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Summary
3 mains types of devices exist on the market, each one serving a particular niche due to their specific advantages. Below is a list of their advantages and disadvantages.
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1. Weight stack devices
- Non-Variable Resistance
Advantage:
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Disadvantage:
- Speed of exercise is limited
- Inertial weights (risk of injury)
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2. Pneumatic Machine
- Non-Intertial Weights (significantly lower risk of injury)
Advantage:
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Disadvantage:
- Resistance varies throughout the exercise cycle
- Expensive and complex maintenance (needs a constant flow of pressurised air).
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3. Spring devices (Bow-Flex, Elastics etc)
- Speed of exercise is unlimited (good for functional training)
Advantages:
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Disadvantage:
- Resistance varies throughout the exercise cycle
- Wear and tear reduces the resistance
Now let's examine the advantages and disadvantages of the new vacuum device
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Advantages:
- Non-variable Resistance
- Non-intertial Weights
- Speed of exercise is unlimited (good for functional training)
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In addition the new vacuum device does NOT have the following disadvantages:
- Wear and tear reduces the resistance
- Expensive and complex maintenance (needs a constant flow of pressurised air).
The device has advantages of the 3 main types of strength training machines, without any of their disadvantages. Read on to find out about additional benefits of the new vacuum device.
A variety of load producing devices exist on the market today for home fitness, professional and medical applications. All training machines require a basic device which produces load. These basic types include: inertial weights, pneumatic, magnetic, springs, elastics and others.
For a load producing devices to be used in a training machine, it should be able to produce a uniform load (load that does not vary during the exercise cycle) during forward and backward motion. These conditions are met only by the inertial weights and pneumatic methods.
Currently, on the training machine market, inertial weights devices are the most prevalent despite their weight and noise levels. The main disadvantage of such devices is the inertial properties of the weights; such properties increase the likelihood of injury. Attempts at reducing the inertial impact of the weights, by increasing their mass and shortening their travel distance, did not yield significant results.
In recent years pneumatic devices have been gaining ground, especially in the fitness club segment. Pneumatic devices have many advantages, among them: non-inertial loads, reduced risk of injury, smooth and noiseless operation. Nevertheless compressed air pneumatic devices have several drawbacks which prevent them from gaining a dominant market position. The prevalent disadvantages of compressed air devices are: the need for a continuously operating air pump, a complex design (increased maintenance and development costs) and high product prices.
The new vacuum pneumatic device lacks the inherent disadvantages of inertial weights and compressed air pneumatic devices. This device uses a low vacuum to generate the force needed by the training machine. This approach allows for a simpler design; therefore reducing manufacturing cost, increasing reliability and reducing maintenance requirements. In short a range of technical and operational characteristics are improved by using this new type of device.
The new vacuum pneumatic device can be installed on virtually any load requiring training machine; professional (health clubs, offices, hotels), sports (athletic), home fitness or medical rehabilitation (physical therapy). The new device can be mounted on existing inertial weights training machines; requiring only a small modification of the frame.
A machine equipped with the new loading device features qualities which used to be the goal of strength training machine designers for years, such as: Comfort, Injury-Free Environment, Efficiency, Dynamics, Small weight.