By Doug Thurston

THE GREAT OUTDOORS RUNNING

Running is a simple activity that requires little learning. But good running form is not innate. There are few devices available to runners to help them improve their running form for increased efficiency and reduced injuries.

A new running grip has been developed by a Rancho Cordova man who says it improves running form. As a long-time runner, I feel like I have refined my form through 20 years of participation. But trying the grips for the first time last week, I can’t deny I felt a difference.

I was tracking straighter and had more balance. When my running path moved from smooth asphalt to a narrow, winding dirt trail, my footing improved when holding the soft, gray grips. I would have never thought something I carried in my hands would have such an effect the way I ran.

Stephen Tamaribuchi, inventor of the e3 grip, is used to reactions like this to his new product. Tamaribuchi developed the e3 after two decades of research and development.

”It’s the only product of its kind on the market,” Tamaribuchi said. ”It’s based on the theory of interactive biomechanics.”

Tamaribuchi, an expert on ergonomics and repetitive stress injuries, said the grip keeps the fingers, thumb, and wrist in a neutral position, resulting in better body control and improved balance. The grip, similar in size and shape to the handles of ski poles, help runners keep their arms closer to their body. That aligns and stabilizes their shoulders and hips to a more efficient position, reducing the probability of injury. They’ve been compared to ortho-tics for the hands.

”Finger and hand positioning have a great effect on the use of muscles in the lower extremities (back and legs),” Tamaribuchi said.

Tamaribuchi said his original inspiration for the product came after he suffered considerable upper body trauma following a series of sports injuries and auto accidents more than 20 years ago.

Following his recovery, his interest in the martial arts blossomed to accupressure and Shiatsu, finger pressure. He has maintained a private practice as an accupressurist. Clients have included tennis great Rod Laver and ballet legend Rudolf Nureyev. He also worked with the Sacramento State football team in the 1980s and with a professional snowboard team in 1997.

It was during his work with athletic and non-athletic clients that he noted a common problem.

”Repetitive motion injuries and many sports injuries come from the same problem of improper alignment and muscle use,” Tamaribuchi said. ”You have to change the mechanics to change the stress on the body and break the injury cycle.”

His grip resulted both from work with athletes and corporate clients such as Apple Computer, Hewlett Packard, and the California Department of Health Services.

Despite page after page of product testimonials from athletes, coaches, and trainers, it has still been hard for Tamaribuchi to get the medical and scientific community to accept the product. Tamaribuchi says a lot of the resistance exists because his product and the concept is so simple.

”I didn’t want to believe it at first,” said Pat Sweeney, the owner of Fleet Feet Sports in Sacramento. ”It sounded too weird that something as simple as holding something in your hand can make a difference. But it does. With the grips, I run straight down the road without thinking about it.”

Sales have been moderate in the first year, and retail outlets are few. Most of his sales come from mail order. The grips retail for $39.95.

”The grips, which weigh about four ounces each, are one size fits all, as palm width varies little by body size,” Tamaribuchi said.

Walkers, hikers, skaters and snowboarders have all bought the grips.

”There’s a strong market for the e3 in physical therapy,” Tamaribuchi said. ”It’s not limited to a single activity.”

Tamaribuchi is currently producing a training program for patient ambulation with several local X-ray and imaging centers in Northern California. His greatest market for the product may be seniors who can use the grip not only for fitness walking but also for better all-around mobility.

For more information on the e3 grip, phone 483-2686 or visit the web site at www.biogrip.com.

DOUG THURSTON is a Sacramento runner and race director. He can be reached at 447-2786 or Runinfo1 @ aol.com

All content © The Sacramento Bee and may not be republished without permission.

E3 Grips Are AWESOME!!

Steve:

I just wanted to say that I have been using my e3 Fitness Grips
religiously since February of 2001. That is when my teammates from Team
In Training and I were videotaped while running on the track at
Sacramento State University during one of our workouts. I never knew
how bad my form really was until the tape demonstrated how much my
elbows went out and my hands crossed over. I also found that this
improper movement was also indirectly causing my feet to point slightly
outward as they landed, rather than totally forward.

