I workout four days a week at home using Synapse CCR which offers 1-rep max resistance on the positive and eccentric overload. The eccentric is about 20-25% heavier than the positive. Unilateral only. I structure it with antagonistic sets. With rest and set up, it takes about 30 minutes a day.
Mondays are horizontal push pull. 3 sets of chest press and rows, 90 seconds TUT each arm each exercise. So 6 minutes under tension per set / 18 minutes under tension per day.
Tuesdays are vertical push pull with OHP and lat pulls. Same 3 set routine as Monday. Thursdays are legs with lunges and hamstring curls. Same 3 set routine. Fridays are biceps & triceps. Same 3 set routine.
@CougarRed: Do you find the Synapse CCR a decent replacement for the gym? Is it possible to build muscle mass with such an equipment? Is it easy to use? What is the difference compared to regular resistance bands? In your opinion, will the equipment resist regular excercise over time?
Many questions based on my personal interest in eventually buying the Synapse CCR. Not too many reviews out there though, which makes me a bit suspicious. Your insight would be much appreciated.
It’s so expensive! You could seriously buy a squat rack for the same price from Amazon and have it in 2 days. The idea is interesting, if a little gimmicky. With the Mountain Dog band pack you now have, you could rig those up to your weights and vary your resistance curve that way. John Meadows has a lot of different videos on ways you could apply that. I honestly think you’d get better mileage from that, especially for the price.
I started a private FB group to record my journey with it. You are welcome to check it out. Other than the FB group, I am not affiliated. The owner Raj, however, is part of the group and available for questions. Pretty easy to find - just search FB Groups for Synapse.
It absolutely crushes me. As long as you put in the effort, TUT is constant one rep max - whatever your max is at that moment. 90 seconds feels much longer than a minute and a half. It’s only been 3.5 weeks with the Synapse and I am starting to see gains.
Here’s my take. One set per week per exercise (30 minutes a week) is enough to maintain muscle mass as we age. Three sets per week per exercise will easily build muscle.
Some things to consider: 1) It works one arm at a time. Some don’t like that. However, it takes advantage of the contralateral effect (nonworking limb gets stronger by “osmosis”).
It’s perfect to use with a trainer or a workout partner controlling the guide arm. In fact, it’s in use with a lot of athletes and their trainers as well as various HS/College/Pro strength coaches.
Using it solo requires a little learning curve. See the training videos on the website. To get the full range of motion using the 4:1 pulley solo, sometimes the body needs to move during the exercise.
In addition to concentric and eccentric, it can be used for isometrics. I currently use it for isometrics in two ways: Pre-workout for PAP as well as last rep loaded stretch.
Bottom line for me, I’m done with the gym. And I have abandoned bands for the most part. YMMV.
I don’t know if this is addressed to me, but the Synapse costs far less than X3 Bar or Harambe and blows them both away aside from deadlifts. It’s not $1700. About 1/5th of that.
If the resistance curves are what you’re concerned about why not use Brian Johnston’s ZoneTraining methods ? They work with any equipment and all exercises , single joint or compound.
The Exerfly system seems aimed more toward sports performance training, because it can produce fast high load eccentrics, which the body experiences when executing explosive movements. The Synapse system seems better suited to slow eccentrics for bodybuilding purposes.
I assume this is a reference to Tonal? That is one aspect of that machine that never appealed to me, that it has to be wall mounted. Ultimately, that would seem to limit the size of the resistance motors that could be used.
But there are freestanding electronic resistance machines: Vitruvian, OxeFit, and Speede all offer eccentric overload without the requirement of wall mounting. The Speede Fit machine is still (I think) in the premarket phase, but it seems to have the most robust force capabilities, up to 2000 LBS resistance when used in an isokinetic mode. At least that is what they claim.
Honestly IDK what the name of the company is, I only remember a dumb commercial with Lebron James using it to workout… not sure I understand the purpose of being jacked while playing BBall but whatever sells, i guess. (I realized I mis-spoke above and retracted the statement, but I was speaking of one of the electronic wall–mounted ones).
I was interested in the concept, but ultimately knew it could only train in the horizontal plane and did nothing for vertical, squat or hinge movements. Give me $1700 in Barbells, Dumbbells and plates and I’ll hit all the basic movement patterns just fine lol.
Also, no need for 2,000lbs of resistance because no one on earth can utilize that. Particularly in a standing-horizontal position.
Tonal uses LeBron James as a spokesperson. Dak Prescot (Cowboys QB) and several other pro athletes were early investors in Oxefit. Speede has used Terrell Owens in at least one video. They also feature an MMA fighter and an NBA player is some of their videos.
So, following in the path blazed by Arthur Jones in the Nautilus days, endorsements from well known professional athletes must be considered a good marketing strategy.
As far as Tonal goes: I don’t believe you are limited by movements in the horizontal plane. You can point the arms down to floor and then do dead lifts, squatting movements, rows and bench presses (they sell a cheap bench with the machine). You can set the arms high and do pull downs of various kinds, or set the arms horizontally and do pushing and pulling movements from your feet. I see it as kind of like an electronic functional trainer, rather than a full blown electronic weight lifting station, just because the maximum resistance is limited to 100 lbs per trainer arm.
