LIBERTY UNIVERSITY PARTNERS WITH SWINGFIT
THE FUNFITNESS REVOLUTION
Liberty University has partnered with SwingFit FunFitness Revolution, a fitness program with a product that has yet to hit the market, in data collection.
A group of individuals from Liberty University’s exercise science program are working to collect data for the fitness product. SwingFit has provided two
devices in return for the data collection to promote their business.
Liberty University is the first school to conduct data collection for SwingFit.
“Liberty is very blessed to be the first to participate in this,” said Graduate Assistant Chris Carver.
The SwingFit study is conducted by about 10 workers, made up of professors, graduate and undergraduate students led by Dr. Schoffstall. Other undergraduate students interested in research are welcomed to assist.
“No research has been done on the SwingFit before, so I am very excited to be part of the first ones to collect data and determine its effectiveness,” said undergraduate student Carolyn Nascimento. The study consists of 160 participants who volunteered. The volunteers make up a control group and an experimental group.
The experimental group will follow a 6 week exercise plan of workouts twice a week with the SwingFit product. The two groups will provide data to compare between those using
the product, and those not.
The goal of the study is to determine if the SwingFit product would be beneficial to the everyday population. Workouts can be geared for people who are
active, as well as inactive.
The SwingFit is a unique workout method. It is similar to the TRX Suspension Trainer, where the workout method uses a suspension technique. With SwingFit, a person’s four limbs are suspended, creating a more challenging workout that requires stability and strength.
Undergraduate student Jared Deister demonstrates a SwingFit exercise.
The SwingFit research began the week of August 24. The process of collecting and analyzing data will take several months.
They hope to complete the research in the spring of 2016, according to Carver.
The SwingFit FunFitness was invented by Jeno Giordano. The research/workout facility is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Memberships to the gym can grant personal or small group sessions using the SwingFit.
The research program is available to other people and more information on how to enroll can be found on the SwingFit FunFitness website.
Founder of SwingFit, Jeno Giordano trained the Instructors for their upcoming Training tips.
IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION
MATT PIERCE OCTOBER 27, 2015 FEATURES
Liberty graduate students trial SwingFit program through research project
It all started with an idea and a tree in Jeno Giordano’s backyard, the creator of SwingFit. Now in the Human Performance Lab, Chris Carver and Chelsea Page watch people swing through the air for their workout day in and day out. Located in the new Science Hall on Liberty University’s campus, a SwingFit research program is underway.
Under the supervision of Dr. Jim Schoffstall and Dr. Andy
Bosak, the research study is testing 160 students on the
effectiveness of the SwingFit program. Carver and Page are
the Human Performance Lab Graduate Student Assistants
(GSA’s) who are leading the research study on the new
workout equipment. Along with the help of John Houck and
Austin Smith, bio mechanics GSA’s, the research study has
been on going since Sept. 7.
Giordano approached Schoffstall and Bosak at a conference
about conducting the research program here at Liberty
University. Giordano and the SwingFit team even donated
the product to the university so the study could be
completed. They donated two stand alone SwingFit frames
and a three person SwingFit set for individual and group
workouts.
“Based off my experience, I think it is definitely more of a
supplemental exercise geared for the athletic population,”
Carver said.
Workout — Chelsea Page demonstrated how to use the SwingFit machine. Photo credit: RJ Goodwin
Completely suspended off the ground while parallel with the floor, Page continued explaining and demonstrating the uses of SwingFit. “I think the idea for SwingFit is that it adds a whole new workout regime and something to add to your repertoire of working out,” Page said.
Like a trapeze artist swings through the air, this machine keeps the entire body fully suspended off the ground during the duration of the workout. For up to 30 minutes, subjects will move through various workouts to improve their range of motion, flexibility and overall core strength.
“It’s always really good to add something to your arsenal for those who don’t like weightlifting,” Carver said. “They don’t want to get ‘bulky’ so doing some form of suspension training, such as SwingFit, you’re able to add resistance without the added weight.”
The research study is a 60-day program with three periods of baseline testing at the beginning, middle and end. In between each of those is a four week period of either workouts or no workouts depending on which research group a subject has been placed. However, before anyone can begin using the SwingFit machine, they must go through “Flight School.”
Flight School is where SwingFit users learn the basics of working out while completely suspended in the air. After completing Flight School, users can increase the level of intensity for the workout, but the majority of the muscles getting worked stem from the core.
“That’s one of the things we’re testing and one of the main goals is coordination and core strength, just because that is firing constantly once you take the floor away from you,” Page said.