Ever since then, the e3 Fitness Grips have improved my form dramatically
– simply by helping me to keep my elbows in toward my sides and drive
my fists forward, rather than crossing over. With the e3 Fitness Grips,
I feel like I have so much more control. My workouts go more smoothly
and I am much more efficient on my longer runs (this last part turned
out to be very important, considering I ended up logging over 2100 miles
in the 2001 calendar year).

In the past I would see my shadow on the ground and I thought that I
just naturally had a funny looking running form. That is simply not the
case today. I look like a real runner now.

I have also been injury free since using the e3 Fitness Grips. I am
sure that improved running form has a lot to do with it.

Thanks for your great invention and for helping runners run happier and
healthier.

–
Bob Rowden
Former Team-In-Training Mentor
Greater Sacramento Area Chapter
Fall 2001 California International Marathon
Sacramento, CA

Ever since I first began running I have been a magnet for running injuries. Feet that are not bio-mechanically well-constructed produced a never-ending list of aches and pains; some annoying, others debilitating and long-lasting.

Shin splints, fascial releases, chronic muscle pulls in hamstrings and calves, achilles tendon issues, knee pain, SI joint pain, etc. I often joke that I got my degree physical therapy first-hand.

I first heard about e3 grips www.biogrip.com two years ago when I was battling through an endless series of calf and hamstring muscle strains. Calf muscle would be feeling great, I’d be running easily, and then ZAP!, out of the blue, the muscle would zing and I’d be walking home. Ditto for the hamstring.

My running routine consisted of jogging 90″ laps around a soccer field where I would walk every 3-4’ to rest the hamstring so it would not spasm and send me home depressed yet again. I had worked up to almost 20’ of walk/run, but my state was very precarious and the muscle was always on edge.

Enter Stephen Tamaribuchi, who I had heard about from a friend who knew an elite runner whose chronic calf pulls disappeared by running with these silly grip things. Stephen was in the area of my home and paid me a visit.

Stephen led me through a series of strength and stepping exercises with and without the grips and the difference was so striking that I called in my wife to observe, or as I said to Stephen, to see if she could detect whatever trick he must be doing to produce such different results simply by holding these grips! No tricks were discernible to my wife either.

The next evening I ventured over to the soccer field with my purchased grips to do my 3’ jog, 1’ walk routine and hoped to add up to 20’. Amazingly, I found myself running 30’ continuous and at a faster pace than my previous jogs under the cover of darkness.

Curious as to the explanation for this quantum leap forward in my running, I put the grips down and ran some more. Within 2’ the hamstring was sending warning signals….not good, so I stopped. Still curious however, I picked up the grips again and began jogging gingerly—no hamstring tension. Fifteen solid-paced minutes later I stopped running and was exhilarated.

Since that time, I have never in my life run so consistently and worry-free. I NEVER run without the grips unless I somehow have not placed them in my bag. Those few annoying times that this has occurred, it was striking how out of sync my stride felt running grip-less.

Stephen’s technical explanation as to how the grips help a runner is as follows:
“The e3 grips help modify mechanical behavior throughout the body by placing the shoulder and hip girdles in more inherently stable positions and the axial skeleton in a balanced vertical alignment.”

My own sense in running with the grips is that everything just seems to line up better and my overall stride and arm swing compacts into a tight, efficient unit. I feel better balanced and with the elimination of extraneous movement my muscles work more easily in moving me forward as they do not have to compensate for strains outside of my specific exercise pattern.

In the simplest of terms, I do not feel like I am walking on eggshells each time I venture out the door to do a run.

Many of the athletes that I coach who have suffered from similar annoying injury patterns will tell you similar stories. We do laugh at ourselves, and jokingly remind each other to hold crystals as well, but bottom-line is that these things work.

-www.triathloncoach.com

Ultrarunning Magazine’s 2001 Men’s North American Ultrarunner of the Year
2001 World 100km Ultramarathon Silver Medallist
2000 USA 100km National Silver Medallist
1994 USA 100km National Champion
Co-author of “The Ultimate Guide to Marathons”

Rich trains and races with the e3 Fitness Grips

Olympic Runner (1996 and 2000), 6-Time Japan National Champion, Japanese National Record-Holder

Sacramento, CA (May 6, 1999)

The e3 fitness grip, the dynamic new invention that improves the body’s biomechanics and impacts both the medical and sports world, has been developed by the Bay Area’s nationally recognized repetitive strain injury and acupressure specialist, Stephen Tamaribuchi.
The e3 fitness grip consists of a pair of small tubular shaped components that fit the curvature of the hands. They feel as soft as clay dough, but they are made of very strong material, which stabilizes the thumb, wrist, elbow, shoulder and back. Held lightly in the hand, the device immediately improves the body’s performance in all sports and assists the physically disabled to regain their balance, speed, strength, and power. Thus they reduce stress and the risk of injury.

