Glossary
Click on a letter or glossary tag below for more information.
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- Bands
Resistance Bands are useful by themselves or when used in conjunction with free weights. They allow the lifter to focus resistance within a specific Range of Motion. The Bodyforce X9 uses a carriage system where lifting handles, footplates, etc can be attached to perform a host of exercises. Bodyforce is one of the first on the market to mate bands with this type of lifting hardware, giving you one more great way to target muscles and muscle groups within a specific range of motion.
- Bench (Dimensions and Features)
A bench that is too high off the floor makes it difficult for some lifters to place there feet solidly. Some benches are wider and some more narrow. Some benches have large “feet” right where your feet are supposed to go making for an awkward foot rest. Some benches have few features and others more. Balancing the pros and cons can be a challenge. For example, if a bench has many features but is too high off the floor, is it still a good fit for the majority of lifters?
The Bodyforce H3 Catalyst Bench measures nearly 12 inches wide if you lay one direction (which many prefer for flat barbell exercises) and 9 inches wide laying the other direction (which many prefer for flat dumbbell work). The H3 bench is extra long making it functional to perform a host of exercises beyond those offered by our competitors. The H3 uses a thick, commercial quality foam pad with comfortable, yet durable vinyl covering. The height from the floor to the top of the pad measures 18 inches, perfect for most lifters.
Built in features such as the ability to easily roll forward and backward does wonders for your shoulders when performing dumbbell work. To understand this further please go to the H3 Catalyst Bench page to see more. The ability to easily glide forward and back also allows for seated leg press when mated with our X9 Evolution Hybrid Gym. Other features of the H3 Catalyst Bench include, Ab Exercise Arms, Footplate attach section for 2nd person spotting, Leg Extension//Curl Attachment which also doubles as foot holds for decline work, one of the deepest decline capable benches on the market, Adjustable angle Preacher Curl attachment, simple one hand seat back adjustment and more!
Some benches are so cheaply constructed, a lifter attention can be more focused on the weakness beneath him/her than the weight above. The H3 is heavy duty. We mean HEAVY DUTY. We designed it this way, to stay put when and where you want it while providing strength to last a lifetime.
One “Gotcha” to look for when choosing a bench is the size of the Pad Gap. The H3 Catalyst Bench offers a pad made specifically to bridge this gap when desired.
The H3 Catalyst Bench also utilizes our patent pending telescoping support extension (a brilliant way to get more out of your bench while maintaining perfect safety) and docking extension receptacles. Look for those features on the H3 product page as well.
With a multitude of features/options (with more on the way), we like to think the H3 Catalyst Bench is the best all around premium bench on the market. Don’t take our word for it though. Try it for yourself!
- Bench Press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. While on the back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight. The exercise focuses on the development of the pectoralis major muscle as well as other supporting muscles including the anterior deltoids, serratus anterior , coracobrachialis, scapulae fixers, trapezii, and the triceps. The barbell bench press is one of the three lifts in the sport of powerlifting and is used extensively in weight training, bodybuilding, and other types of lifting fitness training to develop the chest muscles.
- Bowflex
The most popular Bowflex model used flexible “power rods” that were hooked and unhooked to produce different loads of resistance. The product itself was not nearly as remarkable as the fantastic marketing which entered millions of homes via scripted infomercials. The Bowflex products can now be found on classified advertising sites such as Craigslist for pennies on the dollar along many other cheap mass market wares.
- Cable and Pulley Ratios
This can be sort of a tricky subject so we will try to keep it simple. Some people ask from time to time how the resistance from a certain cable machine equates to barbell or dumbbell weights they lift/pull or what the numbers on the weight stack equal in real pounds of resistance. There are many ways to route cables through pulleys which can give what is called mechanical advantage or mechanical disadvantage. Something you should know right off the bat, anytime you obtain a mechanical advantage/disadvantage using cable/pulleys there is a exchange. You are trading one benefit or disadvantage to gain/lose another.
Lets take one example; We want “fast cables”- that is to say cables that can be moved very quickly out and back in without a lot of slack accumulating in the system. We achieve this through mechanical advantage (a mathematical formulated routing of pulley positions that increases our cable ratio to something like 2:1- some people flip it around and call the same thing 1:2- as long as you understand the principle you need not be confused). The cable end we pull will travel 2 feet for every one foot the weight stack travels upward). Because the inertia of the stack is less in this scenario, we end up with more responsive cable. The “cost” for doing this is total weight available. Ten pounds of weight is now effectively 5 LBS. This is also an advantage for certain individuals. For example those doing rehab who only want small incremental weight changes and who do not require large amounts of weight (think athletes needing small resistance changes and those doing rotator cuff exercises for example). A 2:1 ratio gives the best overall benefits without sacrificing in other areas. 4:1 can be good for speed work but has the downside of making a 200 pound weight stack only equal to 50 pounds of resistance, a problem if you intend to do lat pulldowns for example.
Let’s look at another example. If the lat pulldown handle you are pulling down on has a cable that goes up through one pulley and directly back down, attaching to a weight stack system, this is a near 1:1 ratio. For every one foot pulled on the pulldown bar, the weight stack will also travel one foot upward. A ten pound weight plate being hoisted on one end of the cable will be felt as resistance at the other end as nearly ten pounds. The reason we say “nearly” ten pounds is because anytime you introduce pulleys, you also introduce friction. If you only have a few pulleys the friction is negligible. When you enter many pulleys it starts to increase the total resistance.
The most common pulley configurations in standard “lat pulldown” machines is 1:1 (a ten pound plate produces 10 pounds of resistance and the weight plate travels the same distance as the cable you are pulling) or 2:1 (a ten pound plate produces 5 pounds of resistance and the weight plate travels half as far as the cable you are pulling). The 1:1 ratio is ideal for an exercise where a lot of resistance will be required and the movement will not be very fast such as lat pulldown or leg press. A 2:1 ratio still gives a fair amount of resistance while allowing more travel with slightly better responsiveness.
Again, the 2:1 ratio is good for the now popular “functional training” exercises where you want a “fast cable” adequate travel. This will allow you to (as an example) attach the high speed cables to a wearable vest to work on stability and agility muscles moving around on your feet. A 1:1 ratio would not be well suited for this type of application because the total travel of the cable would be too limiting and inertia of the stack weight plates would be unable to reverse direction quickly enough to be effective.
With the Bodyforce X9 we achieve both a 1:1 and 2:1 on one machine. This gives a lot of flexibility to personal trainers wanting to match just the right cable resistance and travel to clients workout objectives for that day. Furthermore, Bodyforce has designed the X9 Hybrid Gym to utilize what we call “tethering”. Our stack plate cable system works in concert with our heavy duty carriage system providing up to 500 LBS total resistance from our 2:1 ratio low position arms and over 1000 LBS total resistance when performing seated leg press. Again, the best of both worlds.
Learn more about pulley ratios and mechanical advantage here.
- ChainsWatch this video to understand the advantages of lifting chains and how it can target different areas of your strength curve and training.
- CrossfitPerhaps best described as “gymnastics meets Olympic lifting”, Crossfit training involves tough bodyweight manoeuvres. Handstand pressups are a favourite, along with pull ups on the bars or rings. Then there are big, compound lifts – including “snatch” or “clean and jerk” – and plyometric movements, such as the box jump. Other training tools include kettlebells, skipping ropes, medicine balls and rowing machines.
- Dead Lift
The deadlift is a weight training exercise where a loaded barbell is lifted off the ground from a stabilized, bent over position. It is one of the three canonical powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press. Deadlift refers to the lifting of dead (without momentum) weight, such as weights lying on the ground. It is one of the few standard weight training exercises in which all repetitions begin with dead weight. There are two positions you can approach when doing the deadlift, which include the conventional deadlift and sumo-deadlift.In most other lifts there is an eccentric (lowering of the weight) phase followed by the concentric (lifting of the weight) phase. During these exercises, a small amount of energy is stored in the stretched muscles and tendons in the eccentric phase, if the lifter is not flexible beyond the range of motion.
- Dips
Steps to perform proper dips:
- Get into starting position by holding your body at arm’s length with your arms nearly locked above the bars.
