stretching
How I Have Prevented Injuries
08/11/12 13:40 Filed in: Other | Fitness | Kettle Bell | TRX / Cross Training | My experiences | Martial Arts | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Sometimes, I find it easiest to write a blog post about my own experiences. It makes me write about not only the practical side of the topic but also how it effects other things such as your motivation, results and many others.
I have been wanting to write for a while about injury prevention. It’s a topic I have written about before and this will probably not be the last one either.
Injury prevention is something I find extremely important, both as an athlete and as a trainer. Safety is always my number one priority when training clients. Sometimes this gets tricky because a trainer has to push the client to get most out of the session and get the results they want. However, it needs to be done in a safe way. After all, if you get injured, you will be out for days, week, months or in some cases even years! Whatever you were doing at that point in time, was probably not worth this kind of injury.
When I train my clients, whether it’s a private session or group class, I always tell them that form should be their main focus. If they do cheat but it does not affect their safety or risk of injury, I will let them finish and then tell them what to change next time they do the exercise or drill. If it does affect their safety, I will pause the exercise right away and correct immediately.
As for myself from a personal standpoint, I have been very fortunate (and careful) to have a healthy body without any main restrictions or injuries. I have been training hard since I was seven, trained with adults at the age of 12 and did competitive martial arts and bike racing, as well as countless hours of sports in college as a part of my sports education. Anyone who knows me, will tell you I don’t hold back when training either, I give it my all and work my hardest. Through all of this, I have been able to avoid any main injuries that affected me long term (I had a lower back issue at one point but recovered from that). Many and most people I have ever met who trained at my intensity (not clients), have had serious injuries. I believe the main reasons to preventing injuries for myself are:
- I know my body well and know where my limits are.
- Even if I push through my limits, I take calculated risks.
- REST is extremely important, know when to take a break.
- I fuel my body right, nutrition is so vital.
- I take responsible supplements (vitamins, Omegas, and some others such as the following one)
- Glucosamin, Chondroitin and MSM have been very important supplements (comes in one) for me to protect my joints. The difference for me is remarkable.
- I don’t live like a crazy man or do many unhealthy things such as going out, eating or drinking too many bad things.
- I listen to my body.
- Stretch a lot, tight muscles are prone to injuries.
- Personal one: I love massages! They help you recover and stay loose.
- Follow the normal guidelines (warm up well, follow the game rules etc.)
When training clients or groups, I try to share some of these tips with them. It is fully understandable that everyone has their own life and wants to do their own thing. Some things might not even work for someone. However, from my experience, these little and very simple pointers make a huge difference and have kept my joints, ligaments and other parts safe.
Use your common sense and listen to your body. Train HARD but also take care of yourself to prevent injuries!
P.S. Now let’s hope I don’t fall down tomorrow and get injured!
By Sander Vanacker, owner, head instructor and personal trainer .
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Mixed Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- TRX / Cross Training Classes
- Kettle Bell
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
(720) 340 6254
Info@DefineDefense.com
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Video: TRX Biceps Curls
27/03/12 06:36 Filed in: Fitness | Personal Training | Strength & Conditioning | TRX / Cross Training
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
(720) 340 6254
Info@DefineDefense.com
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
Delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS is the muscle soreness most people start feeling 12-24 hours after a workout. During your workout, the burn you feel is caused by buildup of lactate, generated by anaerobic energy systems in your body which supply your muscles with energy (ATP).
DOMS however, is not caused by lactate. Instead, it is caused by micro damage in your muscles, especially after weight training, sprints, plyometrics etc. Physiologists used to believe the remaining lactate created the soreness but now we know better.
Even though the muscle soreness is welcomed by many people (it reassures them they had a good workout), it is not an indicator for a good workout. Athletes at higher levels don't get very sore after workouts, even though they trained very hard. It depends on the workout, your physical condition etc. Beginners will experience DOMS frequently until they reach a higher treshold.
If you know your body or your work out frequently, you will know the difference between soreness and an injury. If you feel an injury, immediately have it checked out and act accordingly. If it is soreness, it may last up to 3 days after your workout. If it lasts longer than 3 days or it limits you in normal day to day activities, you probably pushed yourself too hard in that workout.
