Why I Choose Kinvent Over Vald

Vald Force Decks

Kinvent K-Deltas

I have been in the professional fitness industry for over twenty years.  I have trained world class and professional athletes, I have worked in the chiropractic field, dabbled in physical therapy, I have gotten a ton of youth athletes faster and stronger, I have done VO2 testing for years, and I currently work with retirees on sustainability goals. 

Professionally, I am always looking for efficiency and how I can get clients to be optimal at whatever goal they have.   Through my continuing education with Greg Roskof (Muscle Activation Techniques), Tom Purvis (Resistance Training Specialist), and Greg Mack (Exercise Professional Education) I have blended the best assessment tools in the industry.  Looking at range of motion, strength or force output, thinking about joint physics and exercise science periodization (scientific program progression).  Having a logical systematic approach of where is the optimal starting point with all the complications of human anatomy and physiology is a daunting task. 

When I assess a new client or athlete, asking questions and looking at the right things are of utmost importance.  We want to have a zoom in and zoom out or microscope, telescope approach.  Another way to say it is a 30,000 foot view and a 10 foot view to properly get a handle of a person's joints and tissue systems.  A lot of professionals do not do this.

Range of Motion

I start with range of motion because it is safer and quicker to get an overview of the entire body.  I want to reduce the potential risks of injury and having a client raise an arm, lift a leg, or turn their torso verse “let's do estimated maximum testing” is just safer.  From a liability state point I don’t touch the client in phase one if I don't have to.   Now this process can be tedious but I feel that is the best return on investment of our time. Some people are ticking time bombs with injuries and you don't want to poke that bear.  I get all the information of what their issues are and they point me in the most efficient directions to do a “perturbation” or an experiment based on an educated hypothesis or range of motion limit(s). 

For example, if a client comes to me with a shoulder complaint, I want to look at all twelve shoulder ranges of motion (time consuming).  But a next-level assessment specialist (Expert) is going to look at other joints associated with the shoulder, spine, elbow, etc.  I have found that a lot of my shoulder issue clients usually have a wrist range of motion limitation.  Meaning they compensate by overusing their shoulder because the wrist doesn't move well.  So instead of wasting time doing a gazillion shoulder exercises, if the root cause is the wrist; then we need to “attack” or train the weak area only. I am always shocked at how many clients I have that have finished physical therapy and still have a ton of issues or they worked on stuff that isn’t even the problem.  They might have been working on the left trunk side bender (lateral trunk flexors) and the client’s issue is weak right side trunk rotators.  This leads clients to get frustrated and give up on exercise(s) and/or therapy.  If you have a person who keeps re-injuring the same problem you might want to look at a bigger picture approach.

Another example is I had an 80 year old client with 4 hip replacements (2 replacements and 2 revisions).  He was having knee pain to the point that his orthopedic scheduled him for a knee replacement.  Knowing his history, I said you have a ton of scar tissue in your hips, and artificial parts; could it be possible that the knee pain issues are related to hip weaknesses or deficiencies?  So we worked on simple isometric exercises for the hip.  Over a couple of weeks his knee pain went away.  Eventually his doctor cancelled the knee replacement surgery.  All because we did the right corrective exercises. Powerful stuff while saving time from healing, and money on surgery, rehab, etc.

Software

I have been using both the Kinvent suite and the Vald suite of force plates and dynamometers (pressure sensors) for a few years now.  Both have similar hardware with getting a slough of kpi’s for jumping, joint force outputs, grip strength, and range of motions.  What separates them is the software.  Vald has an amazing dashboard which is great for teams and comparing athletes among their peers.  But I want to train each client/athlete for their weaknesses and limitations, not a large group on general goals.  Who cares if you have the best grip strength on the team if you can’t play on the field because of an injury it is worthless.

Custom Tests

Kinvent allows you to add custom tests and custom training exercises to dial in your clients specific needs. Vald does not.  If the client needs that one force direction, one specific amount of pressure, or one particular exercise it is the only thing that matters.  It could be the difference between a healthy sustainable joint with no future problems or a joint replacement and mobility issues down the road or the difference between a bronze, gold medal, or no medal in the olympic world.

Kinvent Custom Exercise Report

Vald Test Bank

Training Mode

Kinvent knocks it out of the park with their training mode. Both systems do testing analytics but for me the application of creating change is what I want as a strength coach (aka progression).  Who cares what your blood work looks like if you don’t know what it means, or if you don’t know how to change it.  For example, when I was interning at Exos (formerly Athletes Performance) our metabolic specialist, Paul Robbins, developed a software that paired with the iMett VO2 analyzer.  This software was genius, it took the test data and plugged it into a custom individual periodized program.  The athlete got an individual, personal game plan (aka workout program) to improve their specific goal.   A better system equals fast and optimal results. 

