Ask
The Dawg's
Q: I have heard a lot of different
opinions on how and when to stretch. What is your
opinion? - Mark S.
A: Flexibilty is one
of the most under trained and misunderstood aspects
of strength training. With all of our athletes we are
looking at 2 things when we assess their flexibility.
1. What is their Range of Motion (ROM).
2. Is there a bilateral difference – comparing their left and right sides.
The question that arises is what is optimal ROM? Obviously
an offensive lineman doesn’t need the same ROM
as a figure skater. There are some athletes who’s
static flexibility is extremely tight. However when
tested dynamically – they can move very fluidly.
Others are very flexible statically, but are rigid
when moving. This is the problem with identifying flexibility
needs of an athlete.
The test SST uses to measure dynamic flexibility is
the overhead squat, which is an indicator for what
muscles are tight, weak, or imbalanced. Secondly we
test their static flexibility through different ranges
of motion. For example we assess the Hamstrings 3 ways:
Front, Medial, and Lateral.
SST puts the athlete through a Dynamic Warm Up enabling
us to watch the athletes’ movements and that
helps us put together a plan.
Stretching is like lifting weights – you need
to recover between sessions. I would recommend alternating
upper and lower days. Spend time warming up for 10-15
minutes before stretching. Move slowly into and out
of full range of motion. Go as far as you can, but
you should not feel excruciating pain. Make sure that
you breathe – take full deep breaths - In through
your nose and out through your mouth.
The 3 forms of stretching we use at SST are Static,
Dynamic and a form of assisted stretching.
1. Static Stretches – Our theory
is you should do it 4-6 hours before or after your
workouts. The reason is you temporarily put your muscles
to sleep and can decrease your power potential for
your training session. Research has indicated that
power output can decrease by up to 15%! The problem
with this is that many athletes are not motivated to
follow their routine at home and thus the lack of improvement.
The solution is to make them stretch post workout – it’s
not optimal but it is more practical for our young
clients.
2. Dynamic Warm Up – This is
done prior to workouts and speed training sessions.
Generally we take 10 minutes to warm up the athletes.
This increases blood flow to the working muscles and
elevates core temperatures. We are lucky to have a
30yd track at the SST facility that allows our athletes
to perform different multiple movements.. If you are
at a gym try to get in the aerobics room. Some drills
may look silly, but they will help improve your mobility.
3. PNF / Traction – We have
studied and been certified at the Institute of Flexibility
Sciences - www.stretchtowin.com. - in Tempe, Arizona.
This by far is the fastest method we have found to
improve our athletes flexibility. This method has an
athlete on a stretch table with 1 leg strapped in and
immobilized. The trainer works one leg at a time using
patterns of PNF with traction. These sessions have
to be booked and take 30-45 minutes to complete, but
the results have been amazing to date.
I hope I was able to shed some light on this often
confusing subject. For more info you can email me at bodawg@bellnet.ca
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