A frequent question I get is whether you should work out the same muscles when you experience soreness. If the soreness is mild, go ahead and work out but know your limits. You do not have to train until exhaustion or failure every session! You need to shock your body and challenge it so you improve but that does not mean you should push your body to the limit every time.
When the soreness is significant, do not work out those muscle groups. If you do, you may risk overtraining and landing in a catabolic state. At that point, there is no progress to be made, the only thing that can be done is resting so try not to get to that point.
There are a few things you can do to reduce the soreness:
- Stretching when you are warmed up, preferably after your workout. Stretching will improve blood flow and you should stretch anyway to retain your range of movement.
- Cardio will also increase blood flow so there is better transport of nutrients, oxygen, waste etc. A short cardio session with low to medium intensity after your workout is ideal.
- Massages are great for reducing and preventing muscle soreness. It removes waste products from your muscles and increases delivery of nutrients and oxygen.
Even though muscle soreness satisfies us and shows us we trained hard, it is not necessary. You have to train hard but don't worry if you don't have sore muscles after a workout. It just shows your body has gotten stronger. Alternating your workout, using different techniques and switching it up will challenge your body again. Don't do the same workout for 6 months, you will hit a plateau. Make sure you have a lot of variety in your training.
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Back when it was easy!
01/01/11 15:15 Filed in: Fitness
This pictures was taken... well a long time ago! As a child it was easy to stretch. You still had to do it regurarly but it didn't hurt as much and you made faster progress. Nowadays, not so easy anymore! But that doesn't mean it's impossible. If you take a little time every day to stretch, you will improve and maintain your flexibility.
I have great results practicing yoga, using my Century Versaflex and doing dynamic stretches. Especially yoga relaxes your body and mind and let's admit it, it's a lot more fun than stretching while looking at the wall! The point is: find what you like and work on both your strenghts and weaknesses. I guarantee it will benefit you in more than one field. Just as being more flexible will help you in martial arts but it will also prevent injuries, make your body feel better and benefit you in about everything you do.
I have great results practicing yoga, using my Century Versaflex and doing dynamic stretches. Especially yoga relaxes your body and mind and let's admit it, it's a lot more fun than stretching while looking at the wall! The point is: find what you like and work on both your strenghts and weaknesses. I guarantee it will benefit you in more than one field. Just as being more flexible will help you in martial arts but it will also prevent injuries, make your body feel better and benefit you in about everything you do.
PNF stretching
PNF stretching is a very effective way of stretching. However, it has more risks of injury than static stretching.
This way of stretching will focus on the relaxation of the muscle after activation. Basically, you do a normal static stretch for 10 seconds. After these 10 seconds, you stay in position but you will push your stretched body part away from the direction is is being stretched (for example you will try to sit up when a partner is pushing you down when you stretch your hamstrings with straight legs on the floor). Your partner will keep you from doing this so you are pushing without moving (you are still in the basic stretch position you started in). After you push for 6-10 seconds, you will relax again and do a static stretch. This will result in a much deeper stretch!
This method is highly effective but not without danger. You have to work with a partner and make sure you communicate with each other to prevent injuries.
This way of stretching will focus on the relaxation of the muscle after activation. Basically, you do a normal static stretch for 10 seconds. After these 10 seconds, you stay in position but you will push your stretched body part away from the direction is is being stretched (for example you will try to sit up when a partner is pushing you down when you stretch your hamstrings with straight legs on the floor). Your partner will keep you from doing this so you are pushing without moving (you are still in the basic stretch position you started in). After you push for 6-10 seconds, you will relax again and do a static stretch. This will result in a much deeper stretch!
This method is highly effective but not without danger. You have to work with a partner and make sure you communicate with each other to prevent injuries.
The myths of stretching
Stretching is a vital part of the workout. Some people often forget about it or prefer not to do it because they don’t believe in it. The truth is: it is necessary and you should do it every workout.
