With Dumbbell-Kettlebell Hybrid, TRX Eyes a Strength Training Revolution

TRX CEO Jack Daly talks to ATN about the economic and fitness benefits of Ybells, which combine kettlebells, dumbbells, two-handed tools and push-up handles into a single piece of equipment

As strength training surges in popularity, brands are lining up with new equipment designed to tap into the modality’s unique benefits.

“The trend of strength training is very real,” said TRX Fitness CEO Jack Daly. “Studies correlate strength training with longevity and a healthy lifestyle — so the collective IQ of people in the market has gone up quite a bit. It’s learning about the right way to train and that’s played into what we at TRX have been doing for 20 years.”

TRX , which created its iconic Suspension Trainer two decades ago, believes it’s found the next big innovation in the category.

Last summer, TRX acquired YBell , a fitness equipment brand famous for developing a kettlebell-dumbbell hybrid .

“I fell in love last year with YBell when the founder walked up to me at IHRSA holding one,” Daly recalled. “I looked at him and I said, ‘Don’t even say a word. I get it 100%. I don’t want to hear the pitch, I get it,’ and he started laughing at me. I’ve been working out with dumbbells and kettlebells for almost 50 years and here’s this guy who finally smashed them together into something beautiful.”

YBell Saves Space & Money

First off, the YBell is a space saver, and therefore, a money-saver thanks to its versatility.

“It combines a dumbbell, kettlebell, two-handed tools and push-up handles,” explained Daly. “It’s kind of a four-in-one. Anytime you’re combining things you’re saving space, and again, you’re spending money on every square foot you use.”

“They also stack together neatly,” he added. “You can lay them out on the floor and put them in a pyramid. You only need one tool and people aren’t going back and forth picking up other ones. That’s part of the genius of YBell — it’s so efficient.”

The Future of Strength Training

According to Daly, the YBell also encourages a more robust and efficient form of strength training, one that’s in line with current fitness trends.

“YBells are designed in the way the market has evolved in strength training,” Daly said. “It’s not for you to do 10 reps, then sit down, check your texts and then stand up for 10 more reps. That’s not proper strength training. YBells are designed for flow exercises. We all get the memo that flow training is better and these are purposely designed for that.”

With the YBell, for example, gym-goers can do a set of kettlebell swings, then push-ups, then a curl press using the YBells in their dumbbell form.

“You’re flowing through a 20-minute series of exercises instead of the traditional workout of the 80s where you swing something 10 times and then rest for two minutes,” Daly said.

F45 Training , one of the world’s largest boutique fitness brands by studio count, has already added YBells. Daly believes it won’t be long before any gym without them is viewed as archaic.

“The dumbbells and kettlebells of the past I believe will be replaced with YBells,” said Daly. “Not too far in the future, if you go into a gym and it doesn’t have YBell, you walk in you just see that big rack of dumbbells or kettlebells, you’re going to think that’s an old school gym. It’s not modern, looking for new technologies and new tools. It’s frankly less efficient.”

YBell x TRX: A Dynamic Duo

Innovative as the YBell is alone, TRX is merging it with its other products to help gyms evolve. That’s where the brand’s other equipment and top-tier programming system come into play.

“Acquiring the company and bringing in what they had is one thing, but putting time, effort and energy in with our education team to develop improved YBell programming has also been exciting,” said Daly.

“We don’t just invent something, throw it out there then move on,” he added. “Our ecosystem gives us feedback. We have trainers from all over the world who come together regularly and give us moves that they’ve developed or ways to do things better. It never ends.”

Through this ideology, TRX has developed several programs featuring the YBell and other pieces of equipment, including the renowned Suspension Trainer. The brand is also educating gym trainers on how to use them to create fun and effective routines for members.

“To reimagine your facility, you have to bring those products in, but you also have to train your trainers to be able to help your members understand how to use them,” Daly noted.

TRX’s efforts go beyond just helping individuals improve their strength training habits; the brand feels obligated to find innovative strength training products and bring them into the limelight, as it’s doing with YBell.

“ At the end of the day, people look to us,” said Daly. “The market demands and expects us to continue to provide them with interesting, fun and exciting new tools. We want to be the best and if somebody else comes up with a better product, maybe we’ll acquire that business too. That’s our approach.”

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