Last year the osteoporosis institute produced an info-graphic listing all
options for bone health. Pharmaceutical, dietary, exercise, and exercise like
interventions were all listed and described in detail. The newest option listed,
and least known about was osteogenic loading. This option was primarily taken
from the work of John Jaquish, Ph.D. in his book,
“Osteogenic Loading
.” The basic concept of
this modality is to compress bone and change its inner architecture stimulating
the bone to pull in minerals thereby increasing bone mass density. This process
is commonly known as Wolff’s law. Any physician, physical therapist, or
chiropractor will be very familiar with this term as it is key in understanding
bone health, and fracture recovery.
Tony Robbins #
Tony Robbins, the world famous motivational coach, has been been endorsing and
speaking about a new device that provides osteogenic loading. This device,
referenced in the article about the
Osteogenic Loading
book, is called
“bioDensity.” Mr. Robbins explains how he has increased his force production in
the past year over 164% using bioDensity indicating increases in both bone
density and muscular engagement. He also explains that he has engaged in
exercise for many years that is of this same nature, he was just not focused on
the bone implications. In the late 90’s Mr. Robbins produced a video series
titled, “Get the Edge.” In this series he interviewed two sports scientists,
John Little and Peter Sisco. The two explained a way of exercise that the Soviet
Union athletes had been using which was their reasoning for why in the 1980’s
they had been breaking a disproportionate amount of records in strength sports.
The two scientists called this system, “Static Contraction Training.”
Static Contraction Training #
Little and Sisco explain how their system is designed to place the highest
possible weights on someone, and this still build the largest amounts of
strength. Though, they make no reference to bone, it is here that compression of
bone could take place to initiate the osteogenic loading process. A person is to
place weights that are far heavier than could normally be used for exercise in a
high capacity weight lifting frame, also known as a power rack. Adjustments are
to be made so that the bars are to be moved in specific movements, only in short
ranges. These ranges are to be the strongest possible in the movement. When
speaking about Static Contraction Training now, Mr. Robbins explains that this
method of exercising was most certainly effective, but also carried incredible
amounts of injury risk. Injuries kept him from continuing with Static
Contraction Training, but now he uses bioDensity, which delivers an equally
powerful stimulation to the body in bone, joints, and muscle but most
importantly carries little injury risk. Dr. Jaquish explains in the dedication
of the book, how one of his first test subjects was his Mother who was in her
late 60’s while he was first developing the bioDensity prototype. He had her use
the protocol for leg exercise and she created over 600lbs of force. As the
effort was managed by her own comfort the effort was without complication or
injury (Jaquish, et al. 2012).
Reference:
Jaquish, J. Singh, R. Hynote, E. Conviser, J. (2012).
Osteogenic Loading
, A New Modality to
Facilitate Bone Density Development. Nevada City, California. JIR.