The Pendulum Challenge

6.01.2017

Blog|Events

The latest studies show that women are approximately 52% as strong as men in their upper body and 66% as strong in their lower bodies. A women having less strength in their upper torso in general is because they tend to have a lower proportion of their lean tissue distributed there. The differences in muscular strength in equally trained men and women is almost entirely accounted for by the difference in muscle size.

This year at the Collegiate Strength Coaches Association, strength coaches competed against one another for $500.00. The event was deemed the Pendulum Challenge. Because the challenge included both men and women the performance guidelines were set based on the above factors of body weight and gender.

The winner of the Pendulum Challenge at the National Conference and $500.00 cash was Northwestern University’s Taylor Hynes. She performed an incredible total of 109 strict reps on the Pendulum 3-way Row, Seated Squat, and Shoulder/Incline. Taylor can be seen surrounded by members of the Pendulum Staff after her impressive victory.

6.2.2023

Closed And Open Chain

Open kinetic chain exercises of the lower limb are movements, where the distal segment is unloaded and free to move. The opposite is true of closed kinetic chain exercises, whereby there is enough resistance to prohibit free motion.

Closed kinetic chain exercises are movements such as squats, Pendulum Squat Pro, leg presses and lunges, while open chain exercises are actions like leg curls, leg extensions and the Pendulum Reverse Glute Ham.

The kinetic chain can be understood as interrelated joints and body parts working with one another during motion. This creates a chain of events that affects the movement of neighboring joints and segments.

The advantage of open chain movements is that they tend to be better at isolating muscle and often are selected for specific rehabilitation and used to accentuate performance. While closed chain movements in general would be classified as more functional and closely approximating movements that are used in sport and daily life.

Open Chain Reverse Glute Ham

Closed Chain Pendulum Power Squat Pro

Closed Chain Pendulum Power Squat Pro XT

5.11.2023

Arkansas Baseball Weight Room

5.11.2023

2-for-2 Method

Some trainers, coaches and athletes use what is called the 2-for-2 Method for increasing training load. The rule is if the trainee can perform two or more repetitions over one’s ‘repetition goal’ in the last set of an exercise, for two consecutive workouts, the weight is added for that particular exercise the next training session.