The 4S Rule: Static Stretching Still Sucks

For the long time readers of this blog, you will know I am not a fan of static stretching.   While it will not kill you or make your patella fly across the room and knock someone out, I still put it at the bottom of my list of things to try.

Carson at Boddicker Performance had a great video awhile back about static stretching that got me thinking again about it.

I did a MS in Mechanical Engineering, so I am familiar with the whole mechanical properties and geek speak that goes with it as most of my classes were in biomechanics and solid mechanics.  Solid mechanics is the advance study of how crap breaks.    I do confess that I can’t remember all the little details (ok, most of the details) from my Advanced Mathematical Theory of Plasticity class other than it made my life hell at the time.

Why No Love For Static Stretching?

My biggest concerns are

1) Push Into the Stretch

Somebody pushing an athlete into a stretch with no regards for the response from their body (again, not saying the viewers here are doing that, just in general) is a very bad idea.   I see videos of this all time and I have to shake my head about the risk/reward of doing it.

This just seems like a bad idea

I am sure there are probably some cases where it helps, but I don’t think the average trainer is skilled enough to do it and there are much much better ways to get athletes to move better. Pushing their limbs into an end range of motion and holding them there for a magical 5 count seems nuts.

2) What are you really teaching the body by stretching?

I believe you are teaching it weakness at an end range of motion.

Take any limb, push it to an end range of motion and hold it there until it gets “weaker” (yes I understand the differences in stiffness, vs flexibility etc).

I don’t want my athletes (nor myself) to be WEAK at END ROM.

3) Static stretching before an event reduces power output.

We don’t need more studies on this (see references at the end), but I see more and more studies on this all the time. Enough with the friggin studies, go find some better questions to ask.

Yes I know waiting or a dynamic mobility routine will change this, but if it decreased power and something else made them better, why would we waste time on static stretching?

4) Stillness = Rigid tissue

Thanks to Frankie for this one.  Holding a stretch is stillness (no movement) at an end range of motion = more rigid tissue.

The body will adapt by increased the rigidity (stiffness) of the tissue.   This is not a good idea.  Scar tissue is more rigid and is a good work around, but not as good as the original tissue.

Everyone agrees that the hip flexors and especially the psoas are “short” and tight now in most athletes.  How did they get that way?   Probably from all that sitting on your butt you are doing (myself included in that one too).

It is just an adaptation to a shortened position (the hip flexors are shorter in a seated position).  The body is ALWAYS adapting.

So why is it such a stretch (hahahaha, I make bad joke) to think that the body will not adapt to an end position of a static stretch? I agree you may “lengthen” the tissue a bit, but at what cost?  What tissue properties have you altered?

Movement = more flexible “happy” tissue

Making flexibly tissue rigid is a very bad idea.

Big Can o’ Worms Opened Up- Bonus Item!

Isometrics are not much better either.

Long plank holds are teaching tissue to be rigid.  Yes I understand all the studies that look at this, but it is also not very specific.  When does an athlete ever stay in a plank position for 60 seconds at a time in a game?  Hmmmm, how about never.

I understand that it is hard for many athletes to do long plank holds and they may shake like a leaf in a tornado and there is evidence that it may be a SCREEN for low back pain (reference McGill), but I don’t think athlete should be TRAINING this way.

I doubt a long plank hold will do crap for a fast volleyball spike in regards to core force transfer or a baseball player hitting a home run.

Low load, long duration movement has a very low chance of positively transferring to a very high output, short, explosive movement (hitting a baseball, volleyball serve/spike, etc)

We want the CORRECT tissue for the CORRECT job.

So If You Don’t Use Static Stretching, What Do You Use?

As I pointed out in this post on corrective exercise, I actually use exercise to correct issues.  Go figure.  But I don’t use tons of “corrective exercise work”

I have the athlete test the exercise (as shown in the Grip n Rip DVD) via range of motion and if it is good, the athlete is moving in the right direction.  The exercise is then showing a positive adaptation (instead of a negative one where range of motion decreases).    Simple.

