Second Edition
Stretch
to Win
Ann Frederick
Chris Frederick
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Frederick, Ann, 1961- author. | Frederick, Chris, 1958- author.
Title: Stretch to win / Ann Frederick, Christopher Frederick.
Description: Second edition. | Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, [2017] |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016053879 (print) | LCCN 2016053484 (ebook) | ISBN
9781492515876 (print) | ISBN 9781492551546 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Stretching exercises.
Classification: LCC RA781.63 .F74 2017 (ebook) | LCC RA781.63 (print) | DDC
613.7/182--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016053879
ISBN: 978-1-4925-1587-6 (print)
Copyright © 2017, 2006 by Ann Frederick and Christopher Frederick
All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or
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The web addresses cited in this text were current as of February 2017, unless otherwise noted.
Notice: Permission to reproduce the following material is granted to instructors and agencies who have purchased Stretch To Win, Second Edition : pp. 95-99. The reproduction of other parts of this book is expressly
forbidden by the above copyright notice. Persons or agencies who have not purchased Stretch to Win, Second Edition may not reproduce any material.
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and 97); all other illustrations © Human Kinetics, unless otherwise noted; Printer: Sheridan Books
We thank the Stretch to Win Institute in Tempe, Arizona, for assistance in providing the location for the
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E6654
We dedicate this book to all those who seek more understanding
about the human body, particularly how to assess and improve
mobility for functional performance in sports, fitness, and life. It
is also dedicated to those who have not been able to find optimal
solutions for their pain or dysfunction and are willing to give this
book a chance to provide relief and a lifelong strategy for success.
Contents
Acknowledgments
vii
Introduction
xi
1 Ten Principles for Optimal Flexibility
1
✧✧ Follow the 10 principles to form a foundation for your
flexibility program
✧✧ Achieve flexibility using a multilayered approach
2
Anatomy and Physiology of Flexibility
15
✧✧ Learn what fascia is and how it factors into the flexibility
of your body
✧✧ Locate tight or restricted areas in your body using fascia
mobility nets
3
Flexibility Training
39
✧✧ Enhance athleticism and fitness with fascia mobility
training
✧✧ Adjust parameters of a stretch for different needs and
results
✧✧ Understand the types of stretching and how they affect
your flexibility
4 Flexibility for Sport Performance
✧✧ Learn how flexibility can affect athletic performance
✧✧ Use the performance pyramid to guide flexibility training
for your sport
iv
57
5 Flexibility Assessment
67
✧✧ Locate the source of your pain, soreness, weakness,
or discomfort and find solutions
✧✧ Create a flexibility program specific to your needs
6 Stretches for Fundamental Mobility
101
✧✧ Learn how to improve your everyday flexibility
7 Dynamic Stretches for Sports
147
✧✧ Prepare for and recover from sports activity using
flexibility
8 Assisted Stretching
173
✧✧ Stretch with a coach or a therapist to solve mobility
problems and to improve athletic performance
Glossary
213
References
218
Index
219
About the Authors
224
v
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Acknowledgments
The journey that led to the development of our technique was in progress
more than 40 years, and it will continue for as long as we practice and teach;
therefore, there are many people to thank. This book would not have been
possible without my beloved husband, Chris. He was instrumental in the entire
creative process, and he has been my true partner. We have spent countless
hours working together on the book, side by side on our dueling laptops,
without a single disagreement. Although I spent many years studying the
science of flexibility and stretching people before we met in 1998, his inspiration, guidance, support, vision, and love transformed my work and helped
it evolve into what is today.
I especially want to thank my parents for having always been there for
me, believing in me, and supporting all my dreams and endeavors. My mom
taught me that I could become anything I desired as long as I kept my feet
planted firmly on the earth and my spirit reaching for the heavens. My father
advised me to find a special niche, become the very best at it, and never stop
improving. I know they were proud of what I created and they smile down
on me knowing I am living my dream.
Numerous influences have culminated in the beliefs Chris and I share about
stretching and flexibility as a means of tapping into human potential, beginning with our mutual backgrounds in dance and movement. I began dance
training at the age of 4, and Chris began dancing at the age of 10. I extend
my thanks to the many dance teachers and students I have had the pleasure
of working with over the past 40 years for providing endless inspiration as to
all the possibilities that exist in movement and flexibility.
Special thanks to Tim McClellan and Rich Wenner, who introduced me to
the world of strength and conditioning at Arizona State University in 1995.
They gave me a chance to develop my techniques into a functional flexibility
that transferred to the field for athletes. This opened the door to my being
chosen as the flexibility specialist for the 1996 U.S. men’s Olympic wrestling
team. The experience of working with athletes of this caliber set the benchmark
for the role that sport-specific flexibility can have in athletic success.
I must thank my many clients over the nearly 20 years I ran my clinic for
believing and trusting in my work. By sharing their lives and providing feedback, they have participated in the development and growth of my vision.
They have taught me a great deal about the many differences and similarities
in the human body and about its unlimited potential.
vii
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Acknowledgments
A very special thank-you to my athletes for the time, trust, and devotion they
have invested in me over the years. They have truly inspired me to continue
improving the methods of stretching to help them reach their performance,
prevent injuries, and achieve health and fitness goals. It has been an honor
and a privilege to be a small part of their careers.
Last, but most important, is a heartfelt thank-you that I lovingly send out
to all our students and our teaching teams in the United States and Canada.
We have closed our clinic since writing the first edition of this book; we are
now dedicating our time to teaching and writing. My present focus is how to
best educate and inspire our students, teachers, and readers. The people who
bring us joy and fulfillment are those whose lives have been influenced by our
work, both professionally and personally. I feel truly blessed to have touched
so many lives and to have those people touch and change so many more.
—Ann Frederick
First, I would like to thank my wife. This book is a product of and a testament
to the joy that comes when we have the opportunity to create something
together. I will never forget the first time I got on Ann’s table and, through her
stretching techniques, experienced the magical sensation of pain and tension
melting away; this is the feeling shared by her clients every day. She is a master
teacher and a divine inspiration, and I thank her for personally training me
in her original philosophy and system of stretching and for sharing with me
all the things that drive her passion in this field.
Thanks to my parents for encouraging me to follow my heart in all my
endeavors, even when the path I chose was not exactly what they had in mind
for me. A very special thank-you to the first teacher and person who made a
significant impact in my life, Sifu Sat Chuen Hon, for helping me create a solid
spiritual and physical foundation. Special thanks to Dr. Mei-Hsiu Chan for
her guidance in teaching me deeper levels of life experience through profound
healing and training of the body and mind.
I am truly grateful for all the dance teachers who freely gave of themselves
when teaching their passion and joy of movement to me: Wilhelm Burmann,
David Howard, Melissa Haydn, Gloria Fokine, and Robert Blankshine. Thanks
to Romana Kryzanowska and Kathy Grant for introducing me to Pilates and
to Juliu Horvath for training me in his system of Gyrokinesis before it was
known by any name.
I want to thank my mentor and guide in manual therapy, Marika Molnar,
PT, LAc, and founder of the famed Westside Dance Physical Therapy practice
in New York City. Without her inspiration, I would not be the kind of manual
physical therapist that I am proud to be today. Liz Henry, PT, and Katie Keller,
PT, were also wonderful guides on that journey. I am also thankful for the
inspiration of the many creative collaborators who frequented that magical
place, among them Jean Claude West, Ken Endelman (founder of Balanced
Body), and Brent Anderson (founder of Polestar Pilates).
—Chris Frederick
Acknowledgments
There are many others who contributed to the creation of this book. A very
special thanks to Michael J. Alter, whose first book in 1988, The Science of
Stretching, provided scientific validation of an emerging field of flexibility
science. Michael laid the groundwork and inspiration for others to follow,
and we hope that we do his work some justice. He was kind enough to share
his valuable time and knowledge by reviewing our first-edition manuscript,
sending research, and discussing the future of flexibility science. Thanks also
to Wayne Phillips, PhD, our dear friend and colleague, who was instrumental
in the pursuit of research in the field, and to James Oschman, PhD, who was
inspirational in his brilliant work relating to energy medicine and the wonders of the fascial system. Special thanks to our friend, colleague, and mentor,
Thomas Myers, who gave us a new perspective on how to see and experience
the body. After spending 12 weeks training with him in Maine, and being
exposed to the tremendous volume of work covered in his book Anatomy
Trains, we can truly say that we “changed our bodies about our minds.”
To all the students who have trained in our technique, thank you for your
trust, time, passion, and commitment. You motivate us to be our very best and
to continue evolving. We learn so much from you every time we teach, and
we are eternally grateful for your constant faith and never-ending inspiration.
Thanks also to our models—Jon Lempke, Emily Grout, and Christine
Sijera—for donating their time and talent. Avery special thanks to Bertrand
Berry, who is always a joy to work with and is one of our all-time favorite
athletes. We thought it only appropriate to have one of our (now retired)
NFL players be the model for the assisted stretches on the table in chapter 8.
We would like to thank all the fine folks at Human Kinetics who have made
this second edition possible, particularly Michelle Maloney, Acquisitions
Editor, Laura Pulliam, Developmental Editor, and Ann Gindes, Managing
Editor. They were a pleasure to work with and were extremely helpful and
understanding throughout the entire writing process.
We thank photographer Neil Bernstein both for his outstanding work and
for his amazing ability to understand what we wanted to convey. Thanks so
much to Bruce Hogarth, our artist, for helping us interpret our new concepts
of depicting the fascial nets. We also thank all those we don’t know by name
who had a part in helping this book come to fruition.
Finally, we’d like to thank the readers of the first edition of this book
who e-mailed us with amazing testimonials of how this book eliminated
chronic pain, radically improved mobility, and optimized fitness and athletic
performance!
—Ann and Chris Frederick
ix
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Introduction
Whether they are training for football, golf, a 10K race, or any sport in the
Olympics, most athletes recognize the performance benefits of a progressive
strength and conditioning program. Stretching programs, however, have been
less popular for a variety of reasons. Research on stretching has produced mixed
reviews, and athletes found it boring, painful, and a waste of time because there
was no evident change in performance. Most of these negative reactions were
to one specific type of stretching called static stretching. In addition, athletes
were not aware of the positive outcomes of specific types of stretching paired
with athletic goals. Fortunately, those details are addressed in this book.
In the last five years, neuroscience research has shown increasing evidence
that the brain functions by way of movement patterns rather than isolated
muscles. Therefore, professionals in sports, fitness, and rehabilitation have
increasingly abandoned muscle-only approaches to training and therapy
and are now focusing more on movement-based approaches. Consequently,
mobility training has become the hottest trend in fitness and physical rehabilitation. Much of what is called mobility training today can also be called
dynamic stretching; we clear up this confusion and discuss stretching and
mobility in chapter 3.
Is a stretching program just as important as a strength and conditioning
program for optimal athletic performance? Yes, if the stretches are performed
both correctly and for the right reasons. This is not a matter of simply finding
a correct stretching position; it is also a matter of using appropriate training
parameters to get the most benefit from the stretch. This means properly
warming up the body, developing each type of stretch, and customizing the
intensity, duration, and frequency of each stretch for the intended goal.
You cannot establish these parameters unless you first evaluate your flexibility. As we teach you in this book, flexibility is much more than range of
motion (ROM). Once your flexibility is evaluated, you can design an individualized program to increase your sport-specific flexibility. Instead of a generic
stretching program, you can use a refined flexibility training program that
will be responsive to your individual needs as they change over time. The
comprehensive evaluation will also help you establish a baseline of flexibility
that you can periodically refer back to when you reevaluate your progress.
This way, you are sure to meet your mobility and sport performance goals.
The program of stretching can be set up at intervals that complement your
other sport training.
xi
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Introduction
In this book, we start by explaining the how, why, where, and when of
stretching so you have a good reason to try the Stretch to Win® system of
flexibility training. Once you have this base knowledge, we present easy-tofollow programs that will immediately start to make a major difference in
your sport performance. If the thousands of clients we have worked with
are any indication of the benefits of our system, you will experience more
power, more strength, more endurance, and more flexibility than you have
ever experienced up to now.
What’s more, you will eliminate or greatly reduce the incidence of injuries
and of all types of pain. One of our clients, former NFL safety Brian Dawkins,
who played 16 seasons and was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, notes, “My
coaches and teammates asked me what I was doing different because I was
moving so much better on the field. I told them that I was doing the Stretch
to Win program and it was getting me right.” Professional and elite athletes
use this system because we provide a complete and clinically proven way
to develop sport-specific flexibility. Ever since Ann Frederick showed in her
master’s thesis in 1997 that the Stretch to Win system resulted in greater (36
to 52 percent) and longer-lasting gains in ROM than conventional methods
of stretching, we have been constantly refining and improving it. (In fact, our
clients attained permanent flexibility gains of between 100 and 200 percent
during the last 10 years of our clinic.) This guarantees that our clients, our
students, and you are getting the most up-to-date and cutting-edge information and techniques to optimize athletic performance and to reduce the time
it takes to return to activity after injury or surgery.
The Stretch to Win system aligns with today’s philosophy of functional
outcome training. This means that when you implement the program, you are
not stretching just to increase ROM for the sake of improving general mobility,
but rather you are performing a specific stretch program based on an analysis
of your own flexibility requirements specific to your sport or movement. In
our experience, customized programs always lead to superior results.
A stretching exercise is functional when it directly enhances an athlete’s
performance in his or her specific sport. For example, a 100-meter sprinter
should stretch differently than a marathoner. This is because the sprinter has
a faster-responding nervous system and muscle reactions owing to her higher
percentage of fast-twitch fibers, among many other things. These fast-twitch
fibers help produce explosive power in a sprint from start to finish. The
marathoner tends to have a higher percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers
than the sprinter. These slow-twitch fibers are accustomed to a much longer
performance, and they do more to maintain correct postural alignment and
form during distance running.
Another difference between these two athletes in relation to their flexibility
programs is the contrast between their functional ROM requirements. The
sprinter must start a race crouched down at the starting blocks, whereas the
marathoner begins upright in a ready stance at the starting line. In addition
Introduction
to being fast, the sprinter must have sufficient flexibility to effectively start off
the blocks. When an athlete stretches using a training system that incorporates principles of sport specificity, he or she can achieve optimal functional
flexibility.
The idea behind this book is to provide athletes and coaches with the tools
to create effective flexibility programs that contribute to optimal performance
in any sport or training activity. Equally important goals are eliminating the
myths and confusion surrounding the subject of stretching and flexibility
training and educating and inspiring readers with all the new information
and training that we are immersed in as specialists in human flexibility.
Before we help you create your program, we teach you how to evaluate your
mobility and identify your restrictions to unhindered athletic movement.
After you determine what imbalances and flexibility deficiencies you have,
you will learn how to individualize your program to fit your needs. When you
finally engage in a program that is suited to your needs, you will experience
faster and greater gains in flexibility and overall mobility. These results will
be evident after the very first time you perform the program, and they’ll get
better over the following two weeks.
Chapter 1 takes you through the 10 basic principles of our program—the
fundamentals for mastering the system. As you know from participating in
sports, you must master the fundamentals before progressing. In chapter 2,
we define and discuss the anatomy and physiology of flexibility and stretching
to clear up the confusion that still exists even among professionals in sports,
fitness, and rehabilitation. We go into the fascinating details of the connective
tissue system, also called the fascia. Science shows that a person is a network
of fascia under a normal amount of tension that helps transmit information
about movement (and many other things essential for life) at the speed of
sound. When you get chronic or nagging issues that don’t go away, such as
tightness, soreness, heaviness, stiffness, and weakness, then your fascia may
be out of balance. We provide solutions to these issues in later chapters.
Chapter 3 uses the latest fascia research to support incorporation of elastic
recoil, undulating movement, and fascial stretching. These are the keys for the
new generation of strength and conditioning and injury prevention programs,
and the Stretch to Win system contains all of them.
In chapter 4, we relate flexibility to sports by discussing the importance
of fundamental movement assessment and correction as a basis for optimal
athletic performance. Core mobility as a basis for better core stability is discussed in a way that is not often recognized. These things plague many athletes’ performances throughout their careers if they are never identified and
corrected. We address how flexibility affects athletic qualities such as strength,
power, and speed, and then we discuss how the flow of an optimal flexibility
program will determine the flow of athletic performance.
Chapter 5 helps you apply the information in the previous chapters by teaching you how to assess your own flexibility using a fascia mobility assessment
xiii
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Introduction
(FMA). This provides an honest look at what may be hindering your athletic
performance. Based on the findings in the FMA, the chapter then guides you
in building a customized stretching routine around your particular needs.
You will be able to assess what has been preventing you from attaining your
goals, and you will learn how to keep performing at your highest level. You
will also learn how to recover faster and prevent injuries.
Chapter 6 offers corrections for any imbalances found in your assessments
in chapter 5. You can also go directly to this chapter for restorative stretch
programs that will help you rapidly recover from intense training and competition, which often create unilateral and asymmetrical stress and strain. These
programs will also help you recover from minor injuries due to overtraining
or overexertion. Implementing the programs in this chapter will often prevent
minor injuries from becoming major ones.
In chapter 7, we provide dynamic stretch programs that you can do within
an hour of activity. These programs focus on dominant movement patterns
common to most sports. You can choose whether to do all of them or only
those that prepare your body for specific activities.
Finally, in chapter 8, we show you how we use assisted stretching to help
our elite and professional athletes reach optimal levels of performance. This
final chapter is intended for professionals in sports, fitness, and physical
rehabilitation who are looking for the most effective ways to mobilize and
stretch athletes. The chapter will also be helpful for others who want to know
about assisted stretching.
This book reflects our passion for stretching and flexibility training. By
taking advantage of the knowledge we’ve developed over decades of work
with our clients, you will gain much more than flexibility. You will save time
by being more efficient in your training; you will save money by not having
to depend so much on professionals to get you out of pain; you will achieve
athletic goals that were previously out of reach; and you will enjoy training
and sport participation more as you increasingly experience the natural high
of everything fitting into the right place at the right time. For the ultimate
athletic experience, you must stretch to win! (Note: videos of all programs in
this book and more can be accessed at www.stretchtowin.com.)
Chapter 1
Ten Principles
for Optimal
Flexibility
After more than 50 combined years of personal experience, research, study,
and professional practice as clinicians, instructors, and coaches, we have
identified the following 10 essential elements that form the foundation of
the Stretch to Win system:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Synchronize breathing with stretching.
Regulate your nervous system with stretching.
Stretch in the correct sequence.
Stretch without pain.
Stretch fascia, not just muscle.
Stretch in multiple planes with movement.
Expand joints when stretching.
Use traction for maximal lengthening.
Use resistance when needed for optimal results.
Adjust parameters to match goals.
These 10 principles form the core of our system, but, like systems of the
human body, they operate together in a nonlinear way. The principles are not
numbered in order of importance, nor must they be followed in a strict order.
Instead, they are organized to follow a multilayered approach, from the deepest
and simplest layer of movement (breathing) to the most complex (multiple
planes) movement, to help you achieve your goals. These layers are located
in regions of the body—joint capsule and fascia—that have traditionally not
1
2
Stretch to Win
been fully addressed in stretching and flexibility training. The fascia is the soft
connective tissue system that forms a continuous tensional network throughout
the human body (see figure 1.1). It connects the skin, every muscle, every
organ, and every nerve (Schleip and Müller 2012). This is why we also refer
to it as the fascial net in this book. Joint capsules are a type of differentiated
fascia that cover all joints, integrate and function with joint ligaments, and
help contain any fluid in the joints (see figure 1.2).
Skin
Superficial
fascia
Body
wall
Fat
Deep
fascia
Bone
Muscle
Figure 1.1 Fascia is an extensive
net of connective tissue that connects the skin,
E6654/Frederick/f01.01/571801/pulled/R1
muscles, organs, and nerves.
Bone
Articular
cartilage
Joint cavity
Joint capsule
Bone
Figure 1.2 Joint capsules are made of fascia located in the deepest layer of the
E6654/Frederick/fig01.02/571802/pulled/R1
body, and they connect joints, ligaments, and periosteum (bone fascia).
Ten Principles for Optimal Flexibility
Now, let’s take a look at each of the 10 principles in detail. These form the
foundation for the flexibility programs we teach.
Principle 1: Synchronize Breathing
With Stretching
Athletes understand the importance of breathing. How you breathe can influence your mental, emotional, and physical states. Anyone who has tried to hit
a target by throwing a ball, using a bow and arrow, or shooting a gun knows
that the timing of your breathing is crucial to accurately hitting a target.
Breathing can also affect muscle tone. For example, sleep apnea (in which
sleep is disrupted due to breathing cessation) is associated with poor or
hypotonic muscle tone in the upper airway region. As another example, if
you are allergic to shellfish or to bee stings, you could die from anaphylactic
shock if increased muscle tone and swelling close off your airway. In either
case, faulty muscle tone has the undesired effect of greatly impairing proper
breathing function.
In sports, if you are breathing rapidly when you are supposed to relax,
such as in golf when you are ready to hit a putt, this makes focus, concentration, and being in the moment difficult or impossible. In contrast, if you are
breathing very slowly when you are supposed to get ready to run or swim a
100-meter sprint, you are not ready to react to the starter’s gun with an effective push off the block. In either case, faulty breathing techniques negatively
affect performance.
How does the connection between breathing and performance actually
work? For a basic illustration of this connection, try this seemingly simple
exercise:
• Stand up with your feet placed parallel beneath your hips.
• Make sure that your weight is not on the heels or on the toes but in the
center of your arches.
• Slightly bend your knees without generating tension in your thighs.
• Your tailbone should feel like it is dropping to the floor and your head
should feel like it is floating up to the ceiling.
• Close your eyes, and feel your abdomen relax and expand with the
inhalation. It should stay relaxed as it contracts with the exhalation.
• Notice any areas of tension, discomfort, or pain, and then return to the
same breathing noted previously. Feel yourself breathing more fully and
getting more relaxed with each breath.
• Remain in this state for a count of 10, with one count being a full, slow
inhalation and exhalation.
3
4
Stretch to Win
When we had our clients perform this simple awareness exercise, we got a
range of responses, such as “I never knew how much tension I carry in my
body” and “I never realized how hard it is for me to relax; why can’t I relax?”
We also received responses such as “the pain that I had in my shoulder before
this exercise is now gone!” From this simple exercise, our clients learned that
they can become much more aware of where they store unnecessary tension,
and, more important, through specific instruction they learned how to spontaneously and immediately release any tension.
After performing this exercise, the basic connection between breathing and
the state of your body becomes obvious and provides a launching pad that you
can use in more advanced and specific ways. For example, you can take what
you experienced in the breathing exercise and use it to direct your response to
different tempos of stretching in order to achieve different flexibility training
effects. Exactly how to do this is discussed in chapter 3.
We have observed that if you take this experience and knowledge of how
breathing can influence muscle tension and apply it to stretching, the response
you get from stretching will be far better. This is because you will learn how to
accurately assess the current state of your body through synchronized breathing (and the other nine principles) and give it what it needs at that particular
moment. This may mean something as simple as recognizing unnecessary
tension that is causing movement restrictions and releasing it in less time
than it takes to take a complete breath, as in the previous exercise. Or it may
mean taking a little time before going to sleep and going through a short
sequence of stretches (discussed in principle 3) that effectively and quickly
restore your flexibility. This helps you unwind and release the accumulated
tension or tightness of the day so you achieve complete overnight recovery
and are optimally flexible for the next day’s activities.
When performing recovery stretches as just noted, instead of counting to an
arbitrary number while stretching, as is often taught, our clients achieve better
gains when they focus on their breathing. When you coordinate breathing and
stretching, you will discover that certain areas of your body need less time and
other areas need more time to release the restrictions to movement. When you
learn to synchronize all your movements with proper breathing techniques (as
you will in chapter 3), you will see profound changes in how you move on the
athletic field or court, on the golf or ski course, and in activities of daily living.
Principle 2: Regulate Your Nervous
System With Stretching
Regulating your nervous system means that you can enhance your flexibility
for optimal athletic performance by upregulating for activity and downregulating for recovery. That is, you can increase or decrease your nervous system’s
response before and after your sports activity. This means that preparation
Ten Principles for Optimal Flexibility
for preactivity flexibility is very different than preparation for postactivity
flexibility.
To stretch or not has often been a controversial question that has research
and anecdotes to support both points of view. In practice, we find that it is not
an all-or-nothing issue, but rather it is an issue of how and when to stretch
appropriately for the given task. Whether you are training for or participating
in an event, it is common knowledge in exercise science and sports medicine
that a proper warm-up is essential before engaging in full athletic activity. If
you are preparing for a game or other event that is coming up shortly, you
will want to upregulate your nervous system with a breathing and stretching
movement style that increases oxygen and blood flow to the muscles, increases
focus and alertness in the mind and body, and generally prepares you to jump
into full activity. Conventionally, stretching that has these characteristics is
called dynamic stretching, but we have developed fast undulating stretching,
which is discussed in more detail in chapter 3.
In contrast, postactivity is a time for recovery and restoration of your flexibility, which might have suffered the ravages of intense mental concentration
and physical work. This manifests as soreness and what feels like ropes or
knots in the muscles, which are typically first felt when you are in the cooldown phase and are maximally noticed 24 to 36 hours later. Or perhaps you
suffered a significant strain in the groin or hamstring that makes you limp a
little when you walk. In either case, the goal is to restore the flexibility that
was lost and to do it as fast as possible, preferably overnight, so that you feel
fresh and flexible in the morning and are ready for activity again.
Conventionally, static stretching, in which a stretch is held for a specific
amount of time, has been prescribed for achieving these goals. Instead, you
want to regulate the nervous system by synchronizing the breath and movement at a slower pace and using progressively larger movements that are held
longer than the preactivity movements. Our system of gaining flexibility this
way is called slow undulating stretching, and it is done by downregulating the
nervous system, which is discussed in more detail in chapter 3.
Our clinical experience has shown us that when you regulate the nervous
system to the conditions at hand, your response to all movement in training
and sports is enhanced and injuries are reduced or eliminated. This is covered
more fully in chapter 3.
Principle 3: Stretch in the Correct
Sequence
Through a combined 50 years of experience as professional participants both
in performing and martial arts and through stretching thousands of clients,
we have found that following a specific sequence of stretching produces the
best results. There are exceptions, and there are many variations in human
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Stretch to Win
anatomy, but following the order that we share with you, combined with your
best instincts, will produce a winning program.
In general, we have discovered that stretching the joint capsule and the
deeper muscles that are close to that joint capsule before stretching the more
superficial muscles that cross two or more joints leads to better flexibility
than if this order is not followed. The reasons for this are complex and varied,
taking into account multiple effects on the central and peripheral nervous
systems. Relaxation and release of restrictions in the deeper structures of the
body stimulate a cascade of reflexes and biochemical processes that pave the
way for the rest of the body to respond to stretching in a more profound way.
More details on this follow and are described in chapters 2 and 3.
We find tight or hypomobile hips in most of our athletes; this tends to be
the first and deepest barrier that restricts flexibility of the whole body and
especially reduces efficiency of movement in the lower half. A common example is when you pull your knee to your chest with your hands while lying on
your back. If you feel a pinch in the hip or groin, then you have signs of hip
impingement. This may be due to inflammation, but more often it is tight
hip flexors and a tight hip joint capsule (see principle 7) that are restricting
movement. Because the two opposing surfaces of the hip joint are abnormally
compressed, it is plausible that you may get hip arthritis if this simple symptom continues to be ignored. Unfortunately, this happens to athletes sooner
than in the general population. Fortunately, targeted stretching of this area
can completely relieve these symptoms if addressed in time.
Once the one-joint muscles and the joint capsule are more flexible, then
the two-joint muscles may be stretched more effectively as the layers of muscle
and connective tissue, from deep to superficial and from short lengths to long
lengths, are released in an easy-to-follow form.
Another logical sequence to consider is to prioritize stretching the muscles that, because of severe tightness, inhibit muscles on the opposite side
of a joint from functioning properly. During any functional movement, there
are prime mover muscles and helper muscles called synergists. Prime movers
and synergists normally work together (or synergistically), but synergists
may substitute for prime movers, thereby taking on more workload in cases
of flexibility imbalances and certain injuries or conditions that are outside
the scope of this book. Synergistically dominant muscles take over the active
movement when the prime movers are not working.
A common example is a situation in which tightness of the hip flexors
inhibits proper contraction of the hip extensors. When the hip extensors or
gluteal muscles do not perform their actions appropriately, the hamstrings take
on the extra workload. Because the hamstrings assist the glutes in extending
the hip, they become synergistically dominant in this scenario. The all-toocommon result is that the hamstring will become strained or torn because
of the extra workload it is not designed to accommodate. As soon as the
excessive tension is removed through proper stretching (of the hip flexors,
Ten Principles for Optimal Flexibility
in this case), the muscles that were made weak through inhibition (the hip
extensors or glutes) immediately become strong and efficient, and the strain
in the synergists (the hamstrings) is eliminated.
Principle 4: Stretch Without Pain
Stretching should never hurt. When it does, this is usually due to tearing
healthy tissue to force flexibility. Once that happens, performance decreases
as scar tissue increases.
We have found that the most dramatic increases in flexibility and performance on the athletic field are created in a quiet, relaxing, and trusting environment. Under these conditions, we have seen flexibility gains of between 50
and 100 percent (as measured in degrees with a goniometer and with visual
landmarking of bone positions) with our tightest athletes within the first or
second assisted stretch session. These gains were achieved without pain. With
self-stretching, dramatic gains in mobility without pain can also be reached after
mastering these ten principles and applying them consistently in your program.
If you have ever felt tight or sore after stretching, you probably stretched
too intensively, breathed improperly, or did not stretch appropriately for your
goals. In fact, if testimony from some of our new clients is an indication,
there are athletes who don’t stretch because they get tighter instead of looser
after stretching. This response is unacceptable for a competitive athlete, so
what can you do?
An important part of increasing range of motion (ROM) without pain is
learning how to release or come out of a stretch by avoiding what we call
the rebound effect. This refers to the tendency of muscle that has just been
stretched to immediately tighten up again. This may occur with a sudden or a
more prolonged stretch to a muscle, such as when you are stretching and you
accidentally or purposefully slip into a deeper, more intense stretch. A sudden
or quick stretch will elicit a sudden contraction or spasm, which is the body’s
effort to avoid further injury. A stretch that is too deep or too prolonged will
also elicit a tightening effect that is followed by soreness.
We commonly see the rebound effect when someone comes out of a
stretch in a way that negates the stretch. This leads to a less-than-optimal
response to the stretch, and the results (i.e., not much change in overall
flexibility) do not justify the time spent. Does this sound familiar to you?
This is a common scenario we hear from new clients who have not had
much success with stretching.
Try the following simple exercise of the rebound effect (do not try this if you
suspect or know of any spinal pain or injury, especially to the nerve and disc):
• Stand with feet hip-width apart.
• Look straight ahead as you slowly lean to one side, letting the arm hang
down toward the floor without trying to reach.
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• Come back up, and notice how you activated the muscles you just
stretched to come back up.
If you return to an upright position by simply reversing the stretching
motion, you will recontract the muscle fibers that you were trying to release;
this will counteract any gains you might have made with the stretch itself.
Therefore, learning how to return to a neutral starting position without
tensing the stretched muscles is another key to optimal flexibility and
increasing ROM without subsequent pain. Try this modification of the
previous exercise:
• Repeat the stretch, but instead of coming back up, look to the floor and
continue slowly bending forward until both arms are hanging in front
of the body and the knees are slightly bent.
• Slowly roll up to the start position using your glutes and back muscles.
This principle is used consistently whenever possible in the mobility and
stretch programs in chapters 6 through 8.
Principle 5: Stretch Fascia,
Not Just Muscle
This is one of the most important principles to grasp for the following reasons:
• The majority of repetitive strain injuries (and even so-called muscle tears)
occur in the collagenous connective tissues of muscles such as tendons,
ligaments, or joint capsules.
• Conventional muscle training trains the connective tissues involved, but
it does this in a nonspecific and usually nonoptimal manner.
• In sport science, there is evidence that comparatively little attention has
been given to targeted training of the connective tissues.
Some of the most common injuries in sports are due to repetitive strain.
Conventional training does not optimally address connective tissue or fascia,
so this book will help fill that gap with a focus on assessing, correcting, and
training the flexibility and mobility of your fascia.
Fascia is often referred to as the human tensional network, and we view
stretching as a way to effectively adjust tension and force transmission anywhere in the body to achieve correction and balance in movement. The brain
activates function by way of movement patterns, and muscles are all connected
by a fascial net. Therefore, we provide specific fascial stretches that will correct
and maintain balanced function in your body.
Ten Principles for Optimal Flexibility
Principle 6: Stretch in Multiple
Planes With Movement
Without a precise three-dimensional assessment of posture, gait, flexibility,
strength, and other functional movements relative to an athlete’s activity or
sport, a trainer or therapist does not have the objective information to create
an optimal program for performance enhancement or rehabilitation of an
injury. A simple example of three-dimensional assessment is a trainer or
therapist observing how you squat by watching you from the front, sides, and
back. Each view may produce a different observation or a different perspective.
The combination of all views then gives a more accurate picture of how you
performed the squat.
Even without a professional evaluation, achieving a personal understanding of movement from a three-dimensional perspective increases your ability
to benefit from improved athleticism with a reduced chance of injury. This
will happen when you start to use multiple planes of movement when you
stretch and then integrate this knowledge and experience with specific training
appropriate for your sport (see chapters 3 and 4).
We have seen many times that even professional athletes stretch indiscriminately and irregularly, which often perpetuates existing muscle imbalances.
When you stretch your arms or legs equally without specific regard to one
being tighter than the other, you are stretching into the path of least resistance,
which increases only your relative flexibility. Relative flexibility is the ROM or
movement that comes naturally or easiest when you are training, competing,
or stretching. For example, if an athlete has tighter quadriceps on the right
side and stretches both quadriceps at the same intensity, duration, and frequency, the right quadriceps will likely remain tighter than the left. Because
the left quadriceps have more flexibility than the right, the left quadriceps are
more responsive to stretching. The stretching comes easier. Consequently, the
athlete’s relative flexibility of both quadriceps increases because of stretching, but an imbalance between the two quadriceps will still exist because the
stretching parameters for the tighter leg were never adjusted to take its lesser
ROM into account.
A proper evaluation by an experienced professional will reveal the source
of the imbalance, but you may also find it on your own by conducting an
assessment and reflecting on how you move in multiple planes during activities of daily living, fitness training, and sports (discussed in chapter 5). After
this self-analysis, you will learn how stretching in multiple planes—adding
different angles to take advantage of the unique mobility of certain joints—is
directly related to how you move in sports. When you combine multiple angles
with other techniques when you stretch, such as adding extra emphasis to the
origin or insertion of the myofascial connection, you will get the superior
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results that you expect from individualized attention. This kind of attention
is simply giving your body what it needs at the time that it needs it. By following these principles regularly, you will learn how to listen to what your
body needs when your body communicates it. In this way, small problems
do not develop into large ones, and your athletic performance is optimized.
