Apparently you can sort of flick it with your thumb or something to get it started, all too complicated for me though, I like the little red string. Just don't start it by rolling the gyro along a table or something instead.
I use the index finger of the opposite hand. I can't start it with my thumb like Akis does (that man spends waaay too much time PBing )
Yes, obviously if you don't want to collect a lot of dust with your powerball. Starting it without the cord is somehow faster when get used to it. You can do it after a few days if you try to do it from time to time...
I just picked up a powerball tonight. Though it's just a cheap Chinese knock off version. It's got two or three little LED's and it the molding is decent quality and it's got a grippy rubber band around the perimiter. Shockingly the thing only cost me HKD$20. - so that'd be £1.47!!! (is that the right conversion?!?!) Interesting. After a few flub ups I've got it up and spinning like mad! My forearms seem to have gotten a good blast. My fingers/grip as well. The only bummer is... it's got no counter on it... so I don't know how fast I'm banging it out. :cry: Don't suppose there is a way to measure/guess this without the counter eh? It seems like it works primarily on muscular tension. Thoughts about that anyone?
I think it works on range of motion as well, and maintaining strength through that range. Apparently if you use it at low speeds, it's supposed to be good for rehabilitation, though don’t have much experience on that. You can use it for training sensitivity too, or at least that’s what I think, the technique is in one of my previous posts on this thread. Not too sure if you'll be able to guess the RPM, but if you want to get yourself one with a counter I'm quite sure if you order one from here (www.powerballs.com), they will deliver to HK.
Got a metal powerball today, it looks cool, comes in a trendy looking box too. It's heavier, spins smother, I think faster as well, but it does not feel like it, maybe cause of less friction. Not too sure what to make of it yet, when I get home I will compare with my plastic one, though it feels easier on my arms then the plastic one, which is not good.
After using it this weekend, I really dont think that it offers as much resistence as the 250hz plastic one that I got.. kind of dissapointing.. it is fun using two at the same time though.. It is this one..
If it's not an official one, then it most likely isn't going to be comparable quality wise. Remember that if you buy a powerball, they will actually service it for free, any time! They will literally replace everything on it if there is something wrong with it. Check the site out, their customer service is excellent.
After a couple of days use with my 'cheap Chinese' version of the powerball I noticed that it's surprisingly well put together. One thing that I am wondering... I only get real resistance when I turn it directly against the inertia or motion of the gyro. This is only possible for a very short range of motion it seems... not because it's physically hard but because it seems it's something in the design. Hard to explain... not sure that it really makes any sense when I type it. I noticed that the most noticeable resistance is not at full speed but rather when I am building up speed. There is a point where I can pinpoint the force coming against me and work against it to get a work out... but as the speed increases it seems that I am able to overpower it with ease. I dunno.. maybe I was expecting too much from it. Funny enough the thing sounds like it's about to explode as it whirs up to a higher speed. My girlfriend has warned me against using it!
Hey Slip, where did you get this cheap powerball from? I was thinking about getting one for warmups on my grip workouts. I'm not fussed about getting a real one though because I would much rather close the Ironmind #3 then get a high score on a snooker ball.
I got caught up in the powerball hype months back.... (got the neon blue from "powerball" ) It's sitting with a few other "gadgets" I no longer use
....but for 18quid I can get a new baraban gripper :cry: goddamn these fitness gadgets luring me into there trap! :bang:
I created a chat on powerballs, if you wish to come and you have an IRC, go and use this adress: >> /server trash.recycled-irc.org -j #gyrotek or you can directly join us with this link: http://www.gyrotek.net/chatlog.html
I picked it right in front of the the Yau Ma Tei Public Library in Hong Kong. At any rate... yeah it was stupidly cheap. The 'official' ones are no doubt manufactured in China. So what some enterprising young factory boss has done is finished his production run for PowerBall TM and then wacked out an extra 2,500 pieces that he's then repackaged and sold into the local market. Happens all the time with tons of products. So counterfeit is not really as counterfeit as people would make it out to be.
lol, next time I am in Hong Kong i'll be sure to pick one up! i think I might have seen the ones you are talking about on ebay actually. I know what you are saying about the copied products though. Half the time its the same thing with a different label stamped on.
Did you see last's videos of akis? http://bl4dem4ster.free.fr/akis16081.wmv http://bl4dem4ster.free.fr/akis_19689.wmv It's really amazing!! This man is a machine they're right...