Bullworker
Bullworker is the name of a fitness machine that was originally known for isometric exercises . It was invented in 1962 by Gert F. Kölbel , a German athlete, inventor and entrepreneur.
The device that preceded the bullworker
In 1912, an American from Broolyn , Arthur A. Pons , filed a patent for an exercise machine that was the forerunner of the bullworker.
In fact, this device was similar to the first cop worker, except that it did not yet have side cables: it consisted of three telescopic spring cylinders with a sleeve in the middle, with two handles attached to the extreme ends. The US patent states: “The invention essentially consists of a novel construction and arrangement of parts by means of which spring-loaded telescopic elements are incorporated into an exercise device in a special way, which is described in more detail below. The subject of the invention is the construction of a portable exercise device, in particular for the development of the chest and arm muscles, which is suitable for both older and younger people due to the interchangeability of the spring element, and generally an exercise device of simple design that can be operated with the hands and arms , inexpensive to manufacture, durable and its parts interchangeable ”.
Isometric exercises
In the 1950s, the German scientists Erich Albert Müller and Theodor Hettinger observed “that contractions that require less than a third of the maximum force do not lead to muscle development. When the contraction of a muscle exceeds a third of its maximum strength, its mass and thus its strength increase ”.
Together they developed a training program based on isometric exercises and one of them, Theodor Hettinger , published a book Physiology of Strength .
Bullworker
In the early 1960s, Gert F. Kölbel used and improved the Pons machine to develop the Tensolator, which later became the Bullworker, an easily transportable fitness device, and designed a training program that was mainly based on the principle of isometric exercises. Thanks to the additional side cables, it can be used for both contraction and extension movements. with a range of motion for all major muscle groups, in a single lightweight and compact fitness machine at an affordable price.
The original Bullworker consists of two spring-loaded telescopic cylinders with a sleeve in the middle and two handles attached to the ends. Two opposing cables are attached to the handles at each end. The unit weighs around 1.8 kilograms. The exercises are performed by pushing the cylinders inward, pulling the cables outward away from the cylinders, or any variation thereof. The resulting compression of the inner spring creates the desired resistance. The handyman will return to its original position when the pressure subsides. Resistance of up to 68 kilograms or more is possible during the exercises.
Newer versions of the Bullworker
Modernized versions have been developed since the Bullworker was launched, including the Bullworker X5, which features a double loop system instead of side cables. However, the bullworker's isometric concepts for improving fitness remain the same.
Examples of training programs
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://koelbel.com/faq/intern/history-von-gert-f.-koelbel
- ↑ Patent US1023756 : EXERCISING APPARATUS. Published April 16, 1912 , inventor: Arthur A. Pons.
- ↑ Elke Maier: Sweating in the Service of Science . In: Max Planck Research . No. 4 , 2009, p. 96–97 ( [1] [PDF; accessed August 5, 2020]).
- ↑ JG Crakes: An analysis of some aspects of an exercise and training program developed by Hettinger and Mueller. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Oregon, 1957.
- ^ Theodor Hettinger: Physiology of Strength. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, IL, 1961.
- ↑ Patent US3268225 : Spring type physical exerciser. Published on August 23, 1966 , inventor: Gert F. Kölbel.