Alter-G

The Alter-G is a recent ergometer which is use for many athletes in the injuries’ recovery. Why is it utilize in this period? Because its main characteristic is that the running is done without or less gravity than in normal situations. The anti-gravity system was developed by the NASA. This fact is a good choice to decrease or omit the impacts in the joints of lower limbs for avoiding stress in them. So, the athlete can improve his or her aerobic fitness in a secure way. Besides, the gravity can diminish its value according to the state of the recovery. Also, this machine can be used for recovery session post-match or -competition to reduce the energetic demands thanks the no existence of impacts. Nevertheless, this machine is too expensive for current people and sportive centres. For this reason, it is only seen in athletic performance centre or in elite clubs of different sports. Therefore, the main characteristics of Alter-G are:

• Expensive
• Omit or reduce the value of the gravity
• Omit or reduce the impacts
• Be part of training material in performance centres
• Used in recoveries’ period or post-match/-competition

Image with Creative Commons License of Share Alike (URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Alter-G.jpg)

Where can it get?

Instead of the fact that these machines are in performance and rehabilitation centres, it can get them online in different webs. The main brand which commercialise this machine is Alter-G. Its price is around 30.000€, so its use can only allowed clubs with high budget. In the next URL you can see the Alter-G and his characteristics (http://alterg-com-backup.azurewebsites.net/products/anti-gravity-treadmills/m320-f320/professional-pt)

How it has said in the first paragraph, the function of reducing the gravity in running mechanics in the Alter-G is its only function, but it has an important role in the recovery of an injury or post-match. Besides, according to the state of a rehabilitation’s injury the conditioning coach can program the lack of gravity to progress in the recovery. In order to see how the machine works, this fact can be seen in the following video.

This video has a Creative Commons License (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqECFN6fclA) 

You can get the PDF of this post in the following URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17FkGmSA13uxolTFaVQmDor810gTCUjFw/view?usp=sharing

The information of this machine has been selected from different webs:

• https://www.sport.es/labolsadelcorredor/cinta-antigravedad-alter-g-la-maquina-de-correr-milagrosa/
• http://alterg-com-backup.azurewebsites.net/products/anti-gravity-treadmills/m320-f320/professional-pt

Post done and edited by Jorge

RINGS

Image extracted from the web https://www.calistenia.net/entrenar-con-anillas/

If we speak to any person about rings, directly they are going to relate it to the artistic gymnastics. Therefore it is necessary to say that this material not only is used in this sport, but in the area of the fitness your use has been increasing. 

The training in rings is effective because it helps yourself to gain force of functional form, especially by train Superior. 

Image extracted from the web http://sevilla.abc.es/fotos-deportes/20120731/londres-2012-anillas-masculino-103430.html

The advantages or benefits that the following ones can contribute his(her) this material sound:

1. They are unstable, for what we will develop the stabilizing muscles of the trunk and shoulders. 

2. We increase the force of grasp so much of hands, forearms and wrists, due to the fact that it is the only surface of contact with the material. 

3. It is a very effective method to develop the functional force by train top, of coordinated and balanced form. 

4. If we execute correctly the exercises we can say that it is a slightly harmful material, since the joints rotate freely. Eve, it is necessary to have care with the muscles that make a detour to the elbow and to the shoulder (boarders rotators).

5. It is a very effective material to develop the coordination and the balance. 

6. They help to increase the flexibility and the Range Of Motion in shoulders, back and wrists.

7. We can develop entertaining and dynamic trainings with great variety of exercises.

8. It helps to increase the hypertrophy and favour the morphologic structure of an athlete.

Image extracted from the web http://jjoorio2016.blogspot.com.es/2013/08/entrevista-con-christian-bazan.html

To be able to develop a satisfactory training with this material we must follow a series of considerations:

1. The rings must be subject well to a high and stable surface. 

2. The tapes of subordination must be adjustable in height to be able to realize correctly all the exercises.

3. The rings must be placed to the same height since if they are unbalanced they might cause injuries, especially in the shoulders. 

