Flywheel training has gained serious momentum in the fitness world, especially among athletes looking to maximize performance and injury prevention. It’s a powerful tool for anyone who wants to develop strength, power, and explosiveness while challenging the body in ways that traditional resistance training can’t. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about flywheel training, from its benefits and essential equipment to the top exercises you should incorporate into your routine.
Unlike traditional weightlifting, flywheel training adapts to your strength in real-time. This makes it ideal for individuals who want a safer, more effective workout. Whether you’re new to flywheel training or a seasoned athlete looking for an edge, understanding the science behind this approach can transform your fitness regimen. By focusing on eccentric overload, flywheel training allows you to target areas of muscle weakness and create balanced strength in ways that traditional methods often overlook. I spoke with Dr. Mike Young, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., owner of Athletic Lab in Morrisville, NC, to get expert insights on flywheel training and why it’s a game changer for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. If there’s anyone you should trust with the concepts and benefits of flywheel training, it’s this guy.
What Is Flywheel Training and How Does It Work?
Flywheel training is a form of resistance training that relies on the rotational momentum of a flywheel rather than traditional weights like dumbbells or barbells. The concept is simple yet highly effective: instead of lifting a static weight, you generate resistance by spinning a flywheel using a strap or handle. The faster and harder you push, the more resistance the flywheel generates, and the harder it pulls back on the return phase (eccentric phase).
Dr. Mike Young describes it best: “The resistance you feel is based on the momentum of the flywheel, which means it automatically adjusts to how much force you put into it. This is a huge advantage because the resistance is perfectly matched to your strength at any point in the movement.” This makes flywheel training a dynamic and adaptive workout, allowing you to safely overload your muscles at both strong and weak ranges of motion without ever risking being pinned under a barbell or lifting more than you can handle.
Additionally, flywheel training emphasizes the often-neglected eccentric phase of a movement when your muscles lengthen under load (think of lowering a weight). Dr. Young emphasizes that “flywheel training allows for safe eccentric overload, which is something traditional weight training struggles with. We are significantly stronger in the eccentric phase, but traditional methods rarely challenge us there.” In other words, flywheel training provides a more balanced and efficient workout, especially for building strength, power, and muscle endurance.
Benefits of Flywheel Training Over Traditional Methods
When comparing flywheel training to traditional weight training, the differences are clear, especially regarding efficiency and safety. One of the standout benefits is how flywheel training can enhance both concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) strength. Dr. Young explains, “Traditional weights tend to focus on the concentric phase of a lift, where you’re pushing or pulling against gravity. Flywheel training, however, allows you to overload the eccentric phase as well, which is crucial for building muscle, improving athletic performance, and even preventing injuries.” Research supports these benefits, showing that flywheel training can lead to greater muscle hypertrophy than traditional methods. This is because the eccentric phase places more tension on the muscles, causing more significant muscle damage and leading to improved growth and recovery in the long run. Moreover, this type of training can be beneficial for athletes. “In sports, your ability to generate force fast, especially in the eccentric phase, is key,” says Dr. Young. “Flywheel training is superior for this because it not only builds strength but also improves power and explosiveness, which are crucial for sports performance.”
Another huge advantage? Injury prevention. Flywheel training helps strengthen the muscles in ways that directly reduce injury risks. Many sports injuries happen during the eccentric phase of movement, like landing from a jump or decelerating from a sprint. By building strength and control in these situations, flywheel training helps ‘inoculate’ the muscles and joints against such injuries. Dr. Young adds, “By training eccentrically in a controlled environment, athletes can prepare their muscles for the stress they’ll face during competition, which makes flywheel training ideal for injury prevention.”
Essential Flywheel Training Equipment
When it comes to the equipment you need for flywheel training, the market has some solid options. “While it’s technically possible to DIY your own flywheel device, I wouldn’t recommend it,” says Dr. Young. The precision required for an effective flywheel workout means it’s best to go with trusted manufacturers.
Dr. Young’s top recommendation is the Exxentric kBox and kPulley, both highly versatile equipment. “You can train practically any movement pattern with these two pieces, whether you’re a novice or an elite athlete,” he explains. These machines allow for exercises ranging from squats and rows to bicep curls and deadlifts, making them an excellent investment for anyone serious about incorporating flywheel training into their routine.
Other brands to consider include Kabuki and Desmotec, but Dr. Young emphasizes that “Exxentric leads the market due to their attention to detail and the variety of exercises you can perform with their devices.” Whether training for general fitness or sport-specific performance, high-quality equipment will ensure you get the most out of each session.
