We said in the previous post that we would go through our 10 Principles
for stretching success with you, so here goes.

We have discovered over the years that instead of counting how long to
hold a stretch, athletes can stretch better by synchronizing their
breathing with their movement. Counting puts an arbitrary time
constraint on the stretch that competes with the actual release of the
restricted tissues.

Our experience has shown repeatedly that if the athletes instead
focus on how they are breathing during a stretch, they get an
optimal response from the stretch as well as an increased
awareness of their bodies. They realize that their muscles and
tissues have their own biological time clock for responding to a
stretch that does not follow some prescribed formula or arbitrary
time limit.

Rather, it follows the state of the tissues and what they require at
that moment. In this way, the breath actually assists the stretching
movements by easing rather than forcing the athlete into increasing
ranges of motion. By focusing on breathing, an athlete is also better
able to gauge and adjust how much mental or physical tension he or
she brings to the stretch.

FAQs from our readers

From Victor K: “I have been reading the Stretch to Win book and of the
Ten Principles of Stretching, I do not understand the principle on traction.
I do not know how traction is being perform. I hope that you can help me
in this.”

Victor, first of all thank you for getting our book! Over the next 10
posts, we will be reviewing the 10 Principles, including the one about
traction in more detail but for now please let me know if this answers
your question:

Since you are asking about how traction is being performed I will
assume you know the why, what and where about it. How traction is
being performed is a technique question & obviously we do not go into
detail on this in the book & is beyond the scope of this blog to describe it
for assisted stretching. But since traction is such a major component of
our technique & is clearly lacking in all the other assisted techniques as
well as most self-stretching programs, let me briefly explain how you
would traction yourself.

For other readers of this post, please go to p.124 & view the 4 photos of
the stretch. If you don’t have the book, just imagine the typical half-
kneeling hip flexor stretch on the ground. The big difference between
the way we do this stretch is by adding self-traction. This means that
you start by inhaling with an erect torso, then as you exhale into the
stretch you maintain a constant lift in the torso until you reach the end
of the stretch, at which time you inhale as you return to the start
position.

In traditional stretching, there is no traction & instead there is
collapsing. Traction adds more complete stretch of the fascia & hip joint
capsule while collapsing compresses the joint.

The whole idea is to maintain space in your joints as you stretch because
as you age this space reduces & starts the downward spiral of joint
deterioration and osteoarthritis.

In the last post, we mentioned parameters of stretching like
intensity, duration & frequency. We recommend not establishing
these parameters until you first evaluate your flexibility, or
range of motion (ROM). Once the results from the evaluation are
in, you can design an individualized program to increase your
sport-specific flexibility. Instead of a generic stretching program,
you can have a refined flexibility training program that will be
much more responsive to your individual needs as they change
over time. The comprehensive evaluation will also help you
establish a baseline of flexibility that you can refer back to
periodically when you reevaluate your progress. This way, you
are sure to meet your ROM and sport performance goals. The
program of stretching may be set up in special intervals or
periodized over the course of a year to complement your other
sport training.

Before we go into specific parameters or evaluation, we think it’s a
good idea to list & explain the 10 Principles that the Stretch to Win®
System is based on:

1. Synchronize your breathing with your movement.

2. Tune your nervous system to current conditions.

3. Follow a logical anatomical order.

4. Make gains in your range of motion without pain.

5. Stretch the fascia, not just the muscle.

6. Use multiple planes of movement.

7. Target the entire joint.

8. Use traction for maximal lengthening.

9. Facilitate body reflexes for optimal results.

10. Adjust your stretching to your present goals.

In the next post we will explain what we mean in each principle.

Whether they are training for football, golf, a 10K running race, or any sport in the Olympics, most athletes recognize the performance benefits of a progressive strength and conditioning program. However, stretching programs are often less popular, for a variety of reasons. Research on stretching has produced mixed reviews. The physical changes resulting from a stretching program may not be as outwardly apparent as the muscle-mass development that takes place in just eight weeks of strength training in a healthy adult. Therefore, stretching is not perceived as the most productive use of time for an athlete, as is evident in many training programs designed for high-school, college, and even professional athletes.

When athletes stretch at all, they usually do so ineffectively, performing the same old-school stretching exercises that several generations of athletes and coaches have used. These programs often consist of holding the familiar positions to stretch the groin, hamstrings, hip flexors, and low back at the same intensity and for the same duration, day in and day out, regardless of the sport or the particular activities that the athlete will be engaging in that day. Or, even worse, a program may entail many repetitions of quick, jerky stretches (often with the aid of a band or rope) that are supposed to warm up the muscles right before practice or competition. In both cases, the athletes are likely to be worse off than they would have been if they had not stretched at all.

So, is a stretching program just as important as a strength and conditioning program for optimal athletic performance? Yes, if the stretches are performed correctly. This is not just a matter of finding an accurate position to stretch in; it is also a matter of using appropriate training parameters to get the most benefit from the stretch. It means properly warming up the body and developing each specific type of stretch and its intensity, duration, and frequency.

In my next post, I will continue this discussion using evaluations to design individualized programs for sport specific flexibility, which is covered in great detail in my recently published book Stretch to Win by Ann and Chris Frederick. You can see sport specific programs in my new DVD called Flexibility for Sports Performance. Check out both at www.StretchToWin.com.

You may also listen to our podcast at the link above and listen to our virtual book tour. You will hear from real professional athletes about how this particular work has helped them perform better.

While we work on getting videos of stretch programs going for you, check how out the flexibility on a gent called “Rubber Boy” on this video:

For those of you who have been here before, we are starting our blog with a brand new, clean slate! For new visitors, read on…

Stretching and flexibility training is one of the least researched and least understood topics in the broad field of strength and conditioning & is not much better represented in sports medicine, physical therapy or rehabilitation medicine.

As a result of this lack of awareness of the proper parameters to use when stretching, we have specialized in this field and are becoming more well known as pioneers in effective technique development.

Until we publish current research, we can only relate anecdotal evidence but client testimonials can be very compelling when nothing else but our brand of assistive stretching has worked for them.

Nevertheless, we cannot rest on our laurels and so we continue taking courses, realizing that we can always learn and improve and we try to stay up on research in connective tissue biomechanics.

In fact, we attended the First Congress on Fascial Research last fall at Harvard Medical School and will be sharing knowledge with you about recent findings that lend a lot of support to both how we think about the body and how we approach stretching, specifically assistive stretching, that is uniquely effective because it targets the fascia.

Features>>>

• this blog is about a totally NEW take on stretching (this is NOT traditional by any means!)
• easy, quick & effective stretches to increase your flexibility
• practical programs built on a foundation of solid research
• Stretch to Win programs for athletes of all ages
• Stretch for Life programs for fitness and anti-aging
• cutting edge research information & links
  
• authored by a certified flexibility specialist & licensed physical therapist

Benefits>>>

• get more flexible quickly & more effectively
• your flexibility will last longer
• it won’t hurt!!
• you will move and feel better than you have in years
• learn more about how to maintain flexibility to prevent degeneration of your muscles & joints
  

Enjoy the rest & feel free to comment.