Professional race drivers spend hours in a car battling excessive G-forces, and so require just as much training and physical fitness as an athlete running up and down a field. But their needs are specialised, which is why Ferrari F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa use this racecar-shaped workout machine from Technogym.
It focuses the driver’s workout on two main areas: their neck, which is constantly battling against the G-forces of turns and acceleration/deceleration, and their arms, chest and shoulders, which are used to steer the vehicle. A tethered helmet featuring adjustable resistance cables gives the driver’s neck a solid workout even when the Technogym machine isn’t moving. And the steering wheel can be loaded up with 30kg of weights, making simply turning the wheel a real workout, especially since it constantly vibrates to simulate the wear and tear inside a racing Formula One car.
Because it’s a highly specialised piece of equipment the driver trainer isn’t exactly sold to the public. But with enough inquiries perhaps Technogym might be persuaded to design a minivan version for those who spend most of their day battling the rigours of driving kids to school and practices. [Technogym via Damn Geeky]