Principle 7: Expand Joints
When Stretching
The joint capsule is a type of fascia that encapsulates the joints and fuses with
the ligaments that connect the bones to each side of the joint (refer back to
figure 1.2 for an illustration of a joint capsule). Our structural integration
teacher and colleague, Thomas Myers (2014), demonstrated by anatomical
dissection that there are deep continuous paths of fascial tissue that connect
the joint capsule to the ligament and the bone fascia (i.e., periosteum). These
then connect to the tendon and the muscle, continue on to the next tendon
and bone, and then connect to the ligament and capsule of the next joint.
This repetition of fascial connections (also called lines or trains by Myers and
called nets by us) can span the entire length of the body. For example, that
tightness in the bottom of your foot can catalyze a cascade of symptoms and
pains anywhere through the fascial nets of your back up to the base of your
skull. Because the joint and its capsule are located in the deepest part of the
fascial nets described, the condition of the joint capsule determines the condition of the fascial nets that cross over and connect the joints.
Almost half of a healthy person’s lack of ROM at the joint may be due to
the tightness of the joint capsules. Therefore, it makes sense to understand
how to keep this structure optimally mobile. When the capsule gets tight, it
has a tendency to adhere to the underlying bone. Unlike normal joint capsule
flexibility, which permits a certain range of motion, tight capsules, such as
those commonly found in professional athletes, restrict ROM. When full joint
ROM is prevented, muscle ROM or flexibility is also restricted because muscles
attach to bones and bones connect to other bones by way of joints. If muscle
ROM is restricted, then compensations for this restriction will develop automatically because the body is programmed that way. The body will develop
areas of greater mobility in some joints (called hypermobile joints) to compensate for the lack of mobility in other joints (called hypomobile joints) so it
can continue to function. For example, when one of the four articulations of
the shoulder is restricted, one or more of the other articulations will develop
increased mobility over time to compensate for the restricted one. The longer
the restrictions are present, the more the body will compensate for those limitations to movement. Over time, the accumulated compensations become
problem areas of pain and dysfunctional movement, forcing the athlete to
seek professional help.
Ten Principles for Optimal Flexibility
A common example that we see in the clinic is hip joint capsules that
seem, in the athlete’s words, to get “jammed up” into the joint. This leads to
a functional shortening of the length of the leg because the hip has less space
available in the joint for mobility of the bones. This shortening effect may also
occur on the affected side in the sacroiliac and lumber facet joints. Because
the bones of the hip socket are not moving through their full excursion, the
deep hip flexor, the psoas, gets very tight and restricted in its motion. This
will negatively change how you run, jump, and perform other athletic moves.
Over time, hip bursitis, tendinitis, or arthritis may develop, depending on
the factors that are present. These scenarios may be completely avoided or
eliminated by addressing the hip capsule in a flexibility program.
When the joint capsule is included in a flexibility program, you must
understand the basic function of that joint. The hip joint, for example, is
a ball-and-socket type of joint. This means that it can move in an infinite
number of directions. Using this knowledge when you stretch means that
you will know how to target all the prime directions of stretching the hip so
maximal functional flexibility is achieved for the complex movement required in
sports and athletics. Extensive assessment followed by fundamental mobility
and corrective stretches for the hip and the rest of your body is covered in
chapters 5 and 6. In chapter 8, we provide guidelines for when stretching the
joint capsule alone is indicated or contraindicated in assisted stretching based
on the whether the hip is hypo- or hypermobile.
Principle 8: Use Traction
for Maximal Lengthening
Often, when you stretch, what you are trying to do is get tissue that has
become tight to lengthen, whether it is fascia, muscle, tendon, or ligament. It
would seem logical that when things in your body get compressed and come
together, such as the parts of the hip joint we described, you would want to
decompress or traction them to create more space between them again. We
discussed in principle 3 that, in general, starting your stretches with the joint
capsule and then proceeding to the shorter muscles that span one joint should
be done before stretching other muscles and fascia (this is further discussed
in chapter 2). Therefore, when we evaluate a client’s hip joint and find that
the joint capsule is tight or hypomobile, the first thing we do is remove this
specific restriction with traction.
The ideal way to get the joint capsule to stretch is by manual longitudinal
traction to the joint at the proper angle and at the correct intensity, duration,
and frequency. This means that the practitioner who is performing the stretching on a client physically pulls the leg so that a gap or stretch is created in the
joint capsule of the hip (see chapter 8). After getting the joint capsule warmed
up and responsive to stretching with circular movements and traction, the
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next focus is to traction and stretch the muscles and fascia or myofascia that
cross over the joint. This is the deepest layer of myofascia that will react to
positive or negative changes in the joint capsule. This deeper layer of muscles
and fascia is shorter than the muscles that cross two joints; therefore, when
they are released, they pave the way for the longer muscles to release faster
and more efficiently. This is achieved by combining the principle of using
traction with principle 6 (stretching in multiple planes with movement) to
achieve maximal lengthening of any tissue that has become tight and has
caused pain or has otherwise negatively affected athletic performance. Even
though we described manual traction performed by a professional, if used in
combination with the other principles, traction may also be used with great
success by yourself without any special equipment.
When you stretch muscles that cross two or more joints, adding traction
proximally and distally will result in complete myofascial stretch across the
entire muscle from one end to the other end. In fact, the addition of traction amplifies the effects of stretching by going beyond mere local muscular
attachments to related but distal fascial tracks, such as those mentioned in
principle 7. These amplified effects include much greater ROM in the area
being stretched and more permanent overall flexibility improvement than
stretching without traction.
In summary, maximal lengthening of tight tissue is achieved when you
traction and stretch all the tissues along a particular fascial track: joint capsule,
ligament, tendon, muscle. This should be done without causing pain and in
a logical order, from the deep layer to the superficial layer.
Principle 9: Use Resistance When
Needed for Optimal Results
Research in sport science and other disciplines repeatedly demonstrates that
stretching using specific proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques
yields the most gains in ROM in the shortest amount of time. Briefly described,
PNF was developed in the 1940s as a complete system and philosophy of rehabilitation that used principles of neurological reflexes to improve the function
of the body in people who had polio and other neurological disorders. Because
research at that time demonstrated that PNF worked so well with those people,
modified PNF techniques were developed for people who participated in
athletics and wanted the benefits of increased flexibility and strength. Recent
research has demonstrated that the specific techniques of modified PNF called
contract-relax-agonist-contract (CRAC) and contract-relax (CR) have had the best
overall results in improving flexibility. Our own research has shown that assisted
PNF CR stretching combined with the use of special table straps to position
the nonstretched limb passively results in even better and longer-lasting ROM
(Frederick 1997). Assisted stretching is covered in chapter 8.
Ten Principles for Optimal Flexibility
Without getting into the details now (we discuss our technique, called FSTPNF, in chapter 8), PNF CR takes advantage of well-known neurological reflexes
that enable the body to take advantage of opportunities to improve ROM and
achieve longer-lasting flexibility from stretching than would otherwise be
thought possible.
Principle 10: Adjust Parameters
to Match Goals
To accomplish individual goals of reducing injury and improving performance,
one must have specific parameters in place to achieve those goals. These
parameters must have built-in flexibility so they can be modified easily if
any conditions change. For example, if you feel tight and sore today, you will
want to emphasize certain parameters, such as the frequency and duration of
a stretch over intensity. This is because you want to increase your flexibility
without aggravating or injuring your body, which can happen if you stretch
too intensely. Alternately, if you feel loose today, you will want to use a thorough but brief flexibility program so you can assess your body to ensure that
all areas are indeed flexible.
Four keys to designing any training program are to determine the tempo,
intensity, duration, and frequency of each component of the program. Tempo
is the speed at which you do stretch movements. The intensity of a stretch
means knowing how far into the range of motion you can go safely and easily
for the maximal effect. Duration refers to how long you maintain the actual
stretch to get the most gain in flexibility. Frequency refers to how often you
must repeat the stretch sequences over the course of the day to get optimal
results that are specific to the current objective.
As previously stated, these parameters can and should change over the
course of your training depending on the season and what state your body
and mind are in. These variables will affect parameter design, and a proper
understanding of how it all works is essential for training continuity and for
achieving performance goals. You will achieve this understanding and will be
able to use these parameters effectively and practically in your current training
after reading the details of assessment in chapter 5.
In the next chapter, we discuss the anatomy and physiology of flexibility
and stretching. There you will get to visualize the layout of the fascia of the
body, which will give you a better understanding of stretching for improved
athletic performance.
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Chapter 2
Anatomy and
Physiology of
Flexibility
In the field of strength and conditioning, as well as in personal training, the
definition of flexibility is simply range of motion. As flexibility specialists, we
have come up with a more accurate definition that applies to any training,
fitness activity or sport:
Flexibility is the ability to adapt to any stress and then completely recover in
sufficient time to adapt to the same or any new stress as needed to complete
an activity or deal with a threat to survival.
This means that for the athlete to compete successfully in sports, he or
she must be able to adapt physically, mentally, and emotionally to any stress
required by that sport. Of course, the ability to adapt comes from having prerequisite standard physical and athletic assets for a sport, such as optimal talent,
strength, mobility, coordination, balance, quickness, agility, and speed. Visual
skills specific to each sport, such as being able to track and then hit a fastball in
baseball, also need to be exceptional. Many other aspects of health (reflected
in lab test results that indicate no inflammatory markers and proper levels of
hormones and address other nutritional factors) must also be optimal. Further, when crucial mental and emotional factors (such as focus, concentration,
desire, passion, feelings of confidence and well-being, presence or absence of
the perception of threat to survival, and more) are not optimal, athletes do not
perform at their peak (in other words, they are not “in the zone”).
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In this chapter, you will learn a more simple and practical way to understand your anatomy. This will allow you to assess your body for mobility
restrictions and imbalances more accurately. Then, you will be able to more
easily increase, restore, or correct your flexibility.
What Is Fascia?
The first Fascia Research Congress defined fascia as all the collagenous, fibrous
connective tissues that are elements of a whole-body tensional force transmission network. Other definitions refer to it as a whole-body communication network outside of the nervous system that is capable of receiving and
transmitting information from both inside and outside the body (Schleip et
al 2012). The relatively new science of fascia has had an exponential increase
in research activity over the last 10 years. Much evidence supports the use by
athletes of new and more effective methods of training fascia.
What this means to you, the athlete, is this:
• Fascia is the word we use for all connective tissue in your body.
• The most prevalent tissue in your body is fascia.
• Fascia connects to and influences every system in your body.
Due to its presence and influence throughout the body, problems with
fascia can cause issues in any or all aspects of sport performance. To maintain
Optimal Flexibility Requires Fascial
Mobility
The goal of this book is to provide athletes and fitness enthusiasts
(and those who train them) with a reliable, proven method of achieving
optimal mobility for fitness, athletics, and sports. By achieving optimal
mobility, improvements in performance, recovery, and injury prevention
naturally follow. One of the most effective ways to achieve this has
traditionally been ignored by the fields of strength and conditioning
and personal training. Training only from a muscle perspective is the
“old-school” way, whereas training the neuromyofascial system is
considered much more effective. Because much of the nervous and
musculoskeletal systems are made of various kinds of fascia and they
have extensive direct and indirect connections via fascia to the rest of
the body, we will simply call all connective tissues—those that make
up muscles, bones, and neural tissue—the fascial system (Schleip et
al 2012).
Anatomy and Physiology of Flexibility
optimal function, therefore, it makes sense for athletes to understand fascia:
common problems, quick and effective solutions, and training guidelines. We
begin by discussing the form or structure of fascia.
Form of Fascia
The form or structure of fascia in your body is always under a normal amount
of tension. This force of tension is similar to air inside a balloon. One reason
for the inner tension is the normal pressure from the atmosphere. At sea level,
your body must constantly resist about 15 pounds of pressure per square inch
(6.8 kg per 6.5 cm2) of your body. This number can change with weather and
altitude, among other things. Another reason fascia has a normal amount of
tension is that gravity exerts an additional downward force of compression
on the body. The resultant compression force of gravity compounded with
sport activity and intensive, year-round training pulls and pushes everything
in the body down and in.
Your body stays in balance partly through the normal tension present in
your fascia and the muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and organs with
which it is connected. It is counterbalanced by the framework of your skeleton, which helps your balance by transferring some of the compressive forces
throughout your body into the ground or other items you touch. It might
be helpful to imagine that your fascia is under normal tension because it is
stretched over your skeleton. Because the body is made up of materials that
help mobilize and stabilize it through the transfer of forces from within
(movement) and from outside (life, sports, training), the body is considered to have tensegrity. The great architect and engineer Buckminster Fuller
coined this term in the 1960s to describe structures that were designed with
tensional integrity.
A simple example of a structure with tensegrity is a geodesic dome, such
as a sporting arena or a tent for camping. The dome has integrity because
the structure maintains its relative shape statically when no force other than
gravity is applied (see figure 2.1a) and dynamically when another force is
applied (see figure 2.1b). That is, it does not readily burst or break; rather, it
goes with the flow. After the force is removed, it returns to the same shape
it had before the force was applied. Structures with tensegrity are the most
flexible and adaptable ones ever conceived.
Your body has a similar but superior smart design called biotensegrity (Levin
2006). Through the structure of the fascial net, your body can simultaneously communicate to all its cells how to move, change shape, and adapt to
prevailing conditions. When you sit or lie down, your body adapts to the
surface of the furniture or floor. If you stay in a position too long, your fascial
system accumulates stress and strain from the summation of forces on and
in the body and communicates to the mind that it must change position. If
you do not change position often, as is the case with many who sit at work,
then your fascia thickens in the areas that are under prolonged or repetitive
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Force or load
a
b
E6654/Frederick/fig02.01b/571804/pulled/R1
E6657/Frederick/fig02.01a/571803/pulled/R1
Figure
2.1 The freestanding geodesic dome (a) has tensegrity when a force or load
is applied (b).
stress and strain. This thickening is the body’s automatic response to stress
and strain in the myofascia. It is an attempt by the body to add extra strength
to the tissue by depositing extra collagen. Unfortunately, this comes at the
expense of flexibility; collagen is not the most flexible tissue, as anyone with
a scar can attest.
Another example is the way the body adapts to collisions and extreme
external blows and pressure, such as those experienced by a running back
in American football, who runs into people and gets buried under a pile of
them over and over again. As a result of biotensegrity, the running back’s
body automatically changes shape not only to cushion the blows but also
to transmit the force of the blows and falls throughout the fascial network,
just as the geodesic dome distributes forces across its structure. This helps to
attenuate the magnitude of the forces so they do not accumulate and overwhelm the involved tissue with disabling injury. Nevertheless, the body is
programmed to deposit collagen in areas that are under repetitive stress and
strain. Whether you are inactive or are extremely active, the tendency of the
body is to provide extra collagen or scar tissue as an automatic reaction to
excessive stress and strain. The antidote, of course, is regular stretching that
might also correct imbalances in strength or other athletic traits. Stretching
helps realign collagen fibers that deposit themselves in a thick, disorganized
manner. Stretching also creates length and space in the areas where collagen
has shortened and drawn the tissue inward.
Imagine that you put on athletic compression garments for the upper and
lower body as well as compression gloves, socks, and facemask. Now, imagine
feeling the force of compression on the entire surface of your body. Besides
compression, you would also feel an equal and opposite force called tension
Anatomy and Physiology of Flexibility
that is resisting the compression. As we said previously, the entire fascial
system is normally under tension. The compression garment metaphor is a
simple, exaggerated example of the outer layers of fascia that are just below
the skin. The tension is not across the skin, as if someone taped it and was
pulling on it; rather, the tension is perpendicular to the skin. There is an
expansive type of tension resisting compression at every point covered by the
garment. When the compression is equally balanced by tension, the fascia is
in a state of stability. Many athletes like compression garments because the
garments make them feel more stable and strong. Hopefully, this example
gives you some idea of how the fascia supports and stabilizes the outside
and inside of your body.
Now, imagine that your compression garment is too tight and that it is
beginning to change the color of your feet. This symbolizes fascia that is too
tight. You might feel this way in one part of your body or even all over. An
athlete with full-body fascial tightness is advised to see a flexibility specialist.
Someone certified in Stretch to Win Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST; assisted,
hands-on movement-based stretching) will help the athlete achieve faster,
more effective gains in mobility, and the athlete can then maintain this through
the fascia mobility training system described in chapters 6 and 7.
Now, imagine trying on a compression garment that is just a bit too loose.
This symbolizes fascia with poor integrity, which makes local and distal
areas along the same fascial chain unstable and vulnerable to compensations as well as pulls, tears, and other injuries. Athletes with fascia like this
tend to be beginners or are generally hypermobile and haven’t gained the
strength, power, and stabilization skills necessary to engage in sports safely
and successfully.
Compartment Syndrome
Compartment syndrome is pressure buildup inside an enclosed space
in the body that typically results from bleeding or swelling caused by an
injury. The pressure interferes with blood flow surrounding the affected
tissues. It is common medical problem in sports, and it requires immediate medical attention.
Compartment syndrome is a perfect example of inflammation of the
fascia that causes such excessive tension and compression forces
that it threatens to kill the tissue by cutting off its blood supply. Often
occurring in the lower leg, this is preventable but requires immediate
surgery (a fasciotomy) if it reaches a certain critical point. In this
case, a surgeon cuts open the leg to release pressure and sometimes
remove scar tissue. Keeping your fascia flexible, mobile, and strong
with programs in this book will help you prevent this.
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Throughout the rest of the book, we will use the term net when we discuss
fascial anatomy. For now, just imagine the different forms that a net can take:
thick, thin, open, more closed, tight, loose, more flexible, less flexible, even
wet or dry. Ideally, your body net should be balanced; it should not be too
tight or too loose, but it will be tighter in some places that need it (like the IT
band) and looser in others (like the abdomen when at rest).
For most athletes who participate in sports or intense fitness training,
imbalances—some parts of the body being tight with poor mobility and
other areas being loose with poor stability—are common. The following are
several examples of imbalances in the fascial net that occur in sports and can
be helped with the Stretch to Win system:
• Plantar fasciitis from tight fascia in the lower leg
• Lateral knee or kneecap pain from tight tensor fasciae latae (TFL) and
vastus lateralis
• Hip pinch (impingement) from tight psoas
• Low back pain from tight iliopsoas fascia
• Poor inhalation, endurance, and V̇O2 max from tight psoas
• Weak core muscles due to tight hip flexors
• Rotator cuff strain or tendinitis from tight pectoralis minor
• Neck pain or restriction from compressed joint capsules and fascia
Before we move on, let’s summarize how you can visualize the fascia. Fascia
is like a custom-fitted compression garment with just the right amount of
tension for optimal stability and mobility. If it’s too tight or too loose, athletic
performance will suffer.
Function of Fascia
Fascia is described as the largest system in the body because it is the framework
of most of the structures in the body, right down to cells. Fascia reaches into
and connects to all the other major systems: muscles, skeletal system, central
and peripheral nervous systems, and organs. These extensive connections go
beyond structural stabilization and support of the body to also heavily influence all physiological functions of the body. From DNA synthesis and genetic
expression to the lightening-fast reaction of survival to threat, fascia is a major
factor in all these and more. We start with fascia as the great communicator
between all systems.
Fascia as a Communicator
Fascia has been likened to a continuous series of liquid vibrating crystals that
transmit mechanical information from any force or movement (however large
or small) to drive essential physiological processes, such as gene and hormone regulation. All this is accomplished by way of the body’s biotensegrity.
Anatomy and Physiology of Flexibility
Scientists have found that fascia can instantly and simultaneously communicate essential information necessary for survival and daily function to all the
cells in your body. This is facilitated and maintained for optimal health and
performance through movement.
Full-body active movement, as well as the micromovements of your cells
while your body is at rest, will stimulate the fastest and most efficient wholebody communication system that operates separate from the brain and nervous
system, all by way of your fascia. In fact, physical forces commonly exerted
on or within your body in sports and training will travel around the body
as mechanical “vibrations” at 720 miles per hour (1,100 kph); that is more
than three times faster than the nervous system. With that kind of speed, your
body can make virtually immediate adjustments to stop, start, and change
direction as needed. Even though the nervous system is slower to respond
than the fascia, research has shown that there are vital connections between
the two that allow them to work together. Of interest is that the fascial system
works inseparably with the neuromuscular system for proper motor patterning
and control in daily activities as well as the most complex and demanding
athletic movements.
Fascia as a Transmitter
The fascial system has been described as a tension force transmission network, but what does that mean to the athlete? One of the many functions of
fascia is to transmit forces from muscle to tendon to bone and from muscle
to muscle, which is otherwise known as myofascial force transmission. This is
of interest to athletes because any problems in the fascia’s ability to transmit
force can negatively affect
• athletic qualities such as strength, stability, power, speed, agility, and
quickness;
• the ability to sense the position location, orientation, and movement
of the body and its parts, which is called proprioception (most layers of
fascia are densely packed with these receptors that can be stimulated
with movement);
• the deep sense of awareness of whether one feels good based on information connecting one’s organs to a part of the brain called the insula,
which is called interoception (fascia contains these receptors that can be
stimulated with movement); and
• proper muscle sequencing of motor patterning and control in daily
functional activities, training, and sports.
Any problem with the bodywide net of fascia can cause problems with
muscle-to-muscle force transmission and all the factors previously listed,
which can negatively impact sport performance. As will soon be shown, the
Stretch to Win system has solutions to improve the force transmission of fascia.
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Fascia as a Remodeler
Fascia is “one interconnected tensional network that adapts its fiber arrangement and density according to local tensional demands” (Schleip 2015a, 3).
Functional stress and strain on fascia will change fiber direction and, in optimal
circumstances, stimulate the production of more of the same or different kinds
of fascia to support, strengthen, stabilize, and otherwise assist movement.
Too much activity (e.g., overtraining) will induce negative changes in fascia,
such as inflammation (e.g., tendinitis), injury (e.g., tears), and concomitant
scar tissue, to the extent that muscle function and athletic performance will
decrease. Too little activity will weaken the fascia’s ability to support muscle
and nerve function. This means that fascia can and should be specifically
trained, which until now has been ignored in fitness and sports.
Research indicates that it will take 6 to 24 months for a complete fascial
makeover using specific training activities for fascia (Schleip et al 2012; Schleip
2015a, 2015b). Despite this time frame, research also shows that fascia reacts
right away to remodel and accommodate everyday stress and strain and specific training, which supports our experience in getting immediate positive
performance outcomes with athletes (Schleip et al 2012; Schleip and Müller
2012; Schleip 2015a, 2015b). The Stretch to Win system of fascia mobility
training is one of the fastest and most effective means to improve all athletic
qualities, and it results in achieving your personal best in sports and fitness
while reducing the risk of injury.
Before we move on, let’s summarize what the functions of fascia mean to
an athlete:
• Fascia is the only system that anatomically and physiologically touches all
other systems of the body (that is why it is described as a net or network).
• Anything that negatively affects the fascia can negatively affect any system
in the body.
• Fascia communicates with your body at three times the speed of your
nervous system, so training your fascia is a necessity for optimal athletic
function.
• Your abilities to learn, feel, and remember movement are in large part
due to the optimal function of your proprioceptive system, which is
mostly dependent on a properly trained and maintained fascial system.
• Fascia responds to specific training and therapy immediately and cumulatively for long-term change.
Functional Fascia Anatomy
Before we teach you how to do your own fascia mobility assessment (FMA)
later in this book, we introduce you to functional fascia anatomy. This will
help you locate, understand, and communicate (e.g., to a therapist or trainer)
Anatomy and Physiology of Flexibility
where you may be having pain, discomfort, or movement challenges. Instead
of trying to explain how more than 600 muscles work, we will use an easier
system of functionally connected kinetic chains or nets. Besides, the brain and
nervous system work with global motor patterns rather than local, isolated
muscle contractions.
The functional kinetic chain system on which our nomenclature and anatomical references are based derives from Anatomy Trains®, which maps the
fascial and myofascial links of the entire human body (Myers 2014). With
gratitude and respect to Thomas Myers, creator of Anatomy Trains®, our functional interpretation of it for athletes will be called fascia mobility nets (FMNs).
What Are FMNs?
FMNs are anatomical visual aids that help you easily assess, locate, and eliminate problem areas in your body. Always visualize any individual net with
extensions and layers that can branch up and down, sideways, diagonally, or
in spirals and can be deep or superficial (Myers 2014). In addition, keep it
firmly in mind that single nets never work alone, and in sports and in life,
they are all simultaneously active to greater and lesser degrees depending on
function. The reason stretching may have not worked for you in the past could
have been because you stretched where you felt the need as opposed to where
you actually needed it.
Here’s an example: Stretching your hamstring didn't work; it’s still tight.
This often occurs because you addressed the symptom (i.e., where you felt
the need) but not the cause (e.g., a tight hip joint and other muscles around
the hip besides the hamstring). Here is another example: Stretching your
shoulder didn’t work; it still hurts and feels weak when you challenge it with
activities that require good stability and good mobility (e.g. swimming, throwing, grappling). This often occurs when your shoulder is too loose and not
stable enough for power movements. There are likely regions nearby—above,
below, or on the opposite side—that restrict movement. This forces regions
that move to compensate with even more movement so the entire net can
function. Over time, a chronic cycle of cumulative stress builds, resulting in
regions along the net that are less mobile (hypomobile) and nearby regions
in the same net that become too mobile (hypermobile).
The solution is to properly assess what doesn't move optimally, which may
be local (involving just one or a few net links) or global (involving most or
all of the net), and only stretch what needs stretching. Next, reassess to make
sure you completely solved the problem. Finally, finish by correctly retraining
the movement. This approach helps you find solutions quicker and often
eliminates problems for good.
As stated earlier, sports and life require the full participation of all fascial
nets at any time. This means that fascial nets must be able to stretch, shorten,
or stabilize. They must adapt to extremely fast power movements, such as
Olympic lifts or sprinting, and to constant activation of postural muscles in
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long-distance sports such as swimming, cycling, and running. Stretching, shortening, and stabilizing can occur simultaneously within one or more FMNs.
The Five FMNs
It is helpful for athletes to understand nets because they simplify the understanding of how anatomy functions, making it easier to self-assess and thus
making it possible to self-treat problems and identify areas that need attention
to prevent injuries. To make it easier to learn and to visualize them, when
you are standing, your nets are divided into connected regions of muscles and
fascia that mostly lie in a vertical line in the same plane. On some sides of
your body, such as the back, there is only one net layer; on other sides, such
as the front, there are two layers. Where there are two layers, they are divided
between myofascial segments closer to the skin, called the superficial front
net, and myofascial segments closer to the skeleton, called the deep front net.
This section details the specific nets for each part of your body, listing all key
muscles and associated fascia (together called myofascia for one muscle-fascia
unit and myofasciae for more than one) that connect to each other. Figures
map out the nets and indicate the exact location of all myofasciae within a net.
Common problems with each specific net and solutions are listed. Note,
however, that a much more detailed breakdown of all assessments and the
solutions appears in the fascia mobility assessment (FMA) section of chapter
5. With those solutions, you can learn to efficiently and effectively manage
many performance and training challenges yourself as they come up.
Front Nets
Front nets are composed of interconnected muscles and fascia that mostly lie
in the same plane. They are divided between myofasciae closer to the skin,
called the superficial front net, and myofasciae closer to the skeleton, called
the deep front net.
If you are an athlete who works at a desk all day and trains before or after
work several times per week (like many triathletes do, for example), then you
will most likely develop restrictions to movement in your neck, shoulders,
chest, hips, knees, or ankles.
The front of your body tends to shorten, tighten, and get stuck where it
bends (at joints) along with the myofasciae that spans or hangs across those
joints in the line of gravity. This can make you vulnerable to tendinitis or tendinosis conditions in these locations. The back of the body tends to lengthen
and weaken in compensation. This can make your core, spine, and the rest
of your body unbalanced and unstable. The superficial net is easy for you to
access with self-myofascial release (SMFR) so you can adjust the length-tension
relationships of the superficial myofasciae. Myofascial release is a term used
to describe various manual therapies that use forms of manual pressure with
Anatomy and Physiology of Flexibility
directional intention that is applied to a restricted tissue in the body in order
to restore normal functional mobility. SMFR is a self-care version with the same
intent, but using one or more tools to assist in restoring mobility. This therapy
helps eliminate many local restrictions that can negatively affect movement.
The deeper net has harder-to-reach restrictions, especially in the shoulders
(e.g., joint capsule, pectoralis minor) and hips (e.g., joint capsule, iliacus, and
psoas), and the spine gets weak and vulnerable in the deepest structures, such
as the discs. While SMFR can still be partially effective in these regions, stretch
movements must be the focus to restore mobility and function.
Athletes who don't sit as much don't tend to develop the same magnitude
of problems in the superficial net. However, overtraining any area along the
anterior net will put you in a similar category of restrictions, and we often see
the deep front net become highly restricted. For example, our professional
football player clients get locked down with restrictions in the deep fronts
of their shoulders and hips from explosive, power movements off athletic
stance positions.
A later section, Fascia Mobility Blocks, shows key regions of the front net
to focus on for increasing mobility in the entire net or in any of its links. The
front nets are shown in figures 2.2 and 2.3.
Back Net
The back net is composed of interconnected muscles and fascia that mostly
lie in the same superficial layer and plane. Be aware, however, that there are
deeper segments around the spine; for practicality, we do not include or consider them for self-assessment and treatment in this book.
Athletes that run in their sports tend to get short, tight posterior nets due
to a repetitive, functional position of athletic stance extension in the spine.
Others, such as cyclists, have an opposite issue and need strengthening of
their posterior nets to balance out stretching their anterior nets. The back net
is shown in figure 2.4.
Lateral Net
The lateral net is composed of interconnected muscles and fascia that mostly lie
in the same plane or layer located in and around the sides of the body. Athletes
who have the common left-right imbalances are more prone to injury than those
who are just too tight or too loose all over. Therefore, it is even more important
to identify these imbalances before preseason workouts indicate that there is a
problem. Common imbalances that show up in the lateral net that negatively
impact athletic performance include leg length discrepancies, supination or
pronation of one foot more than the other, one shoulder lower than the other,
one hip higher than the other, or head tilt. These may result in many kinds of
complaints, such as side hip pain, IT band syndrome, lateral knee pain, or side
ankle or foot pain. The lateral net is shown in figure 2.5.
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Scalp fascia
Sternocleidomastoid
Sternum fascia
Rectus abdominis
Rectus femoris and
quadriceps
Tibialis anterior with its
fascial compartment
Toe extensors
Figure 2.2
Superficial front net.
E6654/Frederick/f02.02/571805/auprov/R2
26
Deep neck muscles and
scalenes
Throat muscles
Lungs
Chest muscles
Heart
Diaphragm
Anterior spine
Pelvic floor
Psoas, iliacus
and pectineus
Hip adductors
Popliteus
Tibialis posterior
Long toe flexors
Figure 2.3
Deep front net.
E6654/Frederick/f02.03/571806/auprov/R3
27
Cranial fascia
Deep spinal intrinsic muscles
Erector spinae
Sacrolumbar fascia
Deep lateral hip rotators
Sacrotuberous ligament
Hamstrings
Gastrocnemius and soleus
Achilles tendon
Plantar fascia and short toe flexors
Figure 2.4
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BackE6654/Frederick/f02.04/571807/auprov/R1
net.
Sternocleidomastoid
Scalenes
Splenius capitis
Intercostals
Gluteus medius
Lateral abdominal obliques
Quadratus lumborum
Gluteus maximus
(superior fibers)
Greater trochanter
(of the femur)
Tensor fasciae
latae (TFL)
Iliotibial tract and
hip abductors
Fibularis (peroneus)
and related fascia
Figure 2.5
Lateral net.
E6654/Frederick/f02.05/571808/auprov/R2
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Power Nets
Power nets are made of five interdependent superficial nets. These include
the front and back nets, two lateral power nets on each side of the body, and
a deep power net that connects posture with power. On a micro level, collagen is the part of the fascia that gives it a spring-like quality (e.g., jumping is
accomplished more by the coils of the Achilles tendon than through the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles). On a macro level, the fascial nets also spiral
into larger coils, which help generate quick power and instant speed, agility,
and direction change. Therefore, the power nets form the core of stability and
mobility of functional movement in life and sports. The central balance of the
power nets is fundamental to the proper function of other nets.
Because the power nets are engaged more in sport-type movements than in
maintaining static postures like the other nets, issues are movement related.
Movements such as running, throwing, catching, and kicking that involve
opposite arms and legs with forces running on a spiral at a diagonal through
the body are our focus with the power nets. However, because movements in
sports are often power based and unpredictable, strong forces must be met
by tissue in the body that is flexible or adaptable. Flexibility or adaptability
in the human body has the essential qualities of strength, mobility, and stability, among many others. Without flexibility, you are at even more risk for
the following common conditions:
Sports hernia
Groin pulls
Abdominal strains
Low back, hip, or knee pain
Muscle tears
Ligament tears
Chronic tendinitis
Spinal disc herniation
The superficial power nets are shown in figures 2.6, 2.7, and 2.8.
The deep power net (see figure 2.9) is divided into muscles and fascia that
align in spiral patterns; in our opinion, it is most often the stabilizing foundation for launching high-caliber athletic mobility with the other power nets.
When the balance of stabilizing function becomes compromised through
overtraining and not maintaining proper flexibility, the following conditions
are often present:
Poor posture alignment within
sport movements
Rib cage imbalances
Lower extremity alignment
imbalances
Chronic tensor fascia lata-iliotibial
band (or TFL-ITB) tightness
Core strength and mobility
imbalances
Lumbar, pelvic, and hip
imbalances
Shin splints
Compartment syndrome
Ankle and foot pronation or supination problems
Ankle mobility problems
Ankle sprains
Pectoralis major
(lower part)
Rectus abdominis
(outer part)
Adductor longus
Figure 2.6
Front power net.
E6654/Frederick/f02.06/57180p/auprov/R1
31
Latissimus dorsi
Lumbodorsal fascia
Sacral fascia
Gluteus maximus
(inferior fibers)
Vastus lateralis
Subpatellar tendon
Figure
2.7 Back power net.
E6654/Frederick/f02.07/571810/auprov/R1
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Latissimus dorsi
(outer edge)
External oblique
Sartorius
E6654/Frederick/f02.08/571811/auprov/R1
Figure
2.8 Lateral power net.
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Splenius capitis and
splenius cervicis
Rhomboids
Serratus anterior
Abdominal
obliques
and fasciae
Erector spinae
(L5–S1)
Sacrolumbar
fascia
Sacrotuberous
ligament
Tensor fasciae latae
iliotibial tract
Biceps femoris
Fibularis (peroneus) longus
Tibialis anterior
Figure 2.9
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Deep power
net.
