ABOUT US
WHAT WE DO
Muscle Animations creates educational material for strength training enthusiasts of all levels, be it exercisers or professional trainers/therapists. The teaching material is based on research-based knowledge in strength training, biomechanics and sports medicine, combined with expertise in 3D animations, video production and pedagogy.
Tron Krosshaug
Professor, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
In addition
to being a co-founder of Muscle Animations AS, Tron Krosshaug is a professor at
the Department for Sports Medicine at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
(NIH) and the Oslo Sports Trauma Injury Research. He completed his PhD in 2006,
and has published numerous highly cited, scientific articles in biomechanics,
strength training, and injury prevention. Tron has taught university students
in strength training and biomechanics since 2007. According to Tron, quality of
life increases proportionally with the 1RM bench press result.
Oliver Faul
M.Sc Sport & Exercise Science,
Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
Oliver Faul is a co-founder and our animation wizard. From 2010 to 2013, he worked as a research assistant at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, where he conducted research in biomechanics and motion analysis. Since then, he has focused on developing 3D-animation-based teaching materials, app development, online learning systems, image processing, and video editing.
Our History
In connection with teaching strength training at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (NSSS), we observed how many students struggled with biomechanics and analysis of sports movements and strength exercises. Through Tron Krosshaug's doctoral work, we saw the opportunity to use 3D modeling to visualize such analyses to simplify and demystify biomechanics for students with limited or no background in math and physics.
A pilot
project was first carried out in 2008, which resulted in Krosshaug et al.
winning the Birkeland Innovation Idea Competition and later Inven2's Medtech
Prize. Since October 2010, Tron and Oliver have worked dedicatedly to develop
animations. The project was part of NSSS’ focus on innovation and
commercialization. In 2013, we established the company Muscle Animations.
In October 2015, we launched the app Styrk! - a low-threshold strength training app that was made in collaboration with the Norwegian Diabetes Association, with support from the Directorate of Health. Styrk! became a massive success, and two years after launch, the app was downloaded by more than 100 000 Norwegians. The app was very popular in high schools, colleges and universities, among physiotherapists and in public health centers all over Norway. In 2018, we launched the educational app MA Biomek, which provides a simple introduction to biomechanical analysis. We also launched the app MA Basis4, which contained essential information on 4 important strength training exercises.
In 2025, we launched our new website, aimed at the international market, based on the LearnWorlds platform. Here, we provide e-learning courses for end users as well as extended educational resources for educational institutions.
In October 2015, we launched the app Styrk! - a low-threshold strength training app that was made in collaboration with the Norwegian Diabetes Association, with support from the Directorate of Health. Styrk! became a massive success, and two years after launch, the app was downloaded by more than 100 000 Norwegians. The app was very popular in high schools, colleges and universities, among physiotherapists and in public health centers all over Norway. In 2018, we launched the educational app MA Biomek, which provides a simple introduction to biomechanical analysis. We also launched the app MA Basis4, which contained essential information on 4 important strength training exercises.
In 2025, we launched our new website, aimed at the international market, based on the LearnWorlds platform. Here, we provide e-learning courses for end users as well as extended educational resources for educational institutions.
Vision
Hundreds of millions of people worldwide engage in strength training, with various purposes. From a societal perspective, the well-documented health aspects of strength training are very important. This includes a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other serious diseases, improved function and reduced risk of falls among the elderly, prevention and rehabilitation of injuries, and dramatically improved effects of certain types of surgeries.
However, fundamental knowledge of how the musculoskeletal system is stressed is severely lacking among health professionals, coaches, and other professionals worldwide, because there is no teaching material focusing on biomechanical analyses of exercises. Despite the fact that such biomechanical analyses are essential, they are very scarce, and actually almost non-existent in today's teaching materials. For this reason, there are also a number of myths among exercisers, as well as among professional coaches/therapists, about how different exercises affect the musculoskeletal system.
Collaboration Partners
We have a genuine desire to improve public health by facilitating more and better physical activity. We want to promote healthy values both through our products and in interaction with various collaboration partners. Muscle Animations originates from and collaborates with the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences.