Sometimes I will use some joint mobility work, but only when needed.  I only get as fine as needed and start with gross movements first based on this post on Purposeful Joint Mobility

Correct exercise under load is a powerful stimulus.

Yikes, off my soap box I go.

Comments

What do you think?  Do you use static stretching?  Has it helped?   What have you found that works?

rock on

Mike T Nelson

PS

If you want to make the best progress of your life just like over 100 other people, pick up a copy of Grip n Rip today!

REFERENCES on static stretching

1. Avela J., H. Kyrolainen, P. V. Komi. Altered reflex sensitivity after repeated and prolonged passive muscle stretching. J Appl Physiol. 86(4):1283-1291, 1999.

2. Behm D. G., D. C. Button, J. C. Butt. Factors affecting force loss with prolonged stretching. Can J Appl Physiol. 26(3):261-272, 2001.

5. Church J. B., M. S. Wiggins, F. M. Moode, R. Crist. Effect of warm-up and flexibility treatments on vertical jump performance. J Strength Cond Res. 15(3):332-336, 2001.

9. Cornwell A., A. G. Nelson, B. Sidaway. Acute effects of stretching on the neuromechanical properties of the triceps surae muscle complex. Eur J Appl Physiol. 86(5):428-434, 2002.

10. Cramer J. T., T. J. Housh, G. O. Johnson, J. M. Miller, J. W. Coburn, T. W. Beck. Acute effects of static stretching on peak torque in women. J Strength Cond Res. 18(2):236-241, 2004.

11. Cramer J. T., T. J. Housh, J. P. Weir, G. O. Johnson, J. W. Coburn, T. W. Beck. The acute effects of static stretching on peak torque, mean power output, electromyography, and mechanomyography. Eur J Appl Physiol. 93(5-6):530-539, 2005.

13. Evetovich T. K., N. J. Nauman, D. S. Conley, J. B. Todd. Effect of static stretching of the biceps brachii on torque, electromyography, and mechanomyography during concentric isokinetic muscle actions. J Strength Cond Res. 17(3):484-488, 2003.

14. Faigenbaum A. D., M. Bellucci, A. Bernieri, B. Bakker, K. Hoorens. Acute effects of different warm-up protocols on fitness performance in children. J Strength Cond Res. 19(2):376-381, 2005.

15. Fletcher I. M., R. Anness. The acute effects of combined static and dynamic stretch protocols on fifty-meter sprint performance in track-and-field athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 21(3):784-787, 2007.

16. Fletcher I. M., B. Jones. The effect of different warm-up stretch protocols on 20 meter sprint performance in trained rugby union players. J Strength Cond Res. 18(4):885-888, 2004.

17. Fowles J. R., D. G. Sale, J. D. MacDougall. Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantarflexors. J Appl Physiol. 89(3):1179-1188, 2000.

21. Knudson D., K. Bennett, R. Corn, D. Leick, C. Smith. Acute effects of stretching are not evident in the kinematics of the vertical jump. J Strength Cond Res. 15(1):98-101, 2001.

27. Marek S. M., J. T. Cramer, A. L. Fincher, et al. Acute Effects of Static and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching on Muscle Strength and Power Output. J Athl Train. 40(2):94-103, 2005.

30. Nelson A. G., N. M. Driscoll, D. K. Landin, M. A. Young, I. C. Schexnayder. Acute effects of passive muscle stretching on sprint performance. J Sports Sci. 23(5):449-454, 2005.

31. Nelson A. G., I. K. Guillory, C. Cornwell, J. Kokkonen. Inhibition of maximal voluntary isokinetic torque production following stretching is velocity-specific. J Strength Cond Res. 15(2):241-246, 2001.

32. Power K., D. Behm, F. Cahill, M. Carroll, W. Young. An acute bout of static stretching: effects on force and jumping performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 36(8):1389-1396, 2004.

34. Wallmann H. W., J. A. Mercer, J. W. McWhorter. Surface electromyographic assessment of the effect of static stretching of the gastrocnemius on vertical jump performance. J Strength Cond Res. 19(3):684-688, 2005.

