Flexibility Training Section

Flexibility training is perhaps the most undervalued component of conditioning. While recent and ongoing debate questions its role in injury prevention, athletes can still gain much from a stretching regime.

From a volleyball spike to a rugby drop kick, flexibility of the body’s muscles and joints play an integral part in many athletic movements.

In general terms, flexibility has been defined as the range of motion about a joint and its surrounding muscles during a passive movement (1,2). Passive in this context simple means no active muscle involvement is required to hold the stretch. Instead gravity or a partner provides the force for the stretch.

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The Benefits of Flexibility Training

By increasing this joint range of motion, performance may be enhanced and the risk of injury reduced (3,4). The rationale for this is that a limb can move further before an injury occurs.

Tight neck muscles for example, may restrict how far you can turn your head. If, during a tackle, your head is forced beyond this range of movement it places strain on the neck muscles and tendons.

Ironically, static stretching just prior an event may actually be detrimental to performance and offer no protection from injury (5,6). The emphasis is on “may” however, as a closer examination of the scientific literature shows that effects are often minimal and by no means conclusive.

Muscle tightness, which has been associated with an increased risk of muscle tears (7,8), can be reduced before training or competing with dynamic stretching. For this reason many coaches now favor dynamic stretches over static stretches as part of the warm up.

Competitive sport can have quite an unbalancing effect on the body (9,10). Take racket sports for example. The same arm is used to hit thousands of shots over and over again. One side of the body is placed under different types and levels of stress compared to the other. The same is true for sports like soccer and Australian rules football where one kicking foot usually predominates. A flexibility training program can help to correct these disparities preventing chronic, over-use injury.

Of course, a more flexible athlete is a more mobile athlete. It allows enhanced movement around the court or field with greater ease and dexterity. Some other benefits may include an increase in body awareness and a promotion of relaxation in the muscle groups stretched - both of which may have positive implications for skill acquisition and performance.

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Types of Flexibility and Stretching

1. Dynamic flexibility — the ability to perform dynamic movements within the full range of motion in the joint. Common examples include twisting from side to side or kicking an imaginary ball. Dynamic flexibility is generally more sport-specific than other forms of mobility.

2. Static Active flexibility — this refers to the ability to stretch an antagonist muscle using only the tension in the agonist muscle. An example is holding one leg out in front of you as high as possible. The hamstring (antagonist) is being stretched while the quadriceps and hip flexors (agonists) are holding the leg up.

3. Static Passive flexibility — the ability to hold a stretch using body weight or some other external force. Using the example above, holding your leg out in font of you and resting it on a chair. The quadriceps are not required to hold the extended position.

A flexibility training program can be made up of different types of stretching:

1. Dynamic stretching
2. Ballistic stretching
3. Static Active stretching
4. Static Passive stretching
5. Isometric stretching
6. PNF stretching
Which type of flexibility training is best?

It depends on the sport and the athlete’s outcomes - something which will be examined more closely in the articles below. As a general rule, dynamic stretches are used as part of a warm up and static stretches or PNF flexibility training is used for increasing range of motion.

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Flexibility Training Articles

The Physiology of Flexibility
Here’s a quick review of what determines a person’s flexibility - an some of the physiological components important in stretching…

Static Stretching Exercises and Flexibility Training Program
Static stretching exercises are best performed when your body is completely warmed up - often at the end of game or training session. Avoid static stretching immediately before competition, especially if your sport is speed and power based…

Dynamic Stretches & Stretching Routine
Use these dynamic stretches as part of your warm up routine. Dynamic stretching has been shown to decrease muscle tightness which may be associated to an increased risk of muscles and tendon tears…

Self Myofascial Release Exercises
While not strictly flexibility training, self myofascial release techniques can have a number of performance and rehabilitation benefits. With just the aid of a foam roll, athletes can reduce muscular pain and those ‘trigger points’ also associated with muscle tears…

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The preceding was an excerpt take from http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/flexibilitytraining.html… They have alot of great information there… Check them out for more info…

