Something new in the field of exercise. It's been a while. Equipment. Equipment that focuses on what Arthur Jones once emphasized, the negative phase of exercise, lowering the weight. Jones built a number of prototypes in the early 1970's called "Omni" machines (shoulder and chest presses, biceps and triceps) that allowed trainees to lift weight with the stronger muscles of the legs, and lower it with the weaker muscles of the arms. Besides the "Omni" series, he developed techniques (negative accentuated and negative emphasis) that emphasized the lowering phase of exercise. Some techniques required outside assistance; others, not. Nonetheless, Arthur's approach pointed in one direction - fatigue a muscle beyond normal by adding resistance as weight is lowered.
A Swedish entrepreneur with the help of automotive designers has come up with a new way to emphasize the lowering phase of exercise. Instead of adding weight to the lowering, as did Arthur, the Swede has reduced the resistance on the lifting phase and restored it during the lowering phase. This is accomplished by tilting the weight stack (a motorized system) to approximately 45 degrees as weight is lifted and returning it to vertical as weight is lowered. The return to vertical is a half-second process. In plain English, resistance increases by 40% during the lowering phase. Since muscles are 40% stronger lowering than lifting under fresh conditions, trainees experience the same difficulty to lift - but a new ballgame on the way down. Hard on the way up, equally hard on the way down. As a result, fatigue occurs more quickly, inroad into the muscle's reserve system is greater, and repetitions and training-time are reduced. More efficient workouts, less frequent workouts as recovery time is increased. Eight exercises. Twice a week. More results. Sound familiar? A commercial? This is for real.
Yet, the concept is not new. I trained on a version of the same, a line of equipment introduced by LifeFitness, more than 20 years ago. The machine tested strength, selected an electronic weight, and challenged the lowering phase by increasing the load by 40%. But all was not roses. One problem lay in the testing. The strength test was neither accurate nor safe, typical of all dynamic test efforts. Another problem lay in the execution. The transition from what the muscle felt during the lifting phase to what it experienced while lowering was rough - a sudden jolt, dangerous. Let's hope the Swedes have that down.
Kudos to the new equipment, called X-Force, and to the emphasis on negative training.
Only one thing remains. When will someone take on another of Jones' innovative concepts - the return of Double machines - so that pre-exhaustion can again soar to the forefront of muscle training?
A Swedish entrepreneur with the help of automotive designers has come up with a new way to emphasize the lowering phase of exercise. Instead of adding weight to the lowering, as did Arthur, the Swede has reduced the resistance on the lifting phase and restored it during the lowering phase. This is accomplished by tilting the weight stack (a motorized system) to approximately 45 degrees as weight is lifted and returning it to vertical as weight is lowered. The return to vertical is a half-second process. In plain English, resistance increases by 40% during the lowering phase. Since muscles are 40% stronger lowering than lifting under fresh conditions, trainees experience the same difficulty to lift - but a new ballgame on the way down. Hard on the way up, equally hard on the way down. As a result, fatigue occurs more quickly, inroad into the muscle's reserve system is greater, and repetitions and training-time are reduced. More efficient workouts, less frequent workouts as recovery time is increased. Eight exercises. Twice a week. More results. Sound familiar? A commercial? This is for real.
Yet, the concept is not new. I trained on a version of the same, a line of equipment introduced by LifeFitness, more than 20 years ago. The machine tested strength, selected an electronic weight, and challenged the lowering phase by increasing the load by 40%. But all was not roses. One problem lay in the testing. The strength test was neither accurate nor safe, typical of all dynamic test efforts. Another problem lay in the execution. The transition from what the muscle felt during the lifting phase to what it experienced while lowering was rough - a sudden jolt, dangerous. Let's hope the Swedes have that down.
Kudos to the new equipment, called X-Force, and to the emphasis on negative training.
Only one thing remains. When will someone take on another of Jones' innovative concepts - the return of Double machines - so that pre-exhaustion can again soar to the forefront of muscle training?
No comments:
Post a Comment