Synergetics -- Iso-Motion -- Isotonometrics

[Guest guest]

There's an exercise system called Synergetics that was developed about

twenty years ago by a fellow named Hay. It's virtually

identical -- in PRINCIPLE, anyway -- to Iso-Motion. And after finding

out from Wayne's post about Isotonometrics, and reading a description

of it at the Dragondoor forum, it sounds identical to that too.

Synergetics was originally done (and still can be) using just the

hands, pulling or pushing against each other isometrically in various

grips and positions, while moving the torso through its maximum range

of motion. It's a bit T'ai Chi-like. A few years ago, and his

wife Joanna introduced a " gripping device " called the PocketGym to

enhance and improve the exercises. It's a rigid piece of metal in a

sort of horseshoe shape, covered in a thick, soft, rubber-like

material. You can see it in action in the demonstration clips at the

link below.

I've been doing Synergetics off and on since the book first came out

(1990), and also have the PocketGym. A Synergetics workout is 12

minutes long. and Joanna have made several videotapes and a DVD

with a variety of follow-along workouts, and it's a real nice way to

do an Iso-Motion type workout.

Now I realize there probably won't be many (if any) people here

interested in all this, but the reason I'm posting about it is because

I did one of the PocketGym workouts using my Steel-Bow 20, and it

worked great. I only had to modify the hand positions in a couple of

places. So for anyone who MIGHT be interested in adding some rather

unique new moves to their Iso-Motion work, or having three separate

12-minute workouts on a DVD to follow along with while doing

Iso-Motion-type exercise, you can check it out. The Synergetics

workouts also incorporate power breathing and facial exercises.

Watching them do the face exercises might make you laugh out loud, but

if you're already doing them as per the suggestion on the Steel-Bow

chart, you might appreciate them.

The PocketGym is rigid, so there's no compressing or pulling it apart,

it just lets you more comfortably pit muscle against muscle with a

wide variety of grips, hand positions and moves. I've found I can

generate some real good tension, pushing and pulling against it while

moving my arms through various full ROM patterns.

The video clips at their site are short and don't really show much ...

really just 2 or 3 of the many, many moves you'd be doing in a

12-minute workout. But if you're curious, they'll at least give you an

idea of what I'm talking about.

Here's the link for the clips -- the one for Workout 3 has a

voice-over. The blue arrows at the bottom left of the screen indicate

during the workout when to change from pulling against the PocketGym

to pushing on it. and Joanna make it look effortless, but you

really can generate some isometric force with it.

http://www.pocketgym.com/moviedownloadpage.html

I've corresponded with the the s occasionally over the past few

years, and they're very nice people.

The PocketGym DVD is available separately -- you can go to http://

www.pocketgym.com/ select " products " then click " next " several times

until you get to the last product page and you'll see it sold separately.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info.

Something about the Synergetics PocketGym (there are other

devices called " Pocket Gym " but which are different):

I remember seeing a similar device sold in comic books

decades ago (just like Atlas and Dynaflex courses) that

looks exactly like it but without the padding. It was bare

metal with black finish. As I remember it, though, it was

sold to be used for isometric exercises, not the Synergetics

moves. I don't recall what that device was called then and

I even asked if anyone knew about it in this group.

Gerry

[Guest guest]

>

> ...

> I remember seeing a similar device sold in comic books

> decades ago (just like Atlas and Dynaflex courses) that

> looks exactly like it but without the padding. It was bare

> metal with black finish. As I remember it, though, it was

> sold to be used for isometric exercises, not the Synergetics

> moves. I don't recall what that device was called then and

> I even asked if anyone knew about it in this group.

>

I have no recollection of that thing. I remember the Atlas

adverts. I remember some hokey kind of wrist bands -- weighted,

maybe. I remember ads with... um, Dave Draper, maybe... but I don't

recall what the product was. All that had to be around 35 years ago.

Damn I'm old.