ViPR Fitness Workout For Functional Strength and Power

There is a new workout craze hitting the gym classes across the country, the ViPR Fitness Workout. A ViPR workout involves wielding a large piece of tubing with handles cat in.

ViPR is based on an idea of purposeful movement, that is all movements should have a functional purpose. The ViPR Fundamentals, Gravity onto Ground Loading, Stretch to Shorten, Multi-Directional Movement and Using the Entire Body of Movement make up the foundation of Purposeful Movement.

Generally classes are a combination of cardio and muscular endurance. After a thorough warm up exercises are perform with the ViPR, such as:

ViPR Overhead Squats followed by squats swings (aka squat thread in the needle, see video below) – the ViPR is first held overhead with straight arms while you squat, then you start to swing it down and twist it towards you so it can swing between your legs. Then you powerfully lift it up again above your head.

Another fun exercise is a side step with a ViPR tilt and catch. You start with the ViPR standing upright in front of you then step to one side while gently push shoving the ViPR, as it falls you catch it with the other hand while in a side lunge position.

Standard weight training exercises can be performed with a ViPR too, such as bent over rows, shoulder presses, front squats, bicep curls and tricep extensions (for those with stronger arms).

You can also perform some classic circuit training exercise such as burpees and twisting lunges to strengthen the core and provide an excellent cardio workout to boot.

ViPR fitness workouts are a great combination of strength and cardio work. Very much like kettlebell workouts. When you get the ViPR moving you feel like you are doing martial arts weapons combat training.

ViPR 60-second challenge

Video tutorial of some ViPR moves

Squat Thread The Needle with ViPR

You can find ViPR fitness classes in gyms such as Virgin Active, Fitness First and David Lloyd.