Ideal
for rehabilitation of hip
or knee joints.High
functionality for
developing and
strengthening leg
extensors
The
leg extensors - primarily
the gluteus maximus and
quadriceps - constitute
the body's largest and
most powerful muscle
group. They are also
vitally important for a
wide range of athletic
and sporting activities.
Traditional
methods of developing and
strengthening leg
extensors include the
barbell squat and the leg
press and leg extension
machines. However each of
these has significant
limitations. They do not
adequately exercise the
muscles from full flexion
to full extension, and
there are also issues
associated with adverse
loading and excessive
shear forces on the
lumbar region and knee
joints. The MyoThrusta has been
designed to overcome
these problems.
As
can be seen in the figure
at left the athlete
operates from a supine
position so that the
action of the extensors
can be effectively
isolated. The recumbent
position also means that
the spine can comfortably
cope with the compressive
forces generated.
The
arc through which the
foot plate of the machine
moves is designed to
closely parallel the path
that the feet would
normally traverse if
moved from flexion to
extension without
resistance. It also
creates a natural
tendency for the two
joint angles to vary
synchronously so that
they are effectively
sharing the load
throughout the exercise
movement.
Exercises the total
range of limb movement
It
can be seen that at the
start position both hip
and knee joints can be
tightly flexed. As the
feet move forward the
trunk and shanks remain
virtually parallel until
the legs are fully
extended. Thus the
potential range of
movement is from included
angles of around 30° to
180°. (In fact, by
starting with the feet
placed low on the
footplate it is possible
to hyper-extend the hips
beyond 180°.) Throughout
this extreme range of
movement high range
muscle fibre recruitment
is achieved by means of
our patented technology.
With
an exercise like the
squat or a machine such
as the conventional leg
press, exercisers
attempting heavy loads
tend to restrict
themselves to modest
degrees of hip and knee
flexion. This is because
as joint flexion
increases, the
exerciser's capacity to
cope with resistance
decreases. By contrast,
with the MyoThrusta
the effective load is
automatically reduced
when the joints are
flexed and increased as
they extend.
Multi-functionality
The
rate at which the
effective resistance
changes is varied by
selecting different pin
positions on the
adjustment bar.
With
mid-range pin settings
the effective load from
the start of the movement
to full lockout is
intended to match the
body's capacity to handle
resistance, so that the
exerciser has to expend
basically the same degree
of effort throughout the
movement.
With
low-range pin settings
the increase in effective
load from start to finish
of the exercise movement
is greatly increased.
These notch settings are
ideal for practising
explosive or ballistic
movements. When utilising
heavy loads there is a
"ballistic
braking" effect
toward the end of the
movement, eliminating the
need for the exerciser to
decelerate.
High-range
pin settings are
ideal when the focus is
on overcoming inertia,
i.e., moving a heavy load
from a position of rest.
For example, if the
objective is to improve
performance in the
barbell squat, the
additional initial
loading conditions the
leg extensors to operate
more effectively in the
deep squat position.
Laying a foundation
of basic strength
Until
the introduction of the
HipneeThrust athletes had
no means of developing
optimal muscle strength
through the full range of
a complex bi-articular
movement. The MyoThrusta provides
an even more effective
way to adequately
strengthen the major
extensor muscles of the
lower limbs before
focussing on sport- and
activity-specific tasks.
This results in obvious
and significant
performance and
injury-reducing benefits.
Contact
MyoQuip for
further information or to
obtain a quotation on the MyoThrusta. If you
are located outside
Australia we can quote in
your own currency with
alternative shipment
options.
