I just purchased and received a product called the Power Factor. It’s a device that is used to measure power output (among other things) when lifting. For those of you who have heard of the Tendo unit, it’s essentially the same thing, minus all the bells and whistle and about $1000 less.
I am still in the process of playing with it but so far it’s pretty cool. Has anyone else used had any experience with this product?
I’d like to know as well. I did find a pretty good review on it while searching the internet.
I have been playing with the Power Factor since I received it. All I can say is it’s awesome! I even used it to compute power during vertical leap. I then measured my vertical on a Vertec then performed a regression analysis using the Sayer Equation and the numbers were within .25 inches of one an other. I have also found that my max bench press power output comes at about 53% of my 1RM which according to the research is about right. It’s definately worth the $130 as compared to the $1000 of the Tendo.
Is this the product???
http://www.ironcompany.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3099
$130? doesn’t seem too bad
another link (assuing this is the product)
You know, might not be a bad thing. If it works. Interesting device.
If it has anything to do with the book, “Power Factor Training” by Peter Cisco, you can have my copy. The device looks like the same idea but computerized.
[quote]Magnar wrote:
I have been playing with the Power Factor since I received it. All I can say is it’s awesome! I even used it to compute power during vertical leap. I then measured my vertical on a Vertec then performed a regression analysis using the Sayer Equation and the numbers were within .25 inches of one an other. I have also found that my max bench press power output comes at about 53% of my 1RM which according to the research is about right. It’s definately worth the $130 as compared to the $1000 of the Tendo.[/quote]
Magnar, this looks really interesting. Can you explain how the devise connects to barbells and dumbbells? Do any of the cords get in the way? How long does it take to change from one bar to another? Do you have an ideas how you would use this over time? The promotional information talks about 7 different measurements. I’m definitely most interested in speed and power. Does it display both max and average speed and power?
Hope you don’t mind answering all the questions.
Thanks
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
If it has anything to do with the book, “Power Factor Training” by Peter Cisco, you can have my copy. The device looks like the same idea but computerized.[/quote]
I don’t think this product has anything to do with the program that Peter Sisco and John Little were promoting and wrote a book about. Seems like I recall an audio interview TC did with these guys when he was at Muscle Media. I had several audio interviews he did on tape that came with my early subscriptions. These guys were definitely out there.
The devive comes with a mini computer type thing, sort of like a palm pilot looking thing, and a spindle of cable with a strong magnet on the end. The Computer plugs into the spindle by way of a USB cable, and the spindle attaches to the bar via the magnet. Thus far, the spindle has not gotten in the way.
As far as the 7 measurements are concerned, like you I am not interested in all of them. I am interested in power output, measureed in watts, bar speed, and for competition amongst athletes, the “power factor” (watts / body weight. It isn’t advertised but the company rep told me how to measure bar speed in feet / second.
As far whether it measures average or peak power, I am not sure, but I am assuming it measures average power, I can call the company rep and find out though. They have been extremely helpful.
[quote]Magnar wrote:
The devive comes with a mini computer type thing, sort of like a palm pilot looking thing, and a spindle of cable with a strong magnet on the end. The Computer plugs into the spindle by way of a USB cable, and the spindle attaches to the bar via the magnet. Thus far, the spindle has not gotten in the way.
As far as the 7 measurements are concerned, like you I am not interested in all of them. I am interested in power output, measureed in watts, bar speed, and for competition amongst athletes, the “power factor” (watts / body weight. It isn’t advertised but the company rep told me how to measure bar speed in feet / second.
As far whether it measures average or peak power, I am not sure, but I am assuming it measures average power, I can call the company rep and find out though. They have been extremely helpful.[/quote]
Thanks for your answers.
I found a thread from February where someone was using one. He had some interesting observations. One of the things he was most interested which it didn’t do was show a speed profile for a single rep.
