The view of a recreational marathon runner

The G-Trainer and a Recreational Runner
“The G-Trainer allowed me to come back from injuries and overcome chronic pain. And it helped me achieve personal best times, which I love because I’m very competitive. I’m really excited that the G-Trainer can help me continue to race.” Tracey Slagle - Recreational Runner

Tracey Slagle related her story to Alter G and you can link to it and the Alter-G website at the foot of this post. For the summary:

• at 38 the accumulative stress of long distance running left Tracey with sore knees (sound familiar?). The pain limiting her ability to train and compete.
• at 10k all was well but Tracey was forced to stop at the Chicago Marathon of 2002 with 2 miles to go.
• Despite advice to quit she continued to train, compete in 10k, 1/2 and full marathons due to her love for long distance running but was concerned.
  
• Fast forward to 2007 and introduction of the G-trainer for recovery runs at sub-target pace and 85-90% bodyweight. Pain free running experienced!
  
• After watching the Nike runner Kara Goucher using the G-trainer over speed training was begun to lift Tracey's minute per mile pace in training from 9 to 7 minute miles.
• With 2 months use of the G-trainer Tracey achieved 2 personal bests back to back in the half marathon (1:48.07 in San Francisco).

This a great example for using the G-trainer treadmill not just for running performance but also injury prevention by reducing cumulative stresses from impact. In this case Tracey also uses the G-trainer when strong pain prevents her from running at all at 100% bodyweight. Tracey Slagle 1_17_08.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Top football star Kieron Dyer working on the G-trainer

Kieron Dyer has joined the list of elite performers who are benefiting from the G-trainer. Dyer of West Ham United has recently begun using it as part of his long rehabilitation process following his broken leg during a football match in August 2007. So reports the Evening Standard tonight.

It has been introduced to him by his physiotherapist following a further setback of a stress fracture in his shin.

Balance brought the G-trainer in from the US the same week that Manchester United and Manchester City introduced the anti-gravity treadmill to their players for rehabilitation, strength and conditioning. Our aim is for all those who are not Premiership footballers to take advantage of all that this technology can offer those needing in jury rehabilitation and fitness.

• Speed for all sports
• Strength for all sports
• Power for all sports
• Running performance for every distance from 400 metres to marathon, ultra distance and triathlon.
• Return to all sports after almost any lower limb injury
• Return to running after almosy any lower limb operation
• effective anaerobic intervals even for those who experience joint discomfort with impact

CLICK FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

London Kettlebells new website features the G-trainer

Ken and Steve of London Kettlebells have been busy and one of their new projects has been to launch a site that allows people with something interesting to say about health and fitness.

They thought the G-trainer and the multiple opportunities it offers was worth an article so I put a piece together particularly on the tremendous interval training opportunities it presents for everyone from first time marathon runners to serious MMA or Thai boxing fighters and even NBA basketball giants.

G-trainer: the "anti-gravity" treadmill. The ultimate tool
for interval training
Submitted by Jonathan
Lewis on Thu, 27/11/2008 - 10:33am

I'm not one for bling or using high tech when low tech
will do. If you took a look inside the Balance gym and studio you would see two
dozen kettlebells, truck tyre, sledge hammer, sand bag, a bar for pull ups,
carabina attachments in all sorts of places to hang and pull from, a pile of
judo mats, a couple of marine ropes, medicine balls, etc. These things are low
tech in the extreme but provide highly effective results.

The G-trainer on the other hand is high tech in the
extreme. It looks space age because it is NASA technology; we know it works
because it was tested by Nike Professional Athletes, and they kept it and their
runners have produced some great results. It offers something that has not been
offered before, the opportunity to “defy” gravity whilst running!

It’s used by some of the world’s best athletes but now
that we have one at Balance we’ll work out exactly what it’s capable of. We
specialise in performance and we know how to get the most out of someone. We
also like to be innovative; using things in a way they weren’t necessarily
designed for and we have already discovered the G-trainer has some undisclosed
strengths.

I’ve dubbed the G-trainer the “Ultimate for running
interval training” but it also has many applications in strength and
conditioning. Here is a brief summary of some of the benefits adding the
training variable of bodyweight reduction offers.

