The Comedy of 'How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?' Is at Its Strongest when It's Centered on Machio-san

How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? follows Hibiki Sakura, a second-year high school student with a voracious appetite who desires to slim down after it was pointed out to her that she’s gaining weight.  Although initially reluctant of doing so, she decides to join Silverman Gym – thus, begins her life-changing journey into the world of strength training.

There, Hibiki becomes gym buddies with fellow second-year high schoolers Akemi Soryuin, the student council president who has a fetish for huge muscles; Ayaka Uehara, Hibiki’s best friend who works as a part-time instructor in her father’s boxing gym; and Gina Boyd, an otaku Russian transfer student; as well as their history teacher Satomi Tachibana, who is secretly the famous cosplayer Yuria Riko.  Together, the girls are mentored by Naruzo Machio, the ever supportive and mild-mannered Silverman Gym trainer who looks like a normal-sized young man when he has his clothes on but is actually tremendously muscular.

This 12-episode anime series turns out exactly as I thought it would be when I picked it up at the start of the summer season, so I’m completely satisfied with it.  It’s just a light, uncomplicated, breezy show.  It doesn’t have depth because it doesn’t have an overarching storyline that needs it.   It’s more concerned with presenting episodic comedic moments through its premise while giving some helpful, humorously-delivered (i.e. it gets gratuitously ecchi-ish, which has a comical effect) exercise and fitness tips along the way.  And it’s pretty entertaining as it sets itself out to be.

It’s not my-stomach-hurts-I-can’t-breathe hysterical, but it is consistently funny.  The recurring joke of Machio-san’s clothes exploding whenever his physique transforms from normal-looking into bulkingly beefy a la Bruce-Banner-to-Hulk never gets stale.  His kindly face uncharacteristically resting upon that hulking body also serves as a hilarious visual gag.  There are many other sources of laughs, or course, but the Machio-san-centered ones are the best.  This includes the show’s catchy ED.

Overall, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? isn’t outstanding.  But it’s utterly enjoyable for what it is.  It may even prove inspirational enough to compel someone to actually pick up weights.

Nice bulk!