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References
1) Cornelius, W.J., and M.M. Hinson. The relationship between isometric contractions of hip extensors and subsequent flexibility in males. Sports Med. Phys. Fitness 20:75-80. 1980
2) Fox, E.L. Sports Physiology. Philadelphia. Saunders. 1979
3) Cross, K.M., and T.W. Worrell. Effects of a static stretching program on the incidence of lower extremity musculotendinous strains. J. Athl. Training 34:11-4. 1999
4)Hartig, D.E., and J.M. Henderson. Increasing hamstring flexibility decreases lower extremity overuse injuries in military basic trainees. Am. J. Sports Med. 27:173-176. 1999
5) Pope, R.P., Herbert, R.D., and J.D. Kirwan. A randomised trial of pre-exercise stretching for prevention of lower limb injury. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 32:271-7. 2000
6) Shrier, I. Stretching before exercise does not reduce the risk of local muscle injury: A critical review of the clinical and basic science literature. Clinical J. Sports Med. 9: 221-7. 1999
7) Witvrouw, E., Danneels, L., Asselman, P., D’Have, T., Cambier, D. Muscle flexibility as a risk factor for developing muscle injuries in male professional soccer players. A prospective study. Am. J. Sports Med. Jan-Feb;31(1):41-6. 2003
8) Krivickas, L.S., Feinberg, J.H. Lower extremity injuries in college athletes: relation between ligamentous laxity and lower extremity muscle tightness. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil. Nov;77(11):1139-43. 1996
9) Orchard, J., Marsden, J., Lord, S., Garlick, D. Preseason hamstring muscle weakness associated with hamstring muscle injury in Australian footballers. Am. J. Sports Med. Jan-Feb;25(1):81-5. 1997
10) Tyler, T.F., Nicholas, S.J., Campbell, R.J., McHugh, M.P. The association of hip strength and flexibility with the incidence of adductor muscle strains in professional ice hockey players. Am. J. Sports Med. Mar-Apr;29(2):124-8. 2001

The following is an excerpt from: http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/plyometrics.html

Please visit the site for more information….

“Plyometrics refers to exercise that enables a muscle to reach maximum force in the shortest possible time (3). The muscle is loaded with an eccentric (lengthening) action, followed immediately by a concentric (shortening) action.

This article outlines the physiology behind how and why plyometrics works. It also examines the research that demonstrates why, as a form of power training, plyometric training is very effective.

Practical guidelines for designing a plyometric training program along with animated drills can be found in the main plyometric training section

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How Plyometric Exercises Work

A muscle that is stretched before a concentric contraction, will contract more forcefully and more rapidly (4,5). A classic example is a “dip” just prior to a vertical jump. By lowering the center of gravity quickly, the muscles involved in the jump are momentarily stretched producing a more powerful movement. But why does this occur?  Two models have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. The first is the…

Mechanical Model
In this model, elastic energy is created in the muscles and tendons and stored as a result of a rapid stretch (6,7,8). This stored energy is then released when the stretch is followed immediately by a concentric muscle action. According to Hill (9) the effect is like that of stretching a spring, which wants to return to its natural length. The spring is this case a component of the muscles and tendons called the series elastic component. The second model is the…

Neurophysical Model
When a quick stretch is detected in the muscles, an involuntary, protective response occurs to prevent overstretching and injury. This response is known as the stretch reflex. The stretch reflex increases the activity in the muscles undergoing the stretch or eccentric muscle action, allowing it to act much more forcefully. The result is a powerful braking effect and the potential for a powerful concentric muscle action (10,11,12).

If the concentric muscle action does not occur immediately after the pre-stretch, the potential energy produced by the stretch reflex response is lost. (i.e. if there is a delay between dipping down and then jumping up, the effect of the counter-dip is lost).

It is thought that both the mechanical model (series elastic component) and the neurophysical model (stretch reflex) increase the rate of force production during plyometrics exercises (6,7,8,10,11,12).

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The Stretch-Shortening Cycle

All plyometric movements involve three phases. The first phase is the pre-stretch or eccentric muscle action. Here, elastic energy is generated and stored.

The second phase is the time between the end of the pre-stretch and the start of the concentric muscle action. This brief transition period from stretching to contracting is known as the amortization phase. The shorter this phase is, the more powerful the subsequent muscle contraction will be.

The third and final phase is the actual muscle contraction. In practice, this is the movement the athlete desires – the powerful jump or throw.

