Day 58- Slosh Pipes will be the Death of Me

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right? Ain't that the truth, when it comes to slosh pipes! My arms and chest are SORE today! Another great thing about Innovative Results is not only their creative workouts, but their creative equipment as well. Yesterday I was put through a workout involving a slosh pipe.

What is a slosh pipe you ask?
Slosh pipes are PVC pipes (they can vary in length and width) that are filled part way with water and then capped at the end.

What's so great about a workout involving slosh pipes?
Well if you ask me, nothing (that's just because I struggle with them), but I have to admit they make for a pretty well rounded workout. They are such a simple piece of equipment, but they can be used for so many different workouts and are quite an effective training tool. Yesterday the workout involved 100 bench presses with a slosh pipe, but we have done walking lunges, shoulder presses, squats, or just walking with the slosh pipe straight above our head. What makes the workout so tough is that since the tube is only partially full when you move the water sloshes around (hence the name). "This creates an extremely variable load on the entire system as the water never stays in place. Continual load shifting requires micro-adjustments from every muscle in your body, which puts more demand on your system, and recruits far more muscles than any traditional version of the same exercise would." - Slosh pipe training

For an example, image just the simple act of walking. Now add a slosh pipe in your hands and raise your hands above your head. As you move even slightly all the water moves towards whichever end of the pipe is lower. If the right side is lower, then all the water will slosh to the right end of the tube, so now you have to use your right arm muscles, to push that side up and your left arm muscles to pull that side down. The whole time you are using your core to stabilize you, and your leg muscles to keep you walking in a straight line. Not to mention your shoulder muscles from trying to keep the tube above your head. The simple act of walking has turned into a synergistic movement, which is recruiting every muscle in your body.

Here is a video to illustrate some of the workouts involving the slosh pipe. In my opinion he makes the workouts look way to easy! But he is also using a much smaller tube than I am use to.

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP