This is a revolutionary patented design and manufacturing technique that finally gives an optimal and safe tool for balance training.  This is the ideal tool for gyms and professionals as it includes comprehensive product liability insurance by Axxa – a first for this type of product and reflects the high build quality. The Turtle is latex free and non-toxic and meets all European Union safety standards.

Wide Range of Colours

The durable high weight dome is great for high impact plyometric exercises and can be used barefooted – we do recommend training in Five Fingers to avoid sweat lubricating the dome surface. Here is a PDF showing the differences between the Turtle and the BOSU.

A balance dome is a multi-purpose piece of exercise equipment. It consists of half of an exercise ball with a solid plastic plate attached to the bottom. Balance boards combine features of several different types of equipment such as the balance board and exercise ball and hence are useful for a range of different training techniques. These include balance and stability training as well as strength exercises such as push ups.

The standard size for a balance dome is around 26 inches (65 centimeters). The ball part of the dome can be inflated or deflated which makes it easy to transport. Pumping up an exercise dome requires a pump although this is usually included in the package.

Many exercise domes also include tubing that can be attached to the base. This is commonly used for stability exercises — especially if the person is yet to master all the exercises or has poor balance. Tubing and handles are also useful for people using the exercise dome for injury rehabilitation. If elasticized tubing is provided with the dome then this can also be used to provide resistance in certain exercises.

Exercise domes are sometimes used for rehabilitation of ankle and other lower leg injuries. When an injury is sustained this can often weaken muscles that provide stability. Stability training equipment such as the balance dome is used to mimic an unstable situation which helps to build up the muscles to the desired level. Sometimes these types of exercises are referred to as proprioception exercises. Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense where it is relative to other objects and is vital for stability and balance.

One of the most basic stability exercises using a balance dome is to turn it onto its ball side, stand on the flat part of the dome and hold the tubing for support. The ball will start to wobble creating an instability that must be countered by the person performing the exercise. This may be difficult to begin with but after a period of time, the person’s balance and stability will start to increase. When the exercise becomes straightforward the tubing can be dropped in order to increase the difficulty.

“Over the past few years I have really wanted a way to be more analytical and technological with monitoring my patients outcome assessment. I have tried everything from standard forms and progress reports to mailing out weekly spreadsheets which patients fill in and return. All of these are time-consuming. Ironically enough, often patients lose motivation as well and do not always complete or return forms properly. Through this I began to develop an iPhone application that would allow for reminders and a tactile surface to measure their daily outcomes. I am happy to announce that I used my concept for the first time as a prototype today and am very excited about the potential of the application.” Dr Anthony Close

This innovative iPhone application offers reliable outcome assessment and patient monitoring

Dr. Anthony Close completed his studies in biology and chemistry from Purdue University prior to completing his Doctorate in Chiropractic at Palmer University in Iowa. While at Palmer, Anthony had a special focus in spinal rehabilitation systems and physiotherapy.  Currently, Anthony is a private practitioner in the city of Wellington, New Zealand.  In the past, Anthony has internationally lectured and held permanent positions at major universities and various gyms. Anthony’s unique blend of thought between physics, bio-mechanics, physiology and business has lead to a novel approach regarding spinal rehabilitation consultancy.

Often people are quick to blame structural pathology as a site or source of spinal pain. However, research now shows us that often many people with no pain have the same exact pathologies. Moreover, these asymptomatic people make up a large portion of the population. Less than 20% of spinal pain is caused by structural factors (disc herniation, cracked disc, infection, tumor, ect.).

Many people with back pain recover quickly but as time progresses the flare ups become more common and often more painful. A complete analysis that covers movement, motor control, torso endurance and whole body stability is often all that is needed. However, many practitioners never learned how to assess, design, and support systems that encourage proper motor control and motion. In addition, the solution is not as difficult as one may think.

Medicine ball training is one of the oldest forms of strength and conditioning training – the first reference to wrestlers training with sand filled bladders appears in Persia nearly 3000 years ago. In ancient Greece the physician Hippocrates had them sewn out of animal skins and stuffed with sand. His patients threw them back and forth for injury prevention and rehabilitation. Their association with physical therapy gave them their name.

