Danny O’Dell’s

Explosivelyfit Training News

Strength and power knowledge

15-March-2008

ISSN: 1550-2643: Library Of Congress, Washington D.C.,

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Topic discussed: Flexibility and resistance training

Most athletes realize the beneficial aspects of increased body flexibility and some even have a routine of mobility exercises built into their schedules. Note that ‘flexibility’ is determined by the flexibility of all the body’s joints whereas ‘mobility’ comes from within the individual working joints. I suspect most trainees do a bit of flexibility or mobility training here and there, but generally only after an injury occurs. Perhaps its time to consider the use of flexibility training as a necessary option to the strength regimen.

Any motor action, i.e. movement, is associated with, and consists of range of motion (ROM) about the various involved joints or kinematic chains that make up the body. Increased ROM garnered via strength training will generate more strength throughout the full amplitude of the joints movement range. This is useable strength on the platform or field of competition because the strength curve has been expanded due to training for strength throughout the increased range of motion.

Improvements made in the overall strength curve will be strongest at the point of the most advantageous joint angle for superior performance. Systematically developing this strength and flexibility through training will instill confidence in the athlete. This confidence then translates into easy and unconstrained movements during competition.

Developing strength in a vacuum or in isolation to any other movement skill is a flat waste of time. Strength not simultaneously trained with flexibility is strength that in most cases will be unusable. These two qualities-strength and flexibility-should precede the practice of ‘technical movements’. Without strength and the flexibility that goes with strength the ability to perform a technically difficult move will be a waste of time due to the lack of one or both.

A lack of flexibility leads to decreased performance and must not be allowed to occur.

In the majority of strength exercises, there are ranges of motion that determine whether or not the lift is performed correctly. Stretching, during strength training, helps increase the ability to produce strength and power throughout a greater range of motion. Utilizing resistance during a stretch helps to strengthen the tendons and muscles surrounding a joint in addition to increasing the strength of the individual kinematic pair in the two actively combined adjacent joints.

A classic example of combining the two disciplines is in the case of shoulder training. Without excellent flexibility around the shoulder girdle, many exercises are difficult to do. Take for instance the behind the neck military press or the shoulder dislocates with a weighted bar…both are nearly impossible to do if the flexibility is not present in the shoulder region. Even doing a behind the neck pull down is hard if the range of motion is limited due to injury or lack of flexibility. In my heavily illustrated shoulder training manual there is as tremendous assortment of shoulder strengthening and flexibility exercises designed specifically to keep you or your athlete’s shoulders intact.

That’s all for this time. I hope your training is going well and wish you happiness in your life.

Stay strong, and remain passionately committed to your hearts chosen path.

By Danny M. O’Dell, MA. CSCS*D

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