FAQs

Intensity Is Key

“There are really only two important factors in exercise - one is good, the other is bad.  Intensity of Effort is GOOD.  Anything that increases the intensity of an exercise will greatly improve it.  Amount of Exercise is BAD. It is the amount of exercise that exhausts your recovery ability and makes growth impossible, or even produces losses in size and strength.” - Arthur Jones

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Isometric exercise has been around for decades. From the early 1900's, researchers noted that sprinters always have larger muscles (and more recently they've noticed less body fat as well) than distance runners. In the 1920’s, scientists studied isometric training extensively. In the mid-1940's, Hellebrandt discovered that controlled, high muscle tension generation increased muscle strength to high levels quickly. In 1953, Hettinger and Mueller’s paper was published and the conclusion to their research was: “A maximum muscle strengthening effect was produced by (1) daily isometric contraction, lasting six seconds, using an effort level of two thirds of the muscle’s contractile power”.

The following facts have been well established and are not disputed by any serious fitness researcher:

• Intensity is the key - "Maximum momentary intensity," which researchers often refer to as “unobtainable" (though more correctly it would be "unobtainable with existing equipment") can now be achieved with the viiiv Pro.

• Variability of recovery times between workouts - Several independent researchers have noted that recovery times vary widely among individuals, and have noted that the recovery from a single workout can span as much as 4 or more weeks. Despite this fact, most strength training programs have no mechanism for determining your own ideal recovery time between workouts.

• The need to engage and exhaust the strongest muscle fibers to stimulate development and that those fibers exhaust in seconds once engaged - Known as FG or Fast Glycolytic Muscle Fibers, most systems are so inefficient at getting to those fibers that they take up to 70 seconds to reach them. Yet a properly configured system doing the proper workouts can reach those fibers in as little as 5 seconds, and exhaust them fully within 7 seconds.

A muscle will only strengthen and grow (hypertrophy) when forced to operate beyond its customary intensity (overload). In other words, for one to continually grow new muscle fibers it’s necessary to continually and “progressively” overload the muscles. This adaptive response of the muscle to being overloaded is why the muscle grows.

Your body adapts to the overloading of the muscle by increasing in strength (and size) so it can handle that same ‘overload’ next time without injury.

In a normal weight lifting set, one starts a given movement against, literally, "zero" resistance, then moves into a position of mild resistance, then moves into a position of greater resistance and, finally, moves into a position of maximum resistance.

It is only this final position -- the fully contracted position – that yields the most benefit in terms of stimulating the most muscle fibers. And ironically, this position is seldom – if ever – emphasized in conventional training methods and protocols.

With the viiivPRO, you start in your strongest position, which is the position that recruits the most muscle fibers (and is the safest position), and for 5-10 seconds exert maximum effort while your force output in equivalent weight lifted is graphed in real-time on the viiiv Fitness app.

Your training data from previous training sessions and your current training session is used to determine the number of days of recovery you'll need to make continuous gains in strength. The next time you perform that same exercise, your previous Peak Force is indicated on the app to visualize your goal to surpass so you can progressively overload that muscle group each time and ensure continuous gains.

The viiivPRO is designed for professional use.

Sports Trainers use it to quickly build their trainees' strength so more time can be spent on sport-specific training and drills.

Physical Therapists use it to quickly rehabilitate patients recovering from injuries and to increase bone density for those suffering from osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Corporations use it for highly-effective, low cost employee wellness programs.

Personal Trainers use it to achieve client goals as quickly and efficiently as possible without the risk of injury.

Fitness Researchers use it to measure and collect data on various fitness-related research projects.

"With a motionless protocol, you can stimulate strength and size increases that are at least equal to those obtainable with full-range training, and since muscle building is the goal, if it can occur with the least amount of wear and tear possible, this is a desirable option." - Dr. Doug McGuff

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In conventional strength training, you perform multiple sets of multiple repetitions. Each repetition through a range of motion starts the movement at literally zero resistance, then moves into a range of intermediate resistance, and finally (near lock-out) into the position of maximum resistance. It is this final position where a maximum muscle contraction is achieved that yields the most benefit, because it stimulate the most muscle fibers (which is the goal of any strength training program).