E6654/Frederick/f02.09/571812/auprov/R3
Anatomy and Physiology of Flexibility
Arm Nets
The mainstay of functional movement is core or proximal stability before optimal mobility is possible. Keeping this in mind, the arm nets should always be
thought of in context with the power nets. These nets connect to each other,
and they transmit and receive enormous forces to generate powerful athletic
movement. Therefore, when an athlete reaches to catch a ball, swings a bat or
golf club, or pulls their arm through water, optimal performance is dependent
on proximal power nets transferring force to the more distal arm nets. If the
power nets lack flexibility, then the arms will overcompensate and will be at
risk for the following common sport conditions:
Rotator cuff tendinitis and tears
Shoulder dislocation
Biceps brachii tendon subluxation
Forearm compartment syndrome
Elbow tendinitis
Early-onset joint degeneration and
osteoarthritis
Overuse syndromes
When assessing and designing your Stretch to Win flexibility program for
the arms, we highly recommend including the power nets with the arm nets
for best results. The arm nets are shown in figures 2.10 and 2.11.
Superficial front arm net
Deep front arm net
Clavicle-pectoral fascia
Thenar myofascia
Biceps brachii
Pectoralis major
Radial periosteum
Medial intermuscular
septum
Radial collateral ligaments
Latissimus dorsi
Pectoralis minor
Wrist flexors and retinaculum
Figure 2.10
Superficial and deep front arm nets.
E6654/Frederick/f02.10/571813/auprov/R2
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Deep back arm net
Ulnar collateral ligaments
Levator scapulae
Triceps brachii
Ulnar periosteum
Rotator cuff
Hypothenar muscles
Figure 2.11
Rhomboids
Superficial back arm net
Trapezius
Deltoid
Lateral
intermuscular
septum
Extensor
myofascia
E6654/Frederick/f02.11/571815/auprov/R1
Superficial and deep back arm nets.
Fascia Mobility Blocks
Your FMNs can get blocked or restricted, which negatively affects movement
and can cause decreases in or lack of mobility; decreases in power, strength,
and endurance; and decreases in speed, agility, and quickness. Fascia mobility
blocks (FMBs) can make you feel sore, achy, and bruised (even when you can’t
find any bruises). These feelings can result from dehydration, lack of sleep,
and nutritional or hormonal imbalances, just to name a few possibilities.
However, they are often simple blocks in your tissue that can be removed with
stretching movements alone or in combination with self-myofascial release
(SMFR). Myofascial release is a term used in various manual therapies that,
in general, uses various forms of manual pressure combined with directional
intention that is applied to a restricted tissue in the body in order to restore
normal, functional mobility. SMFR is a self-care or self-treatment version with
the same intent but using the assistance of one or more tools to assist restoring
mobility. We describe how to use SMFR to assess your mobility and how to
integrate it with stretching in chapter 5. The FMA (your assessment, given in
chapter 5) will give you solutions quickly so you can figure out how to take
care of yourself in most cases. Three common blocks that can be found along
FMNs are glue, thickenings, and trigger points.
Anatomy and Physiology of Flexibility
Glue
Human glue, called adhesions by professional therapists and trainers, can be
found in joints, muscles, fascia, nerves, organs, or anywhere else. Glue can
be light (one anatomy instructor calls it fuzz because it’s consistency is like
cotton candy), and much of this can be easily broken up with the right stretch
movement, SMFR, or a combination of both. One example we can all relate
to is the snap, crack, and pop sounds and feelings we experience when we
first move our bodies after being asleep for many hours. Light to moderate
glue can be the result of too little or too much training, athletic activities,
dehydration, minor injuries, or other sources.
Other glue can be hard, immobile, and resistant, such as old scar tissue
from injury, surgery, or even your genetic makeup. This kind of glue can still
be helped with the Stretch to Win approach.
Thickening
Immobility can result in thickening of the fascia due to a combination of
complex factors, including body core weakness (e.g., ultrasound may show
thickening of the fascia in the lumbar region of a person suffering from chronic
low back pain). Body tissue may also automatically thicken to add strength
or stability to regions of increased stress due to overtraining or unresolved
strength-mobility imbalances.
Trigger Points
The complex topic of trigger points (TPs) is controversial in some professional
circles; there is ongoing scientific debate about whether they exist and cause
myofascial pain. TPs appear to be hyperirritable local muscle (and other
tissue) regions that refer pain distally when pressed or irritated by immobility
as well as by movement. While old-school static stretching has a reputation
of making TPs worse, the Stretch to Win method can eliminate TPs. Any TPs
still present after performing fascial stretch movements can be eliminated
with SMFR (discussed in chapter 5).
In our experience, most, if not all, of the three fascial movement blocks
discussed—glue, thickening, and trigger points—can be easily and effectively
eliminated by using the programs in this book in combination with an excellent strength and conditioning program. In most cases, the result will be more
efficient athletic movement for all sport and fitness activities. If FMBs cannot
be eliminated with these approaches, we recommend you see a professional,
such as a certified Fascial Stretch Therapy provider.
Because FMBs are highly individual, we show recommended muscle and
tendon locations on the FMNs in chapter 5. In that chapter, you will be
instructed to assess and do SMFR on those locations where needed as part of
your FMA to correct and improve any movement problems or challenges. All
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you must do to maintain optimal athletic performance and prevent future
blocks from occurring is follow up with your personal Stretch to Win program.
Flexibility is the ability to successfully adapt to any stress and then completely recover in sufficient time to repeatedly adapt to the same or any new
stress. The Stretch to Win program will keep your fascia flexible to adapt
to all the challenges you will face in your sport through assessments and a
maintenance program designed for your body and your goals. In the next
chapter, we discuss core mobility, hypo- and hypermobility, instability, and
how fascial mobility affects power, strength, agility, and quickness in flexibility
for sport performance.
Chapter 3
Flexibility
Training
Research shows that most common sport injuries occur in connective tissues—
joint capsules, ligaments, tendons, and other fascial structures—rather than
in the muscles or bones (Schleip 2015a, 2015b). It has been proposed that
making fascia as specific target of training would not only help prevent many
injuries but also contribute to longer athletic careers and continued participation in fitness activities that many people stop due to injury and aging. Until
now, the focus has been on the athlete’s strength, cardiopulmonary condition,
and neuromuscular abilities. The time has come to include fascial training
integrated with mobility training. Building on the foundation we laid out
in our first edition of this book, we now greatly expand both concepts and
practical applications here with our system of Fascia Mobility Training (FMT).
The Fascial Approach to Training
A fascial approach to training is much different than traditional ways of training. The following are some examples of fascial training techniques (Schleip
et al 2012; Schleip and Müller 2012; Schleip 2015a, 2015b):
•
•
•
•
•
Movement to improve elastic recoil
Landing as quietly and as softly as possible in jumping activities
Controlled bouncing at varied frequencies
Emphasis on undulating and rhythmic movement
Sensory and proprioceptive refinement in all movement (external methods such as skin taping, tapping, brushing, rolling, and so forth and
internal methods such as specific breath-initiated movement)
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• Preparatory countermovements before primary movements (for example,
performing a deeper squat before jumping, or increasing your rotation
right before you swing a bat)
• Fascial stretching
Fascial training is not meant to replace other effective means of training,
such as cardiovascular, neuromuscular, hypertrophic, or other programs.
However, it is an additional, essential piece of the full spectrum of training
possibilities that was formerly missing.
In this book, we focus on some of the most significant elements of FMT
because it is one of the most practical ways to get the fastest, most effective
results in athletic and fitness training. Those elements are elastic recoil, undulating and rhythmic movement, and fascial stretching.
Elastic Recoil
“One of the most inspiring aspects for movement and sports practitioners,
within this rapidly advancing field of new scientific revelations about fascia
is the ability of tendons and aponeuroses to store and release kinetic energy”
(Schleip 2015b, 96). Research supports evidence that aging, injury, overtraining, or training without proper preparation and recovery can result in
a significant decrease in the kinetic energy potential of fascia. Some of the
negative changes discovered in fascia include formation of additional collagen
cross-links that reduce range of motion, strength, and elasticity; increased
adherence of tissues (more glue deposits) that reduce mobility; and reduced
sliding ability, which can increase risk of tissue tears and other injuries. FMT
includes specific kinds of movement designed to stimulate and then preserve
the elastic recoil of fascia for optimal performance.
Fascia has both elastic and viscoelastic qualities and behaviors that are
complex and beyond the scope of this book. Therefore, for our purposes, the
characteristic of elastic recoil, called the catapult mechanism, has been singled
out for its application in sports. Like a catapult, a device that uses a spring to
launch a projectile, or a slingshot, which has rubber bands that stretch and
spring back into shape, fascia has the property of elastic recoil that allows it
to stretch and spring back, too. In this process, it stores energy that is then
released in conjunction with the muscles during athletic movement. Like a
catapult, fascia also contains spring-like structures.
Coiled undulations (called crimps) look and function like small springs in
your fascia. In fact, collagen (the second largest component of connective tissue
after water) contains microsprings that have more coil in young, healthy, and
fit people than in people who are sedentary or elderly (Schleip 2015a; Schleip
2015b). They are arranged in wavy, multidirectional patterns that get glued
down, matted, and flat when people get too sedentary or are immobilized
after injury. Dehydration, poor nutrition, and lack of sleep also reduce the
springiness in your fascia. This can result in loss of coils, making you more
Flexibility Training
vulnerable to tearing something like your Achilles tendon. Proper loading of
fascial tissues will give you the springs you are looking for in athletic movements that involve running, jumping, and bounding (Schleip 2015a). FMT
has dynamic movements that incorporate elastic recoil principles to ensure
that your springs are activated before you jump into activity.
Undulating and Rhythmic Movement
As you age (or after a period of immobility), your springs lose their coil. In
addition to reducing or eliminating elastic recoil completely (which is essential in all athletic movement, especially running and jumping), your ability
to perform effortless, smooth movement is lost. The smooth and flowing
movement that is characteristic of youthful, carefree athleticism becomes stiff
and restricted, and it requires more energy and effort. An aging professional
athlete who refuses to retire despite steadily decreasing performance is an
example of this loss of ability that comes to mind. Fortunately, there is much
that can be restored if attended to in time.
Fascia is laid out in patterns that are variable depending on where it is
in the body and what forces it has had to adapt to for flexibility. If stress is
almost always directed along direct, straight lines, then collagen fibers will
always orient in that direction and be parallel. This is called formed taut connective tissue, and it is found in tendons, ligaments, and aponeuroses (e.g.,
thoracolumbar fascia, rectus abdominis sheath, fascia lata, all deep fascia
of the limbs). If stress is multidirectional, then fascia forms an interlaced
weave. This is known as unformed taut fascia, and it is found in the joint
capsules, fascia, and the intraneural and intramuscular connective tissue
(Schleip et al 2012).
Because the fascia works with the brain and the nervous system, it assists in
managing the physiology of all systems through movement. The movement
may be generated internally when your body is still (e.g., after a meal, your gut
moves with peristalsis) or externally when you are tackled, pushed, or pulled
by another athlete. The fascial system is there to make sure everything works
optimally together. When movement of your body is imbalanced, dysfunctional, weak, or uncoordinated, specific undulating, rhythmic movement from
FMT can help restore normal function. We call this the StretchWave, which is
discussed later in the chapter.
Fascial Stretching
Stretching has received a bad rap due to some negative research that focused
only on static stretching. Static stretching is what we consider old-school
stretching; it focuses on stretching isolated muscles and holding positions for
long durations. Any negative research on this type of stretching is additional
support for not including it in your training.
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Water and Flexibility
Water is the most important and vital element in the human body. It
provides hydration and another source of oxygen to all tissues. It is
crucial that athletes are educated about hydration. Water is the major
component in blood, joints (synovial fluid), and the nervous system
(cerebrospinal fluid, axoplasmic fluid). Fascia, the most prevalent tissue in the body, is two-thirds water (Schleip 2015a).
Dr. Schleip, one of the world’s most eminent fascial researchers,
states that “awareness [of the plasticity and changing elasticity of
the water-filled fascia] has proven to be especially effective when
incorporated into the slow dynamic stretching” (Schleip 2015a, 3). He
further explains that one of the essential principles of fascial exercise
is to realize that “fascial tissue is made up of free-moving and boundwater molecules.” During one of his experiments, he discovered
that during stretching, water is pushed out of elongated regions like
squeezing water out of a sponge. When the stretch is released, the
region fills with fresh, new fluid from surrounding tissue, lymph nodes,
and other vascular networks. In this way, fascia acts like a sponge, and
the right kind of stretching refreshes and renews tissue by eliminating
waste fluid and bringing in nutritious fluid. This is a crucial physiological
mechanism for your body, which is also two-thirds water.
Other research concurs that the polluted, stagnant water (called
bulk water) in regions of increased stress (due to injury, chronic
inflammation, restricted fascia, dehydration, and so forth) is replaced
by an influx of fresh water (called bound water) (Pollack 2013).
Consequently, fascial stretching assists hydration by removing waste
and replenishing fresh oxygen and water, thus hastening recovery from
training (among other things). It also aids in lubricating regions under
frictional stress and other forces that would break down tissue. Fascia
must be kept properly lubricated for it to physically support muscle
tissue structure and function. This includes being able to transmit and
attenuate forces that come from inside the body (e.g., active muscle
contraction and lengthening) as well as from outside the body (e.g.,
collisions, falls).
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Flexibility Training
In contrast, fascial stretching as defined by Schleip (2015a) is a type of
dynamic stretching that uses varying tempos under active loading to target
long myofascial chains. Static stretching is only a tiny part of the entire spectrum of stretching. The intensity, duration, and frequency of stretching can
be varied to periodize and individualize a program based on specific goals.
This is discussed later in the chapter.
Because fascial stretching addresses global tissues rather than local, isolated muscles, the central and peripheral nervous systems can also be directly
mobilized. In addition to fascial tissues such as muscles, tendons, ligaments,
and joint capsules, the spinal cord and nerves can also restrict movement and
impede proper muscle activation. This can decrease strength, speed, coordination, balance, and recovery. To our knowledge, this point has not been discussed
in books on stretching. Recent research has shown that the extensive network
of free nerve endings in fascia not only works to help detect pain (i.e., as nociceptors) but also functions as the largest sensory-proprioceptive mechanism in
the body. Therefore, depending on the technique used, fascial stretching can
stimulate or inhibit the autonomic (sympathetic-parasympathetic) system; regulate muscle activation or inhibition; and greatly improve, refine, and preserve
the sense and regulation of all movement. When the entire neural system is
working optimally as a base for all function, progressing to all other training
activities is easier, faster, and more effective. Because fascial stretching affects
the entire body, we often refer to it as neuromyofascial (NMF) stretching.
The Research Behind Stretching
Many fascial researchers, as well as some therapists and trainers, have not
advocated any stretching because much of the scientific literature has shown
outcomes of decreased performance in activities that measure strength and
power output (Alter 2004). Popular health, wellness, and fitness organizations,
journals and magazines jumped on the bandwagon to condemn stretching
largely due to those studies. What most people did not realize was that most of
those studies referred to stretching in the general sense and failed to mention
that they only studied static stretching. Unfortunately, this led to confusion
in fitness and sports as to the whether it is even necessary to stretch. Despite
the negative research, many people continued to stretch because they experienced faster recovery, decreased pain, greater mobility, increased strength,
greater speed, and other positive outcomes. One study of participants aged
65 years and older showed improved function after static stretching, thus
suggesting that stretching works best when it is individualized to the person
or group (Page 2012).
Stretching may occur along a very wide spectrum of possibilities, most of
which have not been scientifically researched. Research on all possible aspects
of stretching is in its infancy, and we are currently engaged in our own by
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teaming with scientists and clinicians at the University of Arizona College of
Medicine Phoenix. Combining scientific evidence with practical experience
has the most successful outcomes for our clients, students, and readers.
As you can see, the traditional definition of the word stretch in fitness and
sports has been limited to static, holding stretches that are done to achieve
gains in muscle length and joint ROM. We expand the definition as follows:
Anything that makes tissue move into a barrier that limits movement of
that tissue is undergoing a force that can be described as a stretch. Most
mobility exercises are, in fact, movement based (or dynamic) stretches that
improve, restore, or correct mobility.
Benefits of Stretching
There is now more positive research on the benefits of stretching. A recent
systematic review of multiple studies indicated the following positive outcomes
from stretching (Page 2012):
•
•
•
•
•
Stretching increases ROM.
ROM increases bilaterally from a unilateral stretch.
Static and dynamic warm-ups are equally effective at increasing ROM.
Precontraction stretching (PNF) lowers the excitability of muscle.
A prestretch contraction has been associated with greater acute gains in
ROM compared to static stretching.
• In contrast to static stretching, dynamic stretching is not associated with
strength or performance deficits.
• Dynamic stretching improved dynamometer-measured power as well as
jumping and running performance.
• Static stretching performed before or after warm-up does not decrease
strength.
In addition, we have noted the following benefits of stretching after decades
of teaching stretching to thousands of people:
• Markedly increased general and specific ROM and mobility that result
in improved function
• Enhanced mental and emotional focus
• Enhanced feelings of well-being and confidence
• Improved hydration and elimination of waste
• Improved sleep
• Elimination of pain
Self-Stretching Versus Assisted
Stretching
The focus of this book is self-stretching, which may be done actively,
passively, with self-assistance, or with self-resistance. The following
are the basic descriptions of these types of stretching:
• Active stretching is any stretch done with active movement that
starts to limit general mobility or specific ROM. One example is
actively performing a squat movement that is limited by tightness
in your joints or soft tissues.
• Passive stretching is any stretch done in which the target region
to be stretched is not actively contracting muscles. For example,
imagine you are standing with one leg propped up comfortably
on a stable chair or on a bench. When you bend at your waist
and reach forward toward your foot, your leg stretches passively
when you relax it and do not actively contract any of its muscles.
• Self-assisted stretching is when you use a rope or strap to help
you lift a limb to stretch it.
• Self-resisted stretching is when you actively contract a muscle
while stretching it passively or with self-assistance.
Self-stretching is all that some people need to maintain flexibility,
fitness, and health. However, there are times when it is extremely helpful
or even necessary to get evaluated and engage in assisted stretching.
The best option is to work with someone who is specifically trained and
certified in fascial stretching. The following are some of the situations
in which we recommend that you see a certified specialist:
• You are not able to relax enough or cannot let go of what needs
stretching.
• You have pain or soreness after stretching.
• You do not experience improvement after stretching.
• You experience a decrease in performance after stretching.
• You do not know how to properly stretch.
• You are afraid to stretch.
• You need a stretch program designed specifically for you.
• You are already performing at a high level but you want to achieve
more.
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Parameters of Stretching
Before you decide what types of stretching best suit your needs, it’s important
to understand the parameters that make a stretch effective. Self-stretching may
be performed actively, passively, or with resistance for different outcomes.
You may also vary the intensity, duration, frequency, or tempo of a stretch
for different reasons.
Intensity
How strongly you feel a stretch is a subjective evaluation of intensity that
can range from not feeling much of anything (a very mild stretch) to feeling
a lot of pain (a maximal stretch). In our program, the intensity of any given
stretch is regulated by your breathing, and we recommend that every stretch
be pain-free. You’re stretching with too much intensity if you stop breathing
during a stretch (or feel like you want to stop breathing), if you feel pain or
a very strong sensation of pulling in the muscles being stretched, or if you
feel that your muscles are getting tighter or are starting to lock up. Signs that
you are stretching with just the right amount of intensity might be breathing deeply, fully, and with satisfaction (you may even yawn); experiencing
a feeling of release in the regions being stretched; and moving farther into
the movement or stretch without effort.
Duration
The duration of a stretch usually refers to the time (in seconds) that you hold
the stretch. However, in a later section, Tempo of Movement, we discuss the
drawbacks of timing a stretch in seconds. You will also learn how your breathing affects the rhythm and tempo of a stretch. If you maintain slow, even, and
relaxed breathing, you’ll naturally hold the stretch for the proper duration.
Frequency
The frequency of a stretch refers to the number of times you repeat it within
one stretch session or within another period (such as a day or a week). The
proper frequency for any stretch depends on how much myofascial release
has occurred after you’ve followed the guidelines for intensity and duration.
You can test this after performing a stretch by trying to assume the positions
or perform the movements in which you notice soreness, lack of mobility, or
suboptimal flow. Your ROM in these positions may have improved greatly,
moderately, or not at all. If you have only slight improvement, simply repeat
the sequence of stretches until you achieve greater ROM (or as time permits).
If you start to feel like you’re getting tighter, you may not have been paying
enough attention to the signals in your body; as a result, you may have
exceeded the proper intensity or duration of the stretch, or you may have
something else going on, such as dehydration.
Flexibility Training
TRAINER TIP
Range of Motion Variations
ROM is conventionally thought of as the total motion available to a
joint as determined by the way the bones in that joint move in a specific direction. It may be an estimated measurement, or it may be a
more precise one determined with a tool called a goniometer. Both
active range of motion (AROM) and passive range of motion (PROM)
can be measured.
AROM is determined when an athlete moves part of the body to the
limit of a defined movement; PROM is determined when someone else
moves the athlete’s relaxed body to the limit of a defined movement
for the athlete. Common limits to movement include muscle tightness,
joint stiffness, muscle spasm, joint inflammation, and pain. The ROM
of some very muscular athletes is limited by the bulk of their muscle;
for instance, the increased girth in an athlete’s shoulder girdles and
arms may prevent him from scratching his back. PROM is almost
always greater than AROM, because the latter is limited by contracting
tissue that curtails movement. Generally, contracting tissue does not
limit PROM except when there is tightness, increased muscle bulk, or
other problems.
Stretching is the act of increasing ROM by elongating tissues that
get shortened or compressed (we discuss the causes and effects of
these tendencies in chapter 2). Our target tissue is the myofascia,
which may be stretched both actively and passively, as explained
later in this chapter.
Tempo
Tempo is the speed at which you stretch. As noted previously, there is a
spectrum of stretching that includes variations of speed depending on goals.
In general, one end of that tempo spectrum is static stretching, which is traditionally performed by holding a stretch that targets one muscle or muscle
group for a prescribed length of time. On the other end is ballistic stretching,
an example of which is quickly swinging a baseball bat before swinging at a
ball. Tempo is very important in designing your stretch program for activity
versus a program for recovery, so we discuss this topic in more detail later in
the chapter.
We have found that if you become more aware of your response when you
breathe appropriately during a stretch, the parameters of intensity, duration,
and frequency are immediately and spontaneously set at optimal levels. Your
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stretching will be much more efficient if you are aware of your breathing and
the subsequent response of your body than if you focus on attempting to
meet predetermined parameters. We have found that the effect of stretching
with awareness is cumulative; even after one week, you will find that you have
made more progress quicker and with less effort than you would have with a
traditional stretching program.
Types of Stretching
As specialists in flexibility training and stretching, we pioneered a movement-based assisted stretching program called Stretch to Win Fascial Stretch
Therapy (FST). We also created our own movement patterns of stretching
called fascia mobility training (FMT), which is discussed in this book. Because
FST and FMT have evolved far beyond traditional static stretching, we had
to further define them with meaningful terms for their many variations. We
compare them with traditional stretching in the next section.
Traditional Stretching Types
While there are other designations and divisions, stretching has most commonly been divided into three general types: static, dynamic, and ballistic.
Static stretching is best for increasing static or passive flexibility or PROM;
dynamic stretching is best for increasing dynamic or active flexibility or AROM;
and ballistic stretching (defined later in this section) is best for increasing ballistic flexibility, a specific kind of flexibility used in sudden, quick, high-powered
movements such as swinging, throwing, or jumping.
While these terms can mean different things to people in different professions, for most, static stretching involves holding a position, whether the
athlete holds it alone or someone else assists. We have discovered that this
concept of holding a stretch prevents many athletes from making progress with
their flexibility. When we ask first-time clients to demonstrate their concept
of a static stretch, they often hold the position so rigidly and with so much
effort and control that there is no possibility for a relaxation response to occur.
Athletes also tend to hold their breath when they stretch this way, thereby
increasing tension in the body. One of the intentions of static stretching is to
relax the muscles, but it can have the opposite effect, as we’ve seen with many
clients who have not had much success in increasing their flexibility through
static stretching. The failure to produce gains in flexibility by holding a position is also reflected in the scientific and medical literature. For these reasons,
and because one meaning of static is “motionless, not moving or changing,”
we prefer not to use the term static stretching. We prefer a different term that
allows for movement within stillness during a stretch, which we discuss in
the next section.
Flexibility Training
Dynamic stretching (a term that is sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably
with ballistic stretching) is performed without holding positions. A dynamic
stretch takes joints and muscles through active, functional ROM while the
person stretching performs controlled movements. Good training programs
often include dynamic stretching within their general warm-ups, but it may
also be used in individualized warm-ups that target specific areas of the body
that are going to be worked, such as the shoulders and torso of a pole-vaulter or
the torso and hips of a gymnast who is about to do the pommel horse routine.
Ballistic stretching, according to the National Strength and Conditioning
Association, is characterized by the use of bouncing during a stretch in which
the final position is not held (Jeffreys 2008). Ballistic stretching may also
include a more intense or higher-amplitude form of dynamic stretching, such
as leg swinging, or it may include plyometric exercises, such as bounding or
depth jumps, that are designed to enable a muscle to reach maximal force in
the shortest possible time.
Undulating Stretching Types
Rather than using the three traditional stretching terms (static, dynamic, and
ballistic), we like to use the term undulating to describe more clearly the
types of stretching we recommend. All our stretches fall along a continuum
from very slow to very fast undulations that, like traditional stretching, may
be done actively or passively with assistance.
The word undulating means rising and falling like a wave, a metaphor that
we think illustrates an effective way to stretch. Anyone who has been to a beach
has seen how an ocean wave rolls up onto the beach and then retreats at a
predictable tempo. Sometimes this tempo is slow, calm, and barely detectable,
such as on a windless afternoon. Other times, such as during a windy storm,
it is fast and furious. An athletic counterpart to ocean movement is a jump
that has an initial fall or squat in the prejump phase, then a rise during which
the athlete accelerates to the peak distance or height, and then another fall in
the descent and landing phase.
Undulation is also used in strength training, such as in undulating periodization, which is a nonlinear-based training system that many researchers
and trainers claim is superior to traditional linear systems in terms of strength
gains (Jeffreys 2008). Anything that undulates has an inherent quality of flexibility; this is a characteristic of dynamic living systems. This is why things like
your respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure are not constant. They
are always in flux because that is how living systems respond to the stimuli
inside and outside the body.
There are many examples of undulating or wavelike motions in the body.
Breathing is the first that comes to mind. When you break down the physical
act of breathing into its components, you see that it involves a coordinated
series of movements in the rib cage, abdomen, spine, sacrum, pelvis, legs,
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shoulders, arms, cranial bones, and internal organs. The sequence of movements that occurs in all these areas when you breathe is the natural wave or
undulation of the body.
Stretching can be viewed similarly. We refer to undulating stretching as “doing
the StretchWave.” The image of an undulating wave not only corresponds to an
effective way to stretch, but also suggests how to synchronize your breathing
with the stretching movements (see chapter 1, principle 1). Synchronizing
your breathing with the stretching movement, as opposed to holding a static
stretch, will allow you to release into the stretch and help you elongate the
tissues you are stretching.
By performing undulating stretching, you avoid recontracting and retightening the area you just stretched, which is quite common in traditional
stretching. This is because the wave itself is accomplished by using different
firing patterns that move the muscles into and out of the stretch positions. If
a stretch feels too strong, release it for a moment and gently wave back into it
again. If you are not feeling a stretch in the targeted area, it could be because
you are so tight in other areas that you cannot get the selected area to stretch
or because your body position is incorrect. If you can’t feel a stretch but your
body alignment is correct and nothing else in your body is restricting you, then
you may have sufficient flexibility in that area. It does happen occasionally!
Two basic traits of undulating stretching form the basis of our entire Stretch
to Win system: the alternating flow quality of the movement and the tempo
of the movement, which can range from very slow to very fast.
Alternating Flow of Movement
The alternating flow is a rise-and-fall, back-and-forth, or oscillation movement
that occurs throughout the stretch and is initiated and maintained by regulating your breathing. You can experience this by trying the following stretch,
which works especially well when you perform it when you are not warmed
up (Caution: do not do this if you have or may have any medical condition
or instability in your spine):
• Stand with the feet about shoulder-width apart and comfortably parallel.
• Inhale deeply as you lift the top of the head (not the chin) toward the
ceiling.
• Exhale as you drop the chin toward the chest.
• Continue breathing normally as you let the head and arms drop forward,
releasing the shoulders, the upper back, and the lower back. Go as far
down as your body comfortably allows, keeping the knees relatively
straight but not locked.
• When you reach the bottom of the movement, inhale and exhale. Then,
very slowly start rolling back up, vertebra by vertebra.
• Repeat the exercise five times very slowly.
Flexibility Training
With each repetition, feel how the body rises a little with the inhalation
and falls a little with the exhalation both while you are in motion and when
you pause in the fully bent-over position. This is the natural undulation or
wave motion of the body as you breathe—the motion within stillness when
you perform the StretchWave very slowly. If you forcefully try to reach your
hands to your toes or to the ground, as in traditional static stretching, you
constrict your breathing and stop the undulation from occurring. This defeats
the purpose of the stretch, which is to increase your mobility. If you let your
breathing initiate and complete the movement, you will notice by the fifth
repetition how much you can increase your flexibility without forcing it.
Tempo of Movement
The tempo is the timing or rhythm of the stretching movement. We divide
StretchWaves into four different tempos: very slow, slow, fast, and very fast.
Breathing initiates the wave of movement in your body as you stretch using
our system, so we use one complete breath cycle (one inhalation and one
exhalation) as the measure of tempo.
Using breathing in stretching is certainly not a new concept, but we employ
a unique method of using breathing to direct the stretch. In our system, instead
of counting for the typical 10 seconds, you take three slow and relaxed breaths
while allowing the body to undulate in the stretch position. If at the end of
those three deep breaths your body isn’t letting go and releasing the targeted
area, then you take two or more additional breaths until you feel the tension
relax. In other words, rather than letting time dictate how long you hold a
stretch, you can listen to your body and use your breath to know what feels
tight. If you follow your breath and the feeling of the tissues being released,
you might do a stretch for 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 20 seconds. The point is
that you want to listen to what your body is telling you in the present moment.
We have found (clinically with assisted stretching and in the field with
active stretching) that listening to the body is a more accurate guide than the
arbitrary times that many conventional stretching programs dictate. Therefore, when a client asks “How long should I do this stretch?” our response
is always “For as many breaths as it takes to get the tissues to let go.” Notice
that we say tissues, not muscles, because there are so many layers of different
connective tissues involved.
The most effective way to use your breath in stretching is to move into
the stretch on your exhalation and gently release the stretch on your inhalation, allowing the breath to move through the body like a wave. Move as
smoothly as possible through each stretch, visualizing your body as a wave
and moving it like one. The movements within each stretch might include
rotating and bending side to side as well as moving up and down and into
and out of the StretchWave. Remember to let the breath direct and guide
how long you remain in each stretch. The number of breaths you take will
depend on what you are feeling in your body when you decide to stretch.
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On some days, both sides of your body may feel quite equal, and on other
days, you might notice a significant difference in tightness between one side
and the other. If this happens, you’ll need to spend a bit more time breathing
into and stretching the area that feels more restricted. The time you spend
stretching depends on your specific needs and goals. The general rule is to
take as many breaths as you need until you feel the tissue release before
moving on to the next area.
Recall principle 2 from chapter 1: Regulate your nervous system with stretching. Our aim is to create an ideal state of athletic awareness, which begins
with synchronized breathing to condition your nervous system for what you
want to accomplish. The body responds powerfully to the following different
tempos of breathing:
• StretchWave very slow (SWVS): three very slow breaths per stretch
position
• StretchWave slow (SWS): two slow breaths per stretch position
• StretchWave fast (SWF): one regular breath per stretch position
• StretchWave very fast (SWVF): one fast breath per stretch position
We use these categories to help simplify and categorize the tempos, but in
reality, you’ll find the right tempo for each stretch you do based on your own
experience and what you are trying to accomplish. Just as in resistance training, in stretching we choose different tempos for different reasons and goals.
Very slow stretching helps you achieve your
most dramatic and permanent gains in flexibility. It is similar to static stretching in that when you perform it, you do the StretchWave in one position for
a prolonged period (generally three very slow breaths). The difference is that
instead of trying to hold the stretch, you focus on releasing all the tension
in your body, undulating the stretch with each slow breath to get maximal
tissue elongation in broad or specific areas. By breathing and stretching very
slowly (the tempo is slow, the duration is long, and the intensity is initially
low), you stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system (see Principles 1 and
2 in chapter 1) This is what we mean by “movement within the stillness”
of a stretch. With muscle tension at a minimum, conditions are perfect for
achieving plastic changes (permanent lengthening) in the fascia.
Because the purpose of this StretchWave is to take your flexibility to another
level by changing the plasticity of the connective tissue in your body, it is best
for athletes to perform it during the off-season when they are more relaxed
and tend to have more time. During the off-season, professional and high-level
athletes are better able to tolerate and recover from the increases in duration
and intensity that lead to gains in plasticity. They can achieve and adjust to
the improvements in strength, speed, and agility that result from this type of
work. Then, they can reap the benefits of their off-season work while using
their in-season stretching to maintain the elasticity of their connective tissues.
StretchWave Very Slow
Flexibility Training
When you do the SWVS, take your time with each breath to feel the wave
of movement extend throughout the spine, upper body, lower body, and
limbs, no matter what you are stretching. To get the most out of this type of
stretching, do a full body SMFR early in the week and then follow a stretching program for the entire body at least twice during the week. Do targeted
SMFR and stretches for your upper and lower body on those days that you
have trained or exercised. For example, if during the off-season you are lifting
weights three times per week and running twice per week, you can do full
body SMFR once per week and stretching twice per week on off-training days.
You can do briefer, targeted stretches on the days that you have trained either
the upper or the lower body.
If you are just coming off a season in which you worked parts of your body
very hard, we recommend that you use the off-season to make flexibility gains
a priority, especially in those areas that may be prone to increased scar tissue
and trigger points. For example, if you are a punter or kicker in American
football, within the time that you have set aside for doing the full body SMFR
and stretching routine twice per week, you will want to give more attention
to the back, hip, and leg needed for kicking. After eliminating the cumulative
problems of the sport season, you will more easily make the kinds of flexibility
gains you are looking for in the off-season. Continue this program until you
achieve the desired flexibility as determined by your coaches, your trainers,
and your performance on the field. After achieving the required flexibility,
switch to a maintenance program at the SWS tempo.