This sequence of three phases is called the stretch-shortening cycle. In fact, plyometrics could also be called stretch-shortening cycle exercises (1).

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How to Increase Your Vertical Jump

One very quick and simple way to demonstrate the effect of the stretch-shortening cycle is to perform two vertical jumps. During the first vertical jump the athlete bends the knees and hips (eccentric muscle action or pre-stretch) and holds the semi-squat position for 3-5 seconds before jumping up vertically (concentric contraction) as high as possible. The 3-5 second delay increases the amortization phase.

On the second jump the athlete bends the knees and hips to the same degree but immediately jumps up without a delay. This keeps the amortization phase to a minimum and makes best use of the stored elastic energy. The second jum will be higher.

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Is Plyometric Training Really That Effective?

By making use of the stretch-shortening cycle, movements can be made more powerful and explosive. Plyometrics is simply a set of drills designed to stimulate the series elastic component over and over again – preferably during movements that mimic those is the athlete’s sport. But what long-term effect does practising plyometrics have on the body and performance?

A wide variety of training studies shows that plyometrics can improve performance in vertical jumping, long jumping, sprinting and sprint cycling. It appears also that a relatively small amount of plyometric training is required to improve performance in these tasks. Just one or two types of plyometric exercise completed 1-3 times a week for 6-12 weeks can significantly improve motor performance (13,14,15,16,17,18,19). Additionally, only a small amount of volume is required to bring about these positive changes i.e. 2-4 sets of 10 repetitions per session (14,16) or 4 sets of 8 repetitions (15).

While upper body plyometrics has received less attention, three sessions of plyometric push ups a week has been shown to increase upper body power as measured by medicine ball throws (20).

Using a variety of plyometric exercises such as depth jumps, counter-movement jumps, leg bounding and hopping etc., can improve motor performance (13,22,23,24,25,26,27,28). While the majority of studies have focused on untrained subjects, trained athletes such as soccer and basketball players have improved their performance with plyometrics (16,23,28).

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Plyometrics & Concurrent Strength Training

A conditioning program consisting of both plyometric training and resistance training can improve power performance in the vertical jump (13,14,29,30,31,32) and 40yard sprint time (33).

It appears that concurrent resistance and plyometrics training can actually improve power to a greater extent than either one alone (13,29,30,33). However, the overall program should be carefully planned as heavy weight training and plyometric training are not recommended on the same day (3). One way around this is to alternate upper body and lower body exercises as follows:

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Plyometrics & Injury

Strength and conditioning specialists are often cautious in their prescription of plyometrics due to what they believe is an inherent risk of injury. However, there is limited data to either confirm or reject this claim.

Several researchers have explicitly stated that no injuries occurred during their plyometric studies (13,33,34). Most do not mention whether injuries occurred or not or to what extent.

As a precaution it has been suggested that athletes have a substantial strength training background. The criteria often cited is that the athlete should be able to back squat 1.5-2x bodyweight (2,3,35) for lower body plyometrics and bench press 1x bodyweight for upper body plyometrics (3,35).

If injuries are more likely to occur with this form of training it may be due to improper landing, landing surface or depth jumps from too great a height (1). Several studies have measured the height of depth jumps on vertical jump performance. Depth jumps from both 50cm (19.7) and 80cm (31.5in) both improved power to the same extent (13). The same results were found between jumps of 75cm and 110cm (31) and between jumps of 50cm and 100cm (16). This suggests that there may be little or no added benefits of jumping from heights above 50cm (19.7in) even though the risk of injury is likely to rise.

Finally, landing surface is an important component of the plyometrics session. It should posses adequate shock absorbing properties such as grass, rubber mats and a suspended floor. Concrete, tiles, hardwood and crash mats are not suitable (35).

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Plyometrics is one of the best ways to develop sport-specific power. But you must have a well-designed program structure for them to be truly effective…

We’ve developed a wide range of comprehensive plyometrics programs for numerous sports. Click here to see the full range available…”

So you want to jump higher?  I would assume that most of us are here to increase our vertical jump for the sport of basketball.  Let me offer a petty piece of advice.  Don’t get so focused on your vertical jump training that your game becomes lopsided.  Don’t neglect your other skills and simply try and dunk on folks all game.  There are a couple reasons for this.  The more deliberate you make it known that you are anxious to dunk on someone the more geared their defense will be to this tactic and the more difficult it will be to succeed.  So many players are ridiculed as only being able to dunk but having no real value as a player.  In reality if you have a killer three point range you will open yourself up to the lane all day through a simple shot fake.  If they don’t take your fake just hit threes all day until you can pump fake and drive the lane.

