MagneFit

Global Nominee

MagneFit received a Global Nomination.

THE CHALLENGE: Astrocize

Space Station

Find a way to adapt common gym tools for a reduced gravity environment and design a workout routine that can minimize bone and muscular loss while being fun and easy to use during a long term mission. In doing so consider constraints regarding weight (equipment should weigh less than 500kg) and dimensions. Consider incorporating virtual reality to simulate a jog through an astronaut’s favorite Earth destinations or incorporate gaming to motivate users.

Explanation

Workout and fitness by mean of magnetic forces.

MagneFit simulates the condition of a terrestrial gym machine but my mean of the use of magnets. The advantages of this system are the lightness with respect the existence one installed in the ISS (ARED); the huge amount of possible exercises that can be done, in fact, using the main handicap: micro-gravity condition. The positions of the astronauts are not as usual as in the Earth. MagneFit can be manipulated with the body of the user both perpendicular and parallel to the device. The versatileness of the machine is permitted due to the different types of coupling systems: straight bars, Z-bars… and the conjunction of two twins MagneFit together. Also, it can be adapted to the needs of each astronaut because MagneFit allows regulating the intensity of the force between magnets and developing adapted routines for the users.

Thanks to a non-sophisticated installation of pulleys, the movement done by the astronaut serves to approximate the pair of magnets that are suffering a repulsive force between them. In this way, the flux of force is nearly constant and avoids the extra impulse that it should be necessary to separate the magnets if they were suffering an attraction force and once they are no longer together, the force actually disappears.

As it is necessary to work out the entire body; the best way to achieve this objective is using a Full body routine that take about 3 hours to be completed. The intensity of the exercises will be variable according to the person and the time of the routine, increasing the force and the number of series starting by 3x10 each exercise to 4x12.

BACK

Bent-over barbell rows
Pull-ups with pole
Seated cable rows

BICEPS

Standing barbell curls
Alternate dumbbell curls
Preacher curls with Z bar

CHEST

Bench presses
Incline barbell presses
Cable crossover

TRICEPS

Close-grip EZ-bar press
Cable Rope overhead triceps extensions
Pushdowns

SHOUDLERS

Behind Neck presses
Upright rows<
Standing low-polley deltoy raise

CALVES

Standing calf raises
Seated calf raises