Since that time technology has allowed us to expand this important concept in power training. AOK has been manufacturing medicine balls for the past 14 years using the same technological innovations that we developed for the manufacture of mediBall PRO. Modern balls are way ahead of the old leather ones.  Medicine balls fill a void that traditional weights can’t because they allow you to successfully train using dynamic and random movements. Today’s medicine balls also bounce – remember you can’t safely bounce, catch or toss dumbbells.

Rather than filling a bladder we have thickened the skin of our balls and weighted the plastic to achieve the desired training weight. Our rotary moulding method of ball production lets us include an inflation valve in the ball. This allows the user to change the skin tension by adjusting the amount air in the ball. This allows the balls to rebound and provide a very dynamic training environment. And much safer than throwing dumb-bells around the gym.

Supine Russian Twist

In today’s competitive sports environment, strength and power have become extremely important for high level performance. But what is power. Power is the rate of doing work; that is, it takes into account the time required to do a given amount of work. The definition of work is force times distance, hence, power is composed of three components: (1) Force; (2) Distance; and (3) Time.

Incorporating medicine ball drills into a training program is an excellent method for increasing both general and specific power. Specific medicine ball drills are those drills which simulate the movement pattern used by the athlete during a particular skill. General medicine ball drills are those drills which stress posture, balance, flexibility, and stability, but may not stimulate the movement patterns used by the athlete. These general medicine ball drills develop strength and power throughout the torso, laying the foundation for the future use of specific medicine ball drills. Drills with medicine balls such as those shown in Paul Chek’s DVD series “Dynamic Medicine Ball Training & Workout” will allow the athlete to work on many components of athletic ability simultaneously.  These drills can be modified to follow the Principal of Specificity of Training (optimal carryover will occur when you overload the muscles in the exact pattern of movement). Since the drills require movement along various planes, agility, speed and power systems are challenged. Paul Chek says that medicine ball training provides a much-needed stimulus for the high threshold motor units and wakes up those fast twitch muscle fibers as part of pre-event training.

In addition, the usual type of trunk training is done in the sagittal plane only. However, sport happens in three planes. Rotational training is one of the most neglected areas in many programs. Most traditional ab training is often done while lying down. Training for sport needs to take place in both prone and standing positions, with the emphasis on standing.

“Medicine balls fill a void that traditional weights can’t because they allow you to successfully train using dynamic and random movements.” That’s because today’s medicine balls also bounce. “Obviously,” says Strong, “you can’t safely bounce or toss dumbbells.”

These medicine ball exercises will add a new dimension to your training program in addition to improving your rotational power. Medicine ball exercises tend to be more ballistic than most traditional gym exercises and therefore should be performed with caution and only by advanced trainees. Make sure you are thoroughly warmed up before attempting these exercises. I recommend performing at least 2 sets of each exercise at 60% intensity prior to your work sets.

The premise for using such devices, is the dramatic improvements in functional balance and core conditioning that can be achieved. This is often the case when these abilities are compromised through injury or other deficits but not always the case when talking about  sport-specific gains that are reported from using all these tools.

What Is Balance Anyway?

Uninjured or impaired athletes don’t have the same balance training needs as the rehabilitating athlete.  In order to fully critique the current use of balance training for athletes, we should first have a general idea of what balance is. Balance, is simply defined as the ability to maintain the center of gravity (COG) over the base of support (BOS).

This ability is made possible by the co-operation and co-ordination of three primary sensory systems: the visual, the vestibular (inner ear), and the somatosensory (Click here for a Power Point Presentation – Proprioception changes with injury) systems. These three systems are often referred to as the triad of postural control. It is through the combined feedback from these three key systems that we are able to move and maintain balance without falling over.

Balance Strategies

An important concept to understand how we regain balance after losing it is postural sway. Postural sway is the normal, continuous shifting of the COG over the BOS. When an individual is able to keep within their limits of stability, balance is maintained. However, when postural sway exceeds these limits, a restabilizing strategy is required in order to prevent falling. There are three fundamental strategies for regaining balance that have been identified: the ankle strategy, the hip strategy, and the stepping strategy.

