LITMIR.BIZ

      The major focus of the Release Your Kinetic Chain series of books is to help you resolve your injuries and to prepare your body for possible performance-level training.

      • If your primary objective is to resolve an injury and you have no interest in athletic or performance care, then you can move directly to the next chapter.

      • For the rest of you, there are several factors you should consider once you have attained a level of fitness where your body is ready to begin performance training.

      Athletic performance training is all about speed, power, and strength, which in turn are based on the development of superb neuromuscular control. Great neuromuscular control (the training of your nervous system to perform a task) is what defines the world’s best athletes – not strength or muscle size. There are some similarities (as well as some huge differences) in the objectives of rehabilitative exercise and athletic or performance training. In both, the development of neuromuscular control remains critical.

      Athletic or Performance training has greater risks than rehabilitation training. Athletic training often involves riding the fence between overloading the body (to increase strength and power) and reaching the point of tissue failure (injury). In Performance training there is always a greater chance of injury. Athletic or performance training differs from rehabilitative training in its:

      The following are a few fundamental principles that you should keep in mind as you progress into Athletic training routines:

Principle 1: Athletic Development is Not the Same as Body-Building!

      Exercise programs that focus only on increasing muscle size serve to meet body-building objectives of increasing size and definition and have very little to do with improved athletic performance or improved body function.

      Athletic Performance training typically focuses upon developing your speed, power, and strength. To achieve this goal, you must establish good muscle endurance, good motor control, and superb neuromuscular responses. This is very different from body-building which focuses primarily on increasing the size and bulk of your muscles.

      Exercise programs that focus only on increasing muscle size by isolating specific muscles (weight training with machines) often result in muscular imbalances, soft tissue injuries, and an overall decrease in performance. This is one of the reasons we do not recommend the use of exercise machines (other than cable machines) in any of our routines.

      Look for athletic training programs that integrate elements of strength, endurance, speed, and power. These are the ones that will be most helpful in increasing your performance.

Principle 2: Good Tissue Quality = Good Performance

      In sports performance, the quality of your soft tissue is a key element that cannot be ignored. When you improve the quality of your tissue (no restrictions, adhesions, or tightness) then you will reap the rewards of faster recovery, increased speed, improved range of motion, more strength, reduced injuries, and improved performance.

      As we discussed in Principle 2: Develop your Power - page 7, your muscles are like rubber bands. When there are no knots (restrictions) in them you can easily store and release your energy. This directly translates into improved performance. This is why soft tissue techniques such as Active Release Techniques have helped take Olympic athletes to gold medal status. These types of techniques work to improve the overall quality of your soft tissues.

      Bottom line: When you ignore the quality and state of your soft tissues, then you are taking the path of diminished performance! So, if you have restrictions and tight spots that are not resolved by exercising, then take the time to work these restrictions out by using our myofascial techniques (foam rollers, golf balls, self-massage) or see a skilled soft tissue practitioner for help in restoring your soft tissue quality. See Alternative Therapies to Explore - page 223 for more information.

Principle 3: Some Muscle Pain is Okay

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