biodex 950-146, Installation & Operation Manual, Page: 10 / 36

4. Isokinetic Resistance Explained
Isokinetic resistance (Isokinetics) is excellent for building strength and building endurance.
• Speed is always constant and resistance is accommodating
• Pedal hard, work rate increases. Pedal easy, work rate decreases
Isokinetics provides accommodating resistance throughout the subject’s entire pedaling
range of motion for the duration of the exercise period. Resistance continuously matches
effort, accommodating to variations in the subject’s force output due to weakness or pain
at specific points in the range of motion, and to fatigue over the course of the cycling
period. As subjects exercise they will quickly notice that they can go only so fast. Once
the selected speed is reached, increasing effort results in increased exercising resistance -
try as they might, subjects can’t exercise any faster. On the other hand, if effort is
lessened, the exercising resistance will decrease. This reflects the basic premise of
Isokinetic exercise: fixed speed with totally accommodating, variable resistance.
Just what is "totally accommodating, variable resistance?" Simply put, this means that at
any point in the range of motion (in this case, the arm crank revolution) the resistance
encountered by the user will exactly match the force exerted. In other words, the harder
one pushes on the arm crank, the greater the resistance. Maximum speed never changes
and there is little or no resistance provided until the preset speed is achieved.
Because the UBC provides totally accommodating Isokinetic resistance for each and every
revolution, fluctuations in force output are instantaneously accommodated. Since the
amount of resistance the musculoskeletal system must overcome can never exceed that
which it can produce at any point in the range of motion, the Isokinetic mode ensures
extremely safe and comfortable exercise for rehabilitation users.
Retro-Cycling
Retro-cycling provides bi-directional arm crank exercise to alternately work reciprocal
muscle groups with resistance fully functional in both directions.
Both UBCs come with retro-cycling capability as a standard feature. You’ll be able to feel
resistance in both directions as you exercise. No additional adjustments or display input
are necessary to use this function.
ISOKINETIC RESISTANCE EXPLAINED — 10 —