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Posts Tagged ‘flexibility – exercise’

Resistance Stretching

October 28th, 2009

In yesterday’s post, I introduced you to microStretching.

Today, it’s Resistance Stretching….made famous by 40-something Olympic and World champion Dara Torres.

In 2008, Resistance Stretching was Dara’s secret weapon at the Olympic Games in Beijing where she won three silver medals, broke her own personal best time in the 50m freestyle (trailing the gold medalist by 1/100th of a second) and became the oldest Olympic swimming medalist in history.

Dara’s success as an older athlete is what got me interested in Resistance Stretching (RS).

So, I contacted Dara’s RS gurus Steve Sierra and Anne Tierney and grilled them with questions.

Here is some of what they had to say…

What is Resistance Stretching?

Resistance Stretching is based on the theories that:

The stretching effect occurs during the entire movement of the muscle while it is being contracted, not just at the end point of the stretch…unlike traditional static stretching.
A muscle must contract while elongating for a true stretch. Stretching a muscle without contracting produces a false range of motion known as substitution, and ultimately results in over-stretching and injury.
Repetitions are necessary for gains in flexibility, just as repetitions are necessary for gains in strength during strength training.

How do I do it?

Resistance Stretching can be performed alone using self-stretches or with other person(s) using assisted stretching techniques.

Dara relied on assisted stretching to prepare her body for the Olympics.

Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Unfortunately, you and I will most likely not have access to a team of trained Resistance Stretchers.

But don’t fret, my clients and I have had great success using the standard self-stretches as well as the variations that I MacGyvered on my own.

This video outlines some of the basic self-stretches.

Where you go from here is up to you.

Once you understand the basic concept of Resistance Stretching, you are only limited by your imagination. I am constantly coming up with new stretching variations.

Just follow these ffive steps

Identify the muscle or muscle group that you want to stretch
Start by flexing or shortening that muscle
Tense the muscle
Start stretching the muscle while simultaneously resisting the stretch
Repeat

In a future post, I will provide videos of some of my favorite stretches. I just need to bribe one of my clients to let me record them and put it on the blog.

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microStretching

October 27th, 2009

We all know how to stretch….right?

Bend over, touch your toes and hold for 30 seconds.

So, why is it that after years and years of static stretching after each and every workout, my hip flexors, hamstrings, abductors, calves, traps, pecs and entire shoulder girdle were always uber-tight and I was suffering from lower back spasms every few months?

Could it be that what we thought was right wasn’t?
Could it be that just about every personal trainer in the world is wrong?
Could it be that Mr. Toe Touch was wasting his time and perhaps even making things worse?

This is where I found myself about a year ago.

So I went looking for another way to stretch my tight muscles back into balance.

And I found two very different techniques that worked very well for me.

Today, I am going to introduce you to microStretching.

Micro Stretching from Micro FC on Vimeo.

For those of you that need more info – here is an article written by microStretch guru Nikos Apostolopoulos that explains things in more detail.

Microstretching – Nikos C. Apostolopoulos

That’s it for today.

I am going to let you chew on this concept for a little bit before we get into the “how to” details.

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In tomorrow’s post, I am going to introduce you to Resistance Stretching. If you thought that microStretching is weird, wait until you see this stuff.

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Fitness Equipment that Works: The G2 Fitness Mat

August 14th, 2009

Last month I received an email from a representative of G2 Fitness telling me that you and I really needed to try out their fitness mats.

Right.

Normally, I delete those emails right away. You would not believe the amount of crap people want to send to you if they think you will promote it…..even in my teeny tiny little blog.

However, in the email, the rep mentioned that G2 fitness mats have a variety of stretches/yoga poses/pilates exercises printed on the surface of the mat.

Damn!

It was one of those smack yourself in the forehead , “Why didn’t I think of that” moments.

Simple idea. Anyone could have thought of it.

Potential great upside for a beginner and a good reminder for the trainee who tends to “forget” to stretch.

So, I emailed back and one week later, the delivery guy dropped off 2 new G2 fitness mats at my front door.

And that same day, I took mats to some of my clients for beta testing.

The Results

The mats were well liked by all of my beta-testers.
The pictograms were easily understood by all of the testers.
All of the testers did more stretching than usual. Some felt that they needed to complete all of the stretches printed on the mat.
Most liked the thickness of the mat (Thicker than a yoga mat – thinner than the standard “gym” mat)
The stickiness of the mat was an issue. My clients who already use a sticky-foam yoga mat thought that the mat moved around when they changed stretches. The non-yoga mat testers never mentioned any issues with the G2 mat sliding around.
Most didn’t like that the mat folded up for storage instead of rolling up. They thought it was too bulky and was less convenient.
They all expressed concerns that the pictograms would fade with use.

