Optimal Potential

[Alan Armstrong]

Hypermobile, a joint that moves too much and Hypomobile, a joint that is very tight.

Over stretching can cause a joint to move too much and insufficient movement can cause a joint to seize up.

The ligaments and joints hold our framework together for skeletal support.

As martial artist we need structural integrity, this is what keeps us strong throughout a fight or bout.

Flexible people can have less structural integrity than their stiffer yet more stable counterparts.

So what is the answer to have the best of both worlds?

I believe the answer is up for debate.

There is still controversy among health experts, to what is right and what is wrong when conditioning: ligaments, joints, tendons and muscles for strength and flexibility.

As health practitioners lean towards safe practice over vigorous use.

There is also a realistic realization that we are all different.

My opinions are from my personal perspective and preferences, that are not set in stone but always ready to change for the better.

I do experimental exercise routines on myself, to try out theories.

Explaining ideas such as here, can work better than videos, due to using principles.

Looking in to one question of limbering up vs stretching as many people feel stiffness from stretching.

I think that limbering up (all) joints and ligaments is a good way to start an exercise routine; slowly and gradually picking up the pace.

By doing this limbering up to the: fingers, wrists, neck, toes, ankles, knees, elbows, shoulders, hips and also very important to include the spine.

Limbering up the joints and ligments is activating them for action.

First of all slow and easy. This is the loosing them up and realignment them in to place. This will help lessoning the chance of pinching a nerve or giving yourself a painful kink.

Trying out this limbering joints idea in (Shaolin monk) circular motions like rowing a boat and also visualize stretching out your palms and ankles like Spider Man.

Next stretch by reaching and strengthen simultaneously, your arms and legs; inhale expand your body and when breathing out reach.

By leaning and pointing fingers reaching and horizontal leg movements also arch and circular works well also.

Note: Avoiding tugging on muscles, as this will activate them to contract.

The plan here is to activate the "Thixotrophy" properties of connective tissue.

By applying force on muscles in a steady way, they will stretch, becoming more liquid than gell; temporarily improving your range of motion, allowing you to perform at your optimal potential.

[sensei8]

Solid OP, Alan; thanks for starting this thread!!

As in anything, there's the right way and the wrong way, as well as there's to much and not enough; both share and share alike. Knowing how to execute each and every stretch and the like is vital to the health and well being of the individual.

Rushing through stretches and/or short cutting the stretches creates bad stretching habits, and as in MA techniques, bad habits are difficult to break. A lot of time, people don't listen to what their own body is trying to tell them, and that leads to make unnecessary injuries, which can be quite debilitating and irreversible.

The key, as your title suggests, is finding that optimal potential, and not just occasionally, but always.

[Alan Armstrong]

Solid OP, Alan; thanks for starting this thread!!

As in anything, there's the right way and the wrong way, as well as there's to much and not enough; both share and share alike. Knowing how to execute each and every stretch and the like is vital to the health and well being of the individual.

Rushing through stretches and/or short cutting the stretches creates bad stretching habits, and as in MA techniques, bad habits are difficult to break. A lot of time, people don't listen to what their own body is trying to tell them, and that leads to make unnecessary injuries, which can be quite debilitating and irreversible.

The key, as your title suggests, is finding that optimal potential, and not just occasionally, but always.

Thanks sensei8.

Yes always seek for the optimal potential for the day.

I quit when I'm ahead.

It could be doing more sit-up or kicks or sprinting, just doing something that beats my personal best.

When I've reached my optimal potential for the day, it's time to hit the shower, eat and have a nap.

Then looking forward to doing it all over again the next day, with a different optimal potential in mind.

[Alan Armstrong]

Wanted to share a little more on the optimal potential idea.

Just like in the game of chess, once a person becomes proficient in the game, add time to the equation; such as improving the amout time it takes to do an exercise; such as doing an amount of exercises, in only half the time.

Another factor is double up on your optimal potential for the day, such as beat your own personal best in two areas of your training; such as 1000 kicks for the day instead of the usual 500 and perhaps 200 sit-ups instead of the usual 100; you choose what you want to double up on; just giving an example of many possibilities.

Your optimal performance for the day could contain different aspects such as focusing on flexibility and another for stamina.

The real idea here, is that to see tangible improvements in your training.

This will give you confidence to do better every training day and also combined with a feeling of accomplishment that you are on the right track for self improvement.

Time out days could contain a long walk or swimming; no no no sleep more!!!

A word of caution, train smart so as not to injure oneself; avoid making the same mistakes if at all possible.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Coming from the Health Field, we lean towards the safer side of things because we need to think about the long term with patients/clients.

As such we have to take that into consideration when prescribing something especially exercise. Because if we don't think long term it can mean that the person we are working with could have long term problems.

Even when we go to make adjustments like increasing weight for people to lift, push etc we ideally make adjustments of around 5-10% of the previous weight.

When we look at people who have mobility issues; like hyper + hypo mobility, we actually need to be even more careful because of the changes in their skeletal structure. If we're not careful there is a risk of long term damage.

Obviously we can't evaluate every single student in class or those signing up. But we can get some idea about their mobility from seeing what they can or cannot do.

[Alan Armstrong]

Coming from the Health Field, we lean towards the safer side of things because we need to think about the long term with patients/clients.

As such we have to take that into consideration when prescribing something especially exercise. Because if we don't think long term it can mean that the person we are working with could have long term problems.

Even when we go to make adjustments like increasing weight for people to lift, push etc we ideally make adjustments of around 5-10% of the previous weight.

When we look at people who have mobility issues; like hyper + hypo mobility, we actually need to be even more careful because of the changes in their skeletal structure. If we're not careful there is a risk of long term damage.

Obviously we can't evaluate every single student in class or those signing up. But we can get some idea about their mobility from seeing what they can or cannot do.

Great job Nidan Melbourne! Keep up the good work!