StretchWave Slow This type of stretching has a slightly faster tempo
than the SWVS, but the breathing is still slow (two slow breaths per stretch)
because you want your parasympathetic nervous system to be dominant while
you stretch for elastic gains rather than plastic gains. The tempo is faster than
in SWVS because the purpose of this type of stretching is to rapidly regain
flexibility that has been recently lost. For instance, after a particularly intense
day of training, you will either stretch immediately after the activity, while
your core body temperature is still elevated, or before retiring for the night
(preferably after a warm soak).
In our experience, this routine will rapidly get your baseline flexibility back
to where it was before you tightened up from training. This can take 5 to 20
minutes depending on how tight you are and how familiar you are with this
routine. Because you are not taking time to do the whole-body stretching as in
SWVS, you will focus on the body regions that are tight from the day’s activities.
For general tightness, stretch all body areas once using this tempo. If you
don’t feel that you’ve regained your flexibility after going through the routine,
go through it again until you have attained the desired flexibility. Some athletes
know just by getting up and walking around whether they have achieved this.
Others will usually know after doing a few test moves, such as swinging the
arms or legs or trying a sport-specific movement that was previously giving
them trouble. For specific areas of tightness, perform all the stretches for that
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area (see chapter 6) and repeat the sequence during that same stretch session
until you reach the desired flexibility.
If you perform SWS on each practice day with the previously noted guidelines, you should be fully recovered by the next day. If you find that at the
end of the week, or toward the middle or end of the season, that you are
having a particularly difficult time staying flexible, then it is essential that you
devote some time every week (about one to two hours) to a full-body SWS
program. Repeat each stretch until the tissue releases the tension or soreness
stored within it.
Keep in mind that a slow StretchWave program is appropriate for stretching
after workouts, practices, or competition. You can also dedicate entire training
sessions to using SWS to restore flexibility; it can become harder to maintain
the flexibility you’ve attained as the intensity of the athletic season progresses.
At this tempo, you can perform 3 or 4 stretches in 5 minutes; for example, if
you have 15 minutes, you can select 10 to 12 stretches.
This tempo of stretching helps to prepare you for
imminent athletic activity (within an hour or two at the most) whether you
are training or competing. It is similar to dynamic or functional stretching; it
too moves the tissues through progressively increasing ROM and uses simultaneous circular movements to warm up the joint capsule. Some form of this
may already be part of your warm-up. This kind of stretching incorporates
waves of movement in multiple planes and directions, rather than duplicating the paths that your athletic movements will take. This helps prepare your
body by stimulating more efficient blood flow to all areas, usually with an
additional special focus on the areas that are most important for your specific sport or activity. It also better prepares your joints for movement in all
directions by stimulating joint lubrication and joint proprioceptors—those
parts of your nervous system that are responsible for accurately guiding your
joints as they move.
In SWF, you breathe at a faster tempo (one fast breath per stretch position)
because you want to move at speeds that build up to athletic activity. When
you breathe and stretch at this faster tempo, you stimulate the sympathetic
nervous system. This helps you get optimal recruitment of all the muscles
needed for your sport or activity. Doing a 5 to 10 minute SMFR on targeted
restrictions and then doing the SWF for 5 to 15 minutes (depending on your
needs) before athletic activity will help you to properly warm up your body
for sport or athletic activity.
StretchWave Fast
This type of stretching incorporates
swinging, bounding, jumping, and other fast, aggressive, and intense movements that prepare you to perform these actions in your sport. Hurdlers,
pole-vaulters, long jumpers, gymnasts, and other athletes who use explosive
movements will benefit from an additional warm-up of very fast tempo
breathing and movement through the extreme ranges of motion used for
StretchWave Very Fast (SWVF)
Flexibility Training
their sports. We recommend performing stretches at the slower tempos first
(SWVS in the off-season, SWS during the season) to prepare your body for
stretching at the faster tempos. Doing the StretchWave from very slow to very
fast at the right time in your athletic season places you on a continuum for
gaining passive flexibility before you gain active flexibility. Progressing along
this continuum improves your capacity for moving very fast by ensuring that
you address all the fundamental aspects of your flexibility that might otherwise cause problems as the season begins and while the season progresses.
Too many athletes try to advance their flexibility without first mastering the
fundamentals, and this often leads to injury.
Fast and very fast StretchWave programs are appropriate when you have
just warmed up (unless such a program is part of your warm-up session)
and immediately before workouts, practices, and competitions. How many
stretches you do depends on the amount of time you have. For example, you
can generally do about 2 or 3 fast stretches per minute, so 5 minutes would
allow you about 10 stretches.
The final word on tempo is to remember that your breathing and the
StretchWave you choose determine the effect on your nervous system. You
might do the same stretch routine before an event using an SWF tempo and
at the end of the day using an SWS tempo to restore flexibility lost during
activity. If you pick up the pace, you’ll be ready for action; if you slow down
your tempo, you’ll be in a more relaxed and calm state.
Stretching as a concept has been newly defined beyond just ROM to include
all movement that creates resistance in body tissue. The stretching variations
and parameters have been defined so athletes and professional trainers or
therapists are aware of the different options that can be used in flexibility
training to individualize the experience for optimal results. The next chapter
will describe how flexibility can have an impact on athletic performance
parameters, such as power, strength, and speed.
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Chapter 4
Flexibility
for Sport
Performance
Flexibility to adapt to the physical forces in sports comes from having standard
physical and athletic assets such as optimal talent, mental focus, strength,
mobility, coordination, balance, quickness, agility, and speed. This chapter
will give you more insight about the important relationship between flexibility
and your ability to be a consistent optimal performer in sports. We focus on
fundamental movements that form the basis for advanced athletic skills in
the performance pyramid.
What Is the Performance Pyramid?
The training for any sport activity that involves functional movement can be
organized into a pyramid in which functional movement (fundamental
movements) is the base, functional performance (athletic performance) is in the
middle, and functional skill (sport-specific skills) is at the top (see figure 4.1).
To achieve excellence in sport performance and athletic skills, you must build
them on a solid foundation of fundamental movement patterns. Although
many athletes can perform at the highest skill level without solid basic
movement skills, we have seen evidence in professional literature, research,
and with actual clients that athletes are not able to continue at that level.
Unfortunately, this often becomes apparent during their rehabilitation after
injury. Therefore, this chapter focuses on the foundation of the performance
pyramid; fundamental movement and its relation to flexibility.
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Buffer
zones
Functional skill
Functional performance
Functional movement
Figure 4.1 Cook’s performance pyramid illustrates the importance of a solid
E6654/Frederick/fig04.01/571817/pulled/R1
foundation.
Reprinted, by permission, from G. Cook, 2003, Athletic body in balance (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics), 13.
Flexibility and Functional Movement
It is generally accepted in training and therapy that dynamic stability of the core
muscles is a prerequisite for any successful movement. Much has been written
about core strength and stability as prerequisites for general body mobility,
and all knowledgeable coaches, trainers, and therapists include some form
of these in their training and rehab programs. When we started writing the
first edition of this book in 2003, comprehensive core mobility training was
largely missing in sports and fitness. Based on feedback from many sources,
we know that Stretch to Win has made a significant contribution in teaching
about the importance of core mobility assessment and training. Now considered a benchmark standard in most sports, mobility training has significantly
grown over the past 10 years.
The creator of the performance pyramid, Gray Cook (2003), is also wellknown in sport training and rehabilitation for his creation and development
of the popular functional movement screen (FMS). The FMS has been accepted
by many professionals and sports teams as a standard assessment for fundamental movements that tests whether athletes have problems with mobility,
stability, or motor control. The Stretch to Win system has been used by many
to restore functional movement patterns, and thereby to rapidly improve
athlete FMS scores.
Core Stability and Strength
Over the last 50 years, many researchers in the fields of medicine, physical
rehabilitation, and physical therapy have studied the neuromuscular effects
Flexibility for Sport Performance
of conditions such as polio, muscular dystrophy, and stroke. These effects can
include loss of strength, flexibility, balance, and overall motor control. The
research has shown that before patients can regain functional mobility of their
arms and legs, they must reacquire good stabilizing strength in the central,
or core, region of the body—the abdominal, gluteal, and back muscles. This
confirms what is seen in human infant motor development; a baby must first
Hypermobility, Hypomobility,
and Instability
When we train students in our school, we are often asked whether it is
okay to stretch muscles that cross an already hypermobile joint. If you
are involved in a sport or activity that requires more than a normal range
of motion to participate successfully, then yes, you absolutely need
to stretch to attain and then maintain that hypermobility. For example,
a pitcher must have much more external ROM in the shoulder than is
needed for activities of daily living. There must also be localized stability
and strength to support the extra motion, or an unstable joint will result.
Instability usually refers to joints that have lax ligaments, which can
be caused by previous injury (sprain) to the area. Instability can also
arise when excessive stretching or sport-skill training (such as pitching)
results in hypermobility of the joint and muscles of the region but is
not balanced with sufficient strengthening. For example, Mary A. was
a client in her 50s who had been a serious yoga practitioner for 30
years. She came to us to be stretched because she felt tight and had
discomfort in her low back. When we evaluated her, we determined
that she was generally hypermobile in her joints and was bordering on
instability in many of her weight-bearing joints. Also, her general muscle
tone was lower than it should have been. When we tested her strength,
we determined that she was very weak in the core muscle groups of
the trunk, pelvis, and hips. We put her on a core strengthening and
stabilization routine, and within two weeks her back pain was resolved.
Mary did not need stretching; instead she needed strengthening. You
can avoid instability by engaging in a balanced program of strengthening and stabilization exercises for hypermobile joints.
On the other end of the continuum is hypomobility. The best thing for
joints and muscles that have ROM restrictions is stretching. Athletes
who have hypomobile joints and tight myofascia get the most dramatic
gains from stretching because it releases all the locked-up potential
in the joint capsule and fascia. Liberating that movement opens the
door to maximal performance. Fascial mobility is discussed in more
detail later in the chapter.
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strengthen its core before it can learn to crawl and then walk. In recent years,
interest in strengthening the core muscle groups of the trunk and pelvis has
grown in most areas of sports and fitness. It’s been found that this training
can lead to gains in an athlete’s balance, coordination, agility, strength, power,
and endurance.
Most programs of physical training today incorporate some form of core
strengthening or core conditioning. The best programs recognize that in a
child’s normal development, the trunk and pelvis are trained naturally over
a predictable period in a familiar sequence of progressive movements that
are learned by trial and error. Eventually, the child learns how to activate the
core musculature not by receiving special coaching or by doing isolated core
strengthening exercises, but by making mistakes before experiencing what feels
right and what makes a movement work. One of the more visible examples
of this, besides an infant lifting its head for the first time, is when an infant
learns to roll from the back to the belly. After many unsuccessful attempts,
one day the baby figures out the right way to recruit the core muscles and
coordinate them with the mobility of the limbs. From that moment on, the
infant remembers how to coordinate stability before mobility. The growing
child progresses through each advanced movement challenge, learning to
walk, run, and play sports with naturally developed core strength and stability.
This type of natural training and development of the core muscles to activate
on demand is preferable to the mechanical, “hold your core” concepts so
common in training today.
Until the body succumbs to immobility, disease, or injury, its innate intelligence remembers how to activate the core. Since research in physical medicine and physical therapy first showed a faster and more complete return to
function when rehabilitation included core postural education and strength
training, core work has been found outside of rehab and in virtually every
athletic strength and conditioning training program. The best programs help
you develop the ability to activate your core muscles at the moment they are
needed, without thinking, so you can be safely and effectively mobile.
In most cases, you must have a stable core to produce the most efficient
movement. The following test helps illustrate this (do not try this if you are
currently experiencing pain):
• Lie flat on your back with both legs straight in front of you on the floor.
• Place your right hand on the top of your right pelvic bone (called the
anterior superior iliac spine), and do the same on your left side.
• Lift the right leg about a foot off the floor and note how light or heavy
it feels and how much your pelvis twists or rotates in response. If your
right hand (on the bone) drops toward the floor and you cannot control
this, you may have a weak core.
• Return the leg to the starting position and repeat with the left leg.
Flexibility for Sport Performance
Note any changes in how the leg, hip, pelvis, and back feel and whether
the lift feels smoother or more effortless on one side versus the other. If you
have an imbalance, you may also notice that the lifted leg feels heavier and
that the pelvis and back twist or rotate more on the side that does not feel
right, producing a feeling of lack of stability or support. If you experience
lack of stability or support, then it is likely that you have some core activation
problems.
Before starting a core stabilization program, however, it is recommended
that you first assess core mobility. In many cases, tight muscles and fascia that
neurologically inhibit a muscle with normal strength can cause weakness or
instability. In this case, stretching (rather than strengthening or stabilization
work) is indicated as the first step to take.
Core Mobility
Targeted stretching of the correct muscle groups can help improve core stabilization and strength when inhibition is the cause of weakness. For instance,
tight hip flexors will inhibit the glutes from activating and then may act in
place of the core to attempt to provide stability when the main muscles of
the trunk, pelvis, and hips should be the dominant players. Stretching the
hip flexors often eliminates this problem. However, if core activation is
minimal, or if it is still not happening after stretching, often this means that
you did not take into account a crucial point about fascia mobility training:
you must consider the entire fascial net. In the case of tight hip flexors, that
means stretching not only the local hip flexors that directly cross the hip joint
but also other muscles that lie in the front nets. Retesting after full fascial net
mobility-based stretching often indicates that core strength and stabilization
are optimized when local stretching is not enough.
Beyond the core, flexibility from head to foot on a whole side of the body
(front, side, or back) involves entire nets of muscles, fascia, and joints. When
you have a feeling of weakness or instability on one side of the body (such
as when you try to power up and sprint that last 30 yards), it may be due to
one or more joint or myofascial restrictions within one or more fascial nets.
When these restrictions are removed through fascial stretching, you may experience increased stability in your postassessment functional movement test.
Therefore, stretching can improve or increase dynamic movement stability.
Balanced Mobility and Stability
In the earlier section on core strength, we pointed out that babies must first
strengthen their core muscles before they can learn to crawl and then walk.
In physical therapy, we denote this same concept by saying that stability must
be present in order for normal mobility to occur. As mentioned previously,
normal function is the ability of a person to move any part of his or her body
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using the joints and muscles without pain or restriction. This movement is
accomplished with a balance of mobility and stability. Balanced mobility and
stability are the components of functional tensegrity.
An example is the simple act of lifting your hand to change a lightbulb on
the ceiling. Imagine that you go up on the balls of your feet as you stretch
your shoulder joint and muscles to reach the bulb. If you have normal mobility in your shoulder that is balanced with stability, this chore is simple and
pain-free. If you are tight in your shoulder, you can perhaps still perform
the action with good stability, but your mobility is associated with a pulling
or stretching sensation, the magnitude of which depends on how tight you
are and where you are tight. If you are looser in the shoulder joint than the
average person, then even though you can perform the action using sufficient
range of motion, you may strain the joint. You may feel pain, discomfort, or
lack of strength in holding up the arm, depending on how and where you
lack stability in the muscles coupled with where and how loose you are in
the joints of your shoulder complex.
Normal mobility may be viewed as a range; on one end of the normal
range are people who have slightly looser joints, and on the other end are
people who have slightly tighter joints. In physical therapy and other fields,
looser-than-normal joints are called hypermobile and tighter-than-normal joints
are called hypomobile; both are considered abnormal states that require some
form of treatment if they affect optimal function. These states of increased or
decreased movement in the structure of the body may exist in varying degrees;
that is, in some people, all the connective tissue in the body is slightly looser
than normal, whereas in others all the connective tissue is slightly tighter than
average. Still others may be looser in the upper body and tighter in the lower
body. Some people may have only one shoulder that is very loose, while the
rest of the body has average flexibility. It may be more accurate to view your
body as having its own range of tightness and looseness to account for the
variety of flexibility. This view helps you see and work with your specific needs
when it comes to preparing for improved performance.
Flexibility and Functional
Performance
Top-level functional performance in sports depends on optimal levels of
strength, power, speed, agility, quickness, balance, and endurance. These
parameters can be negatively affected if you do not also have sufficient flexibility in your fascial system. Adequate flexibility means sufficient adaptability
to and successful recovery from all forces of stress and strain encountered in
one’s sport, training, or fitness activity. Adaptability of the human body to
those forces is primarily mediated through the fascial webbing of connective
Flexibility for Sport Performance
TRAINER TIP
Gliding and Sliding of Fascia
Fascia moves by way of a sliding mechanism that is maintained mostly
by systemwide tension, even at rest (Schleip et al 2012). Joints and
the nervous system have sliding or gliding elements during motion
as well. The skin and the underlying superficial fascia provide a
protective cushion for the deeper layers of dense fascia over which
they slide. The deep fascia invests muscles, other connective tissues,
ligaments, and bone and has been shown to have as many as three
additional layers in places that slide over each other during normal
function (Schleip 2015b). Superficial fascia contains blood vessels and
nerves to and from the skin. Eighty percent of the free nerve endings
in fascia are key to your proprioceptive system; they guide position
sense, refinement, and accuracy of movement. Anything that affects,
restricts, or impedes fascia’s ability to slide or glide will negatively affect
structure and function, including athletic performance. These negative
impacts include postural and movement dysfunctions, proprioceptive
deficits, muscle firing pattern dysfunctions, neural dysregulation, poor
motor learning, and much more.
tissue nets called biotensegrity (discussed in chapter 2), coupled with a properly
functioning brain and nervous system. The Stretch to Win system of assessing
and correcting mobility imbalances with stretching movements provides quick
and easy solutions that can be used after you practice and master the process.
Here, we briefly examine how flexibility affects each aspect of functional
performance in sports.
Strength
The late movement scientist and biomechanist Mel Siff created the classic
definition of strength as “the ability of a given muscle or group of muscles to
generate muscular force under specific conditions” (Siff 2003, 1). He also said
that strength is not primarily a function of muscle size but rather of whether
the appropriate muscles are powerfully contracted by effective nervous system
stimulation. This is the foundation of all strength training. In sports, strength
training is a necessary part of preparing the athlete to perform at his or her
best. Anything that detracts from strength or from the functioning of the
nervous system will impede maximum athletic performance. Therefore, if the
fascia is not flexible or adaptable (e.g., it is immobile, dehydrated, glued up,
imbalanced), then your muscles and strength will not be optimal.
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Power
In biomechanics, power is the product of force (strength) and velocity over a specific ROM around a joint or joints. Scientists use calculus, computer-generated
models, and multiple video cameras to analyze the complexities of movement.
All we are concerned with here, however, is that your ability to generate force
is decreased if your muscles and fascia tighten up from trigger points, scar
tissue, joint hyper- or hypomobility, or other causes. If you cannot generate
the appropriate amount of force, you cannot increase your velocity. Consequently, power production decreases. Increased tightness for any reason will
decrease your power.
For example, if you have a localized restriction in a muscle, the muscle
becomes hypertonic and hyperirritable and generally has a lower threshold
to external and internal stimulation (Lavelle, Lavelle, and Smith 2007). In
a power move such as pitching a baseball, a trigger point in the rotator cuff
could cause a misfiring of muscle fibers when the cuff is activated. This could
lead to decreased ball velocity, poor target accuracy, and early fatigue, among
other problems. A trigger point demonstrates an altered metabolism—most
notably ischemic hypoxia or a lower oxygen content in the muscle because
local blood flow is too low. Trigger points will also decrease endurance in
athletes such as marathoners, distance swimmers, and cyclists. Likewise, a
decrease in fascial mobility (as explained previously) will decrease your ability
to generate power if it is not addressed.
Speed
Speed is also known as velocity. Intuitively, you know that when you feel tight
you cannot move as quickly or efficiently as you can when you are looser.
The absence of the feeling of tightness is what we are trying to achieve in the
Stretch to Win system. We should qualify our use of the word loose, which, in
our experience in speaking with athletes, has several meanings that are distinct from “the opposite of tight.” You do not want to feel loose in that you
are unstable or too flexible; rather, you want to feel that you have complete
freedom of movement with no restrictions when you train and compete.
The professional football players we work with often describe tightness
as feeling like a parking brake has been set when they attempt to run at full
speed. Sometimes the tightness makes them fear they will pull a hamstring;
therefore, they decide not to run at maximum speed. Despite great coaching,
they find themselves unable to reach their full potential. Their coaches may
start to think that they are lazy or are not trying hard enough, and the athletes
get frustrated that they cannot perform at their best.
Increasing mobility with our system can increase speed by helping the athlete feel their best. Typical responses from our clients after stretching using our
system are that they feel lighter and they are able to move with more freedom.
After his first session of FST, now-retired American football star Emmitt Smith
Flexibility for Sport Performance
said, “It made me feel like I am 10 years younger.” This is a common response
from our veteran players because the system helps them perform with more
speed and agility than they may have had in years.
Agility and Quickness
Agility is typically defined as the ability to explosively brake, change direction,
and accelerate again, whereas quickness, as defined by Mel Siff, is. the ability of
the central nervous system to stimulate muscle function without a preliminary
stretch (Siff 2003). Dr. Siff further states that quickness is elicited without
encountering any significant external resistance and without great strength,
power, or energy. Although he mentions the central nervous system as the
generator of quickness, Dr. Siff acknowledges that nerve conduction velocities
alone do not account for the length and variability of the times measured for
quickness in scientific experiments. How can the qualities of quickness and
agility be accounted for in the musculoskeletal body?
Refer back to chapter 2, where we discuss the nature of fascia. Imagine
that you have a very intelligent, tactilely sensitive, cooperative, and integrated
body stocking beneath your skin that surrounds all your muscles, tendons,
ligaments, and bones. Again, think of this stocking as a full-body compression
garment. Try to visualize deeper, and see the fascial garment connecting at
every point to ever-deeper web- or net-like extensions surrounding and connecting each muscle, organ, nerve, and blood vessel. Now, imagine that you
see a bug that is about to fly into your eye. Your entire body of fascia, not just
your eye, reacts by recruiting every single one of your muscles simultaneously
to avoid the mishap. You can also imagine quickly ducking to avoid getting
hit by a baseball coming at you at 95 miles per hour (153 kph), or think of
how hockey players instantly adjust the fine positions of their skates to negotiate high speeds on the ice. This system of instant messaging to all systems
of the body is much faster than a nerve signal, as Dr. Siff (2003) indicates.
Unrestricted fascial systems function like biotensegrity structures, responding
appropriately to all movement throughout the body no matter how small or
great. Quickness and agility, as well as strength, power, and speed, are all highly
dependent on an intact and balanced fascial network. These abilities will be
compromised if movement restrictions are present. Maintaining flexibility in
your fascial body using FMT can prevent such restrictions.
Flexibility and Functional Skill
When the first two parts of the performance pyramid are in place – functional
performance and functional movement – the athlete’s next challenge is to
maintain mental focus and to stay dynamically relaxed while training in
functional skills. For our professional athletes and other top-level performers, consistently using our Stretch to Win program proved to be the key to
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maintaining their optimum level of performance and skill. Their programs
were personalized based on an assessment of their mobility using two proven
methods: Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) done by a certified practitioner and
Fascia Mobility Assessment done with Fascia Mobility Training. All of these
methods are discussed in the following chapters.
The next chapter will teach you how to evaluate your body and how your
evaluation can inform both your training and your performance. It will give
you new skills to both assess yourself accurately and then implement quick
solutions. You will also, or have other issues. Often, a professional can resolve
your issues more quickly if you have been doing this program. Our program
helps you work through most of your compensations, so anything remaining
can be identified and corrected easily.
Chapter 5
Flexibility
Assessment
Assessing flexibility is not simply testing your ROM; it is assessing your body’s
response to movement. Because connective tissue (fascia) is the most prevalent tissue in your body and it contains the greatest number of sensors that
regulate all movement, it is fitting that athletes know how to assess and train
it. Determining if your fascia has any impediments to movement with an
accurate Fascia Mobility Assessment (FMA) is an essential first step to complete
before starting any training program.
Fascia was described earlier as a connective tissue network that needs a
normal amount of balanced tension to function correctly, so it makes sense
that you should be able to assess the tension of your fascia and adjust it if
needed. This is important because studies show that most sports and other
orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries occur in the fascia (Schleip et al 2012;
Schleip 2015a, 2015b). In this chapter, you will learn how to assess flexibility
and adjust the tension of your fascia to achieve and maintain optimal athletic
mobility and performance. You will learn how to do an assessment that will
provide solutions to many problems that can cause chronic pain, weakness,
and movement and mobility problems. The key is to learn how to use the
assessment to accurately locate and eliminate the blocks along one or more
fascia mobility nets (FMNs).
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What Is a Fascia Mobility
Assessment?
A fascia mobility assessment (FMA) will help you identify the sources of
problems, which will lead you to solutions that will correct less-than-optimal
performance or subpar training and many sources of pain, soreness, weakness,
and discomfort. The three main goals of an FMA are:
1. Identify problem areas and then find quick solutions.
2. Design, plan, and execute your flexibility program.
3. Do reassessments to continue making progress.
The benefits of using the FMA on a regular basis are to improve performance,
prevent injuries, and maintain an optimal athletic body and mind.
Note, however, that it is not in any athlete’s best interest to engage in a
stretching program without first evaluating what needs to be stretched. Without an assessment, you might get lucky and experience improved athletic
performance from increased flexibility. However, you could also overstretch
a part of your body, which could lead to decreased athletic performance and
increased risk of injury. You can avoid these risks by creating your own FMA.
It can be difficult for medical professionals to determine exactly why
people have pain or movement problems. For example, the medical community has a very poor record of successfully treating chronic low back pain.
This is made more challenging if a person has additional challenges such as
poor nutrition status, obesity, osteoarthritis, other diseases (e.g., diabetes,
heart disease), and injuries (e.g., ligament tears, tendinosis). Therefore,
although this book is written primarily for athletes and fitness enthusiasts,
we have had success with many clients with medical conditions. They were
all cleared by medical professionals to engage in our program, so we highly
suggest you get this clearance as well.
Performing Fascia Mobility
Assessments
There are two types of FMA: the quick FMA and the more detailed complete
FMA.
Quick Fascia Mobility Assessment
You may also refer to this as the quick test. This one is appropriate for new or
old problems that are not serious injuries, and will indicate whether it will help
you quickly. If it does help quickly, then the FMA solved a minor problem that
could have become chronic or more serious. This also indicates that you will
be able to easily manage this problem and probably eliminate it so it never
bothers you again.
The five quick assessment steps are as follows:
Step 1: Test your worst functional movement.
While you may have problems with more than one movement, try to pick the
one that causes the most discomfort or restriction to movement (e.g., athletic
movements such as jumping, running, throwing, and swinging).
Step 2: Identify where you feel problems.
You may have problems in the upper body, the lower body, or in both.
Step 3: Note which mobility sequence identified one or more
movement problems and where you felt problems.
Test one of the following mobility sequences in chapter 6 that correlate with
your problem area. Write down what specific movements are restricted, not
flowing, or just blocked. Indicate where you feel this in your body:
• The Great 8, which are the upper- and lower-body Core 4 combined
(see page 104)
• Core 4 of the upper body only (see page 106)
• Core 4 of the lower body only (see page 116)
The Great 8 are eight key movements divided into the Core 4 of the upper
body and the Core 4 of the lower body. These movements test your mobility in
specific areas and allow you to identify where you may have less than optimal
mobility. Then, you can use this information to correct or enhance your mobility.
Quick Fascia Mobility Assessment
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Step 4: Create your program.
Create your stretch program using one or more of these sequences and
following these instructions:
• If both sides are restricted, stretch both sides until no further gains
in mobility are noted. Follow the parameters for the Restoration
and Correction stretch program in table 5.1, Self-Stretch Program
Parameters (see page 91).
• If one side is more restricted, stretch both sides using a two-to-one
ratio (2:1), starting and ending with the restricted side and adding as
many repetitions as needed until that side feels like the other side or
until no further gains in mobility are noted.
Step 5: Retest your functional movement.
Retest your functional movement and indicate whether it is better, the same,
or worse. After completing your stretch program and retesting your movement,
the following outcomes are possible:
• If the restricted area feels better or normal, follow a maintenance
program.
• If it feels the same, change the parameters as follows: Gently
increase the StretchWave motion (refer to chapter 3 for details). This
will progressively increase the intensity and duration of the stretch.
Repeat the program daily until the area feels normal; then, follow a
maintenance program.
• If after three days there is little to no change or the problem returns, add
SMFR before stretching (see page 82 in this chapter) and repeat the
same program. After another three days, if there is still no change or if
the area feels worse, do a complete FMA as described next, contact a
certified fascial stretch therapy provider, or get a medical consultation.
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Quick Fascia Mobility Assessment
Sample Quick FMA: Andy
This is an example of how the quick FMA can help an athlete. Andy is a 28-yearold salesman and a mixed martial artist and CrossFit Games competitor. The
following are the brief results of his first quick assessment.
Step 1: Test your worst functional movements.
For Andy, these are:
• kipping pull-up (a type of swinging pull-up); and
• walking handstand.
Step 2: Identify where you feel the problems.
For Andy, these are:
• Chronic pain and weakness in both shoulders for one year.
• Sore, tight low back for three years.
• Note: Chiropractic care, massage, and self-mashing (a type of SMFR)
gave only temporary relief.
Step 3: Note which mobility sequence identified one or more
movement problems and where you felt the problems.
• Core 4 of the upper body: lats; left lat greater than right lat; and
• Core 4 of the lower body: hip flexors; right hip flexor greater than left
hip flexor and entire low back.
Step 4: Create your program.
Andy’s program includes:
• Hip flexors: Start and end with the right side for a two-to-one ratio of
repetitions.
• Lats: Start and end with the left side for a two-to-one ratio of repetitions.
• Quick reassessments for correction of imbalance over time will dictate
when to start a one-to-one ratio of repetitions.
Sample Quick FMA: Andy
71
Step 5: Retest your functional movement.
• After he went through the program just once, Andy’s back and shoulder
improved by 50 percent.
• After one week of daily stretching, Andy improved by 75 percent, but
he did not make any further improvement during the next week.
• After doing SMFR to the hip flexors and the lats and then doing the
same stretches, Andy had 100 percent improvement in his functional
movements without pain in one week.
• Summary: Three months later, Andy is still pain-free and has normal
functional movements, resulting in him setting new personal bests in
weight training and athletic performance. Andy performs the Great 8
program five days per week by doing a 20-minute slow StretchWave
for recovery after training and a 10-minute fast StretchWave as part
of his dynamic warm-up before training.
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Sample Quick FMA: Andy
Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment
You may also refer to this as the complete test. Although many problems can
be eliminated with the previously described quick test, the complete FMA
uses more detailed testing to find the source of the problem and prescribes
self-treatment to address it.
The six complete assessment steps are as follows:
1. Create the personal record.
2. Perform a posture check.
3. Perform movement checks.
4. Perform a tissue check.
5. Review results.
6. Create a plan.
Step 1: Create the Personal Record
The purpose of creating a personal record is to review what events or injuries
may be contributing to your less-than-optimal athletic performance. It may
also help explain why you have chronic pain, soreness, or injuries.
Before creating your personal record, you should understand the following
basic differences between a symptom and a sign:
• A symptom is subjective pain, soreness, aching, or something that
doesn't quite feel right when you perform a movement.
• A sign is objective. It is anything that indicates that the movement does
not look or feel right, even to others. A good way to assess this is to
compare how a movement looks and feels when you do it on your good
side. If you don't have a good side, compare with how it felt before
any adverse changes occurred. If it doesn't feel normal, then there
is a sign that there is something going on that can negatively affect
athletic training and performance.
In your record, note whether you have had any surgeries. Note any type of
surgery, the date of each surgery, and the part of the body it involved. If the
surgery was a success and corrected the problem, list that separately from
those surgeries that did not correct problems. If there are many, number them
starting with the most recent. Note any scars, because these can be factors
in decreased performance.
Create a current health section that describes any problems, complaints,
and injuries you have, and list any diagnoses that have been made by health
Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment
73
professionals. Lack of mobility and faulty movement patterns in a healthy,
uninjured athlete may be caused by many things. While a comprehensive
discussion of motor training and faulty movement patterns is beyond the scope
of this book, many common problems due to tight muscles, stiff or restricted
joints, or restricted or painful fascial line movements can be self-assessed
and managed.
Pain and soreness may occur when you do particular movements.
Sometimes you can easily pinpoint where the tightness or pain is coming from,
which may indicate a local problem. Other times, the location is more broad
or vague and spans several joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which
may indicate a global problem across multiple tissues. A complete FMA will
use more detailed screening tests to determine what is going on.
Record any symptoms you are experiencing by answering the following
questions.
1. Do you have any pain or stiffness?
If yes, is the feeling distributed throughout your whole body, or is it localized
to one area? Start by listing all your symptoms of tightness, stiffness, or pain.
Then assign a number to each, with number one being the most affected
area, number two being the next most affected area, and so on. Once you
have completed and ordered your list, write the number in a circle on the
corresponding area of the body diagram in the complete assessment form at
the end of this chapter; see figure 5.2. The number in the circle will represent
local pain in that spot. If you have pain that extends up, down, or around, draw
arrows to show the direction and how far the discomfort extends. Creating
an accurate visual record of the location of your discomfort allows you to see
where you need to focus your work, and it is an invaluable way to track your
progress as you gain flexibility.
If you are in obvious pain or you were recently injured, you should seek
medical help before you continue. If you are sore or are experiencing
discomfort before, during, or after athletic activity because of stiffness or
tightness, continue with this evaluation.
2. Are there other things that you feel are not quite right with
your body that you would not describe as pain, stiffness, or
tightness?
For example, you may feel or know that one leg is shorter than the other. This
may make you feel uneven or asymmetrical when you walk or run. Another
example is one foot feeling different from the other when you run; the arch
may feel collapsed compared to the other foot, or it may feel less stable and
be more prone to ankle sprains. Note these observations in your numbered
list of symptoms, and also write a brief comment about exactly what this feels
like and how it affects your athletic performance.
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Step 2: Perform a Posture Check
To check your posture, you must wear only underwear and look into a fulllength mirror. In chapter 2, we discuss the function of fascia and how patterns
of stress and strain are reflected in your posture. The fascia behaves like a
net or web, and stress and strain create forces of compression and tension
that pull the web out of alignment. When this happens, athletic performance
suffers. For example, tightness on one side of the back can disrupt a pitcher’s
throw, a diver’s routine, a gymnast’s move, or a basketball player’s ability to
shoot the ball. This happens because asymmetrical tightness interrupts the
normal activation patterns of muscles, resulting in less-efficient movement
compensations. Compensatory movement patterns eventually cause chronic
pain syndromes that jeopardize long-term participation in a sport.
Posture assessment allows you to see what areas of the fascial net that
may be shifting or twisting you out of alignment. When you complete all of
the steps of your FMA, you will be able to reach informed conclusions about
your flexibility needs. You can then use the findings to create an individualized
flexibility program and modify it as your condition and requirements change.
The end results are injury prevention and optimal performance through rapid
and accurate problem solving. As you practice using your FMA, you will gain
confidence and personal control over your body and mind. In the process,
you’ll become more aware, self-reliant, and healthy.