During mild postural perturbations, most people will use the ankle strategy to regain an upright stance. This strategy simply recruits the ankle platarflexors, dorsiflexors, invertors and evertors to correct any minor disruption in upright stance. No stepping action is necessary with this strategy. Several common balance devices such as the rocker board, foam rollers, and balance pads elicit the ankle response.

If postural perturbations are even greater, the hip strategy might be used alone or in conjunction with the previously mentioned ankle strategy. During the hip strategy, balance is regained by flexing and extending the hips and spine in order to keep the COG within the confines of the BOS. If successful, no stepping action is needed.

With even more disruption to ones balance, the body calls upon the stepping strategy in which a forward, backward, or lateral step must be taken in order to restore balance. This type of strategy is much more common in sporting type of situations as it typically occurs under more ballistic conditions than the previous mentioned strategies. Also, due to the speed in which these corrective steps must be taken, little or no feedback is used to modify the movement. This type of control is also known as feedforward or open loop control, and it is common to many sports and even daily activities that require speed, quickness, or a fast reaction time.

When an athlete is standing on a balance device, they are typically only working the ankle and hip strategies to regain balance and are able to receive adequate feedback about how to correct their balance. This is not very specific to the demands of real life and sport so these balance drills can hardly be called sport-specific. Also, many of the surfaces (foam rollers, Swiss-balls) differ greatly from any surface found in most sporting situations.

Unless incorporating very innovative training drills the reality of using most of these devices, is that they are specific skills that may really only help the athlete learn how to better use the particular device. While there is probably no harm in using them, one has to ask if time could possibly be spent doing something more beneficial. Balance, like most other motor qualities, is specific to each task and sporting situation. Good balance in one situation does not guarantee good balance in another!

So What Is One To Do?

There is nothing wrong with using these devices so long as their limitations are realized and other, more sport-specific exercises are not being left out.  Many of the devices are a lot of fun to perform and can provide novel variation for athletes.  I personally like to use the various balance devices as active recovery or during periods of lower loading as might occur in a periodized program. However, if ones time is limited, only the most beneficial exercises should be included exercises such as variations of Olympic lifts, the 3 power lifts (squat, deadlift, and bench press), (Click here for downloadable document on Plyometrics) Plyometrics, and other important accessory movements should never be omitted for specific balance exercises.

If one includes variations of gymnastics tumbling, hopping, skipping, jumping, and sprinting activities in is hard to think that any further balance training is necessary. The martial arts also provide some very dynamic and effective forms of balance training for athletes. Getting back to balance devices, there are a couple of that I think prove to be more useful than others. The Fitter Bongo and Indo board serve as useful balance challenges that can be made to be much more unpredictable than the common balance board and foam roller exercises.

Additionally, if one takes an upright sport-specific drill, Olympic lifting or strength movement and closes the eyes (or wears a blindfold!), the proprioceptive demands increase considerably. The late Dr. Mel Siff, world-renowned sport scientist, referred to this as imperfection training. One can, for example, shift slightly back and forth while at the bottom of a Snatch, holding a bar overhead, or during the beginning of a Squat before the descent. With a little creativity, one can turn any drill, exercise, or sport-specific movement into a balance or imperfection drill.

Purpose of Russian Twist:

Strengthen hamstrings, bottom muscles and activate muscles that control the lower spine and pelvis. Strengthen abdominal wall in rotation.

Russian Twist on the mediBall

Instruction:

1. With knees bent and ball behind back, slowly roll backwards until ball is under shoulders and back is straight.
2. Raise arms toward the roof and clasp.
3. Roll arms and shoulders from side to side.

Body Check

• Tongue on roof of mouth
• Head, neck & shoulder deactivation
• Chin tucked slightly
• Activate TVA (pull umbilicus towards spine)
• Activate multifidus (confirm with tape or by pressing fingers against multifidus the back muscles mirroring the belly button)
• Pelvic Floor Activation
• Maintain Neutral Spine

Postural Alignment Check

• Ear, shoulder & hips in alignment
• Knees & ankles in alignment

NB. Fatigue is always the guide to repetition i.e stop, rest & then try a few more reps.

