RenEx | High Intensity Training — High Intensity Training | Philosphy | Protocol

Dec

2011

Put this into ACTION!

3 comments written by Ken Hutchins

November 29 marked the one year anniversary for Renaissance Exercise. It’s hard to believe that it has been a year already since we first launched our blog with our very first post The Renaissance Has Begun!

As you know over the past year we have been giving away a tremendous amount of content to help engage and motivate those like-minded individuals like yourself.

I hope we have done just that.

Keeping in that spirit we want to give you some more HIGH CONTENT training that we hope you will take and implement right away in your own training and that of others.

This is a topic straight from The Renaissance of Exercise: A Vitruvian Adventure.

It is probably one of the most important topics we preach and teach.

I’m sure you will find it of tremendous value.

So fill out the form below to check it out!

Stay tuned as on Wednesday we will share the experience of those in attendance at the RenEx Equipment Workshop.

Until then, enjoy the presentation and do us a favor and leave us a comment with your thoughts and questions.

Ken

P.S. Fill out the form above to see the presentation!

P.P.S. Mark your calendars for Thursday, December 15^th as The Renaissance of Exercise: A Vitruvian Adventure is available for the first time to the public. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to help us revolutionize the fitness industry by putting the contents of the textbook into ACTION!

3 comments

Dec

2011

The McGuff Workout You’ve Been Waiting to See!

0 comments written by Joshua Trentine

Without further ado here is Al Coleman and Doug McGuff’s workouts from the Renaissance Exercise Equipment Workshop in October.

Doug’s explanation of his experience right after was worth the price of admission.

To gain instant access to this video and upcoming videos simply fill in your name and email address below!

After that, just keep an eye on your inbox to gain access to the upcoming videos. Trust me, you won’t want to miss out!

So fill out the form below and enjoy!

**NOTE: If you are already on our list, no need to opt in. The link to the video is in your inbox!

Josh

P.S. Please leave any comments or questions you have below the video. We truly appreciate your feedback!

P.P.S. On Monday Ken will be teaching a chapter from his new upcoming textbook. You won’t want to miss it!

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Dec

2011

What’s with the Title?

1 comment written by Ken Hutchins

Last week we told you that my new textbook The Renaissance of Exercise: A Vitruvian Adventure is going to be released soon.

Well ever since we revealed the Title of the textbook I have been swamped with one main question:

What in the world is a Vitruvian Adventure?

Well, I’m glad you asked because here’s a video of me explaining exactly what the title means:

To gain instant access to this video and upcoming videos simply fill in your name and email address below!

After that, just keep an eye on your inbox to gain access to the upcoming videos. Trust me, you won’t want to miss out!

So fill out the form below and enjoy!

**NOTE: If you are already on our list, no need to opt in. The link to the video is in your inbox!

Ken

P.S. Check out the video above by filling out the form and stay tuned as I release some valuable content leading up to the release of the textbook including up next: Al Coleman and Doug McGuff’s workouts at the RenEx Equipment Workshop.

P.P.S. Also, be sure to leave your comments below the video and let us know if you have any questions!

1 comment

Dec

2011

The Wait Is Over!

3 comments written by Joshua Trentine

Since our Equipment Workshop in October everyone has been asking about getting to see Al Coleman and Dr. Doug McGuff’s workouts and the release of Ken’s latest innovation The Renaissance of Exercise: A Vitruvian Adventure which we made available only to attendees.

Well, the wait is now over.

Follow us over the next few days as we release some of the footage from the workshop and make The Renaissance of Exercise: A Vitruvian Adventure available to the public.

To kick it off, here is a behind the scenes glimpse from the workshop including Ken discussing the progression of a new client and your responsibility as an instructor as well as the lack of critical thinking in the fitness industry.

Fill Out Form Below For Instant Access!

To gain instant access to this video and upcoming videos simply fill in your name and email address below!

After that, just keep an eye on your inbox to gain access to the upcoming videos. Trust me, you won’t want to miss out!

So fill out the form below and enjoy!

**NOTE: If you are already on our list, no need to opt in. The link to the video is in your inbox!

Josh

P.S. Be sure to fill out the form above so you don’t miss the upcoming amazing content and Surprise Announcements!

P.P.S. Also, be sure to leave your comments below the video and let us know if you have any questions!

