Once you put them on, you kind of look like Bane, the villain from the Batman movies. One can see them more and more in fitness studios and in so called crossfit boxes: Training masks. They are training the muscle group that is required for almost every sport out there: Breathing muscles. We got very curious and wanted to know what’s behind the fitness-hype. With the help of our friends at Phantom Athletics, who are sponsoring athletes on Sponsoo, we were able to find out.

The Basics

Our lung is an immensely flexible organ. She widens when air is entering our airways, and relaxes when we exhale. Unfortunately, many athletes focus only on muscle groups relevant for their respective sport. Exercising the breathing muscles is not a top priority for plenty. Just like every other muscle, the breathing muscles can be trained to perform better and over a longer period of time. No matter how hard you train: There will always come the point where total exhaustion kicks in and condition strikes. For every breath, less and less oxygen gets to the blood and the whole body gets tired. And that’s the point where the Training Mask by Phantom Athletics come into play.

The Mask

The makers of the mask describe their product as a “tool, that helps you to strengthen your diaphragm, as well as your intercostal muscles”. The athlete puts on the mask before his training and then runs through his regular workout. Thanks to their revolutionary “Phantom Regulation System”, the mask increases the resistance-level for inhaling fresh air through the lungs – the athlete has to breathe deeper and stronger. There are four different levels of resistance. Starting at Beginner, over Advanced and professional to the extreme-level, everything is possible. While trying out the mask, we had trouble with the lower levels and highly suggest a slow start with the mask. :)

The Test

If you read our blog on a regular basis, you might have noticed that every single one of us is a huge sports fan. While working with Phantom Athletics, we did not miss the opportunity to try out the mask on our own. Our Sponsorship-Manager dared to go on the treadmill at his local fitness studio with the mask and received several curious looks. He has already completed several marathons but he still felt the effects of the mask after a short amount of time. Distances, that were no problem before, proved to be a tough task while wearing the mask. Another employee, who is used to working out in the water, was surprised by the quick effect of exhaustion but was amazed by the results! And now we want to share our excitement with you guys!

The big Sponsoo-Raffle!

We are giving away 3 Phantom Athletics Trainings Masks (each worth 100 Euro)  to our athletes. What do you have to do? Get your mask in 3 simple steps:

  1.  Create a profile on Sponsoo. – Europe’s largest marketplace for sports-sponsorship.
  2. You already have a profile? Even better!
  3. Send us a message to mail@sponsoo.de , why YOU should win the mask.

Deadline is next thursday, June 6th, at 6:00 PM. Good Luck!