Elasticity.
Elasticity is a term I love to use when talking about some of the training goals I personally hold for my clients.
Hold on!! You’re goals for your clients?
Yes, my goals.
People come to me because of my particular world view and philosophy, which is built on certain beliefs. So there are certain principles my training methods always contain, no matter what the specific goals of the client. The client goal simply lets me know the methods that will carry my principles.
So back to elasticity.
According to Gary Ward, the man behind Anatomy in Motion and probably the guy who’s looked at the human gait cycle deeper than anyone else, has 5 big rules.
This man forever changed the way I look at how the body works
The two that stand out to me are:
Joints Act, Muscles React
and
Muscles Lengthen Before They Contract
This is in natural movement, not the highly contrived and specific movements that are used in the gym.
Oddly enough, these two rules also echo the teachings from some of my internal martial arts instructors over the years.
Qualities that allow for the joints to act stimulating the muscles to react in a reflexive manner. That stretch a muscle causing it to contract reflexively.
Two current and popular fitness training modalities spring to mind that tick these two boxes.
Kettlebell lifting and Animal style movements.
Both of which have been standards in my gym since we opened.
You can add to the list: Indian Club, Mace, Plyometric and Medicine ball drills too.
All movements that have a strong eccentric emphasis that works on decelerating forces in order to generate forces.
In other words, stimulating the body to act like a bloody great elastic band.
And of you want to run faster, lift heavier, hit harder and have that cat like grace and power, like a relaxed spring, ready to coil and explode at any given moment, you need to train for elasticity.
This will be a point that we’ll discuss during the upcoming Kettlebells for Coaches Workshop, which we’ve just opened for bookings
Details on the workshop are here: http://wg-fit.com/wp/shop/kettlebells-for-coaches-workshop/
Regards
Dave Hedges www.WG-Fit.com
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