THE SCIENCE

Extensive research has been conducted, and continues to be carried out by scientists, elite athletes and accredited sporting associations on the positive effects of Pelleres™ on performance.  Pelleres™ harness the well known and highly regarded principles of overload, resistance, and functional training to strengthen the core muscles.  Pelleres™ uses the principles of supercompensation and biomechanics to improve your output.

While all the laws of training are important, the principle of overload is the foundation of every fitness regimen. By overloading the forearms with weights, stress is created and the body is forced to adapt by engaging the core. As the body adapts the initial response is fatigue, then recovery. This increased recovery and adaptation stimulate supercompensation which takes you to a higher level of fitness, allowing you to feel stronger, more powerful and greater.

Pelleres™ also harness functional training techniques which involve weight bearing activities targeted at the core. Unlike weight machines which target and isolate specific muscles and therefore restrict the body to a single plane of motion, Pelleres™ allow an athlete to perform their usual task (ie. Running, kicking catching, throwing, bowling, batting etc.) without restricting their range of movement.

By weighting the forearms the body is less prone to injury than if the weighted device was placed in the hand or at a distance from the body causing stress to the shoulder, neck and torso.

In 2008 Spennewyn conducted research, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research which compared functional training to fixed variable training techniques, this was considered the first research of its type comparing the two methods of strength training.

Results of the study showed incredible gains and benefits in the functional training group over fixed training equipment. Functional users had a 58% greater increase in strength over the fixed-form group. Their improvements in balance were 196% higher over fixed and reported an overall decrease in joint pain by 30%. (Spennewyn, C. E., 2008, Journal of strength and conditioning research, 22(1), p. 75-81).

CORE STRENGTH

Core strength is not only an essential part of any fitness program but it is vital to all athletic activities. A stable core allows for more efficient transference of power from the upper body to the lower body which not only improves posture but enables peak physical performance. A well trained core will also help your stomach look flatter and more toned.

The core includes all the muscles of the abdomen both front and back, inner and outer, that help with stabilizing and moving the spine and pelvis. Having a strong core is important for all sports and the basic functions of daily life like walking and running. A strong core improves overall physical performance, prevents injury and enables proper training and muscular development.

Back injuries are often the result of poor core muscles, so by strengthening your core you will stabilize your spine reducing the risk of herniation or bulging muscles.

Core muscles

Core muscles include any muscle that has a functional role to play with one of the five major postures: standing, sitting, lying on the back, lying on the stomach, or on hands & knees. This means that in addition to abdominal muscles, the greater core area is made up of all the muscles of the lower back and shoulder girdle, the internal and external obliques, pelvic muscles, transverse abdominus (TVA), gluteal muscles, and even hamstrings.

• Rectus abdominis muscle: commonly known as abs or six pack this is a paired muscle running vertically on each side of the core muscle area
• Transversus abdominis: so called for the direction of its fibers, is the innermost of the flat muscles of the abdomen, being placed immediately beneath the internal oblique muscle
• Internal oblique: is the intermediate muscle of the abdomen, lying just underneath the external oblique and just above the transverse abdominal muscle
• External oblique: is the largest and outermost of the three flat muscles of the front core muscle area

Therefore to maximize your core strength working just one or two isolated groups of muscles isn't enough. You need to focus on integrated training exercises that work several muscle groups together such as compound resistance exercises and challenging core & stability work. PELLERES™ ARE especially good for working the core because the weights create an imbalance that forces the core to engage and adapt, thereby increasing overall strength and stability. Resulting in improved balance.

PELLERES™ CORE EXERCISES

There are a number of different ways to strengthen your core muscles with Pelleres™ depending on your athletic ability and your fitness goals.

In genral, you should aim to work on strengthening your core muscles three times per week for at least ten minutes per session if you want to notice a real difference. Focus on the quality of the core exercises rather than the quantity of repetition, and keep the speed slow and controlled. If you can do more than 25 reps of a core muscle exercise it's either too easy, your technique is not correct, or you are going too fast!