I’ve long believed that preventing sports injuries starts with working out on a regular basis with a focus on resistance training. With no medical studies to back me up, I do like it when I learn of equipment such as the CrossCore War Machine.
CrossCore is a company focused on high quality machines designed to help you achieve your goals. They use a number of terms, specifically body weight training and 3D body weight training, that I was unfamiliar with. I emailed the company and Brendan Cosso, President of CrossCore, Inc. responded.
Our questions are listed below with Brendan’s answers as they were sent.
1) What is 3D bodyweight training and why is it important?
3D bodyweight training is training in which utilizes all three planes of motion: the sagittal plane, the frontal plane, and the transverse plane (horizontal). This type of training is imperative as it allows one the potential to conduct multi-directional movement and doing so without being locked into any fixed positions which are a much more natural state of being and performing. This being said, there is less risk for injury and more room for achievement of greater results.
2) What is the War Machine and how the name come about?
From the very beginning every person that we used the Product on all had the same reaction. Their eyes would light up and the sweat would begin to pour. During one of our training sessions with some MMA and Military guys they kept referring to it as a WAR MACHINE for the body, and seeing as our tag line was Life’s a Battle, Prepare for WAR… it just seemed to fit and the name was born.
3) How can bodyweight training help avoid injuries?
With great resistance comes great responsibility! When we add more and more weight to our workouts we put ourselves in compromising position as heavy weight can be detrimental to our bodies. The heavier the load the greater the risk for injury as research tells us. Lifting heavy weight isn’t the smartest approach as many tend to do so incorrectly and this may cause adverse effects immediately or further on down the road. Personal current state of health also plays a large role in this as there are many medical conditions that are at high risk of becoming aggravated when one is subject to overbearing weight.
“Certain other health conditions or diseases may make it less safe or unsafe for you to lift heavy weights, whether you are male or female. Examples include the common bleeding disorder von Willebrand disease or VWD, hernia, recent surgery — including a recent hysterectomy — arthritis, any kind of orthopedic injury, skeletal problems or high blood pressure. The elderly are less likely to be able to lift heavy weights safely because of the increased risk of bone weakness.”
4) When choosing bodyweight training what are important considerations?
First and foremost, before beginning any exercise program it is extremely imperative to get a doctors approval! Once you have been to see your doc, things one should consider in bodyweight training is that the type of bodyweight training you choose allows for the greatest range of motion and allows you to move as freely and as naturally as you do in your day to day life. We are each individually unique in many ways and we all move and express ourselves differently. That being said it is important to choose an exercise regimen or in this case a theory of bodyweight training that compliments you in the safest manner as possible and without taking away from ones desired outcome.
5) Can a bodyweight trainer help with recovering from a sports injury? How?
Absolutely!
It can and has assisted many whom have suffered from a sports injury as well as debilitating disruptions in heath such as stroke. For more information please read: http://www.crosscore-usa.com/War_Machine_the_New_Stroke_Rehab_Tool.pdf
By allowing one to work unilaterally and within one’s own range of motion, there is immense potential to gain back what may have been compromised through the injury. That being said, each side works freely of the other and with this type of training, individuals work within their limitations with the use bodyweight and body positioning, causing the strengthening of the less sustained or less dominate side. It is through this type of training that a re-balancing of the body takes place and at a much more rapid rate.