35. Weir D. E., J. Tingley, G. C. Elder. Acute passive stretching alters the mechanical properties of human plantar flexors and the optimal angle for maximal voluntary contraction. Eur J Appl Physiol. 93(5-6):614-623, 2005.g

15 Random Thoughts

Here we go again, a tip inside my brain as to what is rattling around in there.  Trust me, you have been warned!

1) Mushroomhead is a highly underrated metal band

Adam T Glass just found them and was blown away. Great stuff. I prefer their earlier work with J Mann, but the new upcoming CD still sounds pretty cool. Awesome live shows if you ever get the chance to see them–go!

2) One of my favorite quotes of all time

“The iron never lies to you..the iron will always kick you the real deal. The iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go, but two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.” – Henry Rollins

3) Axial loading is key for muscle hypertrophy

It seems that loading the body axially like squats and overhead pressing seems to have a greater trigger for muscle hypertrophy (bigger muscles).

There is not any direct research that I have seen on this looking at similar loads (volume), but adding squats and kettlebell clean and jerks into your routine can pack on some mass quite fast.

I added about 3-4 lbs in the past month by adding these in. I also increased my calories again and my stress level was a bit lower too. Make sure those movement test well though (ala Grip n Rip).

4) Corrective exercise

I think we are making it entirely too complicated. An exercise/movement either makes you better or worse. If it makes you worse, you are not doing it correctly for YOUR body, or it is not good for you at THAT time. We are either getting better or worse.  Is corrective exercise any more complicated than that?

5) Bad foods

We need to stop putting foods into categories as “good” or “bad.” Very few foods are really bad.  If something is really bad it will kill you fast.   That is bad.  A poorly prepared puffer fish will kill you very fast.  I say avoid it, but even eating twinkies for a week straight will probably not kill you.  You may look similar to a twinkie by the end of the week though.

Twinkies in their natural state

6) The goal of health

Along those lines our goal of health is backwards. People think they need to eat “clean” 100% of the time. Even the most strict, pre-competition bodybuilder types don’t need to do that 100% of the time and even then the pre contest period is short compared to the rest of their life.

Having people try to get to a goal of 100% is not realistic and will set them up for massive failure.

The goal should be to eat as “BAD” as possible WHILE maintaining health (blood tests) and body composition goals.

If you can do this at a 70% compliance vs a 90% compliance, 70% is better!

The ability to take in virtually any food item and convert it into fuel (termed Metabolic Flexibility) is key to health.

Do you want to have more freedom with your diet and eat the foods you love, or feel like you are boxed in and “never good enough”?

7) PhD programs are long, really friggin’ long

I knew when I start this, that it would be a long road.  I had other warn me about it.  I thought they were nuts.  No way I was going to be in school for another 5-7 years after the 11 years I had already done.  Screw that.

Well, fast forward to many years later and I am still plugging away at it.  Very few things have I started that I have though long and hard about quitting and this is at the top of the list.  The good part is that I am fully determined to finish, no matter how long it takes.  I have decided it will not rule my life and as long as each day I am making progress, the end will come.    And I can’t wait for that day.  Wow.  Once I graduate, all hell is going to break loose as my ability to output will go through the roof.  You have been warned.

8 ) Poor exercise form

Adam mentioned this on a conference call and some are now sooooo scared of not doing an exercise correctly that they will not even TRY.

How can you get better at say a kettlebell clean and press, without ever doing one? The answer is you CAN’T.

The first rep is always the worst rep.

I am NOT recommending that you go load up the bar with a max load and do your first deadlift attempt ever with it. That is just stupid. But starting with the bar and doing a few reps and measuring your range of motion (biofeedback) to see if it is good is an excellent start. Then work to make it better every time.  Not starting will not help you.  To get better, you can video your movements and keep testing or find a local qualified coach to help determine what is best for YOUR body; not what looks picture perfect.  The goal is better, not initial perfection.

9) I still love the TRX

Very fun to use and easy to travel with too!

