In today’s industry where there seems to be almost limitless fitness content available at the touch of a button, an ability to think outside the box and be original, build positive client relationships and produce unique programming that gets results are all essential skills for fit pros to be successful. The tools you choose to use as a trainer can have an impact on all of those traits. Tools such as ViPR open the door for creativity in exercise design, encourage you to coach and interact with clients, and offer great results for an abundance of health- and fitness-related goals.
ViPR is not just a tool; it is a genre of training we like to call Loaded Movement Training. This is allowing the body to move as it was designed to move, unrestricted in three dimensions with changes in direction, speed and with a variety of loads and intensities. ViPR comes in a variety of weights to facilitate all forms of training and create a system that allows you to programme training for any ability and any fitness goal. The variety in the weight range allows you to pick the correct load for the individual in front of you and the desired training adaptations.
That’s not to say ViPR is the sole solution to all of your training needs, as there are many traditional fitness tools that have stood the test of time and have yielded amazing results for generations. However, if you want to train to be functional, then ViPR should 100% be supplementing your training plans.
ViPR weight range
ViPR weights range through 2kg, 4kg, 6kg, 8kg,10kg, 12kg, 16kg and 20kg.
This range provides a continuum of stimulus which can be deployed across all variations of training for any ability. Access to this range opens up so much training potential to bring improved function to all of the principles of fitness.
1. Mobility and movement preparation: 2kg – 8kg
Mobility work is often under-loaded or entirely unloaded. This limits proprioceptive input and reduces transfer into functional loaded movement patterns, meaning that strength and stability are not built through a full range of motion and so gains are limited. Lighter ViPR tools (2kg, 4kg, 6kg, 8kg) solve this problem by introducing just enough resistance to enhance neuromuscular engagement without compromising movement quality and still building strength into the full range of joint motion.
At these loads, the emphasis is on:
- multi-planar range of motion
- full functional joint motion under light load
- movement sequencing and co-ordination.
Exercise examples include:
- Anterior/Posterior Step and Reach
- Front Loaded Weight Shift and Lateral Bend
- ViPR static rotation.
Coaches’ tip: Use 2–6kg for clients with limited mobility or during early-stage rehab. Gradually progress to 8kg as movement competency improves. This phase sets the foundation for more intense functional loading in the future.
2. Resistance training: 8kg – 20kg
Traditional resistance training is often sagittal-plane dominant and has fixed movement patterns designed to lift maximal weight as safely as possible. It’s a proven way to build strength and power very efficiently but, due to the nature of such heavy loads, it means movement has to be very restricted to protect the joints and keep them stable. ViPR supplements multi-plane movement into such a training plan by lightening the load and encouraging and allowing joints to freely flow in all directions, building functional strength and mobility simultaneously.
Mid-to-heavy loads (10kg, 12kg, 16kg, 20kg) are ideal for:
- hypertrophy
- functional strength
- power production in multiple planes.
Exercise examples include:
- Squat and Rotational Press
- Lunge and Hook
- Step and Uppercut
- Spilt Stance Shovel.
Coaches’ tip: The key advantage is that load is not just moved – it is driven, absorbed and redirected. The soft tissues such as muscle and fascia first lengthen, then shorten to take advantage of their elastic nature in force production.
Match load to movement complexity. Heavier loads should be reserved for simpler patterns or highly competent clients. Use 10–16kg as the ‘workhorse’ range for most general population strength sessions.
3. Cardio and conditioning: 6kg – 16kg
Conditioning with ViPR is where the tool really demonstrates its intensity. By combining load with speed and multi-planar movement, you create a metabolic demand that surpasses traditional steady-state cardio and builds a more rounded athlete.
Recommended loads:
- 6–10kg: High-repetition, continuous movement circuits
- 12–16kg: Power-based conditioning and interval work
Exercise examples include:
- Hi-Lo lateral Shift
- Pivot Step with Rotation
- Forward Backward Run and Tilt
- Snatch Lunges.
These movements elevate heart rate while simultaneously developing co-ordination, strength and movement efficiency. This is particularly valuable for group exercise settings where novelty and variety are engaging.
Coaches’ tip: Select load based on session goal. For aerobic conditioning, keep loads lighter and durations longer. For anaerobic intervals, increase load and reduce work time to maintain intensity.
4. Core and stability training: 6kg – 12kg
Core training with ViPR shifts the focus from ground-based, isolated trunk exercises to upright movements that train the trunk to work as an integrated unit that produces force, absorbs force and stabilises the spine for effective movement. The instability created by off-centre loading challenges the body to resist rotation, flexion and extension dynamically.
Optimal loads:
- 6–8kg: Foundational stability and movement control
- 10–12kg: Advanced anti-rotation and dynamic stability
Exercise examples include:
- Narrow Stance Woodchop
- Overhead Sidebend
- Side Plank and Lateral Crawl Pattern.
Unlike traditional core exercises, ViPR demands integration with the hips and shoulders, and transfers force from the fingers to the toes, training the body as a whole functional unit, reinforcing the concept that the ‘core’ is an integrated system and should not be trained solely in isolation.
Coaches’ tip: Control over speed is crucial when training the core in an upright position. Target a wall of the trunk and work on both force production and absorption. For example, to train the abs in absorption, throw weight backwards fast overhead to then decelerate and stop momentum. Then train them in force production by slowly lengthening load back overhead before exploding forwards, such as when performing a throw-in in football.
5. Recovery and regeneration: 2kg – 6kg
Recovery is often overlooked in programming, yet it is where adaptation occurs. ViPR can be effectively used in low-load, low-intensity settings to facilitate:
- tissue hydration through movement
- gentle range of motion restoration
- freeing muscle tension/tightness.
Using 2–6kg ViPR tools, incorporate slow, controlled flows:
- Mobility sequences
- Assisted stretching with load feedback
Exercise examples include:
- Forward Tilt and Hinge
- Deep Squat and Tilt
- Tilt and Thoracic Reach.
Light loads when stretching with ViPR can encourage increased range of motion and keep the muscles actively controlling that new range without becoming passive, as is often the case with ground-based stretches. A combination of both active and passive styles is optimal.
Coaches’ tip: Position recovery sessions as ‘movement quality sessions’ rather than rest. This increases client buy-in and reinforces long-term habit forming.
Summary
The real value of ViPR lies not in any single weight but in the system of progression the full range facilitates. For personal trainers, this means more precise programming and clearer progression pathways. For group exercise instructors, it offers scalable options within the same class environment. For manual therapists, it bridges rehabilitation and performance.
In a noisy fitness landscape, the fit pros who stand out are those who can justify why they use a tool, not just how. ViPR provides a framework for Loaded Movement Training, making it more than just a tool; it becomes a programming strategy.
