As obstacle course racers, the Tough Mudder Tour 2014 crew have gone through a fair bit of OCR gear and training aids. One such training aid that has proven to be an absolute winner, is the Training Mask 2.0. A high altitude simulating mask, this piece of training gear has really turned training and workouts on their heads. Here is TMTour2014’s first Product Review featuring the Training Mask 2.0!
Altitude training. We’ve all heard this term, but not many people know much, if anything, about this new phenomenon. Some footy teams travel overseas for a few weeks during preseason to train at higher altitude, come back and kill it during the start of the season. Professional endurance athletes swear by altitude training. It can’t all be hype - there is definitely a whisper of truth to altitude training.
That being said. there has always been the problem of affording such luxuries as traveling overseas to train in Arizona or somewhere well above sea level. Normal working people, the weekend warriors, just can’t afford such things. That is until now.
Let me introduce you to the Training Mask 2.0
That being said. there has always been the problem of affording such luxuries as traveling overseas to train in Arizona or somewhere well above sea level. Normal working people, the weekend warriors, just can’t afford such things. That is until now.
Let me introduce you to the Training Mask 2.0
The Training Mask 2.0 is a face-mask worn during your workouts and trainings. It simulates high altitude training, by regulating how much air you can breathe in, making it so that you breathe against resistance, in turn making the air feel thinner. It makes your workouts more efficient, providing the same cardiovascular benefits in as little as one-third the time (of a non-mask workout). So that one hour cardio workout you do? You can cut that down to 20 minutes with the Training Mask 2.0!
The mask is held to your head by a velcro head strap, and has 3 valves on the front. The middle valve lets the air out when you breathe out, and the two side ones are the resistance valves, determining how much air you breathe in.
You can change the 2 side valves to reduce the air flow, to simulate between 3000 feet in altitude resistance and 18,000 feet in altitude resistance.
The mask is held to your head by a velcro head strap, and has 3 valves on the front. The middle valve lets the air out when you breathe out, and the two side ones are the resistance valves, determining how much air you breathe in.
You can change the 2 side valves to reduce the air flow, to simulate between 3000 feet in altitude resistance and 18,000 feet in altitude resistance.
Pros:
Cons:
Price:
In Australia, the price for the Training Mask 2.0 is $129.95, and in America, their price is $85.30 plus shipping. They can only be purchased online (links down below).
What you get with your purchase, is the Training Mask 2.0, Training Mask sleeve (black) and resistance valves (white). Different sleeves and coloured valves are also available for purchase in both countries. There are some great sleeves available, including Darth Vader, Jungle Camo, Skull, Spiderman and Bane from Batman. Also available are country flags (I have the Aussie Flag sleeve).
- Reduce cardio training time down to almost a third
- Increased lung capacity
- Increased anaerobic threshold
- Increased oxygen efficiency
- Increased energy production
- Increased mental focus
- Affordable option for altitude training
- Get ahead of your team mates and opposition
Cons:
- Scaring people when running past them in the street wearing a bane like mask (or is this a pro?)
Price:
In Australia, the price for the Training Mask 2.0 is $129.95, and in America, their price is $85.30 plus shipping. They can only be purchased online (links down below).
What you get with your purchase, is the Training Mask 2.0, Training Mask sleeve (black) and resistance valves (white). Different sleeves and coloured valves are also available for purchase in both countries. There are some great sleeves available, including Darth Vader, Jungle Camo, Skull, Spiderman and Bane from Batman. Also available are country flags (I have the Aussie Flag sleeve).
Over the last few months, many sporting celebrities have been uploading photos of themselves wearing their Training Masks, including many NFL stars (Dez Bryant, Tyrelle Pryor, Steve Smith) and even Mike Tyson.
When you first starting using the Training Mask, it is recommended that you start on the lowest level resistance – 3000ft. This is just so that you can get used to the mask. A lot of the time, the first use of the Mask freaks people out to start with. Not getting the ‘normal’ amount of oxygen isn’t the best feeling to begin with. But after a few minutes, you will get used to it, and after 10 minutes, I didn’t even notice the mask at all.
After a couple weeks, I upped the resistance to 6000ft, and am now using the 12,000ft settings. That’s the same as training 12,000 feet above sea level. You can sure feel the difference after a run when you take the mask off! The relief of breathing in more oxygen straight after taking it off is great!
Overall, I absolutely love my Training Mask. It has taken my workouts to a whole other level, and I have seen such great improvements in my cardio, especially when running the 20km of Tough Mudders that I do regularly. I highly recommend to anyone that is serious about their training.
If you have the chance, check them out
AUS - http://trainingmaskoceania.com
USA - http://www.trainingmask.com
If you have any questions regarding the Training Mask, hit us up in the comments below, or send us an email at [email protected]
And finally, send TMTour2014 your photos of you wearing your Training Mask to feature on our Facebook and Twitter pages. The Elevation Army is growing!
After a couple weeks, I upped the resistance to 6000ft, and am now using the 12,000ft settings. That’s the same as training 12,000 feet above sea level. You can sure feel the difference after a run when you take the mask off! The relief of breathing in more oxygen straight after taking it off is great!
Overall, I absolutely love my Training Mask. It has taken my workouts to a whole other level, and I have seen such great improvements in my cardio, especially when running the 20km of Tough Mudders that I do regularly. I highly recommend to anyone that is serious about their training.
If you have the chance, check them out
AUS - http://trainingmaskoceania.com
USA - http://www.trainingmask.com
If you have any questions regarding the Training Mask, hit us up in the comments below, or send us an email at [email protected]
And finally, send TMTour2014 your photos of you wearing your Training Mask to feature on our Facebook and Twitter pages. The Elevation Army is growing!
It really does make altitude training at home easy!
#AltitudeAtHome
#AltitudeMadeEasy
#TMTour2014
#AltitudeAtHome
#AltitudeMadeEasy
#TMTour2014