Key Z Health R Phase Concept #8: 4 Elements of Efficiency

Behind the curtains of the Z-Health Athletic Performance system rolls on.    Only 1 more left after today.   If you missed the last one, see below

Key Z Health R Phase Review Concept #7: Enemies of Efficiency and SMA

Last time we learned what the enemies of efficiency were, so today we are going to learn how to move efficiently.  Watch Usain Bolt shatter a World Record.  What do you see?

9.58 Usain Bolt 100 M World Record Berlin 2009 – The best free videos are right here

Z-Health 4 Elements of Efficiency are

1)Perfect Form
2)Dynamic Postural Alignment (tall spine)
3)Synchronized Respiration
4)Balanced Tension/Relaxation

Most only stop an exercise when their form breaks down, so this is after too much tension (there goes #4), their breathing is out of whack (#3) and their spine is not tall and long (#2) and hopefully they stop now as their form is degrading.   This is the path of INefficiency.

In Z-Health, it is recommended to stop once there is EXCESSIVE tension and this takes care of the others. Does all that tension and “sour puss face” when you are bench pressing really help you lift more weight? Go back and look at the Soviets in the 70s and 80s and note their expressions. They did not have excess tension, heck some hit PRs (personal records) and they looked like they were going to fall asleep! They learned that EXCESSIVE tension was not efficient. Again, this does not mean tension is bad; but excessive tension is not ideal.

Do you see any excessive tension here?
Vasily Alexeev – 230kg. (507lb.) Clean & Press

Breathing

There are 2 general types of breathing

1) anatomical match

2) biomechanical match.

If you are teaching efficiency, anatomical match is what you want as you will breath out when the lung field is in a collapsed position and inhale when it expands.

Examples of Anatomical Breathing Match

Kettlebell Press:  breath in on the way up (expanding) and breath out on the way down (arm pushing in on the lung area).

Squat: exhale on the way down, and inhale on the way up

Bench press: exhale as the bar is pulled down and inhale on the way up.

Biomechanical match is just the opposite of this and is inefficient.

Without opening a whole can of worms, there are times you want to make exercise inefficient, but for a vast majority of yoru work you want to make it efficient.

Many have no idea which method they are using or why, so awareness is a great start.

Make it LOOK easy.  Most violate all the elements of efficiency in the gym.  Watch elite athletes, do they make it look easy?  Yes!  You get what you practice.

Thoughts?  Be sure to leave a comment below.   I love comments!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson