Video Update 6/25/09

Stretching

Stretching has become very controversial over the years. Some coaches believe in it some don’t; some think it should be at the beginning, some at the end of a workout. Some believe in static stretching other think it is worthless and could cause injury. My philosophy is simple and scientifically based. It consists of 3 phases; foam rolling, static stretching (yes, static stretching) then dynamic movement. Each phase will be listed below with explanations.

Foam Rolling:
First, what is a foam roller? A foam roller is just what it sounds like; a roll made up of high-density foam. The sizes and densities range depending on what you are looking for. It is also a “poor man’s massage therapist.” It allows the masses to get the benefit of muscle soreness or soft tissue work for a fraction of the cost that you would pay for a massage therapist.
Now that you have a better understanding of what it is now how do you use it? In the stretching process a foam roller comes first (although, you can use it throughout the workout and at the end but it is best in the beginning). It comes first because it helps to elevate trigger points by creating a myofacial release or a muscle release of your soft tissue and helps to create some positive blood flow and oxygen to the body. For example, if you were to take a rubber band and tie a knot in it, which would represent the trigger point, and then tried to pull the band to stretch it, it could only go so far because of the knot. Once the knot is released it is much easier to stretch the band to its maximum length. The same applies to a muscle since our muscles are elastic. In addition, because of the rolling process and motion, it creates blood flow to the areas in which it is rolling. Blood flow brings with it needed oxygen for the muscles to function.
In this phase of stretching, you will experience some bittersweet moments. You will find and hit muscles that are extremely sore and tender or painful. As a result of rolling you will also experience semi or complete relief of the discomfort you once had. The foam roller is meant to prepare you and your muscles for static stretching.

Static Stretching:
Controversy, controversy, controversy! Static stretching has been a subject of debate for quite some time. Some are in favor of it some are not. Some debate whether to do it in the beginning or at the end of a workout. As debates surface I have my own philosophy of it. It comes second in the stretching process because after the foam roller has decreased the density of the muscle, a static hold it used to help elongate the muscle. It has been said that stretching a warm muscle will only lead to the return of length of that muscle, but if stretched when cold it has the ability to elongate to a new length. A couple rules to remember:
Positioning is everything. Mike Boyle likes to say that people like to look they are stretching rather than really stretching. A little discomfort is a sign of the right position. Pain is not. Pain is never a good sign.
Stretch all areas. Don’t just focus on the ones that you like the most or are the best at. In fact, spend more time on the areas that are weaker or more difficult. Hit major areas like glutes, adductors, and hip flexors.
Use different techniques. We move and are required to move in all directions and planes of motion. Why not stretch the same way? For example, stand upright and put one foot out in front of you with your toe pointing toward the ceiling. Staying “tall” lean forward from your hips moving back and forth in a controlled motion. Then, staying “tall” shift your weight from side to side. Picture your head going from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock, with your hips following. Lastly, rotate around the down foot with your HIPS. You will be tempted to use your upper body to think you are rotating but your really not. By performing all three motions you are stretching your hamstring in all planes of motion.
The bottom line is stretching is undervalued and underused. If added to the program it will help to give longevity and health to your body and functionality. After you static stretch you need to finalize the process with a dynamic warm up.

Dynamic Movement:
Similar to how you practice going into buildings to fight fires or take down a suspect, you need to practice how you will move before you actually move. Dynamic movement is used a precursor to your intense movements. By performing dynamic movements you allow your body to get ready for the days workout with specific movements that target the day’s major movers. So if you are doing squats, then your dynamic movement would focus on the hip flexors and quads with some minor focus on your glutes. In addition, dynamic movement increases your heart rate, blood flow and oxygen intake. Therefore when you start to perform more intense movements you will take your body from 0-60mph in a split second. You have now prepared your body to get to 60mph with out difficulty. As a result of that, muscles pulls, strains or injury is greatly reduced due to your preparation. I started to call it movement preparation because of Mark Verstegen. Mark has an incredible way of stating the obvious and sounding smart at the same time, which he is!

The process is the same everyday! Foam roll, static stretch and movement preparation. If followed, you will not only reduce injuries but you will move and feel better.

A video will follow shortly.

Speed: Acceleration

The definition of accelerate is unclear if it means from a dead stop or a moving state. The fact is it is up for interpretation. Whether we focus on the dead stop position or from a moving position the same principles hold true from a physical standpoint. What differs is how quickly and to what power we need for the acceleration to happen. From a dead stop position we need more power and force then that of a moving position since we are already in motion. For the purpose of this, we will focus on the dead stop position.

