Another very popular request I get is to recommend the best method to improve one’s flexibility. As usual my first question back is “Why do you want to improve your flexibility?” You see most people don’t really have a good answer other than because they think they should have some arbitrary measure of flexibility. Again as usual I call Shenannigans! Most people don’t understand the difference between flexibility, which I define as the ability to achieve a certain range of motion or position, and mobility which I consider the capacity to control your joints in those same positions. Simply put in layman’s terms, yeah you can touch your nose to your knees, but if you have to get your buddy Big Tony to sit on your neck to do so what’s the point?!
I fail to see the positive benefits of simply passively forcing a limb into a position (typical of most stretching modalities) when you can’t demonstrate solid control over your joints in that same position. I see this approach as flawed, why compromise future mobility and joint stability for hyper-flexibility now? If you are a gymnast or circus performer of some kind then this might be required and/or desired, but for most of us this simply isn’t the case as we likely don’t want to be dependant on canes and crutches to get around at the age of 40.
Consider carefully what your goals are and act accordingly
Tags: Add new tag, Bodybuilding, flexibility, mobility, stretching
Wouldn’t you consider flexibility important in terms of the sliding filament theory and a muscles ability to contract the most effectively when it is in it’s most optimally stretched position?
Alex,
I’m not certain I fully understand your question, but I’ll try and answer what I’ve understood. According to my interpretation of the sliding filament theory a muscle is most able to produce torque (strongest) at a position somewhere in the middle of fully contracted (shortest) and fully lengthened (longest). This is the position in which the fibres are receiving the most neural input (food if you will) and able to optimally act on one another. The strength profile of a fully contracted or lengthened muscle is actually relatively weak. Does this address your question? If not I’ll need you to be more specific with what ‘optimally stretched’ means to you as it likely means something different to me.
Irrispective Thanks for you question and sorry it took me so damn long to get to it!
M.
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