The Tasi Push-up builds pec and tricep size and strength. Unlike a standard push-up the Tasi Push-up has 3 parts to it. Starting from the low position you explosively propel yourself away from the ground. At the top of the motion there is a moment of weightlessness just before gravity causes you to head back down. Part 2 is when you eccentrically decelerate your decent, the changing tension of the line causing you to have to stabilize the wrists, elbows and shoulders. Then you hold an isometric contraction before you explode up again. Keep abs and glutes engaged throughout this exercise. Like most Tasi exercises, this is very core intensive.
The Tasi Row like the standard row works the back and biceps. But like most Tasi exercises there is an added benefit for your workout. The elastic action of the Tasi compels you to perform an eccentric deceleration when doing rapid repetitions. You can then perform an explosive pull to upright your body again. At any time you can slow your reps and brew the burn in your biceps and rhomboids to thoroughly work those muscle groups. The "bounce" effect of the Tasi makes doing rows much more of a dynamic workout than the standard way of doing things. And, as always with Tasi Training™, keep the abs and glutes engaged.
The Tasi Biceps Curl looks very different from the standard biceps curl. Depending on the Tasi's tension this exercise is done somewhere between full range and isometrically. Generally you would start by curling as much as you can, decrease your range of motion as you tire, and end with an isometric hold until you have fully worked your biceps. A general rule with Tasi Training™ is that you can usually control the difficulty of an exercise simply by moving you feet closer to or further from Tasi. In other words, adjusting the angle of your body.
The Tasi Pec Fly. The difficulty of this exercise can get pretty extreme at low angles. Another general rule for all Tasi Training is to test your ability starting at a low level and gradually increasing it to pinpoint your preferred level. The Tasi Pec Fly is a perfect example of an exercise that requires this. The usual rule of ab and glute engagement applies here doubly since it will help you maintain the rigidity with a neutral spine and hip. Many, but not all, Tasi exercises are best performed with a straight, shoulder to heel position (no bending at the hip.)
The Tasi Plank is a surprisingly challenging exercise. Like the standard floor plank it starts out seemingly easy but quickly reveals its true level of difficulty. Unlike the floor plank, the Tasi Plank is not isometric. As the picture shows it starts out like a standing cobra and progresses to the plank position. It can be isometric at any phase of the movement. And, you guessed it, keep tight abs and glutes and don't hinge at the hips. This is mainly for the core and has some benefit for the lower back.
The Tasi Rotation, with the picture, is pretty self explanatory. I'll just say the usual rules apply, plus this exercise goes from dynamically rotating and ends up with an isometric hold. Oh, and the wider your stance the easier it is to produce rotational power. The following applies to all Tasi exercises. As you perform Tasi movements the resistance you have to move increases non-linearly. That is to say, the resistance increases as the Tasi line deviates from being straight. Refer to the picture, the resistance at the very beginning of the rotation is basically zero lbs. but it increases with every millimeter, by the time the line is about 30 degrees from straight it's nearly impossible to nudge it any further. (A fully tightened Tasi provides 2000 lbs. or more of resistance.) This non-linear aspect of Tasi resistance equates to a smooth rate of change in the involved muscles, core engagement, and connective tissues (ie, ligaments, tendons and aponeurosis.)
The Tasi Chest Press trains the pecs and triceps while strengthening the posterior chain of the body by engaging specific frontal core stabilization muscles like the Rectus Abdominus. The RA kicks into action to prevent back extension and the internal and external obliques engage to add support to the spine while the chest and arms dynamically battle the Tasi resistance. Sticking to the Tasi rule of always engaging the abs and glutes helps build strength throughout the whole ab complex during every exerecise. This goes a long way toward the goal of core stability.
The Tasi Tricep Extension provides an ever-increasing challenge for building bigger, stronger triceps. As explained in the Tasi Rotation section the resistance to the triceps muscle increases as the motion of the exercise progresses from position 1 to position 2, instead of being constant throughout as it is with standard weights. This exercise can be performed in a shortened motion or full range depending on the height of the Tasi. If the Tasi is set low then you control the amount of resistance by choosing the lengthened handles. As with many Tasi exercises the Tricep Extension is best done beginning with full range of motion and ending in an isometric hold.
The Tasi Training™ concept arose from the slackline. When I was learning to walk on the slackline, and I began to fatigue from my efforts, I would rest. While resting I would invariably lean against and sway on the line. It didn't take long for me to realize that between attempts to walk on the line I could get a great core
workout with the unique resistance the slackline provided. That workout became Tasi Training™. Whenever I engage in Tasi Training™ I spend some of my time enjoying the experience of walking on the Tasi. As you practice your brain is learning to maintain and regain stability by reinforcing the firing patterns that succeed and eliminating the ones that don't. As your skill increases the once chaotic sensory input/output is refined into an clear stream of sensory input from the outside environment into a corresponding clear stream of efferent output as the cerebral cortex makes quick, efficient decisions automatically leading to the correct adjustment to your body to maintain balance and stability. The fluid motion that you experience on the Tasi as you walk along can induce a sort of meditative pleasure as you learn to bounce and sway with the line and automatically react to it apparently without effort. Taken together, Tasi Training™ and Tasi walking is the perfect brain/body workout. |