Triple extension activation using the MyoTruk accommodating resistance strength builder

The key factor in a sprint start is achieving triple extension out of the blocks, that is, extending the ankle knee and hip joints simultaneously. The same combination is required in the vertical jump.

The main resistance exercises used to train triple extension are Olympic lifts, i.e., the snatch and clean. However there is very limited movement of the ankle joint in these lifts. Only a moderate degree of plantar flexion is involved whereas in a sprint takeoff or a vertical leap the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles are strongly and fully activated.

The MyoTruk accommodating resistance strength builder provides an alternative and more effective method of training for triple extension. As this video makes clear full range plantar flexion is automatically achieved in the exercise movement. It is also possible to train triple extension in each leg separately.

A further advantage of the MyoTruk is that its operation is intuitive. By contrast the Olympic lifts are very much learned movements which take considerable time to master.
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Announcing the MyoHip - the ultimate hip joint strength machine from MyoQuip

At last! A single simple-to-operate apparatus that effectively develops the all-important muscles of the body's great hinge mechanism - the hip joint - in both opening and closing; extending and flexing.

Despite its critical importance for human motion and posture, the hip joint has been basically neglected in terms of specific exercises and apparatus to improve its strength and functioning.

The primary hip extensor, the gluteus maximus, is the largest muscle in the human body. Very coarse in texture, it is heavily endowed with fast-twitch fibres. As a result it plays a central role in sports which involve sprinting and jumping. Conventional methods of strenthening and developing the glutes such as the barbell squat simultaneously activate the knee extensors or quadriceps. As a result optimal development of this vital muscle group is rarely achieved.

The MyoHip is unique as it is an accommodating or variable resistance machine which isolates the glutes and its synergistic muscles. Therefore the exerciser can focus on developing that muscle group. The possible range of movement for the exerciser on the MyoHip is 45° either side of the vertical, meaning that the included angle of the hip joint can extend from 45° to 135°, sufficient to ensure strong muscle activation.

The sequence below shows the apparatus being used in extension mode with the exerciser's back to the roller pads:



With modern sedentary lifestyles and the general aversion to walking anywhere, it is not surprising that many people have tight hip flexors which do not function effectively.

In order to use the MyoHip to develop and strengthen the hip flexors the exerciser simply changes their seating position to face the roller pads. The handgrips can be used if the pressure of the roller pads on the chest is uncomfortable. As in extension mode the exercise range can extend from 45° to 135° included angle of the hip joint.

In both extension and flexion modes the variable resistance mechanism compensates for gravitational attraction on the user's upper body. At the start of either movement the user has to overcome the effect of gravity on their trunk and head, while at the finish gravity makes it easier to push the roller pads. Therefore the machine's resistance is configured to become progressively greater throughout the exercise movement.

The sequence below shows the apparatus being used in flexion mode with the exerciser facing the roller pads:



Strengthening and developing the human body's great hinge, the hip joint

The MyoHip is an important addition to the exerciser's arsenal of strength-building equipment. For too long the muscles of the hip joint have been largely ignored. To some extent this could be because most exercises were originally developed and popularised by body builders whose desired body shape does not include large buttocks. They also have little interest in the hip flexor muscles since they are deep-seated and not visible.

However, for a large range of sports the hip extensors and flexors are vital. These include those sports where sprinting or jumping is involved and also rowing where the trunk swing is a major contributor to the power of the rowing stroke

Even more importantly a large proportion of the population experiences hip joint dysfunction. The MyoHip offers a very convenient and effective way to avoid these problems or to undertake rehabilitation.

Contact MyoQuip for further information or to obtain a quotation on the MyoHip. If you are located outside Australia we can quote in your own currency with alternative shipment options.
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BBC (Broad Biomechanical Correspondence) Technology - the effect of varying pin settings on the operation of MyoQuip machines

MyoQuip's BBC Technology is designed as a compensation mechanism for biomechanical disadvantage. When a limb is fully flexed, i.e., the foot or hand is close to the trunk, the muscles of that limb are operating in a position of considerable biomechanical disadvantage, but as the limb extends away from the trunk it moves into a progressively more biomechanically efficient orientation.

An example of this changing biomechanical efficiency can be seen with the barbell squat. When the hip and knee joints are flexed as in the deep position of the squat, the lifter's capacity to cope with resistance is considerably reduced; but as they rise and the joints fully extend, the amount of resistance that can be coped with increases dramatically. This is why there is a very strong tendency for unsupervised and inexperienced lifters to perform only partial squats and why the squat does not effectively work the leg extensor muscles through their full range.

MyoQuip's machines such as the MyoThrusta and the MyoTruk use Broad Biomechanical Correspondence Technology to provide increasing resistance throughout the exercise movement. This enables the exerciser to operate comfortably and effectively in the region of biomechanical disadvantage. In addition the technology exposes them to substantial effective loading and high-range muscle fibre recruitment throughout the whole range of movement.


BBC technology is an easily adjustable form of accommodating resistance. The rate at which the effective resistance changes is varied by selecting different pin positions on the machine's adjustment bar.


Mid-range pin settings

These are designed to broadly compensate for the improvement in biomechanical advantage throughout the exercise movement. The increase in 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; in other words to provide broad biomechanical correspondence between the exerciser's load-bearing capacity and the effective load. This can be contrasted with the barbell squat where considerable effort is required at the bottom of the movement and very little at the top end.

Thus with a mid-range pin setting on apparatus such as the MyoThrusta the leg extensor muscles experience substantial activation throughout the whole range of movement.

Low-range pin settings

Here 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. The exerciser chooses a weight load they can comfortably handle at the start of the movement and then attempts to perform the concentric part of the exercise as rapidly as possible. However, as they move toward full leg extension the effective load is rapidly increasing thus slowing their momentum. As a result there is a "ballistic braking" effect toward the end of the movement, eliminating the need to decelerate. Because of this the exerciser can utilise explosive strength over the full range of the movement.

This range of settings is particularly useful with the MyoThrusta where concentration on plyometric-type movements can be expected to produce significant improvements in vertical leap.

High-range pin settings

The increase in effective load from start to finish of the exercise movement is greatly reduced. High pin settings are ideal when the focus is on overcoming inertia, i.e., moving a heavy load from a position of rest. A typical real world application is in rugby when there is the need to "shunt" the opposing pack. A similar situation applies in the rugby lineout when a lifter with poor vertical jumping ability has to be rapidly hoisted.

High-range pin settings are also useful when the MyoTruk or MyoThrusta is being used to improve performance in the barbell squat, because the additional loading at the start of the movement conditions the leg extensors to operate more effectively in the region of greatest biomechanical disadvantage, e.g., in the deep squat position.
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