History

The Fitness Table TCP Method is a training method aimed specifically at improving posture - THE key to proper body alignment and overall fitness. It is based on performing a varied range of exercises on a fitness table, harnessing the power of gravity to reach specific core muscles and stimulate them.

The first such fitness table was developed by Ferdinand Penchenat, a physiotherapist with Hôpitaux de Paris who was once France's Greco-Roman wrestling champion. The breakthrough came after traditional muscular re-education methods failed to properly heal wounds he had suffered on the battlefield during World War I (due to the excessive strain exerted by weights on his joints and vertebrae). His success in rehabilitating his own body was such that it didn't take long for sports and health professionals to recognize and adopt "the table that regenerates the body".

Thérèse Cadrin Petit, a Canadian ballet dancer and teacher, discovered the Penchenat method in the early 80's. She decided to adapt it to the general public and developed her own program.

The Fitness Table set on trestles is designed to allow gripping it with feet, arms and hands. When properly "anchored" to the table, the body is kept in stable balance while its center of gravity is displaced. The body's own weight is used against gravity to work deeply into the targeted muscle groups. Very little energy is wasted on involuntary movements or excessive motion; consequently, there is less compensation and strain, more stability, better isolation and greater flexibility. The range of motion is also much greater than when performing floor exercises.

This innovative exercise program is the fruit of a lengthy collaboration between Mrs Cadrin Petit and Dr Mindy Levin, PhT., PhD.