My Conclusions

I liked the mat. As an experienced trainee, I didn’t really need the pictograms, but I think that for beginner/intermediate stretchers, this is a great tool. And I am jealous that I didn’t think of it first.
I like the thickness of the mat. Sometimes I find yoga mats too thin.
I like the fact that they have 7 different types of fitness mats – yoga, golf stretch, maternity, pilates, general stretch, ab fitness and back stretch
I had no issue with mat movement and I used it on a polished hardwood floor.
I also found the folded mat a little cumbersome. It wouldn’t be very good for traveling to my personal training clients. Luckily, G2 makes a roll-up version of their yoga, pilates , maternity, pilates, ab fitness and general stretch. Same dimensions 6′ x 2′ x 10mm.
Regarding the durability of the pictograms, G2 says that “testing has only gone for 1 year, so we can only guarantee forthat long, but there isn’t any sign that it won’t last for at least 5 years with regular use”.

Overall, I would have no problem recommending this product for any beginner/intermediate trainee looking to increase/improve their flexibility.

And that’s saying something, because I think most fitness equipment sucks.

So, if you’re interested, drop by the G2 website.

Disclosure – G2 sent me the mats free of charge. However, I made it clear that I would be 100% honest in my review of the product. And I was.

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Posted in Exercise, flexibility - exercise, health

Tags: fitness flexibility - exercise folf stretch ftness mat g2 golf golf flexibility health mat stretching stretching mat yoga yoga mat

Mechano Growth Factor

July 3rd, 2009

Scientists in the UK and Denmark have shown that elderly men are capable of dramatically increasing their muscle mass.

All it takes is some growth hormone and some deep knee bends (elderly man speak for squats).

Growth hormone???

Isn’t that the same stuff Barry Bonds was (allegedly) self-medicating with?

Well, yeah, but it’s okay because….because the doctor says so.

In fact, study researcher Dr. Geoff Goldspink says that this reseach “raises the question: Can age-related loss of muscle strength and increased fragility be ameliorated by the therapeutic application of mechano growth factor (MGF)?”

Question 1:

Is it morally acceptable to demonize athletes for taking GH or MGF or all manner of anabolic steroids and then turn around and put Grandpa on the juice?

Answer:

Next Question

Question 2:

What the heck is MGF?

Answer:

According to the Dr. Goldspink, MGF is a local muscle growth/repair factor (MGF).

This means that MGF is produced locally in response to mechanical stress and acts on those muscle fibers that produce it. And once released, that local MGF pulse lasts for a few days.

It is derived from the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) gene by alternative splicing, but, owing to a reading frame shift, MGF has a unique C-terminal peptide. After resistance exercise, the IGF-I gene is spliced towards MGF which ‘‘kick starts’’ hypertrophy and repair of local muscle damage by activating the muscle stem cells as well as anabolic processes.

When you stretch your muscles during exercise, they start pumping out your own supply of MGF. That activates the stem cells that are already present in your muscles. And once “activated, these progenitor cells begin to divide, creating additional muscle fibres and increasing the size and strength of the muscle”.

Interestingly, loss of muscle mass in old age and in certain diseases is associated with an impaired ability to express MGF. In these conditions it seems that the muscle stem (satellite) cell pool is not adequately replenished.

Question 3: I’m young and loaded with growth hormone. Where do I get some of this MGF to kick start my anabolic process?

Answer:

Option 1 – You can buy a synthetic version of MGF on the internet. (link is strictly for illustration purposes. I am not advocating buying MGF on the web) Currently it’s expensive, but the price is expected to drop in the coming months.

And yes, this stuff is already popular amongst bodybuilders, strength athletes, professional ball players, old men aching to strut their stuff on the beach… In fact, the combination of IGF and MGF is preferred by many performance enhancement gurus over the use of straight GH as an anabolic agent.

Option 2 – Research has shown that MGF is a stretch sensitive growth factor. And not just any old 30 second static stretch. Both MGF and IGF respond much more strongly to clclic/dynamic stretching than to static stretching. This research jibes well with the research that shows eccentric resistance exercises to have a very powerful effect on MGF production. This makes sense as it combines muscle lengthening with increased mechanical stress (load).

So, what does this mean to you?

If you want to naturally increase your production of MGF and IGF and get bigger and stronger and more powerful, you need to stretch your muscles under load.

I would like to suggest 2 different methods to achieving this goal.