Stretching has a lot of advantages, for example:
- quality and speed of your movement can improve because of the bigger ‘radius’ of the movement
- injuries are prevented when your muscles are more flexible
- More blood (which means more oxygen as well) is transported to your muscles, which improves recuperation
- lactic acid can be processed faster because the blood flow is improved throughout the muscles
- stress levels decrease
- improve your body awareness
-…
Some researchers still claim that stretching has negative impacts on performance. Is this true? Yes… this could be true. It is shown that stretching can decrease muscular strength in some cases. Does this mean athletes have to stop stretching? No, every athlete should stretch their muscles. Even people who want to develop muscles or strength should stretch up to a normal level of flexibility. They don’t have to be able to put their feet in their neck or be extremely flexible. What can be recommended is stretching after the training though, to prevent their muscles from being extremely short and their workout won’t be affected of the decrease of strength (which mostly lasts a short amount of time). But everybody should stretch, for all the advantages shown on top of this article! Every sporter should have their own stretching program though, specific to their sport, health situation or wishes.
Everybody knows that muscles stretch but what most athletes don’t know is what prevents a muscle from being stretched? There are 2 proprioceptive organs in our muscles: the Golgi tendon organ and the muscle spindle.
The Golgi tendon organ is a little proprioceptive (‘self sense or awareness’) organ that is located at the connection of the muscle and tendon. This organ measures the tension, created by stretching the muscle. When the tension gets too big, the organ will send a signal which will create a reflex to contract the opposite muscle. For example: you are stretching the hamstrings (back of the leg) and are going too far. The Golgi organ will send a signal and your quadriceps (front leg muscles) will contract to prevent your hamstring from being overstretched and damaged…
The muscle spindle will measure the length of the muscle and will give feedback to the central nervous system so this can determine the position of body parts. When the muscle becomes too long (overstretches), the central nervous system will act and will contract the opposite muscle, just as before.
When you stretch frequently, not only the muscle will be able to stretch further but also these organs will adapt and will allow the muscle to be stretched further.
A few tips for stretching:
- stretch at the end of your workout
- when it hurts, you went too far
- spend time on stretching several times a week, you will lose flexibility if you don’t maintain it
- stretch your muscle for 20 seconds if you do static stretching (different types will be discussed in another post)
- consider your stretching as a workout in a workout… Don’t neglect it!
Stretching has a lot of advantages, for example:
- quality and speed of your movement can improve because of the bigger ‘radius’ of the movement
- injuries are prevented when your muscles are more flexible
- More blood (which means more oxygen as well) is transported to your muscles, which improves recuperation
- lactic acid can be processed faster because the blood flow is improved throughout the muscles
- stress levels decrease
- improve your body awareness
-…
Some researchers still claim that stretching has negative impacts on performance. Is this true? Yes… this could be true. It is shown that stretching can decrease muscular strength in some cases. Does this mean athletes have to stop stretching? No, every athlete should stretch their muscles. Even people who want to develop muscles or strength should stretch up to a normal level of flexibility. They don’t have to be able to put their feet in their neck or be extremely flexible. What can be recommended is stretching after the training though, to prevent their muscles from being extremely short and their workout won’t be affected of the decrease of strength (which mostly lasts a short amount of time). But everybody should stretch, for all the advantages shown on top of this article! Every sporter should have their own stretching program though, specific to their sport, health situation or wishes.
Everybody knows that muscles stretch but what most athletes don’t know is what prevents a muscle from being stretched? There are 2 proprioceptive organs in our muscles: the Golgi tendon organ and the muscle spindle.
The Golgi tendon organ is a little proprioceptive (‘self sense or awareness’) organ that is located at the connection of the muscle and tendon. This organ measures the tension, created by stretching the muscle. When the tension gets too big, the organ will send a signal which will create a reflex to contract the opposite muscle. For example: you are stretching the hamstrings (back of the leg) and are going too far. The Golgi organ will send a signal and your quadriceps (front leg muscles) will contract to prevent your hamstring from being overstretched and damaged…
The muscle spindle will measure the length of the muscle and will give feedback to the central nervous system so this can determine the position of body parts. When the muscle becomes too long (overstretches), the central nervous system will act and will contract the opposite muscle, just as before.
When you stretch frequently, not only the muscle will be able to stretch further but also these organs will adapt and will allow the muscle to be stretched further.
A few tips for stretching:
- stretch at the end of your workout
- when it hurts, you went too far
- spend time on stretching several times a week, you will lose flexibility if you don’t maintain it
- stretch your muscle for 20 seconds if you do static stretching (different types will be discussed in another post)
- consider your stretching as a workout in a workout… Don’t neglect it!