Static Contraction Training

Last year the osteoporosis institute produced an info-graphic listing all options for bone health. Pharmaceutical, dietary, exercise, and exercise like interventions were all listed and described in detail. The newest option listed, and least known about was osteogenic loading. This option was primarily taken from the work of John Jaquish, Ph.D. in his book, “Osteogenic Loading.” The basic concept of this modality is to compress bone and change its inner architecture stimulating the bone to pull in minerals thereby increasing bone mass density. This process is commonly known as Wolff’s law. Any physician, physical therapist, or chiropractor will be very familiar with this term as it is key in understanding bone health, and fracture recovery.

Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins, the world famous motivational coach, has been been endorsing and speaking about a new device that provides osteogenic loading. This device, referenced in the article about the Osteogenic Loading book, is called “bioDensity.” Mr. Robbins explains how he has increased his force production in the past year over 164% using bioDensity indicating increases in both bone density and muscular engagement. He also explains that he has engaged in exercise for many years that is of this same nature, he was just not focused on the bone implications. In the late 90’s Mr. Robbins produced a video series titled, “Get the Edge.” In this series he interviewed two sports scientists, John Little and Peter Sisco. The two explained a way of exercise that the Soviet Union athletes had been using which was their reasoning for why in the 1980’s they had been breaking a disproportionate amount of records in strength sports. The two scientists called this system, “Static Contraction Training.”

Static Contraction Training

Little and Sisco explain how their system is designed to place the highest possible weights on someone, and this still build the largest amounts of strength. Though, they make no reference to bone, it is here that compression of bone could take place to initiate the osteogenic loading process. A person is to place weights that are far heavier than could normally be used for exercise in a high capacity weight lifting frame, also known as a power rack. Adjustments are to be made so that the bars are to be moved in specific movements, only in short ranges. These ranges are to be the strongest possible in the movement. When speaking about Static Contraction Training now, Mr. Robbins explains that this method of exercising was most certainly effective, but also carried incredible amounts of injury risk. Injuries kept him from continuing with Static Contraction Training, but now he uses bioDensity, which delivers an equally powerful stimulation to the body in bone, joints, and muscle but most importantly carries little injury risk. Dr. Jaquish explains in the dedication of the book, how one of his first test subjects was his Mother who was in her late 60’s while he was first developing the bioDensity prototype. He had her use the protocol for leg exercise and she created over 600lbs of force. As the effort was managed by her own comfort the effort was without complication or injury (Jaquish, et al. 2012).

Reference:

Jaquish, J. Singh, R. Hynote, E. Conviser, J. (2012). Osteogenic Loading, A New Modality to Facilitate Bone Density Development. Nevada City, California. JIR.