Strength and conditioning

• Increased effectiveness of speed and leg
  strength/endurance/power training intervals
• Metabolic conditioning (anyone who reads the ISLondon blog
  will be aware of the state known as “metabolloxed”, a state easily achieved on
  the G-trainer)
• Jump training and plyometric control
• Great cross training for sports/martial arts

Marathon training/running performance

• guaranteed to maintain the pace on your "long run".
• achievable tempo runs
• increased intensity of effort with reduced chance of injury
• increase aerobic base with greater mileage per week without
  the joint stress, strain and impact.
• Heart rate training
  

Elite Athlete’s; some of worlds top sports clubs, and US
Military organisations. Below are a few of those who have embraced the treadmill
for many different applications.

• NY Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe to make an early return
  to running following her hip injury.
• The Nike Oregon Project pro runners, coached by Alberto
  Salazar, utilise it to add approximately 25% more miles to their programme per
  week.
• AC Milan
• Manchester United
• Fort Bragg
• Walter Reed Army Medical Centre
• Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
• New York Knicks (NBA)
• Oakland Raiders (NFL)
  

For more information and how you can use the G-trainer for
yourself in London contact Jonathan Lewis on 07960 861 267, jonathan@balancephysio.com and take a
look at http://www.g-trainerUK.blogspot.com

See the article in situ....

http://www.lkbfitness.com/G-trainer-the-anti-gravity-treadmill-The-ultimate-tool-for-interval-training



Jon Bik triathlete using the G-trainer, Jon is also an above knee amputee.

G-Trainer reviewed by Boing Boing Gadgets

Boing Boing Gadgets said in their coverage of the G-trainer:

Prices are probably somewhat extravagant, but unless you keep a rehabilitation chamber in your mad scientist fortress you'll likely only see the trainer when you send henchmen off to be restored to service.
Alter-G G-Trainer Treadmill for Weightless Running - Boing Boing Gadgets

I don't know this website very well but I know that the Technology and Gadget world are drawn to this treadmill due to its "technology dense" status. Ironically although the G-trainer is high tech its pretty low on the concept front.

Its very simple:

• run at a reduced bodyweight and run faster at your target speed for longer (use the intervals we have designed and increase the intensity and effectiveness significantly)

• run at a reduced bodyweight and run at your normal running speed for longer with less joint stress (perfect for use within a marathon training programme)

• run at reduced bodyweight and run up inclines whilst maintaining your target speed to make significant leg strength gains

I am assuming their mention of an extravagant price is based on the cost to buy the whole thing because the prices we have agreed at Balance are anything but extravagant! We decided that the cost of using a machine should not be more than the intelligent input our clients get from one of our human team so we set the prices from £17.50 per session.

For details on the range of options available give me a call or email me -

• 07960 861 267
• jonathan @ balancephysio.com

Ready to fly? G-trainer offers ultimate options in training for personal bests in your running

We are now going live!! After 6 months of research and preparation we are now ready to offer it to the public at large!

From just £17.50 a session.

Ask me about details. We have put some packages together for those that really want to maximise on the benefits to be had from being involved with Balance, the G-Trainer and all of our professional partners.

Here is a brief clip of Mick Habgood, our excellent new Podiatrist, having a trot....

G-trainer used in Olympic BMX riders ACL rehab

As the G-trainer is well established in North America and recognised across many disciplines as a significant piece of equipment for rehabilitation, injury prevention and even in the short period i have had to test it out it seems "the ultimate in interval training for running", the number of athletes that are getting a chance to work on it is increasing.

Previously it was just the high profile Nike runners who were part of Nike Oregon Project under Alberto Salazar, then the pro teams in NFL American Football, NHL Hockey players, NBA basketball outfits, many track and field athletes, the US Military, the established medical and sports injury rehab clinics. Everyone is getting the opportunity now, recreational marathon runners to MMA fighters working on their anaerobic conditioning will benefit from the G-trainer.

See the article below I read on ESPN's website, a pro BMX rider who won bronze at the Beijing Olympics is now using the G-trainer post ACL reconstuction.