- Now, inhale and slowly lower yourself downward. Your torso should remain upright and your elbows should stay close to your body. This helps to better focus on tricep involvement. Lower yourself until there is a 90 degree angle formed between the upper arm and forearm.
- Then, exhale and push your torso back up using your triceps to bring your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Variations: If you are new at this exercise and do not have the strength to perform it, use a dip assist machine if available. These machines use weight to help you push your bodyweight. More advanced lifters can add weight to the exercise by using a weight belt that allows the addition of weighted plates.
Not everybody can immediately do full body weight dips. There are also times when a person wants to do more reps than native body-weight will allow. Applying the principle of Negatives and Drop Sets to dips allows the user to push further for quicker gains.
Another Bodyforce first, Interactive Pull-Ups and Dips allows two separate users to assist or resist each other depending on their desired goals and the X9 configuration. Further “adjustments” can be made by entering the X9’s weight stack system favoring or opposing either user. Another variation, one person can be doing dips while the other does pull-ups and vice versa. This is a useful and fun way for two people to push each other while getting in a great workout. Personal Trainers will also find this function useful in fine tuning their clients output while also getting exercise simultaneously.
- Docking
Very few companies provide bench docking. This is unfortunate as there are times a user will want to know his/her bench is secured perfectly in the center of their gym system and ready to go. Bodyforce uses a patent pending docking system and bench “H3 Catalyst Bench” (shown below) that together ensure you are always right where you need to be quickly and efficiently for your next exercise. Special features of the H3 Bench also allow seated leg press and the ability to easily glide in and out of the perfect lifting position for barbell, dumbbell lifting as well as other exercises. We also offer an optional locking feature shown below that is not currently available on any competing machine on the market.
- Drop SetsDrop sets are an effective way to completely break down your muscles for quicker gains. The Bodyforce X9 provides a lot of opportunities for drop sets between stack plates, independent weight carriages, Monolift, multiple ratiod cables, dumbbell spotters, etc. You will make very effective use of your time with rapid gains.
- Dumbbell
Dumbbells force you to train left and right separately. If you curl a 40-pound dumbbell with your right arm, you must also do so with your left. With most machines, you can unconsciously compensate for bilateral weakness by transferring some fraction of the weight to your stronger arm.
If you are not as strong on one side, a dumbbell workout will let you know immediately. Using dumbbells properly requires concentration to maintain good form. Because you are constantly making slight adjustments in each movement, more of the smaller “stabilizer” muscles are recruited to lift the weight, resulting in a more balanced approach; Strengthening the secondary and tertiary muscles helps create a more complete physique. Dumbbells will hit those little muscles you did not even know you had. A great followup to Dumbbells is isolateral lifting using separate carriages offered on the Bodyforce X9. You can make resistance changes on the fly while taking your muscles to total failure. And nice supplement to any dumbbell workout program.
At Bodyforce, when someone asks us for the bare essentials starting point, working out on a very small budget and little space, we always recommend a quality bench paired with a good set of dumbbells.
- Finite Element Analysis (FEA)Finite Element Analysis provides a realistic model of the distribution of internal stresses within material, which physically is what determines when fracture occurs, according to fracture mechanics. In a nutshell, we can use Finite Element Analysis to determine the strength of our product or any of its given parts. We have used this tool at Bodyforce to develop the best construction techniques for our products, providing the best strength and margin of safety.
- Free weight vs. machines
One of the oldest debates in the exercise world, free weights vs machines, continues to draw proponents on both sides. At Bodyforce we believe combining those two along with cables will net the best overall results. Certain movements lend themselves to free weights, some to machines. Be intelligent, experiment, and most of all pay attention to how each exercise feels in the target muscle. If you’re not feeling it, your results will not be optimal. Use a mix of free weights, cables and machines and you’ll be on the fast track to that body you want. To really blast your muscles, applying the principle of Drop Sets Bodyforce recommends setting your equipment up starting with free weights then when “spent” quickly move to machine or cable type exercises to completely and thoroughly overload and break down the muscles for the biggest gains.
- Functional Trainer (FT)
Most people associate a “Functional Trainer” FT with machines capable of cable exercises. For the most part this is a good definition. Some have articulating arms, some have columns that adjust in height to feed the cable to high or low position. Some FT’s use quality weight stack systems and some do not, relying on lower cost arrangements to produce resistance instead. At Bodyforce we analyzed all of the FT’s on the market, looking for what they did well and what could be improved upon to give greater function and better results. We created the X9 Evolution Hybrid Gym to go well beyond just cable exercises (which it does amazingly well by the way). The X9, which we are labeling as an Ultra Functional Trainer (UFT) allows you to do most of the exercises in the commercial gym and beyond, all in a relatively small footprint.
- Functional Training
The following is by Michael Boyd:
Over the past 10 years, there has been a shift toward making training more functional. The revolution began, as it often does, with physical therapists, and functional training was slowly adopted by coaches and personal trainers. One of the many signs that functional training would be the wave of the future was when the large manufacturers of strength-training machines began to introduce what they called “ground-based” machines and also to manufacture basic squat racks and weight benches. At this point the handwriting was on the wall. The public had spoken with their wallets, and the popularity of machines, particularly in the athletic training area, was on the decline. Click here
to read more.
- Garage Gym
Run out of space in your house? Need a place to workout during cold winter or rainy Fall months? Consider creating a “Garage Gym” which has in recent years become a popular venue for Crossfitters and all around lifters alike. Bottom line, don’t make excuses that prevent you from obtaining the fitness that will make you happy, find solutions instead!
- Gauge
Most strength equipment is built out of metal tubing. Gauge measures the thickness of the metal that composed the tubing. A lower number of gauge corresponds to thicker metal while a higher gauge number equates to thinner metal. Most low end fitness equipment, “Sears specials”, start around 14 gauge which equals a metal wall thickness of roughly 2mm.
The heaviest and most robust fitness equipment goes to 7 gauge or higher with metal wall thickness of 4.5mm+. Take a look at our Comparitor Matrix to see what gauge some of our top competitors are using. The frame tubing on the X9 Hybrid Gym is 4mm thick with some parts going higher than 10mm thick!
To calculate your own gauge vs metal thickness go here.
- Hole Spacing
When researching Power Racks try to find a rack with pin holes every 1 or 2 inchs on center. Many racks offer hole spacing of 4 inches making it very difficult (without getting creative- ie putting wood blocks under your bench or extra spacers on your safety spotters) to achieve a correct height. Some companies only do close hole spacing through certain height sections of their rack to save on cost. Widely spaced holes make it difficult to obtain precise spotter placement to protect your body while not limiting your range of motion. Bodyforce’s patent pending strap and safety spotter system allows the user to quickly make small (as little as 1/2 inch) incremental incrementally in bottom limiting height while still in the prone position on the bench. We think a lot of lifters will greatly appreciate this feature along with the uncompromising strength and safety of the system.
- Horse Stall Mats
These are useful for putting under your gym equipment and provide a good place to drop weights without damaging the weights or floor. They also dampen the sound, which is appreciated by others in a house or workout facility. Horse Stall Mats can be found at places like Tractor Supply and farming supply stores. Such as shown here
- Negatives
Article below originally printed here.
Mechanical loading of your muscles is one of the key principles on which your training should be based. For a long time, however, muscle fatigue has been relied upon as a gauge for the effectiveness of one’s training. According to tradition, one must work the muscles to momentary muscular failure so as to cause as many muscle fibers as possible to receive a growth stimulus.
Often it is suggested that the fast twitch, or white, muscle fibers are not even called into action until the last few repetitions of a set. As discussed in support of Hypertrophy-Specific Training TM (HST) [1-3], however, a great deal of research suggests that all types of muscle fibers are called into action when the muscles are exposed to heavy enough loads. Because of this, HST emphasizes heavy mechanical loading of the muscles rather than staying with the lighter weights proposed by many other training programs.