Presently the e3 fitness grip is being used by physical therapists to assist patients to walk, get out of chairs, restore body movement, and reduce joint and back problems, and also to improve muscle recruitment. Rick Reitgraf, Senior Physical Therapist at Sutter Senior Care Center Sacramento, has been working with patients to improve their mobility. He reported, “The e3 fitness grip almost immediately improves patients’ confidence and walking speed.” At Sutter General Hospital the Radiation and Oncology technicians and the Physical Therapy unit of the University of California at Davis are using the e3 fitness grip with their patients to increase ambulation.

In sports the e3 fitness grip has created great excitement. Athletes are breaking their records. They run and move faster. “The e3 devices are a major breakthrough in improving athletic performance,” says Dean Brittenham of Scripp’s Shelly Elite Athletic Excellence Health and Resource Center in

La Jolla, California. Peter Mahar, 1988 and 1992 Olympic Marathoner, has said, “After using the e3 fitness grip regularly, I have developed a far more relaxed and injury-free running form.” Maher also indicated that the soreness he was experiencing in his hips disappeared.

Several of the athletes at Stanford, University of Hawaii, and California State University at Sacramento are also using the e3 fitness grip and are seeing major improvements in their performances. A preliminary study at Michigan State University seems to indicate a one- percent increase in VO2 while using the grips. Additional studies are underway at Vanderbilt University, and California State Fullerton.

Who Is the Man Who Invented the e3 fitness grip?

Stephen Tamaribuchi, while in college, sustained four severe injuries affecting his neck and upper and lower back. The pain was constant and pills offered only temporary relief. Nothing in Western medicine seemed to help. Then he remembered how his martial arts teacher used an ancient acupressure technique, known as Shiatsu, for some of the students’ injuries. Consequently, Tamaribuchi sought the best Shiatsu (acupressure) experts he could find. He became their student and studied with them for several years. His pain disappeared finally after modifying the way he used his body, and he realized that chronic pain is almost always related to poor biomechanics and posture.

On the advice of his teachers, Tamaribuchi went on to advanced studies and became a Shiatsu acupressure specialist himself. For twenty years now he has treated many of the world’s great sports figures, including tennis champion Rod Laver, the late Rudolf Nureyev, and Dave Scott, triathlete and six times winner of Hawaii Ironman triathalon.

Wanting to help his patients and the athletes he treated, Tamaribuchi developed the e3 fitness grip. It can be held in any position, whether sitting, walking, or running. The improved body mechanics immediately puts the body into balance. Poor mechanics acts like dominos, creating instability starting from the thumb to the wrist, arm, shoulder, back and the rest of the body. By stabilizing the initial aspects, we can improve how the body performs.

Tamaribuchi states, “My hope is that the e3 fitness grip will allow people of all ages and physical conditions to perform better in daily activities and sports. I particularly want to help older people who are suffering from joint, balance, and mobility problems. I believe the e3 fitness grip can significantly improve their quality of life.”

The e3 fitness grip can be purchased for $39.95 by calling BioGrip, Inc.’s toll free order line at (888) 590-4747, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or by calling their office at (916) 483-2686.

Sacramento, CA (August 11, 1999)

Radiological technicians at the Sutter Memorial Hospital Cancer Center move patients from wheel chairs on to the x-ray tables. Often moving patients much larger than themselves, they are concerned about hurting their backs. Most were amazed to find that the e3 fitness grip could save their backs. The job of moving a patient is now incredibly easier and safer.
Stephen Tamaribuchi, BioGrip, Inc. President and inventor of the e3 fitness grip, was retained by Radiological Associates to train their technicians to move patients without hurting themselves or their patients. Radiological Associates operated the radiation treatment facilities for Sutter Memorial Hospital, Mercy Hospital, and 15 radiological clinics in the Sacramento area. They purchased 80 pairs of e3 fitness grips for use with patients at all of the x-ray facilities in the Sacramento area.

