I'd like to dedicate my second post here to an idea that's been in my mind for about 2 months. I was at the gym, and when I was running on a treadmill, a great idea came to me.
What if every machine in a gym would generate electricity for that gym?
Think about it. Most obese people in America (and other countries, but America has the most; this is a fact) are starting to smarten up and think, "Hey, I should start losing some weight before this becomes an danger to my health." So they start going to the gym, maybe once a week, maybe bi-weekly, maybe every day. Even people who aren't overweight go to the gym. So now, people are working out in the gym every day. Maybe for an hour, maybe for five, it doesn't matter. What matters is that they all are using energy, energy that could be harnessed for power. So, with my idea, people would go to the gym, maybe start on a treadmill, and bam, they are generating electricity for the gym. It doesn't have to be a treadmill, though. Think of ways you could make the machines in your local gym generate electricity. It's simple, isn't it? But what about freeweights? We'll get to that soon.
But what's in it for the people burning the calories? Well, weight loss and muscle building for one, but they also get a check for how much money they saved the gym. Or they could have that amount deducted from their energy bill. You'll still need to buy a membership card (how else is the gym going to make money?), though. Either way, everyone is happy and healthy.
But I need help finding a way how to generate electricity from freeweights (dumbbells, etc.). Please help me come up with a plan that generates optimum electricity from easy-to-use freeweights, that's all I ask from you guys. And discussion, pros/cons, etc.
Comments?
[editline]02:37AM[/editline]
Oh, and the name for any gym that uses this will be called The Power Plant (clever, no?) until it is commonplace.
If I could get paid to work out that would be awesome.
how bout I just exercise for free, and the gym makes money off of the energy I create.
I've always thought it was stupid for someone to join a gym, especially in my area where zoning is great and there isn't a development to be seen, running/walking is great here. the idea of paying to expend energy is just stupid to me.
But the gym needs to power their own facility, not just the machines. They need electricity for the lights, and everything else.
[editline]02:40AM[/editline]
[QUOTE=snuwoods;23459581]how bout I just exercise for free, and the gym makes money off of the energy I create.
I've always thought it was stupid for someone to join a gym, especially in my area where most houses are in an area where running/walking is great. the idea of paying to expend energy is just stupid to me.[/QUOTE]
You misunderstood. The gym [i]pays[/i] you to work out.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfJTXDppVNA[/media]
Great idea btw.
[editline]02:42AM[/editline]
I don't see how you would be able to do it with free weights though.
[QUOTE=sonicrjk;23459633][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfJTXDppVNA[/media]
Great idea btw.
[editline]02:42AM[/editline]
I don't see how you would be able to do it with free weights though.[/QUOTE]
People will be a lot happier knowing that they're getting money and helping the environment with this, so this won't happen. hopefully. hehe
[editline]02:44AM[/editline]
[QUOTE=sonicrjk;23459633]
[editline]02:42AM[/editline]
I don't see how you would be able to do it with free weights though.[/QUOTE]
That's where I need to glorious minds of Facepunch to come in.
A lot of gyms already have sort of a mini-version of this if you didn't know. When you're using the machine it generates power for the machine itself.
Similar to my idea, yes, but my idea aims to power not just the machines, but the whole gym.
I had this same idea one time I saw these three guys at a circus who moved a big wheel just by walking... I mean, it makes perfect sense with the way America is today, someone just needs to realize it
[editline]01:30AM[/editline]
Something like this: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCH8kNCZsU0&feature=related[/media]
bump, I really need people to help me with this idea. Are there any holes in it? And I need ideas for freeweights.
Do you really think noone has thought of that?
Read this: [URL="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4900188.stm"]Article[/URL]
You know that treadmills work by simulating ground beneath you moving right.
When there is no electricity to power the motor anymore it isn't a treadmill, it's a giant rubber band around drums that you have to hold on to the machine and push with your feet to move.
That's not running.
Also, most standard gym equipment runs on it's own power whether it be a stationary bike or a step walker, they can't create much power which is why they are used to power the simple electronics in the machine.
Using people to create power is very inefficient.
Paying people would also motivate more people to exercise.
Free weights:
2 bars with a steel wire connected. No weights. The wire goes into a rowing machine-style thing that rotates and generates electricity. The resistance on this is variable. The higher the resistance, the heavier the 'weights' feel and more electricity is generated. Lower resistances on the generator, means the weights are easier to lift, but not as much energy is generated with each rep.
[IMG]http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/3972/96221176.png[/IMG]
This could work, Pay people to make electricity and then sell it on.
They get money deducted from their membership. The gym still earns money.
the enviromental cost of the food would greatly offset any benefits also this idea is far from new.
[QUOTE=lockdown6;23469936]how would the gym make money if they pay people to work out[/QUOTE]
Selling the harnessed energy.
The problem with this is though (next to the fact that most devices are busy powering themselves) that the energy from this is not constant. There isn't always a certain number of people in the gym - sometimes there might even be noone. That is a way to instable output to actually power something so you need batteries. A battery that would be able to power the gym and even feed back into the grid at all times with stable output would have to be quite huge and expensive.
When there's nobody in the gym, nothing is being used.
They can't just switch everything off when nobody is there. Would you visit a completely dark gym if they told you the lights would go on when you start to exercise?(They wouldn't anyway because one man isn't enough anyway)?
Would you visit a boiling hot gym if they told you the A/C only starts to work if you exercise? (Same problem as before goes here)
There's computers necessary for running basic management tasks from member management, payment to managing all systems in the house from heating to water (This isn't 1800, shit's computer controlled today)
[QUOTE=DamagePoint;23459560]If I could get paid to work out that would be awesome.[/QUOTE]
You can, it's called the Armed Forces. They will whip you into shape.
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