3 comments

Nov

2011

HAPPY B-DAY!…Slaughtering Sacred Cows…300# x 42 reps!

34 comments written by Joshua Trentine

This post was originally intended for a discussion on one of the High Intensity Training forums. On this particular forum there are often discussions revolving around the idea that certain “hardcore” exercises must be used in order for the trainee to really gain any muscle or strength. These exercises have become sort of a rite of passage for anyone who is a serious lifter. Most in the strength training world consider these movements mandatory and required in a serious strength program. There may be a number of exercises that fit this image, but the movements most commonly discussed and held in this regard are the Deadlift and the Squat.

By the way, neither of these exercises would ever be considered in an exercise program at Overload Fitness and they certainly don’t meet the requirements for the Renaissance protocol.

While these exercises have been a mainstay in the physical culture world for many years and I do believe many people have become very strong over the years using such movements. I do not believe that these exercises are necessarily the best for developing the strength or functional-ability of the intended musculature. I simply believe that these exercises are some of the best choices when training with a barbell.

With these particular exercises I see some great potential under certain conditions, but in every case I see more risk than reward and I certainly see constraints that prohibit the Squat or the Deadlift exercises from being used for High-Intensity, single-set to failure training.

I’ll even go one step further and say that these exercises are IMPOSSIBLE to use within such an exercise paradigm because there are simply too many weak links in the chain that will fail before the prime movers ever get a deep, deserved, degree of inroad, especially in a single –set paradigm.

In the year 2011 fortunately we are not restricted to the use of the barbell and there are far better ways to attached resistance to the human body to produce the desired exercise effect without the inherent risks of barbell training.

RenEx Equipment Trunk Extension

I believe that the absolute best way to apply resistance to the human body for adaptation of the intended muscular would be with the RenEx Leg Press and the RenEx Trunk extension.

I believe that these tools not only allow for protocol of choice when working some of the biggest, densest and most powerful musculature in the human body, I also believe these machines have profound therapeutic benefits for anyone using them, whether it be the bodybuilder, the strong man, the power lifter or the senior with an osteoporotic spine.

The RenEx protocol simply allows for a greater sample of the population to obtain the profound benefits of these legendary exercises and in my opinion allow the most sustainable, practical and intense….yes, intense means of exercising in these movement patterns!

Now I realize that many long time, die hard barbell guys are crying blasphemy as we speak and I can even sympathize with those who become frustrated when I suggest that there might be a better way, but I can most assuredly say that there is currently no better way known to man to allow any person, with any biomechanical issue, of any age, with any pathology, with any bodily proportions to gain the benefits of these tried and true movement patterns.

Did I mention that the people using the RenEx machines will reap all of the benefits, and then some compared to their barbell predecessors and in less time, with less risk and these effects will be perceived immediately as we’ve shrunk the learning curve and skill set down to about nil.

I can make these statements with great certainty after seeing any number of people perform the RenEx versions. There is simply no better way of taking people where we wish to go safely. It just can’t be done.

Of course people will ask for proof of what I say and to that I really only have one sure answer. “Come to Cleveland and I will show you” and I can guarantee that by the end of the demonstration what I say will be crystal clear to anyone.

Muscle Birthday Cake

Until you make the trip let me share with you a very interesting experience on my birthday recently that might provide some “proof” for some that believe the numbers tell the whole story and that demonstration of strength is conclusive when defining exercise methods.

Before I share my birthday event I’d like to deal with one more issue as it relates to the kings of barbell exercise; the Squat and the Deadlift.

The ongoing debate amongst the barbell enthusiasts is between these two exercises…exercises that have VERY similar movement pattern:

Which is more productive?

Which should we focus on?

I don’t believe we will ever have a satisfactory answer to this question at least not within the conventional exercise paradigm.

There are just too many variables:

Torso Length…

Limb Length…

Grip strength…

Back health…

Low back strength…

Hip flexibility…

Ankle flexibility…

Tolerance to load on certain parts of the body…

The other exercises in a given program…

The proximity of the most recent Squat or Deadlift workout, etc….

The list goes on and on…

The final answer becomes “it depends”….

It depends on any number of ever changing variables. But what happens when we can control more variables? What happens when we can remove the constraints to these movement patterns? What happens when we can potentate the weak links and most thoroughly involve the intended musculature in the movement pattern?

I’ll tell you what happens!