DOWNHILL RIDE Less than six weeks removed from reconstructive ACL surgery on Oct. 2, BMX Olympic bronze medalist Jill Kintner is already back on her bike, thanks to alternative treatment she's receiving at the Olympic training facility in Chula Vista, Calif.—and a lot of hard work. Kintner plans to recover fully in time for a couple early season BMX races in February/March and the start of mountain bike season in April. (Yep, she's returning to the mountains fulltime.) Kintner checked in with us on Day 39 (yesterday) of rehab: "The day of my surgery, I started rehab in a hyperbaric chamber and have been working out two to four hours a day since. At first, it was weird to be in the training center after the Olympics—there were like four people at dinner each night—but it's incredible to have access to this kind of therapy. The hyperbaric chamber has helped, but it is a huge time commitment. For two hours a day, I lie in a glass tube and watch a movie. I also use a molecular enhancer, which is like a battery charger for your body, and an Alter G Trainer, which is a treadmill that puts you in a vacuum environment. It removes gravity and allows you to run or walk at a percentage of your body weight. No one likes to be injured, but this isn't a bad way to do it." — A.R.

For the full article on ESPN's website click on the link below.
ESPN - ESPN The Magazine
click here for more on Extreme Sports rider Gill Kitner.

Interest growing in our G-trainer.

The G-trainer has demanded the attention of everyone who has come to Balance over the last couple of weeks. The beast is impossible to ignore but once our clients have had a run on it they have seen the potential and the opportunity to do some serious training on the Alter-Gs unweighting treadmill. The team has worked out exactly where its strengths lay and cant wait to begin in earnest when we go completely live in the next 7-10 days.

Interval Training as it has never been possible before:

• speed,
• strength,
• anaerobic conditioning
• quality running drills
• heightened volume at increasing speed or load was previously impossible.
• body spared from the jarring and accumulative effects of impact.
• EDT (escalating density training.) means increasing amount of work done in the same period of time.
  

Interval training is the most rapid method of achieving performance gains and the ability to tailor and optimize the interval profiles determines the ultimate limit of performance.

Interval Overload Training at Higher Running Speed

Control of body weight also provides a means for interval overload training (interval training) in which you achieve a fast speed while at reduced weight and then introduce body weight briefly to overload the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems.

Marathon training will be phenomenal on this treadmill. With your running performance improving week by week due to the increased effectiveness of interval training, quality pace and strength work and alternate long runs on the G-trainer to spare your joints from the trauma of long distance running the chances of overuse problems developing are greatly reduced. You do need some knowledge and support behind you to achieve your goals so Balance's highly experienced team is there with the skills in coaching, running analysis, injury prevention, strength and conditioning to make the G-trainer more than just a fancy toy. It is a highly effective training tool.

Sound confusing?
Difficult to believe?

Come and try the G-trainer for yourself - contact me at jonathan @ balancephysio.com
or call 020 7627 2308 to register your interest and i shall get back to you.

Los Angeles Lakers: Behind the Alter-G Treadmill

The LA Lakers NBA basketball team posted this article about the G-trainer on their website back in March and one of the players, Chris Miym (Center), tells us what he thinks of it. These guys are so big they have a treadmill made specifically to accomodate 6'6 to 7'6!!

Thats the only difference though and the benefits are exactly the same - sparing the joints and recovering muscles from excessive load and stress, heightening the strength and conditioning effectiveness of a treadmill.

LAKERS: Behind the Alter-G Treadmill:
courtesy of www.nba.com/lakers/

"Behind the Alter-G Treadmill
April 1, 2008

When deflated the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill looks like any normal treadmill you'd see at your local gym--wrapped in a hefty bag.

Once the machine is turned on the user looks like they're standing up through the sunroof of a car.

The Alter-G treadmill creates a seal around the user's waist and then inflates to create a pressurized environment that can take away up to 80% of the users body weight, lessening the pounding to the joints.

'Essentially you become like a cork in a champagne bottle and you can modify just exactly how much pressure is in there,' said Chip Schaeffer, the Lakers Director of Athletic Performance/Player Development.

'It's a great rehab tool as well as a conditioning tool. If a guy comes off a couple games in a row and wants to blow his lungs out a little bit, but doesn't want to take the full breadth of his body weight and exhaust himself he can get in there for 15-20 minutes and not fatigue his legs too much.'

