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Bullworker: Fake Or Muscle Builder
By admin | July 28, 2007
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Back in the late 1960’s a German inventor named Gert F Koelbel, or Gert Kobel (I have seen many different spellings of his name) invented an exercise device called the Tensolator, later on it was renamed the Bullworker. The device was revolutionary in that it allowed you to use it, the Bullworker like a set of cables and at the same time you could compress it like an accordion… all in one device.
The results were mind blowing for it’s time, after all this was “pre-ARNOLD” and of course Steroids!
This device was based on using the principles of a newly discovered, scientifically tested, training method called “Isometrics or Static Contraction.” The basic principle of isometric exercise was discovered back in the ’20s, when scientists found that when one leg of a frog was tied down over a period of time, it grew significantly stronger than the leg left free. But it was not until 1953 that two German doctors (Dr. Hettinger And Dr. Muller) at the Max Plank Institute in Munich, Germany, worked out the implications of this experiment and applied them to the human body.
Traditional exercise, known as “isotonic,” beefs up a muscle by moving it. Isometric exercise, on the other hand, does not move the muscle at all; the exercises are all performed against an immovable object. By this immobile contraction, nearly 100% of the muscle’s thousands of hairlike fibers are stimulated—as compared with the mere 50% to 60% involved in isotonic exercise.
In fact: results from the studies done at the Max Planck Institute using this form of training had resulted in strength gains of at least 300% over the other test groups. Because of the unique ability of this new exerciser; the Bullworker, to exercise muscles at many different angles and combined with the scientifically proven Isometric training method…
Bullworker sales took off like a turbo charged skyrocket, reaching sales of 4 million by the middle of the 1980’s.
What’s remarkable about this is that they never used T.V. advertising. The Bullworker was mostly sold from ads in comic books, some wrestling and bodybuilding magazines. The product moved based on word of mouth and soon some of the world’s best know athlete’s, movie stars and power lifters jumped on board the “Bullworker” train. Including…
The Greatest
Muhammad Ali used the exerciser and became one of their spokes model. Our current Governor of California Arnold “The Terminator” Schwarzenegger also used and modeled for the Bullworker as well as many others including Bruce Lee, and David “Dave” Prowse, of “Darth Vader” fame.
Isometric exercise also caught on and many Football teams added Isometric exercise to their training program… the most notable of it’s time– the Green Bay Packers under coach Vince Lombardi. Articles soon appeared all over the place including Time Magazine, the article was called ” Without Moving A Muscle.” Soon high school and college athletes had…
Olympic Hopes
The German Olympic Power Lifting team of that time began training with the Bullworker as an adjunct to their weightlifting and some feel that the incredible results and medals they achieved was mostly due to their Bullworker training.
The most visible proponent of the Bullworker was actually Bruce Lee who at that time was a weight-training fanatic, until he injured his body doing an exercise called “Good Mornings.” After the injury Bruce Lee looked into every form of exercise and became an “Isometric nut” incorporating Isometric training into all his workouts.
Good Morning?
You don’t know what a “good morning” is, let me describe the movement. Take a barbell and place it behind your neck and then bend forward from the waist to till your head is at approximately waist high. Today no one should do that exercise since it has been recognized as a very dangerous exercise.
So why haven’t you heard of this portable muscle building miracle?
Well even thou Bob Hoffman and many of the U.S. Olympic Power lifting were using the principles of Isometrics and achieved many wins. Isometrics fell into disfavor. This is fairly common in the fitness community. It seems we’re always on to the next fad or novelty.Today Isometrics, which is one of the few training methods that actually was backed by science (Muller, Hettinger Isometric Studies) has made a resurgence and so has the Bullworker.
New And Improved
Since the patent for the Bullworker ran out several years ago and perhaps a resurgence due to baby boomers getting older… a new “hybrid” Bullworker has recently emerged. It’s called the Bully Extreme Home Gym and it offers all the features of the old Bullworker models and then some.
Frank Sherrill it’s “creator” took the old patent and as so many people in history have done, improved on it’s original design bringing the “old” design into the 22nd century. As Frank Sherrill recently said “It’s a shame that the Bullworker design had not been improved on in almost 27 years, I felt it needed a new look and more resistance so I created my own “Bullworker” the Bully Extreme. I wanted something I would be proud of and I could stand behind with a LIFETIME Warranty!”
Of course since the discovery of Isometrics; over 40 something years ago, there has been much more learned regarding the proper way to build Lean muscle mass. Frank Sherrill has totally redesigned the old Bullworker training program, including adding the knowledge and expertise of an NPC Nationals Master Fitness Expert, Bodybuilding Champion and NPC Judge, Pat Grieco.
The old Bullworker model only allowed for about 28 exercises, but Mr. Sherill’s radical design has increased the number of exercises to over 82, allowing for more versatility and variety in training. His main idea as he stated it…”make it fun to workout, otherwise people won’t do it.”
I guess as a former U.S. Army Ranger Mr. Sherrill has a good idea of how boring and repetitive exercising can be. That’s why his training system makes it quick and easy to get in a power packed workout in just 7 minutes a day. In fact…
Over 29 Different Exercises Can Be Done In a Seated Position, But You Only Need 7 To Hit 300 Of the 500 Muscles In Your Body!
This has made the Bully Extreme a very popular home gym for people that are incapable due to injury, disability or distance to finally get a an incredible muscle building workout in their home. Mr. Sherrill felt that this was very important since many of his war time buddies had lost the use of their legs and where just wasting away in their wheel chairs. In fact Mr. Sherrill often donates several Bully’s to the local VA.
As incredible as it seems this old exerciser; now reborn, gets the job done. To learn more about the Bully Extreme and Frank Sherrill please visit: www.bullyxtreme.net
Topics: Bullworker |
3 Responses to “Bullworker: Fake Or Muscle Builder”
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August 15th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Acey Decy Home | Lighting. Grip. Rental. Sales
Thank you for your post!
August 16th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Kontron
Thank you for your post!
August 17th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
<p>Wow, great article about the Bullworker. I always wondered if that exerciser was stil around. I had a Bullworker when I was a kid. Glad to see it’s coming back… better than before. There are also more Bullworker exercises with the Bully Xtreme home gym. </p>
<p>Thanks again for the great info</p>
<p>Bill</p>