NETWORK WINTER 2020 | Page 45

CEC ARTICLE 1 OF 5 ARTICLES RESEARCH REVIEW NOT QUITE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: SUSPENSION TRAINING UPDATE Timely research studies the efficacy of home-based and supervised suspension training. Review by Dr Mike Climstein PhD & Dr Joe Walsh PhD I had never even seen a regular iron cross in gymnastics before, let alone an inverted one, but I was an elite lifter, so how hard could it really be? Title: Efficacy of whole-body suspension training on enhancing functional movement abilities following a supervised or home-based training program Authors: Dr.’s Kullman and colleagues Department of Health and Human Performance, Cleveland State University,) Source: Journal of Sports Medicine Physical Fitness (2020). 60 (2): 244-250. Introduction: I am traditional and old school, no doubt about it. From training in a traditional style of karate, to traditional strength and conditioning. Sure, I’m well read on the developments in these areas, but old school works – and that’s why it’s still around. Having said this, there is always room for new and improved. In universities in the US, athletes in similar disciplines are typically housed together, to enhance the concept of the team as one big, living, breathing organism. As Olympic lifters at university, my teammates and I were few in number, so were housed with other athletes, one of whom was my good friend Paul, a gymnast whose forte was the high bar and rings. Paul used to come into the gym after training and ‘workout’, as he called it, with us. For Olympic lifters, Paul’s training appeared to be a waste of time, as all he did was many, many exhaustive reps and sets of V sit ups, pulls ups, push ups and decline hyperextensions. Why bother? The men’s gymnastics training facility was on the second floor of the building, and therefore required stairs to be climbed in order to access it. It’s fair to say that I never ventured up there, as I had NETWORK WINTER 2020 | 45