I have not gone this route for equipment because it is still early days, and most come with a monthly subscription fee. They also are not cheap. But then they are not that much more expensive than a good squat rack with an array of weights and bars.
I suspect that in 5 years, there will be a wider array of such equipment, with varying cost points and capabilities. Right now, I am also happy with my dumbbells, barbell, and (yet to be finished) squat rack. But I can see a day when, as an older retired person, I might need to move to a smaller place to live, and might have to give up some of my weight training equipment. A wall mounted Tonal and a Vitruvian Trainer that I can slide under my bed might be worth the cost, just because it would fit into a lower square footage living situation, and still allow me to lift at home.
I’m sure Tonal works just fine for most people with fitness in mind. But for crazies like me who do shit like Fortitude, DoggCrapp and 5/3/1 - I just don’t see how this could work without abusing the programs significantly.
Much like the Peloton, it would work great for most people, but it still isn’t a bike. I do understand the appeal of the Peloton and Tonal type workout equipment though… it was 100% designed with people in LA or SanFran in mind (because no one owns a house and they all rent 600sq ft apartments).
Lots of things work. Bands work. Weights work. Bodyweight/suspension training works.
Dr Darden developed his 30-10-30 protocol after seeing how effective the X-Force was at changing bodies. Since most people cannot overload the negative like an X-Force does, he focused on slowing down the negatives to make it harder. JReps are a different way to maximize the effect of using a static weight.
That said, if you can avail yourself of true eccentric overload, why wouldn’t you? Most eccentric overload machines cost at least two grand ranging up to $5K plus subscription fees like Tonal and Speedefit. Handy Gym costs at least one grand. Synapse costs $350. So I bought Synapse. So far so good. YMMV.
That’s a good observation. I do think both types of eccentric overload would compliment each other. Flywheels are usually $2500+. I have a friend trying out Handy Gym which is much cheaper. I’m frankly a little suspicious of it but we’ll see how he does with it.
I have actually placed an order on the Synapse CCR, after having investigated further on the Synapse website and listened to podcasts featuring Raj/Synapse. His reasoning seems genuine/serious with an interest in science re eccentrics. I also like Raj’s tennis background, which resonates with me.
The Synapse is another tool in order for me to make excercise happen (during lunch breaks at work, while on travel, as an add on to other home training as well as the occasional gym visit).
Question is whether you have experimented with other excercises than the basic ones tried/tested on the website videos? Are there any good options you have discovered using the device? Any not so good excercises to avoid or not possible?
Re cadence they suggest 7 sec concentric and 7 sec eccentric for 90 secs. I would assume there is a wide range re this? How quick and/or slow reps is possible? I am looking at performing in between 4 to 30 sec reps.
Anything else good to know re Synapse?
Will check your FB group to follow your journey.
To any T Nation mods @Mod_Phoenix@Mod_Starr: How about moving the Synapse CCR discussion later in this thread to a separate thread?
Congrats on the purchase! I think you’ll like it, and if you don’t there is a 30 day return period.
I have a couple of ankle straps from Gymreapers. I use these for the hamstring curls and also for sitting knee extensions and calf raises. I have also experimented with chest flyes and side raises in addition to the standard exercises.
Legs (except hamstrings) have pretty low Type IIB fiber content and pretty low activation levels and therefore recover quickly. So I train Lunges /Squats and Knee extensions twice a week with Synapse (Monday and Thursday) adding hamstring curls on Thursday.
Upper body has more Type II and higher activation levels, so I train those once a week with Synapse using antagonistic splits. Chest press/rows on Monday. OHP/Lats on Tuesday. Biceps/Triceps on Friday.
I usually get 10-13 reps in 90 seconds TUT, which means my cadence is about 4 seconds up and 4 seconds down, give or take a half second. I experimented with different speeds with my scale and there is very little difference. 2 up/2 down might be 20% lighter than 6 up 6 down. Not much difference between 4 and 6. Less than 10%. So 4 seconds gets pretty close to the one rep max - certainly close enough to meet the 80% threshold to activate all the muscle fiber types.
I do 2-3 sets of each exercise on the appointed day. Ample rest time between sets of the same muscle group, often hours.
Finally, I use the Synapse in a couple of ways isometrically. A couple of minutes before a set, I will perform a couple of brief (6 second) concentric max overcoming isometrics per limb in the move I am about to perform. I do this under PAP (post activation potentiation) research that you increase performance levels about 3 minutes after waking up the muscles this way. I plan to cycle on and off this program as your body gets used to it after 3-6 weeks and it doesn’t work anymore.
In addition, on my last set of the day I will hold the synapse in a loaded stretch position for each limb for 30-60 seconds. This is an eccentric max hold near the point where the move turns into a positive - the guide arm is pressuring the working arm down and the working arm is resisting the downward pressure.
I have finally signed up to your FB group, awaiting approval. Look forward to learn, and share, more about the Synapse CCR.
One thing that crossed my mind, is a possible disadvantage in not being able to measure progress (as with regular weights). Not that it matters a lot. After all, this is a very practical and well working training tool.
Have you tried/experienced progression when transferring the development from the Synapse - to the gym?
Look forward to participate in your journey through the FB group!