Product Description
An innovative program of more than 100 ways to perform squats. The program is designed to optimize strength and power of the legs by performing squats in new ways which replicate the joint angles and muscle demands which occur during sport.
The program is based on the following functional bio-mechanical principles.
- Kinetic Chain Linking
- Task Specific Functional Strengthening
- Three Planes of Motion
- Joint Position Influence
- Ground Reaction Forces
ALL FIVE PRINCIPLES ARE APPLIED TO THE THREE CATAGORIES OF SQUATS IN THE TRI-STRETCH® THE THREE DIMENSIONS TO THE SQUAT PROGRAM ARE
- SQUAT REACTION
- SQUAT PRE-POSITION
- SQUAT TRANSITION
Each category of squat has numerous types of squats within it. All squats can be performed in two legged stance utilizing a TRI-STRETCH® device under each foot or can be performed in single leg for a greater challenge.
SQUAT REACTION
During athletic activity, the foot/feet are rarely on completely flat ground. These changes in surface angles(for example the angle of the mound for a baseball pitcher, the landing on another basketball players foot, the rock/pebble on the runner path, the downward angle of the down hill skiier) alter the angles of the joints and threfore the angles of the muscles that attach around them.
The SQUAT REACTION program on TRI-STRETCH®replicates the reaction forces needed on the “playing field”. The side to side rocker allows for safe instability:
- No rolling off of a ball type surface
- Ability to use free weights and medicine balls while on the TRI-STRETCH®.
TRI-STRETCH® also has the unique capability to allow the user to stand on the device in the backward facing position while having side to side rocking. This can assist athletes whose sport demands this positioning: baseball pitchers, downhill skiers, ballet dancers.
SQUAT PRE-POSITION
By placing the TRI-STRETCH® device in specific positions, the mechanical advantage of musculature at the lower leg, thigh and hip can be altered. Furthermore each muscles group’s advantage can be emphasized or de-emphasized in each of the three planes.
Specific Example: Performing a tradition squat with the TRI-STRETCH® device in the forward facing position may allow greater loading of the lower leg muscles in the saggital plane.
Whereas performing the same squat with TRI-STRETCH® in the backwards position may lessen the loading of the calf in the saggital plane by prepositioning the foot/ankle in a more plantar flexed position.
SQUAT TRANSITION
Typical slow speed/ high weight traditional squats train the muscle throughout the range of motion of the knee.
Concentrating on quick reversal of the eccentric (lenghtening of the muscle contraction to explosive concentric contraction is the focus of the squat transition program.