Kranking - The Real Blog

So here goes,I've written a few letters to some of the people on the Kranking Family so I hope I don't leave anything from this in fear of duplicating myself (as if I'd do that!!) In Kranking there are 3 basics movements,Single,Split,Double with 3 variations on these - seated,standing and retro.I want to say that doing any of the 3 in a seated position are easy but they aren't - that's not to say they're difficult but there is so much you can put into each rotation of the Krank arm that you will possibly never be perfect at it.But you can still aim for it nonetheless.You would normally start a session with a single arm movement in the seated position and the sooner you learned to not push but simply assist the handle &nd Krank around,the smoother it would feel.Just the arm here.

When you move to a double,there is an element of co-ordination.The weighted flywheel is floating,you see,so the big old dominant arm/shoulder does you no good here as you have to back it off and work at the strength of the less dominant side to improve on the balance of your body.There are so many sporting applications that this movement alone assists but the one that jumps immediately to my mind is swimming the butterfly with the two arms coming up over the top and the lats kicking in to bring them back and around once again,always in time with each other.

The split is the technique masterclass of the movements,timing,control,energy,focus,breathing & consistency all play major parts in this move.Let you mind run away and you'll be needing to stop to line the handles up and start again.Aaaaarghhh!

Still in the seated position but shifting one leg back behind the seat allows you to start getting more of your upper body involved on the split or single by using your whole shoulder girdle and damn it feels so good.If you want to work your right arm,you would place your right foot back for a better grounding and this is where the whole damn body starts getting involved.

Don't get me wrong,the abs have been bracing themselves from the first Krank but now it really starts to feel like something special!Controlled power!! Once you stand up and you start to feel the music,you can't help but want to dance with the machine in front of you and then you move to a double and OMFG it's where you find your body coming A L I V E big time.Even if like me you have no known rhyhtm,you will find it.I should say prepare for major heart rate numbers by this point,somewhere in the region of 80-95% mhr yet very maintainable.

The retro movement has you facing the cycle from the front (although not on the final model) and the purpose is scapula retraction and it is a welcome feeling too,still maintaining heart rate numbers to be very proud of and still able to go single,split or double as well.

The heart rate system that comes with the Krank Cycles is simply the easiest,most fun and engaging system I have seen (although I'm sure someone "older" will say it's been around for years!)

The set up of the machine as I was shown was incredibly easy yet the final model that Matrix is producing appears to be even more simply to set up and the best part of all is it will allow wheelchair users to participate right alongside anyone else.Brilliant!

I wanted to cover my experiences at the ECA convention but to put them into words would not do them justice by a long way.I will however thank with all my heart the Kranking Family for their arms of support through what for me was a leap but they caught me good.

Johnny,Jim,Mike,Clemente,Ayla,Yvonne,Jordan,Carolyn,Billy,Ria,Matty,Jodie and Dennis - thank you.

I can not wait to pay back your kindness in the form of spreading the Kranking Method to the UK and whoever else will listen.