WARNING!! The principle and practices of this system are extreme and should be undertaken with extreme caution. A spotter is advised when using heavy resistance. The author takes no responsibility for any injury that the user may incur.

DON’T JUMP AHEAD TO THE DRILLS! THE DRILLS ALONE ARE NOT YOUR KEY TO JUMPING SUCCESS!

The 10 aspects of a jump training program:

During my training, research, and education as a personal trainer I have concluded that there are 10 aspects involved in a vertical jump. Your improvement is dependent upon your capabilities in these 10 aspects, and therefore the flight training program is based on their improvement. When each of these qualities is increased there is a synergistic affect; which means that they all work together toward one goal: explosion. The following is intended as a brief introduction to help you understand what you need to accomplish.

1. Strength: Your ability to jump is directly related to your ability to create force (AKA your strength). We are working on developing you jumping muscle fibers (AKA Fast Twitch Fibers).

2. Neurological Recruitment: Your ability to jump is directly related to how your nervous system recruits muscle fibers in order to create force.

3. Quickness: You may be strong but how fast can you generate it. QUICKNESS + STRENGTH = EXPLOSION. Some people have great amounts of strength, yet they do not have the quickness to create the explosion.

4. Fuel: Are you providing your body with the nutrients that you need in order to 1. Build muscle and 2. Use that muscle? It is not necessary to adopt a complicated diet. Vitamins and supplements are not neccessary only if you are not obtaining nutrients for you regular diet (”www.mypramid.gov” provides you with basic dietary guidelines). Overdosing on protein does not increase muscle mass. Creatine could be of assistance to provide more intense workouts and performances (Your body uses a chemical called ATP to contract muscles. Creatine is naturally created by the body to to be used for high intensity activities. The theory behind a creatine supplement is to provide you with more of the fuel needed for high intensity workouts; which means more efficient training and performance.) I have never used a creatine supplement, and it is not required that you do so. You are advised to consult your doctor before making any dietary alterations.

5. Balance: A lack of balance jeopardizes your ability to harness your strength and quickness. Efficient balance promotes an efficient use of strength and quickness. Better balance results in more graceful jumping ability.

6. Form: Many different muscles are used to promote upward motion ie. quads, hamstrings, calves, abdominal, arms etc. Forward momentum may also be converted into upward motion. Proper form synergizes all muscles and momentum to create a rush of upward propulsion. To demonstrate, try to jump without using your arms or without thrusting your knee in the air.

7. Stability: Each muscle employs stabilizer muscles that hold other joints and muscles in place to facilitate the intended action. If there is a lack of stability other parts of the body may absorb, or hinder the force generate for jumping.

8. Flexibility: Flexibility is defined as the Range of Motion about a joint. Sufficient flexibility allows your limbs the leverage and momentum they need to create maximum force. Can you imagine how the tin man would jump? Flexibility acts as a “lubricant” for our jumping movements.

9. Body Composition: Excess weight hinders upward motion. Do not attempt to lose weight excessively fast. When you starve yourself to lose weight, your body automatically lowers it’s metabolism as a security measure. Which means that you will be susceptible to gaining all that weight back and more. The best way to lose weight is to have a diet centered around the food guide pyramid, and to be conscient of the energy balance principle. The energy balance principle means that if you expend more calories than you intake you will lose weight; if you intake more calories than you expend you will gain weight; and if you intake and expend the same amount of calories, your weight will remain static. Eating well and doing the workout will result in a healthier body composition. If you are a little over weight think of it this way: while you are training that extra weight will serve to increase your muscle size, and when the fat goes away your muscles will be all the more stronger for having carried it. If you are extremely overweight you may want to postpone the workout until you have reached an appropriate body composition for these workouts; consult your medical professional.

