WHY SUSPENSION TRAINING IS A "MUST DO" AS PART OF YOUR TRAINING REGIMEN

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The short answer is 
"stabilizer muscles"

Why are stabilizer muscle groups so important to train?

In a one word answer "ATHLETICISM"
Here is a bit of science behind the mechanics that make your body perform every movement.
A signal comes from the brain telling the body to move a limb but it is not quite so simple...

Within this signal are several sub-signals.
First, the brain tells the stabilizer muscles to tighten up the joints, bones and spine basically aligning the skeletal frame so that when it does move it will not injure any part of itself.
Now that the brain has received an "all clear" signal another signal is transmitted to the larger mobility muscles which do the grunt work and carry out the movement.

It would be very difficult to time this sequence of events to perform a single movement. However, try and look at it from a sporting perspective by breaking down individual movements into milliseconds.
In laymen terms, strong stabilizer muscles get their job done faster so that the mobility muscle groups can perform their task more quickly.

Having said all that you now see the link between the stabilizer muscles and the brain. We hear many experts telling us that working stabilizers enhances brain activity and this is the reason why.
Click the link to see images of Stabilizer Muscles

We invite your comments and experiences.
Please feel free to visit us at The Silencer
Until next time... STAY ACTIVE!

WHY SUSPENSION TRAINING??? Here are 5 major benefits...

Here are a  few benefits that you will experience from a suspension training workout.

1. Simplicity. if you are just beginning a lifestyle change and looking to get active or if you are an elite fitness freak. Suspension training is the easiest system that I have ever known when it comes to adjusting your workouts to meet your strength, flexibility and level of coordination. To increase or decrease the difficulty level of any suspension training exercise all you must do is alter the angle of the exercise to make it easier or more difficult.
2. Compact. if space is limited for gym equipment then a suspension trainer is a good fit for you. You can attach the suspension trainer to any wall or ceiling in your home and when you are not busting out reps you can easily move it off to the side or remove it completely and store it. You have a few options for mounting a suspension trainer but make sure that you invest in a quality mount as you will be suspending your body weight from it. If your mounting system fails it could result in injury. 

These pics illustrate a mounting system called "The Silencer". Its name is derived from its original intended use which is to reduce the noise and vibration caused by the pounding of a heavy bag workout (not a fart). This mount is designed to hold a minimum of a 200 pound punching bag during all of the abuse that a fighter can unleash on it. Having said that, The Silencer mounting system will easily support the weight of a 200 pound man through a suspension training workout. Yes, I am speaking from experience and still working hard to get back to my fighting weight of 185 pounds. 

   
   



     3.  Stabilizer Muscles. are responsible for the body's athletic ability like balance, agility and coordination. Suspension training is notorious for working the stabilizer muscles very well. An indicator of how hard your stabilizer muscles are working is while performing a single rep of any suspension exercise your muscles will shake uncontrollably. Those of you that use suspension training on a regular basis think back to your first experience with suspension training and recall the uncontrollable shake. Shaking minimizes as your stabilizer muscles become stronger and relatively speaking your athletic ability will have noticeably improved.
    4. Core Muscles are engaged with every suspension training exercise. This is significant because all athletic power come from the hip. Visualize throwing a baseball, swinging a bat, throwing a punch or taking a slap shot in hockey. All of these motions stem from the primary core muscles. So, if these muscles are strong you already have a competitive advantage over your competition no matter what the sport is.
    5. Improved brain function and an increase in cognitive activity can be seen with regular suspension training. The demands on your stabilizer muscles through a suspension training regimen cause the neurons to fire on both sides of the brain while maintaining the body's balance and stability. I'd like to recommend the following video which demonstrates 70 different suspension training exercises.
70 Suspension Training Exercises
I hope you have found this blog post informative and helpful. Until next time... stay active!!!
We invite you to share your comments and experiences. Visit us at TheSilencer.net for all you exercise equipment mounting needs.

Wrap it up... I'll take it!

We've discussed everything from how to mount a heavy bag from the ceiling, punching bag materials and types of filling. 
Naturally, we'll discuss bag gloves and hand wraps next.
First things first, you need to protect your hands from injury before you strike the bag with hand wraps.
You can purchase hand/wrist wraps in any sporting goods department or sports store for under $10. 
The most important thing to know about wrapping your hands is how to tie your hand wraps properly.
Below is a video link that shows proper technique for wrapping your hands and wrists. 
NOT USING WRAPS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE ONSET OF ARTHRITIS.

