In the past few years there have been a handful of fitness influencers who have been garnering massive attention with viral videos depicting a strange training style. Its name is chaos training. This training has been incredibly polarizing, with some saying the training is dangerous, useless, and utterly ridiculous, and yet others who swear it’s taken their performance and gains to the next level.
Personally, I have seen some benefits from some less extreme versions of this training style, often called Chaos training, though not in the way it’s often advertised.
Chaos Training on Social Media vs. Reality
First, it’s important to recognize that most chaos training is not as extreme as what you see on social media. And honestly, the extreme stuff is on social media simply because it’s extreme and it gets attention, not because it’s a valuable training style. The forms of chaos training that actually tend to be utilized, are in general much less extreme and much more recognizable.
Basic Forms of Chaos Training
In fact, the primary factor determining if something is chaos training is the addition of some element of instability or chaos. This can be seen in things as simple as balance training. This is a simple form of training, usually utilizing an unstable surface, and its benefits are well established for senior citizens to help reduce falls or in new trainees who still need to develop basic balance and proprioception before moving onto more complicated exercises. Unilateral and offset load training also introduces an element of chaos by causing an uneven pull on the body which must be overcome with muscular effort to reestablish balance and alignment.
Advanced Chaos Training Methods
Some of the more advanced methods of Chaos training include using implements such as sandbags, which tend to shift and change shape, requiring constant adjustments to secure and lift. Along the same lines is the famous internet lifting challenge from around 10-15 years ago, making it practically vintage in internet years, the slosh pipe. This is a large PVC pipe half-filled with water and capped on both ends. Though not usually very heavy, it was notoriously difficult to lift at first and hilarious to observe.
Every small deviation from absolutely perfect form and alignment would send water and thus all the weight, hurtling to one end, completely throwing off the balance of the lifter.
Recent Trends in Chaos Training
More recently, every barbell lift you can possibly think of has had weight plates and kettlebells attached to the ends of the bars by exercise bands and then had the word chaos slapped in front of its name. This led to the development of bamboo bars and the more specialized earthquake bar, designed specifically for this style of training.
Does Chaos Training Work?
Chaos training can certainly work. But, like all forms of training, it is just a tool, and whether it’s the right tool for you depends on your unique goals. If you are only looking to gain muscle mass and max strength with no other considerations, Chaos training won’t help you very much.
EMG studies actually show that this type of training usually decreases the activity of the prime movers of any given movement or exercise, which are usually the muscles being targeted for growth by that exercise. This is because the brain doesn’t trust you to generate a lot of force in unstable circumstances and so diverts a lot of the muscular activity to the stabilizer muscles instead.
The Role of Stabilizer Muscles
This is where there is some merit to the use of chaos training. Stabilizer muscles are simply any muscle that is being used primarily for stability as opposed to force production in any given exercise.
EMG studies often find greatly increased activation of these stabilizer muscles during chaotic forms of training, especially in novice and intermediate lifters. The increased instability of these exercises creates a constantly shifting, multidirectional load on the joints, requiring the stabilizer muscles to create short bursts of well-timed activity to consistently establish stability and alignment. This same mechanism can be a great way to induce the restructuring of connective tissues in the joints, which is why the less intense versions of chaos training are so commonly used in injury prevention and rehab.
Improving Proprioception Through Chaos Training
This can also be a great way to increase proprioceptive skill as seen in activities like parkour or gymnastics where athletes must develop a very finely tuned mind-body connection to maintain balance on narrow surfaces while attempting already highly advanced movements. So, the question isn’t necessarily does it work, but will it be useful to your specific goals. This type of training is usually best used as a supplement to your normal training. It’s something that can be tossed in after your main lifts in order to increase proprioception, add some novelty stimulation to the muscles, or as a method to more deeply engage stabilizer muscles to help prevent injury.
When Instability is Essential for Training
There are also certain types of training that require you to conquer instability as a prerequisite. For instance, the gymnastic rings have the advantage over bar work of being able to move freely in space, allowing you to more fully explore the true 3-dimensional range of movement your shoulders are capable of.
Yet, this also greatly increases instability. This becomes obvious the first time anyone tries to hold themselves in a front support on the rings and immediately begin to shake and tremble uncontrollably as they unsuccessfully try to stabilize the rings. In training like this, your ability to stabilize the shoulders at an advanced level is developed before you can even begin to develop more standard forms of strength.
Chaos Training in Athletics
This is also often true of athletics in general, in the sense that athletes experience a wide range of chaotic elements while trying to create force, speed, and power. And much of the athlete’s protection from injury comes in the form of reflexive and proprioceptive skills, which allows the athlete to make very quick and instinctive micro adjustments during movement.
The Benefits of Grappling for Chaos Training
In my opinion, the best form of chaos training is also probably the oldest, as well as the most fun to add to any training routine, grappling. Grapplers have to contend with a never-ending stream of chaotic opposition to movement. Turning what might otherwise be simple movements into extreme challenges of strength and physical skill. It builds an impressive type of strength that is relatively unphased by instability and chaotic resistance.
Personal Experience with Chaos Training
I first learned this just out of high school when I tried to wrestle a trash talking friend who had a lot of grappling experience. I easily outlifted him in the gym setting, but as soon as we started grappling it was obvious my gym strength meant very little in this chaotic situation. I had been trained to lift a stationary barbell, which it turns out is much easier than lifting a trash talker with wrestling experience of roughly the same weight. The moral of this short story, don’t let your friends get a big ego at your expense, train for chaotic situations.