Andrew Bynum and Chris Mihm have been the main beneficiaries of the new treadmill as they recover from knee and ankle injuries respectively.

After a lengthy recover from multiple ankle surgeries Mihm has a great appreciation for the new piece of equipment.

'This is pretty amazing. It doesn't restrict your movement at all and it allows me to really get some training without all the pounding on my ankle right away."

To see Chris Mihm using the treadmill you will have to go via the article link above.

See Andrew Bynum (below) who used the G-trainer to increase his fitness whilst undergoing rehabilitation for a knee injury.


Here is what the Lakers Director of Athletic Performance had to say...

"The addition of the Alter -G treadmill has allowed us to initiate running with Andrew much earlier than otherwise would have possible. Andrew has been combining aerobic based running (10 minute bouts at moderate intensity) as well as more basketball specific anaerobic bouts (30 to 45 seconds at a high intensity followed by a 1 minute recovery) with a gradual systematic increase in the % body weight that he runs at. The most important thing for Andrew will be the ability to control the ground force reactions in the highly unpredictable environment that basketball demands. His progress to this point has been excellent."

Now we can play on our treadmill

After a frustrating wait, thanks to the inefficiencies of UPS, we are able to start experimenting with our G-trainer.

Ato (strength & conditioning physio) runs, Mick (podiatrist) observes, Tom Allen (Alter-G) explains

The shorts were missing! The shorts are integral to this thing working. They support you and create a virtual seal of the bag your legs are within. Its this that allows the blower to push air into the bag without it all leaking immediately.

Anyway we have the shorts now.

Graham Anderson the clinical Director at Balance had his first run on it last night....

"I had a workout on the G Trainer - wow I was impressed. 15 minutes quality run....I was knackered."

I havent spoken to him about the parameters he used but it will be interesting to hear. Graham is a recreational marathon runner with a PB of 3hrs26min. He also loves to be outdoors in the elements so for him to have enjoyed a treadmill run is very interesting.

Admittedly we are in a honeymoon period of keen excitement but we all feel that this really is a great tool to have at our disposal and presents us all with previously unavailable opportunities.

Radcliffe reflects on NY victory

BBC SPORT | Athletics | Radcliffe reflects on NY victory: "Radcliffe reflects on NY victory

Paula Radcliffe cursed her luck despite romping to her third victory in the New York marathon. Radcliffe has only run 10 marathons and won eight of them - the exceptions being the Athens and Beijing Olympics. She said: 'It does make it frustrating because you think 'Why can I get it right all the time in New York and I can't get it right there?' 'But sometimes you have to take what life gives you. The most important thing was to win this race.'"

Just before this weekends New York Marathon triumph Paula Radcliffe described the significance of the Alter-G treadmill to her training when she said it was "instrumental in my transition back to running before Beijing because we pushed the envelope on that and tried to move it as far forward as possible".

See photos of Paula Radcliffe in action from the Universal Sports feed on the right.

Many elite runners (in particular the Nike Runners under the guidance of Alberto Salazar) and other sports professionals in the United States have been using the G-trainer to push their performance training to new levels in terms of volume and speed. The treadmills unique ability to unweight runners, whilst allowing them to maintain their natural style (as opposed to using water or a harness), allows an increase in weekly mileage and rate of turnover (leg speed) whilst minimising the stress and strain of high impact.

Many of the NBA basketball clubs have brought in the Alter-G treadmill to allow their stars to run faster and lighter. With such large jumping athletes the benefit of reducing impact whilst increasing their metabolic and neural abilities is obvious. At Balance the prospect of matching it's experienced and innovative strength and conditioning coaches and physiotherapists with such sophisticated technology is incredibly exciting. The Balance team of professionals are way beyond the norm when it comes to the collective experience and knowledge they offer to clients. We have developed and will continue developing further protocols to elevate the effectiveness of an athletes, sports persons, adventurers, recreational and aspiring runners. To see, hear, feel and experience what its all about contact Jonathan Lewis on jonathan@balancephysio.com or call 020.7627.2308 to register your interest.

G-trainer arrives at Balance Performance Physiotherapy

An exciting day at Balance...

after a few logistical challenges the G-trainer treadmill has now entered the facility!!!