4. We must be capable of supporting the scapular retraction without rotating the shoulders towards ahead, this way we will support a sure position.
The exercises that we can develop are going to be divided by us according to the level of the person:

BEGINNERS

ISOMETRÍA IN RINGS WITH WIDESPREAD ARMS

Images extracted from the web: https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2015/10/26/entrenamiento-con-anillas-para-fortalecer-tu-cuerpo/

FLEXIONS IN RINGS WITH KNEES RESTED ON THE FLOOR

Images extracted from the web https://www.vitonica.com/entrenamiento/guia-crossfit-liii-rings-push-ups-o-flexiones-en-anillas

FLEXIONS WITH RINGS

Images extracted from the web: https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2015/10/26/entrenamiento-con-anillas-para-fortalecer-tu-cuerpo/

ROWING WITH RINGS

Images extracted from the web: https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2015/10/26/entrenamiento-con-anillas-para-fortalecer-tu-cuerpo/

DIPS IN RINGS ECCENTRICS

Images extracted from the web https://ejerciciosencasa.es/fondos-en-anillas/

DIPS IN RINGS WITH KIPPING 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hzy4x_3Qzc

TRUNK FRONT LEVER

Images extracted from the web https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2015/10/26/entrenamiento-con-anillas-para-fortalecer-tu-cuerpo/

INTERVAL

DIPS IN RINGS

Images extracted from the web https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2015/10/26/entrenamiento-con-anillas-para-fortalecer-tu-cuerpo/

DOMINATED IN RINGS

Images extracted from the web https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2017/10/07/hacer-mas-dominadas/

L-SIT IN RINGS

Images extracted from the web https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2015/10/26/entrenamiento-con-anillas-para-fortalecer-tu-cuerpo/

SKIN THE CAT

Images extracted from the web https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2015/10/26/entrenamiento-con-anillas-para-fortalecer-tu-cuerpo/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8nShGXzKec

FRONT LEVER TO A LEG

Images extracted from the web https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2015/10/26/entrenamiento-con-anillas-para-fortalecer-tu-cuerpo/

STRADDLE FRONT LEVER

Images extracted from the web http://www.beastskills.com/front-lever/

EXPERT

MUSCLE UP

Images extracted from the web http://www.beastskills.com/front-lever/

FRONT LEVER

Images extracted from the web https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2015/10/26/entrenamiento-con-anillas-para-fortalecer-tu-cuerpo/

When we are going to buy this material, we can find it between a range of price of 15-40 € approximately. In Amazon.es's web page we find the following variety of rings with your respective prices:

Image extracted from the web https://www.amazon.es/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=anillas+de+entrenamiento&tag=hydes-21&index=aps&hvadid=186490805950&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11869191227870444642&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=20267&hvtargid=kwd-335196410075&ref=pd_sl_1o0vao8j2l_b

If you want to get the powerpoint,click here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=11X0RXLtMBC_7_CjuWmFOxOzXcu1TWQut

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.fitnessrevolucionario.com/2015/10/26/entrenamiento-con-anillas-para-fortalecer-tu-cuerpo/

Post done and edited by Adrián

RUSSIAN BELT - ECCENTRIC BRACE

Do you know the Russian belt or also called eccentric brace? Do you want to know what benefits it has? Do you want to know why it was so used in the injury prevention programs by the Barcelona players of Pep Guardiola? Keep reading…

The eccentric brace was developed in the former USSR for the training of elite athletes. With some modifications, it arrived in Spain in the 80s with Hans Ruf, coach of the Spanish athletics team, who also has his patent (Lloret, Peña & Heredia, 2014, Tarrío, 2016). TMR World (https://tmr-world.com/) is the official brand of the eccentric brace, and defines it as: "a means to develop the muscles of the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, lumbar and cervical eccentrically, this it is, in such a way that lengthening and muscular strengthening occurs simultaneously "(Lloret, Peña & Heredia, 2014).

(Images extracted from https://tmr-world.com/ and
https://g-se.com/el-tirante-musculador-como-medio-de-trabajo-neuromuscular-bp-K57cfb26d6e6ae ).