Chaos Training for Injury Rehabilitation
For injury rehabilitation, chaos training can be a great way to bring more stability to the joint and speed recovery. However, here’s the caveat, research has shown that if your movement patterns are already dysfunctional, chaotic forms of training will only increase that dysfunction. Meaning you would need to do plenty of corrective training in a stable environment before adding unstable training into the rehab routine.
The Importance of Stable Movement Patterns in Rehab
This is the same reason it’s unwise to take someone with poor basic biomechanics and put them in a contact sport. It’s best to create the necessary foundational biomechanics in a safe and stable environment and then progress them to the dynamic circumstances of live sport. I’ve experienced this myself when attempting to rehab a torn ACL and Medial Meniscus.
The addition of instability in the early to mid phases of my rehab routine by my physical therapist at the time caused a rapid deterioration of my knee function and a drastic increase in pain.
A few years later when I made a second attempt at rehabilitation I found much more success by adding chaos training at the end of my program. In this case, my strength and movement had been fully rehabbed already and the addition of chaotic training noticeably improved the stability of my knee.
QNAs:
- What is Chaos Training and why is it gaining attention in fitness circles?
Chaos Training involves adding instability to exercises to challenge balance and strength. It’s gaining attention due to viral, extreme videos on social media. - Is Chaos Training really as dangerous as some claim, or is it beneficial for certain fitness goals?
Chaos Training can be polarizing—some view it as dangerous, while others find it beneficial for stability and injury prevention, though it may not be effective for muscle gain or strength alone. - What are the different types of Chaos Training, and how are they implemented?
Types include balance training on unstable surfaces, unilateral or offset load exercises, and using shifting objects like sandbags or slosh pipes. These introduce instability that requires constant adjustments. - How does Chaos Training impact muscle activation and stabilizer muscles?
Chaos Training often increases activation of stabilizer muscles because instability shifts the load, making these muscles work harder to maintain stability and alignment. - Can Chaos Training help with injury prevention and rehabilitation?
Yes, less intense forms of Chaos Training can be used for injury prevention and rehab by improving joint stability and restructuring connective tissues. - Is Chaos Training suitable for beginners, or should it be used by more experienced lifters?
Chaos Training is best for novice and intermediate lifters who need to engage stabilizer muscles, but beginners should first establish basic stability in more controlled environments. - How does Chaos Training compare to traditional strength training in terms of effectiveness?
Chaos Training isn’t ideal for building muscle mass or maximum strength, as it may decrease the activation of prime muscles. It’s better for enhancing stability and coordination. - Why do some fitness experts recommend Chaos Training for athletes or grapplers?
Chaos Training helps athletes and grapplers develop quick reflexive adjustments and balance, improving performance in dynamic, unpredictable environments. - How can Chaos Training help improve proprioception and balance in various activities?
By increasing instability, Chaos Training enhances proprioception, which helps in activities like gymnastics, parkour, and balancing on narrow surfaces. - What precautions should be taken before adding Chaos Training to your routine, especially for injury rehab?
If movement patterns are dysfunctional, Chaos Training can worsen those issues. Corrective training in stable conditions should be done before introducing instability in rehab routines.
Sources:
Electromyographic Activity and Muscle Activation:
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- Comparison of the Electromyography Activity during Exercises with Stable and Unstable Surfaces: This study found that unstable conditions increase the EMG activity of some upper limb and core muscles compared to stable surfaces.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11055131/
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- Electromyographic Activity and 6RM Strength in Bench Press on Stable and Unstable Surfaces: This research compares muscle activation and strength during bench press exercises performed on stable versus unstable surfaces.
Instability Resistance Training (IRT) and Balance Improvement:
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- The Effect of Instability Resistance Training on Balance Ability among Athletes: This review indicates that IRT significantly improves various balance abilities in athletes across multiple sports.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1434918/full
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- Instability Resistance Training for Health and Performance: This paper discusses how IRT can enhance trunk stability and muscle activation, contributing to improved balance and performance.
Unilateral and Offset Load Training:
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- The Effects of Different Types of External Load Equipment on Muscle Activation during the Bench Press: This study examines how using dumbbells instead of barbells introduces greater instability, leading to increased activation of stabilizing muscles.
https://journal.iusca.org/index.php/Journal/article/view/254/370
Instability Training in Rehabilitation:
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- A Better Understanding of the Use of Resistance and Unstable Surfaces in Rehabilitation and Training: This article explores how instability resistance training may play a strategic role in the prevention and treatment of low back pain.
Proprioceptive Training in Activities Like Parkour:
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- A Comparison of Muscle Activation and Concomitant Intermuscular Coordination during Parkour and Gymnastics: This research compares muscle activation patterns and intermuscular coordination between parkour and gymnastics, highlighting the proprioceptive demands of parkour.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.940719/full
Grappling and Strength Under Chaotic Conditions:
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- Muscle Activation with Swinging Loads in Bench Press: While focused on bench press, this study provides insights into muscle activation under unstable conditions, which can be extrapolated to dynamic activities like grappling.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0239202
Slosh Pipe and Other Tools for Chaos Training:
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- The Role of Instability with Resistance Training: This paper discusses how training in unstable environments increases core muscle activation and leads to improvements in functional performance measures.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6850677_The_Role_of_Instability_With_Resistance_Training