The Sunday News
Simon Gama
Because of the confusion regarding stretching, a more comprehensive categorisation of stretching techniques is needed. Following are two broad types of stretching, with each comprising a series of distinct, but related categories of stretching.
Static Stretching
Free static stretching, which imposes no external loading to increase range of motion (ROM). It’s done with muscle relaxation or muscle contraction.
Passive stretching which imposes external loading on a relaxed or contracted muscle.
Dynamic Stretching
Ballistic stretching. This imposes passive momentum to exceed static ROM on relaxed or contracted muscles.
Active stretching. This involves continuous muscle activity to exceed the static ROM as encountered during normal full-range weight exercises
PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) stretching methods, which involve intermittent or continuous phases of static or dynamic muscle action, as well as special patterns of relaxation or passive movement
Static stretching is used most by bodybuilders, but all the combinations of stretching techniques described above can be effective for improving passive and active flexibility. However, they should be applied with an understanding of your needs and the properties of the joints and soft tissues involved.
Running: The Heel Hit
Bodybuilders and other athletes are often told to land on the heel when they run. This, however, places excessive stress on the ankle, knee, and hip and lower back.
More effective is to paw-back — after your swing leg comes forward, you must bring it slightly backward in a paw-back motion before the foot makes contact with the ground. Because the foot is moving backward as it makes contact with the ground, it propels your upper body forward.
More important, then forces upon landing are diminished greatly, making your running much safer.
When you bring your foot back before landing, you should land flat-footed, with all of the foot and heel making contact almost simultaneously. This is much safer and more economical than landing on the heel out in front of the body with toes sticking up. Also, studies show that bringing the foot back before landing doesn’t shorten stride length, but in fact lengthens it. Because of the paw-back you have a stronger forward drive, which carries your body over a greater distance than when you place your foot down on the ground in front of you.
What Determines Strength?
Designing a successful strength training programme depends on a thorough understanding of the factors that influence the development of strength. Some of these factors are structural and others functional.
They are: 1) The cross-sectional area of the muscle. 2) The density of muscle fibres per unit area. 3) The number of muscle fibres contracting simultaneously. 4) The rate of contraction of muscle fibres. 6) The efficiency of synchronization of the firing of the nerve fibres. 7) The degree of inhibition of muscle fibres that do not contribute to the movement. 8) The efficiency of mechanical leverage across the joint. 9) The proportion of large-diameter muscle fibres that are active. 10) The efficiency of co-operation between different types of muscle fibre. 11) The efficiency of the various stretch reflexes in controlling muscle tension.
In addition, connective tissues that surround, invest and terminate all muscle tissue also play a vital structural role in the strength process. They provide stability for the muscles, joints and bones, as well as the ability to store elastic energy for augmenting the working effect of the muscle. — Additional information from online sources.