10. Hereditary Factors: Each individual inherits a certain amount of slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fiber. Slow twitch fibers cannot yet be converted to fast twitch muscle fibers. What we can do is increase the fiber size and strength of the muscles that we have been given. Women’s muscle just as efficient as men’s muscles; however, men are generally endowed with more amounts of muscle fiber than women.

How to jump higher? Increasing our vertical leap can give us an edge in our sport of choice. In addition to the advantage of a higher vertical, the same muscles involved in increasing our vertical will also give us better overall quickness. So how is it done? Why are there so many programs and products that seem to have differing methods? When you are out doing your searching for the next training program or the next product you are going to test to increase your vertical there are a few things I recommend that you keep in mind. These few principles can help you understand the underlying principles behind an increased vertical and give you better insight as to what YOU need to do next in order to answer the question… How do I jump higher?

# 1

Is the question how to jump higher or how to increase my jumping endurance?

Probably none of you really ever think about this question… but if you did you would realize that often you are training your jumping endurance and not your jumping explosion. For example.. if you were training to run the 100 yard dash would you train by running 2 miles every day? NO! Why? Because distance running optimizes the muscle fibers that provide endurance.. NOT the muscles that provide speed and power. THIS PRINCIPLE ALONE WILL SAVE COUNTLESS ATHLETES UNTHINKABLE HOURS OF UNAFFECTIVE TRAINING! Just because you are tired, and sweaty, and your legs are sore does not mean you are training correctly. In fact, training your explosive power can be quite counter intuitive. You would be better of doing 3 - 4 sets of 8 very explosive reps that you would doing 3 - 4 sets of 20 - 30 less explosive reps.

Here is another example to illustrate this idea. If your vertical is currently 19 inches and all your training involves repetitious exercises requiring you to jump within the 6 - 12 inch range you will not be working to train your explosion.

How do you jump higher?

BY EMPHASAZING EXPLOSION AND GOING BEYOND OR YOUR CURRENT EXPLOSION CAPABILITIES IN EVERY TRAINING EXCERCIZE.

Absolutely guaranteed. If you train with that kind of intensity, you will notice exposion gains, and vertical increases faster than you ever have before. Does this make sense? I hope it does because it will make the difference between results and excitement about your training and potential burnout because of slow results.

More on principle #2 coming soon…

I have heard of supplements that make you jump higher or vitamins that target the jumping muscles. Here’s the downlow. Every muscle involved in jumping is a muscle just like any other. It requires the typical elements to function correctly and to grow stronger. It may seem ridiculous for me to say this… but I just want to make it clear that supplements that help a muscle grow and function are “jumping foods.” I am not by any means downplaying the role of nutrition in developing an outstanding vertical jump. It is very important… Here’s what needs to happen.

I recommend a protein whey supplement that includes necessary amino acids, and carbs to effectively build muscles. THIS WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. Many people workout very hard anc lack results becuase their muscles lack the maximum capacity to create and repair msucle tissue. My specific recommendation is Cytogainer. This is an affordable product that provides plenty of extra protein, amino acids, carbs, and even some creatine. You can find the link to the prodcut in the Jump Manual.

I also recommend a regular dosage of a creatine. A creatine monhydrate powder s fine. More creatine means more muscle fule for workouts. You will notice you can work out a bit harder and for a longer period of time. You will not need to worry about losing that muscle when you stop taking creatine. You will only lose muscle if you stop using that muscle.

A multivitamin supplement is also appropriate if you are not getting all the fruits and vegetables that are neccessary for your diet, which unfortunately includes almost everyone. A multivitamin will help you ina variety of ways to be efficient at a functional level.

WATER! Drink plenty of water always to “oil” your entire system. Water helps everything to run smoothly. My general rule is that your urine should always be clear. If it is not, you need more water.

A Glucosamine supplement. Athletes can incur minor or major tissue damage during workouts. Glucosamine is involved with repairing joint and supporting tissue. Taking Glucosamine is a good precaution for overuse injuries.

Lastly. ice any soreness. I hate icing because it takes so long, so I found wraps that you can just throw in the freezer and stick them on when you get done with a workout. It takes no time and makes a HUGE difference.

Hoper this is useful in aiding your efforts to increase your vertical jump.

Jacob