For decades, those who lift iron have been concerned with the aesthetics of their bodies, not the equipment itself. But fitness company Tempo Studio reckons that's changing, and enlisted industrial design consultancy Level Design to create a handsome set of weights.

What's there to design with a set of free weights? Level started with the color of the plates, making the various denominations easy to visually distinguish, then carefully addressed the functional aspects of the locking collars. "Many off-the-shelf weight collars are clumsy - difficult to manipulate with extra parts and levers that get in the way of the simple yet necessary functionality," the firm writes. "Removing all unnecessary extras, we focused on a clean, circular form that slips effortlessly into the Tempo family."

"By adjusting the mechanism, we developed an easy open-and-close action with a hinge that provides ample room to slide the collar on and off."

Level also designed a compatible kettlebell handle. "With the desire to minimize at-home clutter, the concept leverages the Tempo Weight and Weight Collar systems creating a customizable solution for users. The minimal, neutral aesthetics gives the stage to the weights, celebrating their colorful pop."

As for where these objects "live" when not in use, Level designed this Tempo Move:

"At the heart of the product is an iPhone dock that positions the phone's cameras at precisely the correct height and angle. This "Core" is removable, using HDMI as a universal connection that allows the Move to work with almost all makes and models of TV. Hidden interior channels route the cable, and little rubber feet on the base protect your floors while raising the door height just enough to slip it over your carpet as you open it."

"Designed to live in the tightest of spaces, the unit houses up to 16 weight plates, 2 dumbbells, 4 weight collars and a heart rate monitor. The thoughtful interior holds the weights vertically, with tray grooves distributed for easy grabbing and a soft chamfer which allows weights to roll-in smoothly."

As it turns out, the differently-colored weights are for more than the user's convenience. When working out in conjunction with Tempo's app with your phone's camera on, "our AI sensors can automatically recognize [the color-coded weights] while you work out," Tempo says. "There's no need to log your weights."

You can learn more about the system here.