I bought the X5 and Steel Bow through Amazon, but you may get it directly from the US Company: click here and select the model at the bottom of the page.
It may be the best "gym investment" you can make.
I can now have my "workouts" even while sitting for long hours in front of the computer with the 20-inch Steel Bow beside me. :wink:
Jack LaLanne is an AMAZING guy. A real pioneer. I remember my mom watching his show. and I recently saw reruns of his old show on tv. It was great. I loved the way he just used regular items from around the house (chairs, etc.) for the exercises. and of course, the dog, and the song at the end.
1958 Age 44: Maneuvered a paddleboard 30 miles, 9-� hours non-stop from Farallon Islands to the San Francisco shore.
1959 Age 45: Completed 1,000 pushups and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hours and 22 minutes. "Happy" is born and The Jack LaLanne Show goes nationwide
1974 Age 60: Swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf, for a second time handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000-pound boat.
1975 Age 61: Swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater, for a second time handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000-pound boat.
1976 Age 62: Commemorating the "Spirit of '76", swam 1 mile in Long Beach Harbor, handcuffed, shackled and towing 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people.
1979 Age 65: Towed 65 boats filled with 6,500-pounds of Lousiana Pacific wood pulp while handcuffed and shackled in Lake Ashinoko, near Tokyo, Japan.
1980 Age 66: Towed 10 boats in North Miami, Florida filled with 77 people for over a mile in less than 1 hour.
1984 Age 70: Handcuffed, shackled and fighting strong winds and currents, towed 70 boats with 70 people from the Queen's Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary for 1 � miles.
I bought the X5 and Steel Bow through Amazon, but you may get it directly from the US Company: click here and select the model at the bottom of the page.
It may be the best "gym investment" you can make.
I can now have my "workouts" even while sitting for long hours in front of the computer with the 20-inch Steel Bow beside me. :wink:
Gerry
I haven't heard of this. How is the measurement part? what kind of gains in strength does it measure, and how reliable are the measurements?
I go to a gym ($10 a month.. I feel it is worth is just for the variety). but I have tried a lot of different things. I've kind of come to the conclusion that some of the simpler devices are the better ones. For one thing, I think it is human nature to be more apt to pick up something simple.
One thing I use a lot is just a rubber band with handles. It is a very handy type of thing that you can do many exercises with. easily pack it on a trip.
also, have you heard of static contraction? It is kind of the next step from isometrics.. well, kind of. :P but it is an interesting theory.
It was popular in the '70s, sold mainly by mail order, from magazine and newspaper ads.
Quote:
How is the measurement part? what kind of gains in strength does it measure, and how reliable are the measurements?
If you're referring to the sliding plastic band, it just measures how much you moved the tube. The 20-inch Steel Bow has it in centimeters. Not really a direct measure of strength, but being able to move it more than before will mean you're stronger for that particular movement.
Quote:
One thing I use a lot is just a rubber band with handles. It is a very handy type of thing that you can do many exercises with. easily pack it on a trip.
We can do pulls on the Bullworker as in rubber bands, but in addition, we can compress as well.
Quote:
also, have you heard of static contraction? It is kind of the next step from isometrics.. well, kind of. :P but it is an interesting theory.
I think isometrics is similar to static contraction. I found this page about static contraction, and it's obviously synonymous to isometrics, except that the hold is at a specific position, and the resistance is supplied by weights. This page even describes the hold as "Isometric exercise."
So I don't think it's really something new. It's just a way of applying isometric principles, which started way back in the 1920s and formalized by Hettinger and Muller in 1953. You can even read one of the original books on isometrics here.
With the Bullworker, we can reach our max at various positions and hold the position isometrically.
no.. not that young. but in the 70s, my idea of exercise was to go out dancing on Friday night! didn't go much further than that..
Quote:
Originally Posted by bifrost99
It was popular in the '70s, sold mainly by mail order, from magazine and newspaper ads.
Quote:
How is the measurement part? what kind of gains in strength does it measure, and how reliable are the measurements?
If you're referring to the sliding plastic band, it just measures how much you moved the tube. The 20-inch Steel Bow has it in centimeters. Not really a direct measure of strength, but being able to move it more than before will mean you're stronger for that particular movement.
Quote:
One thing I use a lot is just a rubber band with handles. It is a very handy type of thing that you can do many exercises with. easily pack it on a trip.
We can do pulls on the Bullworker as in rubber bands, but in addition, we can compress as well.
Quote:
also, have you heard of static contraction? It is kind of the next step from isometrics.. well, kind of. :P but it is an interesting theory.
I think isometrics is similar to static contraction. I found this page about static contraction, and it's obviously synonymous to isometrics, except that the hold is at a specific position, and the resistance is supplied by weights. This page even describes the hold as "Isometric exercise."
