Hammock Training: characteristics and benefits of training suspended in the air

The tool

The Hammock tool consists of a semi-elastic fabric, 2 short webbing, 2 carabiners, 2 long webbing (for attachment between carabiners and ceiling or structure anchorage point).

It is strongly recommended to use the materials supplied with Hammock or, alternatively, certified climbing materials, and to use suitable structures certified for the type of work or to ensure, even with the help of experts, that the anchorage points have sufficient load-bearing capacity to guarantee safety at work.

The Hammock has special features that make working with it changeable, polyhedral e coaching:

• Work in Balance
• Job at suspension and reversal

Training in Balance and/or Suspension and Reversal with the Hammock produce a unique type of training which aims to strengthen basic motor patterns and increase motor skills and abilities.
A close relationship is created with the tool that produces continuous stimuli both from the training point of view and from the creativityas new movements, exercises, tricks, up to real combos can be born from mistakes and recoveries.

For this and numerous other aspects, this type of training significantly increases the psychophysical well-being of the subject.

Hammock training

Various training programmesdiversifying objectives: Hammock Fit, Hammock Stretch&Relax, Hammock Acro.

Partial or total body suspension work, constantly activates the core musclesstrengthening the centre and keeping the muscle chains active thanks to the continuous balance provided by the equipment. The movement of the Hammock produces repetitive postural adaptationsusing small, deep muscles that are more difficult to activate normally.

A further interesting aspect concerns the possibility of lengthen and defatigue musclesmobilise joints and increase proprioception through work Hammock Stretch&Relax. La functional versatility of the Hammock thus allows the body to be exercised and then stretched and relaxed in stretching and relaxation positions, giving moments of complete calmness of mind even if the body continues to worklulled by the balance.

Another aspect, no less interesting, aimed at those who already have a good hammock level or familiarity with aerial disciplines, acrobatics, calisthenics, etc., concerns the Hammock Acrotraining includes positions, movements and acrobatic combinations that emphasise head-down work, the use of strength and arm support, knowledge of fabric interlocks and sequences for performing 'falls'.

Benefits of Hammock Training

• POSTURAL BALANCE AND PROPRIOCEPTION

The changing shape and 'instability' of the Hammock's fabric results in a continuous adaptation of the body which works in continuous balance, which can be increased at the trainer's discretion. This produces a intense and continuous work of all muscle chains who strive for stability in an unstable condition. The result is a good readiness of large and small deep muscles to react to even the slightest external stimuli and an excellent education of the body to receive small or large stimuli. The speed of neuromotor reaction times is shortened thanks to the suspension work involved increased concentration of the subject during work.

• STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT

A particularly important of Hammock Training concerns precisely this aspect, since suspension work, if guided gradually with an eye to posture and correct execution, can produce excellent upper limb and core strength development in particular, but also of the lower limbs. Working with the tissue readily activates the utilisation of the entire body and increases perception of the body in various positions with respect to space and fabric. The reversal is a fundamental point of training, to be approached gradually so as to have the right proprioception and strength, as well as mobility of course, to be able to perform entire combinations upside down, supported by the safety of the equipment and the technique learned.

• DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASE IN JOINT MOBILITY AND MUSCLE FLEXIBILITY

The Hammock's fabric, being flexible but supportive, provides adequate support to achieve stretching positions that would otherwise result in incorrect contractions and adjustments. Modulation of the tool, in fact, is useful for increasing and overcoming joint blockagesworking simultaneously on both the passive and active sides and thus on muscle elongation. Joint mobility goes hand in hand with muscle strengthIf the muscles of a joint are weak, the joint will not be stable enough to perform all its movements. To maintain the greatest possible mobility of a joint muscle groups must be exercised to their full range of motion.

• DEVELOPMENT AND ENHANCEMENT OF MOTOR SKILLS

The execution of Hammock training routines necessarily involves the appropriation of a different training language, such as technical-combinatory. The existence of a performance model makes it possible to plan a path adapted to the demands and needs of the subject, consequently increasing their motor skills according to their objectives. The motor skills most involved are thebalance, the coordering, the reactivity, the multilaterality.

• DEVELOPMENT AND ENHANCEMENT OF SELF-ESTEEM

Not to be underestimated an increase in the perception of one's abilities and thus self-esteemwhich indirectly produces the acquisition of good posture and an increase in the consideration of oneself and one's possibilities also in everyday life. Facing the fear of emptiness, height, instability, toppling over and approaching movements and positions that initially seem impossible and unattainable, greatly satisfies ourselves and gives us greater strength in facing daily difficulties.