Kinvent Training Mode

The training mode is great because it allows you to train aka progress without doing a MVIC (maximum test), which can be high risk of injury. I start my clients doing neck isometric training (lateral cervical flexion) on the Kvinent K-pull dyno at a very low intensity, typically 3lbs (1.3kg).  Over time (overload progression) I increase the force or resistance up, that I can set and control.  This is exercise science bliss. This way we insure and monitor progress and we can change the progression, time under tension, force, etc. over time as needed versus lets pull on a band that changes as we move, maybe our setup or position is different each time. No specificity equals, no change aka no progress. It is throwing darts at the board verse using a sniper rifle for precision. Kinvent training mode allows you to do lab specificity in the real world for world class progress. Vald only does maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) tests so can’t set intensity goals at lower forces without guessing or doing a bunch of backend work. Again who cares about the blood work test if you don’t have tools to create change.

Reports 

Let's talk about reports.  Vald has pretty basic reports, just bar graphs comparing previous test scores to your current test.  Kinvent has a much better visual report with breakdown of each jumping phase for the jump tests. I really like the pie chart of range of motion comparison and the asymmetries of each side of the test.   For me as an exercise scientist I can look at force trace graphs and kpi’s, and decipher the info.  It is much harder to explain a force trace graph to clients; in some cases professional peers.  It is too exercise physiology lab testing and not enough on the field practicality aka training.  If the client/athletes understands limitations then you and them can improve issues faster and better.  Kinvent does an excellent job with having visual aids breaking down each phase on the jump in jump testing on the force plates so that a clinician can explain pros/cons and get insight on weaknesses, problems, issues and come up with an optimal solution for creating change aka improvement. What's the point of testing if you can’t fix a problem?  It is a complete waste of time for everyone.  

Vald CMJ Report

Kinvent CMJ Report

Center of Position

One the force plates (Vald Force Decks and Kinvent K-Deltas) center of position is a testing perimeter.  Kinvent has gaming on CoP exercises to improve proprioception.  Again Vald has no training mode so what do you do to work on this, the traditional one balance on an unstable surface.  Balance is complicated, much more than doing this single leg hold and you get better.  It involves coordination, thinking, muscle strength, reaction to surface, applying the correction force then quickly adjusting, nerve training, balance, knowing where your center is, front to back, side to side, etc.  The most efficient way to work on improving balance is by training it with all senses which is faster on a force plate than a wobble board. As professionals we need live real-time feedback on whether we are doing the right thing.  If you like wasting time and not being efficient then keep doing one leg holds and non data collecting training.

Kinvent Center of Pressure

Vald Center of Pressure

Client Motivation 

I have found that many clients get competitive to improve their report card and beat their previous test score or PR (personal record). This is motivating psychology that creates progress.  I have an 87 yr old client that had poor grip strength so we started from day one doing grip MVIC testing.  We progressed over two years but then plateaued.  I changed to doing Kinvent training mode for grip and he is more engaged and beating his previous test. If I didn't have training mode I might be stuck at a plateau.

Kinvent Training Mode Report

Vald M.V.I.C. Progress Report

Retention and R.O.I.

A happy client is going to come back, trust you in the future, and give you referrals of their friends, family, neighbors. I have had clients for 10-15yrs so they clearly see value and respect the progress we have made over the years.  I would say half of my clients have had poor experience with physical therapy and choose not to go back.  Professionally I tell them there is a time and a place for all medical modalities. So when in need use it but why do a joint replacement if you just need to strengthen a specific muscle(s).  Bring in the little guns before you bring in the heavy guns. They lean on me for helping tweaks, issues over going to PT because we address the root of the problem which is typically muscle weakness in the system. Clients keep wanting to know how they are doing and “did I get better?”  If you can’t show improvement they walk.  This makes us better professionals because we can do the right, effective perturbations for optimal results.  So I am challenging you to get mathematical and physics into your training, rehab. or prehab. approach(es).

Conclusion 

The scientific approach of non-evasive range of motion then specifically training or improving strength or force production is what we as professionals should be doing.  That is why kinvent has my stamp of approval with their training mode for optimal, safe training progressions. I hope this is helpful and if you have any questions or comments please reach out.

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