When you examine your posture in the mirror, look for asymmetries in
alignment: differences between the right and left sides; between the front and
back; and between the top, middle, and bottom thirds of the body. You are
not comparing your body to some concept of perfect alignment; rather, you
are looking for a relative symmetry of parts to the whole body and a sense
of length and space in the body. This look and feeling of length and space,
rather than of compression, defines a healthy body that is more fluid than
solid (remember that the body is two-thirds water) and that is highly mobile.
When you are observing your posture, don’t focus on the tiny details; instead,
focus on obvious differences between one part and another part. The more
you practice this kind of observation, the better you’ll get at spotting postural
imbalances.
This book focuses on stretching the myofascial system for optimal flexibility
of your entire body, so we zero in on ways to identify and eliminate restrictions
in your myofascia. If the cause of your postural or movement asymmetry
lies in your myofascia, then we will be able to help you correct the problem.
If our system does not correct the problem, you should see your physician
for referral to a practitioner who can give you a proper evaluation. If after
working with your FMA for about four weeks you get the impression that the
problems you are having are due to poor posture, or if you cannot seem to
move efficiently, consider scheduling an appointment with a certified fascial
stretch specialist.
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If, like most people, you have a full-length mirror that shows only one view
of the body at a time (unlike the three-way mirrors you find in fitting rooms),
you will focus primarily on the front view of your body. However, when you do
use the front view in your FMA, keep in mind the three-dimensional shape of
your body, and do your best to mark the other views on the body chart. For
example, if your right shoulder is lower than your left, mark all views (front,
sides, and back) to show a lower right shoulder.
Head
Is your chin in line with the notch at the bottom of your neck, or is it rotated to
one side? Does one ear appear lower than the other, showing that your head
is slightly tilted? Mark down any asymmetries and misalignments you can
see. These signs, among others, may be due to tightness in joint, ligament, or
myofascial structures. One reason your head position is important is that your
eyes will rotate in their sockets to accommodate for any asymmetry. This often
happens after whiplash and other head and neck injuries. Your head position
may be a result of a poor habitual posture. Many people assume poor postures
when they work in front of computers all day; these people start slumping their
spines and craning their heads forward as they sit all day, peering into the
screen. This forward head position creates shearing forces in the neck, with
the lower part of the neck flexing too much and the upper part of the neck
hyperextending. We call this having a turtle head, and it eventually creates a
compensatory rotation of the eyes in the sockets such that they turn downward
(looking down the nose). There are many reflexive movements initiated with
the eyes that directly activate muscles throughout your body; any change in
eye and head position will have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the body.
This trickle-down effect will create additional compensations during athletic
movement and eventual problems from the extra stress and strain on your
myofascial system.
An example of a different trickle-down effect is shown by a right-handed
golfer whose head is rotated slightly to the right of center. Her eyes naturally
counter this head rotation by rotating to the left. When she drives the ball,
she will have to make other adjustments in her body to compensate for the
fact that her head cannot keep a left-rotated position relative to the rest of her
body during the backswing. In fact, she might have a chronic inability to get
into her ideal position when she drives a ball, and as a result, she forces her
swing instead of flowing with it. This a cardinal sign of a flexibility deficit. We
have seen this many times in our clinic.
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Shoulders
Are the collarbones horizontal and lined up with each other, or do they (or
does one) angle upward or downward? Is the point of one shoulder higher or
lower than the corresponding point on the other? Does one shoulder appear
to be shifted more forward than the other? Mark any differences you see.
We have seen a great majority of right-handed people with right shoulders
that are lower than their left shoulders when viewed from the front. Various
professionals debate whether this a normal state because so many people
have this discrepancy without any apparent problems or pain.
Of course, there is no perfect or ideal posture. How could there be given
the variety in human shapes? Still, we find it helpful to observe whether one
shoulder is tighter, more compressed, or significantly out of line with the other.
Any discrepancy you see statically will be confirmed dynamically when you
start moving the problem side later in this assessment.
What we commonly see in the clinic is that the shoulder of an athlete’s
dominant arm is not only lower but is also pulled more forward than the lessdominant side. The significance of this is that a forward shoulder can start
to drag or pull on structures in the neck. This can lead to a compensated
neck position that in turn may contribute to a pinched nerve or disc bulges.
Hopefully, you can see that it’s better to prevent this kind of problem before it
becomes a permanent injury.
Ribs
Does the rib cage as a whole appear centered, or is it shifted to the left or right?
Does one side of the rib cage stick out farther than the other? The effects of a rib
cage that is shifted or rotated to one side are similar to those of an asymmetrical
head position. When you need to perform an athletic movement that requires
your rib cage to move freely to the opposite side, such as swinging a bat or
racket, you will encounter some form of resistance to the movement. You will
have to either force the movement, which is inefficient and ultimately injurious
to your body, or perform a compensated movement—a “detour” swing when
you move that bat or racket. Over time, you may get good at adapting your
swing or other movement, but it will come at the cost of stressing or straining
your body. Medications only mask the cumulative damage being done each
time you move this way.
Pelvis
With the palms facing the floor and the fingers pointing straight ahead, press
the edges of the hands to the upper sides of the pelvis. Is one side higher
than the other? If so, this may indicate that the leg on that side is longer, which
means that the other leg is shorter due to myofascial tightness in your body.
One common contributor to this situation is the quadratus lumborum (QL)
Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment
77
muscle, which is a deep back and waist muscle that connects your lower
ribs to the top of your pelvis and both of those areas to almost every bone
in your lumbar spine. Another muscle that may functionally shorten your leg
if it is tight is a deep one called the psoas. This rather long muscle is part
of what controls your posture; it connects to every bone in your lower spine
and then travels across your hip joint to attach to the inside of your femur
or thigh bone. Uneven leg length can cause problems in running, skating,
jumping, or performing any sport that works the legs. Neck, shoulder, back,
hip, knee, ankle, and foot pain or dysfunction in movement can all result from
a functionally short leg. Once you’ve identified the contributors to this problem,
you can make a plan to fix it.
Hips
You can quickly learn a great deal about the flexibility of your hips by looking
at your knee and foot position as you view them in the mirror. We address
those areas in detail later in the assessment, but here we will discuss their
relevance to your hips.
What we commonly see with tight hips is that the knee and foot on one or
both sides are turned outward. In what is considered a normal and relaxed
position for the feet, the toes may point out slightly, but the kneecaps generally
still point straight ahead. With a tighter-than-normal hip, the knee and foot will
face significantly outward compared to the normal position just described.
Consequently, walking, running, and lunging movements are less efficient;
speed and power decrease; and the chance for injury increases. Note your
own kneecap and foot positions to see if they might correlate with tightness
in your deep hip external rotators (the layer of muscles beneath the large
gluteus maximus).
Knees
Look at your kneecaps. If your feet are placed directly under your hips and
are comfortably toed out slightly, do your kneecaps point straight ahead, as
they generally should, or is one (or are both) rotated inward or outward? Are
both knees bowed in, perhaps even touching each other (genu valgus), or
are they bowed out (genu varum), or is just one knee affected? Are the knees
hyperextended (genu recurvatum), or are they slightly flexed? Mark which way
your knees are pointing on your FMA.
The position or placement of your knees depends on how you were born, the
shape and function of your hips and the arches of your feet, and the position
of your feet in a given moment. When a knee has to function with suboptimal
alignment, whatever the cause, it becomes more susceptible to injury. The
ligaments that stabilize the knees are vulnerable to sprains and ruptures when
they have to function under the repetitive strain conditions that misalignment
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can create. For example, the anterior cruciate ligament may have a complete
rupture after an athlete does a move he or she has done safely many times
in the past.
Feet
Look down and see if you stand with your feet relatively parallel or slightly
toed out to each other. If their angles are quite different from each other or
are greatly toed out or in, recheck them by marching in place for a few steps,
stopping, and looking again to see if there is a change. If your feet place
differently after the march, your original standing position was probably a little
out of balance. If the placement is the same after the march, you can consider
it a reliable indicator of how you stand. Does one foot (or do both feet) point
in or out from the parallel? How do the arches look? Do they seem pretty flat
to the ground, or are they high enough to make you bear more weight on the
outside of the foot?
The way you naturally place your feet is a good indicator of what kinds of
stress and strain the knees and hips are under. If your arches are too low or
touch the floor (pronated feet) and they still give you problems after trying
our system, getting orthotics from a practitioner (such as a podiatrist) may
be in order. If you are in the minority and have the opposite problem of high
arches (supinated feet), you should also see a specialist who can advise
you on proper athletic footwear. In either case, getting your feet—the literal
foundation of your body—functioning correctly will automatically improve the
structural balance and function of the rest of your body.
Finally, close your eyes and get a sense of how you stand. Does your stance
feel evenly distributed onto both feet, or do you feel that you bear more weight
on one side? Maybe more weight is exerted on the heels or balls of the feet
(or perhaps you feel this in only one foot). When you have a good sense of
the way you stand, mentally scan your body from head to toe and note any
areas of tension, tightness, or soreness. Write these down, describing what
you feel and marking where you feel it on the figure diagram. This is a great
starting point from which to begin to track the way your body looks, feels,
and performs.
Step 3: Perform Movement Checks
Now that you have recorded your physical history and symptoms (step 1) and
examined your posture (step 2), it is time to look at some simple movement
patterns and how you perform them to assess specific fascial net movements.
If you perform simple movements incorrectly because you have inadequate
ROM to do them properly, or if they are painful, then complex movements
with added forces like those encountered in sports and fitness training will be
problematic. For example, if someone who is training to be a baseball pitcher
Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment
79
has deficient external rotation and abduction in shoulder movement, then that
pitcher will develop severe problems not only in the shoulder and elbow but
also in the rest of the body due to the compensations that must occur. Even
if you don’t detect any imbalances during your first assessment, it’s a good
idea to check again from time to time to see if you’ve remained in balance
after a hard workout, game, or competition.
Before starting, it is essential to keep in mind that, as with posture, there
is no such thing as ideal mobility. But you do need a reference for what is
“normal” when you move. What has worked exceptionally well for us is to tell
our clients that normal daily movements we do for personal care should be
pain-free and effortless. Pain-free needs no explanation; effortless means
that your movements are easy and smooth. We can also apply this to athletic
movements. Even though they typically require more power to perform, after you
are warmed up well enough to do a few rounds of unloaded jumping, pushing,
pulling, sprinting, and so on, these movements should feel relatively easy with
no resulting pain, restrictions, or weakness. This is considered your baseline
normal, and anything other than that indicates that you should perform a selfassessment to identify and solve issues in your tissues before they become
problems. If stretching and/or movement pattern corrections are required, this
is good place to start. We discuss details of this later in the chapter.
You should not hold your breath when you do any of the movements in
this assessment. If you catch yourself doing so, you will need to determine
whether there is some restriction that is making you hold your breath. Smooth
movement flows without any evidence of tension, shaking, or popping or
cracking sounds. Many people get so used to ignoring these signs from their
bodies that their movements are not optimal. The problem is compounded
when, after years of ignoring these signs of structural imbalance, they
develop into more serious and chronic problems such as tendinitis, bursitis,
and osteoarthritis. All these problems tend to afflict professional athletes at
earlier ages than the general public.
What is considered optimal mobility or ROM is often contingent on a particular
sport’s movement requirements. For some sports, it might be beneficial to
have certain areas of excessive mobility. For example, it is advantageous
for breaststroke swimmers to have hypermobility in their knees for the most
effective kick; however, although this mobility might serve them well in the pool,
if they do not work on maintaining good stability in the knees, they can develop
severe problems that will progressively deteriorate the joints, forcing them to
quit swimming and deal with lifelong knee problems. You must gain the mobility
level that is appropriate for your activity. Candid discussions with your coach
and trainer about what is needed for your sport will help you determine this.
Then, with your completed FMA, you will be able to identify potential sources
of mobility problems before they become serious. There are two parts to your
movement check: the functional movement check and fascial net check.
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Functional Movement Check
One of the best ways to test movement is to gauge how you feel when you
do warm-up drills for your sport or fitness activity. You are ready to do skill
training and advanced activities or to engage in your sport when you feel
strong, stable, and dynamically mobile and you do not have discomfort or
resistance (tightness or stiffness) in your body. The following are examples of
imbalances you may notice during your preactivity training and preparation
that need to be corrected:
Stiffness
Lack of coordination
Tightness
Slowness
Immobility
Heaviness
Poor balance
After your general warm-ups and sport-specific drills, list any body part
in which you feel imbalances. You should feel strong, mobile, fast, reactive,
coordinated, and balanced. Some examples of imbalances are when one
side feels more restricted, slower, or heavier than the other when you are
doing walking lunges, jogging with high knees, sprinting, kicking, punching,
or doing other activities.
In addition, list any other training activity that is a regular part of your
athletic preparation but in which you’re not making satisfactory progress,
you’ve hit a plateau, you have not been able to overcome a challenge, or
your performance is just not optimal. Examples of this include specific lifts in
weight training (especially when you can compare sides) or any other activity
that you engage in to round out your athletic preparation. One- or two-sided
weakness, mobility restrictions, and losing your form are examples of some
imbalances that need to be listed.
Finally, after cooling down from your athletic activity or training, make note of
any areas of your body where you feel tight, stiff, sore, or weak. These feelings
indicate problems that will negatively affect your performance and cause injury
if they are not eliminated.
Fascia Mobility Check
A fascia mobility check assesses the body’s connective tissue system with
movement. The fundamental stretch movements specific to each fascial net
are provided in chapter 6.
So, which net should you check? If you just did the functional movement
check, identify the nets in which you felt restrictions using the fascial net
illustrations found in chapter 2. Once you know the fascial nets that you need
to work on, find specific stretches for those nets in chapter 6.
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If you do not find a restriction in the functional movement check, then you
can test fascial net for restrictions using chapter 6. Follow the Recovery and
Maintenance program in table 5.1, Self-Stretch Program Parameters (see page
91) and then retest your movement. If you note an improvement in mobility,
follow the restoration and correction stretch program in table 5.1.
Finally, always test one or more movements with which you have problems
or challenges in a game, competition, or event. Some movement problems
can be difficult to duplicate or simulate without the unpredictability, power,
and force of real athletic engagement.
With the movement check examples discussed, you will be able to find the
sources of and solutions to the issues in your tissues. Proceed to step 4 only
if you did not significantly improve your mobility in step 3. If you did improve,
go to step 5.
Step 4: Perform a Tissue Check
In step 3, you identified the specific fascial nets that are restricting your
mobility. In this step, we guide you in assessing whether SMFR to the muscletendon junctions will more rapidly and effectively increase your mobility. If it
does, then we recommend doing SMFR before stretching. If it doesn’t, skip
it and go directly to step 5. As described in chapter 2 in our discussion of
front nets, you can do SMFR to release local restrictions in your soft tissues.
This enables you to more effectively stretch and move. In this book, restrict
SMFR to the muscle and tendon region for one of the fastest techniques to
get positive results. We leave details of other effective SMFR techniques to
the many books and videos dedicated to this topic.
Fascia mobility blocks such as glue, thickening, and trigger points were
described in detail in chapter 2. These common local restrictions can be
found almost anywhere in your soft tissue, including in the muscle-tendon
region. SMFR can eliminate or reduce them. Before moving on, we suggest
you review that section on FMBs if you have not recently read it.
SMFR Test
Golgi tendon organs, which are sensors located in your tendons, are
still not fully understood. In our experience, stimulating them with proper
pressure can help release, relax, and increase the mobility of neighboring
myofasciae and joints. When stretch movements or other training do not
remove all your mobility restrictions, you can gently and very slowly position
your muscle-tendon region over or under a semifirm object such as a ball
or roller designed for this purpose. If you already do a form of SMFR or
something similar (such as melting, rolling, or mashing tissue), try applying
your technique to muscle and tendon regions that you identified as restricting
your movement in step 3.
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The following are basic instructions for doing SMFR on the muscle-tendon
regions within fascial nets:
• Use figure 5.1, a through e, to locate the specific fascial net that was
restricted during your mobility test in step 3.
• Locate the muscle-tendon regions noted in the figure and do SMFR
on those areas.
–– Press on the tendon right off where it attaches to the bone. Then
move slowly and gently away from the bone about 1 to 2 inches
(2.5-5 cm) toward the muscle. Do the same at the other end of the
muscle or as indicated in the figures.
–– Take up to three deep, slow breaths as you imagine the tissue
melting under the pressure. Avoid pain from pressure that is too
deep or held too long.
• Retest your mobility assessment in step 3.
• Mark down any fascial nets that improved after doing SMFR.
SMFR Precautions and Contraindications
There are several contraindications to performing this part of the assessment. Do
not roll on balls, rollers, or other tools if you are receiving anticoagulant therapy;
if you suffer from malignancy, osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, acute rheumatoid
arthritis, inflammatory conditions, systemic or localized infection, sensitive
diabetes, or circulatory conditions (e.g., edema, hematoma, blood pressure
conditions); or if you have open wounds, stitches, fractures, or hypersensitive
skin conditions. Also, be aware that this can be very powerful and intense work.
If you ever feel dizzy, light-headed, or nauseated, please stop immediately.
You should not use the ball to put pressure on any of the following areas: the
coccyx (tailbone); the lower 11th and 12th ribs (the floating ribs), which start
in the middle to lower back region and extend to your sides above the pelvis;
any part of the front of your abdomen from the bottom tip of your breastbone
down to the bottom of the pelvis and out to the sides above your pelvis and
below the ribs; the genital area; any part of the neck; or any other areas that
are too sensitive to tolerate pressure.
If you are new to SMFR, be cautious. If you use pressure that is too firm, it
mashes your tissues, and it will cause damage and even more scar tissue. If
you’ve been doing SMFR for some time, but you keep getting the same restrictions
or pains, then you are treating your symptoms and not the cause. Follow the
directions for self-assessment and self-treatment in this and the following
chapters, and you will find solutions to your problems.
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Scalp fascia
Sternocleidomastoid
Sternum fascia
Rectus abdominis
Quadricep muscles
and tendons
Rectus femoris
Quadricep muscles
and tendons
Tibialis anterior (proximal)
Tibialis anterior with its
fascial compartment
Tibialis anterior (distal)
Toe extensors
Figure 5.1a
Superficial muscle-tendon regions.
E6654/Frederick/f05.01a/571820/auprov/R3
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Deep neck muscles
Throat muscles
Lungs
Chest muscles
Heart
Diaphragm
Anterior spine
Iliopsoas tendon
Pelvic floor
Psoas, iliacus
and pectineus
Hip adductors (proximal)
Hip adductors (distal)
Hip adductors
Popliteus
Tibialis posterior
Long toe flexors
Figure 5.1b
Deep front muscle-tendon regions.
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Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment
85
Cranial fascia
Subocciput
Cervicothoracic vertebrae
(C7–T1)
Deep spinal intrinsic muscles
Thoracolumbar vertebrae
(T12–L1)
Erector spinae
Lumbosacral vertebrae
(L5–S1)
Sacrolumbar fascia
Deep lateral hip rotators
Sacrotuberous ligament
Junction of hamstring muscle
and tendon (proximal)
Hamstrings
Junction of hamstring muscle
and tendon (distal)
Gastrocnemius
Gastrocnemius and
soleus
Soleus
Achilles tendon
Plantar fascia and short toe flexors
Figure 5.1c
Back muscle-tendon regions.
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Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment
Plantar fascia
Sternocleidomastoid
Scalenes
Splenius capitis
Low back and obliques
Intercostals
Lateral abdominal obliques
Gluteus muscles
Quadratus lumborum
Greater trochanter
Iliotibial band (proximal)
Gluteus maximus
(superior fibers)
Tensor fasciae
latae (TFL)
Iliotibial tract (IT)
and hip abductors
Iliotibial band (distal)
Fibularis (peroneus)
longus (proximal)
Fibularis (peroneus)
and related fascia
Fibularis (peroneus)
longus (distal)
Figure 5.1d
Lateral muscle-tendon regions.
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Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment
87
Splenius capitis and
splenius cervicis
Rhomboids
Rhomboids
Erector spinae
(T12–L1)
Serratus anterior
Abdominal
obliques
and fasciae
Erector spinae
(L5–S1)
Sacrolumbar
fascia
Biceps femoris
(proximal)
Tensor fasciae
latae and
vastus lateralis
Sacrotuberous
ligament
Tensor fasciae latae
iliotibial tract
Biceps femoris (distal)
Fibularis (peroneus) longus
Tibialis anterior
Figure 5.1e
88
Deep muscle-tendon regions.
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Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment
Vastus
lateralis and
IT band
Tibialis
anterior
Step 5: Review Results
It will be easier to see correlations in your assessment data if you review the
results in the following order:
1. Review your personal tissue map.
2. Review the fascial nets where you felt mobility restrictions. Do they correlate
with the ones identified in your movement map in step 3 or the FMBs in
step 4? They may not, but they are still important factors to be addressed
because they lie within your fascial net. These are likely the prime regions
that are causing faulty and restrictive movement patterns.
3. Review your personal movement map.
4. Check for correlations between your tested movements and your tissue
if you did the SMFR test.
5. Review your personal posture map.
6. Check for correlations between your posture, movement, and tissue
checks. For example, do you see a connection between sitting all day
and your forward head, anterior pelvic tilt, restricted front net mobility,
and tight hip flexors?
7. List issues that are occurring with and without movement that negatively
affect your athletic performance and fitness.
8. Check for correlations between the previous items along with where
and what you think indicate restrictions to optimal mobility.
Reviewing these findings together will often reveal correlations between
posture, movement, the state of your tissue, and suboptimal athletic
performance. For example, marathoners or triathletes who work at a desk for
long periods of time might see correlations between sitting at work and poor
flexion dominant posture, tightness and restrictions in the front net, weakness
in the back net, and right-left imbalances in the lateral and power nets. With
this information, the smart athlete can develop a plan.
Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment
89
Step 6: Create a Plan
The data you gathered and reviewed in step 5 can be used to create a plan
to restore and maintain optimal mobility for fitness and athletic performance.
Table 5.1 is divided into the following three types of programs:
Preparation Stretch Program
• Do this before training or a competitive event.
• Do this right before you do other dynamic movement preparation.
Recovery and Maintenance Stretch Program
• Do this after training.
• Do this after a competitive event.
Restoration and Correction Stretch Program
• Do this whenever the recovery and maintenance program does not
restore mobility.
• Do this after rehabilitation or recovery from injury or surgery (when you are
medically cleared).
• Do this to correct imbalances in mobility, strength, balance, and so on.
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Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment
91
StretchWave
slow
StretchWave
fast
Technique
Restoration
StretchWave
and Correction very slow
Recovery and
Maintenance
Preparation
Stretch
program
Very slow
Moderately
slow
Moderately
fast
Tempo
Moderate
Moderate
Light to
moderate
Intensity
Reps
Long
exhale (3
counts)
Long
exhale (3
counts)
3 or until
there are no
further gains
in mobility
3 or until
there are no
further gains
in mobility
Short
3
exhale (1-2
counts)
Duration
Table 5.1 Self-Stretch Program Parameters
• Reps and sets are per body
Every day
region.
until functional
mobility goals • Adjust the program to what
the body needs that day.
are met
• If stretching increases pain,
try stretching other regions
of the same or nearby fascial
nets, and then reassess.
• If stretching increases
tenderness, decrease all
parameters and move more
gently, and then reassess.
1
• Adjust any parameter as
needed.
• Reps and sets are per side
or for the whole body.
• Adjust the program to what
the body needs that day.
• See chapter 6 for selfprograms and chapter 8 for
assisted programs.
• Adjust any parameter as
needed.
• Reps and sets are per side
or for the whole body.
• Adjust the program to what
the body needs that day.
• See chapter 7 for selfprograms and chapter 8 for
assisted programs.
Notes
Post-training
Pre-training
Frequency
1
1
Sets
Sample Complete FMA: Maria
This is an example of how the complete FMA can help an athlete. Maria is a
48-year-old chief information officer, and she trains for triathlons six days per
week. The following are the brief results of her first complete assessment.
Step 1: Personal record
• Symptoms: Maria experiences neck pain, right knee pain after running
10 miles, right hip pain, and low back stiffness.
• Signs: Maria notices that her head shifts forward when she works at a
computer. She tends to favor keeping her right leg crossed over her
left when she works at a computer.
• Other significant history: She sleeps four to five hours due to her training
schedule and work demands; she was diagnosed with amenorrhea
(i.e., she does not menstruate) 10 years ago.
Step 2: Posture check results
•
•
•
•
Forward head
Elevated right shoulder
Internally rotated right arm
Slightly turned in right knee
Step 3: Movement check results
• Worst functional movement in training: Maria’s right knee bends inward
during squat training.
• Worst sport movement: Maria’s swimming coach reports that she
starts to overwork her right side after 20 minutes of arm strokes and
kicking; her running coach reports a tendency to collapse at the right
knee despite wearing running shoes that prevent overpronation. This
worsens with increased mileage.
• Fascial net test results (chapter 6): Restricted right lateral, right front
hip, and arm nets.
Step 4: Tissue check results
• Multiple trigger points, thickening, and glue noted in the neck, the
right more than the left shoulder, the hips inside the right thigh, and
both calves and feet.
• Fascial net tests after SMFR are more improved than after stretching.
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Sample Complete FMA: Maria
Step 5: Review results
• Symptoms: Chronic pain in neck, right knee, and hip; low back stiffness.
• Posture: Poor functional posture at work as well as when standing.
• Movement: Right knee is unstable in squat and running; lacks dynamic
stability and endurance to maintain swim posture; fascial net mobility
is improved after stretching lateral and front nets.
• Tissue: Multiple trigger points and other restrictions throughout. Fascial
mobility is much improved after SMFR.
Step 6: Create a plan
Because Maria sits all day and then does intensive, frequent endurance
training as a triathlete, it would help if she could improve anything related to
her posture and positioning at her work station. Although she never noticed it
before, after reading this chapter Maria is much more aware of what she may
be doing wrong in training that may contribute to her pain and decreased
performance. One big correlation was seeing her right knee buckle inward
as she lowered down into her back squats. Her running coach also sees her
knee slightly buckle during her long runs. Now she has much more awareness
and can actually feel when that happens, whereas before she assumed it
was “aches and pains everyone feels when training.” Maria’s plan includes
the following:
• Maria installed hourly reminders on her computer and smartphone
to check posture (e.g., sit tall, uncross legs, drop shoulders, keep a
long neck).
• Maria got a new workstation seat and desk so she can better modify
her chair height and her screen view angle.
• Maria started the Stretch to Win program. Maria did SMFR and then
stretched the right lateral, right front hip, and arm nets following the
restoration and correction program. Her pain in all regions was gone
in one week. Her worst functional movements were normal after
one week, so she started the Great 8 from chapter 6. She follows
the parameters outlined in the Recovery and Maintenance program
outlined in table 5.1.
Sample Complete FMA: Maria
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Stretch to Win
In this chapter, you learned one of the most important assessment skills to
ensure your continued participation in sports or fitness. We taught you how
to do a quick FMA that has helped many athletes quickly solve problems in
training and sports. For those with more challenges, we took you through
a more detailed, complete FMA to critically examine your body for imbalances in posture and movement. Both assessments refer you to our stretch
programs in chapter 6, in which you learn how to stretch each fascial net; in
chapter 7, in which you learn sport-specific fascial stretches; and in chapter
8, in which you learn how to stretch others on a table. Once you choose a
stretch program, you can then chose the parameters from table 5.1 to follow
based on your goals. Now that the theory, science, principles, and assessments
have been discussed, the rest of the book will cover the stretch programs.
To record your own assessment for reference as we discuss the stretch programs, please see figure 5.2. Keep this and other copies as a record of your
progress for yourself and any professionals with whom you are working or
with whom you may work with in the future. Please refer to the Complete
Fascia Mobility Assessment section in chapter 5 for more detailed instructions.
Figure 5.2 Complete Fascia Mobility Assessment (CFMA)
Name ________________________________________ Date _______________
1. Personal Record
Mark your answers here and on the body diagrams.
a. What kind of problem do you have (e.g., pain, not flexible)? Do you
have problems only when you move or also at rest?
b. List any injuries, surgeries, or physical problems you have experienced
in the past. If you have had more than one, list them chronologically,
starting with the most recent.
c. List any current health problems, complaints, injuries, or current
diagnoses made by a health professional.
From A. Frederick and C. Frederick, 2017, Stretch to win, 2nd ed. (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).
95
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From A. Frederick and C. Frederick, 2017, Stretch to win, 2nd ed. (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).
96
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From A. Frederick and C. Frederick, 2017, Stretch to win, 2nd ed. (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).
97
2. Posture Check
Mark all areas on the body diagrams that you can see or that were told that
are out of alignment (e.g., lower shoulder, higher hip, rotated foot).
3. Movement Checks
a. Functional Movement Check
Circle those areas that give you problems. Mark the body diagrams with
an arrow where you do not feel movement that is free, easy, strong, and
pain-free. Note whether your movement is painful, sore, stiff, or restricted,
using any words you want to describe how it feels.
General warm-up
Specific warm-up
Specific sport movements
Specific training movements
b. Fascia Mobility Check
Look where you marked the body diagrams then find which nets they
are in chapter 2; then find the specific stretch in chapter 6. Follow the
Restoration and Correction stretch program in table 5.1 and apply to
your specific net stretch. Then, re-test your movement problems. If little
to no improvement, go to next step 4. If big improvements, skip next
step and go to step 5.
From A. Frederick and C. Frederick, 2017, Stretch to win, 2nd ed. (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).
98
4. Tissue Check
Do SMFR to tendons in your specific problem nets (refer to figures in chapter 5
for tendon locations). Then retest movements with problems in step 3. If better,
then mark down here any and all specific nets improved and then proceed
to step 5. If no change or worse, mark down here and proceed to next step.
5. Review Results
Check all findings, then note if you see any correlations among your problems
(e.g. all problems are in the left deep front net, etc.).
6. Create a Plan
Choose one of the following programs based on your findings above to correct
your movement problem, restriction, or general mobility (circle one).
Pre-Training Preparation
Post-Training Recovery and Maintenance
Restoration and Correction
From A. Frederick and C. Frederick, 2017, Stretch to win, 2nd ed. (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).
99
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Chapter 6
Stretches for
Fundamental
Mobility
As stated in earlier chapters, mobility is the word we use to describe movement
that is free of any restrictions. You need optimal mobility, stability, strength,
power, speed, and more to adapt to the demands of sports and function at a
very high level. As we’ve been saying all along, you cannot generate enough
strength, power, and speed without optimal mobility.
As discussed, the body is a tension network of fascia that connects everything. It is normal for the body to be in a state of tension; however, you do
not normally feel this bodywide tension when it is in balance. When the
fascial network (or net) gets just the right amount of mobility every day, it
remains in balance. When you are underactive, you get tight and maybe even
sore, and you feel the need to stretch and move. When you are overactive or
are intensely training or competing, you also get tight and sore and often
feel the need to stretch and rest. Why is that? The simple explanation is that
increased tension in your fascial net causes compression. Compression of
tissue leads to decreased fluid exchange, which decreases oxygen, nutrition,
and waste elimination. Chronic compression leads to changes in your tissue
that shorten and thicken it, and thus it becomes less elastic. This causes strain
to nearby tissue due to the extra workload to compensate for the tissue that
is now stuck.
All of this compression can make you feel sore and tight. It may cause
pain, weakness, and decreased athletic performance in the worst cases. This
happens to everyone in every sport, and the core is the first thing to be
affected. Once the core is affected, it can then affect any part of the body.
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Stretch to Win
Therefore, we give athletes specific stretches to increase, correct, maintain,
and recover mobility of the core and more. The Great 8, which is detailed
later in this chapter, is the go-to mobility program that will help almost
everyone.
Applying Principles to Achieve
Optimum Mobility
Before we dive into the actual stretching techniques, let’s review a few of the
principles of our system, which we discussed in chapter 1; you’ll apply these
principles to the stretches for mobility.
To begin, recall that an individual muscle is only one part of a structural
net that is connected to the body and needs to be addressed when you are
stretching. Think beyond the muscle, and visualize stretching the muscle
along with the three-dimensional net of fascia that connects to it (see principle 5 on page 8 of chapter 1). We repeat this principle here because the
reason most stretching programs fail is they do not address all the factors
that limit ROM. The body works as a unified system with connective tissue
intertwining with and linking all its parts. You must understand this to
attain your true mobility potential.
Apart from the rectus abdominis muscle (the six pack), very few tissues in
the body (i.e., bone, muscle, ligament) are linear. Most structures have varying degrees of angles, twists, and turns to accommodate three-dimensional
movement. It is quite common, however, for athletes to stretch in only one
direction or plane of motion. To achieve the greatest mobility in your muscles and fascia, you need to experiment with multiple angles and planes of
movement and include rotation, spirals, and diagonals when you stretch
(see principle 6 on page 9 of chapter 1). Venturing into these new angles and
directions will open up many new possibilities for your sport performance.
With the stretches in this chapter, it is best to use the very slow and slow
StretchWave techniques and combine these with the parameters laid out in
the Restoration and Correction program from table 5.1 in chapter 5. Once
you feel the tightness diminish in one position, change your parameters
and do the Recovery and Maintenance program in table 5.1.
In our experience, the fastest, most effective way to recover, restore, correct,
and improve general mobility for most sports and fitness activities is from your
core outward. We focus on the core regions of the low back, hip, and chest;
Stretches for Fundamental Mobility
middle back; and shoulder before moving out to the arms and legs. Once
these core areas have been opened up, tightness is greatly reduced in many
other areas. This essential program is the foundation of all other programs in
this book, and it is called the Great 8.
General Guidelines for Mobility Success
The following are important tips to remember for achieving the best
outcomes when stretching the nets:
• Follow the “no pain” principle. The goal is to reach a feeling of
stretch awareness, not to stretch so strongly that you cause pain.
There is a negative response from the brain and nervous system
when pain is elicited. Always find the position that is most comfortable for your body.
• Creating traction by actively expanding your joints will increase the
effectiveness of any stretch (see Principles 7 and 8 in chapter 1).
Allow tissue to have a little slack by releasing the tension out of
the tissue before starting each stretch with traction.
• Exhale into the stretch to release tissue tension. If you cannot
breathe during a stretch, you may be pushing your body too hard;
you should back off a bit.
• Do as many repetitions as needed for the tissue both to release
and to achieve the desired range before easing off the area and
moving on to the next stretch. The number of repetitions can vary
from side to side and from stretch to stretch.
• Use your eyes to lead your movement and enhance flexibility
gains. Looking to where you want to stretch helps increase ROM.
• Move in and out of each position gradually and gently increase
gains.
• Use an object to help aid your stretch, especially if you experience
a flexibility challenge in a certain position.