10) You should train for falling and ill movements

I believe that if you may fall in life (which is all of us), you need to train for falling. Special thanks to Frankie for pointing this out and covering it in the Movement Certification.
Great discuss on this at Charlie Weingrofts blog.

11) Joint mobility is just one movement

Joint mobility,while it can have its place and does work, is only a handful of movement the human body can do.  Plus, we learn by performing large (gross) movements first and then work to refine them over time.   Why would we start with the smallest movements FIRST?

If you want to learn how to squat, I want to see you friggin squat first!  I don’t give a crap at that point about your ankle dorsiflexion or the ability of you to active control your pinky finger.   I don’t care.  If I can’t correct your squat movement, I will then start to go to more fine and fin movements.   I may end up with ankle work or even thumb mobility work, but I would not START there.

You must read this post on Joint Mobility from Frankie below.  It is a MUST read.

Pain Makes You Stupid:  Purposeful Joint Mobility

12) What I learned last year

I have changed how I look at things this year once again.  Here are the top things I learned in 2009 below.  Can you see how I do things differently now?  If so, place a comment below

The Top 15 Things I Learned in 2009: A Review

13) B-Stance Deadlifts are one of the most underrated versions

If you have a weakness in one leg (most of use do) and you want to bring up your deadlift, doing a B-Stance deadlift where once foot is closer to the bar than the other (think of a very mild or shallow lunge where one leg is about 4 inches back from the bar in an asymmetric stance).    Check it out at

Raising the Dead:  Deadlift Training and B Stance work

14) Modern shoes still suck

I am still not happy with modern shoes and we would all be better off training in a pair of Vibrams, flat shoes, or no shoes at all.

15) Joint Pain

I love GLC 2000 for joint issues.  I have been using it for several months now and it is great.  Others that recommended it to have tried it love it too.  I have tried similar supplements like it in the past and they did nothing for me.

While I don’t have many joint issues, they did get a bit achy after many weeks of increased volume.    I even tried to push it a bit more and still had no issues.   I stopped taking it and within a few days to weeks, they got a bit touchy again.

GLC 2000 has a very high form of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which are natural substances found in and around the cells of cartilage (joints). Glucosamine is an amino sugar that the body produces and distributes in cartilage and other connective tissue, and chondroitin sulfate is a complex carbohydrate that helps cartilage retain water.

I have some other theories that this should help connective tissue health, which then should help maximal strength.

If you go to the link below, you can pick up 2 for the price of 1 from Carl at Super Human Radio (which you MUST listen to).

Super Human Radio GLC 2000 Special Offer

Not sure how long the offer lasts though, so it may be gone by the time you read this.

I get paid NOTHING to promote their product.

They did not ask me to mention it at all, but I feel that if I find something that works really well I need to share it with all of you.

Try it out and let me know how it goes for you.  If my theory is right, over a couple months you should see a nice strength increase too.

Summary

So there you have 10 things that have been running around in my head lately.  Let me know what you think by posting a comment below

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

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You can also help out by hitting this  

How to start a Movement

I loved this quote

“the first follower is what transforms the lone nut into a leader”–Derek Silvers

Brillant

We are the Movement.   Are you going to follow?

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

PS

Thanks to Frankie for sending me this post.  Check out his post on Joint mobility at

Joint Mobility:  A Must Read

You seriously need to read it if you want to get better!

Random Monday and I Need Your Help

Ever have one of those days where your head is just spining around like a top with tons of ideas (or as David Allen calles them “open loops”)? That is me today, so I will subject you to a few of them and hopefully you can pick up a nuggest or two and help me out also (see #2).

1) Music!

As you know, I am a huge music fan and I have been listening to the band Katakylsym a lot as of late. Great stuff.

My favorite lyrics from this song are

Overcome the pain
Overcome, overcome
Take away the fear
Break away, break away

2) I need your help with a new phone

I confess that I don’t know a ton about new technology. I spent waaaay too much time reading physiology stuff, but I know who to ask.
I need a new phone as mine is on its last legs. My contract is up, so no restrictions there.