Eccentric weight training.
Resistence Stretching ala Dara Torres

But remember, this is bleeding edge science kind of stuff. Listen to your body and don’t do anything stupid. Also, go see your doctor for a check-up…turn and cough

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Today’s Workout – June 18, 2009

June 18th, 2009

Workout # 1

20 min of HIIT sprints on the bike – 100% intensity (10:50 / 15:45 / 20:40) w 5 min warm-up & cool-down

Workout # 2

45 min of stretching, bending & breathing

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Posted in Exercise, fitness, flexibility - exercise, health

Tags: breathing breathing exercises deep breathing Exercise fitness flexibility - exercise health high intensity interval training hiit stretching yoga

Workout Burnout

March 12th, 2009

Yesterday was Groundhog Day at my gym.

The same people, with the same bodies, were doing the same workouts that they do each and every day.

The skinny-fit people were running hard, uphill, on their treadmills

Brandon Moen: treadmill marathon champ

The skinny-fat people were jogging, like good little hamsters on their treadmills or ellipticals, and

The wanna-be skinny-fat people were plodding along in their fat-burning zones.

The resident “strong-men” of the gym were trying hard to hide even more muscle under their generous layers of body-fat.

Dave Tate - powerlifting guru - pre-transformation

The “machine-junkies” were getting a very safe & sensible workout

The Yoginis were stretching themselves into pretzels

model: Christy Turlington

And the interval training junkies were working out like this:

and this:

And the question I ask is…

Why?

Why do the runners run and the lifters lift?

Why don’t the yoginis ever try to build some strength?

Why do the Crossfit cultists only do Crossfit?

Why don’t the Curves circuit bunnies ever do some sprints on the exercise bikes?

Why?

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So, I ‘m asking you.

Do you have the guts to break out of your routine and try something new?

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Structural Balance

April 14th, 2008

In my last post, The Components of Physical Fitness, I broke down physical fitness into it’s component parts and provided a brief introduction of each part.

In today’s post, I will investigate in further detail one of those components: Structural Balance

Last time, I said that this structural balance deals with the alignment and interplay of your skeleton, skeletal muscles, ligaments, tendons & fascia.

For example, are your hamstrings too tight? Is your pelvis in proper alignment? Is the fascia covering your diaphram too tight?

If your body is out of alignment in one place, there will be adaptations elsewhere. Whether those adaptations will result in pain and injury depends on factors that are largely out of your control.

Before I begin to look at this topic in more detail, I have to admit that of all of the aspects of physical fitness, this is without a doubt NOT my area of expertise.

That is why I always say that before beginning a new fitness program, it might be a good idea to visit some form of physical therapist or an osteopath for an analysis of your structural balance.

If that is not an option, the following set of links will guide you towards the collected knowledge of some of the BEST experts on physical fitness as it pertains to your structural balance.

Gray Cook – Athletic Body in Balance

Each of these individuals have a unique approach to putting your body into balance. If it is possible to meet with one of them for an assessment, I would highly recommend it. If not, read some of their articles, decide which of their styles makes the most sense to you and apply ONE concept. Don’t try to do everything at once.

Before trying to correct any postural flaws, you should take a few digital photos of your posture – standing & sitting, from the front, rear and both sides. Lift your arms overhead, squat, etc… You would be surprised how easy it is to see your own flaws in a photo.

Most likely, this is what you are going to see.

This example was taken from

Neanderthal No More III
The complete guide to fixing your caveman posture!
by Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson

Side View:

Client exhibits classic exaggeration of the double S-curve posture.

Forward head posture and chin protraction are evident.

Rounded shoulders combined with an exaggerated kyphosis are apparent in the upper thoracic region.

Significant anterior pelvic tilt with a concomitant increase in lumbar lordosis is also evident in the lumbo-pelvic region.

Anterior weight bearing is difficult to determine due to the cropping of the photo, but still seems to be an issue of concern.

This all to common postural flow is described in the following graphic taken from part 2 in Cressey & Robertsons’s Neanderthal No More series.

While posture #1 is the ideal, #4 is all too common. Primarily caused by hours of sitting and staring at television and computer screens, posture #4 has become all too familiar. Think about it, an hour sitting in the car driving to work, sittiong for most of your 8+ hours at work, driving back home and then finally dropping down onto the couch to watch some ‘must-see” tv. All this adds up to poor posture, misalignment, and eventually pain and disfunction.

Okay, enough doom & gloom.

This can all be corrected. Start with the links listed above. Take it slow. Your poor posture wasn’t created in a day and it won’t be corrected in a day.

Good luck.

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Posted in Exercise, fitness, fitness - posture, flexibility - exercise, health

Tags: flexibility - exercise impingement mobility muscle pain physical fitness pilates posture stability stretch yoga

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Health Habits

Posts Tagged ‘flexibility – exercise’

Resistance Stretching

Related Posts

microStretching

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Related Posts

Fitness Equipment that Works: The G2 Fitness Mat

Mechano Growth Factor

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Related Posts

Today’s Workout – June 18, 2009

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Workout Burnout

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Related Posts

Structural Balance