If you are familiar with typical strength training workouts, you know the hardest repetition is the very last one. But why not start with this last repetition? All of the sets and repetitions that come before this last rep are a huge waste of time since they deplete energy and prevent you from ever achieving an optimal workout.

The only way to stimulate your body for optimal growth in strength and size is by forcing the body to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible during a given exercise. This is achieved only by working out in the strongest range or position (near lock-out), with the highest amount of resistance possible.

Intensity and duration are inversely proportional. With maximum intensity, it will only take a few seconds to completely fatigue the muscle. No one can push (or pull) at maximum force (intensity) for more than a few seconds. Yes, one can still be generating some amount of force for longer than 7 or 8 seconds, but the peak force will not be reached again after 1 maximum effort until a complete recovery is achieved.

Therefore it is only necessary to perform 1 repetition per exercise per training session for optimal results. More than that will negatively impact your recovery and your strength gains.

Have you ever seen an injured limb after it has come out of a cast? It’s withered, stiff, and weak. It looks like it has aged 20 years. The goal of rehabilitation is to restore normal function. Although ultra sound, electrical stimulation, stretching, and cryotherapy are helpful tools in the rehabilitation process, the most important tool is increasing the strength of the surrounding musculature. The viiivPRO provides a low force, fast and efficient way to restore a patient’s function.

Strong muscles act as a corset of support and provide you with better “shock absorbers” which decreases your chance of injury.

With no moving parts or heavy weights to cause injury, the amount of force generated for each exercise is entirely controlled by the trainee, eliminating the risk of new injuries while rehabilitating from surgeries or existing injuries.

Yes. We offer both consumer financing through AFFIRM or business Lease-to-Own Financing through Clicklease. See our Order Page for financing options.

Bones are designed to bear weight, to do work. When they are stressed, they adapt, grow and become strong. When they are not asked to do their load-bearing job, they quickly become thin, weak and frail. Disuse is deadly to a healthy bone.
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Weak bones is an epidemic in many parts of the world, resulting in injuries and crippling conditions for millions.
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Without reservations we can say that properly performed viiiv Fitness training brings about bigger and better sustained bone-density gains in men and women of all ages — even those in their eighties and nineties — than any other form of exercise.

Whether for you such improvement translates into better athletic performance, less risk of osteoporosis later in life, rebuilding bones already weakened and thin, or better endurance in everything from recreational sports to climbing stairs or lifting your groceries, a once a week viiiv session is the key to healthier bones.

Osteostrong is a franchise that requires a $350,000 minimum investment, and a large enough retail space to fit their multiple pieces of specialized equipment. The franchise limits your territory to a 3 mile radius. Additionally, the Initial Franchise Fee is $29,000 on top of the minimum investment. A viiivPRO costs much less than this Osteostrong Initial Franchise Fee.

The viiivPRO is not a franchise. You own the machine and can do whatever you want with it. A viiivPRO is a fraction of the cost of an Osteostrong franchise, it takes up only ~25 square feet of floor space (so you can operate your business out of a space as small as 100 sq. ft.), and there are no limitations with your market territory. It's the best alternative to owning an Osteostrong franchise.

In terms of the exercise modality itself, there is no difference between performing a given exercise on the viiivPRO and performing the same exercise on an Osteostrong machine, with the exception of the Leg Press where the Osteostrong machine has an angled seat-back, which is not ideal (see The viiivPRO Seat Angle). Otherwise, it's the same results, but far more flexibility in what you can do with the viiivPRO.

You can also create a 'Mobile Fitness Solution' business because the viiivPRO will fit in a vehicle and allow you to bring the ultimate fitness solution directly to your patients and clients. This is not an option with Osteostrong equipment.

So if you're looking for the same results as you can get from an Osteostrong workout, the viiivPRO is the best Osteostrong alternative.

BioDensity machines are more than twice the price of a viiivPRO and only allows for performing 3 exercises.

The viiiv Pro is a fraction of the cost, it's smaller, lighter, and more flexible, allowing for 8+ exercises (every major muscle group).