I have talked to my techie friends and the response is split now between a Motorola Droid or an Apple iphone, so I need your help.

As far as I am told, here are my pros of each as it relates to my needs

Droid

• better voice recognition for searches
• better navigation
• downside is less apps
• I love Real Rhapsody, so I can run it in the background while using another app

Iphone

• More apps
• I wonder about the phone quality w AT&T
• nice interface

So give me your vote in the comments. My current phone is just a phone with basic text messaging, so anything is an upgrade! Let me know!

3) My buddy Mark Young has a great post about Genetic Testing for Diets below

Genetic Testing for Diets by Mark Young

4) Thanks to all that picked up a copy of the Grip N Rip DVD. Really really appreciate it!

Here is a recent review on it from Will Williams

Will Williams Reviews Grip N Rip 2.0 DVD

5) The Movement Certification is this coming weekend!

I am so stoked for this! We have a great group of people coming here for it and I can’t wait. I will be like a kid in a candy store all weekend.

6) Mike T Nelson on the road

If you are a student at Alex Tech in Alexandria MN, you will be listening to me yap at you this Tuesday. I will be discussing

• Biofeedback for Training
• Principles of Overload for Optimal Results
• The Nervous System

I am very excited to meet many of you and talk shop and learn from you also.

Afterwards I will be heading over to Noonan Sports Specialists to hang with Dustin, Mike and Steve. I plan to get a lifting session in there too, so they can help me with my form and hopefully watch them coach a few athletes and tour their place. Whoo ha.

http://www.alexnss.com/index.html

7) Inside Look at a Typical Athlete Session for Movement Issues

Sean Casey made the 6 hour drive one way from WI last night to stop in and we did some work on him in regards to a movement issue, showed him how to test his own exercises and in general had a great time.

In less than 2 hours we got the following results

• both of his glutes to turn “on” (had to use some eye movement in addition to Z-Health joint mobility work)
• his left psoas back online
• his left rectus femoris back on
• about 40 degrees more shoulder range of motion on his left side (pinky mobility work)
• taught him how to test his own exercises (biofeedback ala Gym Movements)
• taught him how to determine volume, exercise selection and intensity
• taught him how to test his shoes and go to a more mobile version (Nike frees, Vibrams etc)

I fully expect some crazy results as he gets home and puts all of this into play. He was even up early this AM doing his drills already–sweet!

Most people would guess that for a hip issue, the work to get all the muscles around the hip would have the biggest effect (and most times that is true).

In his case, the left pinky circle drill had the best effect by FAR.
Out of the 11+ docs he has seen, how many would have ever thought to look at his left pinky?

You MUST test the body as a WHOLE since it operates as a whole.

Thanks for making the long drive Sean (he stayed over night so he could drive back in the AM before I get any angry emails about me throwing him out into the cold at 11pm–ha!)

Any comments, leave them below! I love comments!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson

Phone Consultation Testimonial for Mike T Nelson: Low Back and Hip Pain

Another testimonial from a recent phone consult I did

I had been experiencing low back, hip and leg pain as well are forearm pain for several months. After going to my chiropractor and back doctor several times with no relief, I decided that I wanted to work with a Z-Health practitioner. However, there were none in my immediate area. I also wanted to work with a Z-Health Master Trainer. I contacted Mike regarding a phone consultation.

During our consultation Mike asked me multiple questions about my health and the pain I was experiencing. He had me doing different movements while on the phone and spent as much time with me as needed.

Mike had me to do arm circles, foot work and eye drills as well as recommending some changes to my diet.

He has continued to correspond with me via e-mail to provide additional suggestions to reduce and manage my pain including breathing exercises.

My pain is now greatly reduced and I am sure it will further diminish overtime as I continue to do all that Mike as recommended.

I would highly recommend Mike to anyone who is in pain.

—Brett Williamson

Now It Is Your Turn!

A Huge thanks to Brett for taking the time to write that up and taking the bull by the horns to look for an answer to his pain and movement issues.