According to HST convention, you should spend at least a portion of your training with heavy loads approaching your 5 rep-max (RM) weight [1-3]. For those readers that are new to the iron game, a RM specifies the maximum number of times you can lift a weight before hitting muscular failure. For example, once you know how much weight you can bench press five times, that weight is called your 5RM for the Bench Press.
- Nuclear Barbell
A barbell with or without weights on it that is no longer under the control of the lifter. Due to gravity, it wants to come down on top of whatever is in it’s path going to the floor (this could be the person who previously was controlling that bar or someone standing nearby). Bodyforce uses a hybrid Safety Spotter system combined with heavy duty strap technology enabling 100% containment of any nuclear barbell situation, giving the lifter peace of mind.
- Pad Gap
This is not something that is commonly talked about among manufacturers but is discussed by actual users. The “Pad Gap” is the distance between the small pad (the small seat area) and the long pad (typically where a person lays when doing benchpress for example). On the Bodyforce H3 Bench we offer an optional pad to fill the pad gap when the bench is in the full prone position allowing for more comfort and even support on the back, glutes and legs.
- Parkour
Parkour is a holistic training discipline using movement that developed out of military obstacle course training. Practitioners aim to move quickly and efficiently through their environment using only their bodies and their surroundings to propel themselves, negotiating obstacles in between.
They try to maintain as much momentum as possible without being unsafe. Parkour can include running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, spinning, jumping, rolling, quadrupedal movement and more, if they are the most suitable movements for the situation.
Parkour is non-competitive. It may be performed on an obstacle course, but is usually practiced in a creative (and sometimes playful) reinterpretation or subversion of urban spaces. Parkour involves ‘seeing’ one’s environment in a new way, and imagining the potentialities for movement around it.
- Pec Decks or Butterfly machinesThis video shows the basic pec deck exercise. As described the “Butterfly” machine typically has pads where you rest your forearms and the Pec Deck machine uses handles you hold with your hands. Both are effective for isolating the chest muscles. Some believe the Cable Crossover exercise achieves the same exact muscle contraction. It is our belief that the Pec Deck, due to it’s specific circular range of motion, can isolate some parts of the chest in a different way from the standard Cable Crossover, which is also an excellent chest exercise!
- Pegs
Pegs combined with Bands add another dimension to squats, coming both from the floor and overhead. They can also help target a specific range while performing the Bench Press. Band pegs are often used in conjunction with Chains depending on desired training output.
- Power Rack and Half Rack
The Power Rack, also known as “Power Cage” has proven to be one of the best investments a fitness enthusiast can purchase. There are all types of racks on the market. Some are cheaply made with few features while top of the line versions offer a wide array of options and are built like tanks.
The primary function of the power rack is to provide support for lifting and storing a barbell while ensuring protection as the last line of defense to the lifter in the event the barbell is no longer under full control. The ability to quickly adjust for desired range of motion (starting top position down to the lower bottom limit) should be a primary consideration. With that in mind, a quality rack should have close Hole Spacing where the Safety Spotters attach (or some other means for small incremental range of motion height adjustments), enough depth for full forward/backward movement. A quality Power Rack should be constructed of heavy Gauge steel for plenty of strength.
Most quality power racks include:
Other useful functions include Sumo Base, Bench Docking, a weight stack system for cable work and other add-ons depending on a persons lifting goals and budget.
Something to be aware of when choosing a quality power rack, not all racks are capable of standing overhead presses inside the rack unless the rack is 8 feet or taller (which may not fit into a standard 8 foot ceiling home). Open top Power Racks are available but typically take up the space of a full rack while losing the ability to add topside pegs or chain holds. This is a good place to segway into the pros and cons of the Half Rack system.
A Half Rack places the safety spotters on the front and/or back of the rack instead of inside. A well designed half rack will not have the overhead clearance problem but there are some other potential limitations to look for. These include:
- Safety spotter length may not be long enough for safe drop protection. Anytime a barbell is raised off the floor there is potential for that barbell becoming a Nuclear Barbell. That is to say it could come down when/where it is not intended onto the lifter or someone standing nearby.
- Half Rack Safety Spotters may not lock to the Power Rack frame causing the potential for the Safety Spotter to come off at the worse possible time (ie barbell is on your shoulders or chest).
- Low quality half racks using thin metal can be more susceptible to stability problems without safety spotters connecting to a front and back frame segment.
Is there a half rack that does not suffer from these problems? Yes there is. The X9 Evolution Hybrid Gym. Let’s look at some advantages of the X9 Hybrid Gym (The base of the X9 starts as a premium quality power rack). Along with the positive features mentioned for Power Racks above the X9 includes:
- Overhead presses can go to the ceiling.
- You don’t need to thread the barbell to get it “inside” like you do with a full rack.
- Smaller footprint than most full racks.
- Safety Spotters that lock to the frame making it impossible for them to come off unless you want them off.
- Upgradeability. You can convert the X9 “rack” into a fully functioning gym system with stack plates, cables/pulleys and a host of other innovative options, making it the most functional, fully featured all-in-one gym on the market.
- The robust design of the X9 with heavy gauge tubing (4mm 8 Guage) ensures it will never buckle under pressure and provide a lifetime of use for you and those who follow.
- The Sumo area at the front of the X9 allows wide foot placement while still allowing band pegs at floor level. In addition, Rack Pulls can go to within 2 inches of the floor while still using band pegs. Some Sumo full power racks will not allow this.
In addition, the X9 very effectively stops any Nuclear Barbell cold in it’s tracks. Using our patent pending safety spotting system (including 10,000 LB adjustable straps with TuffStitch technology and micro adjustment) the user gains all the benefits of the full rack and half rack, including taking up less space. Further, our safety strap system provides 100% containment from nuclear barbells 100% of the time.
This gives the lifter peace of mind.
- Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting, it involves lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as “odd lifts”, which followed the same three-attempt format but used a wider variety of events, akin to Strongman Competition. Eventually odd lifts became standardized to the current three.
- Pull-Ups
The Pull-UP (also known as a chin or chinning) depending on forward or rearward facing hands) is a strength training exercise. People frequently do this exercise with the intention of strengthening muscles such as the latissimus dorsi and biceps, which extend the shoulder and flex the elbow, respectively.
The movement begins with the arms extended above the head, gripping a hold. It may be fixed, such as a chin-up bar or moving, such as gymnastic rings or rotating handles. The body is pulled up, with the bar approaches or touches the upper chest. A chin-up is considered complete based on a variety of criteria in relation to where the chin should be in respect to the bar, or in respect to the hand grips. The body is then lowered until the arms are straight, and the exercise is generally repeated.
Not everybody can immediately do full body weight pull-ups. There are also times when a person wants to do more reps than native body-weight will allow. Applying the principle of Negatives and Drop Sets to pull-ups allows the user to push further for quicker gains.
Another Bodyforce first, Interactive Pull-Ups allows two separate users to assist or resist each other depending on their desired goals and the X9 configuration. Further “adjustments” can be made by entering the X9’s weight stack system favoring or opposing either user. Another variation, one person can be doing dips while the other does pull-ups and vice versa. This is a useful and fun way for two people to push each other while getting in a great workout. Personal Trainers will also find this function useful in fine tuning their clients output while also getting exercise simultaneously.
- Pulleys
There are many varying shapes, sizes and qualities of pulleys. Most pulleys made for low end fitness equipment are made from cheap, brittle plastic with a low quality bearing ring pressed into the center. Pulleys commonly found on “Commercial Grade” equipment are made of premium plastic polymers that contain 25% total fiberglass mixed in prior to the molding process or aluminum at the top end. A larger diameter causes less stress on the fibers of the cable going around them increasing the life of the cable as well as making for a smoother overall cable system.
Commercial grade pulleys typically have high quality, precision bearings inserted into the pulley at the time of molding so they are precisely placed and cannot shift or come out. Cheap pulleys have low grade bearing pressed into the center later in the process. Of course the quality of the actual bearings within the bearing ring make a big difference as well. Depending on the particular application a wider flanged pulley can prevent friction when the cable you are pulling goes off center. Putting the pulley on a swivel mount also help alleviate this problem.
At Bodyforce we use 115mm diameter pulleys every chance we get. We also use custom made aluminum pulleys to ensure the most fluid cable movement.
