Mike Robertson and I were discussing this study that showed how training the trunk muscles for improved stability resulted in a reduction in hamstring stiffness. In other words, flexibility improved without stretching the muscles.
To bring you up to speed, here’s the study in a nutshell:
The hypothesis is that increased hamstring stiffness compensates for the insufficient performance of the deep stabilizing muscular subsystem (does anyone smell the TVA bias in the room?).
To test their hypothesis they measure the hamstring stiffness of 30 people using a PKES test (Supine, hip flexed 90 degrees, extend the knee and measure the knee angle). The subjects spend 2 days learning to perform “isolated, conscious activation of the deep stabilizing muscle subsystem”. They then perform a variation of a plank with feet elevated in slings (body is horizontal) and a variation of supine hip extension twice a week for 4 weeks. At the end of four weeks, the hamstring stiffness had decreased (flexibility improved).
Their conclusion: The results of this study support our hypothesis.
Huh? How do you figure?
Now certainly the training performed resulted in a reduction in hamstring stiffness which is very interesting (we’ll get to that in a minute), but how did they determine it was the result of an improved deep stabilizing whatever, whatever?
There was no pre-test of the deep stabilizing whatever, whatever. Sure they spent 2 days learning to consciously activate it, but that doesn’t mean that its function was improved nor dysfunctional in the first place. They used an integrated exercise that involved all of the abdominal muscles, hip muscles, and other trunk and shoulder muscles. And there was no post-test of deep stabilizing…well, you get the point.
I’m not saying that they are wrong or right, only that you can’t conclude much more than that the training performed for improved stability reduced hamstring stiffness. To their credit, they do mention in the second to last sentence that “it is still possible that stability training influenced stiffness of the hamstrings in some other way than by improving action of the deep musculature.” Well done. It could have also been improved hip stability or even shoulder stability (yes, there’s a connection)
The interesting stuff…
The point to take away from this is that mobility restrictions aren’t always mechanical tissue related issues. In other words, stretching isn’t always the answer.
In situations where an individual is faced with a task that exceeds his ability to adequately control posture, balance, or range of motion, it’s not uncommon to see what appears to be a lack of mobility or some form of movement compensation.
This compensation is often a “locking up” of joints, frequently by two joint muscles like the hamstrings, to create stability with a comprise to mobility. The movement will frequently appear to be uncoordinated or the athlete may seem slow or weak in reacting. This is not a dysfunction that you can fix with the correct stretching protocol.
The fix requires restoration of stability utilizing a lower level activity that the athlete can control effectively and progressing toward more complex tasks that lead to higher force, higher speed, and higher skill movements.
This also reinforces the importance of observing your athletes in action where they experience and participate in the specific conditions and demands of their chosen sport.
Everything is an assessment.
Bill
Updates….
Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training is rockin’!
As one of our clients said last night…”this is the ONLY real gym in town.” No one in Indy can touch our level of fitness coaching, fat loss training, and sport-specific training. Our early morning fat loss group is full, so we’re starting another one. We’ve got people coming from Japan, California, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, and Florida coming in to work with us in additional to our full house of Indianapolis fitness enthusiasts.
Our intern, Nick the Intern, who comes to us from University of Wisconsin, La Crosse has picked up on things very quickly and is working well with a wide variety of clients. Be sure to give Nick the Intern a hard time….he’s had it way too easy so far. 
I’ll be speaking at the Perform Better Functional Training Summit this summer in Chicago. Get signed up now. It should be a good one.
If you haven’t done so already, you need to visit the Faster Fat Loss Zone. Mike Roussell and I have put together one helluva community there with some of the best info available on fat loss. There’s interviews with some of the top minds in fitness training and fat loss. We’ve also got some killer videos to boost your post-workout fat burning as well as a workout of the month that you can get even if you’re not member of the site. You also get direct access to Mike and myself to address your fat loss questions and challenges.
I’ve got a to-do list a mile long, but I’ll be making a effort to bring regular updates and some really good info to the blog in the coming weeks. Until then, here’s a bit of the Red Rocker to kick off your weekend!
After many requests here’s an example of the posterior capsule stretch.
To effectively stretch the upper and middle posterior capsule, a position of 30 degrees of elevation in the scapular plane with internal rotation was determined as more effective.
Source: The American Journal of Sports Medicine 36:2014-2022 (2008)
Bill
Master Russian Kettlebell Instructor Brett Jones to Give One-Day Only Seminar at Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training
Brett Jones, RKC, a Master Russian Kettlebell instructor will be teaching a Russian Kettlebell Seminar at Indianapolis Fitness and Sport Training on January 24, 2009 from 10 a.m to 5 p.m.
This exclusive one-day seminar will provide participants with the tools necessary to implement cutting-edge kettlebell training into your fitness program in a safe and effective manner. Brett will be personally coaching kettlebell seminar participants.
According to Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training co-owner, Mike Robertson, “We expect this seminar to fill up fast due to Brett’s popularity in the fitness industry as one of the top kettlebell instructors in the country.” Co-owner Bill Hartman adds, “We’ve already been using kettlebells as part of our exercise programs for weight loss clients and athletes with great results. Brett’s instruction will only add to the effectiveness of our fitness and sports training programs.”
Seminar attendance is limited and is expected to sell-out quickly. This seminar is available to Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training members and non-members. Contact Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training for more information at (317) 578-0998 or indyfast@gmail.com.
First and foremost, Happy Veterans’ Day. For those who’ve served and continue to do so, you have my utmost respect.
On to lesser things…
Go to www.indianapolisfitnessandsportstraining.com right now! I’ll wait…
We’ve updated the website to make it a bit more user friendly (mostly for me because I’m not technically savy) and make it easier to update. Check the site regularly because we have some stuff coming up that you’ll be interested in and won’t want to miss.
www.fasterfatlosszone.com is growing. I just put up the November training program as well as a “before and after” of my very own brother. A while back I challenged him to come down to the gym and I’d train him for the “family discount” because he was putting on the pounds around the middle. Truth is, I didn’t think he’d follow through, but he did and made a tremendous tranformation in just three months.
He was so motivated that he took me up on a challege to try the Warp Speed Fat Loss Program. He’s two weeks in and continues to kick ass.
For those of you who’ve asked about the posterior capsule stretch for the shoulder. I’ll make an effort to post a photo and some cues for you later this week.
I got an email from my buddy Rob Pilger who recently opened his boxing gym in Columbus, Ohio. Go to www.oldskoolboxing.com to check him out. He’s just 10 minutes from the famous Westside Barbell Club.
Bill