How to tie hand wraps for heavy punching bag training

Selecting Bag Gloves
Due to the vast array of boxing gloves available we will discuss only gloves used for heavy bag workouts. 
There are gloves which have been specially designed for heavy bag training that are equipped with high density foam to help absorb the impact.
Some glove manufacturers have added another special feature such as Velcro wrist wraps for added wrist support. 
Higher end gloves are made with cow hide leather in the larger sections of the glove where less expensive gloves use a mix of synthetics and/or lower quality leathers. Most bag gloves range between $30 and $70 and can be found at your local sports store. 
If you decide that you would like to compete in one of the AWESOME fight sports then you will want to spend some additional time researching the many variables for these types of gloves.
A good place to start would be to discuss gloves with an experienced fighter at the club where you are training. 
Ideally, to compete you will need three pairs of gloves.
1. Heavy bag training gloves 
2. Sparring gloves
3. Competition boxing gloves

You will also need some additional sparring equipment such as head gear and shin guards (for MMA or Kickboxing).

Remember, wrapping your wrists and hands is essential in preventing arthritis.

My next blog post will discuss the benefits of suspension training. 
Until then... stay active! We invite you to share your comments and experiences. Visit us at www.thesilencer.net

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT HEAVY PUNCHING BAG

I get asked a whole array of questions when helping my customers choose the heavy bag mount that is truly right for their situation. To keep it brief I'll discuss only the most common questions which usually revolve around punching bag related equipment such as: punching bags, gloves, wraps and of course heavy bag mounts.

Don't take a stand
There are basically two categories of punching bags, suspended or free standing. Speaking from experience and literally breaking a free standing punching bag in half, I am a supporter of the ceiling mounted or suspended heavy bags for a couple of reasons.

1. A good punching bag workout should include lots of movement around the bag otherwise known as footwork. This will help you to replicate a real fight scenario and greatly increase the cardio aspect of your workout by including all of the muscle groups in your legs. Don't forget it will improve your coordination.
2. Having said all that, such movement becomes very challenging when you have an obstacle such as a base to avoid. Practicing flying knees and superman punches are dangerous when there is a stand located in your landing area.
True story... I actually broke a toe and bruised or hyper extended all of my toes at least once before the light bulb turned on.

Never ask a lady her weight
"Rule of thumb" minimum bag weight should be no less than 40% of your body weight. So if you weigh 200 pounds your bag should weigh no less than 80 pounds. Or multiply your body weight ( be honest!) by .4 and that will give you a good starting point.

So many materials so little time
Next, which material should I choose? I prefer leather heavy bags which are more expensive but as the old saying goes "you get what you pay for". There are cheaper materials such as canvas or vinyl and even some new space age materials (polymers) which have a similar feel to leather (pleather) but I have not had the experience with these new materials so I won't comment on them further.

Get Stuffed!
There are a few different filling materials to consider depending on what you want and need.

1. Fabric - sometimes compressed clothing or fiber is used as a filler and provides a consistent feel over the entire bag. The only draw back is that it is difficult to find a bag with this filling over 100 pounds.

2. Sand - Typically heavier bags will be sand filled but make sure you take it down and roll it around every couple of months to prevent the sand from settling which can cause hard spots. OUCH! I prefer a sand filled bag for the knuckle and shin conditioning aspect but you should wear wraps to support your wrists and protect your hands from the harder surface. Injury prevention is key!

3. Water - Sometimes referred to as "hydrobags" have become popular because they are more dense than fabric and fiber filled bags but absorb more of the impact. They are less expensive to ship because the skin is light weight by itself. The only risk is, if a water filled bag leaks you could have some expensive damages to repair depending the surroundings.
Remember practicing your footwork is the secret to learning how to throw any technique from any angle.

My next blog post will discuss factors to consider when choosing boxing gloves and wraps. Until then stay active! We invite you to share your comments and experiences. Visit us at www.thesilencer.net

Will a punching bag workout increase weight loss?