- Rack Pulls
Great article found here.
- Range of Motion
Range of motion can describe the total mobility of a joint. Range of motion when referenced with fitness equipment is the ability to move from a fully retracted to a fully extended position for any given exercise. At Bodyforce we highly recommend choosing equipment that will allow for full range of motion. Equipment such as the Bodyforce X9 have many adjustment positions to fit different body shapes and sizes. This also ensures a full extension and retraction can be achieved, building powerful lean muscles.
- Reverse HyperStrength legend Louie Simmons swears by the reverse-hyper machine he invented after breaking his back. The reverse hyper (also known as the reverse back extension in its early days) helps people stabilize the body while moving the hip independently. It can also come in handy if you want to get an injured athlete doing hip extension without knee flexion. The reverse hyper can restore spinal movement and improve disc health. -The standard hyper (back extension) brings the spine (torso) into line with the blocked pelvis and femur on the GHD or roman chair using the spinal erectors. The reverse hyper (back extension) brings the pelvis and femurs into line the blocked spine (torso) using the spinal erectors.
- Review Sites
Solid user reviews can be invaluable when deciding between competing products. But when reading review sites, buyer beware! There are plenty of wolves in sheep’s clothing on the internet now. Many review sites are loaded with fake reviews subtly and sometimes not so subtly pulling you to their products under false pretenses. I know this may surprise you but dishonesty in adverting still exists. Don’t fall for it. Check multiple review sites. Try to find actual users you can communicate with directly, making sure you’re not talking with a company mole. On a review site like Amazon try to find other reviews given by a particular person on a host of other unrelated products. Try to vet the reviewer by seeing how long they have been around and how unbiased they are in their reviews without trying to twist your arm in any particular direction.
Beware of posters on message boards with very few posts selling a product with a little too much gusto. If it is a fake reviewer they will generally get very aggressive when someone calls them out and after a few defensive exchanges they drop off the planet as if they never existed. Regular message board posters are generally in for the long haul and usually develop report as being honest and reliable with those they interact with. Most readers are sophisticated enough to spot company moles, but not all. Keep a sharp eye out as the phony posters are also getting more sophisticated. Some corporations pay big bucks to agencies expecting a return on investment. Some agencies “release the hounds” doing whatever they can think of to help you get your wallet out.
Yet one more indication a review site may not be real is when the information being presented doesn’t quite add up. Everything being said fly’s in the face of what you have read elsewhere and in fact seems to be trying to reverse negatives by presenting those areas in a positive light. Further, when a low end product that you know is made cheaply is said to be for example “The Ultimate Home Gym on the Market” you can probably stop reading there. Let’s look at one specific example here. Does any reasonable person think this “Home Gym Review” site is giving the straight scoop labeling the “Bowflex” as #1 with so many obviously better choices on the market? Rest assured this site was bought and paid for by Nautilus Inc, Bowflexes’ parent company. Almost without fail the paid for fake review sites will tell you they are “unbiased, independant, trustworthy and honest” and yet they are not. We will discuss this topic further on our Blog found here.
- Safety Spotters
Safety Spotters are commonly found on Power Rack and Half Rack systems as a last line of defense against being injured by a barbell if the barbell is dropped. In the opinion of Bodyforce, for a safety spotter to be effective it should be at least 2 feet or longer and have some method for locking onto the frame it is paired with.
On many of the lower quality, mass market products, the company that produces them tend to skimp on the safety spotter by making them shorter. This cost cutting measure is often combined with low quality, thin, light gauge metal that can not support the heavy weights a longer arm could support. That said, beware of products using short safety spotters. They are not safe and are one of the things that give Half Racks a bad name.
Bodyforce has developed a patent pending strap system (utilizing 10,000 LB adjustable loops with TuffStitch technology and micro adjustment) used in combination with bomb proof safety spotters. The single most important aspect of any spotting system is 100% CONTAINMENT (front/back, side to side and vertical) of the barbell at all times. With Bodyforce’s advanced, patent pending spotting system, you will have peace of mind that 100% of all nuclear barbells will be contained 100% of the time. On top of that you will have one of the easiest height adjustment system (can be done from the prone position on the bench) in the industry!
- Smith Machines (rollers vs bearings vs high quality bearings)
The traditional “Smith Machine” included an Olympic bar connected to guides and frame through plastic sleeves, rollers or bearings (lowest to highest quality in that order).
At Bodyforce we use only the highest quality parts. The X9 Hybrid Gym uses 8 precision bearings units riding on 40mm, solid steel, precision guide rods. The two individual carriages on the X9 create a Smith Hybrid unlike anything ever seen on the market. They allow isolateral (separate left and right) movements which prevents cheating on one side, maintaining even muscular development.
At Bodyforce we believe free weights combined with machines, and a cable suite will build a better overall physique quicker than any other way. By going as close to failure as possible then quickly moving to machine exercises that allow you to push even further you can obtain maximum benefit and growth. Drop sets using a stack system for example can be very quick and effective….moving from one weight to the next in a matter of seconds.
- Squat
The squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads (vastus lateralus medialis and intermedius), hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body. Squats are considered a vital exercise for increasing the strength and size of the legs and buttocks, as well as developing core strength. Isometrically, the lower back, the upper back, the abdominals, the trunk muscles, the costal muscles, and the shoulders and arms are all essential to the exercise and thus are trained when squatting with the proper form.
- Sumo Base
A Sumo Base or Sumo capable power rack/gym system allow the lifter to place his/her feet wider than a standard power rack width. This is typically achieved by either constructing the bottom frame tubing wider or elevating the bottom tubing so that a lifters feet can slide underneath. The sumo style rack is a nice feature too to have, offering more flexibility but there are some “Gotchas” to look out for when selecting a Sumo Base rack. The wider positioning of the bottom tubing (depending on design) can make it difficult to use Band Pegs at the right locations. Also, if the frame is too high on a raised tubing design, it can restrict how low a barbell can be placed inside the rack causing problems for Rack Pulls for example.
- Super SetsSupersets use opposing muscles where the sum of 1 + 1 nets greater than 2. By working opposing muscles the exerciser can make quick gains. The X9 Hybrid gym offers many readily accessible opposing exercises it is the perfect machine to maximize growth using supersets.
- Tailor-Made Solutions
Deciding what fitness equipment to purchase can be very confusing. At the low end of the scale there are cheap, disposable products littering eBay and Craigslist. Guess what? People, get rid of products because they are broken, don’t work very well or did not engage the user. On the high end, companies like Matrix, Life Fitness, and Cybex, charge you an arm and a leg for their quality, but often times lack features and innovation. Also, with huge overhead, often selling through Brick and Mortar stores they must mark their products up 400% or more to keep their business model sustainable. At Bodyforce, we run a tight ship, maximize efficiency, keep overhead low and focus our energy on engaging features, bang for the buck and excellent customer service.
- Total Gym
A device inseparable connected with Chuck Norris and to a lessor degree Christy Brinkley. The device moves forward/backward on plastic rollers using gravity as it’s primary form of resistance.
- UHMW
Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW) is a subset of the thermoplastic polyethylene. UHMW is odorless, tasteless, and nontoxic. At Bodyforce we use UHMW on top of our safety spotters along with several other locations to create a durable, long lasting product that stands the test of time.
- Ultra Functional Trainer (UFT)
Bodyforce uses this term to describe its X9 Evolution Hybrid Gym, a new breed of Functional Trainer on the market. Free weights to cables to a host of other full body exercises is just the tip of the iceberg. Many more exciting features on the way.
- When and Where to WorkoutCommercial Gym’s come and go. Some are quite expensive, especially if you have a family. They have their own rules, hours, policies and procedures. Purchasing a quality gym for your home is a smart lifetime investment. Not enough space? Consider using garage space which is becoming very popular with Crossfit movement. Over the long haul you will save money buying quality equipment instead of years of gym memberships. Of course price is only one ingredient. Value is equally if not more important. What keeps you fit? What gets you from point A to point B the quickest and helps you maintain that level of health and fitness over the long haul? What works for not only top athletes, but moms, dads, and kids with specific goals as well?