Apparently it shows the average speed in meters per second for each rep in half meter increments between 0 and 3 m/s like .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3.0 However, he said just that amount of speed information was still very beneficial. The thread is at
www.fitfriends.com/archive/index.php?t-23160.html
EDIT-Apparently my reading skills were lacking as I see this link was already posted above.
Magnar, your profile says you are in Malaysia. Did you have it shipped there? Was that expensive?
If the owner of my training facility doesn’t want to jump all over this product after I drop the link I’ll buy one of these myself. Only 130 bucks, fuckin sick! I know they already have the Dartfish video analysis software, but this thing seems like a good way to track progress each and every workout.
OP, thanks for this thread!
There is away to track your single reps in feet/sec down to a 10th of a sec. You have to set the machine up aparticular way though. And BTW I am in South Carolina not Malasyia, that think is just bullshit.
I understand that there is a feature in which the device alerts you as to whether or not you are lifting fast enough. How is it given these parameters, is there some generic measurements for what constitute ‘correct’ snatch, clean, jerk speeds, et cetera?
Also, is there any way to break analysis of a lift into different parts, like say the first pull, second pull, and the jerk in a clean and jerk?
[quote]cormac wrote:
If the owner of my training facility doesn’t want to jump all over this product after I drop the link I’ll buy one of these myself. Only 130 bucks, fuckin sick! I know they already have the Dartfish video analysis software, but this thing seems like a good way to track progress each and every workout.
OP, thanks for this thread![/quote]
I have one that cost me about $3 at k-mart. Its a very advanced tabulation and recording technology that I refer to as “paper” and “pencil”.
Stronghold, as a bodybuilder shouldn’t your preferred method of tracking your progress be to measure your self confidence while looking at your reflection in a mirror - then take the necessary steps to bring up a lagging left oblique or some fucking thing?
Obviously power output is important for some people. I think your “advanced tabulation and recording technology” (ahem, wise ass) might miss out on that aspect of training.
Why do you post this bullshit?
[quote]cormac wrote:
Stronghold, as a bodybuilder shouldn’t your preferred method of tracking your progress be to measure your self confidence while looking at your reflection in a mirror - then take the necessary steps to bring up a lagging left oblique or some fucking thing?
Obviously power output is important for some people. I think your “advanced tabulation and recording technology” (ahem, wise ass) might miss out on that aspect of training.
Why do you post this bullshit?[/quote]
Way to stereotype every bodybuilder. I measure my progress through the weight on the bar, the weight on the scale, and the way my clothes fit from month to month. If I am doubling the weight I am doing for reps over a year or two, I will have gotten bigger.
Why do I post this bullshit? Because I like to make fun of skinny asshats like you who demean everyone who isnt interested in what they are. The sort of people who would waste $130 on a machine to tell them if they were lifting fast enough or not. The sort of people who can read all of the books and studies and own all of the bullshit gizmos and gadgets in the world, and at the end of a year or two, all their whining and philosophizing has gotten them is a body that is the same.
My wise ass wont be missing out on anything because my wise ass will be beating the shit out of my log book every single week while you are busy pouring over excel spreadsheets and calculating percentages of your 1rm in order to maximize power output during the second phase of Aquarius relative to the moon’s gravitational pull.
[quote]Stronghold wrote:
cormac wrote:
Stronghold, as a bodybuilder shouldn’t your preferred method of tracking your progress be to measure your self confidence while looking at your reflection in a mirror - then take the necessary steps to bring up a lagging left oblique or some fucking thing?
Obviously power output is important for some people. I think your “advanced tabulation and recording technology” (ahem, wise ass) might miss out on that aspect of training.
Why do you post this bullshit?
Way to stereotype every bodybuilder. I measure my progress through the weight on the bar, the weight on the scale, and the way my clothes fit from month to month. If I am doubling the weight I am doing for reps over a year or two, I will have gotten bigger.
Why do I post this bullshit? Because I like to make fun of skinny asshats like you who demean everyone who isnt interested in what they are. The sort of people who would waste $130 on a machine to tell them if they were lifting fast enough or not. The sort of people who can read all of the books and studies and own all of the bullshit gizmos and gadgets in the world, and at the end of a year or two, all their whining and philosophizing has gotten them is a body that is the same.