If you are interested in a phone consult, for a limited time they are only $90 per session (normal rate is $110) and are 100% guaranteed.  If you are not happy for ANY reason, there is NO charge.

Drop me an email by clicking HERE to move better with less pain today!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

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Quoted in Muscle and Fitness, Nick Tumminello and More Randomness

If you pick up the latest issue of Muscle and Fitness Hers, look for my quote in there regarding caffeine and fat loss.

Dave Barr wrote a great article on supplements for fat loss, so a huge shout out to him for quoting me in the article and pick up a copy today.  Thanks Dave!

Nick Tumminello

I have the honor of having a guest article over at Nick’s site.  Head on over there and learn

• Are people training the gym without their heads?
• How to fire up those glutes and hip
• Why should you bother with joint mobility work
• Do you need optimal joint mobility in ALL your joints?

Go to

Z Health Ichabod Training with Mike T Nelson

Super Bowl Throwback

The Super Bowl is coming soon and it is NFL playoff time, so I thought I would throw up this classic video.

I am not saying I can dance well (other than the white boy shuffle, which I rock at), but it looks like they are trying to shake a squirrel out of their pants.

Rock on!
Mike T Nelson

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Will Static Stretching Make Me Weaker?

Yes! Next question?

“But I love to do it and it feels good. Plus my strength is not going down, so you are full of crap”

I get lots of these emails. Literally I do.

This is not really even debateable in my opinon.  From the latest study below, the authors state:

“There is an abundance of literature demonstrating that a single bout of stretching acutely impairs muscle strength, with a lesser effect on power.”

Of course static stretching is not going to make your knee cap shoot across the room or make you instantly as weak as a kitten; but I don’t feel it is an optimal way to increase strength and movement efficiency.

If I Don’t Static Stretch, Can I Move Like Crap?

Most don’t want to give it up since they assume their movement will get worse. I agree that athletes of all types need to move well and movement quality is of high importance, I just don’t think static stretching is the best tool. I would much rather have athletes do dynamic work and joint mobility work (like Z-Health).

What About Long Duration Static Stretching?

An even worse idea!  Yes, I understand the proposed concept of very long (5-20 minute) static stretches to reset muscle length, but there are much better ways to do it.  What is the cost of this practice?  Who in their right mind is even going to do it beyond the most motivated athletes? Many barely warm up as it is in most gyms.

I stole this one from my buddy Frankie, “Drugs make you feel good too, but I would not recommend them.”  So just because something feels good does not automatically mean it is good for you?  How do you determine if an exercise is good for you?  I would go with some form of biofeedback.

Comments?  What do you think?

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

If you liked this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking HERE

REFERENCES

Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2009 Dec 18. [Epub ahead of print]

To stretch or not to stretch: the role of stretching in injury prevention and performance.

McHugh MP, Cosgrave CH.

Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, New York, USA.

Do your thoughts help you to lift more weight in the gym?

Watch this video and find out!

Your Turn

Try it and let me know what you find! Time for action!

Drop me a comment and let me know how it worked for you

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

If you liked this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking HERE

Ouch, the Muscles Around My Shoulder Hurt:  Testimonial for Mike T Nelson

What are you waiting for?

If you liked this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking HERE

I trust you had a great Turkey Day (if you are in the USA) and a great weekend to everyone else. Jodie and I took a short trip to South Padre Island Texas for some kiteboarding time and had a blast. I got to ride 4 days and Jodie got in some great practice with the kite 3 times. I will have more details on it very soon.

Just a quick note that I had an article on “Pain and Performance” published on Boddicker Performance. I know what you are thinking, “Ugh, that sounds about as much fun to read as having a testicle removed” but I tried my best to make it a bit more entertaining while staying true to the science. You will have to be the final judge on that, but here is some feedback

“You are the only person I know who can make reading about the pain neuromatrix pain free for everyone.   Great post”  –Dustin Schlichting

Go there and find out for yourself. (Note, it is a bit hard to read, so feel to print it out. Carson is working on changing the format soon).

Pain and Performance

Rock on

Mike T Nelson