Both exercises can be used, both in the same workout, even done back to back without any of the deleterious effects and far more benefit than their archaic predecessors. You see in the RenEx program it is not only possible… it is even desirable to do the Trunk Extension and the Leg Press back to back without ANY rest….a feat that would be neither possible, nor productive when working in conventional barbell paradigms. (Stay tuned to see Dr. Doug McGuff perform this exact sequence in an upcoming blog post)

OK, back to my birthday….

I’m not sure what happens, whether it’s the male ego, a mid-life crisis or just trying to bring meaning to a day, but my birthday (November 24^th) fell on Thanksgiving this year, which anyone in Cleveland, Ohio can tell you was a beautiful day, a day you just wanted to be outside doing something and this particular day turned out to be work filled.

So much so that I didn’t get to my second weekly workout in as scheduled. I arrived home somewhat conflicted because I did not do my training and I knew Overload Fitness would be jam packed the next day.

So desirous of the physical exertion and intent on doing something outside before the sun went down I went in my storage garage and drug out an apparatus to perform the heralded Deadlift exercise.

Jim Flanagan

This device is called the Nautilus XPLOAD Deadlift. I was first introduced to it in a vomit inducing workout conducted by Jim Flanagan in his private workout facility on August 22, 2006 when I was 5 years younger than I turned on this day.

Back on that day in Jim’s place most would say I was at my physical peak. And I can say that I was very strong and very motivated on this day as I was performing in front of a High Intensity Training legend, I was just 3 months away from winning the Natural Mr.USA, and there were colleagues of mine in the room watching and I was expected to show what I was capable of on the “king” of the exercises.

Myself in 2006

On this day in 2006 I had no recent experience performing the deadlift exercise but I gave it my best go. Jim loaded the machine with 2 one-hundred pound plates and 2 forty five pound plates for a total added weight of 290#. He asked me to perform the exercise first in a very demanding sequence. On this day I performed 21 repetitions. I did stop shy of failure.

Fast forward to my birthday 5 years and 3 months later…on this day I decided to try to demonstrate a similar performance. The intent was simply to lift the selected weight for as many reps as I could. I decided to use a nice even round number, I selected 300#, a bit more than I used back in 2006.

*Note in neither case did I have any practice or experience leading up to the demonstration. On my birthday I completed 42 repetitions without setting the weights completely down even once!

I’m not sure I’ll ever attempt such a feat again, who knows maybe it could be my birthday ritual, but I think I satisfied any curiosity I might have about the former kings of exercise. I don’t believe any amount of “other” training(other than RenEx), or practice, or even intent to just make weights move up and down could have allowed me to out do this demonstration I did on November 24^th, 2011.

BUILT BY RENEX!

The Trunk Extension machine has been called the “Game Changer”.

I find this name appropriate as we rewrite the rules with this new technology. I wonder what will happen in five more years???

I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

As always feel free to leave your comments or questions below and I’d be happy to reply!

Also, stay tuned as we have some AMAZING content coming up and the release of the long awaited work by Ken Hutchins, The Renaissance of Exercise: A Vitruvian Adventure.

So if you are NOT on our email list be sure to opt in below so you don’t miss any of this AMAZING content!

34 comments

Nov

2011

Equipment: Why Does it Matter?

15 comments written by Al Coleman

One interesting question that I see brought up on internet discussion forums a lot is, “Do clients really care about the equipment?”

Before I give you my answer, I’d like to first provide what I have seen as the most common response to this answer: no. Mind you, I’ve never heard this response from the majority of clients themselves, but rather from trainers on said internet forums. The typical explanation is something to the effect of, “Great equipment is all well and good, but most clients don’t care about it and it isn’t necessary as long as you are able to get them in better shape and improve their quality of life.” For a good number of people this is at least initially true. However, my 12 years of implementing this protocol for a living have given me quite a different perspective.

What I have seen is that, above and beyond anything else, people want to be good at something. They want to excel at whatever it is they are being asked to do. They walk through your door and listen to your reasons as to why they should try this technology to reach what they think their goals are. After listening to your explanations and/or experiencing a sample of what it is you offer, they either decide to give it a go or they don’t. If they even half accept the methods you are proposing as valid, then it is up to you to do your best to direct their training towards the ideal manifestation of those methods.