My wise ass wont be missing out on anything because my wise ass will be beating the shit out of my log book every single week while you are busy pouring over excel spreadsheets and calculating percentages of your 1rm in order to maximize power output during the second phase of Aquarius relative to the moon’s gravitational pull.[/quote]
If this “gizmo” is of no interest to you, why did you waste time to paste in this thread? Some people want to measure the speed of the bar. Plenty of successful coaches use tendo units, including Louie Simmons, so I fail to see your point?
You guys that are interested can you tell me how you will use it and for what purposes? I don’t see the appeal but I’m open to see what you guys are seeing that I don’t.
I plan on using it when training my athletes. In athletics it doesn’t matter how strong you are if you cannot access that strength quickly. This device will tell me one 1) If my athletes are improving their power output and 2) At what weight my athletes should train at to produces the most amount of power. In athletics it’s all about shifting the force velocity curve to the right. One cannot maximize the shift by only lifting heavy, training for speed also plays major role. A combination of ME and DE days are required to maximize thr Rate of Force Development.
Listen to yourself. You came to this thread on the Strength Sports forum, where everyone is discussing the applicability of using the device, and decide to bait a flamewar.
I care about developing explosiveness, NOT about packing on muscle and looking good oiled up in a speedo with a gay lil smile while my fans adore me.
[quote]
Magnar wrote:
I plan on using it when training my athletes. In athletics it doesn’t matter how strong you are if you cannot access that strength quickly. This device will tell me one 1) If my athletes are improving their power output and 2) At what weight my athletes should train at to produces the most amount of power. In athletics it’s all about shifting the force velocity curve to the right. One cannot maximize the shift by only lifting heavy, training for speed also plays major role. A combination of ME and DE days are required to maximize thr Rate of Force Development.[/quote]
That’s about it, if you jackasses cannot grasp that then I don’t know what to tell you. Either read more, or just MYOFB.
[quote]cormac wrote:
Stronghold wrote:
Why do I post this bullshit? Because I like to make fun of skinny asshats like you who demean everyone who isnt interested in what they are.
Listen to yourself. You came to this thread on the Strength Sports forum, where everyone is discussing the applicability of using the device, and decide to bait a flamewar.
I care about developing explosiveness, NOT about packing on muscle and looking good oiled up in a speedo with a gay lil smile while my fans adore me.
Magnar wrote:
I plan on using it when training my athletes. In athletics it doesn’t matter how strong you are if you cannot access that strength quickly. This device will tell me one 1) If my athletes are improving their power output and 2) At what weight my athletes should train at to produces the most amount of power. In athletics it’s all about shifting the force velocity curve to the right. One cannot maximize the shift by only lifting heavy, training for speed also plays major role. A combination of ME and DE days are required to maximize thr Rate of Force Development.
That’s about it, if you jackasses cannot grasp that then I don’t know what to tell you. Either read more, or just MYOFB.[/quote]
Werent you the one trying to pimp the Olympic lifts to a guy in the bodybuilding forum just last week and talking about how you hated the stagnant mindset amongst bodybuilders? If you are going to do that, I dont see how it is unfair for me to come in and apply my thought processes to posts in the strength sports forum.
Magnar explained it in a way that makes this gadget seem like it would be of interest to someone who was training athletes more as an evaluation tool than a “way of measuring progress”. Im sorry if I am wrong, but the impression I get on these forums about this kind of stuff is a ton of 170 lb dweebs sitting in their rooms playing with their gadgets and masturbating to their copy of Supertraining and never actually picking anything heavy up. You have to look no further than the “Discussing Waterbury’s Methods” and article discussion threads to see exactly what I am talking about.
Cormac, you are an Olympic lifter, correct? Then why is this tool useful for you. I was under the impression that, with the Olympic lifts, if you werent lifting fast enough, you would fail.