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Stretch to Win
Great 8 Stretches for Mobility
The Great 8 stretches are the foundation for your overall mobility and for all
stretch movements and programs in the Stretch to Win system. This is true
no matter what sport or athletic or fitness activity you engage in. The Great
8 (see figure 6.1) are divided into the Core 4 of the lower body and the Core
4 of the upper body.
Training the core of the body as the basis of stability before training
mobility is well-established in sports, fitness, and rehabilitation. We take
this a step further by advancing what may be a new concept for many.
Achieving balanced mobility in the core regions of the body before training
for stability will provide results that are more effective. Here is an example:
If your hip flexors are tighter on the right side, which creates torque (or
Great 8
Upper-body
Core 4
Lower-body
Core 4
Pectoralis minor
(deep front arm net)
Glutes
(back power net)
Rotator cuff
(deep back arm net)
Iliopsoas
(deep front net)
Levator scapulae
(deep back arm net)
Quadratus lumborum
(deep front and lateral nets)
Rhomboids
(deep back arm net and deep power net)
Latissimus dorsi
(back power and arm nets)
Figure 6.1
The Great 8 stretch regions.
E6654/Frederick/fig06.01/571836/kh/R2
Stretches for Fundamental Mobility
twist) in the right side of your pelvis, then you will be training your core
with an existing imbalance. Although you may be coordinated and athletic
enough to properly stabilize your pelvis and do the core training (and
possibly fool your therapist or trainer), you will be using extra energy and
other compensations to accommodate your imbalance. Eventually, this will
take its toll on you and create chronic problems and eventual injury if left
unresolved. This is a common example of why we advise always using the
Great 8 as the foundation for all your mobility and corrective movement
training.
How to Stretch Your Fascial Nets
We recommend the following order for mobilizing and stretching any
of the Great 8 regions:
1. Focus on moving through the stretch of one key muscle or region
and its fascia (i.e., any net) at one attachment, which is where it
is attached to the bone either proximally (closest to the trunk) or
distally (away from the trunk). Refer to figures 5.3a through l, to
see these attachments.
2. Release, then focus on moving through the stretch of the other
attachment until there is no more gain in ROM for that movement.
3. If one attachment feels more restricted, start and end with this one
to achieve balanced mobility in each muscle or region.
4. Slowly add more muscle and fascial links in that same net (above
and below the key muscle or region) using the same technique.
5. After you have completed all the links in the net, mobilize and
stretch the whole net. Start by moving one end of the net and
then the other end, and repeat this back and forth until mobility
response plateaus.
6. If possible, move through the stretch simultaneously from both ends
until mobility response and lengthening are maximized.
7. Feel free to move adjacent fascial nets in a like manner if this
improves the mobility of your target muscle and net.
8. Repeat this for all nets.
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The Lower-Body Core 4 Program
The Core 4 of the lower body is made up of the power-generating regions for
most movement in sports (see figure 6.2). In terms of bones and joints, this
would be your lower lumbar-pelvic-hip area. In terms of muscles, this would be
all your core muscles and fascia (lumbodorsal or thoracolumbar fascia, transversus abdominis, obliques, deep and superficial back extensors, iliopsoas, glutes,
and deep hip rotators). These muscles, especially those surrounding the hips,
provide the foundation for many athletic movements that many athletes depend
on for performance. Therefore, it is extremely important to achieve balance in
mobility in your lower-body Core 4 to generate the energy-efficient, powerful
functioning that is required in most sports and in high-level fitness training.
Assessing or improving mobility in the lower body first makes sense because it
is the base for most sport and athletic movements. We have identified four key
lower-body muscles that you should work to improve mobility (see figure 6.2):
•
•
•
•
Glutes in the back power net
Iliopsoas in the deep front net
Quadratus lumborum (QL) in the deep front and lateral nets
Latissimus dorsi in the back power and arm nets
Gluteus
minimus
Gluteus
medius
Gluteus
medius
a
Figure 6.2
(a) Gluteal
muscles.
E6654/Frederick/fig06.02a/571837/pulled/R1
Gluteus
maximus
Stretches for Fundamental Mobility
Iliopsoas:
Psoas major
Psoas minor
Iliacus
Quadratus
lumborum
b
c
E6654/Frederick/fig06.02b/571838/pulled/R1
E6654/Frederick/f06.02c/571839/pulled/R1
Latissimus
dorsi
d
Figure 6.2
(b) Iliopsoas; (c) quadratus lumborum; (d) latissimus dorsi.
E6554/Frederick/fig06.02d/571840/pulled/R1
Note that we have included the latissimus dorsi to this group because it
attaches to both the lower back and the pelvis, as well as the shoulder. It functions as a bridge that connects the lower body to the upper body.
The lower-body Core 4 program opens areas that may be causing restriction
around your hips and low back, which will also help regions higher up (e.g.,
the spine and shoulders) and lower down (e.g., the knees, ankles, and feet)
because of the long, extensive connections through your fascial net. Complete
the entire Core 4 on one side of your body before stretching the other side.
107
The Lower-Body Core 4 Program
Glute Stretch for the Power,
Lateral, and Back Nets
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Sit on the floor and bend both knees and position your feet on the
floor wider than your hips (see figure 6.3a).
2. Use your hands to support you behind your back.
3. Then, perform a hip warm-up by rocking the knees from side to side
with the movement coming from the hips, not the knees. (see figure
6.3b).
4. Next, place one leg in front and one behind, and bring the front foot
inward until the foot touches the back knee, if possible (see figure
6.3c). Position your weight so you are sitting more on the glute of
the front leg. Make adjustments for comfort. Place your hands in a
push-up position in front of you with the arms straight.
5. As you inhale, lengthen the whole spine up through the top of your
head; then, exhale and move down and forward over the knee, keeping spine long (see figure 6.3d).
6. Roll up through the spine (see figures 6.3 e-f) back to the erect starting
position (see figure 6.3a).
7. Repeat, taking the torso forward to the left and right of the knee at
different angles to target the different glute fibers.
Move to the next stretch for the quadratus lumborum. Do not repeat this
stretch yet for the other side.
TIPS
108
•
Breathe and wave into and out of the stretch until you feel your tissues release.
•
Drop your body closer to the floor and move from side to side.
The Lower-Body Core 4 Program
a
b
c
Figure 6.3
Glute stretch.
(continued)
109
The Lower-Body Core 4 Program
Glute Stretch for the Power, Lateral, and Back Nets (continued)
d
e
f
Figure 6.3
110
Glute stretch.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. From the glute stretch position, walk the hands back until you feel a
slight stretch in the back, hips, or legs (see figure 6.4a).
2. Keep the hands still and lean toward the hand that is on the same
side as the front leg, and inhale (see figure 6.4b).
3. Exhale as you lean into the hand on the same side as the back leg
and slightly bend the elbow (see figure 6.4c).
4. Repeat.
TIP
Walk the hands out a little farther with each repetition to progress the stretch.
The Lower-Body Core 4 Program
Quadratus Lumborum Stretch
for the Deep Front and Lateral Nets
a
b
Figure 6.4
c
Quadratus lumborum stretch.
111
The Lower-Body Core 4 Program
112
Iliopsoas Stretch for the Deep Front Net
INSTRUCTIONS
1. From last position in the previous QL stretch, place the back forearm
on the ground and find a stable position where you can balance on
that arm with full weight. Slide the forearm to the rear as your back
starts to arch, and stop when you feel a mild stretch. Inhale and lean
forward on both hands (see figure 6.5a).
2. Exhale while you arch the back and look up to ceiling (see figure 6.5b).
3. Repeat.
TIPS
•
Lean back farther to progress the stretch.
•
Turn the chest toward the floor then toward the ceiling to stretch
different angles.
•
Find the stretch by arching the back rather than twisting it.
The Lower-Body Core 4 Program
a
b
Figure 6.5
Iliopsoas stretch.
113
The Lower-Body Core 4 Program
Latissimus Dorsi Stretch
for the Back Power and Arm Nets
INSTRUCTIONS
1. From the last position in the previous hip flexor stretch, inhale and
reach your arm overhead (see figure 6.6a).
2. Extend the arm out from the hip as you reach. This looks like you are
swimming in the air (see figure 6.6b).
3. Exhale as you rotate the chest toward the floor while you reach the
arm out (see figure 6.6c).
4. Circle your arm down and back up overhead (see figure 6.6d).
5. Repeat.
TIPS
•
Keep reaching the arm throughout stretch for maximal effect.
•
Try to get the chest more parallel to floor with each rep.
a
Figure 6.6
114
Latissimus dorsi stretch.
The Lower-Body Core 4 Program
b
c
d
Figure 6.6
Latissimus dorsi stretch.
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Stretch to Win
The Upper-Body Core 4 Program
Improving upper-body mobility will enhance fluid movement. The upper
body is often ignored or considered unimportant when it comes to stretching. However, when it is included, greater gains in the lower body can be
achieved as well. The Core 4 of the upper body is made up of the secondary
power-generating regions from the upper core and out into the arms. We begin
with the four muscles and regions that surround the shoulder girdle to open
the core on all sides of the upper body. We have found if you first unlock the
restrictions deep at the core of the shoulders, there are better improvements
throughout the torso, shoulders, and arms. We have identified four key upperbody muscles that you should work to improve mobility (see figure 6.7a-d):
•
•
•
•
Pectoralis minor in the deep front arm net
Rotator cuff in the deep back arm net
Levator scapulae in the deep back arm net
Rhomboids in the deep back arm net and the deep power net
Pectoralis minor
a
Supraspinatus
E6654/Frederick/f06.07a/571858/pulled/R1
Posterior
Anterior
Infraspinatus
Teres minor
Subscapularis
Humerus
Scapula
b
Figure 6.7
(a) Pectoralis minor; (b) rotator cuff.
E6654/Frederick/fig06.07b/571859/pulled/R1
Stretches for Fundamental Mobility
Levator
scapulae
c
E6654/Frederick/f06.07c/571860/pulled/R2
Rhomboid minor
Rhomboid major
d
Figure 6.7
(c) Levator scapulae; (d) rhomboids.
E6654/Frederick/fig 06.07d/571861/pulled/R1
The upper-body Core 4 program is designed to target the regions that
surround the middle back, chest, and shoulder girdle. We have found that
when these areas are addressed and balanced through stretching, optimal
functional mobility can be achieved in the shoulder and arm. All four stretch
movements can be done first on one side and then on the other side, or you
can complete an individual stretch on both sides before moving on to the
next stretch.
117
The Upper-Body Core 4 Program
Pectoralis Minor Stretch
for the Deep Front Arm Net
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Stand in a split stance with the feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart
and with the arm on the front-leg side in a high Y position or closer to the
head in an I position as tolerated (see figure 6.8a). The other arm is at the
side. Traction is achieved when you reach the working arm out and away
from torso, thus opening the joint.
2. Reach the working arm out at 90 degrees to the side with the fingers
pointing back if possible (see figure 6.8b).
a
Figure 6.8
118
b
Pectoralis minor stretch.
4. Ensure that the fingers are always pointing back to increase the
target of the tissue.
TIPS
•
Stay facing forward with your chest square while reaching back with
the arm.
•
Square the hips to the chest and keep the leg opposite to the arm
being stretched back and behind the body.
The Upper-Body Core 4 Program
3. Reach the working arm back and down toward floor with the palm
facing back as you reach each arm slightly behind your body with
the palm of your hand facing back (see figures 6.8c).
c
Figure 6.8
Pectoralis minor stretch.
119
The Upper-Body Core 4 Program
Rotator Cuff Stretch for the Deep Back Arm Net
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Stand with the feet hip-distance apart and reach the arms out and away from
the torso for self-traction.
2. Reposition the arms at each angle throughout the stretch: low position (see
figures 6.9 a and b), middle position (see figures 6.9 c and d), and high position (see figures 6.9 e and f). Rotate the arms internally and externally at each
position.
3. Gently push into your end range until the tissue releases and opens up.
4. Repeat at a higher angle (see figures 6.9 g and h).
VARIATION
You can reach for higher overhead angles using one arm.
TIP
Strive to increase angles for even greater ROM.
a
Figure 6.9
120
b
Rotator cuff stretch.
d
e
f
Figure 6.9
Rotator cuff stretch.
The Upper-Body Core 4 Program
c
(continued)
121
The Upper-Body Core 4 Program
Rotator Cuff Stretch for the Deep Back Arm Net (continued)
g
Figure 6.9
122
h
Rotator cuff stretch.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Stand with the feet hip-distance apart. Grasp one wrist and pull it
behind the back and down toward the floor (see figure 6.10a).
2. Turn your head away from the arm being grasped behind the body,
and look down toward the floor over the opposite foot. Bring the chin
down to the chest until you feel the stretch (see figure 6.10b).
3. Look up to the ceiling and back down again a few times to play with
the angles of the tissue (see figure 6.10 c-d).
4. Release the wrist.
VARIATION
To change the angle of the stretch and the anchor point, place one hand
on the back of the head. Reach the opposite hand down across the back.
Keep your head tilted while you rotate it to look up to ceiling and down to
floor a few times until the tissue feels looser and has greater ROM.
The Upper-Body Core 4 Program
Levator Scapulae Stretch
for the Deep Back Arm Net
TIP
You can hold on to a tool, such as a towel or stick, with the hands apart if
you experience a flexibility challenge. Progress to getting the hands closer
over time as you gain mobility.
(continued)
123
The Upper-Body Core 4 Program
Levator Scapulae Stretch for the Deep Back Arm Net (continued)
a
b
c
d
Figure 6.10 Levator scapulae stretch.
124
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Assume a position on all fours with the hands under the shoulders
and the knees approximately hip-distance apart.
2. Bend forward from the hips, and thread one arm behind the other with
the palm facing up on the floor (see figure 6.11a). Continue reaching
the arm across your body to target the area.
3. Lower your body toward the ground to increase the stretch (see figure
6.11b). Press into the floor with the other hand to stabilize. Don't allow
the body to collapse.
TIP
To increase the stretch, lean forward into the shoulder more and reach while
you stretch in the exhalation.
The Upper-Body Core 4 Program
Rhomboid Stretch
for the Deep Back Arm Net
a
b
Figure 6.11
Rhomboid stretch.
125
126
Stretch to Win
Fascial Net Stretches for Mobility
Once you have opened the specific regions that surround the hips and the
shoulder with the Great 8 stretches (lower-body Core 4 and upper-body Core
4), you can move in a more global approach to increase the mobility of the
entire body. The fascial nets intersect into each other, but certain areas allow
for even greater movement when they are stretched. You should open up all
of these areas for the best overall mobility.
The Five Nets in the Fascia 5
As you learned in chapter 2, there are five fascial nets, some of which run
along the surface and some of which are much deeper. They mostly run up
and down the body from the highest point to the lowest point. While all nets
ultimately connect and function together in sports and in life, it is useful to
assess and train them one at a time.
When you need more than the Great 8, the Fascia 5 stretches extend mobility
training to the rest of your body. The following are the five areas we address
and situations that cause problems in each area:
Front net
• Prolonged sitting (e.g., at work, at school), which makes the front net
restricted, especially where your net folds or bends at your joints (e.g.,
shoulders, spine, hips, knees, ankles)
• Prolonged or repetitious athletic positions, such as
-- Athletic stances in most team sports (e.g., football, baseball, basketball,
soccer) or positions where you lean forward in a wide or staggered
stance, ready to run or defend your position
-- Prolonged flexing (e.g., in cycling, wrestling, grappling)
-- Restricted ankle mobility due to ankle taping (e.g., in football, basketball), which increases stress and risk of hypermobility in knees
Stretches for Fundamental Mobility
Back net
• Prolonged sitting, which can restrict the neck, knees, and ankles
Lateral net
• Restrictive lateral power movements (e.g., in speed skating, hockey,
classical ballet, cross-country skiing, basketball)
• Prolonged sitting, which compresses both lateral nets (e.g., in car racing,
horseback sports)
• Repetitive, one-sided power movements such as pitching, fencing, other
throwing (e.g., American football, javelin, hammer, discus)
Power nets
• All power movements with rotation, especially if they are repetitive and
one-sided (e.g., golfing, swinging a bat); any throwing of objects (e.g.,
ball, javelin) or people (e.g., martial arts, gymnastics)
Arm nets
• Repetitive power movements that focus on the upper body, shoulders,
and arms (e.g., swimming, gymnastics, cheerleading, throwing, martial
arts and combative sports, shooting firearms, archery)
Fascia 5 Stretches
For the best results, follow the guidelines provided in the earlier section,
Applying Principles to Achieve Optimum Mobility, and in the sidebar titled
General Guidelines for Mobility Success.
127
Fascia 5 Stretches
Standing Side Bend for the Lateral Net
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Stand with your feet about 2 feet (.61 m) apart with the toes slightly
turned out. Lengthen your torso upward for self-traction to begin and
lean the hips to one side to find a stretch in the lower body.
2. Ease off the stretch in the hips and reach the outside arm overhead
and place the other arm on your leg for support. Reach away from
your body as far as is comfortable to find a stretch in the upper body
(see figure 6.12a).
3. Next, flex the fingertips of both hands and reach out as far as possible
for an increased stretch of the lower and upper body (see figure 6.12b).
4. Return through a neutral path by moving your shoulders down and
around to the center of your body (see figure 6.12c) before rolling
back up through your spine.
5. Repeat the stretch on the same side to further increase ROM, or
move to the other side.
TIP
If you feel tighter on one side, repeat this side one more time.
a
Figure 6.12 Standing side bend.
128
Fascia 5 Stretches
b
c
Figure 6.12 Standing side bend.
129
Fascia 5 Stretches
Side Stretch Over a Ball
for the Lateral Net
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Squat down beside a large stability ball. Place the inside hip and
waist on the ball with the bottom leg straight out and the top leg in
back with the knee bent and the foot on floor. Reach the bottom arm
over the ball and place the hand on floor for balance. Reach the top
arm over the head and lengthen the torso upward for self-traction
(see figure 6.13a).
2. Straighten both legs and press your weight toward the ball to find a
stretch in the lower body (see figure 6.13b).
3. Next, return to a position with the inside hip and waist on the ball, the
bottom leg is straight out, and the top leg is in back with the knee
bent and foot on the floor. The bottom hand is again on the floor for
balance. Lay back over the ball and reach the top hand overhead to
find a stretch in the upper body (see figure 6.13c).
4. Last, return to a position with the inside hip and waist on the ball, the
bottom leg is straight out, and the top leg is in back with the knee bent
and foot on the floor. Reach the hips and arms as far away from each
other as possible for a deeper stretch of the full net (see figure 6.13d).
5. Return through a neutral path by rolling onto your back or stomach
to change sides.
6. Repeat the stretch on the same side to further increase ROM, or
move to the other side.
TIP
If balance is an issue, you can stretch near a wall or a piece of equipment
for stability, or you can touch the floor as shown.
130
Fascia 5 Stretches
a
b
Figure 6.13
Side stretch over a ball.
(continued)
131
Fascia 5 Stretches
Side Stretch Over a Ball for the Lateral Net (continued)
c
d
Figure 6.13
132
Side stretch over a ball.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Stand with the feet hip-distance (or farther) apart in a neutral position. Externally rotate the feet and turn the toes out slightly if needed
for balance. Straighten both knees and lengthen the legs to release
tension in the front net, and lengthen the torso upward for self-traction
(see figure 6.14a).
2. Lift the chin upward slightly, look up, and reach the arms overhead
while you flex the wrists and fingers back to find a stretch in the upper
body (see figure 6.14b). Press the hips forward to simultaneously find
a stretch in the lower body.
Fascia 5 Stretches
Backward Bend for the Superficial
Front Net
3. Attempt to reach each arm up higher than the other.
4. Next, attempt to reach the hips and arms as far away from each other
as possible for a deeper stretch of the full net.
5. To come out of this stretch, lean gently to one side (whichever direction feels easiest) and then slightly forward before rolling up to the
starting position. This allows you to avoid coming through the same
path as the stretch.
TIPS
•
Perform the stretch slowly enough to allow the tissue to open up.
•
Notice whether one side is tighter, and focus on that side a bit more.
(continued)
133
Fascia 5 Stretches
Backward Bend for the Superficial Front Net (continued)
b
a
Figure 6.14
134
Backward bend.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place one foot behind the other to your comfort level, and bend both
knees while you lengthen the torso upward for self-traction.
2. Shift your weight so it is more on the balls of feet, and then shift the
hips forward to find a stretch in the lower body (see figure 6.15a).
At the same time, lift the chin upward, look up, and reach the arms
overhead while you flex the wrists and fingers back. To deepen the
stretch, make fists and then spread the fingers apart. Your back knee
may straighten.
Fascia 5 Stretches
Staggered-Stance Backward Bend
for the Deep Front Net
3. Attempt to reach each arm up higher than the other arm.
4. To deepen the stretch, allow your head to move back into a slight
neck extension and jut the jaw upward with the lower jaw reaching
for the ceiling (see figure 6.15b).
5. Next, attempt to reach the hips, arms, and jaw as far away from each
other as possible for a deeper stretch of the full net.
6. To come out of this stretch, lean gently to one side (whichever feels
easiest) and then slightly forward before rolling up to the starting
position. This allows you to avoid coming through the same path as
the stretch.
7. Repeat with the other foot.
TIPS
•
This stretch often reveals a tighter side, so spend more time on that
side or repeat the exercise as needed.
•
Use the eyes to increase the movement for this stretch.
(continued)
135
Fascia 5 Stretches
Staggered-Stance Backward Bend for the Deep Front Net (continued)
a
Figure 6.15
136
b
Staggered-stance backward bend.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Sit on a stability ball with the feet hip-distance apart on the floor.
Lengthen the torso upward for self-traction (see figure 6.16a).
2. Lean back and roll the hips forward toward the feet (see figure 6.16b).
3. Reach both arms overhead to extend the net (see figure 6.16c), and
then reach the hands down toward floor while flexing the fingers to
find a stretch in the upper body. At the same time, straighten the legs,
allowing them to open more and to externally rotate to find a stretch
in the lower body (see figure 6.17d).
Fascia 5 Stretches
Backward Stretch Over a Ball
for the Superficial and Deep Front Nets
4. Rock back and forth between the feet and hands while you reach the
hips and arms as far away from each other as possible for a deeper
stretch of the full net.
5. To come out of this stretch, roll gently to one side (whichever direction feels easiest) as you bend your knees and bend slightly forward
before rolling up to the starting position. This allows you to avoid
coming through the same path as the stretch.
TIPS
•
Use the floor to help you stretch with your hands and feet.
•
Play with how straight you can make your arms and legs to increase
the stretch.
•
Reach with the jaw to intensify and deepen the stretch.
(continued)
137
Fascia 5 Stretches
Backward Stretch Over a Ball for the Superficial and Deep Front Nets (continued)
a
b
Figure 6.16
138
Backward stretch over a ball.
Fascia 5 Stretches
c
d
Figure 6.16
Backward stretch over a ball.
139
Fascia 5 Stretches
Forward Bend for the Back Net
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Stand with the feet hip-distance apart. Shift your weight so it is over
the balls of the feet, and lengthen the torso upward for self-traction
(see figure 6.17a).
2. Bend the knees to drop the hips down and fold forward (see figure
6.17b). Tuck your chin toward your chest and straighten your knees
to find a stretch in the lower body. Allow your upper body to feel very
heavy as you move gently from side to side and roll the body toward
the floor.
3. Walk the hands out away from the feet and place the palms flat on
the floor, if possible (see figure 6.17c). Again tuck your chin toward
your chest. Bend your knees if needed.
4. Shift your weight back and forth by moving your hips away from the
hands and the hands away from the hips for a deeper stretch of the
full net. Move the hips side to side, bend the knees deeper, and then
straighten the knees. Alternate lifting one heel and pressing the other
heel down, and reach the hips up and the arms as far away from
each other as possible to increase the stretch.
5. Walk the hands back to the feet and place the hands on the knees for
support as you roll back up to a standing position. Keep the knees
bent slightly as you roll up.
6. Return through a neutral path, oscillating back up by slightly moving
side to side with your hips as you return to standing (rather than
standing straight up).
TIPS
140
•
Move from side to side and spend more time where you feel tightness.
•
Rise as high as possible onto the ball of one foot as you press the
heel of the other foot down.
Fascia 5 Stretches
a
b
Figure 6.17
c
Forward bend.
141
Fascia 5 Stretches
Forward Stretch Over a Ball
for the Back Net
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Stand behind a stability ball with the feet hip-distance apart. Place
your palms shoulder-distance apart on the ball (see figure 6.18a).
2. Roll the ball back toward the feet and round the upper back to find
a stretch in the upper body (see figure 6.18b).
3. Roll the ball away from the feet and lengthen your torso to find a
stretch in the lower body (see figure 6.18c). Shift your weight back
into the heels to distribute it deeper into the hips.
4. Shift the hips from side to side to focus on each side. To increase the
stretch, tuck the chin into the chest and press into the ball with your
hands to add extra resistance.
5. Shift your weight back and forth by moving your hips away from the
hands and the hands away from the hips for a deeper stretch of the
full net. Move the hips from side to side, bend the knees deeper, and
then straighten the knees. Alternate lifting one heel and pressing the
other heel down, and reach the hips up and the arms as far away
from each other as possible to increase the stretch.
6. Roll the ball back toward your feet, release the ball, and roll back up,
keeping your knees slightly bent as you return.
7. Return through a neutral path, oscillating back up by slightly moving
side to side with your hips as you return to standing (rather than
standing straight up).
TIPS
142
•
Move gently; it’s easy to lose your balance on the ball!
•
Move slowly to find local tightness, or you will miss those spots.
Fascia 5 Stretches
a
b
c
Figure 6.18 Forward stretch over a ball.
143
144
Stretch to Win
Assessing Your Stretches
You can easily and quickly correct imbalances that you discover
when you stretch using any of the programs in this chapter. Address
imbalances first with increased repetitions of the movement. The easiest way is to start and end with the side that has the most restricted
movement, which would be a two-to-one ratio (2:1). This way, the
tighter side gets an extra dose. When you feel that both sides have
the same mobility, then you can go back to stretching at a one-to-one
ratio (1:1) for maintenance. If the imbalance persists, increase the
duration of the stretch. For instance, if you are using a slow StretchWave tempo, switch to a very slow StretchWave tempo so you spend
more time releasing restrictions while you move through the stretch.
If you cannot correct imbalances using these suggestions, return to
chapter 5, where you can start by doing a quick assessment to find
solutions to your challenges.
Programs for Optimal Mobility
This chapter focuses on the stretch movements that help you restore mobility
and completely recover from training or other competitive sport activity so
you can continue to pursue your goals. The programs in this chapter can also
be used to correct imbalances and increase overall mobility when necessary.
Recovery, which is the daily process of healing your body from the physical
stress of training, requires stretch movements that are done slowly. We recommend that you follow the parameters for our recovery and maintenance
program (see table 5.1 on page 91\ of chapter 5) when you are stretching for
mobility. You will be doing the slow StretchWave for recovery. With the SSW,
you are encouraged to breathe slowly and perform longer movements for
mobilizing and stretching your fascia. This strategy is proven to restore and
maintain mobility, flush your system of waste, bring more oxygen to your
tissues, and keep your athletic performance at a high level for long periods.
To correct left-right mobility imbalances and to increase mobility in the
entire body, we recommend our restoration and correction program (see table
5.1 on page 91 of chapter 5), which has different parameters that focus on
those goals. For those goals, we suggest increasing the duration of the stretch,
but unlike in traditional stretching, there is constant very slow movement.
Stretches for Fundamental Mobility
In this chapter, we explained that not moving for prolonged periods of
time (such as while working or studying at a desk) and being very active
during training or practice will both make you very tight and can negatively
affect performance. This chapter offered an easy solution to this problem: the
Great 8 stretch movements for optimal mobility. This is the go-to program for
improving mobility, and it is the foundation for all of the dynamic stretches
for sports in the next chapter.
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Chapter 7
Dynamic
Stretches
for Sports
If you do not have mobility issues, then this chapter is for you. Here you will
find the preparatory and fundamental stretch movements for mobility in
most sport activities. If you have any issues (e.g., nagging stiffness, tightness
or soreness, imbalances between your left and right sides) that affect performance or cause pain, or if you are recovering from injury or surgery, go back
and do the self-assessment in chapter 5. This provides thorough guidance for
where to start your flexibility training by identifying your issues. Then, some
of you might need to refer to chapter 6 for your initial corrective or general
mobility training programs, whereas others will find quicker solutions and
come directly to this chapter. Either way, make sure you are cleared for activity
before starting these dynamic programs.
Achieving dynamic stability of your core muscles through the Great 8
stretches described in chapter 6 is a prerequisite for efficient and effective
athletic mobility. As you learned in chapter 4, if there is insufficient or imbalanced core mobility, then stability, strength, power, speed, and other elements
of optimal performance suffer. Therefore, all the dynamic stretch movement
patterns in this chapter work from the center of your core out to the rest of
your torso and your limbs.
147
148
Stretch to Win
What Is Dynamic Stretching?
As first described in chapter 3, StretchWave fast is our term for what is commonly called dynamic stretching in sports and fitness. Dynamic stretching uses
faster tempos and shorter durations to help you achieve dynamic mobility
for vigorous and explosive movement in fitness and sports. Dynamic stretching is usually done as part of the warm-up before training, competition,
or other activities (see table 5.1 in chapter 5 for parameters). Optimal preparatory programs should remove all feelings of tightness or stiffness and
provide adequate mobility so you to feel ready to train or compete. The
StretchWave fast should be done before you perform sport-specific ballistic
movements. Examples are explosive movements with quick starts and stops
such as sprinting, kicking, throwing, swinging, jumping, and leaping. All
body regions used in these movements are in the power nets (described in
detail in chapter 2).
General Guidelines for Dynamic Mobility
Preparation
The following are important tips to achieve the best outcomes when
stretching the nets:
• Compare how you feel and move before and after these stretches.
Over time, you will know which ones are the most beneficial.
• Do the StretchWave; that is, make your movements flow with a
wave-like pattern.
• Exhale into the stretch, and inhale coming out of the stretch.
• Don’t count reps; rather, finish the movement when you are no
longer making gains.
• If the movement doesn’t loosen you up enough to perform, then
do SMFR on the problem spot and try the stretches again.
• Some stretches require balance, so use a stationary object for
stability if needed.
• Never let your spine sag, but never hold your core so tight that
you can’t move well during the stretches.
• These are dynamic stretch movements; you should not feel a big
stretch. Use less intensity and faster tempos, and do as many reps
as are needed to feel loose but still strong and ready to perform.
• All the stretch movement patterns in this chapter can be done
less than an hour before practice or a competitive event or right
after your general preactivity warm-up.
Dynamic Stretches for Sports
We recommend that you follow the parameters for our preparation program
(see table 5.1 on page 91 of chapter 5) when stretching for pre-activity mobility.
Dynamic Stretches for Sports
The following stretches make up a dynamic progression from ground movements to standing movements. It is best to do them after a light warm-up such
as an easy jog or run for 5 to 10 minutes—just enough to generate very light
perspiration. The stretches engage the power nets, but they are named by the
specific body regions that are targeted.
Ground Stretches
The following stretches are done on the ground. They focus on dynamic
flexibility preparation of the core muscles and the fascia of your lower body
and progress to your upper body. The initial focus is dynamic core mobility,
and the progression integrates motor control and core stability. This routine
applies to most sports that require optimal core control.
149
Ground Stretches
Hip-Spine-Shoulder Stretch
This movement warms up the hip joint capsule fluids and focuses on the
rotational components of the hip. Do this before all other hip movements
on the ground.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Sit on the ground with the knees bent and the feet slightly wider than
hip-width apart. Place the arms behind you with the palms on the
floor and the fingers pointing away from the body (see figure 7.1a).
2. Exhale, lean the torso back, and slowly drop both knees to one side
(see figure 7.1b).
3. Inhale and return to center.
4. Exhale and repeat, dropping both knees to the other side.
5. Continue dropping the knees from side to side.
EXPAND THE NET
150
•
Lie on your back with the arms out and repeat the hip and leg movements. Note how your ROM has decreased. Try to push your knees
down to the floor with your hips without strain or pain (see figure
7.1c). Repeat until no further gains are noted.
•
Lie on your back, drop the legs to one side, and keep them there.
Then, move the arm opposite the direction of the legs up and the
other arm down by sweeping them on the ground (see figure 7.1d),
or experiment with other arm motions. Try to follow your hand with
your eyes and head. Repeat on the other side.
Ground Stretches
a
b
Figure 7.1
Hip-spine-shoulder stretch.
(continued)
151
Ground Stretches
Hip-Spine-Shoulder Stretch (continued)
c
d
Figure 7.1
152
Hip-spine-shoulder stretch.
Because this stretch is performed while kneeling, it requires more active
core motor control and core stabilization and simultaneous mobilization of
your upper and lower core. If you have any anterior knee pain, cushion the
knee with a pad or article of clothing to dampen the pressure and prevent
pain. Do not perform this if it is painful.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Kneel on one leg with the other leg in front of you and the foot on the
floor. Raise one arm overhead and lunge forward over the front leg.
Press both hips forward and keep the chest lifted until you feel a stretch
in front of the rear hip and in one or both groins (see figure 7.2a).
Ground Stretches
Hip Flexors-Torso-Shoulder Stretch
2. Gently move the raised arm opposite the hip being stretched to
increase the stretch into the torso, shoulder, and arm (see figure 7.2b).
3. Come out of the lunge by lowering your arm and slightly relaxing your
spine as you do a little StretchWave back to the starting position.
Finish with a straight spine.
EXPAND THE NET
Make bigger circles with the hips and torso and bigger movements with
the arms (see figure 7.2c).
a
Figure 7.2
Hip flexors-torso-shoulder stretch.
(continued)
153
Ground Stretches
Hip Flexors-Torso-Shoulder Stretch (continued)
b
c
Figure 7.2
154
Hip flexors-torso-shoulder stretch.
Groin injuries are very common in sports. The following stretch movement
is crucial to avoiding these. In addition, it helps release the part of the hip
flexors that connects to the hip adductors. This will all help your mobility for
all running activities, sudden direction changes (e.g., cutting), backpedaling and specific movements such as the breaststroke, power skating in
hockey, and all movements in and out of your guard in wrestling and other
grappling sports.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Assume a position on the hands (or fists) and the knees with the
feet turned in. Spread the knees open until you feel a slight stretch
in groin region.
Ground Stretches
Hip Adductors-Abdominals-Torso Stretch
2. Rock back toward the heels until you feel a slight stretch (see figure
7.3a). Return to the starting position.
3. Walk the hands forward and let your hips drop to the ground until
you feel a slight stretch. Walk the hands back to return to the starting
position.
4. Repeat until you feel no further gains.
EXPAND THE NET
Open the knees and squat back even farther (see figure 7.3c-d) and turn
the head from side to side (see figure 7.3e)
a
Figure 7.3
Hip adductors-abdominals-torso stretch.
