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Question 5, Lilian (Stretching and recovery times)
Well, I have a lot of questions to ask you.You have to know that I made fitness 15 hours by week since 5 years. This is all my life !!! Off course, I need a great flexibility. I started fitness and to work my flexibility at the age of 23. It's late, and I am not born with the flexibility that I have now: My flexibility is not so bad. But, I want it to be more natural.
Actually, all that I learn about stretching is by the hard way.
1- For example, I am not sure to respect the times for adequate recovery between two stretching sessions ?
2- I am not sure to eat the best for my flexibility.
3- I very glad to learn that you have wrote a book. What is the tittle, is there a french version ? Thanks a lot for your answer. Lilian
- Answers David De Angelis
Until now there has been a greater awareness of the principles and most efficient techniques regarding strength 'building as compared to the development of flexibility. Besides.one must also consider that, as far as stretching is concerned, there are a number of mistaken beliefs that only serve to discourage athletes and fitness lovers. Foremost among this mistaken ideas
is the belief that in order to develop and markedly improved one's flexibility it is necessary to start at a very young age. My experience ( and that of many others ) has brought me to the conclusion that it is possible to efficiently develop one's flexibility even at a late age .
With regard to the first question I can tell you that an evaluation of recovery times (in stretching as well as in strength- building ) has always posed a great dilemma, but is the key to improvement. As I note in my book P.N.F. isometric stretching is fundamentally an exercise of strength applied, however, ( with the proper precautions and the right technique ) to the maximum joint range. This is based on the principle of the ratio between length/tension of the muscles : the more a muscle is stretched, the lesser it's strength?By training the muscle, therefore, to support greater and greater loads to the maximum joint ranges (keeping to, I must stress, the necessary precautions) one achieves greater flexibility. This, in effect, represents an application of the SAID principle of Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand.
Effects of overcompensation in three groups of trained athletes with an identical load but with different recovery times. One notes the diverse effect in performance: increase ( group with continuous line ), insignificant increase ( group with broken line ), decrease ( group with dotted line ). Incomplete regeneration due to insufficient recovery.
As depicted by the graph different recovery times lead to improvement, worsening or no effect on body adaptation. One understands, therefore, that by choosing recovery times erroneously, one risks nullifying or hindering improvement.
How can we calculate optimum recovery times ?
As I explain in my book POWER-FLEX it is necessary to develop ' body awareness' or rather, that subtle quality that allows one to perceive the degree of stress placed upon our muscles and our organism : it is a quality that is possessed in particular by experienced athletes. In the book I recommend recovery times (evaluated within margins of safety ) but, if you want to be sure of avoiding mistakes, apply the principle of the natural body-builders ( for the development of strength/mass ) that is, better one or two days more of rest and recovery than one day less. At times, after a prolonged period of recovery, one notes, with amazement, that the strength and flexibility have improved ?have you observed this?
N.2 Diet is a very important aspect in the development of physical traits and it's fundamental to know and apply the basic principles for this reason, and I do not want to limit this discussion to only a few lines. I ask you to consult a good book on diet and dietary supplements in sports ( I recommend ' Optimum Sports Nutrition ' by Michael Colgan ).
Remember that diet represent only one aspect in the achievement of one's maximum physical development: a correct dietary regiment is fundamental for achieving maximum energy intake and sufficient quantities of vital nutrients are necessary to sustain the processes of bodily daptation (including hyperplasia ).
N.3 My book Power-Flex Stretching' Super Flexibility and Strength for peak performance is presently available in Italian and in English.
Happy training!
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