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Comment by Jambo Truong on December 29, 2010 at 5:50pm

Here is a quote from one of my students, he is happy to discuss his experiences of the benefits if anyone so wishes any further info-

 

For me, class pushes me so much harder then my self practice and has taught me how to perfect my postures and get maximum benefit. I feel stronger, more relaxed and have become a better runner and cyclist as well. 

Comment by Jambo Truong on December 29, 2010 at 5:48pm

length increases the likelihood of making them stronger, increasing range of motion as well as aesthetically pleasing!  

 

Does that help?

Comment by Jambo Truong on December 29, 2010 at 5:48pm

Hi Phil!

 

Thanks for the enquiry! It's true that long muscles have the capacity to become stronger because you are increasing its size by length as well as mass. It is also true that over stretching a muscle weakens it but
let's look at where this comes from...

 

Within the belly of muscles are stretching 'spindles' - as a muscle is lengthened so is the spindle. If the muscles is stretched incorrectly then the spindles only tighten the muscle
back up resulting in an inflexible and weak muscle. The other concept is when a
muscle is lengthened for a certain period it becomes weaker only because it is
relaxed. For example, if you hold a basic hamstring stretch for anything over
60 seconds it relaxes (as do you), hence the 'energetics' or 'firing' of the
muscle is 'switched off' so this kind of stretching is not appropriate for
pre-training/events. This kind of stretching is suitable for
post-training/event. 

 

Remember that yoga is an ancient discipline and there are many schools of it. What we need to address amongst your style of training is to make sure that the amount of stretching you engage with releases
lactic acid & endorphins as well as promotes some length and maximum range
of motion for what you guys need. Anything beyond that is going into the deeper
aspects of yoga which is not what we are interested in at this point.

 

Here's another example-

The glutes fire up the running mechanism. They help to thrust forwards as well as engage with hamstrings, quadriceps & iliopsoas to swing the legs. If the glutes are tight they are not going to be able to propel the
other muscles as well. Even squatting becomes difficult. No-body has a
'long' backside, in fact, the more l

Comment by Phil Smith on December 29, 2010 at 5:16pm

Hi Jambo, great to have you on the Hub.

I'm gona try very hard to get along to your session.

One question; some athletes are notorious for having poor range of movement/flexibility. I'm firmly in the corner of long muscle is strong muscle however I think there exists some belief that stretching may weaken muscle. Whats your thoughts; can a muscle which has increased ROM still deliver the same strength? 

Comment by Jambo Truong on December 29, 2010 at 1:35pm

Extremely straight forward-

 

Let's talk about toe touching...

 

A recent study on professional footballers showed that athletes are trained to:

increase power in legs for speed (dead lift, snatch, clean, row)

repetitive movements (incl interval training)

 

Standard gym stretches are useful but NOT individualised. The science of stretching itself involves a personal understanding of what exactly is compressed  within individuals.

A simple stretch is to release hip flexors and lengthen the posterior chain (the line that is the back of your body- the back and back of the legs). The results are correct posture for racing and correct breathing for competition. Both elements increase energy levels as there is increased freedom of movement (so that body doesn't have to compensate) and maximum potential use of oxygen (the vital force that keeps everything going).

 

All at the same time increasing your toe touching potential!

 

Let me know how you guys like info- simple or with science plastered all over it. I like to think of myself as practical, but there's a geek in me...

Comment by Drew Swinburne on December 29, 2010 at 12:33pm

All looks fairly straight forward then!!! All I want to be able to do is to touch my toes. If I can touch my toes I'll be happy. I haven't been able to do this since I was 10.

Comment by Jambo Truong on December 28, 2010 at 1:09pm

Greetings Members of The Hub!

I am an experienced yoga teacher with a particular interest in Performance Enhancement for Adventurous Socialites & Professional Athletes.

 

Do check out the uploaded video, don't be put off by the frighteningly bendy as they are highly acclaimed practitioners practising postures at the same time as checking out beautiful scenery! 

 

 

I will be uploading videos & pictures regularly so feel free to throw queries in this direction.....I love a good challenge!