(continued)
155
Ground Stretches
Hip Adductors-Abdominals-Torso Stretch (continued)
b
c
Figure 7.3
156
Hip adductors-abdominals-torso stretch.
Ground Stretches
d
e
Figure 7.3
Hip adductors-abdominals-torso stretch.
157
Ground Stretches
Hip Abductors-Latissimus DorsiQuadratus Lumborum Stretch
This stretch prepares the thigh-hip-back-shoulder connection mostly on the
sides of the body. This will improve all mobility needed for your hips, which
will reduce stress on your back and knees. It is especially great for lateral
acceleration and deceleration, sudden direction changes when running,
dodging to avoid things such as getting tackled, and quick offensive and
defensive movements in ground fighting and grappling.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Assume a position on your hands and knees with the hands wider
than the shoulders, the fingers spread apart, and the knees together
(see figure 7.4a).
2. Exhale and slowly rock the hips to the right side and turn the head
to look toward the feet (see figure 7.4b).
3. Alternate rocking side to side, dropping the hips farther down each
time.
158
Ground Stretches
a
b
Figure 7.4 Hip abductors-latissimus dorsi-quadratus lumborum
stretch.
159
Ground Stretches
Hip Flexors-Abdominals-Spine Stretch
This stretch is great to quickly open the entire front power net and release
elusive tight connections between the hip flexors, neck, and foot and
ankle. It is especially good for athletes who spend a lot of time in flexion,
whether this is prolonged (e.g., long distance cyclists, people who work at
computers) or in short bursts (e.g., American football players, grapplers).
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Assume a position on the hands and knees with the hands wider than
the shoulders, the fingers pointing forward, and the knees together
(see figure 7.5a).
2. Let the hips drop toward the floor while you keep most of the weight
in the shoulders. Look up so the chin is reaching to the sky (see
figure 7.5b).
3. Let one hip drop toward the floor as you turn your head to look back
at the opposite hip (see figure 7.5c). Switch to the other side.
4. Return to the center, and then rock back to sit on the heels, resting
with the head down and the arms either overhead or by your sides
(see figure 7.5d).
5. Repeat until no further gains are noted.
160
Ground Stretches
a
b
Figure 7.5
Hip flexors-abdominals-spine stretch.
(continued)
161
Ground Stretches
Hip Flexors-Abdominals-Spine Stretch (continued)
c
d
Figure 7.5
162
Hip flexors-abdominals-spine stretch.
This stretch is great for opening the entire back power net and releasing
connections between the hamstrings, hip, back, and shoulder through the
lats. It is especially good for athletes who must sprint, dodge, dart, backpedal, and rapidly accelerate and decelerate. It also prepares the arms for
reaching high overhead or at angles to block, catch, or intercept.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bend the knees and sit sideways so your weight is more on one glute
than the other. Place the front foot on the back knee so the front knee
looks like triangle (see figure 7.6a). Make adjustments for comfort.
Ground Stretches
Low Back-Glutes-Latissimus
Dorsi-Hamstrings-Quads Stretch
2. Lengthen the whole spine through top of your head as you inhale.
Exhale and move out and over your knee into the stretch, keeping
the spine long (see figure 7.6b). Gently rock side to side to spread
the stretch.
3. Next, make overhead swimming motions with back-leg side arm
to increase the stretch from the glutes across whole back and the
opposite shoulder (see figure 7.6c through g).
4. Flex and roll up through the spine to the starting position.
5. Next, open the front knee to a 90-degree angle and repeat, taking
the torso forward over your leg and wave from side to side to target
different glute fibers (see figure 7.6h and i). Roll up to the starting
position. Repeat as needed.
6. Do the entire series on the other side, and repeat the tighter side twice.
a
Figure 7.6
Low back-glutes-latissimus dorsi-hamstrings-quads stretch.
(continued)
163
Ground Stretches
Low Back-Glutes-Latissimus Dorsi-Hamstrings-Quads Stretch (continued)
b
c
Figure 7.6
164
Low back-glutes-latissimus dorsi-hamstrings-quads stretch.
Ground Stretches
d
e
Figure 7.6
Low back-glutes-latissimus dorsi-hamstrings-quads stretch.
(continued)
165
Ground Stretches
Low Back-Glutes-Latissimus Dorsi-Hamstrings-Quads Stretch (continued)
f
g
Figure 7.6
166
Low back-glutes-latissimus dorsi-hamstrings-quads stretch.
Ground Stretches
h
i
Figure 7.6
Low back-glutes-latissimus dorsi-hamstrings-quads stretch.
(continued)
167
Ground Stretches
Low Back-Glutes-Latissimus Dorsi-Hamstrings-Quads Stretch (continued)
EXPAND THE NET
Straighten the front knee until you feel a slight stretch behind the knee or
in the hamstrings (the knee does not have to be straight) (see figure 7.6j).
Become tall with the inhale, and then gently fall forward a little until you feel
a slight stretch (see figure 7.6k). Wave gently from side to side. Progress to
straightening your knee as tolerated and repeat as needed, then to gently
flexing foot after each straightening leg series. An additional progression
is to combine all these movements together.
j
k
Figure 7.6
168
Low back-glutes-latissimus dorsi-hamstrings-quads stretch.
Standing Stretches
Your specific and thorough movement preparations on the ground should be
followed by standing movements. There are good standing dynamic movement
patterns that are standard in many sports; therefore, we will only describe
ones that are not as common but are just as important for thorough activity
preparation.
Before doing any movement in a standing position, mobilize your feet
and ankles; they are the foundation for the proper function of your entire
kinetic chain. To make this stretch even more effective, we will have you
simultaneously tie in the other power nets for a comprehensive full-body
dynamic stretch.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. From a standing position, roll down and bend your knees slightly.
Walk the hands out until you start to feel a mild stretch in the calves
(see figure 7.7a).
Standing Stretches
Gastrocnemius-Popliteus-HipTorso-Shoulder Stretch
2. Keeping the feet and hands in place, alternate letting the hips gently
fall to one side and then the other (see figure 7.7b). Let them fall
farther each time without compromising balance.
3. Add gentle hip twists as you let the hips fall from side to side.
(continued)
169
Standing Stretches
Gastrocnemius-Popliteus-Hip-Torso-Shoulder Stretch (continued)
a
b
Figure 7.7
170
Gastrocnemius-popliteus-hip-torso-shoulder stretch.
Whereas the previous stretch sequence mobilized and stretched most of
the body connections from above that attach to the feet and ankles, this
stretch is local. It focuses on the lower leg connections and the feet and
ankles. Before doing any movement from a standing position, mobilize your
feet and ankles with this stretch.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. From the previous stretch position, slide the back leg forward and
then bend the knee and shift the hips forward and back until you feel
a stretch lower in your calf or posterior ankle.
Standing Stretches
Soleus-Posterior Ankle Joint Stretch
2. Stay in this modified split squat position as you rotate the hips to the
left and look over the left shoulder; then, rotate the hips to the right
and look over the right shoulder. Alternate rotating to each side until
no further gains are noted.
3. Switch leg positions and repeat the same sequence.
EXPAND THE NET
Add one arm (if leaning on a wall) or both arms (if stretching without a wall)
and reach in the direction of rotation to increase your ROM and stretch
more of your torso, shoulder, and arms. Switch leg positions and repeat
the same sequence.
Figure 7.8
Soleus-posterior ankle joint stretch.
171
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Stretch to Win
The previous movements help prepare all the systems of the body for athletic
movement. They also help prepare the body for dynamic stretching for ballistic
flexibility. Details of ballistic flexibility training are tied in with sport-specific
warm-ups and other preparations that are beyond the scope of this book. The
next chapter contains assisted stretching routines that can be used by coaches,
trainers, therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and others who do various forms
of manual therapy. We provide routines and techniques that are designed to
be used on the floor or on a table. We have used these techniques with great
success on some of the most elite and professional athletes in the world.
Chapter 8
Assisted
Stretching
Although self-stretching is the focus of this book, we would be remiss to not
include several of our unique assisted fascial stretch moves. Assisted stretching
allows an athlete to take advantage of the power and leverage of another
person to easily and dramatically increase ROM without pain. We provide a
floor routine and a table routine in this chapter.
While none of the assisted stretches presented in this chapter are high risk,
an athlete should have a stretching assistant who has sufficient background
in anatomy and physiology, such as a skilled trainer, physical therapist, massage therapist, or other trained professional. Without the proper background,
an assistant can stretch an athlete too aggressively. We include this chapter
so the trainer or therapist (the assistant) and the athlete will gain a better
understanding of assisted stretching. (Note that in this chapter, you refers to
the assistant rather than the athlete.)
You must have a solid understanding of our adapted technique to perform
it correctly and maximize results with assisted fascial stretching. The details of
how to perform the assisted stretches are broken down into logical steps for
you to follow. Before we go into the specifics, we provide some key information to ensure the best possible success for the athlete and trainer, therapist,
or partner.
Key Concepts for Assisted Stretches
For experienced trainers, coaches, or therapists, some of the concepts in this
chapter may be familiar. We share our philosophy, tips for success, proper body
mechanics, and specific instructions on how to best perform our techniques.
Here are the key concepts:
173
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Stretch to Win
Allow for Gradual and Smooth Contractions
Contractions need to be gradual and smooth into and out of each pass. Each
contraction is concentric for about a half a second and then isometric for about
two seconds. Traction is added to increase the joint space before moving into a
new range. Another cornerstone of FST is the use of modified PNF as described in
chapter 1. The PNF should be done in a partnership between the trainer, coach, or
therapist and the athlete in a way that is easy for both of them to perform. During
a PNF pass, each contraction is concentric for about a half a second and then
isometric for about 2 seconds. Contractions need to be gradual and smooth into
and out of each pass. The assistant provides the athlete with tactile cues, gentle
taps into areas that need to be fired back into the assistant’s resistance. The assistant also gives verbal instructions during this process to get the athlete to move
into the stretch, such as, “ Meet my resistance,” or “Press your leg back into my
hand.” Each PNF pass moves deeper into an increased range in the same position
and then arcs out 3 to 5 degrees to a new range. Repeat the PNF passes until the
tissue has released and sufficient gains have been achieved. Slight but continual
gains are both important and effective to achieve flexibility and mobility goals.
Get Your Body Behind Your Hands
Use your whole body (e.g., feet, hips) rather than just your hands. Keep the
hands relaxed; do not tightly grip the athlete. Think of moving with the athlete
and not just moving for them. This enhances the athlete’s sense of security and
enables him or her to relax. Using your body as leverage, rather than pulling,
pushing, and strong-arming, results in less soreness and fatigue for you.
Release Through a Neutral Path
Always release the stretch through a neutral pathway, and use a different plane
so you don’t recontract what you have just lengthened (i.e., come out of the
stretch in another direction). For example, if you lift the athlete’s leg into hip
flexion, return by moving out and around through hip abduction.
Use the Breath to Time the Stretch
Rather than holding a stretch for a prescribed length of time (e.g., 30 seconds),
use the breath to determine the timing of all stretching. You and the athlete inhale
together to prepare for the movement, and then you exhale together into the
movement. Only after the tissue has released should you move to a new position.
Strive for slow and smooth transitions, and move slowly into and out of
each stretch. To truly listen to the tissue, you need to slow down and take your
time. If you are preparing the athlete for an activity or event, however, you will
increase the tempo to work in the sympathetic nervous system.
Create Traction
Traction is the cornerstone of the Fascial Stretch Therapy technique. The most
common errors are not creating enough traction and losing traction during
the stretch. The goal is to maintain traction throughout the stretch. Traction
comes from using your entire body (not just your hands). You should never
feel like you are pulling the athlete.
Tips for Assisted Stretching
Assisted stretching should be done in a partnership, and it should be
easy for the assistant and the athlete to perform. Here are some tips:
Two-Way Communication
Because the brain is wired for survival, the athlete’s trust in the assistant is imperative to a successful working relationship. As an assistant,
you must be clear in your intentions and clear about the athlete’s goals
or concerns in each session. In addition, you need to check in with
the athlete on a regular basis. The athlete’s tissue tells you what it
needs, but you must also pay attention to athlete’s verbal cues, facial
expressions, and body language.
Another key to good assisted stretching is to ask for feedback from
the athlete and give communication cues to get specific information.
Some examples of such cues are
• Where do you feel that stretch?
• On a scale of 1 to 10 . . . ?
• Is there any pinching?
Use different ways to elicit feedback because people don’t necessarily know what they’re supposed to feel like or experience. Use tactile
cues such as gentle taps into areas that need to be fired back into the
assistant’s resistance or verbal cues with instructions such as “meet
my resistance” or “press your leg back into my hand.”
Less Is More
Do not allow the athlete to convince to deepen a stretch when you know
the stretch is already at the correct intensity for the best results. Our
philosophy is that less is more; you can always increase the stretch
during another session, but it is difficult to undo overstretching.
It takes time and patience to learn to listen and understand the
tissue. Go easy on yourself. It has taken us over 40 years to develop
this technique, and we are still learning every day from each client and
student! Patience and practice are necessary for success, so slow
down and keep listening to your intuition and the tissue. Listen with
your heart and not just your brain to tune into an athlete’s body. When
you are in the right position, the stretch movement comes naturally
and just flows. If you feel like you’re working too hard, you usually are.
It takes energy, patience, and skill to pay attention and not just use
physical force.
(continued)
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Stretch to Win
Tips for Assisted Stretching (continued)
Figure Out What Works
The golden rule is if the assistant feels comfortable and relaxed in
their position and the athlete is relaxed and not in pain, then it works.
Make the technique your own and don’t worry about getting into the
perfect position, because this will change depending on the size and
flexibility of each athlete and assistant. There are no exact hand or
leg placements for the assistant. Position yourself for your ease and
comfort. Find what works for you. If you are uncomfortable or are in
pain, the athlete can sense it and may be unable to relax.
Floor Stretch Routine
This floor routine can be used in part or in full, and it can be used as preparation for activity or for recovery after activity. The role of the athlete is either
to stay active with PNF or to relax for a recovery stretch.
This routine was designed to be completed on one side and then the other
for the best results. Assess the tightness of the ROM before proceeding to
stretch. Find the ROM, move into the stretch, and then perform PNF is the
tissue is resisting. If necessary, more time can be spent on a specific tight area,
or you can return to this area after you have done both sides. All stretches
in this routine have been selected due to their effect on flexibility, which is
necessary for optimal sport performance.
Most of the photos show a petite therapist and a tall client. The instructions
also reflect the biomechanics of petite therapist and a tall client. Therefore,
make necessary adjustments to body mechanics and client positioning to
make it work for both of you.
This is a foundational move because lateral movement is integral in sports.
We strongly recommend this stretch for everyone, especially athletes who
have one tighter side anywhere in the lateral net.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies in a supine position with one leg lifted and the foot in
slight dorsiflexion. Stand at the athlete’s feet.
2. Bend down and grasp the athlete’s heel, and then hook the top of
your foot under the athlete’s foot on the floor just above the heel (see
figure 8.1a). Move the leg across the midline of the athlete’s body
and stop moving the leg when you feel the tissue resist. The athlete
presses back into your leg with their leg.
Floor Stretch Routine
Lateral Net Stretch
3. Increase the stretch by leaning away from the athlete’s feet and out
to the side that you are moving toward (see figure 8.1b). The athlete
raises the same-side arm and reaches overhead, bending the upper
body as far as possible. Think of moving in an arc.
4. Repeat the stretch on the same side if there is still tightness, or switch
sides and repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
•
Not getting enough traction by not leaning far enough away from the
feet and to the side
•
Pulling with your hands and not using your body to create traction
•
Moving too quickly to get a feel on the tissue
•
Not having the athlete help increase the stretch from their upper
body
(continued)
177
Floor Stretch Routine
Lateral Net Stretch (continued)
a
b
Figure 8.1
178
Lateral net stretch.
These nets are directly involved in sport movement, and the low back is
quite often one of the tightest areas.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies in a supine position with the knees stacked over to
one side and the arms reaching out to the sides (see figure 8.2a). To
achieve this position, place the athlete’s feet on their quads, bend
the athlete’s knees into their chest, and drop the knees to one side.
2. Separate the athlete’s legs by moving them apart as if you were
opening a pair of scissors.
3. Step in between the athlete’s open legs, hook the tops of your feet
behind the knees, and press the athlete’s legs apart with your legs by
rocking one side open, then the other, and finally both sides together
(see figure 8.2b). The athlete reaches the opposite arm overhead and
squeezes both of their legs into you. Increase the stretch using your
legs by opening your legs into a deeper squat.
Floor Stretch Routine
Power Net, Superficial Back Net,
and Low Back Stretch
4. Bend your body over and place one hand on the athlete’s rib cage
(be careful to not press on the 12th floating rib). Place your other
hand on the athlete’s lower ribcage and move it through the lats and
pelvis to increase rotation (see figure 8.2c).
5. Move your hands in opposite directions, and press down on the athlete’s lats with the flat top hand and rotate their ribs upward.
6. To increase the stretch, squat even deeper or increase the spinal
rotation of the rib cage.
7. Repeat the stretch on the same side if there is still tightness, or switch
sides and repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
•
Not getting the athlete’s legs far enough apart
•
Moving too quickly to get a feel on the tissue
•
Not having the athlete help increase the stretch from their upper
body
•
Pulling with your hands only and not using your body to create
traction
(continued)
179
Floor Stretch Routine
Power Net, Superficial Back Net, and Low Back Stretch (continued)
a
b
Figure 8.2
180
Power net, superficial back net, and low back stretch.
Floor Stretch Routine
c
Figure 8.2
Power net, superficial back net, and low back stretch.
181
Floor Stretch Routine
Power Net, Gluteus Medius,
and Piriformis Stretch
This area is the main hip abductor and is often very tight, especially on the
stabilizing leg (i.e., there is often an imbalance between sides).
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies in a supine position with the arms out to the sides.
Kneel on one knee over athlete’s thighs.
2. Place your outside hand on the outside of the athlete’s ankle and your
other hand on the back of the athlete’s knee. Use only slight pressure.
The focus of the stretch is the ankle and not the knee.
3. Bend the athlete’s knee to move it toward the center of the chest with
the foot below the knee and toward the floor so the leg is in a triangle
shape (see figure 8.3). The athlete presses their knee into your hand.
4. Lift the athlete’s body to bring the femur out of the socket and create
traction. Then, gently drop the athlete’s weight to find the athlete’s
range and increase the stretch.
5. Repeat the stretch on the same side if there is still tightness, or switch
sides and repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
182
•
Pressing the knee toward the chest more than you press the ankle
down
•
Moving too quickly to get a feel on the tissue
•
Starting with the knee too far across the midline
•
Pulling with your hands only and not using your body to create
traction
Floor Stretch Routine
Figure 8.3
Power net, gluteus medius, and piriformis stretch.
183
Floor Stretch Routine
Power Net, Gluteus Maximus,
and Deep Rotator Stretch
The glute complex is the powerhouse of movement. Tightness in this area
can greatly reduce explosiveness.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies in a supine position with the arms out to sides. Kneel
on one knee over the athlete’s thighs.
2. Raise one of the athlete’s legs by bending it at a 90-degree angle, and
then bringing it up to your inside shoulder (the same shoulder as the
leg being stretched). Support the resting foot with your outside hand,
which anchors the heel, and gently place the inside hand on the back
of the knee. The focus of the stretch is the ankle and not the knee.
3. Lift the athlete’s body to bring the femur out of the socket and create
traction.
4. Move the leg out toward your knee. The athlete presses their knee
into your hand.
5. Switch hands and bring the leg in toward your outside shoulder. The
athlete presses their knee into your hand.
6. Bend the athlete’s knee to move it toward the center of the chest
with the foot below the knee and toward the floor so the leg is at a
90-degree angle (see figure 8.4). The athlete presses their knee into
your hand.
7. Repeat the stretch on the same side if there is still tightness, or switch
sides and repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
184
•
Pressing the knee toward the chest more than you press the ankle
down
•
Moving too quickly to get a feel on the tissue
•
Starting with the knee too far across the midline
•
Pulling with your hands only and not using your body to create
traction
Floor Stretch Routine
Figure 8.4
Power net, gluteus maximus, and deep rotator stretch.
185
Floor Stretch Routine
Glute Swoop
This move is done to ensure all the fibers of the glutes are stretched. It is
a finishing move that targets all the tissue.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. From the final position of the previous stretch, finish the movement by
sweeping the glutes in a fan-like manner across the athlete’s chest
into traction (see figure 8.5). Think of the motion as down and around.
2. Continue to gently drop their body weight as you move the leg through
this motion to get all the fibers sweeping across the body.
3. Repeat the stretch on the same side if there is still tightness, or switch
sides and repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
•
Pressing the knee toward the chest more than you press the ankle
down
•
Moving too quickly to get a feel on the tissue
•
Starting with the knee too far across the midline
•
Pulling with your hands only and not using your body to create
traction
Figure 8.5
186
Glute swoop.
These areas are almost always tight, especially if the athlete is in flexion
for the activity.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. From the supine position of the previous stretch, the athlete rolls onto
the nonstretching side, reaches up with the top arm, and supports
the head with the bottom arm if needed.
2. Facing the athlete’s feet, step over the athlete’s body to straddle it
with one foot on each side. The athlete’s bottom foot rests on top of
your nearest foot.
3. Bend at the waist, and place the outside hand on top of the athlete’s
ankle. Your inside hand supports the knee by letting the leg rest in the
hand. Bend the athlete’s knee slightly, but not more than 90 degrees.
Floor Stretch Routine
Superficial Front Net, Deep Front Net,
and Hip Flexors Stretch
4. Lean your body back to create traction while you slightly pull the leg
back.
5. Gently drop the body weight, and take the athlete’s top leg back into
extension and toward the floor until you feel the tissue resist. The
athlete attempts to counterrotate the leg in the opposite direction to
increase the hip flexion (see figure 8.6a).
6. Bring the athlete’s leg back into flexion and move the bottom leg forward (see figure 8.6b) before taking the top leg back into extension
again (see figure 8.6c). The farther apart the legs move the deeper
the stretch will be.
7. To increase the stretch further, the athlete can actively reach overhead
while opening their chest to the ceiling or increase knee flexion.
8. Repeat the stretch on the same side if there is still tightness, or switch
sides and repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
•
Moving too quickly to get a feel on the tissue
•
Not taking the leg into enough extension
•
Allowing the athlete to roll onto their back
•
Pulling with your hands only and not using your body to create
traction
(continued)
187
Floor Stretch Routine
Superficial Front Net, Deep Front Net, and Hip Flexors Stretch (continued)
a
Figure 8.6 Superficial front net, deep front net, and
hip flexors stretch.
188
Floor Stretch Routine
b
c
Figure 8.6 Superficial front net, deep front net, and
hip flexors stretch.
189
Floor Stretch Routine
Front Net and Lat Stretch
The front net and the lats are crucial areas because the lats connect the arms
to the trunk. If these areas are tight or imbalanced, this must be addressed.
These areas have a huge influence on movement and can greatly reduce
overall mobility if they are restricted or if there are imbalances.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete remains on their side as in the previous stretch. The knees
are slightly bent and are stacked one on top of the other. The athlete
supports the head with the bottom arm if needed. Sit or squat near
the athlete’s head.
2. Hook your arm with the athlete’s arm by connecting elbows crook to
crook. Hold the athlete’s wrist with the other hand (see figure 8.7a).
Usually, the arm used is the same for you and the athlete.
3. Lift the arm toward the ceiling while maintaining slight tension on the
wrist to traction. Lean back until you feel the tissue resistance. Maintain the traction by leaning back even more for increased leverage.
4. Lean to each side to target different fibers, and bring the athlete’s arm
over and down to the floor to increase overhead flexion to increase
the stretch (see figure 8.7b and c). At the same time, the athlete pulls
the scapula toward the same-side hip.
5. Repeat the stretch on the same side if there is still tightness, or switch
sides and repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
190
•
Not maintaining traction throughout
•
Allowing the shoulder to pinch
•
Using your arm instead of your body for the traction and stretch
•
Moving too quickly to get a feel on the tissue
Floor Stretch Routine
a
b
c
Figure 8.7
Front net and lat stretch.
191
Floor Stretch Routine
Superficial Back Net, Gastrocnemius,
and Soleus Stretch
Tightness in these regions can have an impact on speed and agility. It can
also decrease the quality of a squat.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete leans against a wall or pole in a lunge position by bending
both knees and keeping the back heel on the floor.
2. Sit behind the athlete on the ground, and cross your legs around the
ankle of the athlete’s back leg using the adductors to stabilize the
leg (see figure 8.8a). Gently grasp the front of the athlete’s ankle by
interlacing your fingers above the anklebones. The athlete then leans
forward until you both feel resistance.
3. The athlete presses the ball of the front foot into the floor and slowly
shifts the hips forward and back while you maintain traction by pulling
back on the lower leg (see figure 8.8b). The athlete can also move
the hips from side to side.
4. Slowly move your hands up the front of the athlete’s shin as the athlete
continues to press the hips forward to access and stretch different
areas of the tissue higher up the leg.
5. For a stretch of the soleus, the athlete bends the back knee while
pushing the hips forward and back or side to side.
6. Repeat the stretch on the same side if there is still tightness, or switch
sides and repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
192
•
Causing any pain (the athlete controls the intensity of the stretch)
•
Not keeping the hips pressed forward
•
Gripping too firmly with the hands
•
Using your hands instead of your body for the traction and stretch
•
Moving too quickly to get a feel on the tissue
Floor Stretch Routine
a
b
Figure 8.8 Superficial back net, gastrocnemius, and
soleus stretch.
193
Assisted Stretching: Table Straps
One aspect that makes our technique unique is the use of stabilization straps. When we were developing this method, the necessity of
creating leverage was obvious, especially given the size and strength
of the athletes with whom we were working. Our stabilization straps
have progressed from uncomfortable seat belt-type straps to cushioned belts that can easily slide under our specialized tables. These
straps allow the athlete to relax and allow the assistant to focus on the
area they are trying to open or release without having to stabilize the
opposite leg that might be moving around. If you don’t have straps,
you will have to modify the stretch accordingly. Use your other hand to
stabilize when possible, use an assistant, or have the athlete perform
active stabilization.
Figure 8.9a shows the awkwardness and lack of control of an
assisted stretch done without the restraining straps. Figure 8.9b shows
the level of control you can attain by using the stabilization straps. NFL
players were the majority of our client base in our clinic for almost 20
years; you may notice that there is a slight difference between the size
of the athlete and the size of the woman who created FST!
a
Figure 8.9 Without table straps (a), the assistant must
manually stabilize the athlete; this is awkward, and it puts
the assistant at risk for cumulative stress and strain.
194
Assisted Stretching
b
Figure 8.9 The Stretch to Win table straps (b) completely
stabilize the part of the body not being stretched, which
allows the assistant to have superior leverage and to focus
more fully on the part of the body being stretched
Table Stretch Routine
Assisted stretches on a table are much easier for the assistant from a leverage
and body mechanics standpoint. This table routine can be used before and
after activities by adjusting the tempo.
This routine was designed to be completed on one side and then the other
for the best results. Assess the tightness of the ROM before proceeding to
stretch. If necessary, more time can be spent on a specific tight area, or you
can return to this area after you have done both sides. All stretches in this
routine have been selected due to their effect on flexibility, which is necessary
for optimal sport performance.
Again, most of the photos show a petite therapist and a tall client. The
instructions also reflect the biomechanics of petite therapist and a tall client.
Therefore, make necessary adjustments to table height, body mechanics, and
athlete positioning to make it work for both of you.
195
Table Stretch Routine
Double-Leg Traction
The goal of this stretch is to assess tension and restrictions throughout the
entire fascial net.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies in a supine position with the arms at their sides or
resting on their torso.
2. Square your hips to the foot of the table. Cup each of the athlete’s
calcanei in the palms of your hands, and gently wrap your fingers
around the athlete’s heels without thumb contact.
3. Lift the athlete’s extended legs with traction so the hip flexion is 10
to 20 degrees.
4. Gently pull on the athlete’s legs until the feet move into a slight dorsiflexion by engaging the core, bending the knees slightly, and leaning
back with the entire body while remaining relaxed (see figure 8.10).
The arms are kept straight and the shoulders are relaxed and down.
5. Slowly move into and out of each traction, and use the breath to guide
when to release; then, repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
196
•
Gripping the achilles
•
Not pulling strongly enough or pulling too quickly
•
Dropping into a squat
Table Stretch Routine
Figure 8.10 Double-leg traction.
197
Table Stretch Routine
Single-Leg Traction
The goal of this stretch is to assess movement in the hip joint capsule.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies in a supine position with the arms at their sides or
resting on their torso.
2. Square your hips to the foot of the table, and grasp one of the athlete’s
legs. The heel of the foot rests in the cupped palm of your outside
hand, and your inside hand supports and assists the other hand and
locks the foot into dorsiflexion. The thumb goes under the foot, and
the fingers wrap around the top of foot.
3. Lift the athlete’s leg off the table so hip flexion and abduction are
approximately 20 degrees and there is a slight external rotation of the
femur. Find the sweet spot where the joint is in the most open position
for traction; this is usually slightly abducted and in external rotation.
Explore to make sure you are in the perfect position.
4. Gently pull on the athlete’s leg until a slight elastic give is felt in the
joint capsule by engaging the core, bending the knees slightly, and
leaning back with the entire body while remaining relaxed (see figure
8.11). Do not try to pull, yank, or pop the hip.
5. Repeat three times, and increase the intensity with each repetition.
COMMON ERRORS
198
•
Not pulling strongly enough with the lead bottom hand
•
Not keeping the foot locked in dorsiflexion
•
Pulling with your arms and not using your body
•
Dropping into a squat and losing the correct angle of the pull
•
Jeopardizing the integrity of the ligaments
•
Pulling too quickly
Table Stretch Routine
Figure 8.11
Single-leg traction.
199
Table Stretch Routine
Table-Based Lateral Net Stretch
The goal of this stretch is to assess ROM of the lateral net and increase
movement of the lateral torso, hip, and leg. This stretch lengthens all the
tissue that lies on the side of the body, specifically that in the lateral torso,
hip, and upper leg, which tends to be quite tight on many athletes. It is
very common to find an imbalance between sides that can be evened out
with a two-to-one or three-to-one stretch ratio. This stretch can also correct
what appears to be a leg length discrepancy that is actually caused by
tissue tightness.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies in a supine position with the arms resting on the torso
(out of the way of the movement).
2. Stand at the end of the table by the athlete’s feet, and grasp the heels
in the palms of your hands. Leans back to traction the athlete’s legs
as you slowly walk to one side of the table. Keep the athlete’s legs in
contact with the table as you do this (figure 8.12a). Once the athlete’s
inside leg clears the table, step in to connect with the athlete’s leg.
3. Lift the athlete’s outside leg just high enough to clear the other leg
and not stretch the hamstring (see figure 8.12b). Your inside hand
remains on the ankle for support. The athlete presses the leg being
stretched against your resistance.
4. Lean away from the table and press the hips forward and into a slight
anterior pelvic tilt to increase the traction. The traction moves out and
away from the table. Think of moving in an arc away from table on
the diagonal and then up toward the top of table.
5. To increase the stretch and target new fibers, shift your weight back
onto the heel of your back foot to release the tension, and allow the
athlete’s leg to easily slide down your leg. Your inside hand assists
in sliding the athlete’s leg toward the floor to increase the stretch and
change the angle of fibers targeted. Repeat the stretch.
6. Pick up both legs and lift them slightly higher to return for the other
side so that you return through a neutral path.
7. Repeat the stretch on the same side if there is still tightness, or switch
sides and repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
200
•
Losing traction
•
Lifting the legs off the table
•
Moving too quickly to get a good sense of the tissue and its potential
•
Allowing the athlete’s hips to roll up or rotate
Table Stretch Routine
a
b
Figure 8.12 Table-based lateral net stretch.
201
Table Stretch Routine
Sack of Buns
The goal of this stretch is to assess ROM and increase rotation. This is a
signature move of FST, and it was developed to get the low back and hip
to open in one stretch. This is a go-to stretch that targets the power net like
nothing else. No matter how much time you have to stretch the athlete, this
one should be on the list.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies in a supine position with one leg crossed over the
midline. The arms are placed out of the way of the movement.
2. Step between the athlete’s legs and face away from the center of the
table. The athlete wraps one leg around the front of your torso (see
figure 8.13a). Place your inside hand under the inside of the athlete’s
leg, and support the entire leg by hugging it into your waist. Place
your outside hand on the athlete’s outside anklebone and press
toward the ground.
3. Move your body forward toward the head of the table with your waist
under the athlete’s leg until you feel the tissue begin to resist.
4. Take a wide stance with your feet parallel and your knees slightly
bent for stability and so you can get under the athlete’s leg. Anchor
your hamstrings into the table so it is stable and will not tip due to all
the weight being on one side.
5. Stand up and lean away from the table by hinging forward from the
hips, and take the athlete’s legs with you (see figure 8.13b). The
athlete pulls the knee toward the ground against your resistance for
the stretch. To increase the stretch, lift your hips up more so there is
an increased external rotation of the leg.
6. For the final stretch, press the athlete’s ankle up into your outside
hand and try to move the leg into internal rotation. To increase the
stretch, lift the leg up and press down on the outside of the ankle at
the same time.
7. Repeat the stretch on the same side if there is still tightness, or switch
sides and repeat.
COMMON ERRORS
202
•
Not getting far enough under the leg toward the head of the table
•
Not staying toward the head of the table and in contact with the
athlete because you are leaning too far away from the leg or toward
the foot of the table
•
Moving too quickly to get a good sense of the tissue and its potential
•
Not anchoring your legs against the table to prevent it from tipping
Table Stretch Routine
a
b
Figure 8.13
Sack of buns.
203
Table Stretch Routine
Gluteus Medius Stretch
The goal of this stretch is to assess ROM and increase movement. This
stretch is very important because the power of locomotion is generated
from the glute complex and the hips. If they are restricted, the potential
for explosive and quick movement will be negatively affected. The gluteus
medius will often be much tighter on the stabilizing side of the body and
the gluteus maximus will be tighter on the dominant lead leg; the stretch
should be adjusted accordingly.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies in a supine position with one leg bent across the body.
The arms are placed out of the way of the movement.
2. Stand at the foot of the table. Hold the athlete’s leg and walk up that
side of the table. Face your hips toward the head of the table or turn
them slightly into the table.
3. Place the athlete’s foot in the crease of your outside hip or wherever
it feels comfortable for both of you. Support the outside of the athlete’s ankle by keeping it in contact with your body. You can use your
outside hand to hold the ankle for additional support.
4. Allow the athlete’s knee to bend into the correct position to target
the tissue. Keep the athlete’s foot lower than their knee in the shape
of a triangle, and aim their knee toward the center of their chest if
possible. Rise onto balls of your feet to lift and clear the leg out of
the hip socket for the traction (figure 8.14a).