According to Mike Boyle, my first strength coach and mentor, the most potential to affect change in speed is the first 10 yards. It is a fact that once in motion it is easier to stay in motion, so it is important to study the keys of the first 10 yards. Boyle uses the image of the roadrunner in cartoons; wheels spinning but going nowhere. The key is ground force and what type of power you are generating. The more force the more ground you are covering which translates into more speed. So it has nothing to do with how many steps one takes, it has everything to do with the quality of those steps and how much force they are producing. There is a big difference between telling someone to take more steps versus telling someone to push the ground harder.

Like deceleration, how do we do it? Part of what will be addressed is the muscle groups that are recruited to gain the stability and strength to accelerate properly. The two major strength groups are the quadriceps and gluteul group with the hip joint needed for the driving force through the ankle. The other part that will be looked at will be the drills that help us learn or re-learn how to start. It is one thing to practice the drills but if there is no strength or stability to reinforce the drills they are of no use.

The quadriceps are the main drivers of the leg. They are around the largest bone in the body and can produce the greatest force. Their main function is the flexion or bending of the leg. As they flex it acts like a coiled spring. Once it is let go or starts to extend to the ground to produce the force need for speed, the force distributes from the gluteus to the quadriceps, down the kinetic chain through your calf muscles and out your ankle and ultimately your feet.

Since our joints play a large role it is important to closely examine the determining factors. Your hip joint must have sufficient mobility to not only flex and extend you leg but also keep it in the “groove.” If there is too much external rotation as you flex your hip it is the equivalent of drawing a curved line from point A to B. the goal is to bring the leg up in-line so it drives downward in the same line. The other main joint to focus on is the ankle. In the picture below, if he did not have sufficient flexion of his ankle the angle in which he was able to lean forward to propel him would be compromised with each step.

We too often think we can out train flexibility, mobility or range of motion with strength. It doesn’t happen that way. In the next section we will focus on stretching.

Speed: Deceleration

A well-respected strength coach once told me that when the DMV teaches kids how to drive they first teach you where the breaks are. The same should hold true for speed. I know most of you may think that speed is defined by how quick you can get from point A to point B, which is partly true. If you study the fastest players on a field, court or ice, they are the players that can stop on a dime no matter how fast they are going and change directions. I use athletes as an example for the tactical arena because similar to their demands, yours are rarely a straight line. You are stopping, changing directions and then starting again.

Let’s use a straight-line example. Two people are asked to run straight for 25 yards, stop to touch a marker and then run back to the starting point. Person A starts to slow down 10 yards before the marker so they can stop successfully. Person B slows down 4 yards before stopping. If we assume both are about the same speed then person B just gained 6 yards on person A simply because they could stop quicker and needed less space to do so.

So the real question is how do you do it? Part of what will be addressed is the muscle groups that are recruited to gain the stability and strength to decelerate properly. The two major strength groups are the hamstring and gluteul group with the knee joint needed for stability. The other part that will be looked at will be the drills that help us learn or re-learn how to stop. It is one thing to practice the drills but if there is no strength or stability to reinforce the drills they are of no use.

The hamstring group, which is responsible mainly for extending or straightening your hips and flexing or bending your knee (the same position you are in when you stop), is the main focal point for superior deceleration. Many athletes that you hear pulling, tearing or injuring their hamstring is most likely a result of the deceleration they were attempting.

The gluteul group plays a part in both the deceleration and acceleration but is mainly a hip extensor, which straightens the leg like the hamstring. The gluteul group provides the stability around the hip joint and ultimately the entire leg to be able to stop.

As we look at your body joint-by-joint in the future, you will come to understand that your knee is responsible for stability not mobility. All of the muscles that surround your knee play a part in its stability. The one muscle that that is not part of your hamstring group that does play a major part in the stability of your knee is your vastus medialis or the muscle on your quad that is on the lower, medial portion making a tear drop shape. One of its main functions is maintaining patellofemoral stability or stability of the knee joint.

Once we strengthen all these areas with proper and functional movements your ability to decelerate will be greatly enhanced.

Drill Progression: start with your feet parallel and jump forward with two hops then push backward for two. Focus your skill on the point in which you change directions from forward to back. It is at that very moment where the transition happens from deceleration to acceleration. Once that becomes easy, have a partner hold a band around you and perform the same movement with resistance. The resistance will pull you back and fight your ability to decelerate properly. Fighting through that into a stable state will improve your deceleration. Video will follow shortly.

Welcome!