Na'il Diggs linebacker Carolina Panthers

[Please see video #1 Introduction in previous post before viewing this & all other videos]

People who sit all day–commuting & at work–get tight hip flexors. In a layperson’s nutshell, tight hip flexors reciprocally inhibit optimal function of the glutes. When the glutes are inhibited then the hamstrings functionally act as secondary glutes thereby eventually resulting in chronic hamstring strain and tightness.

The piriformis & the 5 deep external rotators of the hip are forced to take on the extra workload of the hip & become super tight from strain & scar tissue formation. This scenario can lead to back pain, hip pain, knee pain &/or foot/ankle pain.

Stretching the gluteus medius, piriformis & hip rotators optimally requires you to move along multiple angles as they are anatomically shaped like a fan & the bones of the hip are shaped like a ball & socket universal joint.

Please go to this link to view the stretch: Video #3 Glute stretch

This is the first two in a series of video programs that we have & will produce exclusively for our readers.

These videos are in a beta test format–informal, raw, honest–so please send us your feedback so that we can improve on what YOU want. After this post, the videos will be coming out every Sunday starting November 23rd with video #3 “The Glutes”.

For those who have purchased our book, Stretch to Win, we will provide you videos that will follow the photo programs that are in our book. Finally you or your clients will now have videos to make sure that you are doing the stretch programs in our book correctly!

If you have not purchased our book, you will have no problem following the video programs but check out the book link at www.StretchToWin.com if you want to have the details that will not be covered in the videos.

IMPORTANT: Before viewing the videos take note that they are for information purposes only & are not intended to instruct you. Therefore by viewing these and forthcoming videos you are agreeing that if you perform any of the movements you are doing so at your own risk & you take full responsibility for your actions. Consequently, we assume absolutely no responsibility or liability for your actions resulting in pain or injury of any kind. If you do not agree with this waiver of liability then do not perform the movements depicted in this blog or on video. Thanks.

The videos are a little too long to post here so please go to these links to view them & enjoy:

Video #1 Introduction

Video #2 Hip flexors

We had the honor to have NASCAR vet Bobby Labonte grace our clinic last week to get stretched before qualifying to race tomorrow at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR).

This was our first NASCAR “athlete” coming in to see if Fascial Stretch Therapy or FST could help his “game”. Since we had no clues, Bobby explained to us what kind of conditions he faces among which are more than 115 degree temps in the car for 4 hours and body water loss of an average of 7 lbs after a race!!

He said that many racers, himself included lose a tremendous amount of electrolytes resulting in a visible salt layer displayed on his racing suit. This is a big problem with racers and causes muscle cramps if the right electrolyte delivery system is not put into place. Bobby has an electric pump in his car that automatically supplies him with a pre-determined amount of electroytes right into his mouth during the race!

What we learned from the assisted stretch session is that race car drivers have a nervous system similar to cornerbacks in football–high in the “fast twitch” category–and a challenge for the practitioner to accurately and effectively manipulate the myofascia if you do not have years of experience “conditioning” the nervous system.

Nervous System Conditioning™ is a term that I have come up with that describes the preparation necessary for the Central & Peripheral Nervous System before assisted stretching commences. In the near future I will write a post on this if there is interest from readers.

Anyway Bobby said that he got a lot of benefits from his assisted stretch session and advice on electrolytes and we wish him the best of luck at the races!!