What is Self-Resistance? Why and How Does the Olympus Grip® Utilize This Concept?
The Olympus Grip® enables virtually every calisthenic exercise imaginable, but it originally started as a self-resistance gym. The idea came to me decades ago when I faced a challenge: I was an endurance weekend warrior who loved trail running, but I didn’t have enough time to train my upper body. As a result, my upper body began to weaken.
During long desert runs, I started thinking about how I could tone my upper body while on the move. I first tried dumbbells, but they were impractical—finding the right weight for different run lengths and fluctuating energy levels was impossible. I then turned to calisthenic training books for answers, many of which emphasized the foundational techniques of Charles Atlas.
Who is Charles Atlas and How is He Tied to Self-Resistance?
One of America’s most popular bodybuilders in the early 1900s, Charles Atlas was instrumental in developing and promoting dynamic self-resistance exercises. Born into a poor Italian immigrant family in Brooklyn, he was frequently bullied as a child. Determined to build strength, he turned to bodyweight resistance training at home since he couldn’t afford a gym membership or weights. Inspired by the movements of caged animals at the zoo, Atlas created a dynamic resistance program using only his body (Smithsonian).
After consistently winning bodybuilding competitions, Atlas began publishing widely popular magazine articles and books promoting his workouts. Many elite athletes of the era—including Joe DiMaggio, Max Baer, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Robert Ripley, and Alan Wells—supported his training philosophy.
While Charles Atlas is widely recognized for promoting self-resistance—also known as dynamic resistance, isotonic training, and isometrics—the concept has existed for thousands of years and remains a fundamental technique in many martial arts disciplines.
What is Self-Resistance and How Do You Do It?
Self-resistance is a form of strength training in which one arm resists the movement of the other. These exercises can be dynamic (moving) or isometric (static). They activate a range of upper-body muscles, including the back, biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders, and lats. In Atlas’s time, this technique involved pressing one hand or limb against another to create tension and resistance.
Why is Self-Resistance So Effective?
- Proven Method – Martial artists and athletes have used self-resistance techniques for centuries to demonstrate their effectiveness in building strength.
- Completely Portable – No weights or machines are required, making self-resistance perfect for travel or outdoor workouts.
- No Gym Space Needed – Self-resistance workouts require minimal space and no bulky equipment.
- Instantly Adjustable Resistance – The level of effort is entirely controlled by the user, adapting in real time to strength and fatigue.
- Safer than Weights – There’s no risk of dropping heavy equipment or overloading your joints—making it a safer training alternative.
Developing the First Prototype of the Olympus Grip
When I first attempted dynamic resistance exercises, I struggled to securely grip my sweaty limbs. I experimented with different tools, but most were flimsy and uncomfortable. As an avid mountain biker, I knew that a solid grip dramatically impacted the comfort and control of a ride. That’s why the Olympus Grip® features a durable, cushioned silicone handle with a textured pattern—designed to prevent blisters and provide a slip-resistant, comfortable hold.
Additionally, I needed the grips to:
- Have handles close enough together to allow a full range of motion during exercises.
- Rotate across a central axis for smooth transitions and better ergonomics.
- Connect and disconnect easily to allow for use with 3 lb dumbbells, increasing exercise versatility.
Designing a quick and easy connection system took many prototypes to get right. It was a tough engineering challenge, but ensuring seamless transitions between exercises was critical. While the Olympus Grip® now includes many additional features, these core elements remain vital to its self-resistance functionality.
How the Olympus Grip Enhances Self-Resistance Training
Incorporating self-resistance into my long runs was a game-changer. It allowed me to train both upper and lower body at once—making my workouts more efficient and effective. It also helped improve my arm strength for obstacle course racing.
Key advantages of the Olympus Grip for self-resistance training:
- Portability – Ideal for trail running, travel, or small home workout spaces.
- Smart App Integration – A phone mount on the left handle lets you stream workouts anywhere and guides you through over 30 self-resistance exercises. The Olympus Grip app even calculates calories burned based on the intensity of the exercise and your chosen gait (jogging, walking, or standing).
- Efficiency – Upper-body exercises like self-resistance and dumbbell routines can be combined with lower-body movements like running or walking for maximum efficiency—what we call the "Double Workout Advantage®."
- Flexibility & Versatility – Once users reach muscle fatigue during self-resistance, they can easily disconnect and perform hundreds of light dumbbell exercises guided by the Olympus Grip app. While the Olympus Grip supports many exercise types, dumbbell exercises offer a natural progression from self-resistance.
- Endless Variety & Creativity – The ability to mix and match self-resistance, dumbbell, and lower-body exercises provides thousands of combinations to diversify your routine and avoid plateaus.
If Self-Resistance Exercises Are So Great, Why Haven’t I Heard About Them?
Most self-resistance equipment on the market is either flimsy or hard to find. Moreover, self-resistance is rarely promoted in commercial gyms because they already provide free weights and machines. Since portability isn’t a concern at the gym, this form of training often goes unmentioned.
Additionally, many people model their home gyms after what they’ve seen in commercial gyms, so self-resistance tools are rarely advertised for at-home use either.
Another hurdle: it’s difficult to measure or quantify self-resistance, which makes tracking progress harder. That’s one area where traditional weights and machines excel—they offer clear, measurable load. But the absence of numbers doesn’t mean the absence of results. You’re still building muscle and burning fat. Think about it this way: you can be a great runner without knowing your exact pace or distance—just by pushing yourself.
There’s no doubt in my mind that self-resistance is a powerful, accessible complement to traditional training, especially for those without access to weights. Still, I don’t believe self-resistance alone is the only solution for complete, total-body fitness. That’s why the Olympus Grip® is designed to support far more than just self-resistance. In fact, it enables over 800 exercises, including:
- Acts as a push-up bar for plank and push-up variations
- Supports gymnast-style hanging strap exercises like dips and pull-ups
- Enables leaning strap resistance exercises
- Incorporates resistance tube bands for additional load
- Integrates cardio with a heavy jump rope
- Offers bootcamp-style and field training workouts—and much more!
Even more exciting: Fitnix® is currently developing the Olympus Grip V2.0, which will feature built-in sensors to measure the force of every push and pull, solving the quantification challenge of self-resistance training.
Final Thoughts
The Olympus Grip® began as a self-resistance tool designed to deliver a double workout on the go. Today, it has evolved into a versatile calisthenics system supporting over 800 exercises. Whether you’re an endurance athlete optimizing your training, a traveler seeking compact gear, or someone chasing a more efficient full-body workout, the Olympus Grip delivers.
Take your workouts to the next level with the Olympus Grip®—your all-in-one solution for strength, mobility, and endurance!