Top Flywheel Training Exercises to Try
Now that we’ve covered the theory behind flywheel training, it’s time to dive into the practical side of things—exercises. Flywheel training is incredibly versatile, allowing you to train nearly any muscle group. Dr. Young notes, “You’re really only limited by your imagination. My go-to exercises include belt squats, Romanian deadlifts (RDLs), split squats, rows, and pull downs.”
Here’s a breakdown of some of the top exercises you can try with flywheel training:
Flywheel Belt Squats
This exercise targets the lower body—quads, hamstrings, and glutes—without loading the spine, making it safer than traditional barbell squats. It’s ideal for athletes who need to develop leg strength and power without the risk of back injury.
Flywheel Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)
RDLs focus on strengthening the hamstrings and glutes, key muscles for athletic movements like sprinting and jumping. Flywheel RDLs add the benefit of eccentric overload, making them more effective than traditional barbell RDLs.
Flywheel Split Squats
Perfect for building unilateral leg strength and improving balance and stability. Athletes in sports like basketball, soccer, or tennis will especially benefit from this exercise.
Flywheel Rows
This upper-body movement strengthens the back, lats, and shoulders, improving posture and functional strength for daily activities and sports.
Flywheel Bicep Curls
Isolation exercises like bicep curls get an extra boost from the constant tension in flywheel training, giving your muscles a more intense workout.
These exercises can be seamlessly integrated into any workout program, whether you’re focusing on hypertrophy, strength, or functional performance. As Dr. Young points out, “Bodybuilding or isolation-type exercises are also great with flywheel devices because of the constant tension. Movements like bicep curls, tricep pushdowns, and leg curls give you a great burn.”
How to Structure a Flywheel Training Routine
Dr. Young recommends starting small if you’re wondering how to fit flywheel training into your current routine. “I rarely do sessions where all the exercises are done exclusively on a flywheel device,” he says. “Typically, I’ll program 1-2 flywheel movements per session and pair them with more traditional exercises.”
This combination approach allows you to get the best of both worlds, mixing the eccentric benefits of flywheel training with the familiar gains of traditional weightlifting. Here’s a sample 3-day workout plan that incorporates flywheel training into a balanced routine:
Day 1: Power and Strength
Dumbbell Loaded Jumps: 5 sets of 4 reps
Superset:
Flywheel Split Squat: 4 sets of 6 reps
Bench Press: 3 sets of 5 reps
Superset:
Flywheel Lateral Squat: 3 sets of 5 reps (each side)
Tricep Extension: 3 sets of 12 reps
Day 2: Upper Body Strength and Eccentric Focus
Dumbbell Push Press: 5 sets of 5 reps
Superset:
Flywheel Belt Squats: 4 sets of 6 reps
Pull-Up: 4 sets of 10 reps
Superset:
Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 8 reps
Flywheel Bicep Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Day 3: Explosiveness and Conditioning
Power Clean or Clean Pull: 6 sets of 2 reps
Superset:
Flywheel Single Arm Row: 5 sets of 8 reps (each side)
Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat: 3 sets of 6 reps (each side)
Superset:
Flywheel RDL: 3 sets of 10 reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
This plan ensures that you’re targeting multiple muscle groups, incorporating both traditional and flywheel resistance for optimal results. Whether your goal is to improve athletic performance or simply get stronger, this hybrid approach will keep your workouts challenging and effective.
References
1. Norrbrand, L., Pozzo, M. & Tesch, P.A. Flywheel resistance training calls for greater eccentric muscle activation than weight training. Eur J Appl Physiol 110, 997–1005 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1575-7
2. Illera-Domínguez, Víctor, et al. “Early Functional and Morphological Muscle Adaptations During Short-Term Inertial-Squat Training.” Frontiers in Physiology, vol. 9, 2018, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.01265.
3. Petré, H., Wernstål, F. & Mattsson, C. Effects of Flywheel Training on Strength-Related Variables: a Meta-analysis. Sports Med – Open 4, 55 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-018-0169-5
4. de Hoyo, Moisés, Marco Pozzo, Borja Sañudo, Luis Carrasco, Oliver Gonzalo-Skok, Sergio Domínguez-Cobo, and Eduardo Morán-Camacho. “Effects of a 10-Week In-Season Eccentric-Overload Training Program on Muscle-Injury Prevention and Performance in Junior Elite Soccer Players”. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 10.1 (2015): 46-52. < https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2013-0547>. Web. 5 Sep. 2024.