biometric training?!

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by gemtkd, Mar 6, 2011.

  1. Socrastein

    Socrastein The Boxing Philosopher

    While a muscle may have a large surface area, if the nervous system isn't efficient at recruiting the motor units in the muscle then it doesn't matter how big it is; it can still be very weak and inhibited.

    There are many reasons why most people can barely fire their glutes, not the least of which is reciprocal inhibition due to the extremely short and stiff hip flexors nearly everyone has. The tighter a muscle gets, the looser and more inhibited its antagonist becomes.
     
  2. Atre

    Atre Valued Member

    Kl thanks. Think you mean "cross section" rather than "surface area" though :p.

    Fortunately years of rowing have given me a mighty fine posterior so I don't worry about such things [edit: tongue in cheek comment].

    Do you know a test for Hip flexor stiffness/flexibility? I'd be interested to see what mine is like...
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2011
  3. Socrastein

    Socrastein The Boxing Philosopher

    As a matter of fact I did ;) I considered saying cross section, but figured more people would understand what I meant if I just said surface area. I suppose volume would have been a better compromise :p I'm always trying to strike a balance between how accurate my posts are and how easy to understand they are.
    A strong posterior chain is measured primarily by how much you can deadlift.

    While years or rowing has likely developed a lot of endurance in your muscles and given you great motor control of them, you can only build strength with progressive overload, and you can't get that in rowing unless you slowly add flour or some other thickening agent to the water over time :)

    As for testing hip flexor length, you can try the Thomas test. Lay with your back flat on a table and your lower legs hanging over the sides (so your knee joint is resting on the corner). Grab one of your knees and pull it toward your chest as far as you can until you feel your low back flatten against the table. Now while laying their have someone examine the resting thigh. If it rises off the table at all, you have an issue with your illiopsoas muscles. Make sure to test both sides.

    You can also test for isolated hip extension to see how well your body can fire your glute max. I use this test as part of my initial assessment of every client:

    Get on the floor and place your forearms flat on the ground while flexing the hip and knee of one leg as much as you can. This will bring you knee up to your chest, and you want to relax your upper body so your ribs are resting on your thigh. Your other leg should be extended behind you laying flat on the floor.

    From this position you try to lift the extended leg off the floor a couple inches without bending the knee or moving the torso (the ribs should stay relaxed against the thigh of the flexed leg). You can have someone place their hand on your lower back to see if you're raising up as you attempt to extend the hip. If you can lift your knee and ankle completely off the floor without moving your upper body and losing contact between your torso and thigh, then your glute activation is adequate, at least in straight leg hip extension.

    Most people fail miserably at the test, and those who think they pass often are doing it wrong. I've only ever had a single person pass this test on the first assessment, and she was from a third world country and grew up having to squat down to a floor toilet, so not only did her glutes work the way they should be she also had a great looking deep squat.
     

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