- Bands
Resistance Bands are useful by themselves or when used in conjunction with free weights. They allow the lifter to focus resistance within a specific Range of Motion. The Bodyforce X9 uses a carriage system where lifting handles, footplates, etc can be attached to perform a host of exercises. Bodyforce is one of the first on the market to mate bands with this type of lifting hardware, giving you one more great way to target muscles and muscle groups within a specific range of motion.
- Bench (Dimensions and Features)
A bench that is too high off the floor makes it difficult for some lifters to place there feet solidly. Some benches are wider and some more narrow. Some benches have large “feet” right where your feet are supposed to go making for an awkward foot rest. Some benches have few features and others more. Balancing the pros and cons can be a challenge. For example, if a bench has many features but is too high off the floor, is it still a good fit for the majority of lifters?
The Bodyforce H3 Catalyst Bench measures nearly 12 inches wide if you lay one direction (which many prefer for flat barbell exercises) and 9 inches wide laying the other direction (which many prefer for flat dumbbell work). The H3 bench is extra long making it functional to perform a host of exercises beyond those offered by our competitors. The H3 uses a thick, commercial quality foam pad with comfortable, yet durable vinyl covering. The height from the floor to the top of the pad measures 18 inches, perfect for most lifters.
Built in features such as the ability to easily roll forward and backward does wonders for your shoulders when performing dumbbell work. To understand this further please go to the H3 Catalyst Bench page to see more. The ability to easily glide forward and back also allows for seated leg press when mated with our X9 Evolution Hybrid Gym. Other features of the H3 Catalyst Bench include, Ab Exercise Arms, Footplate attach section for 2nd person spotting, Leg Extension//Curl Attachment which also doubles as foot holds for decline work, one of the deepest decline capable benches on the market, Adjustable angle Preacher Curl attachment, simple one hand seat back adjustment and more!
Some benches are so cheaply constructed, a lifter attention can be more focused on the weakness beneath him/her than the weight above. The H3 is heavy duty. We mean HEAVY DUTY. We designed it this way, to stay put when and where you want it while providing strength to last a lifetime.
One “Gotcha” to look for when choosing a bench is the size of the Pad Gap. The H3 Catalyst Bench offers a pad made specifically to bridge this gap when desired.
The H3 Catalyst Bench also utilizes our patent pending telescoping support extension (a brilliant way to get more out of your bench while maintaining perfect safety) and docking extension receptacles. Look for those features on the H3 product page as well.
With a multitude of features/options (with more on the way), we like to think the H3 Catalyst Bench is the best all around premium bench on the market. Don’t take our word for it though. Try it for yourself!
- Bench Press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. While on the back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight. The exercise focuses on the development of the pectoralis major muscle as well as other supporting muscles including the anterior deltoids, serratus anterior , coracobrachialis, scapulae fixers, trapezii, and the triceps. The barbell bench press is one of the three lifts in the sport of powerlifting and is used extensively in weight training, bodybuilding, and other types of lifting fitness training to develop the chest muscles.
- Bowflex
The most popular Bowflex model used flexible “power rods” that were hooked and unhooked to produce different loads of resistance. The product itself was not nearly as remarkable as the fantastic marketing which entered millions of homes via scripted infomercials. The Bowflex products can now be found on classified advertising sites such as Craigslist for pennies on the dollar along many other cheap mass market wares.
- Cable and Pulley Ratios
This can be sort of a tricky subject so we will try to keep it simple. Some people ask from time to time how the resistance from a certain cable machine equates to barbell or dumbbell weights they lift/pull or what the numbers on the weight stack equal in real pounds of resistance. There are many ways to route cables through pulleys which can give what is called mechanical advantage or mechanical disadvantage. Something you should know right off the bat, anytime you obtain a mechanical advantage/disadvantage using cable/pulleys there is a exchange. You are trading one benefit or disadvantage to gain/lose another.
Lets take one example; We want “fast cables”- that is to say cables that can be moved very quickly out and back in without a lot of slack accumulating in the system. We achieve this through mechanical advantage (a mathematical formulated routing of pulley positions that increases our cable ratio to something like 2:1- some people flip it around and call the same thing 1:2- as long as you understand the principle you need not be confused). The cable end we pull will travel 2 feet for every one foot the weight stack travels upward). Because the inertia of the stack is less in this scenario, we end up with more responsive cable. The “cost” for doing this is total weight available. Ten pounds of weight is now effectively 5 LBS. This is also an advantage for certain individuals. For example those doing rehab who only want small incremental weight changes and who do not require large amounts of weight (think athletes needing small resistance changes and those doing rotator cuff exercises for example). A 2:1 ratio gives the best overall benefits without sacrificing in other areas. 4:1 can be good for speed work but has the downside of making a 200 pound weight stack only equal to 50 pounds of resistance, a problem if you intend to do lat pulldowns for example.
Let’s look at another example. If the lat pulldown handle you are pulling down on has a cable that goes up through one pulley and directly back down, attaching to a weight stack system, this is a near 1:1 ratio. For every one foot pulled on the pulldown bar, the weight stack will also travel one foot upward. A ten pound weight plate being hoisted on one end of the cable will be felt as resistance at the other end as nearly ten pounds. The reason we say “nearly” ten pounds is because anytime you introduce pulleys, you also introduce friction. If you only have a few pulleys the friction is negligible. When you enter many pulleys it starts to increase the total resistance.
The most common pulley configurations in standard “lat pulldown” machines is 1:1 (a ten pound plate produces 10 pounds of resistance and the weight plate travels the same distance as the cable you are pulling) or 2:1 (a ten pound plate produces 5 pounds of resistance and the weight plate travels half as far as the cable you are pulling). The 1:1 ratio is ideal for an exercise where a lot of resistance will be required and the movement will not be very fast such as lat pulldown or leg press. A 2:1 ratio still gives a fair amount of resistance while allowing more travel with slightly better responsiveness.
Again, the 2:1 ratio is good for the now popular “functional training” exercises where you want a “fast cable” adequate travel. This will allow you to (as an example) attach the high speed cables to a wearable vest to work on stability and agility muscles moving around on your feet. A 1:1 ratio would not be well suited for this type of application because the total travel of the cable would be too limiting and inertia of the stack weight plates would be unable to reverse direction quickly enough to be effective.
With the Bodyforce X9 we achieve both a 1:1 and 2:1 on one machine. This gives a lot of flexibility to personal trainers wanting to match just the right cable resistance and travel to clients workout objectives for that day. Furthermore, Bodyforce has designed the X9 Hybrid Gym to utilize what we call “tethering”. Our stack plate cable system works in concert with our heavy duty carriage system providing up to 500 LBS total resistance from our 2:1 ratio low position arms and over 1000 LBS total resistance when performing seated leg press. Again, the best of both worlds.
Learn more about pulley ratios and mechanical advantage here.
- ChainsWatch this video to understand the advantages of lifting chains and how it can target different areas of your strength curve and training.
- CrossfitPerhaps best described as “gymnastics meets Olympic lifting”, Crossfit training involves tough bodyweight manoeuvres. Handstand pressups are a favourite, along with pull ups on the bars or rings. Then there are big, compound lifts – including “snatch” or “clean and jerk” – and plyometric movements, such as the box jump. Other training tools include kettlebells, skipping ropes, medicine balls and rowing machines.
- Dead Lift
The deadlift is a weight training exercise where a loaded barbell is lifted off the ground from a stabilized, bent over position. It is one of the three canonical powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press. Deadlift refers to the lifting of dead (without momentum) weight, such as weights lying on the ground. It is one of the few standard weight training exercises in which all repetitions begin with dead weight. There are two positions you can approach when doing the deadlift, which include the conventional deadlift and sumo-deadlift.In most other lifts there is an eccentric (lowering of the weight) phase followed by the concentric (lifting of the weight) phase. During these exercises, a small amount of energy is stored in the stretched muscles and tendons in the eccentric phase, if the lifter is not flexible beyond the range of motion.
- Dips
Steps to perform proper dips:
- Get into starting position by holding your body at arm’s length with your arms nearly locked above the bars.
