Take Your Dojo To The Next Level: The Abs Company For Martial Artists
If you’ve taught in any discipline of martial arts, it’s no secret to you that physical combat training utilizes your whole body. I don’t care who we’re talking about; take your first Muay Thai class and the next morning you’ll be acquainted with a few dozen muscles you never knew you had before. After my first week of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training, I realized that I’d never had a true core workout in my life. While most movements in all facets of martial arts are natural, it’s rare that they’re perfectly replicated in traditional weight training. You could be a world class bodybuilding champion, but the second someone who knows what they’re doing pins you to the ground, it doesn’t matter how much you can bench press.
I realized a long time ago that the same old fitness routine wouldn’t help me to gain the strength I needed to dominate on the mats. Enter: The Abs Company. With machines that emphasize natural movement and offer auxiliary functionalities and challenges, The Abs Company provides martial arts gyms with workouts that are fun, effective, and practical. Today, I’ll share with you my 3 favorite pieces of equipment and I’ll tell you why adding them to your gym will have your students feeling like Cobra Kai’s.
The first lesson I learned in jiu jitsu (and it was a hard one) was that my stamina was sh*t. Sure, I could run four or five miles, no problem--but when I squared off with someone actively trying to crush me into a pretzel, I found out that there are different levels of ‘in shape’. As you’ll know, there is no slower passage of time than watching the seconds bleed from the clock when a round isn’t going your way—especially when you can’t breathe.
I’ve had multiple people refer to the SledMill™ with the same awestruck description; “Man, that thing is a BEAST." Sled training, of course, is one of the most effective (and trendiest) fitness crazes out there, but it’s also kind of a pain in the ass. You’ve gotta worry about running people over, swapping out the weights, and cleaning those weights when your workout is done. With the SledMill™, we’ve compressed the fun and effectiveness of the sled workout into a simple, stationary machine. I can drive through my pushes, pulls, and sprints at 8 different resistance settings (up to 450 lbs!). With the push of a button, I can switch weight resistance and jump from a low angled push to a standing pull in the space of 2 seconds. This perfectly replicates the demand for quick positional changes and exertion levels in martial arts, especially in jiu jitsu. I can promise you—if they train with tenacity on the SledMill™, your students will have the stamina to deal with anything (or anyone)
They say a picture speaks a thousand words. Allow me to illustrate the direct correspondence between our AbCoaster® and the core strength necessary to kick ass (or face) in Muay Thai:
With the countless styles and disciplines of kicking across martial arts, the AbCoaster® perfectly suits users to develop the explosive core strength needed to take things up to the next level. There’s plenty of abdominal equipment at the gym, but the AbCoaster® combines the movement of the ab crunch and the hanging leg raise, and the curved track mimics natural spinal flexion. For martial artists in the grappling game, the AbCoaster® also prepares you for extended periods in closed guard, open guard, or on an opponents back (if you’re good enough to get there). Are you up for a challenge? Add weight plates to your AbCoaster’s weight posts so that you can measure progress and growth.
Humility. Inner Peace. Honor. These are among the philosophical pillars of all martial arts. But let’s face it, a healthy portion of the students that first walk into your dojo for a free intro lesson are really looking for one thing; to learn something badass. From the bullied child to the over exhausted dad who’s tired of being pushed around by his boss, there’s appeal in learning a skill that also allows you to witness your own inner and outer strength. The TireFlip 180® serves many purposes, but first and foremost it offers a great, full body workout and it lets you feel like a true badass while you’re doing it. Over the last few years, tire flipping has seen a major boom in the fitness industry, but it’s also dangerous and it uses up way more space than your typical dojo has to offer. With the TireFlip 180’s hinged design, you can give your students the same full body workout in a fraction of the space. Now, let’s get practical; the TireFlip 180® also directly strengthens the muscles needed for your students to excel at their standup game, judo throws, and takedowns. (My personal favorite; follow each tire flip with a wrestling sprawl away from the tire.) Like most of our products, the TireFlip 180® comes with progressive training capability; add weight plates to the weight posts inside the TireFlip 180® and measure your students' growth.
Don’t get me wrong here; I love all of the traditional, tried-and-true fitness equipment you might see in your usual dojo. There’s nothing wrong with good old fashioned dumbbells or benches, however as the world of martial arts continues to evolve, we feel that both you and your students deserve more.
We’re proud to provide products that are being used by many gyms and fitness facilities around the world in order to welcome their members back after COVID19. If you’d like to hear more about how we can help your dojo, please contact me at Ryan@TheAbsCompany.com.