Dumbbell nan Kiro Moteru / First Impressions

「プロテイン摂ってみる?」 (Protein Totte Miru?)
“Why Don’t You Have Some Protein?”

Our second episode of Dumbbell nan Kiro Moteru hopes that you left enough room for protein because it’s supportive advice will trim down your stomach and effectively stretch out your spine. Along with teaching Hibiki how to stretch properly and pump iron, she is taught the central idea that if she exercises, she can shred it. Now allow me to break the ice and let off some steam because this episode was great enough to ensure that I’ll be back.

Now that I got that out of my system, let’s cut to the chase. This episode revolves around augmenting your work-out plan with more productive measures. It lays out details on making use of the “Golden Time”, or the 30-minute stretch of time you have after a work-out to gain the most out of protein. It was a relief to see that Akemi recommended “Dynamic Stretches” considering that she was critical of stretching and I was worried she would instruct Hibiki to swear off of a warm-up routine before seeing that the dynamic stretching she was doing were stretches that I’m more familiar with. It’s a great distinction to make since dynamic stretches allow for more fluidity through movement-based stretching that can get your muscles going and reduce the feeling of tightness without straining your muscles like your garden-variety stretches that pull and tear.

One thing I appreciated the most is how they cleared the air on one concern I had where Hibiki’s new work-out plan would cause her to gain more muscle weight. However, Machio helps to explain that it is ideal for Hibiki to tone out her body by gaining more in muscle weight while slimming down in fat. In the process, he also lets viewers know that a diet should always stress a sense of balance. Packing on one specific nutrient or going on an extreme diet would only rob the body an opportunity to gain other nutrients that would be beneficial for you and do nothing to boost your metabolism in a way that would be adaptable to a short-term diet.

What’s also useful is how the anime hones in on other means of building muscle as well as why people in some sports would bulk up on some body parts over others. Akemi’s poolside observations not only showed us what Doga Kobo is capable of with how far they stepped up on animating more muscular women but also emphasized how different sports can require different routines. Her keen eye was able to spot that a cyclist would be more bottom-heavy and get the most out of leg-day while a martial artist would have a more evenly balanced set of muscles. With the reveal that Ayaka’s family runs a boxing club, we’re also given insight on what warm-up routines would be effective to take up while you train for boxing.

Speaking of Ayaka, she is officially my favorite character due to her penchant for movies, especially action movies starring Arnold Schwarzeneggar Barnold Shortsinator, and her background in boxing. This episode was a great chance for Hibiki and Akemi to be further involved with one another as they start to understand how one another operates. It was hilarious to see the shoe being on the other foot with Akemi being taken aback by Hibiki’s appetite. But it was Ayaka who stood out the most for me because of how much we learned about her during this episode. As the daughter of a former boxing legend, she begrudgingly takes up boxing to act as an interim coach alongside her hot-blooded sister whenever her dad is away. Despite her upbringing, her familiarity with physical training, and her instinctual habit of shadowboxing, her main hobby is watching and appreciating films. Her room is adorned with trinkets from Barnold movies, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Jaws, and other films. Assorted references to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s El Topo and how Ayaka & Hibiki’s friendship began over their mutual interest in this specific film is nothing short of hilarious. And for those looking forward to the upcoming Kengan Ashura CG anime, you may see some familiar faces among the champions who have trained at Ayaka’s father’s boxing dojo. It’ll be great to see how they further incorporate her boxing into the exercises that Hibiki and Akemi will take on in the coming future, but above all else, it’ll be exciting to see Ayaka eventually join the two and train together as a unit.

Omake:

25 Comments

  1. Her punching 100 pound bag off the chains was like the beginning to another anime, a boxing anime, you really didn’t mention it, it was like a highlight of the episode.

    John
    Reply

    1. It was a very funny moment. Especially for the reason like you said where, if it were any other anime, it would’ve been the moment where the boxing gym starts to book her for boxing tournaments and tries to train her as a diamond in the rough.

      Choya
      Reply

  6. As far as I know, scientists discoverd only recenlty that your body will look for protein for at least 24 hours, which make the golden time thingy less critical,

    Another thing that I know is that most of the protein that being sold most of the time less healthy than the one you get from normal food,

    Correct me if I’m worng ofc but that’s what I’m know which is based on some recent discoveries from the last 3-5 years

    SOMEONE
    Reply

  8. Has anyone heard of a manga called ‘Stretch’? It’s about a pair of female roommates who live and perform stretching exercises together. It’s kind of similar to Dumbbell, in that they present routines about how to perform these exercises, which I thought was kind of cool. I like how they allow the viewer/reader to join in and be able to do them too, so check it out if you have a chance.

    Anonymous
    Reply

  12. Yikes. So traditional stretches you can do anywhere are actually BAD for you, and that you can only do particular types of stretches?? No wonder I been getting worn out easily.

    starss
    Reply

    1. I think Akemi just wants Hibiki to swear off of the idea that stretches should involve straining your leg/arm muscles to loosen them up. More aerobic movements seem to be encouraged with newer methods of stretching because they aim to loosen your body up and promote better circulation of blood and oxygen through the body.

      Choya
      Reply

  14. Assorted thoughts:

    I liked this episode better than the first for a subtle yet understandable reason: the cutback on Hibiki’s comical reactions to things entirely new to her. A healthy balance between those “explaining the joke” punchlines that were way more present in episode 1 and her casual/non-reaction here to some of the things that freaked her out there is definitely more to my taste.

    Ayaka’s definitely a great character for a number of reasons. Her personality and interests, her being a delicious brown of the brunet variety, the lingering surprise I still have over her being the friend who brought up Hibiki’s weight gain to start, and the fact that she’s my first time listening to a character voiced by Shizuka Ishigami, who I cast as a supporting character in an idea for an anime I made up, wrote out, and posted on my home message board last fall (and am reposting two chapters per week on Archive of Our Own).

    Akemi with a ponytail reminds me way too much of Lovepon from Mayoiga.

    And here’s a dynamic duo I’d never have expected in my lifetime: Rainier Wolfcastle and Mr. Teeny.
    https://randomc.net/image/Danberu%20nan%20Kiro%20Moteru/Danberu%20nan%20Kiro%20Moteru%20-%2002%20-%2019.jpg

    Good news, the ending’s starting to grow on me now. Still wish Machio’s spoken-word parts had subs tho…

    PokeNirvash
    Reply

  16. Ah, here’s my first unexpected pickup of the season… In the immortal words of Little Busters‘ Masato Inohara: “Kinniku, kinniku!”

    Came for the comedy, stayed for the informative workout tips. I’m just hoping that there’s an episode for those with lean physiques who want to buff up.

    As for the seiyuu jokes…
    – Chuckled at Akemi being voiced by Sora Amamiya. (Cue joke fanart of Aqua trying to lift.)
    https://randomc.net/image/Danberu%20nan%20Kiro%20Moteru/Danberu%20nan%20Kiro%20Moteru%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2037.jpg
    – Damn, Naofumi is now swole AF. (Cue one thirsty Raphtalia.)

    Incognito
    Reply

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