- Now, inhale and slowly lower yourself downward. Your torso should remain upright and your elbows should stay close to your body. This helps to better focus on tricep involvement. Lower yourself until there is a 90 degree angle formed between the upper arm and forearm.
- Then, exhale and push your torso back up using your triceps to bring your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Variations: If you are new at this exercise and do not have the strength to perform it, use a dip assist machine if available. These machines use weight to help you push your bodyweight. More advanced lifters can add weight to the exercise by using a weight belt that allows the addition of weighted plates.
Not everybody can immediately do full body weight dips. There are also times when a person wants to do more reps than native body-weight will allow. Applying the principle of Negatives and Drop Sets to dips allows the user to push further for quicker gains.
Another Bodyforce first, Interactive Pull-Ups and Dips allows two separate users to assist or resist each other depending on their desired goals and the X9 configuration. Further “adjustments” can be made by entering the X9’s weight stack system favoring or opposing either user. Another variation, one person can be doing dips while the other does pull-ups and vice versa. This is a useful and fun way for two people to push each other while getting in a great workout. Personal Trainers will also find this function useful in fine tuning their clients output while also getting exercise simultaneously.
- Docking
Very few companies provide bench docking. This is unfortunate as there are times a user will want to know his/her bench is secured perfectly in the center of their gym system and ready to go. Bodyforce uses a patent pending docking system and bench “H3 Catalyst Bench” (shown below) that together ensure you are always right where you need to be quickly and efficiently for your next exercise. Special features of the H3 Bench also allow seated leg press and the ability to easily glide in and out of the perfect lifting position for barbell, dumbbell lifting as well as other exercises. We also offer an optional locking feature shown below that is not currently available on any competing machine on the market.
- Drop SetsDrop sets are an effective way to completely break down your muscles for quicker gains. The Bodyforce X9 provides a lot of opportunities for drop sets between stack plates, independent weight carriages, Monolift, multiple ratiod cables, dumbbell spotters, etc. You will make very effective use of your time with rapid gains.
- Dumbbell
Dumbbells force you to train left and right separately. If you curl a 40-pound dumbbell with your right arm, you must also do so with your left. With most machines, you can unconsciously compensate for bilateral weakness by transferring some fraction of the weight to your stronger arm.
If you are not as strong on one side, a dumbbell workout will let you know immediately. Using dumbbells properly requires concentration to maintain good form. Because you are constantly making slight adjustments in each movement, more of the smaller “stabilizer” muscles are recruited to lift the weight, resulting in a more balanced approach; Strengthening the secondary and tertiary muscles helps create a more complete physique. Dumbbells will hit those little muscles you did not even know you had. A great followup to Dumbbells is isolateral lifting using separate carriages offered on the Bodyforce X9. You can make resistance changes on the fly while taking your muscles to total failure. And nice supplement to any dumbbell workout program.
At Bodyforce, when someone asks us for the bare essentials starting point, working out on a very small budget and little space, we always recommend a quality bench paired with a good set of dumbbells.
- Finite Element Analysis (FEA)Finite Element Analysis provides a realistic model of the distribution of internal stresses within material, which physically is what determines when fracture occurs, according to fracture mechanics. In a nutshell, we can use Finite Element Analysis to determine the strength of our product or any of its given parts. We have used this tool at Bodyforce to develop the best construction techniques for our products, providing the best strength and margin of safety.
- Free weight vs. machines
One of the oldest debates in the exercise world, free weights vs machines, continues to draw proponents on both sides. At Bodyforce we believe combining those two along with cables will net the best overall results. Certain movements lend themselves to free weights, some to machines. Be intelligent, experiment, and most of all pay attention to how each exercise feels in the target muscle. If you’re not feeling it, your results will not be optimal. Use a mix of free weights, cables and machines and you’ll be on the fast track to that body you want. To really blast your muscles, applying the principle of Drop Sets Bodyforce recommends setting your equipment up starting with free weights then when “spent” quickly move to machine or cable type exercises to completely and thoroughly overload and break down the muscles for the biggest gains.
- Functional Trainer (FT)
Most people associate a “Functional Trainer” FT with machines capable of cable exercises. For the most part this is a good definition. Some have articulating arms, some have columns that adjust in height to feed the cable to high or low position. Some FT’s use quality weight stack systems and some do not, relying on lower cost arrangements to produce resistance instead. At Bodyforce we analyzed all of the FT’s on the market, looking for what they did well and what could be improved upon to give greater function and better results. We created the X9 Evolution Hybrid Gym to go well beyond just cable exercises (which it does amazingly well by the way). The X9, which we are labeling as an Ultra Functional Trainer (UFT) allows you to do most of the exercises in the commercial gym and beyond, all in a relatively small footprint.
- Functional Training
The following is by Michael Boyd:
Over the past 10 years, there has been a shift toward making training more functional. The revolution began, as it often does, with physical therapists, and functional training was slowly adopted by coaches and personal trainers. One of the many signs that functional training would be the wave of the future was when the large manufacturers of strength-training machines began to introduce what they called “ground-based” machines and also to manufacture basic squat racks and weight benches. At this point the handwriting was on the wall. The public had spoken with their wallets, and the popularity of machines, particularly in the athletic training area, was on the decline. Click here
to read more. - Garage Gym
Run out of space in your house? Need a place to workout during cold winter or rainy Fall months? Consider creating a “Garage Gym” which has in recent years become a popular venue for Crossfitters and all around lifters alike. Bottom line, don’t make excuses that prevent you from obtaining the fitness that will make you happy, find solutions instead!
- Gauge
Most strength equipment is built out of metal tubing. Gauge measures the thickness of the metal that composed the tubing. A lower number of gauge corresponds to thicker metal while a higher gauge number equates to thinner metal. Most low end fitness equipment, “Sears specials”, start around 14 gauge which equals a metal wall thickness of roughly 2mm.
The heaviest and most robust fitness equipment goes to 7 gauge or higher with metal wall thickness of 4.5mm+. Take a look at our Comparitor Matrix to see what gauge some of our top competitors are using. The frame tubing on the X9 Hybrid Gym is 4mm thick with some parts going higher than 10mm thick!
To calculate your own gauge vs metal thickness go here.
- Hole Spacing
When researching Power Racks try to find a rack with pin holes every 1 or 2 inchs on center. Many racks offer hole spacing of 4 inches making it very difficult (without getting creative- ie putting wood blocks under your bench or extra spacers on your safety spotters) to achieve a correct height. Some companies only do close hole spacing through certain height sections of their rack to save on cost. Widely spaced holes make it difficult to obtain precise spotter placement to protect your body while not limiting your range of motion. Bodyforce’s patent pending strap and safety spotter system allows the user to quickly make small (as little as 1/2 inch) incremental incrementally in bottom limiting height while still in the prone position on the bench. We think a lot of lifters will greatly appreciate this feature along with the uncompromising strength and safety of the system.
- Horse Stall Mats
These are useful for putting under your gym equipment and provide a good place to drop weights without damaging the weights or floor. They also dampen the sound, which is appreciated by others in a house or workout facility. Horse Stall Mats can be found at places like Tractor Supply and farming supply stores. Such as shown here
- Negatives
Article below originally printed here.
Mechanical loading of your muscles is one of the key principles on which your training should be based. For a long time, however, muscle fatigue has been relied upon as a gauge for the effectiveness of one’s training. According to tradition, one must work the muscles to momentary muscular failure so as to cause as many muscle fibers as possible to receive a growth stimulus.
Often it is suggested that the fast twitch, or white, muscle fibers are not even called into action until the last few repetitions of a set. As discussed in support of Hypertrophy-Specific Training TM (HST) [1-3], however, a great deal of research suggests that all types of muscle fibers are called into action when the muscles are exposed to heavy enough loads. Because of this, HST emphasizes heavy mechanical loading of the muscles rather than staying with the lighter weights proposed by many other training programs.
According to HST convention, you should spend at least a portion of your training with heavy loads approaching your 5 rep-max (RM) weight [1-3]. For those readers that are new to the iron game, a RM specifies the maximum number of times you can lift a weight before hitting muscular failure. For example, once you know how much weight you can bench press five times, that weight is called your 5RM for the Bench Press.