Compared to other calorie burning activities such as jogging a heavy bag workout can burn up to three times the calories in the same amount of time spent jogging. Keep in mind that the intensity level of your workout is what will determine your weight loss. Additionally, you will be ripping core muscles, building muscle, toning your entire body and transforming yourself into an explosive athlete.
 Assuming you already have the appropriate exercise equipment, we'll discuss the best way to approach your heavy bag workout strategy to maximize the weight loss/fat burning benefit in the least amount of time. My next blog entry I'll offer guidelines to determining the equipment that is right for you.
Here are some ways to keep up the intensity level...
Break up your workout into rounds with a rest in between rounds. I use an APP called Boxing Timer Pro (costs $2.99) not only for the heavy bag workout but for my suspension trainer exercises as it keeps me aware of the duration of the exercise and rest periods. One of the nice features of this APP is you can easily alter your round and rest duration as your conditioning improves. As a benchmark, a person in average condition should begin with a maximum of five two minute rounds with a one minute rest in between rounds. As you improve increase the duration of each round and decrease the rest period. When you are ready to take it the next level incorporate kicking techniques into your workout. There are many videos on the internet that will show you proper striking technique so if it feels awkward at first don't give up, that feeling will pass in a couple of weeks. You will know your technique is improving when you hear that all inspiring sweet cracking sound every time you execute a kick or punch properly.
Next, focus on your movement, distancing and timing. Throw combinations like: jab; right cross, left hook, right round house; then move, adjusting your angle and distance from the heavy bag each time. Practice the same combinations until they feel fluid as repetition will help to improve your technique and how you piece different combos together. Practice side to side movement all the while maintaining your fight stance. Your objective is to learn how to throw punches and kicks from any distance or angle.
TIP: Imagine a pole has been driven through the center of your hips vertically, this pole acts as a pivot. All techniques revolve around the pole and it forces all techniques to be thrown from the hip (where knock out power comes from). Keep your knees bent and stay on the balls of your feet.
Remember, my next blog post will discuss the equipment such as bags, glove, wraps, and heavy bag mounting systems. Until then, stay active! We invite you to share your comments and experiences. Visit us at thesilencer.net Check Boxing Timer Pro app at Boxing Timer Pro 

5 Tips for Mounting a Heavy Punching Bag

1. Are you mounting your heavy bag on the ceiling or the wall?

Assuming that your home has been built with an average level of quality and materials. When mounting to any structure like your home... it is advisable to know what you are mounting to. Example steel or wood studs.

2. Is the structure finished with sheet rock, gypsum, 70's paneling or dry wall?

If yes, you will need a stud finder stat.

If no, you have an array of heavy bag hanger options that us folks with finished walls do not have.

3. Thoughts on single beam suspension.

I do not recommend suspending a heavy bag from a single stud, rafter or joist.

Reason: all of the structural stress is put on that single point. Vibration will take its toll on that single supporting member over time and could cause problems down the road. Not to mention the noise level from your roundhouse will have your family seeking shelter OUTDOORS.

4. Now that we agree on dual beam suspension...

You can safely hang a punching bag that weighs more than 40 pounds. lol

5. Setting the optimum heavy bag height to reduce noise and vibration.

You will be able to minimize the noise and vibration by setting your bag to the proper height. Here is a link that will take you to a power point slide that I put together. Follow the link to set the optimum height for your situation. P.S. don't laugh at my bedhead

http://nebula.wsimg.com/312804fcd039a31124f63ba231524179?AccessKeyId=0F057E8A7B925DB89905&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

I hope you found this helpful. I'd like to invite you to share a comment or experience with us.

Have a great day,

Dare 

Heavy Bag Training

Heavy Bag What?
I invented The Silencer Mount so that I could take full advantage of the full body workout that you can achieve from using a heavy bag to train. Now although it may seem like an advanced exercise, by starting slow and building yourself up, we can achieve phenomenal fitness results through a fun exercise routine designed around a heavy bag. I want to share with you some simple tips and exercises to remember when using a heavy bag.

There is evidence that use of a standing, or hanging bag to practice striking maneuvers was a tool designed in ancient history through military and combat training and was later adapted into sports and martial arts training. Heavy bag training has worked its way into the home gym, but in my experience led to damaged walls and ceilings, which motivated me to design The Silencer CeilingMount which provides better support for the hanging bag by distributing weight. I don’t have to hold back now, for fear of inheriting a wall patch job after my workout, I can take my exercise regime to the next level.