As far as this research study is concerned, the students are staying in Flight School. There are other levels beyond the basics but participants can only move on once they have mastered the moves in Flight School. Safety is of the upmost importance when working out on a SwingFit machine.
“It’s not any additional risk than going to a gym, doing a TRX program or another type of training program and there a lot of safety protocols we do,” Page said.
Carver and Page both expect more follow up studies to come after the first study is complete. They even expected research to continue for a few more semesters after they have completed their degrees.
Reduction of waistline and increased musculature through SwingFit’s
full body aerial swing system
SWINGFIT LLC., Lake Charles, LA.
Introduction
According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (2015) article, statistics indicates that only one in three children are physically active on a daily basis an aspect that is evident and real.
Similarly, only about 5 percent of adults participate in physical activity each day and it is also indicated that more than 80 percent of adults do not meet the guidelines of both aerobics and muscle training activities.
There are several guidelines in regard to physical activities and medically, it is a recommendation for all because the body needs the exercise for good health. From the statistics, it is apparent why lifestyle problems such as obesity and other weight associated complications are a major health problem in USA and other parts of the world.
There is a need for people to exercise and exercise effectively to curb the health problems associated with inactivity. Exercise is not always about the physical aspect of it but rather the efficiency- it can be simple but effective or hard and aggressive but less efficient. It is believed that many people like the prospect of being able to train efficiently and conveniently and that is exactly what SwingFit entails.
There are several workout options available and according to a research by Moketal. (2013), suspension training was found to be the most effective in improving core stability not just in healthy individuals but also in those with musculoskeletal complaints.
From the research, suspension training was found to have relatively high levels of core muscle activation owing to the stable support surface exercises. The concept is that the free movement that the body can take in regard to the free suspended support surfaces allows the body more flexibility thus high activation of muscles. Studies have also shown that suspension training workouts using the recommended 30 sec:60 sec work:rest ratio is sufficient to stimulate the growth hormone axis in recreationally active young adult males.
The results reported support the use of suspension training methods as a stimulus for anabolic hormone release. This type of exercise is a viable alternative to traditional resistance training for stimulating the anabolic hormones that support recovery and muscle growth (Dudgeon etal., 2011).
SwingFit’s fun fitness program has taken his concept to the next level with their patented
full body aerial swing-suspension training system.
Methods - SwingFit
The SwingFit swing system uses non-elastic
straps of varying lengths along with handles
which can be mounted to support beams in
various pods. SwingFit accommodates limitless variation in movement angle and planes of motion for virtually all exercises, thus allowing individuals to train like they live while using the whole body. That is a great motivating factor for individuals seeking new fitness alternatives and substantial results.
Figure 1. Image of SwingFit’s single person
swing pod.
Figure 2-3. Image of participants performing full body aerial movements with the SwingFit system.
Results
Figure 4. Graph displaying three adult male
participant’s (P1, P2, & P3) waist, abdomen, hips, and chest measurements before and after the SwingFit program. All participants had a reduction in waist and abdomen size as well as an increase in chest size and musculature.
Figure 5. Graph displaying three adult male participant’s (P1, P2, & P3) thigh, calf, upper arm, and flexed are measurements before and after the SwingFit program.
Figure 6. Graph displaying three adult male participants (P1, P2, & P3) total-body weight, leanbody weight, and fat-body weight before and after the SwingFit program.
References
Conclusion
1. President’s Council on Fitness, Sports &
Nutrition. (2015). Facts & Statistics: Physical Activity. President’s Council.
2. Dudgeon, W. D. et al. (2011). Effects of
Suspension Training on the Growth Hormones Axis. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research.
3. Mok, N. W. (2013). Core Muscle Activity during Suspension Exercises. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
4. Leung, K. (2015). Suspended Bodyweight Training: Workout Programs for Total-Body Fitness. Ulysses Press.
5. Healy, R. (2012). Latest Fitness Trends:
Suspension Training. Boston Globe Media.
As the fitness industry is constantly on the lookout for more effective techniques for workouts, it is certainly not an exaggeration when considering the benefits of SwingFits’ full body aerial
suspension training system. Suspension training has become a major part of fitness techniques adapted all over the world and expanding its reach from everyday people to professional athletes as it has captured the imagination of the
entire fitness industry.
SwingFit’s new approach offers much more variation and potential over existing suspension training methods with the full body swinging motions. The swing fit method is challenging, fun and delivers fast results. It is easy to learn and one can figure out how to operate just by watching an informational material.