- Nuclear Barbell
A barbell with or without weights on it that is no longer under the control of the lifter. Due to gravity, it wants to come down on top of whatever is in it’s path going to the floor (this could be the person who previously was controlling that bar or someone standing nearby). Bodyforce uses a hybrid Safety Spotter system combined with heavy duty strap technology enabling 100% containment of any nuclear barbell situation, giving the lifter peace of mind.
- Pad Gap
This is not something that is commonly talked about among manufacturers but is discussed by actual users. The “Pad Gap” is the distance between the small pad (the small seat area) and the long pad (typically where a person lays when doing benchpress for example). On the Bodyforce H3 Bench we offer an optional pad to fill the pad gap when the bench is in the full prone position allowing for more comfort and even support on the back, glutes and legs.
- Parkour
Parkour is a holistic training discipline using movement that developed out of military obstacle course training. Practitioners aim to move quickly and efficiently through their environment using only their bodies and their surroundings to propel themselves, negotiating obstacles in between.
They try to maintain as much momentum as possible without being unsafe. Parkour can include running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, spinning, jumping, rolling, quadrupedal movement and more, if they are the most suitable movements for the situation.
Parkour is non-competitive. It may be performed on an obstacle course, but is usually practiced in a creative (and sometimes playful) reinterpretation or subversion of urban spaces. Parkour involves ‘seeing’ one’s environment in a new way, and imagining the potentialities for movement around it.
- Pec Decks or Butterfly machinesThis video shows the basic pec deck exercise. As described the “Butterfly” machine typically has pads where you rest your forearms and the Pec Deck machine uses handles you hold with your hands. Both are effective for isolating the chest muscles. Some believe the Cable Crossover exercise achieves the same exact muscle contraction. It is our belief that the Pec Deck, due to it’s specific circular range of motion, can isolate some parts of the chest in a different way from the standard Cable Crossover, which is also an excellent chest exercise!
- Pegs
Pegs combined with Bands add another dimension to squats, coming both from the floor and overhead. They can also help target a specific range while performing the Bench Press. Band pegs are often used in conjunction with Chains depending on desired training output.
- Power Rack and Half Rack
The Power Rack, also known as “Power Cage” has proven to be one of the best investments a fitness enthusiast can purchase. There are all types of racks on the market. Some are cheaply made with few features while top of the line versions offer a wide array of options and are built like tanks.
The primary function of the power rack is to provide support for lifting and storing a barbell while ensuring protection as the last line of defense to the lifter in the event the barbell is no longer under full control. The ability to quickly adjust for desired range of motion (starting top position down to the lower bottom limit) should be a primary consideration. With that in mind, a quality rack should have close Hole Spacing where the Safety Spotters attach (or some other means for small incremental range of motion height adjustments), enough depth for full forward/backward movement. A quality Power Rack should be constructed of heavy Gauge steel for plenty of strength.
Most quality power racks include:
Other useful functions include Sumo Base, Bench Docking, a weight stack system for cable work and other add-ons depending on a persons lifting goals and budget.
Something to be aware of when choosing a quality power rack, not all racks are capable of standing overhead presses inside the rack unless the rack is 8 feet or taller (which may not fit into a standard 8 foot ceiling home). Open top Power Racks are available but typically take up the space of a full rack while losing the ability to add topside pegs or chain holds. This is a good place to segway into the pros and cons of the Half Rack system.
A Half Rack places the safety spotters on the front and/or back of the rack instead of inside. A well designed half rack will not have the overhead clearance problem but there are some other potential limitations to look for. These include:
- Safety spotter length may not be long enough for safe drop protection. Anytime a barbell is raised off the floor there is potential for that barbell becoming a Nuclear Barbell. That is to say it could come down when/where it is not intended onto the lifter or someone standing nearby.
- Half Rack Safety Spotters may not lock to the Power Rack frame causing the potential for the Safety Spotter to come off at the worse possible time (ie barbell is on your shoulders or chest).
- Low quality half racks using thin metal can be more susceptible to stability problems without safety spotters connecting to a front and back frame segment.
Is there a half rack that does not suffer from these problems? Yes there is. The X9 Evolution Hybrid Gym. Let’s look at some advantages of the X9 Hybrid Gym (The base of the X9 starts as a premium quality power rack). Along with the positive features mentioned for Power Racks above the X9 includes:
- Overhead presses can go to the ceiling.
- You don’t need to thread the barbell to get it “inside” like you do with a full rack.
- Smaller footprint than most full racks.
- Safety Spotters that lock to the frame making it impossible for them to come off unless you want them off.
- Upgradeability. You can convert the X9 “rack” into a fully functioning gym system with stack plates, cables/pulleys and a host of other innovative options, making it the most functional, fully featured all-in-one gym on the market.
- The robust design of the X9 with heavy gauge tubing (4mm 8 Guage) ensures it will never buckle under pressure and provide a lifetime of use for you and those who follow.
- The Sumo area at the front of the X9 allows wide foot placement while still allowing band pegs at floor level. In addition, Rack Pulls can go to within 2 inches of the floor while still using band pegs. Some Sumo full power racks will not allow this.
In addition, the X9 very effectively stops any Nuclear Barbell cold in it’s tracks. Using our patent pending safety spotting system (including 10,000 LB adjustable straps with TuffStitch technology and micro adjustment) the user gains all the benefits of the full rack and half rack, including taking up less space. Further, our safety strap system provides 100% containment from nuclear barbells 100% of the time.
This gives the lifter peace of mind.
- Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting, it involves lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as “odd lifts”, which followed the same three-attempt format but used a wider variety of events, akin to Strongman Competition. Eventually odd lifts became standardized to the current three.
- Pull-Ups
The Pull-UP (also known as a chin or chinning) depending on forward or rearward facing hands) is a strength training exercise. People frequently do this exercise with the intention of strengthening muscles such as the latissimus dorsi and biceps, which extend the shoulder and flex the elbow, respectively.
The movement begins with the arms extended above the head, gripping a hold. It may be fixed, such as a chin-up bar or moving, such as gymnastic rings or rotating handles. The body is pulled up, with the bar approaches or touches the upper chest. A chin-up is considered complete based on a variety of criteria in relation to where the chin should be in respect to the bar, or in respect to the hand grips. The body is then lowered until the arms are straight, and the exercise is generally repeated.
Not everybody can immediately do full body weight pull-ups. There are also times when a person wants to do more reps than native body-weight will allow. Applying the principle of Negatives and Drop Sets to pull-ups allows the user to push further for quicker gains.
Another Bodyforce first, Interactive Pull-Ups allows two separate users to assist or resist each other depending on their desired goals and the X9 configuration. Further “adjustments” can be made by entering the X9’s weight stack system favoring or opposing either user. Another variation, one person can be doing dips while the other does pull-ups and vice versa. This is a useful and fun way for two people to push each other while getting in a great workout. Personal Trainers will also find this function useful in fine tuning their clients output while also getting exercise simultaneously.
- Pulleys
There are many varying shapes, sizes and qualities of pulleys. Most pulleys made for low end fitness equipment are made from cheap, brittle plastic with a low quality bearing ring pressed into the center. Pulleys commonly found on “Commercial Grade” equipment are made of premium plastic polymers that contain 25% total fiberglass mixed in prior to the molding process or aluminum at the top end. A larger diameter causes less stress on the fibers of the cable going around them increasing the life of the cable as well as making for a smoother overall cable system.
Commercial grade pulleys typically have high quality, precision bearings inserted into the pulley at the time of molding so they are precisely placed and cannot shift or come out. Cheap pulleys have low grade bearing pressed into the center later in the process. Of course the quality of the actual bearings within the bearing ring make a big difference as well. Depending on the particular application a wider flanged pulley can prevent friction when the cable you are pulling goes off center. Putting the pulley on a swivel mount also help alleviate this problem.
At Bodyforce we use 115mm diameter pulleys every chance we get. We also use custom made aluminum pulleys to ensure the most fluid cable movement.
