Over the last 3 years, EXCEED has been able to get our hands on a large amount of high-tech testing and training tools that have improved how we train and monitor our clients. Measuring and quantifying performance is the first step to managing an athlete. We use technology, at some level, with all of our clients but we reserve some for our elite athletes or rehab protocols.
JUMP TESTING EQUIPMENT
- HAWKIN DYNAMICS – Force Plates – These plates allow us to assess an athletes ability to produce and reduce force in real time with precise accuracy. We can monitor progress, tailor training to an athletes unique abilities as well as uncover anything that we might miss with the eye test.
- MUSCLELAB – Contact Grid – This device creates a layer of infrared light mesh at the ground level that can accurately and instaneously display jumping or sprinting abilities and ground contact times for a distance up to 40 meters.
- JUST JUMP – Jump Mats – A much more simple design to give us higher volumes of jump numbers.
- VERTEC – Vertical Jump Testing Apparatus –
SPEED TESTING EQUIPMENT
- DASHR – Laser Timing Gates – Fractions of a second make all the difference in the world when it comes to a 40 yard dash or any speed or change of direction testing. It’s impossible to quantify without the use of a laser or video timing system. Dashr allows us to time a multitude of sprint events with accuracy and consistency.
- FREE LAP – Magnetic Timing Gates – Similar to Dashr, Free Lap is another tool in our arsenal that allows us to use a more accurate method to our timing than holding a stop watch.
BARBELL VELOCITY TESTING EQUIPMENT
- KINETIC PERFORMANCE – GYMAWARE – The GymAware barbell tracking tool allows us to test barbell speeds as well as power, bar path, depth and a number of other variables which help some of our more experienced lifters dial in on specific training protocols more effectively than simply choosing the correct weight. We’ve tested 3 other tools and this is currently the best option for testing, in our opinion.
MUSCLE TESTING EQUIPMENT
- MOXY – Muscle Oxygen Monitor – This will become a staple in our endurance testing protocols in the near future. It gives us the ability to understand what is going on at the muscle, locally, rather than a global view of the entire body. For injury rehab protocols and cyclical sport athletes this will be a game-changer.
- ATHOS SCIENCE – EMG Suit – We have used this to test some of our pro athletes muscle function in typical speed and strength movements. The suit will reveal what muscles are overworking, underworking or assymetrical related to their counterpart. It’s hard to “feel” things at full speed so the suit can help make that an easier task.
UNIQUE TRAINING TECHNOLOGIES
- EXXENTRIC – KBox – This Flywheel system has changed the way we train and push athletes across a large spectrum. It’s unique ability to overload the body with eccentric force is hard to replicate in a traditional training environement. It also allows us to get more lower body training in with people who are either compromised (injured or restricted) with their upper body or spines because of the belt system.
- EXXENTRIC – KPulley – This Flywheel system is almost the same as the KBox but we use it most often for upper body and core and some lower body single joint patterns. It is a horizontal version of the Kbox.
- XPT – The Trainer (RACK) – This unique rack was conceived along the lines of the famous “Smith Machine” without all the drawbacks of a restricted movement. This rack allows the barbell to move freely in almost all directions but brings the added bonus of self-spotting and fear reducing benefits that the alternative possesses. We use this for explosive lifting (check media page) but more often we overload, whether it’s heavier weights with healthy clientelle or re-introducing movement patterns with rehab clients.
- B STRONG – Blood Flow Restriction Unit – This is old technology that is starting to gain popularity again. Reducing the flow of blood and oxygen to a specific part of the body can allow it to get a lot of work done without taxing the system with a lot of weight or volume. It has become a must-have in the rehab world and can be used in all types of training when local muscle fatigue is the goal.
- VERTIMAX – Raptor EX – The Raptor EX is a tool designed to resist sprinting and agility patterns in different directions. It’s capable of using for multiple reps both towards and away from the unit and plays a big role in deceleration training for some athletes.
- COMPEX – EMS Units – We have a number of EMG/EMS (Electromyography or Electrical Muscle Stimulation) units that help our athletes recover between training sessions, get extra work on a lagging muscle in ACL Rehab or similar protocols and even just to increase the contraction of a muscle with healthy clients.