Your assumption (whether true or not) is that the closer they come to performing exactly as you ask, the more likely it is that you can assure them of progress. In a sense, what occurs is a reversal of roles. They come to you with a goal and you in turn give them one. The only way that you can make what you do as a practitioner work is by them understanding that although they may never perfect your protocol (it is an ideal), the effort to do so must be provided in order for them to optimize your program. I can’t remember who said it, but I always enjoyed this quote, “Striving for 100% compliance will get you 80% of the way there”. In other words, while the ideal is impossible you must at least aim for it or you will fall way short.

Mike Bianchi Educates New Client on the RenEx Leg Press

My ideas behind why I consider the aim at ideals so important are fodder for another article. What I wish to stress here is the importance of equipment lending a hand toward a client’s path toward that ideal. And like any tool, if it makes a project easier then it becomes considered indispensable. In the case of learning and teaching this protocol, good pieces of equipment make teaching more precise and improve a client’s feedback so that they in turn can efficiently do what you ask. This efficiency closes an educational gap that seems to elude many people.

Good pieces of equipment provide a person with an opportunity to understand what their body is doing through space and time. To this end it is extremely important that the machine minimizes obstructions that would muddle the transmission between the instructor’s verbiage and the subjects’ movement. My experience has shown that the more interference that exists between the instructions I give and the subject’s expression of those instructions, the more frustration will ensue. The frustration that this interference causes can only end in one of two ways: either the client quits because they can’t seem to figure out how to connect the dots and/or they accept it as is and wind up becoming a slow moving furniture mover. The latter consequence is in my opinion why so many people have claimed lackluster results from their perception of slow speed exercise protocols, but it is the former reason that may hint at why clients quit. Of course they don’t say this to themselves, nor would they explain it that way if asked, but I guarantee that folks who gain a better mastery of your protocol are not as likely to quit.

Why would this be? Quite simply, greater mastery of something increases the likelihood that an individual will have a clearer picture of cause and effect. Increased mastery leads to a greater level of satisfaction of what one is doing and sparks an inquisitiveness regarding the process. Going through the motions is no longer an option and suddenly one begins to pick up on things they hadn’t noticed before.

So what does the rambling of the preceding paragraphs have to do with whether or not clients care about equipment? It is my strong opinion that clients will take interest in the equipment if you do. If the instructor goes through the pains of understanding as much about the equipment as they can and can in turn use that knowledge in their instruction of an exercise, then you have just asked the person performing the exercise to study the machine and find out if what the instructor said is true.

The whole workout becomes a process of inquiry and over time a client will be to take that inquiry and obtain a new level of intuitive knowledge about the machine they are using. That new knowledge creates a feedback loop that will improve their ability to fatigue themselves in following workouts. Any upgrades or improvements one makes to a given piece of equipment can be introduced and explained to a client and the process of inquiry takes a new course. They will be able to feel how the previous incarnation of said piece was hindering their process in some way and will gain a deeper appreciation of just how much an experience can be improved upon. Of course, a client probably won’t be able to articulate this process, but they will surely appreciate that it is there and overtime will train for the sake of the process itself rather than what they originally had in mind.

In closing, I have observed that the clients who comprise the bulk of your customer base and stick around, are the ones who appreciate can appreciate just how much a good piece of equipment can improve the training experience.

15 comments

Nov

2011

An Outsider’s Perspective!

4 comments written by Joshua Trentine

In case you were unable to attend our Equipment Workshop last month Michael Petrella, owner of STG Strength and Power, along with Valerie Clement of Feminine Physique by Valerie, traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to attend and participate in the official launch of Renaissance Exercise Equipment.

Mike posted his experience over on his blog.

With his permission I reposted it for you to take a look.

Enjoy!

Josh

P.S. Stay tuned as we are unleashing Ken Hutchins for the first time on the blog in the upcoming weeks!

——————————————————————————————————————————

STG Attends Renaissance Exercise Equipment Official Release and Conference

Oct. 14-15, 2011 – Michael Petrella, owner of STG Strength and Power, along with Valerie Clement of Feminine Physique by Valerie, traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to attend and participate in the official launch of Renaissance Exercise Equipment.

Renaissance Exercise had previously purchased the former SuperSlow brand of equipment; however, this new incarnation of equipment is on a much higher level of function and engineering than its predecessor. The conference was a first class event from start to finish. Josh Trentine and the entire RenEx team worked tirelessly to make sure everyone in attendance not only took in a great deal of knowledge, but were also able to attain practical hands-on experience by using the machines under the guidance of professional practitioners of this style of resistance training.