Therefore, its main utility will be in relation to eccentric training, which as we know has a great importance in the recovery and injury prevention (see “Remember”). On the other hand, it is true that it has also been studied with isometric training and adding mechanical vibrations (vibratory platform), being an interesting proposal as a proprioceptive stimulus (Lloret, Peña & Heredia, 2014, Tarrío, 2016).

*REMEMBER!➤ Read if you do not know what an eccentric contraction is:
  What is an eccentric contraction? (Lamas, n.d.)
(Ex = outside, centrum = center) Muscle tension is developed and at the same time the physical elongation of the muscle, as external resistance is applied to it. The muscle generates tension while increasing its length. An example of this contraction is during the lowering of the bar in the bench press. This type of contraction "slows down" movement and occurs frequently in activities of daily living such as going down stairs or a hill, where the quadriceps contract eccentrically slowing the knee flexion and allows to descend comfortably . They also occur frequently in many sports where there are changes of rhythm, changes of direction and jumps, slowing movement. It is in this kind of movement where most injuries occur.

So, why eccentric?
According to Tous (2005) there is a mechanism known as repeated bout effect, in which eccentric training plays a protective function of the connective tissue. Tous points out that after an eccentric training session and the subsequent full recovery that can be up to 6 days, the repetition of the exercise will cause less muscle damage than the initial, this is the repeated bout effect. In this way, the myofibrillar rupture threshold in the muscle will increase, and it will be able to withstand more load towards the stretch or toward the eccentricity. For this reason, eccentric training is currently integrated as an effective tool in the prevention of injuries.

And why has it been so used in the world of sports performance? According to Tous (in Lloret, Peña & Heredia, 2014) this material has a series of advantages that justify its use:

ADVANTAGES

•  It allows to work eccentrically for the prevention of injuries, focusing on the "problematic" musculature (anterior quadriceps rectus and the hamstring musculature).
• Effective and safe training with low risk of injury, avoiding injuries by not requiring excessively high external loads that compromise the health of the spine ⟹ We know that the tension produced in eccentric contractions is greater than in concentric contractions, so we can get better adaptations with lower loads. This has been demonstrated in studies such as that of Da Silva et al. 2005 in which no significant differences were found in the muscle activation between the exercise with the eccentric brace with extra load of 20kg and the squat half with extra load of 70% 1RM.
• It allows the complete extension of the hip, necessary to reach these tensions and actively involve the anterior rectus of the quadriceps. Thus, exercises with free weights, squats or extensions in press, do not allow such extension, which is necessary to achieve the correct biarticular function of said musculature.
• Effectiveness-low price ratio. Low cost of acquisition and maintenance compared to other more expensive eccentric training devices such as isoinertial machines. In addition, being a relatively cheap material allows us to have more units to work with several players at once.
• Easy to store and transport.

WATCH OUT! Keep in mind that the muscle tension requires a period of learning the technique, where the position of the body, the handling of the load (if used) will be essential to achieve each repetition efficiently. It is essential to have the advice of a qualified professional to follow a training program suited to the objective of each person. Eccentric training must be carefully planned if we want to achieve the best results without getting injured (Tarrío, 2016).

With a price of around 60-100€ ,we can also obtain this material in:

•  https://www.amazon.es/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=tirante+musculador+ruso&tag=hydes-21&index=aps&hvadid=197920198208&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13058401911831637198&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1005402&hvtargid=kwd-70805960413&ref=pd_sl_96mikmeb71_b
• https://www.technologysport.com/tienda/es/fuerza-y-potencia/497-tirante-trabajo-excentrico.html
•  http://www.rehabmedic.com/cinturon-ruso-tirante-muscular.html

With the eccentric brace, 2 exercises are mainly performed, knee flexion-extension (squat) and hip extension (deadlift), although you can also perform more exercises:

 (Images extracted from
http://www.preparacionfisicapadel.com/2015/08/blinda-tus-rodillas-con-el-tirante.html and
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/499899627359591734/ ).

