resistance equipment
Julie Fisher takes a look at recent innovations in resistance equipment and investigates what the different categories have to offer
GETTING TO GRIPS WITH CABLES
The use of cables to lift weight stacks to ensure a smooth, fluid movement for resistance and functional training purposes.
Cables is a category that has seen much innovation recently. New products include: TECHNOGYM’S Kinesis stations, launched at IHRSA this year – a series of low profi le stations for the gym fl oor, all of which use a system of free cables that allow for unrestricted body movements. Each machine activates entire muscle groups rather than individual muscles. Combining the stability of a station for seated exercises with the versatility of movement offered by the cable system, it’s suitable for both beginners and those accustomed to training with guided stations. It can also be used for rehabilitation training, as the double weight stack allows each cable weight to
Total Gym’s GTS: Uses bodyweight resistance. Easy to store, with no weights or electrics
be adjusted to suit the user’s strength. The position of the cables, different on each of the six stations, allows the user to train all muscle groups progressively and in a circuit, for a total body workout. TOTAL GYM GTS – an incline
bodyweight resistance trainer that uses a moving glideboard against 22 calibrated resistance levels. It has no weight stack or electrics, and has an exercise library of over 120 exercises. It folds away and is on wheels for portability. A new range of Total Gyms (Power Tower, GTS and Sport) will be launched at LIW this year. The new range is lighter in weight, with increased functionality, and includes the addition of the Total Gym Sport – designed for facilities that want to start team-training in their facility. The FREEMOTION Dual Cable
Cross functional trainer, launched in 2010. This uses a swivel pulley system to allow the user to engage in multi-planar, multi-joint movement for true whole body training. As the pulleys are able to articulate, they can follow the natural path of the cable created by the user. This swivel system allows the user to target specifi c muscles and recruit those being used to stabilise and
balance the body. The CYBEX Bravo functional training line, extended in March to
include pieces with simplifi ed operation and expanded functionality: the Bravo Press and the Bravo Pull. These derive from the original Bravo but break out individual movement types, meaning
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far fewer adjustments and a simpler set-up: the Bravo Lift, for example, is a lifting platform that includes a patented feature called Free Start, which allows the user to select the desired starting height and get to that starting height with minimal load. POWER PLATE’s pro6 model,
which incorporates cable resistance via high strength cables that transfer vibrations into the upper body, enabling users to perform a wider range of exercises, challenging the whole body in an integrated and functional way. Exercises can be performed at any speed and in any direction and the cables extend to more than 2.2 metres. Two levels of resistance offer progression.
ELECTRONIC SIMULATION
The machine electronically simulates the resistance of a weight.
MILON’s system allows for varied resistance (see p49), but its load is created in an unusual way: rather than having any actual weight stacks, electric motors generate the resistance. The weight for the concentric and eccentric phase of movement can be selected separately, leading to an optimal load on the muscles during each phase. This allows the trainer to tailor the workout precisely to the individual needs of the user.
august 2011 © cybertrek 2011
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