“Just do it” might be the last thing to cross your mind before you attempt your next one-rep max in the gym. On Oct. 17, 2023, Nike struck social media with the announcement of a new brand under its masthead “Nike Strength.”
Described as “premium training equipment for all athletes,” Nike Strength appears to be an established effort by Nike to break into the strength training equipment industry to offer more than cross-training shoes to its customers.
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What Is Nike Strength?
Nike Strength is Nike’s new subsidiary of resistance training equipment. Their “proven and tested by championship athletes” product line includes many mainline items found in most commercial gyms or functional training facilities.
What They’re Selling
According to the Nike Strength website, the initial product rollout comprises generalized strength training equipment, such as free weights, as well as niche product offerings that may appeal to athletes in specific sports. Here’s a short rundown of what’s launching under the Nike Strength masthead:
- Dumbbells: Sold in pairs up to 100 pounds.
- Kettlebells: Sold individually in kilograms (up to 88 pounds).
- Barbells: Both 15 and 20-kilogram bearing and bushing bars are available.
- Benches: Non-adjustable only (as of this article’s publication), both rolling and stationary.
- Bumper Plates: Sold in pounds and in multiple colorways, with 10 to 45-pound options available.
- Change Plates: Sold as pairs in 1.25 to 10-pound increments.
- Squat Racks: Two options available, one that includes a top bar for pull-ups, and one standalone stand.
- Squat Cage / Power Rack: Measures 93 inches in height and comes with a pull-up bar and adjustable safeties/catch bars.
Other product offerings include a portable dip station designed to fit into any squat rack or stand, additional “spotter arms” for the racks, a dumbbell storage rack, and Nike Strength apparel or “soft goods.”
What It Means
While this seems to be Nike’s formal entry into the gym equipment game, it is hardly the first time the brand has turned its gaze toward the needs of gym rats worldwide. The Romaleo, Nike’s weightlifting shoe, is considered one of the most robust and reliable pairs of Olympic lifting footwear since it was first unveiled back in the 2000s for the Beijing Olympics.
For functional fitness, Nike made a splash in 2015 unveiling its CrossFit-minded Metcon cross-trainer. As of Oct. 2023, the Metcon is still in production in its ninth generation.
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Nike has long been prestigious in athletic footwear, but the strength training community’s needs and interests differ from those of non-strength sporting athletes. Nike will have to display that it has the strength to stand up against established giants in the space as well as fend off some of its longtime rivals such as Adidas and Reebok.
Adidas recently launched their Hardware brand, which produces similar equipment, and Reebok is slowly breaking into the scene with the Deck, an adjustable multi-purpose exercise bench. While Nike and its colleagues have the athleticwear and athleisure markets in a near-stranglehold, gym equipment sales are a different matter altogether. Only time will tell if Nike Strength can stand up to leaders like Rogue Fitness in the iron game.
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Featured Image: Nike Strength
