Not All Gym Equipment is Created Equal
The ALLN-1® RackTrax™ F2 HIIT System is not your typical piece of equipment. It exceeds expectations and is nothing short of a breakthrough in the mid-commercial fitness equipment market. While other equipment works in a single plane or are limited in what they can do, the RackTrax relies on inverted resistance training, among other modalities, to challenge your muscles in a completely different way.
If you have ever used a TRX for inverted rows, then you’ve experienced inverted resistance training. By working against gravity, exercises are performed with a greater intensity requiring greater effort. This type of training is not new and is often used to complement a traditional lifting routine, but can also be used as a stand-alone method of training. Lifting heavy has its place, but that’s not the purpose of the RackTrax F2 System which is geared towards a higher volume of work using lighter weights. Quite honestly, lifting heavy can have its drawbacks if that is your only form of resistance training. Studies have shown that adding in more bodyweight work and using lighter loads can, in the end, increase your strength, improve your form and is less taxing on the body.
Most injuries occur when form suffers. This happens when you keep increasing your weight, but your body is not quite ready for this. Sure, you want to get stronger, but doing it safely should take precedence over ego. Strength will come, but you have to work for it and you must be patient.
The RackTrax combines the best of both worlds—free weight training and machine training. Some prefer the freedom that free weights allow. Your movements are less restrictive and you can move in various planes. Machines, however, don’t offer this flexibility in movement. Both have their pros and cons. For beginners, machines can help to keep your form in check. For advanced lifters, machines may feel too cumbersome or unnatural.
What makes the RackTrax unique is that it’s made out of lighter steel with connector components. The state-of-the-art design allows increased motility near the fulcrum points and hinges of the system creating more natural and fluid movement. You will feel less restricted while working in a more natural plane of motion. When you throw inverted resistance exercises into the mix, you’re now maximizing the equipment’s use and working harder in the process. How? Your core will be more engaged to offer stability and balance (an often overlooked component when training) through your entire range of motion.
A perfect example that demonstrates the effectiveness and joint-friendly nature of the RackTrax would be the leg extension. A seated leg extension will place a lot of stress on your knee as you increase the weight. That is not an issue on the RackTrax which utilizes a standing leg extension that places the load on the fulcrum point of the machine, rather than your knee, by way of inversion. This goes back to the system’s development purpose in providing effective training that allows for weight increases without increasing the potential for injury. An exercise basically becomes more difficult not because you are using more weight, but rather your way of training has drastically changed with regards to proper movement and working in a different plane of motion.
The RackTrax began with the ALLN-1 Functional Fitness Bench made out of commercial grade, 12-gauge steel. The multifunctional use of the bench (more than 170 possible exercises) made it the perfect addition to the ALLN-1 RackTrax F2 HIIT System. Simply attach the bench to the wall mount RackTrax and it has now become a versatile piece of equipment extending beyond a traditional squat rack or bench.
The bench’s small size means it takes up less space and is easy to fold up and store under a bed or in a closet. You can adjust the height as well by simply sliding the bench down the “Trax”. The frame is light enough to stay securely on your walls. And don’t worry about it becoming an eyesore. You can add some shelving to it giving it a dual purpose and an added piece of décor to your room. How’s that for multifunctional?
What else can it do? You can use free weights, resistance bands, heavy bags, speed bags, suspension trainers and so much more with it. Exercises include pull-ups, squats, dips, shoulder presses, glute raises and bench presses. The RackTrax F2 HIIT System allows you to work out in the privacy of your own home on your schedule. You don’t have to worry about braving the cold or extreme weather conditions to get to a gym. It’s right there for you.
The RackTrax is the brainchild of Al Smith, founder of TrainChange Fitness. Al has been in the fitness industry for more than twenty-five years as a fitness consultant and personal trainer. Aside from that, he is also a software engineer and architect as well as a Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt. He wanted to change the way people approach fitness by not only making it more accessible through design, efficiency and scalability, but to also use science and empirical logic to make it the most effective way for you to exercise. When he designed the system, he also understood the need for something that was diverse, yet not cumbersome, lightweight, but not flimsy, sturdy, yet flexible.
For many, the focus of training should be on form and not how much weight is being used. By following this mantra, you not only learn how to do an exercise properly but also how to do other exercises properly that utilize the same muscles and similar movements. Inverted resistance training using the ALLN-1 RackTrax F2 HIIT System will take your workouts to a whole new level—one that focuses on form, efficiency and using your whole body to build muscle and get stronger.