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Advanced Circuit Training A Complete Guide To Progressive Planning and Instructing Richard Bob Ho 17

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18 views

Advanced Circuit Training A Complete Guide To Progressive Planning and Instructing Richard Bob Ho 17

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guypetro6
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Table 3 Recommended training guidelines: flexibility

.1

Frequen 2–3 times per week minimum


cy 5–7 times per week ideal
Intensity Point of mild tension/tightness in the belly of the muscle at the
end of the range – not pain.
2–4 repetitions of each stretch can be performed
Time Static stretching – 15–30 seconds hold
PNF stretching – 6 second contract followed by 10–30 second
assisted stretch
Type Static or PNF techniques for all major muscle groups
Slow and controlled performance progressing to greater ranges
of movement.
NB: to stretch all muscles using PNF techniques would demand a longer
time for stretching. Muscles would also need to maintain an appropriate
(warm) core temperature to stretch effectively. With these considerations
in mind, it may be necessary to prioritise PNF stretches within a particular
training session.

It is also essential to give consideration to the specific flexibility needs of


the individuals (current flexibility levels and flexibility needs for their
specific sporting activity).
Adapted from: ACSM (2000: 158) and ACSM (2006: 162)

Tendons
Tendons attach muscle to bones across joints. They are made from all the
muscle fibres and connective tissue around them being compacted together.
Tendons can be felt at various points around the body. One example is the
Achilles tendon at the back of the heel. Tendons feel like tight metal rods.
They provide around 10% of the total resistance to movement around a joint.
Hyaline cartilage
Hyaline cartilage forms the ends of the bones that meet to form synovial
joints. Cartilage prevents the bones from rubbing against each other during
movement. Hyaline cartilage is susceptible to calcification (laying down of
calcium) and can ossify into bone. This has implications for joint movement
and can result in arthritis. (Lawrence & Barnett, 2006).
Connective tissue
Muscles are made up of bundles of muscle fibres. At each layer of the
muscle, there is connective tissue, which surrounds the tissues (epimysium,
endomysium, perimysium). Connective tissue is made from collagen, which
is relatively inelastic. This connective tissue accounts for around 40% of the
total resistance to movement around the joint.
Static stretching when very warm can influence the length of connective
tissue. As muscle temperature increases the stiffness of the connective tissue
decreases and extensibility increases.

Gender
Although cited as a factor that may affect flexibility, there is no conclusive
evidence to substantiate the generalisation that women are more flexible than
men. There are, however, some anatomical differences between genders that
may influence flexibility. Women have broader and shallower hips and thus
they potentially have a greater range of movement than men in this area.
A further consideration may be the activities we participate in during
formative years, which may contribute to maintaining a range of movement.
Sedentary lifestyles contribute to a reduced range of movement and more
active lifestyles (depending on specific activities) will contribute to
maintaining the range of motion. Some sporting activities such ballet and
gymnastics offer a greater focus on range of motion than other sports, such
as football and running, where other components of fitness may be
emphasised. If insufficient attention is paid to stretching, the muscles and
joints will lose their range of motion, contributing to a change in the skeletal
alignment and posture. This in itself offers risk of injury through poor
posture and the possibility of low back pain.

Age
Flexibility can be developed at any age but the rate of improvement will not
be the same. It is generally thought that the greatest improvement in
flexibility occurs between the ages of 5–7. However, caution must be taken
during the growth spurt (girls of approximately 10–12 years old and boys of
approximately 12–14 years) because there is a tightening of muscles at these
ages. The muscle is already being stretched due to the increase in bone
length and joint size. The soft tissue does not keep pace with this growth rate
and this increases the risk of injury. For reference, there are no specific
flexibility guidelines for working with children and young adults. The
standard adult guidelines are therefore used.

Physiology related to flexibility and stretching


A muscle is considered to be stretching (lengthening) when the points of
attachment, the origin and insertion, move further apart and the muscle
relaxes.
When a muscle stretches sensory receptors (proprioceptors) within the
muscles and tendons monitor the changes occurring to the body position and
communicate this information back to the central nervous system (CNS).
These proprioceptors form part of the peripheral nervous system (see chapter
5). They include:

• The muscle spindles (stretch reflex)


• Golgi tendon organs.

When activated, these receptors deliver the information they gather back to
the CNS, spinal cord and brain via the afferent nerves. The brain responds to
the information received and sends a message back to the muscles (via the
efferent nerves) instructing the muscles to either relax or contract a little
more or a little less so that correct body alignment is achieved.
The stretch reflex is stimulated when there is a change in muscle length.
The muscle spindles are fibres located deep inside the muscles and
surrounded by nerves. They register both the speed and amount of
lengthening or stretch that is occurring. The faster the speed of stretch the
faster the speed of messages between the muscles and CNS.
When a muscle lengthens too quickly (ballistic stretching), the stretch
reflex is activated (via the CNS). The CNS informs the muscle being
lengthened to contract to prevent injury to it and the surrounding tissues.

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