The Friday night started off with a catered gathering of all those attending the conference and it was a treat to be in a room with so many liked-minded individuals. Being at a table with Boyer Coe and Ken Hutchins, both giving first hand stories of their time with Arthur Jones, was well worth the price of the conference on its own. But this was just a preview of things to come!

Saturday started bright and early with introductions to the system of training and the machines being presented for the first time. The morning was spent going over the finer points of the new system and how it related to the equipment. This was possibly the most challenging task for the RenEx team, but they did a great job.

From here we got into the really fun part. The RenEx team put Al Coleman through a four exercise workout. The intensity of the workout produced by Al’s tremendous understanding of the RenEx protocol and coupled with the new machines left him on the floor for several minutes afterward. It was a very powerful demonstration of what is possible when using the RenEx machines.

Josh Trentine instructs Al Coleman through a set on the RenEx Ventral Torso machine

After a catered lunch, the group was given the opportunity to get a first-hand experience of the new machines. Although each machine in the lineup is impressive, there were a couple of things that really stood out for me. One of the first things I did was jump on the new RenEx Trunk Extension. It was a great experience to get set-up on the machine by Ken Hutchins, who was one of the designers of the piece. The major difference between the RenEx machine and other low back devices is in the huge range available. I had the distinct honour of being the first person to max out the range of the machine during any of its testing, training or at the conference. Ken actually asked if I was from the carnival and ensured that the photographer had taken a picture of me in the machine for proof. Ken commented that back in the Nautilus days, there were cases of abnormal feats performed on the original Nautilus pieces, but no pictures were ever taken. Even though the range was so extended, the movement felt great throughout and my back felt excellent afterwards.

Michael Petrella demonstrates a full range of movement on the RenEx Trunk Extension machine

The next machine I used had the greatest impression on me. The new RenEx Leg Press, in my opinion, is the “Flag Ship” of the line and one of the most intense pieces of exercise equipment I have had the privilege to use thus far. Josh Trentine set me up on it and, in great detail, went over how he expected me to perform each part of the rep. After 3 reps my legs were burning and I figured that would be it. Most of the other machines I tried with a lighter weight just to get the feel. But Josh had other ideas. He said something along the lines of, “You came all the way down here, so you had better get the full effect of the equipment”. At this same point I noticed in the reflection of the monitor that sat above the footboard that people had gathered behind me to watch the set. My breathing accelerated and I knew I had to give it everything I had. The burn that followed in my legs through the next few reps was almost unbearable. Each moment I thought I was done, Josh would spur me on to keep going. As long as I was honest with my effort, I was able to continue the set long past what I believed I could do. I described it to others in attendance as feeling like a hot knife was being pushed into my quads. I was shocked about what I felt and how quickly you can fatigue yourself with the RenEx protocol. As Josh helped me stand out of the machine, it became apparent that all the reading I had done previous to the conference on the RenEx protocol and all the listening I had done in the morning paled in comparison to utilizing the protocol first-hand under Josh’s instruction. I had a similar feeling a few years ago when I read Brian Johnston’s J-reps book. I thought I knew the protocol, but working with Brian directly was the only way to truly express what the author was trying to get across.

Valerie Clement performs a set on the Trunk Extension under the direction of Ken Hutchins

I’d like to share some of my favorite memories from the event:

– Having my friend Randy Roach there was amazing. Being blind, he has a very different take on many subjects and seeing him evaluate the machines gave me a whole new appreciation for the engineering that went into them and how truly impressive Randy is as an individual.

– Getting to meet Dr. Doug McGuff. I had presented with Doug on a joint topic at the 2009 Toronto HIT conference, but it was via internet link. It was great to speak with him in person, even though we only talked briefly as he was getting ready to perform a full workout. For his first-hand account of the workout I would encourage those to visit his website. http://www.bodybyscience.net/

Above – L-R – Michael Petrella with long time friend Randy Roach. Dr. Doug
McGuff starting his workout with Ken Hutchins.

– Meeting Chuck Spencer. Chuck represents what is possible in all of us. He has taken full control of his health by making radical changes in his diet. His approach to exercise is based on critical thinking and has resulted in his development of many custom exercise machines to satisfy his own passion for self discovery.