5. Lower your body; be careful to not press the athlete’s knee into their
chest (see figure 8.14b and c). You should be able to go hands-free;
you can place your inside hand on the back of the athlete’s knee for
cueing only.
6. The athlete contracts their hip back into extension by pressing their
leg back into your resistance. The sequence will be as follows: knee
toward sternum, halfway between sternum and opposite shoulder,
toward opposite shoulder. Continue moving the athlete’s leg in 3- to
5-degree increments toward the outside shoulder to target new fiber.
COMMON ERRORS
204
•
Not lifting the leg out of the hip socket with traction
•
Pressing the knee down with the hand
Table Stretch Routine
a
b
c
Figure 8.14 Gluteus medius stretch.
205
Table Stretch Routine
Gluteus Maximus and Deep
Hip Rotator Stretch
The goal for this stretch is to assess ROM and increase movement of the
lateral and power nets, the hip extensors, and the gluteus maximus (specifically the posterior fibers).
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies in a supine position with one leg crossed over the
body at a 90-degree angle. The athlete’s arms rest on their torso.
2. Stand on the side of the table in a lunge position with your outside
leg forward and your hips squared off to the top of table (if possible).
3. Place the athlete’s foot on the inside of your shoulder (or anywhere on
your body so long as the athlete’s leg is at a 90-degree angle). Your
shoulder is what drives the athlete’s leg back into external rotation
for the correct position.
4. Rise onto the balls of your feet to lift the athlete’s femur up and out of
the hip for traction (see figure 8.15a). Use your entire body to traction
the athlete’s leg up.
5. Lower your body and maintain the 90-degree leg position (see figure
8.15b and c).
6. Your inside hand is on the back of the knee for cueing only. The
athlete presses back into your hand by contracting the leg back into
extension against your resistance.
7. Continue moving the athlete’s leg in 3- to 5-degree increments toward
the outside shoulder to target new fiber. The sequence will be as
follows: knee toward the same shoulder, toward the sternum, and
toward the opposite shoulder.
COMMON ERRORS
206
•
Pushing down on the knee
•
Not staying low enough and providing a hamstring stretch instead
•
Not getting enough external rotation in the femur
Table Stretch Routine
a
b
c
Figure 8.15 Gluteus maximus and deep hip rotator stretch.
207
Table Stretch Routine
Hip Flexor Series
The goal of this stretch is to assess ROM and increase movement in the
deep front net by increasing hip and femur extension.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies on their side with the hip up, the bottom leg in flexion,
and the top leg in extension bent at the knee at 80 to 90 degrees.
Keep the torso rotated forward toward the table or even with the chest
on the table, depending on your upper body flexibility. The arms rest
comfortably.
2. Face the head of the table and stand with your legs open in slight
squat. Pick up the athlete’s top leg and move it into slight extension.
Keep the femur and the lower leg bones aligned. Place the leg across
your hip with the top of the ankle in your outer hip to support the foot
(see figure 8.16a).
3. Move the leg into deeper extension, and wrap your inside arm around
the athlete’s femur in a hug above the knee. Support the medial knee
with your hand or elbow. Your outside arm supports the athlete’s low
back or is placed on the table for stability. If the athlete’s knee needs
extra support, you can use your outside hand there as well.
4. Lean away from the table with your hips to move the athlete’s femur
into extension. Use your body to move the leg; don’t pull it with your
arms.
5. Hinge at the hips and lower your torso over the athlete’s femur as high
as possible for the best leverage (see figure 8.16b). Roll your hips
toward the table while the athlete contracts their hip flexors against
your resistance.
COMMON ERRORS
208
•
Pulling with your arms
•
Separation of the knee joint because the knee does not feel supported or the leg bones are not aligned, which causes discomfort
or pain
•
Allowing the femur and lower leg bones to move out of alignment
•
Bending the knee past 90 degrees, which makes this a quad stretch
Table Stretch Routine
a
b
Figure 8.16
Hip flexor series.
209
Table Stretch Routine
Hip Flexor Full Fascial Net Stretch
The goal of this stretch is to assess and increase movement in the front and
power nets and the entire hip flexor complex with all the fascial components
in the deepest hip extension.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The athlete lies on their side with the bottom leg up into flexion and
the top leg in extension. Keep the torso rotated forward toward the
table or even with the chest on the table, depending on upper body
flexibility. The arms rest comfortably. They can reach the top arm
overhead to engage more of the power net and increase the stretch.
2. Face the head of the table and stand with your legs open in slight
squat. Pick up the athlete’s top leg and move it into slight extension.
Keep the femur and the lower leg bones aligned. Place the leg across
your hip with the top of the ankle in your outer hip to support the foot
(see figure 8.17a).
3. Lunge away from the table with your outside foot. Use your hips and
body for traction, and keep the athlete’s foot on your outside hip.
4. Place your inside hand on the athlete’s femur above the knee to
support the medial knee. Cradle it in your outside hand against your
outside hip. Lean away with your entire body; then move the athlete’s
hip and femur into greater extension by leaning farther with your hips.
Think of moving as a unit with the athlete’s entire leg.
5. The athlete rolls the abdomen and hips toward the table against your
resistance; then the athlete contracts the entire hip flexor complex by
trying to pull their leg toward the other leg against your resistance.
6. To finish stretching the net, increase the knee flexion by bending the
athlete’s heel toward the glutes. For the final move of this stretch,
increase knee flexion to engage the quadriceps. From the last position, ease off the athlete’s hip extension by bringing their femur back
to a more neutral position.
7. Slowly increase the knee flexion by bending the athlete’s heel toward
their glutes by swinging your hips toward the top of the table in an
arc motion (see figure 8.17b).
8. Slowly increase hip extension if the athlete’s tissue allows.
COMMON ERRORS
210
•
Pulling with your arms and not using your body to create traction
and stretch
•
Not swinging your hips out and toward the head of the table enough
to achieve a full fascial net stretch
•
Bending the knee into too much flexion until moving into the last
stretch for the quadriceps
Table Stretch Routine
a
b
Figure 8.17
Hip flexor full fascial net stretch.
211
212
Stretch to Win
We have offered here just a sample of the assisted stretches we do in our clinic
and teach at our institute. We hope the information presented in this book
will encourage you to implement or continue your own flexibility program
using some of the principles and methods of our Stretch to Win system. Our
goal is for you to realize your true performance potential and avoid injury by
maximizing your flexibility, or for you to help athletes realize their potential.
Glossary
active flexibility—The measure of range of motion in the presence of active
muscle contraction. Our updated definition includes the active component
of successfully adapting to mental and physical challenges encountered in
sports and training. See also flexibility.
active range of motion (AROM)—The full active movement potential of a
joint.
active stretching—Active range of motion of varying intensities, durations,
and frequencies. This is accomplished when the person who is stretching uses
the muscles to move through the range of motion without using any external
force. Active stretching can be performed statically, dynamically, or ballistically.
Anatomy Trains®—A system of myofascial meridians (also called myofascial
lines) defined by Thomas Myers, creator of kinesis myofascial integration.
The system describes how muscles and fascia developed embryologically and
function by means of a longitudinal, mechanosensory tensile network.
assisted stretching—A modified proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
(PNF) technique. In the Stretch to Win program, this is called FST-PNF.
FST-PNF is performed by a certified flexibility specialist with the client on a
treatment table, the floor, or the field. When assisted stretching takes place on
a treatment table, comfortable straps are used to stabilize the limb or part of
the body that is not being worked on, which facilitates complete relaxation
of the person being stretched and enhances the effectiveness of the actions of
the specialist. In contrast to traditional PNF, clients using FST-PNF contract
their muscles 5 to 20 percent (depending on the region of the body) and hold
until they feel the release, which is approximately 3 to 4 seconds. See also
proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation.
ballistic flexibility—The ability to use range of motion with explosive speed,
thereby facilitating the stretch reflex.
ballistic stretching—Bouncing, rebounding, bobbing, and kicking movements
that are usually rhythmic in nature. Although its use is controversial, it is considered a necessary part of sport-specific training when used in the context
of a total flexibility program rather than as a solitary technique. Example:
Dancers, gymnasts, and martial artists will repetitively kick, bounce, and flip
their bodies in multiple ways and directions (only after raising the core body
temperature using a good warm-up).
213
214
Glossary
biotensegrity—Application of tensegrity characteristics and principles to
biological structures such as the human body. See also tensegrity.
collagen—The most prevalent structural material in the human body after
water. Connective tissue, or fascia, is primarily made of collagen, elastin, and
water. Collagen’s main structural property is its great tensile strength; therefore,
tissues that contain more collagen than elastin, such as tendons, are resistant to
pulling forces. Elastin is a protein in connective tissue that is elastic and allows
many tissues in the body to resume their shape after stretching or contracting.
compartment syndrome—Pressure buildup inside an enclosed space in the
body that typically results from bleeding or swelling caused by an injury.
connective tissue—Any type of biological tissue with an extensive extracellular
matrix. It often serves to support, bind together, and protect the tissue. There
are four basic types of connective tissue: bone, blood, cartilage, and connective tissue proper. Connective tissue proper includes dense connective tissue
such as ligaments and tendons, loose connective tissue that helps hold organs
in place, reticular connective tissue that forms a soft skeleton to support the
lymphoid organs, and adipose or fat tissue.
contract-relax-agonist-contract (CRAC) technique—A proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation technique that is similar to the contract-relax technique
except that after the relaxation phase, the agonist (the muscle opposing the
one being stretched) is actively contracted by the athlete until it feels as though
the movement being is stopped by the sensation of stretch in the antagonist.
The athlete relaxes in the new stretch position and repeats the sequence again
several times (as comfort and tissue response allow). See also contract-relax
technique and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation.
contract-relax (CR) technique—A proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
technique that begins with the target muscle group in a mildly lengthened
position. The athlete then performs a moderate isometric contraction of the
muscle for 6 to 15 seconds against practitioner resistance. The muscle is allowed
a few seconds of relaxation, and then the practitioner slowly deepens the
stretch with passive movement. This procedure can be repeated several times
(as comfort and tissue response allow). See also proprioceptive neuromuscular
facilitation.
Core 4—Stretches that affect the low back, pelvis, and hip area (the core of the
body). The core 4 include stretches for the hip flexors, the gluteus complex,
the quadratus lumborum, and the latissimus dorsi.
distal (distally)—Situated away from the center of the body or from the point
of attachment.
dynamic stretching—Stretching performed without holding positions. A
dynamic stretch takes a joint through its active range of motion while the person
stretching performs controlled and often swinging movements. Dynamic
stretching involves progressive amplitudes and arcs of movement performed in
Glossary
a swinging or pendulum manner and is often confused with ballistic stretching. It is a more activity- or sport-specific form of stretching that can be done
as part of a warm-up. Example: Competitive swimmers sometimes perform
large swinging movements of their arms immediately before jumping off the
race block, and baseball players often swing the bat in different directions
before coming to the plate.
fascia—The specialized connective tissue layer that surrounds muscles, bones,
and joints and provides support and protection and gives structure to the
body. It consists of three layers: the superficial fascia, the deep fascia, and the
subserous fascia. The fascia that surrounds the muscles is called myofascia.
See also myofascia.
fascial mobility—The ability of connective tissue to move or be moved freely
and easily.
fascial stretching—The ability of connective tissue to elongate.
fascial tracks—Connective tissue links in a singular longitudinal chain.
flexibility—The ability to successfully adapt to any physical or mental stress
and then completely recover in sufficient time to repeatedly adapt to the same
or any new stress as needed to complete a required activity or deal with a threat
to athletic performance. Mental and physical strength, mobility, speed, endurance, and more are needed meet specific needs at specific times and places.
formed taut connective tissue—Collagen fibers that are parallel and always
orient in one direction.
functional flexibility—The ability to apply sufficient dynamic and ballistic
flexibility to perform any movement necessary for a specific activity or sport.
Proper muscular strength is a crucial component.
Great 8 stretches—The foundation of all stretch movements in the Stretch
to Win system. They are divided into the Core 4 of the lower body and the
upper body.
hypermobile—Excessive mobility.
hypomobile—Not enough mobility.
interoception—The deep sense of awareness of whether one feels good based
on information connecting one’s organs to a part of the brain called the insula.
joint capsule—The connective tissue structure that encapsulates joints and
plays an essential role in optimizing joint function both nutritionally and
mechanically. The capsule has a fibrous outer layer that serves to enclose the
joint structure and restrict its range of motion. The inner layer secretes synovial
fluid, which lubricates and provides nutrients to the joint.
manual longitudinal traction—Assisted movement performed by a trainer
or therapist to lengthen or stretch tissue to create more space and movement
(e.g., in the hip joint capsule).
mobility—The ability to move or be moved freely and easily.
215
216
Glossary
myofascia—The specialized connective tissue that surrounds each muscle and
tendon and merges with the fascia of the bone.
myofascial force transmission—Transmitting forces from muscle to tendon
to bone and from muscle to muscle.
parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)—One of two divisions of the autonomic nervous system. Sometimes called the rest and digest system, the PNS
conserves energy as it slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and glandular
activity, and relaxes the gastrointestinal tract. The PNS acts in a reciprocal
manner to the sympathetic nervous system. However, because some tissues
are innervated by both systems, the effects are also synergistic. The cells of the
PNS are in the brain stem (cranium) and the sacral part of the central nervous
system. See also sympathetic nervous system.
passive flexibility—The measure of range of motion in the absence of active
muscle contraction.
passive range of motion (PROM)—The full passive movement potential of
a joint.
passive stretching—Stretching that involves an outside agent (e.g., a partner,
towel, or other apparatus) that applies the force; the person being stretched
does not contribute to the range of motion. Example: The athlete lies on
the back and the partner performs a straight leg raise until the athlete feels a
stretch, at which time the partner holds the position.
proprioception—The ability to sense the position location, orientation, and
movement of the body and its parts.
proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)—Method of “promoting
or hastening the response of the neuromuscular mechanism through stimulation of the proprioceptors” (as defined by Dorothy Voss, PT). Developed
by Herman Kabat, MD, PhD, and Margaret Knott, PT, in the 1940s to treat
patients with paralysis, it was modified in the 1970s by physical therapists and athletic trainers to increase and maintain flexibility and range of
motion in healthy people. PNF stretching techniques may also be known
as modified PNF, NF, or scientific stretching for sport (3S technique). There
are multiple PNF techniques; see, for example, contract-relax technique and
contract-relax-agonist-contract technique.
proximal (proximally)—Situated near the center of the body or the point
of attachment.
range of motion (ROM)—The full movement potential of a joint. It may be
qualified with adjectives such as passive, active, assisted, and resisted.
rebound effect—The tendency of muscle that has just been stretched to tighten
up again immediately afterward. This may happen due to stretching with too
much intensity or for too long, or it may be an indication of a high level of
waste products or toxic matter in the body.
Glossary
relative flexibility—The tendency of the body to take the path of least resistance during functional movement patterns. This type of flexibility can result
in dysfunction and pain.
self-myofascial release (SMFR)—A highly effective method that uses a ball,
foam roller, or other tool to help reduce or eliminate soft tissue restrictions,
trigger points, adhesions, and tight spots that inhibit strength and flexibility.
It is especially beneficial before stretching to warm up the tissue and release
specific areas.
static stretching—The most simple and commonly used type of stretching. It
involves a person placing a muscle or group of muscles in a lengthened position and then maintaining that position for a few seconds to several minutes.
By holding the position for a sustained period without movement, the stretch
reflex can be bypassed. Example: The athlete lies on the back and performs a
straight leg raise, and holds it at the position of the stretch.
StretchWave—Metaphor used to help visualize a stretch as made up of
undulations of movement that are coordinated with proper breathing. This
metaphor comes from observing that many physiological and kinesiological
processes in the body occur in waves, from the light waves that stimulate the
retina in vision to the pulsing waves of the blood in arteries and veins. See
also undulating stretching.
superficial fascia—The first layer of connective tissue beneath the skin.
sympathetic nervous system (SNS)— One of two divisions of the autonomic
nervous system. The SNS activates what is often termed the fight-or-flight
response. Sympathetic nerves originate inside the vertebral column, toward
the middle of the spinal cord at the first thoracic segment of the spinal cord,
and extend into the second or third lumbar segments. See also parasympathetic
nervous system.
synergists—Muscles that cooperate with others to produce movement.
tensegrity—A blend of the words tension and integrity first coined by Buckminster Fuller. Tensegrity structures are mechanically stable not because of
the strength of individual members but because of the way the entire structure
distributes and balances mechanical stresses.
traction—The physical act of decompressing the two surfaces of a joint. Manually decompressing the joint surfaces triggers a stretch in the joint capsule.
This response within the joint capsule causes reflexive relaxation of the muscles
that share the same innervation source and cross on or near the joint.
undulating stretching—Oscillating at various tempos and directions during
a stretch as the tissue dictates. See also StretchWave.
217
References
Alter, M. 2004. Science of Flexibility, 3rd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Cook, G. 2003. Athletic Body in Balance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Findley, Thomas. 2015. “Foreword.” In Fascia in Sport and Movement, edited by R.
Schleip and R. A. Baker. vii–viii. Pencaitland, East Lothian, Scotland, UK: Handspring Publishing Ltd.
Frederick, A. “Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation: Effectiveness in Increasing
Range of Motion in Dancers and Other Athletes.“ Baccalaureate thesis. University
of Arizona, 1997. https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/stretchtowin.siteym.com/resource/
resmgr/images/marketing/Ann_Frederick_Thesis_1997.pdf.
Frederick, A., and C. Frederick. 2014. Fascial Stretch Therapy. Pencaitland, East Lothian,
Scotland, UK: Handspring Publishing Ltd.
Jeffreys, Ian 2008. “Warm-up and Stretching” In Essentials of Strength Training and
Conditioning Third Edition, by the National Strength and Conditioning Association,
edited by T. Baechle and R. W. Earle. 295-324. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Lavelle, E.D., W. Lavelle, and H.S. Smith. 2007. Myofascial trigger points. Med. Clin.
North Am. 91(2):229–39.
Levin, S.M. 2006. “Tensegrity: The New Biomechanics” In Textbook of Musculoskeletal
Medicine, edited by M. Hutson and R. Ellis. 69-80. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Myers, T.W. 2014. Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists. Edinburgh, UK: Elsevier Health Sciences UK. Kindle Edition.
Page, P. 2012. Current concepts in muscle stretching for exercise and rehabilitation.
Int. J. Sports Phys. Ther. 7(1):109–19.
Pollack, G. 2013. The Fourth Phase of Water: Beyond Solid, Liquid, and Vapor. Seattle,
WA: Ebner and Sons.
Schleip, R. 2015a. “Fascia as a Body-wide Tensional Network: Anatomy, Biomechanics, and Physiology.” In Fascia in Sport and Movement, edited by R. Schleip and A.
Baker. 3–9. Pencaitland, East Lothian, Scotland, UK: Handspring Publishing Ltd.
Schleip, R. 2015b. “Fascial Tissues in Motion: Elastic Storage and Recoil Dynamics”. In
Fascia in Sport and Movement, edited by R. Schleip and A. Baker. 93–96. Pencaitland,
East Lothian, Scotland, UK: Handspring Publishing Ltd.
Schleip, R. and D. Müller, 2012. “Fascial Fitness: Suggestions for a Fascia-oriented
Training Approach in Sports and Movement Therapies”. In Fascia: The Tensional
Network of the Human Body, edited by R. Schleip, T.W. Findley, L. Chaitow, and P.A.
Huijing. 465-476. Edinburgh: Elsevier, Churchill Livngstone.
Schleip, R., T.W. Findley, L. Chaitow, and P.A. Huijing, eds. 2012. Fascia: The Tensional
Network of the Human Body. Edinburgh: Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone.
Siff, M.C. 2003. Supertraining, 6th ed. Denver, CO: Supertraining Institute.
218
Index
Note: The italicized f and t following page numbers refer to figures and tables,
respectively.
A
active range of motion (AROM) 47
active stretching 45. See also dynamic
stretching
adhesions 37, 40. See also fascia mobility
blocks (FMBs)
agility 65
anatomical figures
fascia mobility nets 26f-29f, 31f-34f, 35f-36f
muscle-tendon regions 84f-88f
posture check 96-97
Anatomy Trains 23. See also fascia mobility
nets (FMNs)
ankle and foot mobilization 169-171
arm nets
anatomy and issues 35, 35f, 36f, 127
Fascia 5 stretches 127
Great 8 targets and stretches 106-107, 107f,
114-125, 116f, 117f
AROM (active range of motion) 47
assessments of flexibility. See fascia mobility
assessment (FMA)
assisted stretching
floor routine 176-193
key concepts and tips 173-176
table stretch routine 195-211
when to use 45
B
back-glutes-latissimus dorsi-hamstrings-quads
stretch 163-168
back net
anatomy and issues 25, 28f, 127
assisted stretches 179-181, 192-193,
202-203
Fascia 5 stretches 140-143
Great 8 targets and stretches 106-107, 106f,
107f, 108-110
backward bend stretches
backward bend for the superficial front net
133-134
backward stretch over a ball for the
superficial and deep front nets
137-139
staggered-stance backward bend for the
deep front net 135-136
ballistic flexibility and training 47, 48, 49,
148, 172
ball stretches 130-132, 137-139, 142-143
biotensegrity 17-18, 20-21, 63
blocks, fascia mobility 36-38, 40, 64. See also
self-myofascial release (SMFR)
breathing
syncing and monitoring 1, 3-4, 46, 47-48,
103, 176
wave characteristics and tempos 49-50,
51-55
C
catapult mechanism 40-41
CFMA. See complete fascia mobility
assessment (CFMA)
chest work. See upper-body Core 4 program
coiled undulations 40-41
collagen 18, 30, 40, 41
compartment syndrome 19
complete fascia mobility assessment (CFMA)
blank recording sheet 95-99
sample assessment 92-93
testing directions 73-83, 84f-88f, 89-90
compression 17, 18-20, 65, 101. See also
traction
connective tissues. See fascia
Cook, Gray 58, 58f
core work. See also anatomical figures
dynamic stretches for sports 149-168
219
220
Index
core work (continued)
Great 8, Core 4 lower-body program 104f,
106-115, 106f, 107f
Great 8, Core 4 upper-body program 104f,
116-125, 116f, 117f
Great 8, overview 102-103, 104-105, 104f
mobility 61-62, 101
stability and strength 58-61
crimps 40-41
D
designing a program 13, 90, 91t
double-leg traction 196-197
duration 4, 13, 46, 47-48, 51-52, 176
dynamic stretching
key concepts and qualities of undulating
stretching 5, 40-41, 49-52, 54
preparation and guidelines 147, 148, 149
stretches, ground 149-168
stretches, standing 169-171
what it is and perceptions 43, 49, 148
E
elastic recoil 40-41
eyes 76, 103
F
Facial Stretch Therapy (FST). See assisted
stretching
fascia
principles of stretching fascia 8, 10, 11-12,
39-41, 43, 59
structure 17-20, 18f, 22, 41
what it is and functions 1-2, 2f, 16, 20-22, 63
Fascia 5
nets and problems addressed 126-127
stretches and programs 127-144
fascia mobility assessment (FMA)
blank recording sheet for complete test
95-99
complete test 73-83, 84f-88f, 89-90, 92-93,
95-99
quick test 69-72
fascia mobility blocks (FMBs) 36-38, 40, 64.
See also self-myofascial release (SMFR)
fascia mobility nets (FMNs). See also individual
nets
anatomy and function of the five FMNs
24-35, 26f-29f, 31f-34f, 35f-36f
Fascia 5 nets and problems addressed 126127
Fascia 5 stretches and programs 127-144
guidelines for optimum mobility 8, 9-10,
102-103
restrictions and blocks 36-38, 40, 64
tension and compression 17, 18-20, 65,
101-102
what it is 20, 23-24, 67, 68
fascia mobility training (FMT). See also
stretching
elements of the fascial approach 39-41
parameters of stretching 46-48
perceptions and research 41-44
program design 13, 90, 91t
types of stretches and guidelines 48-55
feet check for posture 79
flexibility definitions and concepts 15, 44, 47
flexibility testing. See fascia mobility
assessment (FMA)
flexibility training. See fascia mobility training
(FMT)
floor routine, assisted stretching 176-193
FMA. See fascia mobility assessment (FMA)
FMB. See fascia mobility blocks (FMBs)
FMN. See fascia mobility nets (FMNs)
FMT. See fascia mobility training (FMT)
foot and ankle mobilization 169-171
forward bend for the back net 140-141
forward stretch over a ball for the back net
142-143
frequency 13, 46
front nets
anatomy and issues 24-25, 26f, 27f, 126
assisted stretches 187-191, 208-211
Fascia 5 stretches 133-139
Great 8 targets and stretches 106-107, 107f,
111-113
FST (Facial Stretch Therapy). See assisted
stretching
Fuller, Buckminster 17
functional movement
assessing 58, 80, 98
core stability, strength, and mobility 58-62
elements of functional performance 62-66
functional movement screen 58
hypermobility, hypomobility, and
instability 23, 59, 62
performance pyramid 57, 58f
G
gastrocnemius anatomy 28f, 86f
gastrocnemius and soleus stretch (assisted)
192-193
gastrocnemius-popliteus-hip-torso-shoulder
stretch 169-170
glue 37, 40. See also fascia mobility blocks
(FMBs)
Index
glutes
anatomy 29f, 32f, 87f, 106f
back-glutes-latissimus dorsi-hamstringsquads stretch 163-168
glute stretch for the power, lateral, and back
nets 108-110
glute swoop (assisted) 186
gluteus maximus and deep hip rotator
stretch (assisted) 206-207
gluteus medius stretch (assisted) 204-205
Great 8 stretch regions 104f, 106f
power net, gluteus maximus, and deep
rotator stretch (assisted) 184-185
power net, gluteus medius, and piriformis
stretch (assisted) 182-183
Golgi tendon organs 82
goniometer 46
Great 8 stretches for mobility
Core 4 lower-body program 104f, 106-115,
106f, 107f
Core 4 upper-body program 104f, 116-125,
116f, 117f
overview 102-103, 104-105, 104f
groin injuries and prevention 155-157
ground stretches, dynamic 149-168
H
hamstrings
anatomy 28f, 86f
back-glutes-latissimus dorsi-hamstringsquads stretch 163-168
causes of overwork and tightness 6-7, 23
head check for posture 76
hips check for posture 78
hips complex, mobility and conditions 6-7, 11.
See also anatomical figures
hips complex, stretches. See also glutes
floor stretches for abduction and rotation
(assisted) 182-185
gastrocnemius-popliteus-hip-torsoshoulder stretch 169-170
gluteus maximus and deep hip rotator
stretch (assisted) 206-207
hip abductors-latissimus dorsi- quadratus
lumborum stretch 158-159
hip adductors-abdominals-torso stretch
155-157
hip flexor full fascial net stretch (assisted)
210-211
hip flexors-abdominals-spine stretch 160-162
hip flexor series (assisted) 208-209
hip flexors stretch (assisted) 187-189
hip flexors-torso-shoulder stretch 153-154
hip-spine-shoulder stretch 150-152
lower-body Core 4 program 104f, 106-115,
106f, 107f
sack of buns (assisted) 202-203
single-leg traction (assisted) 198-199
table-based lateral net stretch (assisted)
200-201
hydration 42
hypermobility and hypomobility 59, 62
I
iliopsoas 20, 85f, 104f, 106, 107f, 112-113
imbalances in flexibility
assessing and correcting 144
considerations for stretching 6-7, 9-10
instability 23, 59, 62
intensity
stretching parameters 13, 46, 47-48
StretchWaves 41, 49-55
J
joint capsules
anatomy 1-2, 2f
applying principles of stretching 6, 10-12
K
knees check for posture 78-79
L
lateral net
anatomy and issues 25, 29f, 127
assisted stretches 177-178, 200-201, 206-207
Fascia 5 stretches 128-132
Great 8 targets and stretches 106-111
latissimus dorsi
anatomy 32f, 33f, 35f, 106-107, 107f
back-glutes-latissimus dorsi-hamstringsquads stretch 163-168
front net and lat stretch (assisted) 190-191
Great 8 stretch regions 104f, 107, 107f
hip abductors-latissimus dorsi- quadratus
lumborum stretch 158-159
power and arm nets stretch 114-115
leg length differences 11, 25, 77-78
leg traction stretches 196-199
levator scapulae 36f, 104f, 116, 117f, 123-124
leverage 194
low back stretches
low back-glutes-latissimus dorsihamstrings-quads stretch 163-168
power net, superficial back net, and low
back stretch (assisted) 179-181
sack of buns (assisted) 202-203
lower-body Core 4 program 104f, 106-115,
106f, 107f
lumbar work. See lower-body Core 4 program
221
222
Index
M
mobility. See also dynamic stretching; fascia
mobility assessment (FMA)
blocks 36-38, 40, 64
compression concepts 18-20, 65, 101-102
fascia mobility training approach 39-55,
90, 91t
Fascia 5 program 126-144
functional movement and performance
concepts 59, 61-62, 63
Great 8, lower-body Core 4 program 104f,
106-115, 106f, 107f
Great 8, overview 104-105, 104f
Great 8, upper-body Core 4 program 104f,
116-125, 116f, 117f
guidelines for optimum mobility 8, 9-12,
102-103
hypermobility and hypomobility 59, 62
movement checks for CFMA 79-82, 98
muscle-tendon regions 83, 84f-88f
Myers, Thomas 10, 23
N
nervous system regulation 4-5, 21, 43, 52, 53,
54, 55, 103
nets. See fascia mobility nets (FMNs)
O
off-season flexibility training 52-53
P
pain guidelines and stretching 7-8, 103
passive range of motion (PROM) 47
passive stretching 45
pectoralis minor 35f, 104f, 116, 116f, 118-119
pelvic work. See lower-body Core 4 program
pelvis check for posture 77-78
performance pyramid 57, 58f
personal record for CFMA 73-74, 95-97
piriformis stretch 182-183
planes of movement for stretching 9-10
PNF. See proprioceptive neuromuscular
facilitation (PNF)
popliteus 27f, 85f, 169-170
posture assessment for CFMA 75-79, 98
power 64
power nets. See also dynamic stretching
anatomy and issues 30, 31f, 32f, 33f, 34f, 127
assisted stretches 179-185, 202-203, 206207, 210-211
Great 8 targets and stretches 106-107, 106f,
107f, 108-110, 114-115, 116, 117,
117f, 125
pre-activity mobility. See dynamic stretching
preparation stretch program
dynamic stretching 147-171
elements 90, 91t
floor routine (assisted) 176-193
table routine (assisted) 195-211
program design 13, 90, 91t
PROM (passive range of motion) 47
proprioception 21
proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
(PNF) 12-13, 44, 175. See also floor
routine, assisted stretching
psoas 11, 20, 27f, 78, 85f, 104f, 106, 107f
Q
quadratus lumborum (QL)
anatomy and issues 29f, 77-78, 88f, 104f,
106, 107f
stretches 111, 158-159
quadriceps 26f, 85f, 163-168
quickness and agility 65
quick test 69-72
R
range of motion (ROM) 15, 44, 47
rebound effect 7-8
recovery and maintenance. See also assisted
stretching
elements of stretch training 4, 5, 53-54
stretch programs 90, 91t
repetitions 103
resistance 12-13, 44, 175. See also assisted
stretching
restorative and correction stretch program 90, 91t
rhomboids
anatomy 34f, 36f, 88f
Great 8 stretch regions 104f, 116, 117f
stretch for the deep back arm net 125
rhythm and undulating movement 41
ribs check for posture 77
ROM (range of motion) 15, 44, 47
rotator cuff 20, 35, 36f, 104f, 116, 116f, 120-122
S
sack of buns (assisted) 202-203
Schleip, Robert 42
self-myofascial release (SMFR) 24-25, 36, 82,
83, 84f-88f
self-stretching. See stretching
shoulder instability 23
shoulders check for posture 77
shoulder stretches 150-154, 169-170. See also
upper-body Core 4 program
Index
side stretches for the lateral net 128-132
Siff, Mel 63, 65
signs and symptoms for personal assessment
73, 74
single-leg traction 198-199
SMFR. See self-myofascial release (SMFR)
Smith, Emmitt 64-65
soleus 28f, 86f, 171, 192-193
speed 64-65
spine stretches 150-152, 160-162
stabilization straps 194, 194f-195f
staggered-stance backward bend for the deep
front net 135-136
standing dynamic stretches 169-171
standing side bend for the lateral net 128-129
static stretching
how it works 47, 48, 50, 51
vs. StretchWave very slow 52-53
what it is and research 5, 37, 41, 43, 44
straps 194, 194f-195f
strength 63
stretching
assessing and correcting stretches 144
definitions and key concepts 44, 45, 47
parameters and goals 13, 46-48
planes of movement 9-10
program design 13, 90, 91t
research 41-44
ten principles for optimal flexibility 1-13, 2f
traditional categories 48-49
undulating categories 49-55
StretchWaves 41, 49-55
symptoms and signs for personal assessment
73, 74
synergists 6-7
T
table straps 194, 194f-195f
table stretch routine 195-211
tempo 13, 47, 51-55
tensegrity 17-18, 18f, 20-21, 63
tests for flexibility. See fascia mobility
assessment (FMA)
tissue check for CFMA 80, 99
traction 11-12, 176. See also assisted stretching
trigger points 37-38, 64. See also fascia
mobility blocks (FMBs)
U
undulating movement
key concepts 40-41, 49-50
qualities 50-52
stretching types 52-55
upper-body Core 4 program 104f, 116-125,
116f, 117f
W
warming up 54-55, 90, 91t. See also dynamic
stretching
water needs 42
223
About the Authors
Ann Frederick has been a teacher of human movement through professional
and academic dance education and kinesiology since 1975. She founded the
Stretch to Win Center, where she, her husband Chris, and other staff offered
Fascial Stretch Therapy, physical therapy, Pilates, sport massage, chiropractic
care, and acupuncture. Ann and Chris have since founded the Stretch to Win
Institute, where professionals in health, fitness, and sports can get certified
in LifeStretch and Fascial Stretch Therapy—two therapy techniques that they
created. Ann is certified in kinesis myofascial integration (KMI) by Thomas
Myers and is a founding member of the Fascia Research Society.
224
About the Authors
Chris Frederick has been a licensed physical therapist in the areas of orthopedics, sports medicine, and dance medicine since 1989. He has an extensive
background both in professional dance and in the martial arts. Chris uses his
passion for movement correction and reeducation to teach athletes how to
assess their mobility and help themselves. He is the cofounder of the Stretch
to Win Institute and cocreator of Stretch to Win Fascial Stretch Therapy and
LifeStretch. He is certified in kinesis myofascial integration (KMI) by Thomas
Myers. Chris is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and
the International Association of Structural Integrators and is also a founding
member of the Fascia Research Society.
225
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