working out.  However, this morning upon waking, my arms did feel a little sore when I stretched them, but you will need a lot more than six minutes a day to feel the burn.

While my heart felt a bit guilty upon returning the Shake Weight back to the same woman who sold it to be the day before, I felt a little better knowing from experience the Shake Weight was not for me.  All in all, I would say the Shake Weight was more of an entertainment product, as opposed to a useful workout tool.  My advice to those out there who want toned arms? Drop and give me 50.