The e3 fitness grip has very broad application for practically all activities and sports. The August 1999 issue of Runner’s World has an article on the e3 grip titled, “Orthotics for Your Hands.” The article note, “They can help correct biomechanical problems and make you a more efficient runner.” Actually, the e3 fitness grip is a “total body orthotic” that allows the body to move as a coordinated and balanced unit. It affects how you use all of your muscles, improving your strength and control and reduces risk of injuries.

Many users have reported that use of the grips has eliminated long-term knee, hip, and back pain. John Kays, a jogger and backpacker for over thirty years, reported that he was on the verge of giving up jogging because of knee pain. With the e3 fitness grip he has eliminated the pain from jogging and back packing trips. Tony Lekas, an arthritis sufferer, could no longer walk around the lake for exercise. Now he can. These are two of many.

Stephen Tamaribuchi hopes to get the e3 fitness grip into the hands of every medical facility and people who want to improve their performance in sports or just simply walking.

Sacramento, CA (November 16, 1998)

The e3 grip (demonstrated at the California Physical Therapists Association Annual Meeting, October 2-5, 1998) is changing our understanding of how to improve body movement.

Immediate Results

Physical therapists all over the country are showing patients how to use the e3 grip to help them walk, get out of chairs, restore body movement, and to reduce joint and back problems. Rick Reitgraf, Senior Physical Therapist, Sutter Senior Care Center, Sacramento, CA, has been working with patients to improve their mobility. Rick reported, “The e3 grip immediately improved patients’ walking speed and confidence. The improvement was clearly visible for every patient.”

Improved Balance, Reduced Pain & Stress

Coaches, trainers, physical therapists, and doctors have long encouraged efficient body movement to maximize performance and minimize risk of sudden or repetitive stress injury. Inefficient jogging form is often revealed by the pounding, slapping and shuffling sound of joggers as they pass by. The e3 grip dramatically improves a jogger’s balance by producing an efficient running form, eliminating unnecessary pain and stress on the joints and back.

Experts Pronounce e3 a Major Breakthrough

Dean Brittenham, Director, Shiley Elite Athletic Excellence Health Resource Center at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California, stated, “I saw immediate and dramatic improvements in the running form and agility in the athletes using the e3 grips. I believe the e3 grips are a major breakthrough in improving athletic performance.” Beth Alford-Sullivan, Women’s Coordinator of Cross Country Track and Field, Stanford University, noted after a demonstration that the runners using the grips, “showed immediate improvement in each athlete’s running form and stride.” Peter Maher, 1988 and 1992 Olympic Marathoner, said that, “After using the e3 regularly, I have developed a far more relaxed and injury-free running form.” Peter also indicated that the soreness he was experiencing in his hips disappeared.

The Physics of Body Movement

The e3 grip is the product of over 20 years of research. Stephen Tamaribuchi, inventor of the e3 grip and President of BioGrip, Inc. has taken the science of human biomechanics to a new level. Stephen has helped both athletes and non-athletes to improve how they use their muscles to perform various activities from typing to sprinting. He found that the hand, fingers, and thumb as positioned by the e3, dramatically improves balance and posture throughout the entire body, resulting in increased agility, speed, and strength, and reduced stress on joints and risk of injury. Continued use of the e3 grip enables the body to retrain its muscles to ensure proper hand positioning and posture.

Effective for All Ages & Stages

Stephen stated, “My hope is that the e3 grip will allow people of all ages and physical condition to perform better in sports and daily activities. I particularly want to help people who are suffering from joint, balance, and mobility problems. I believe the e3 can significantly improve their quality of life.”

For More Information, Contact.

I have always been pleased with our speed development program, but the addition of the e3 Grips has opened up a whole new area of instruction and learning. The e3 Grip has allowed us to make quicker, more permanent corrections to mechanical flaws in some athletes form. Thanks again for such a substantial innovation.”

– Bob King, C.S.C.S.,
President
Athlete Development Center
Strength & Conditioning Coach Dallas Burn MLS