– Ken Hutchins telling Arthur Jones stories that have never and probably will never make print. Also being set-up and trained on the RenEx Trunk Extension by him was a real treat.

– Spending time with Boyer Coe. I was fortunate enough to have dinner with Boyer on both the Friday and Saturday nights. We tried to get into a restaurant that was featured on the TV show Man v. Food, but the wait time was 1.5+ hours each night, so we had to go elsewhere. After discussing their mutual love of cheesecake, Boyer and Valerie convinced me to drive to the other side of Cleveland to find a Cheese Cake Factory. The stories were flowing all night. I was truly impressed with how Boyer conducted himself. He was very much the celebrity of the conference and took time to speak with anyone who came up to him, shaking hands, signing autographs, etc. If everyone in the fitness industry conducted themselves as kindly and professionally as Boyer, we would be a shining example to all other communities.

Michael Petrella, Tristan Everett, Valerie Clement, Boyer Coe, Randy Roach and Josh Trentine take a moment to take a group shot

I believe everyone who attended found a great deal of value in the whole conference. Is RenEx the future of exercise? Only time will tell that. However, seeing such smart entrepreneurs working to further exercise science in such a professional manner is a ray of light in a sometimes darkened industry. I would encourage all those interested in the machines or protocol to contact the RenEx team. https://www.ren-ex.com/

4 comments

Nov

2011

WANTED: Exercise Specialist with OVERLOAD Fitness

0 comments written by Kristina

We have some very exciting news to share with the Ren Ex community and it is our hope that someone here will benefit from it!

I know we posted this a couple of months ago but it’s time again! Business is booming and we are hiring.

That news is that OVERLOAD Fitness in Beachwood and Westlake, Ohio, our personal training studios, are hiring new instructors effective IMMEDIATELY!

We have a slot to fill and we are looking for someone to come and take this amazing opportunity and make the most of it. Not only will you get to work alongside the Ren Ex Team of Joshua Trentine, Al Coleman and me, you will have access to the best equipment in the world to train your clients on and yourself!

Speaking of clients, this is NOT your typical position where you have to bring in clients or you suffer.

You see we run things a little different than most personal training studios.

Ok, A LOT different!

So let me tell you about my company and the instructor position.

OVERLOAD Fitness is a one-on-one clinically controlled exercise environment, devoid of the typical gym distraction, which provides high-intensity low force resistance training, nutritional consulting as well as Post-rehabilitation training.

OVERLOAD Fitness is growing we are looking for a full-time exercise specialist to join our amazing TEAM!

The position offers a highly competitive salary based on experience with paid vacations and health and dental insurance.

My business is dedicated to helping men and women achieve their health and fitness goals through customized nutrition and fitness programs.

And business is booming thus our hiring a new instructotr.

I’m looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and energetic person to join our team and help us continue to grow!

If you are NOT passionate about changing lives, DON’T want to grow and expand your technical knowledge of exercise or DON’T want a fulfilling career then this position is NOT for you!

Tasks You’ll Be Expected To Perform

• Deliver the Renaissance Exercise protocol
• RETAIN YOUR CLIENTS
• Review client charts
• Discuss activities since last workout
• Review upcoming workout
• Instruct client through workout
• Schedule client for next workout
• Progress training chart
• Review charts with supervisor
• Maintain upkeep of equipment and facility
• Assist in front office tasks
• Assist in marketing and promotion of the business
• Be a TEAM player
• Make sure there are no surprises
• Attend all meetings when requested
• Deliver Exceptional Customer Service
• Continuing Education (monthly Renaissance Exercise webinars)
• Change lives
• Exude Personality
• Have Fun!

Qualifications
You must become a certified instructor through Renaissance Exercise, our certifying organization. Excellent verbal communications skills. Excellent listening skills. Adept at adjusting to people’s moods and personalities. Must have the emotional stamina to be “at your best” with each client.

Training Required
• OVERLOAD Fitness training protocol (certified Renaissance Exercise Instructor)
• World Class Customer Service
• Client worksheets
• How to ask questions
• Training worksheets
• How to handle client problems
• What to do in case of emergency
• Nutritional supplements
• Chain of command
• Expected behavior

Reporting Structure
Report to assigned Supervisor; you supervise no one unless you are promoted to a manger position.

