SQUATMATE: A safer way to squat!
Donation protected
Barbell squats are often called the king of exercises—and for good reason. The squat increases the strength and coordination of over 200 muscles in your body, and not only stimulates gains in muscular size and strength but also provides a systemic metabolic stimulation that encourages even upper-body growth.
But standard squatting form can cause serious neck and shoulder pain. The traditional hand placement technique puts excessive pressure on the shoulder and places the head and neck in a forward position, leading to strain on the spine. These problems can now be solved thanks to Kizzie Mailander, certified Personal Trainer and inventor of the SQUATMATE, a new and safer way to squat.
The SQUATMATE places your hands in their proper biomechanical position, easing discomfort and instability of the shoulder while reinforcing correct posture alignment.
What you see here is a 3D printer prototype of the SQUATMATE. In order to transform this from a prototype to a real-life solution for your barbell squatting, Kizzie and the SQUATMATE team need your help! An injection mold is required to efficiently manufacture this product.
Risks and challenges
The prototype handles that we have already made give us confidence that the concept of SQUATMATE is sound, but we now need to translate that into a workable production methodology. Creating an injection mold is step number one, but after that we will still need to refine the process to make it scalable. Also, our first generation handles are designed for a 32mm bar. That is the most common size, but we need to identify the best way to utilize the handles on smaller bars, either by creating more injection molds or using an adapter that would fit around smaller bar sizes. Finally, while we have applied for patents and trademarks, there is always the potential for someone to copy our idea and try to market a similar product.
But standard squatting form can cause serious neck and shoulder pain. The traditional hand placement technique puts excessive pressure on the shoulder and places the head and neck in a forward position, leading to strain on the spine. These problems can now be solved thanks to Kizzie Mailander, certified Personal Trainer and inventor of the SQUATMATE, a new and safer way to squat.
The SQUATMATE places your hands in their proper biomechanical position, easing discomfort and instability of the shoulder while reinforcing correct posture alignment.
What you see here is a 3D printer prototype of the SQUATMATE. In order to transform this from a prototype to a real-life solution for your barbell squatting, Kizzie and the SQUATMATE team need your help! An injection mold is required to efficiently manufacture this product.
Risks and challenges
The prototype handles that we have already made give us confidence that the concept of SQUATMATE is sound, but we now need to translate that into a workable production methodology. Creating an injection mold is step number one, but after that we will still need to refine the process to make it scalable. Also, our first generation handles are designed for a 32mm bar. That is the most common size, but we need to identify the best way to utilize the handles on smaller bars, either by creating more injection molds or using an adapter that would fit around smaller bar sizes. Finally, while we have applied for patents and trademarks, there is always the potential for someone to copy our idea and try to market a similar product.
Organizer
Kizzie Mailander
Organizer
Chicago, IL