CrossFire

CrossFire

What you can expect:

Resistance exercise is a recommended component of any exercise program, regardless of whether the end goal is competition or recreational fitness. While concentric activities, where the muscle shortens, are the stereotypical resistance exercises, eccentric muscle action, where the muscle lengthens, is extremely important for mobility, balance, and functional activities such as walking downhill, sitting down, or lowering objects (6). Eccentric exercises, where the muscle is forcibly lengthened, include lowering a dumbbell and slowing down during running and are primarily responsible for any muscle soreness following a workout (3). CrossFire by The Exercise Coach is an exercise machine that eccentrically stretches the leg, hip, and back muscles while simultaneously loading the muscles in order to safely perform eccentric exercise without causing injury. The eccentric muscle activation that occurs through the use of CrossFire can lead to:

• Increased muscle strength
• Decreased muscle tension
• Increased flexibility
• Stronger tendons
• Osteogenesis (bone building)

Eccentric exercise increases muscle strength while using less oxygen than concentric exercise (2). This means that older patients or those with cardiovascular disease, who have less efficient circulation delivering oxygen to their muscles, can also benefit from the use of the CrossFire machine. In addition, eccentric muscle activation releases sliding structures within the muscle, allowing these structures to move past one another more easily and resulting in decreased muscle tension and increased flexibility across the joint range of motion (5). In other words, eccentric resistance stretching releases muscular tension at the cellular level, causing immediate and lasting results. Furthermore, the eccentric movement of the muscle with the CrossFire machine places strain on tendons and strengthens them, which can aid in the prevention or rehabilitation of tendonitis patients (4). Finally, eccentric muscle training has been shown to improve osteogenesis in the areas where eccentric activation occurs (1). This is especially beneficial for individuals interested in preventing osteoporosis. The CrossFire machine also provides immediate feedback through a computer and the loading design makes this apparatus a safe way for both competitive athletes and average exercisers to achieve the benefits of eccentric muscle activation without worrying about injury due to overloading.