Disclaimer: This is a basic guide to improving balance, muscle tone and flexibility. All exercises should be performed with care and caution, if unsure about an exercise please seek professional assistance, we take no responsibility for injuries caused by stretches performed incorrectly. Reproduction of any material without written permission from the publishers is strictly prohibited.

Tiger has demonstated phenomenal golfing technique since his days as an amateur but what has kept him at the top of his game? A Scientific Approach to Conditioning and Quality Practice!

Go to the Masters Home Page

Australia has some of the world’s leading practitioners when it comes to Golf Conditioning. In Victoria physiotherapist Ramsey McMasters has developed a fine reputation in assisting both professional and weekend golfers improve all aspects of their games. In Queensland physiotherapist Michael Dalgleish and biomechanist Dr Rob Neal have developed a scientific program to support and improve golf performance. Their website – The Golf Athlete (sign up for their great newsletter while you are there) has a range of great research articles that are a must for all serious golfers.

At AOK we have developed or import a number of training tools for golf – the Dura Disc is used by David Leadbetter.  This is his idea for using them.  It takes some getting used to, but hitting barefoot off these strong Australian made cushions enhances the feedback regarding balance during all parts of your swing. Stop a various points in the swing to check for trouble spots. The more you develop a smooth rhythm, not over-swing and stay in balance, the less you’ll fall off the pillows.

From Norway comes the Terapi Master (now known as Redcord) as sling stabilisation apparatus that assists with developing “core” function and strength. In a recent study it was shown that this can easily be translated into greater driving range.

Paul Chek has applied his extensive knowledge of physical conditioning with his book and DVD .

Purpose of Single Leg Lift:

Challenge your balance by minimising your base of support.

Single Leg Lift on the mediBall

Instruction:

1. From Seated Base position, lift one leg and extend.
2. Alternate legs.
3. Keep your back straight.

Exercising on a mediBall® has many benefits including:

• Dynamic Flexibility
• Balance
• Core Strength & Control and more..

Body Check

• Tongue on roof of mouth
• Head, neck & shoulder deactivation
• Chin tucked slightly
• Activate TVA (pull umbilicus towards spine)
• Activate multifidus (confirm with tape or by pressing fingers against multifidus the back muscles mirroring the belly button)
• Pelvic Floor Activation
• Maintain Neutral Spine

Postural Alignment Check

• Ear, shoulder & hips in alignment
• Knees & ankles in alignment

NB. Fatigue is always the guide to repetition i.e stop, rest & then try a few more reps.

Disclaimer: This is a basic guide to improving balance, muscle tone and flexibility. All exercises should be performed with care and caution, if unsure about an exercise please seek professional assistance, we take no responsibility for injuries caused by stretches performed incorrectly. Reproduction of any material without written permission from the publishers is strictly prohibited.

The freeFORM Board is a precision engineered training tool that rolls in any direction and helps to improve functional strength and fitness, enabling users to achieve better results faster.

What sets freeFORM apart?
There is a fundamental difference that sets the freeFORM Board apart from other functional fitness tools.

Its design allows the board to roll both on the horizontal plane , and in any direction.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The benefit is that you stay in full contact with the device while it supports your body weight. And as you approach your end range of movement, you simply change direction, continuing the exercise in a different direction.

Not only can you move forwards, backwards, sideways and in circles, but you can stay in contact while for example you transition from a prone face down position to a sideways lateral position, and then to a face up supine position.

To freeFORM means to be able to train the body and the nervous system in a non linear, non repetitive manner. In daily life and in competitive sport in particular, your body and nervous system are being asked to respond to things you can’t plan for and in some instances, you haven’t trained for. Naturally, the freeFORM Board still allows you to exercise in a linear and structured manner, however its ability to combine motion on the horizontal plane as well as across any direction is totally unique and what drastically widens your training options.

more info >>