Our Story

The AXIO Story

AXIO Centripetal Training was created by Ted Bezemer, an orthopedic Physical Therapist and strength coach based in Park City, Utah with nearly thirty years experience rehabilitating and training athletes of all levels.

Several years ago, Ted injured his shoulder in a hockey game. Although a surgical repair was recommended, he wanted to explore other remedies knowing that surgery should be an option of last resort.

Need Strength and Control

Traditional therapeutic approaches focus on strengthening which addresses the mechanical stability of a joint. While strengthening is essential, it only solves part of the problem.

The other component – one that is often overlooked - is restoring and maximizing neuromuscular control, which is the body’s ability to reactively sense and modulate force. 

This ‘dual approach’ applies to all joints in the body, but is particularly true of the shoulder, due its design, available range of motion and movement complexity.

With this as a guiding principle, the search was on for devices that improved both mechanical stability (strength) and neuromuscular control (preparatory and reactive muscle activation), and to do so simultaneously.

Exploration Leads to Invention

While some rehabilitation and training devices existed that addressed one component fairly well, or maybe a little bit of both, overall they were generally more appropriate for early stages of recovery, low level use and limited ability to progress difficulty. Ted wanted a more substantial and challenging device that could provide progressive training benefits not only for rehab, but also for higher-level performance. So, the next step was to create something that would.

Most training involves resistance in only a single direction or plane of motion. Instead, to create a more dynamic training experience, Ted focused on a concept of combining the gravitational resistance like that of a free weight with an internal oscillatory and rotational resistance.

This combination of resistance creates a force-multiplier effect that significantly challenges strength and stability. At the same time, it elicits tremendous neuromuscular demand to control the movement of the internal dynamic mass. 

It also quickly became apparent that training results were achieved in less time, using lighter loads and with minimal joint compressive force. Ted termed the use of combining these forces as Centripetal Training.

Early Prototypes and Unexpected Feedback

After constructing what seemed to be an endless number of prototypes, Ted figured out what materials and design worked the best. The early examples were no visions of beauty, but they proved the concept worked…and it worked even better than originally envisioned. He avoided shoulder surgery and resumed playing hockey and other sports without limitation.

To his surprise, clients would ask to use his rudimentary prototypes in their workouts. Even more surprising, he found that not only did they like how it trained their shoulders and upper back, but also how it engaged other muscles throughout their entire body. They would talk about how they felt it in their core and how they really liked it for conditioning intervals. They also said they just liked how it was different, a bit challenging and actually kind of fun.

The positive feedback prompted Ted to experiment with different designs and materials to enhance the resistance, durability, tactile feedback and performance of the device for more fitness and high-level professional training applications.

After a three year journey of injury, analysis, inspiration and experimentation, the result is AXIO Centripetal Training.