In terms of the exercise modality itself, there is no difference between performing an exercise on the viiivPRO and performing the same exercise on an BioDensity machine, except the Leg Press, where the BioDensity has an angled seat-back and the viiivPRO has a vertical seat-back. This is very important for a number reasons - see here: The viiivPRO Seat Angle

You can create a 'Mobile Fitness Solution' business because the viiivPRO will fit in a vehicle and allow you to bring the ultimate fitness solution directly to your patients and clients. This is not an option with BioDensity equipment.

So if you're looking for the same results as you can get from a BioDensity workout, the viiivPRO is the best BioDensity option.

The isometric exercise you do with the viiivPRO will lead to large improvements in strength and voluntary activation of musculature. The vertical lift is the most valuable exercise out of all of them. This one has the most application to anything you do in your life. It directly taxes all of the vertebral muscles from top to bottom and adding the Shoulder Shrug exercise taxes the neck area directly. All of this leads to less fatigue and improved functional ability all over.

The viiivPRO comes with a 10-Year Limited Warranty which covers all materials and craftsmanship. If anything breaks we will replace it for 10 years, excluding normal wear and tear on the finish, rubber grips and seat cushions.

Our 10-Year Limited Warranty does not cover the Apple iPad which comes with the viiivPRO. This item is not made by viiiv Fitness and has its own manufacturer warranty.

Currently, we have a 10 week lead time on delivery of the viiivPRO.

The viiivPRO is delivered partially assembled. We provide both written and video assembly instructions. It takes about 30 minutes to assemble it and is very easy to do.

Contact us for details.

The viiivPRO measures 100" long, 32" wide, 66" tall (without the iPad holder attached). It fits into a footprint of 25 square feet of space and we recommend a space 100+ sq. ft. in size, but can easily be placed in a smaller room. You just need some space to walk around at least one end of it, so if the longest dimension of your space is 112"+ you have enough room.

Everything is included and there are no additional fees. The Apple iPad is included with the shipment, the viiiv App is a free download from the Apple App Store and we upgrade the App regularly no charge (it updates automagically on the iPad). There are no license fees or other additional costs at all. The seatbelt for the Core Pull exercise, the chest pad for the Seated Row exercise, the iPad holder and goniometer for measuring joint angles are all included.

The first thing you have to remember about this seat angle is that the viiivPRO is an isometric machine. There is no movement. Your knees don't move back and forth as you lift and lower weights, so there is no need to recline the torso to relieve possible congestion when the thighs get closer to the belly.

The second thing to think about is that reclined seat backs invite back problems because the natural lordotic curve is encouraged, and potentially increased, as the torso lays back. When pushing with the legs the ability to extend the lower spine to assist with hip and thigh extension is much greater, and this is a recipe for back strain.

Also, angled seat backs allow the body to "slide up” the seat back. At best, this creates less downward pressure between the buttocks and seat bottom and at worst, a slight amount of space. Either situation allows lateral movement of the hips. The combination of all of this can result in simultaneous extension and twisting of the spine.

See full article: The viiivPRO Seat Angle

Yes - exercise data (only) is stored in the Cloud on our secure server and accessed via your viiiv Fitness account (email address needed), and an internet connection is required to access your account data, except in Guest Mode (where no data is stored once you exit Guest Mode).

When using the viiivPRO in a Mobile solution, we use a Personal Hotspot on a phone to create the Wi-Fi network for the iPad to access.

Yes - we provide basic support and training. Instructions for how to perform each exercise are shown in the App and more detailed instructions can be found on our Videos page.

Some of our customers want to do things their own way (incorporate other machines/modalities, etc).

For those not wanting to re-invent the wheel, we have an advanced training course by Brian Murray (our Exercise Physiologist). This is a full turn-key business system developed and perfected over almost 2 decades which covers everything: from marketing and adding clients/getting referrals, client/patient intake, what/how to charge clients, how to train clients/patients and manage their workout scheduling, etc.

There would be an extra cost for that training package and that cost would depend on how many hours of phone support you would require and whether you want to use our branding or your own. Contact us for pricing.