Performance Appraisal
Quarterly

Compensation
Highly competitive and based on experience (full-time employees receive paid vacations and health and dental insurance)

How To Apply
I’m looking to hire the right person and to hire relatively quickly. So if this job sounds good to you, then complete the application below and we’ll be contacting you by phone.

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Nov

2011

The Origin of Alligator Machines

7 comments written by Joshua Trentine

On October 15^th at the Renaissance Exercise Conference one of our guests asked where the idea came from to make a variably timed cam work on the RenEx machine. Ken Hutchins went on to describe and draw the explanation. This is an entertaining and practical story that relates to new features of the RenEx gear. Once upon a time we thought this technology was best applied to single joint exercises, although today we are seeing that it is at least as important, if not more so, on our Compound Row, Pull Down and especially Trunk Extension. In a future post we will describe how this feature is being incorporated in a very important prototype that is being finalized in our shop at the time of this blog post.

ENJOY!

Origin of “Alligator Machines” or “Alligator Crank”

History.
Parallelogram forces is a term I learned from my father. I originally heard my father refer to parallelogram forces in the context of capturing large live alligators.

Roy Harris is an old family friend, and his family members were patients of my father. Roy became a celebrity in 1958 when he fought Floyd Patterson at Wrigley Field for the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. He appeared on the cover of the August issue of Sports Illustrated in 1958 as well as in an issue of Life pictured holding an Alligator by the tail. Since then Roy has been a real estate broker with my brother Kam and held the post in my home county as county clerk. He is an attorney and taught school before that.

My father had many hobbies, some as a naturalist. One included was his admiration for alligators. He learned of Roy’s shared interest, and that Roy had perfected several techniques to catch large alligators that inhabited the lakes in East Texas. One of these applied the use of parallelogram forces, a concept I understood without really appreciating the appropriateness of the term until I began to draw pictures on the dry-erase board in order to explain the cam timing mechanism in the Leg Curl machine for which this technology was first applied.

Ken Describes Parallelogram Forces at the RenEx Conference

Although Roy had never used nor heard the term, parallelogram forces, here is his technique: He and his assistants went to a lake and found the largest alligator possible. While in a flat bottom boat and while blinding the alligator with headlights they looped a rope around the alligator’s neck. Of course, the alligator immediately fled into the water, and Roy’s crew let it have as much rope as it needed. However, Roy’s crew hurried to the nearest tree to tie the rope.

It would have been convenient to tie the rope to a tree on land, but that was usually impossible. Even better would have been to get the rope to a winch truck located on the shore, but now we’re talking fantasyland. Usually, the best that could be realistically hoped for was a tree in the water.

Ken Describing the "Alligator Machines" at the RenEx Conference

Once tied, the capture team required at least 3 strong men. One man was stationed at the tree to cinch up the rope as the others provided slack in the rope. The other two were in the boat at a location where the rope was at a convenient height out of the water. One man in the boat rowed the boat in a direction perpendicular to the rope as the second man pushed the rope with his hands and then whistled to the man at the tree. At the signal, the rope was released by the boat crew and cinched by the tree man. Then the boat crew reversed their direction and pushed the rope perpendicularly again for another bite. This often went on all night and into the next day.

As long as the angle pushed into the rope was close to 90 degrees and the rope was relatively great in length, the boat crew possessed an awesome mechanical advantage over the alligator. As they pushed so far as the angle grew meaningfully smaller they lost advantage. It was at this point that they always signaled the tree man to take up more on the cinch.

Note that it did not matter, if clearance was available, which perpendicular direction the boat crew pushed against the rope. The geometry was the same in either direction, which if both possibilities are drawn, portrays a parallelogram in that plane. Also note that any plane would have sufficed. If the clearance was available, the same could have been accomplished by lifting the rope or pulling it downwards, which I am certain Roy did on occasion depending on the circumstances.

If you study the Renaissance Exercise Trunk Extension Machine, or any of the RenEx Alligator Machines, you can almost see Roy’s Crew and that large alligator. Imagine that the movement arm axle is the tree, the cam axle is the alligator and the plunger is Roy in that flat bottom boat. Hence the name, Alligator Machines.

– Ken Hutchins–

RenEx Equipment Trunk Extension Machine

P.S. Please leave your comments below, we’d be happy to reply!

7 comments

Oct

2011

What Do I Know For Sure?

