Flywheel training: How Hard is It?
Flywheel training, often associated with physiotherapists aiding athletes in their rehabilitation journey, extends far beyond its therapeutic applications. With innovative products like Kynett, flywheel training serves a dual purpose, catering to both rehabilitation and muscle mass building goals.
The Concept of Power in Movement
The intensity of each movement depends on the amount of force you need and the speed at which you perform the movement. We often consider someone strong if he/she has a lot of strength. This manifests itself, for example, in being able to lift a heavy weight. In practice, however, the combination of strength and speed appears to be crucial. Just think about hitting a tennis ball: of course you have to be strong, but you can only hit the tennis ball over the net by giving the ball speed. The same goes for jumping in the air. Almost everyone has enough strength to get off the ground, but the height of the jump is also determined by the speed with which you can push yourself off.
When you lift a heavy moving box, you create a lot of force, but you do this with little speed. Conversely, lifting a pencil requires little force, but allows you to perform the movement quickly. A combination of strength and speed produces power.
Power = Strength x Speed.
Power and resistance in flywheel training
With flywheel training you immediately notice that you are dealing with both strength and speed. The idea can be compared to a yo-yo: you pull the cord and the yo-yo (flywheel) starts to spin. Once the cord is fully unwind, the yo-yo will automatically rewind itself.
The resistance you experience is not due to gravity, but due to inertia, also known as rotational energy or angular kinetic energy. The harder you pull, the faster the flywheel will spin and the more inertia energy will be created. You will need a lot of force to then slow down the flywheel.
If you pull hard on the cord by applying a lot of force and making a lot of speed, you will also have more difficulty in deaccelerating the flywheel. In this way you determine the intensity yourself, both when pulling and deaccelerating!
Of course, the flywheel (the yo-yo) itself also partly determines how hard the exercise is. For example, it will be more difficult to accelerate and deaccelerate a thick heavy flywheel. Nevertheless, practice often shows that both beginners and experienced athletes can train with one and the same flywheel. Simply because they determine the intensity themselves.
What does science say
Scientific research shows that the strongest participants were able to create almost 900 watts of power during a squat, while less strong participants created barely 100 watts with the same flywheel. This shows how easily you can switch between people with different training levels while using the same flywheel. When the strong participants did a biceps exercise instead of a squat, they averaged about 280 watts of power with the same flywheel. This again shows that the flywheel device will adapt to how strong the user – or in this case the muscle group – is.
It is therefore not surprising that we receive feedback from both physiotherapists and strength athletes that the 4 mm discs supplied as standard with the Kynett HOME are suitable for all levels. From rehabilitating athletes to “bodybuilders”. If you still want to emphasise different asepcts in your training, this scientific research shows that athletes with thinner lighter discs (less inertia) generate more power. If you want to focus on power and speed in your exercises, choose the 2 mm discs.
The same study shows thicker heavier discs (more inertia) appear to be more suitable for slower movement that requires a little more force. If speed and power are less important and you focus on pure strength, choose the 5 mm discs for the Kynett HOME, or even up to 15 mm for the Kynett FIT Flywheel, Kynett PRO Flywheel or Kynett ULTIMATE Flywheel.
Try it yourself!
Ready to challenge yourself? Buy a Kynett and experience that flywheel training is suitable for every level!