So I don't think it's really something new. It's just a way of applying isometric principles, which started way back in the 1920s and formalized by Hettinger and Muller in 1953. You can even read one of the original books on isometrics here.
With the Bullworker, we can reach our max at various positions and hold the position isometrically.
Gerry
what static contraction does is present a workout based on measurement.
the workout is based on measurement, and you pace your workout based on comparing measurements from this workout to the next. If you keep doing better, then you keep your workout interval the same. If you do worse than before, then this is supposed to indicate that you have not given your muscles enough rest. so you INCREASE your time between workouts. Eventually, you will need a workout once a week, once a month? depending on the indivdual.
now.. I thought .. right when I first heard it. Except I have a friend that has done just that.
but.. the hook. the equipment to measure. EXPENSIVE. and from what I hear, the customer support is not the best.
my friend bypassed the equipment, and created her own workout, with straps and balls - unfortunately, she couldn't measure, but she did gain muscle strength. She eventually bought the equipment and is very happy with it and works out on it about once a month for the major muscles. Then uses Egoscue for her postural muscles.
However, I think someone will invent a simpler force gauge that will make it easier to measure progress with any isometric exercise. I imagine you would have to make sure the angle and the way you did it was consistent everytime to accurately measure progress (which is what the heavier equipment is doing in a way). I should ask Don H. about this. I do think isometrics would be more popular if a person could see some progress in strength besides just looking in a mirror.
but.. the hook. the equipment to measure. EXPENSIVE. and from what I hear, the customer support is not the best.
I think I'm missing something here. What equipment are you referring to? Is there something particular for static contraction? The web pages I saw just used weights with appropriate safety, like the power racks.
Quote:
my friend bypassed the equipment, and created her own workout, with straps and balls - unfortunately, she couldn't measure, but she did gain muscle strength.
A Bullworker could have done the job? :wink:
Quote:
However, I think someone will invent a simpler force gauge that will make it easier to measure progress with any isometric exercise.
I think the sliding guage in the Bullworkers can do that job, although the progress is measured by distance and not by force. And it would not be linear, but geometrical (Bullworkers are spring devices).
However, unless one intends to keep gaining weight (muscle), there will come a point when there will no longer be any progress, a plateau (strength-wise). This would be the point of maintenance. If everyone keeps progressing, we would have people lifting trucks with one arm!
Isometrics is really the laziest way a person can gain muscle strength quickly. Isometrics can be done with a host of other equipment, or even no equipment (walls, floor, body part against body part) as shown by Wittenberg. But so far, I think the easiest, most efficient, most convenient, and cheapest way for isometrics is using the Bullworker.
Of course, muscle strength is not all there is to health. There's endurance, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness.
Thanks. Really interesting. Nice work on the stroke victims, which, again, should show us that exercise can be king.
My brother was into weights in our teens (me tagging along) and I have read a lot about all the various routines -- super slow, heavy duty, circuits, single reps, POF, TSC, etc. It's amazing how people just repackage something, give it a different name, and call it their system. But well, they're enjoying it. And it provides articles for those muscle magazines. 8)
Thanks also for mentioning the Egoscue method. It's the first time I heard of it and I looked it up.
but.. the hook. the equipment to measure. EXPENSIVE. and from what I hear, the customer support is not the best.
I think I'm missing something here. What equipment are you referring to? Is there something particular for static contraction? The web pages I saw just used weights with appropriate safety, like the power racks.
Quote:
my friend bypassed the equipment, and created her own workout, with straps and balls - unfortunately, she couldn't measure, but she did gain muscle strength.
A Bullworker could have done the job? :wink:
yes, you can do it in the gym, if the gym equipment allows you to set the movement so that you can start almost at full contraction.
but they have equipment where, in essense, you are doing isometrics, and it is being measured. so, you can see if you are progressing.
I think the sliding guage in the Bullworkers can do that job, although the progress is measured by distance and not by force. And it would not be linear, but geometrical (Bullworkers are spring devices).
However, unless one intends to keep gaining weight (muscle), there will come a point when there will no longer be any progress, a plateau (strength-wise). This would be the point of maintenance. If everyone keeps progressing, we would have people lifting trucks with one arm!
Isometrics is really the laziest way a person can gain muscle strength quickly. Isometrics can be done with a host of other equipment, or even no equipment (walls, floor, body part against body part) as shown by Wittenberg. But so far, I think the easiest, most efficient, most convenient, and cheapest way for isometrics is using the Bullworker.