The G-trainer Pro treadmill reaches Europe, and London's largest team of sports injury, back pain, movement, strength and conditioning professionals.

Balance is very excited to announce the arrival of the G-trainer to London, UK.

With its applications for:

* orthopaedic and medical rehabilitation,

*sports injury recovery

* back pain

* strength, conditioning and running specific athletic performance

the G-trainer presents amazing opportunities to our clients.

Balance is at the forefront of a first wave of facilities in Europe that has recognised the opportunities offered by this "anti-gravity" treadmill.

At present there are only 6 other organisations who have invested in this ground breaking technology including:

AC Milan and Manchester United

Paula Radcliffe has her own personal G-trainer somewhere in Spain.

For more detail and until our new website goes live visit
www.g-trainerUK.blogspot.com and see how it will fit into Balance Performance Physiotherapy and Balance Health and Fitness services.

Balance is all about offering opportunities to all so everyone on the Balance team is particularly excited at the opportunities this is going to offer.

The obvious benefit with any "unweighting" equipment is in orthopaedic rehabilitation, sports injury recovery and back pain where reducing the effect of gravity unloads the joints and reduces stress to the soft tissues. It manages this without impeding normal running gait.

Less obvious is in the benefit to strength and conditioning training, running and other athletic performance. People are confused because "how can there be any benefit if my weight is reduced? Doesn't that make everthing much easier?".

Its actually because you can reduce the effect of one parameter (gravity) that you can increase others, namely:
*volume/distance
*speed

If you are a tech head the link at the foot of the page will explain how it all works.

And it does work! We have done considerable research on who is using it, for what applications, and the results they have achieved. The people using it include athletes of the highest calibre, including 2 of European footballs elite teams, and also NBA, NFL and Nike professional runners.

Once we tried it out in New York at the Special Hospital for Rehabilitation we were absolutely convinced we had to get one to London.

Keep posted to learn how you can get to benefit from this piece of kit.

www.Alter-G.com/alterg/bd.aspx

Review Of The Alter-G “G-Trainer” by the GadgetKing.com

These Gadget experts took the opportunity to look at the G-trainer from a techno perspective. They still managed to see through the impressive technology and see the potential for rehabilitation and performance:

"To make a short story long, Phil and Russ finally got around to running. Both had a blast, Phil preferred the 80% weight loss and Russ the 50% weight loss. According to Russ, he felt like he was 10 years younger, the G-Trainer removed all feelings of impact on joints, and he was able to run to his fullest. Phil got up to 12 miles per hour (queue in The Six Million Dollar Man sound effects). Both of our testers said they definitely felt the burn, and got a great cardio workout to boot."

For the full review click below...

Review Of The Alter-G “G-Trainer” | GadgetKing.com

Beating Running World Records

Its a little bit of a gimmick but good fun. The ability to manipulate effective bodyweight allows an increase in turnover and speed so that amongst other things records can be broken....

The Nike Oregon Project helped convince us...

The Oregon Project, funded by Nike, was started by Alberto Salazar in 2001 to train America's most promising young distance runners. Salazar believes in world-class coaching supported by cutting-edge facilities and technology. One of the Project's key technologies is the G-Trainer.

Alberto Salazar, Director of the Oregon Project, talks about the benefits of the G-Trainer and how, as a cross training tool, it allows his runners to increase training volume up to 25%.

Looking at the calibre of athletes using the G-trainer for enhancing their performance and reading the science and rationale behind the equipment convinced us that with the innovation and knowledge in the strength and conditioning team at Balance we could really have some fun and produce results.

Coming soon to Balance Performance Physiotherapy, London, UK

Within the next month Balance Performance Physiotherapy in London will be getting the Alter-G G-trainer Pro treadmill.

It is incredibly exciting for all of us at the Sports Injury, Back Pain and Athletic Performance facility.

We are in our 8th year of business and we have been constantly working to offer our clients the opportunity to step closer and closer to their potential.

We now have a technology dense device that offers an opportunity that no other machine can currently offer...to offset the effects of bodyweight and gravity without interfering with normal running style.

More news to follow and details to follow soon....

but to understand a little bit more about the G-trainer and how it can help contact Jonathan Lewis via the soon to be relaunched website of Balance.