GrandTrinity Posted April 12, 2006 http://www.martialartsmart.net/20-60.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gigi Posted April 13, 2006 http://www.martialartsmart.net/20-60.html   Hi, a friend of mine sold this kind of stretch machines and other things. I had several occasions to try (for free) a lot of them whit different features and costs.  My personal and honest opinion : quite unuseful!  however , thanks for your signalling!   Cheers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rick Posted April 18, 2006 Bill "Superfoot" Wallace was a proponent of using these machines. Â When Regis Philbin first came to New York, besides his talk show, had a health program on The Lifetime Network. I remember seeing one show where he had a sporting goods store send over various pieces of exercise equipment. One piece was the stretching machine. Regis got on the machine, pulled the lever in the wrong direction and let out the loudest yelp I have ever heard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peregrino Posted April 19, 2006 I used to get great results with the Power Stretch machine before I gave it away before one of my many moves during my nomad period. It was a great investment and I would buy one again if I could find one--not sure if they still manufacture them. Anyone who can compare Power Stretch with other stretchers still on the market? Â I don't know how precise you can get with the wheel-type crank in the machine posted above. I found the Power Stretch lever-type crank was great for altering tension during isometric stretching, and was great for goal-setting (I'm big on the power of quantifiable data for motivation), as you know exactly how many degrees you are stretching each time--and can even go up to 240 degrees after you reach the full (180) position. I made it up to 225 degrees when I was at my loosest. The machine allows you to lock into a comfortable position, and then gently pull the crank forward (or push it down, depending on the exercise) to get an extra 15 degrees of stretch. Damn, I'm jonesing now just thinkning about how much I miss it, and I'm not normally one for commodity fetishes! Â My use of the Power Stretcher is one case in which I went against the firm opinions of my stretching guru, Thomas Kurz (or "Colonel" Kurz, as I call him, in honor of Joseph Conrad and Marlon Brando . . . hehe). Kurz is deadset against stretch machines, thinks they're no more efficient than stretching without one, and therefore a waste of money; I must heartily disagree--I found that by applying Kurz's principles AND using the machine I had faster results than any of these other combinations: 1)no Kurz principles (i.e. passive instead of PNF stretching) + no machine; 2)passive stretching + machine; and 3)Kurz principles + no machine. Â I think I'm gonna check this out on EBay . . . I bought my Power Stretcher 2nd hand it held up solid for the fourteen years it was in my possession, so maybe there are some originals in good condition still out there . . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rick Posted April 19, 2006 Investigate the Versaflex machine. It seems to be closest to the Power Stretch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
