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"Athletic training does not act upon an object, a body, but rather, it acts
upon the spirit and emotions of a human being. To act on such a fragile
entity requires great intelligence and power of discernment"
Bruce Lee
Flexibility and strength are of vital importance in the physical and technical
development of every athlete, regardless of the specific sport practiced.
Whether one is a professional athlete or simply a sports enthusiast, an
optimal training program that adheres to sound criteria will undoubtedly
bring huge benefits and personal satisfaction. Articular mobility, and
by this one means a range of movement at joints located in various parts
of the body, as well as flexibility and elasticity (or muscles' ability
to lengthen without tearing) and resistance, which constitute its principal
physical attributes. Being 'loose' gives one a sense of psycho-physical
well-being, prevents lesions of the musclo-tendinous joint apparatus (especially
in those sports that involve explosive movements, such as competitive aerobics,
martial arts, dance, etc.) and constitutes the so-called 'conditio sine
qua non' for achieving the correct and most 'economical' athletic conditioning.
Throughout the course of my studies in muscular physiology, and throughout
my training, which involved a seemingly interminable sequence of trial and
error exercises to enhance performance, I often found myself amazed (and
still am) by the utility of certain very simple concepts. Of paramount
importance is the indispensable, though sometimes subltle, inter-relationship
between the mind, body, and spirit.
An incredible amount of mental fortitude and willpower is often required
in maintaining specific static strength-building positions. Mental flexibility,
in fact, has proven instrumental in helping to foster a change in a sequence
of variables' intensity, frequency, recovery'as well as in enabling me to
make subtle changes in the techniques themselves, aimed at finding the right
combination to fit my own specific needs regarding strength, resistance,
muscle flexibility, etc. These changes, moreover, have had to take into
account the cardinal rules or 'secrets' pertaining to flexibility training
and strength-building so as to achieve optimal performance. Great strength
of mind and resilience is required to move ahead with training during sluggish
periods when even miniscule improvements seem so hard to obtain.
Another concept that intrigued me was that of the contrast between 'big'
and 'small' performance enhancement. In reality, there is no real difference
between 'big' and 'small' in that small is a part of the big and the 'big'
is a sum of a series of smaller parts.
A practical example of this is the muscle. In the introductory chapter
on neurophysiology entitled 'The Human Machine,' this big-small' dichotomy
is fully explained through characterization of the muscle. Research regarding
proper physical development and mental attitude (actually, physical development
is a direct consequence of a correct attitude and mental approach) is an
exciting and very educational endeavor. It should be approached more as
a game or form of entertainment than as a test, or one risks becoming a
slave to one's objectives.
You should not fall into the trap of trying to win cups and trophies. The
best trophy you will receive will be the day when someone in the crowd approaches
you to ask what your secret is and tries to imitate you. When you can
teach him to learn from his own mistakes and imperfections you will already
have done him a great service. Most of the others will sit around telling
themselves that you got where you did only because you were naturally endowed,
convincing themselves that there is no way they can get to where you are.
You, of course, are fully aware of how important a concerted effort, proper
planning, and a positive attitude have been so crucial in allowing you to
reach your peak. The most important thing is to get started and lay down
that first brick! The rest will follow.
By learning how to put into practice the principles that govern the path
to flexibility and strength you will be buying your ticket to achieving
harmony, balance, and contol over your body. I cannot find the words to
express this idea better than those pronounced by Professor Flavio Daniele
in his book, 'The Three Paths of the Tao': 'True mastery over the body is
born from the ability to pass willfully from passivity to activity and vice-versa.
The CONSCIOUS DOMAIN of passivity and inaction, of activity and action
allows the body to flow freely from one state to another just like water,
which never loses its nature as it changes from a solid to a liquid and
then to vapor in a continuous and infinite dynamic process.
This ability to flow from one state to another is called mutability and
confers force, energy, and strength. Like fire (Yang), it transforms the
apparent inaction of water into the power of vapor'a turbine transforms
it into electrical energy and so the CONSCIOUS DOMAIN of passivity and inaction
allows hard matter to turn soft, slowness to speed, flab to strength.'
I firmly believe that this book will markedly improve your athletic performance,
but that is not all that it will do. Those of you who are particularly
attentive will be able to use the advice contained within it to enhance
your personal life: the problems and aims may be different but their resolution
and realization, respectively, depend on proper application of the same
principles cited in the book. Pay close attention and you will surely benefit
and learn. Life is full of teachings but only a few take hold. Keep the
'force' while pursuing your goals, at the same time remaining flexible and
objective about your errors and weakpoints. Be ready to make adjustments,
but remember to be cautious'use light strokes like the skilled artist, otherwise,
you will run the risk of going from one extreme to another. Harmony, I
believe, is the just means.
This book is not only a review of a variety of texts and scientifically-based
works on flexibility and body-building'gleaned from the most prestigious
international scientific journals and reviews'but, above all, it derives
from my own personal experience and application of major principles and
techniques.
I would like to bring to the avid reader's attention the fact that, besides
providing an exhaustive explanation of the principles of muscle neurophysiology
and the associated techniques, I have also sought to elucidate my own personal
experience in order to illustrate which results one can expect to obtain
from a correct application of the methods described in the text.
It is important to note the degree of articular mobility depicted in the
photos of this volume, achieved by an adult at the ripe old age of 28 years,
in addition to the striking flexibility and strength achieved by an individual
who had not taken up the sport at a young age, which is the norm in gymnastics.
I would like to emphasize, therefore, the fact that these results were
obtained without having any solid technical athletic base and, more importantly,
without any particular genetic endowment or predisposition of a biomechanical
nature.
The real strength of this book is not so much the explanation and illustration
of the techniques and exercises (which all gymnasts can readily learn),
but the demonstration of how marked improvement can be achieved by individuals
who are not naturally gifted and who did not begin their athletic training
at a young age. Each one of us, I believe, is capable of becoming a 'self-made
man,' at least insofar as developing one's physique is concerned, which
is, at the same time, closely related to development of one's mind and soul.
I sincerely hope and am confident that the techniques illustrated in this
book, which have enabled me to achieve a healthy measure of physical and
inner harmony, will allow you, the reader, to maximize your athletic performance.
All you need is to believe and follow through with the suggested training
program and you will start seeing the results!
David De Angelis |
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