1. KILOGEAR (ie Trent): Jason, thanks for joining us today. Can you just introduce yourself to our readers and fill us in on your background?
Jason: Glad to be part of KILOGEAR! I’m the Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Director of Sports Medicine for the Mayo Clinic Arizona. Prior to joining the Mayo Clinic, I completed my residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and sports medicine fellowship at the University of Utah. Following training, I lspent time at Georgetown University Hospital, Walter Reed l, and Fort Campbell, and was deployed twice as a Battalion Surgeon during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
2. KILOGEAR (ie Trent): Thank you for your service! What lead you to Sports Medicine?
Jason: I was an athlete all of my life and come from a family of athletes. When I was a young child my gran was in a major industrial accident and survived. He painted bridges for a living and one day the scaffolding broke and he plummeted from the bridge. He survived but had a severe traumatic brain injury and lost his hearing. He would always tell me that when I would grow up to become a doctor and fo fix his ears.. I had a love for sports.and knew that I would not play forever.so sports medicine seemed like an obvious fit. I was the valedictorian in high school and had offers for college sports at smaller schools but I choose to focus on school and turned down the offers. I missed sports too much and ended up playing two sports in college and earned a scholarship. Sports medicine drew me to join the military as our soldiers , sailors, airmen, and Marines are everyday athletes. In the military I could sports medicine as a way for me to stay connected to the discipline and physical readiness aspect of the military. Following my time in the Army, I was able to take the skills and knowledge I acquired while working with our soldiers and to help different populations, while still serving and supporting members of the military and disabled community in Olympic and Paralympic Sports.
3. KILOGEAR (ie Trent): What drew you to KILOGEAR?
Jason: In 2014, I published an article pertaining to adaptive sports technologies and equipment. I pointed out that even though there had been technologic advances in medicine and an emphasis on maintaining physical fitness, the population of athletes with impairments had increased. I felt that it was incumbent upon health care practitioners to educate individuals on new concepts and approaches to fitness. I’ve always been on the lookout for that game – changing solution and when I was introduced to KILOGEAR, I found it. KILOGEAR is the taking sport’s performance to the next level.
4. KILOGEAR (ie Trent): Amazing. We think KILOGEAR is revolutionary! The next set of questions come from our customers. Jade H. from SoCal asked: Why is KILOGEAR safer than ankle weights and wrist weights?
Jason: In recent years, the fitness industry has seen a surge in the popularity of wearable technology and smart fitness equipment. Most of the products on the market are great at recording activities or effort. None of them actually help the person in the moment be better. What set Kilogear apart for me was your focus on enhancing every person’s movements. Enhancing an athlete's training experience or even better, turning a non athlete’s movements into fitness movements.
5. KILOGEAR (ie Trent): Tony K. from Chicago asked, “How will it help my performance as a runner?”
Jason: Great question! I have a lot of experience with runners, having served as the Medical Director of the Army Ten Miler and Co-Medical Director for various races like the Salt Lake Marathon, and Racing The Planet Atacama Desert and Gobi Desert Races. Elite athletes in various sports have many things in common. Two important strategies they focus on include endurance and strength training.
The first strategy requires time, which there is never enough of. Wearing KILOGEAR while running allows athletes to get more out of their time. KILOGEAR forces the muscles to work harder, helping increase muscle strength, which leads to better running form, improved power and speed. The added resistance challenges the muscles to work harder in an athlete’s sport specific movements. In the case for running, the gear will help an athlete maintain their running pace for longer, allowing them to run longer distance.
Increasing running strength increases an athlete’s ability to push off the ground, which in turn, increases running pace. However most athletes try and solve that problem in the gym. Now, I am not discounting the importance of overall weight training. However, the real secret elite athletes share is that they have a very strong core. Having a strong core results in improved running posture and form which results in increased stability, increased power and endurance. A strong core includes more than just your standard “six-pack”. A strong core includes the muscles such as the obliques, transverse abdominis and the muscles in the lower back. Wearing KILOGEAR while running forces your core and lower back muscles to work harder to maintain stability and balance. Because your arms are moving in opposition to your legs, the weight of the weights creates a sort of imbalance, requiring your core to engage to keep you stable. This added resistance can help to increase the strength, endurance, and stability of your core muscles.
6. KILOGEAR (ie Trent): Trevor W. from Canada asked, “How effective is it compared to just a weight vest or ankle weights?”
Jason: One of the standout features of KILOGEAR is its unique design. KILOGEAR distributes weight evenly across the arms and legs, which helps to maintain a natural gait. Unlike other weight-bearing equipment like vests, or ankle and wrist weights, KILOGEAR is designed to minimize strain on the joints, particularly the ankles, knees and hips. Additionally, traditional weight vests can be excessively heavy, resulting in quickly fatiguing the user, leading to improper form, increase injury and ultimately, reducing movement throughout the day. KILOGEAR on the other hand, promotes balanced resistance weight training, allowing for a steady and sustained workout, rather than overwhelming the body’s joint and cardiovascular system.
7. KILOGEAR (ie Trent): Kelly S. from Los Angeles asked, “How long can I wear KILOGEAR, is it safe to wear all day?”
Jason: Yes! KILOGEAR can be worn during your entire workout, after your workout or simply worn all day. The strategic placement of weight, allows your body to easily adapt to the extra load, making it comfortable to wear throughout the day during everyday activities. The materials used for KILOGEAR are specially selected for their specific benefits. Whether you need moisture-wicking, four-way stretch, or performance compression, KILOGEAR has a solution tailored to your needs. It’s designed to enhance performance and make transformation possible with daily use.
8. KILOGEAR (ie Trent): Robert T. from Sacramento asked, “How is KILOGEAR effective for the Tactical community?”
Jason: Tactical operators need to be physically fit in order to perform the demands of their job. Strength, power and overall physical fitness are crucial for performing the physically demanding tasks that operators are faced with daily. Training and wearing KILOGEAR can improve an operator’s endurance, reduce the risk of injury and enhance cardiovascular and respiratory function, allowing the operator to perform during high-intensity physical activity (apprehending a suspect) and more importantly, maintain performance, even in situations of fatigue or stress.
9. KILOGEAR (ie Trent): Ken W. from Nevada asked, “Can I wear KILOGEAR on the job?”
Jason: Yes, KILOGEAR is versatile and multi-functional gear that offers a two-fold benefit. Not only does it turn everyday movements into effective fitness training opportunities, but it also provides an additional layer of protection for the arms and legs. The weights, made of silicon and steel, are strategically distributed down the arms and legs to act as a protective shield, similar to a shin or arm guard. In the event of an impact, the weights can absorb the shock, ensuring the user is protected. With KILOGEAR, users can not only improve their fitness and readiness for physical challenges, but also have an added layer of protection in any potential confrontations.
10. KILOGEAR (ie Trent): Justin M. from New York City, “Can KILOGEAR improve my performance on the job as an officer?”
Jason: KILOGEAR can absolutely improve job performance for all tactical operators, to include police and fire. Wearing and training in KILOGEAR will improve overall physical fitness, strength and power, crucial for performing demanding tasks like apprehending an offender. Additionally, wearing KILOGEAR can help improve endurance, which enables you to sustain effort during a chase or physical altercation. KILOGEAR will also improve an officer’s agility and speed, which can be crucial for quickly and effectively responding to dangerous situations. KILOGEAR can also aid in enhancing an officer’s weapon handling abilities through increasing strength and stability. Having a strong upper body and core can help provide a stable platform for shooting, allowing you to maintain a consistent aim, and reduce recoil. Hoping this never happens, but having improved endurance will improve accuracy and the ability to fire multiple rounds when needed.