Of course, muscle strength is not all there is to health. There's endurance, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness.
of course.
my son has been taking tae kwon do for a long time. This year, in high school, he took a weight training class. He is definitely gaining muscle. He is slim, so every gain shows. but he went back to tkd, and a lot of his flexibility is gone. so, he is having to work on that again. And this is not the easiest area for teenage boys anyway.
so, I told him to ask his weight training teacher at school to show him how to stretch after every exercise.
minimizing the strength training appeals to me, because I like the way aerobic exercise makes me feel. :P so, I'd rather spend the time there. only so many hours in a day.
Thanks. Really interesting. Nice work on the stroke victims, which, again, should show us that exercise can be king.
My brother was into weights in our teens (me tagging along) and I have read a lot about all the various routines -- super slow, heavy duty, circuits, single reps, POF, TSC, etc. It's amazing how people just repackage something, give it a different name, and call it their system. But well, they're enjoying it. And it provides articles for those muscle magazines. 8)
Thanks also for mentioning the Egoscue method. It's the first time I heard of it and I looked it up.
A simple isometric exercise can normalize blood pressure.
Basically, it's gripping something isometrically with 30% of your force for 2 minutes. Rest a minute. Do on other hand. Then repeat another round for both hands.
The science (actually, an accidental discovery) is discussed in
Knowing the principle, we don't really need to purchase the expensive $299.99 ZonaPlus or the $799.99 Dynex1 or the $999.99 Dynex2. But I'm not stopping you if you like to get them.
A simple isometric exercise can normalize blood pressure.
Basically, it's gripping something isometrically with 30% of your force for 2 minutes. Rest a minute. Do on other hand. Then repeat another round for both hands.
The science (actually, an accidental discovery) is discussed in
Knowing the principle, we don't really need to purchase the expensive $299.99 ZonaPlus or the $799.99 Dynex1 or the $999.99 Dynex2. But I'm not stopping you if you like to get them.
Gerry
well, this is the first I've heard of this. sounds interesting.
Of course, just walking regularly lowers blood pressure for a lot of people.
I do think that to be able to measure progress/strength improvement with isometrics would be nice. but most of the ways they have to do this are marketed as very expensive devices like this, or expensive gym equipment.
what I would like to see is a some kind of flat flexible sheet with some kind of electrical measuring circuitry that you could place between you and what you are pushing(or pulling) against that would measure the force you are exerting. Something that anyone could use for any isometric exercise.
but.. then again, I keep wanting Scotty to beam me up, and he isn't responding either.
what I would like to see is a some kind of flat flexible sheet with some kind of electrical measuring circuitry that you could place between you and what you are pushing(or pulling) against that would measure the force you are exerting. Something that anyone could use for any isometric exercise.
If I would really like exact measurements, I'm thinking of some mechanical thong or clamp and a bathroom scale. Clamp the bathroom scale gripping with one hand, read your max, calculate 30%, and clamp to that reading and hold for 2 minutes. Cheap enough?
We could add some sophistication with a cheap timer to tell us when time is up. 8)
BTW, the exercises are to be done thrice a week. Another protocol, pressing at 50% strength for 45 seconds, rest 1 minute, repeat twice on each hand, is done five times a week.
If I would really like exact measurements, I'm thinking of some mechanical thong or clamp and a bathroom scale. Clamp the bathroom scale gripping with one hand, read your max, calculate 30%, and clamp to that reading and hold for 2 minutes. Cheap enough?
We could add some sophistication with a cheap timer to tell us when time is up. 8)
yeah.. and you get an extra workout trying to keep the scale in one place.
plus, you would be moving the scale all around for different exercises.
that would be ok if the scale was a little bitty thing.. but my scale isn't.
nope.. don't think I'm going to do this. but you knew that.. :P
all I'm saying is that seeing your progress is motivating to many people. and sometimes progress is hard to see with isometrics. and this is probably part of the reason people get bored with this type of exercise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bifrost99
BTW, the exercises are to be done thrice a week. Another protocol, pressing at 50% strength for 45 seconds, rest 1 minute, repeat twice on each hand, is done five times a week.
Gerry
thanks. sounds easy enough. certainly easier than taking beta blockers.
Regular activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States. Regular physical activity improves health in the following ways:
- Reduces the risk of dying prematurely.
- Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease.
- Reduces the risk of dying from diabetes.
- Reduces the risk of developing high blood prssure.
- Helps reduce high blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure.
- Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
- Reduces the feeling of depression and anxiety.
- Helps control weight.
- Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints.
- Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move without falling.
- Promotes psychological well-being.
Given the numerous health benefits of physical activity, the hazards of inactivity are clear. Physical inactivity is a serious nationwide problem. Its scope poses a health challenge to reducing the national burden of unnecessary illness and death.
From: The Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, July 11, 1996; Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
I saw it quoted in the book, Pain Free At Your PC by Pete Egoscue.
Nutrition is queen but exercise is king! ;)
when I first heard it. Except I have a friend that has done just that. 
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