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYCc9cxRasQ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM9LpgVezKs

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lloret, C., Peña, G., & Heredia, J. (2014). El “tirante musculador” como medio de trabajo neuromuscular - Instituto Internacional de Ciencias del Ejercicio Físico y Salud. Grupo Sobre Entrenamiento (G-SE). Retrieved 22 April 2018, from https://g-se.com/el-tirante-musculador-como-medio-de-trabajo-neuromuscular-bp-K57cfb26d6e6ae

Tarrío, H. (2012). Entrenamiento excéntrico con tirante musculador. BuenaForma estudio de entrenamiento personal. Retrieved 22 April 2018, from http://www.buenaforma.org/2012/12/05/entrenamiento-excentrico-con-tirante-musculador/

Tarrío, H. (2016). El tirante musculador imprescindible en la prevención de lesiones. BuenaForma estudio de entrenamiento personal. Retrieved 22 April 2018, from http://www.buenaforma.org/2016/04/27/el-tirante-musculador-imprescindible-en-la-prevencion-de-lesiones/

Post done and edited by Álvaro

Encoders and Sensors

The encoder is a material of testing in sports, more specifically in strength training. Nevertheless, we have other devices like sensors for the same function. They are used to measure, directly, the speed which you move a bar or a dumbbell in a specific range of motion. These materials show you different important results for the training of athletes with the value of the speed and the weight of the barbell or dumbbell. These devices get the value of power, mean power and maximum power. Besides, it can stablish the intensity of the strength training with the decrease of the speed. Therefore, you can use this material for testing and for maintain the effort of the athlete and the intensity of the training. With this fact, if you are a coach or athlete you can stablish your levels of strength and your intensity in the strength training. Despite of the use of the encoder, this device presents other characteristics like:

• Encoder has a rope to measure
• Sensors are put the bar or dumbbell
• Encoder are more difficult for its use
• Sensors are easier for its use
• Different prices: from 300€ to 2000€
• Easy transport

In the next image, you can see the different encoders and devices which you can get in different online webs.

This image does not have the license of Creative Commons and you can see online in this URL: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWFZKvDW0AE6Z5u.jpg:large

Now, it is going to appear all the products of the previous image with the web where you can fin and buy them.

T-Force

http://www.tforcesystem.com/index.php

Image without the license of Creative Common (Its URL: http://www.tforcesystem.com/img/TF_2B.jpg)

Speed4lifts

https://speed4lifts.com/producto/pack-ahorro-speed4liftsfundaenganche-velcro/

Image without the license of Creative Common (Its URL: https://speed4lifts.com/producto/speed4lift-3/)

Velowin

http://www.deportec.es/carrito/?add-to-cart=6501

Image without the license of Creative Common (Its URL: http://www.deportec.es/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/velowin.jpg)

Push Band

https://www.trainwithpush.com/products

Image without the license of Creative Common (Its URL: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51509569e4b0cdd186de0b85/5a9e4d77e2c483d263d01e31/5a9e9315e4966b88241423bf/1520341781842/2.0-shop.png?format=750w)

Beast

https://www.thisisbeast.com/en/products/beast-trainer-package

Image without the license of Creative Common (Its URL: https://www.thisisbeast.com/sites/default/files/home-watt-beast3n.png)

In the next point, there are different videos in which you can see the way of use of encoders or sensors: 

Video without the license of Creative Common (Its URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ngBWyAcvzg)

Video without the license of Creative Common (Its URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpcxOSjigdU)

Video without the license of Creative Common (Its URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvjuScPbsA4) 

Finally, there are different articles which show that these types of devices, used well in training, allow trainers and athletes improving their values of force. In the next URL you can find more information about these results and these devices:

https://g-se.com/dispositivos-para-la-medicion-de-la-velocidad-de-ejecucion-en-el-entrenamiento-de-la-fuerza-todos-valen-para-lo-mismo-2272-sa-5590fae089d4bc

https://g-se.com/articulo/t/entrenamiento-de-la-fuerza-y-potencia?type=Article

If you want to keep the pdf of this post you can get it in this URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17F2AuL12WXWb-P-uKODL0PJfeOqtMwri/view?usp=sharing 

Post done and edited by Jorge