In-school suspension

Liberty graduate students trial SwingFit program through research project

It all started with an idea and a tree in Jeno Giordano’s backyard, the creator of SwingFit. Now in the Human Performance Lab, Chris Carver and Chelsea Page watch people swing through the air for their workout day in and day out. Located in the new Science Hall on Liberty University’s campus, a SwingFit research program is underway.

Under the supervision of Dr. Jim Schoffstall and Dr. Andy Bosak, the research study is testing 35 students on the effectiveness of the SwingFit program. Carver and Page are the Human Performance Lab Graduate Student Assistants (GSA’s) who are leading the research study on the new workout equipment. Along with the help of John Houck and Austin Smith, biomechanics GSA’s, the research study has been on going since Sept. 7.

Giordano approached Schoffstall and Bosak at a conference about conducting the research program here at Liberty University. Giordano and the SwingFit team even donated the product to the university so the study could be completed. They donated a stand alone SwingFit set and a three person SwingFit set for individual and group workouts.

“Based off my experience, I think it is definitely more of a supplemental exercise geared for the athletic population,” Carver said.

Completely suspended off the ground while parallel with the floor, Page continued explaining and demonstrating the uses of SwingFit.

“I think the idea for SwingFit is that it adds a whole new workout regime and something to add to your repertoire of working out,” Page said.

Like a trapeze artist swings through the air, this machine keeps the entire body fully suspended off the ground during the duration of the workout. For up to 45 minutes, subjects will move through various workouts to improve their range of motion, flexibility and overall core strength.

“It’s always really good to add something to your arsenal for those who don’t like weightlifting,” Carver said. “They don’t want to get ‘bulky’ so doing some form of suspension training, such as SwingFit, you’re able to add resistance without the added weight.”

The research study is a 60-day program with three periods of baseline testing at the beginning, middle and end. In between each of those is a four week period of either workouts or no workouts depending on which research group a subject has been placed. However, before anyone can begin using the SwingFit machine, they must go through “Flight School.”

Flight School is where SwingFit users learn the basics of working out while completely suspended in the air. After completing Flight School, users can increase the level of intensity for the workout, but the majority of the muscles getting worked stem from the core.

“That’s one of the things we’re testing and one of the main goals is coordination and core strength, just because that is firing constantly once you take the floor away from you,” Page said.

As far as this research study is concerned, the students are staying in Flight School. There are other levels beyond the basics but participants can only move on once they have mastered the moves in Flight School. Safety is of the upmost importance when working out on a SwingFit machine.

“It’s not any additional risk than going to a gym, doing a TRX program or another type of training program and there a lot of safety protocols we do,” Page said.

Carver and Page both expect more follow up studies to come after the first study is complete. They even expected research to continue for a few more semesters after they have completed their degrees.

Pierce is a feature reporter.