- Rack Pulls
Great article found here.
- Range of Motion
Range of motion can describe the total mobility of a joint. Range of motion when referenced with fitness equipment is the ability to move from a fully retracted to a fully extended position for any given exercise. At Bodyforce we highly recommend choosing equipment that will allow for full range of motion. Equipment such as the Bodyforce X9 have many adjustment positions to fit different body shapes and sizes. This also ensures a full extension and retraction can be achieved, building powerful lean muscles.
- Reverse HyperStrength legend Louie Simmons swears by the reverse-hyper machine he invented after breaking his back. The reverse hyper (also known as the reverse back extension in its early days) helps people stabilize the body while moving the hip independently. It can also come in handy if you want to get an injured athlete doing hip extension without knee flexion. The reverse hyper can restore spinal movement and improve disc health. -The standard hyper (back extension) brings the spine (torso) into line with the blocked pelvis and femur on the GHD or roman chair using the spinal erectors. The reverse hyper (back extension) brings the pelvis and femurs into line the blocked spine (torso) using the spinal erectors.
- Review Sites
Solid user reviews can be invaluable when deciding between competing products. But when reading review sites, buyer beware! There are plenty of wolves in sheep’s clothing on the internet now. Many review sites are loaded with fake reviews subtly and sometimes not so subtly pulling you to their products under false pretenses. I know this may surprise you but dishonesty in adverting still exists. Don’t fall for it. Check multiple review sites. Try to find actual users you can communicate with directly, making sure you’re not talking with a company mole. On a review site like Amazon try to find other reviews given by a particular person on a host of other unrelated products. Try to vet the reviewer by seeing how long they have been around and how unbiased they are in their reviews without trying to twist your arm in any particular direction.
Beware of posters on message boards with very few posts selling a product with a little too much gusto. If it is a fake reviewer they will generally get very aggressive when someone calls them out and after a few defensive exchanges they drop off the planet as if they never existed. Regular message board posters are generally in for the long haul and usually develop report as being honest and reliable with those they interact with. Most readers are sophisticated enough to spot company moles, but not all. Keep a sharp eye out as the phony posters are also getting more sophisticated. Some corporations pay big bucks to agencies expecting a return on investment. Some agencies “release the hounds” doing whatever they can think of to help you get your wallet out.
Yet one more indication a review site may not be real is when the information being presented doesn’t quite add up. Everything being said fly’s in the face of what you have read elsewhere and in fact seems to be trying to reverse negatives by presenting those areas in a positive light. Further, when a low end product that you know is made cheaply is said to be for example “The Ultimate Home Gym on the Market” you can probably stop reading there. Let’s look at one specific example here. Does any reasonable person think this “Home Gym Review” site is giving the straight scoop labeling the “Bowflex” as #1 with so many obviously better choices on the market? Rest assured this site was bought and paid for by Nautilus Inc, Bowflexes’ parent company. Almost without fail the paid for fake review sites will tell you they are “unbiased, independant, trustworthy and honest” and yet they are not. We will discuss this topic further on our Blog found here.
- Safety Spotters
Safety Spotters are commonly found on Power Rack and Half Rack systems as a last line of defense against being injured by a barbell if the barbell is dropped. In the opinion of Bodyforce, for a safety spotter to be effective it should be at least 2 feet or longer and have some method for locking onto the frame it is paired with.
On many of the lower quality, mass market products, the company that produces them tend to skimp on the safety spotter by making them shorter. This cost cutting measure is often combined with low quality, thin, light gauge metal that can not support the heavy weights a longer arm could support. That said, beware of products using short safety spotters. They are not safe and are one of the things that give Half Racks a bad name.
Bodyforce has developed a patent pending strap system (utilizing 10,000 LB adjustable loops with TuffStitch technology and micro adjustment) used in combination with bomb proof safety spotters. The single most important aspect of any spotting system is 100% CONTAINMENT (front/back, side to side and vertical) of the barbell at all times. With Bodyforce’s advanced, patent pending spotting system, you will have peace of mind that 100% of all nuclear barbells will be contained 100% of the time. On top of that you will have one of the easiest height adjustment system (can be done from the prone position on the bench) in the industry!
- Smith Machines (rollers vs bearings vs high quality bearings)
The traditional “Smith Machine” included an Olympic bar connected to guides and frame through plastic sleeves, rollers or bearings (lowest to highest quality in that order).
At Bodyforce we use only the highest quality parts. The X9 Hybrid Gym uses 8 precision bearings units riding on 40mm, solid steel, precision guide rods. The two individual carriages on the X9 create a Smith Hybrid unlike anything ever seen on the market. They allow isolateral (separate left and right) movements which prevents cheating on one side, maintaining even muscular development.
At Bodyforce we believe free weights combined with machines, and a cable suite will build a better overall physique quicker than any other way. By going as close to failure as possible then quickly moving to machine exercises that allow you to push even further you can obtain maximum benefit and growth. Drop sets using a stack system for example can be very quick and effective….moving from one weight to the next in a matter of seconds.
- Squat
The squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads (vastus lateralus medialis and intermedius), hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body. Squats are considered a vital exercise for increasing the strength and size of the legs and buttocks, as well as developing core strength. Isometrically, the lower back, the upper back, the abdominals, the trunk muscles, the costal muscles, and the shoulders and arms are all essential to the exercise and thus are trained when squatting with the proper form.
- Sumo Base
A Sumo Base or Sumo capable power rack/gym system allow the lifter to place his/her feet wider than a standard power rack width. This is typically achieved by either constructing the bottom frame tubing wider or elevating the bottom tubing so that a lifters feet can slide underneath. The sumo style rack is a nice feature too to have, offering more flexibility but there are some “Gotchas” to look out for when selecting a Sumo Base rack. The wider positioning of the bottom tubing (depending on design) can make it difficult to use Band Pegs at the right locations. Also, if the frame is too high on a raised tubing design, it can restrict how low a barbell can be placed inside the rack causing problems for Rack Pulls for example.
- Super SetsSupersets use opposing muscles where the sum of 1 + 1 nets greater than 2. By working opposing muscles the exerciser can make quick gains. The X9 Hybrid gym offers many readily accessible opposing exercises it is the perfect machine to maximize growth using supersets.
- Tailor-Made Solutions
Deciding what fitness equipment to purchase can be very confusing. At the low end of the scale there are cheap, disposable products littering eBay and Craigslist. Guess what? People, get rid of products because they are broken, don’t work very well or did not engage the user. On the high end, companies like Matrix, Life Fitness, and Cybex, charge you an arm and a leg for their quality, but often times lack features and innovation. Also, with huge overhead, often selling through Brick and Mortar stores they must mark their products up 400% or more to keep their business model sustainable. At Bodyforce, we run a tight ship, maximize efficiency, keep overhead low and focus our energy on engaging features, bang for the buck and excellent customer service.
- Total Gym
A device inseparable connected with Chuck Norris and to a lessor degree Christy Brinkley. The device moves forward/backward on plastic rollers using gravity as it’s primary form of resistance.
- UHMW
Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW) is a subset of the thermoplastic polyethylene. UHMW is odorless, tasteless, and nontoxic. At Bodyforce we use UHMW on top of our safety spotters along with several other locations to create a durable, long lasting product that stands the test of time.
- Ultra Functional Trainer (UFT)
Bodyforce uses this term to describe its X9 Evolution Hybrid Gym, a new breed of Functional Trainer on the market. Free weights to cables to a host of other full body exercises is just the tip of the iceberg. Many more exciting features on the way.
- When and Where to WorkoutCommercial Gym’s come and go. Some are quite expensive, especially if you have a family. They have their own rules, hours, policies and procedures. Purchasing a quality gym for your home is a smart lifetime investment. Not enough space? Consider using garage space which is becoming very popular with Crossfit movement. Over the long haul you will save money buying quality equipment instead of years of gym memberships. Of course price is only one ingredient. Value is equally if not more important. What keeps you fit? What gets you from point A to point B the quickest and helps you maintain that level of health and fitness over the long haul? What works for not only top athletes, but moms, dads, and kids with specific goals as well?
