Whether you’re aiming to be a true hybrid athlete or prefer mastering a single athletic discipline, you need the right training approach, and above all – the right equipment. In the following article, we’d like to present you with our own Hybrid Athlete KOT equipment that changed the lives of so many athletes.
We believe that a gram of prevention is worth a kilo of cure, and there’s no better time to start your injury-prevention journey than right now.
Let’s dig in.
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Hybrid Athlete KOT Equipment For Strength, Endurance, and Longevity
Every piece of KOT equipment in the Hybrid Athlete arsenal is designed with both beginners and pros in mind.
For example, if you’ve just started thinking about your joints and how they handle your training sessions, you might want to go for a slant board or a squat wedge. On the other hand, more advanced athletes who focus on explosiveness will surely benefit from a Nordic curl strap or a Solo Tib.
Let’s go through the KOT equipment and see the benefits these tools bring to the table.
*We are working on expanding our gear supply to deliver you the best knees over toes equipment, so keep in mind that the list will expand as we discover new efficient bulletproofing gear for you.
1. Tib Bar
Recognized as the staple of knees over toes training, the Tib Bar is an essential piece of KOT equipment. Also known as the tibialis anterior trainer, the Tib Bar found its place among runners, lifters, and team sport players equally.
With its sturdy build and robust iron construction, the Hybrid Athlete Tib Bar can handle up to 70 kg of load (standard gym plates). This allows for a plethora of exercises, with the main focus being on the tibialis anterior, of course.
Tib Bar Benefits
By training your tibialis anterior with the tib bar, you can expect the following benefits:
- Stronger and more controlled dorsiflexion of the ankle
- Enhanced ankle mobility and ankle strength
- Lower risk of ankle injuries and shin splints
- Better transfer of force through your lower legs, aka better jumping and landing
- A more synchronized running gait cycle
2. Solo Tib Bar
The Hybrid Athlete Solo Tib Bar is a smaller, unilateral version of the regular tib bar. It focuses on each ankle separately and enables you to work through another plane – aka internal and external ankle rotation.
When it comes to regular vs. solo tib bars, despite the fact that both tackle the tibialis anterior, the solo version has a few different benefits to offer.
The solo tib uses standard plates as well and comes with a foot-securing mechanism for a better fit.
Solo Tib Bar Benefits
Here’s what to expect when you start training with the solo tib bar:
- Enhanced ankle stability, especially during rotation
- General improvement in ankle health, especially as a runner
- Lower risk of injury during foot pronation and supination
- The ability to perform exercises like hip flexor raises and hamstring curls
3. Nordic Hamstring Curl Strap
Now we are getting into the zone of challenging exercises. Thanks to its difficulty, the Nordic hamstring curl has been an athletic rite of passage for all sorts of athletes. Naturally, the Nordic curls strap came out as the ultimate tool to practice it.
The Hybrid Athlete Nordic hamstring curl strap is here to help you with this tough, but ever-so-beneficial exercise. It also comes with a free pad to protect your knees while you work out. The best part is – it can be used virtually anywhere, as long as you have a door to secure the strap underneath.
Nordic Ham Curl Strap Benefits
You don’t have to perform the whole movement (descend and ascend) to reap the benefits of Nordic curls. If you’re new to it, practice with a controlled descent first. Here are the main benefits of using the Nordic hamstring curl strap:
- Strength in the whole posterior chain with the main focus on the hamstrings
- Enhanced stability in the lower abdominals
- Lower back bulletproofing and posterior chain injury prevention
- Knee health boost due to a better posterior to anterior leg muscle balance
4. Ab Sling Straps
The Hybrid Athlete Ab Straps enable you to perform hanging core exercises without the strain on your elbows and shoulders.
This in turn allows you to actually focus on your hip flexors and abdominal muscles, instead of getting side-tracked due to forearm tension or issues from over-using your grip while hanging.
Essentially, if you have a pull-up bar available you can use the Ab straps to turn it into an ab-training station.
Ab Sling Strap Benefits
While it can be a bit tricky to get used to mounting and dismounting the Ab slings, as soon as you get used to it, you can expect:
- Better core activation during hanging exercises
- Lower chance of wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries due to overuse
- Another efficient way to train your hip flexors (the Ab strap is great for hip flexor raises)
- Less strain on your back from sit-ups and crunches (which you should ditch anyway)
5. Slant Board
Here we have another KOT equipment superstar – the Hybrid Athlete Slant Board. This piece of exercise gear is quite simple actually – it’s a safe way to perform heel-elevated exercises by increasing the angle (slant) underneath your feet.
With the slant board, you can switch the focus of your squats to the VMO (vastus medialis oblique), which is crucial for knee health and lower body explosive movement. On top of that, the slant board gives you a better way to train your quads and calves, all by controlling the angle.
Slant Board Benefits
The slant board is accessible to everyone, with the option to easily progress by adjusting the angle of the slant. Here’s a list of benefits you can expect when you implement the slant board into your leg day:
- VMO activation and strengthening through targeted muscle training
- Better lower body activation through the full range of motion during squatting
- Knee bulletproofing and pain relief (the slant board is excellent for rehab)
6. Squat Wedges
Similar to the tib bar vs. solo tib debate, the Hybrid Athlete Squat Wedges enable individual heel-elevation (as opposed to the Slant Board).
If you’re looking for an efficient way to introduce heel-elevated exercises to your routine, this piece of KOT equipment is the best way to go. The Squat Wedges are made of high-quality rubber, making them slip-resistant and easy to carry (you get a free bag as well).
Squat Wedges Benefits
Here’s a list of benefits you’ll notice when you start heel-elevated training (both uni and bilateral):
- Enhanced mobility and flexibility from your feet to your hips
- Deeper squats and a more controlled descent into your ROM
- Decrease in lower back strain during squatting and a decrease in butt-winking
7. Ankle Strap For Dumbbells
When it comes to hip flexor training, up until recently, there weren’t many different ways to target this muscle. Luckily, the Hybrid Athlete Ankle Strap for Dumbbells solves that issue by letting you, well, attach dumbbells to the soles of your feet.
This neat piece of KOT equipment is designed to firmly sit underneath your feet, allowing you to perform not only hip flexor raises, but hamstring curls and leg extensions as well.
Each ankle strap supports up to 45 kg of load, making it ideal for easy progressions and progressive overload.
Ankle Strap For Dumbbells Benefits
Here’s what you can expect from this MonkeyFeet alternative when you implement it into your leg day routine:
- Strengthening of the hip flexor muscles (which goes great with lengthening through KOT squats)
- Lower risk of hip flexor strains
- An efficient way to progressively train your hip flexors
- The bonus of being able to train quads and tibialis with ankle straps
Don’t Wait For Injuries To Happen - Get Your KOT Equipment and Start Bulletproofing ASAP
At Hybrid Athletes, we firmly believe that the only way to be strong and fast while staying injury-free is to utilize the correct tools (next to a viable program, of course). We use every piece of KOT equipment we mentioned, and test it vigorously, virtually every day.
So, if you are looking for a way to be strong and resilient into your old age, you better start thinking about it right away.
Check out our Gear Shop, and invest in an injury-free future right now:
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