Exosuit Designed in Woodruff School Helps with Awkward Lifts

me.gatech.edu

47 points·rbanffy··6 comments

Looking at his hunched back when he's doing the "lift" makes me cringe. I'm not a "gym guy", I look like shit, but going to the gym a few times is the best thing I did for myself because I learned how to pick something from the floor and lift it without injuring my back.

The guy should pivot in place, bend at the knees, grab the handles, stand, and then pivot in place. It’s like people decided to invent a power suit because they forgot how to use their feet.

So they've built something to assist where the body is at it's weakest...

The point is that this is a realistic movement people can find themselves doing and this is research into making that better/safer.

In complete isolation, this might be completely replaced by different lifting technique.

But what about in cramped quarters where turning isn't easy, or with an awkward object?

What about in combination with other devices which make the body strong along another axis?

I'm sure they know that. I believe it's just an issue with the demo/test though, there's other situations more difficult to avoid.

Do that 200 times in a row and the extra movements start to add up.

I'm highly skeptical of the twisting motion they seem to be encouraging here, which is normally just asking to be injured. I guess it would depend on how much their exosuit actually helps with that.

As far as bending at the knees though, you should read Why You SHOULD Use Your Back as a Crane[1].

[1]: https://startingstrength.com/training/why-you-should-use-you...

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