Exercise physiologist and 11-year veteran NHL conditioning coach Peter Twist, of Twist Conditioning in Vancouver, Canada, developed the Twist exercise equipment line. The products are part of his Smart Muscle exercise line, which includes the Smart Balance Board, the Smart Toner and the Smart Gym. During the product development phase, the Twist Conditioning Company tests the equipment on athletes.
History
Peter Twist entered a post-graduate study program with hopes of becoming a professional hockey coach, but an interest in kinesiology and exercise physiology steered him toward sport-specific training. After securing a job as a conditioning coach for the Vancouver Canucks professional hockey organization, he developed a distinct training paradigm, which emphasizes dynamic balance, speed and deceleration, agility, multi-joint strength, neuro-muscular reactivity, sport-specific movement patterns and power training. The Twist Conditioning Company incorporated in 1999, and trademarked their Smart Muscle training product line. Twist has authored numerous books on hockey conditioning and functional training. Because of his hockey background, most of the Twist exercise equipment has some element of rotational movement, adding a humorous pun to the name "Twist Equipment."
Function
Twist designed his signature exercise equipment to enhance athleticism, but argues that the equipment effectively enhances "the sport of life." At an International Dance Exercise Association conference, he commented that watching a senior citizen walk gracefully through an icy base area, while wearing ski boots, is just as impressive as watching a professional skier tackle a steep slope. Twist exercise equipment therefore functions as balance and agility training equipment for athletes, the general population and for seniors or for people with injury-impaired balance.
Identification
While Twist exercise equipment varies according to its function, most products combine heavy-duty elastic resistance cords with another device. The Swivel, for example, attaches the resistance cord to a swivel belt, which provides 360 degrees of movement. Strength training products like the Smart Stick feature a band which attaches to a strength-training bar. The Smart Board has two resistance cords attached to a balance board, facilitating simultaneous strength and balance training. The Twist team designed some of their products for partner training. The Slingshot is an example. Partners secure the band to belts attached to their waists, and run, jump and perform squats against each other's resistance.
Features
Twist Conditioning offers special sport-specific training packages. Examples include baseball strength training, baseball shoulder stability, hockey power, hockey speed and hockey agility and soccer strength and soccer agility. The packages include multiple training products and a sport-specific DVD.
Theories/Speculation
Twist, like many coaches supporting the functional training theory of sport conditioning, believes in training movement patterns as opposed to isolated muscle movements. The equipment supports his philosophy. The exercises featured in the supporting DVDs simulate the movement patterns used in specific sports. In fact, the coaches who train people at the Twist Conditioning Centre in Vancouver often take their clients out to ski, hike, bike or snowshoe, in order to show the direct transfer of training from their exercise program to their sports.
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