11 comments written by Al Coleman

In light of our recent workshop and the public unveiling of the new RenEx equipment line, I have been receiving a lot of inquires as to what actual improvements this new technology will net. The scope of these inquiries is pretty broad but in summation amount to the question, “How can you prove that this new line of machines will produce a better response (response in all of its various meanings)?” Fair enough I say and the simple answer to that question is, “I can’t”. I can’t prove anything as of this moment and am willing to humbly bow to those who can provide answers.

I’m not going to hold my breath though as I know there are those who are hard at work trying to answer questions only to find that the answer received is yet more questions. The answers always seem to reveal what something is not. Some are bothered by that, I’m not. I find questions to be tools that focus one’s perceptual awareness of what lays in front of them and as a consequence are ends in and of themselves.

I’m not going to pretend that I’m the one investigating all of these yet unanswered questions (although I ask them), so one may ask why I would even bother to write what I just did. I just want to make it clear to everyone that I feel this new line of machines is an incredible improvement over what has existed previously for this protocol. In so doing, I can’t provide you with anything graspable other than my own experiences as an instructor who asks certain tasks to be performed with consistency by my subjects. This is all I have to go on and for my purposes is much more reliable than anything written in a peer reviewed journal or agreed upon by the experts on an internet forum.

All of the modifications that have been made to this new line have allowed me to witness an expression of this exercise protocol that I previously hadn’t seen. From a teaching perspective (which as an instructor is my main interest) things have gotten much easier. I have been able to cut down on excess verbiage and make my commands much more succinct. I no longer have to ask a subject if they intellectually understand what I’m asking of them because they show me their understanding with physical immediacy.

Josh Describes Scapulo-humeral Rhythm on Overhead Press

To give you a brief example I’d like to describe an experience I had with a client yesterday. This client has been coming to Overload for 4 years and in that time has had to limit what upper body exercises she can do for her anterior upper extremity structures due to a preexisting shoulder condition. For her this has meant the elimination of all compound pushing movements. I can sympathize with her as I have a battered right A/C joint from my years as a pitcher. I personally am able do compound pushing exercises, but often not pain free and the resultant weakness and instability in that shoulder always seems to be the cause for the exercise set terminating. This has been something that I have found to be personally frustrating both because I experience it in my own workouts and because I have seen it occur in clients over the years. I’ve had “it” happen both on the SSS line of upper body compound pushing equipment and the Med-X line of the same ilk.

To my surprise the tweaks and improvements that have taken place in the new RenEx line have allowed me to train these same movements without my shoulder becoming the cause of termination. I know everyone reading this will demand justification for that statement, but I can’t provide it (at least not the justification that you may think you want). I just know that for now, it appears to be the case that these machines are serving me better in this capacity. I have a few theories as to why it may be the case, but that is beyond the scope of this post and may be something that I trey and address in the future.

Getting back to the story about my client, in lieu of my experience on the RenEx Overhead Press, I decided to run a test and asked this client if she felt OK with giving this new machine a trial. I was shocked that she replied with an enthusiastic, “Yes!” Try and appreciate that this client has been unable to even so much as initiate an overhead pressing movement without pain. I was slightly nervous at what may be the result, but simultaneously confident that it would turn out okay based on my personal experience.

Al Puts Michael Petrella on the Overhead Press

After finding her seat setting, I proceeded in providing clear and careful instructions as to how she was to engage the belt, the back pad, lock those two in place, and then allow the force created by that lock to transmit up through her torso, through her arms, and finally through the movement arm handles. The initial movement was amongst the most graduated that I’d ever seen this particular client engage an exercise. After confirming that she wasn’t experiencing any pain, we continued the exercise as close to muscular failure as I felt was appropriate for this session.

To say that I was blown away by what I observed would be an understatement. First, this set in every way possible looked better than anything else I’d ever seen out of her. Second, she experienced no pain in an overhead pressing movement for the first time ever. Like I mentioned previously, I don’t know if I can answer the reasons for everything that I observed, and quite frankly, I don’t know if I need to. This is only one example of a number of examples that I’ve observed since these machines have arrived in our studio.

I understand that none of this provides quantifiable proof of the efficacy of this equipment and protocol, but it does give some “objectively subjective” description of how this equipment has in my experience improved the implementation of this protocol.

In my next post I’d like to address a question I get a lot, “Do clients really care about the equipment?” Until then, have a good one.

11 comments

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