Download Dynamic Warm-up for EXPLOSIVE Performance

Dynamic Warm-up for
EXPLOSIVE Performance
By Jeff Richter CSCS, USAW
W
arming up prior to practices and meets is not
only widely accepted among gymnasts but is
also considered an integral part of a gymnast’s
overall daily routine; therefore, the purpose of this article
isn’t to convince the reader of the merit of warming up but
to discuss what strategies are optimal and most likely to
allow a gymnast to perform at his/her best.
A commonly used strategy to prepare a gymnast for
activity is static stretching. Static stretching is a method
in which the athlete puts a muscle group into a stretched
position and holds that stretch for a specific time period,
which is generally at least 30 seconds. This article will
propose (through the support of research literature) that
static stretching is not an ideal method to prepare the
body for gymnastics and will go so far as to say that static
stretching prior to activity can cause a decrement in performance. For many, this will
be tough to accept because
A sample stretch from the
a plethora of coaches and
Dynamic Warm-up videos.
athletes have implemented these kinds of warm-ups
for years. The paradigm
shift that has diminished the
value of static stretching in
favor of a dynamic warm-up
routine will undoubtedly
cause many to be hesitant
to incorporate a change
in their programming. Hopefully, the following rationale
will at least cause coaches and athletes to consider and
weigh each method in hopes of finding the best possible
strategy.
During static stretching, the body is still and does
not move; consequently, the body temperature does not
elevate. This is significant because it is advantageous for
the body to experience an elevation in body temperature
to accentuate the speed and efficiency at which metabolic reactions take place. Perhaps even more concerning is
that static stretching essentially “shuts-down” the efficiency
of the nervous system in producing explosive movements.
Allow me to explain: When we hold a stretch on a muscle
we evoke what is referred to as the myotatic reflex. This
means that our muscle spindles, which detect length
changes in the muscles, cause a reflex contraction to
take place when they notice
lengthening of the muscle
fibers. However, prolonged
stretching
may
inhibit
myotatic reflex activity,1
allowing the muscle-tendon
unit to lengthen with minimal
resistance from the muscle
and connective tissues.2 This
is not a good thing when
it comes to performance
because, as one researcher
To see a video of Dynamic Stretching go to http://usagym.org/healthknowledge
Shrier, I. Does stretching help prevent injuries? In: EvidenceBased Sports Medicine. D. MacAuley and T. Best, eds. London: BMJ Publishing
Group, 2002, pp. 97 – 116.
1
Taylor, D.C., J. Dalton, A.V. Seaber, and W.E. Garrett. The viscoelastic properties of muscle-tendon units. Am J Sports Med. 18:300 – 309, 1990.
2
3
Influence of Pre-Exercise Stretching on Force Production. Jonathan H. Anning, PhD, CSCS,*D. This paper was presented as part of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Hot Topic Series.
4
Young, W., and S. Elliot. Acute effects of static stretching, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching and maximum voluntary contractions on explosive force production and jumping performance. Res Q
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TECHNIQUE • SEP T E MBER/O C TOBER 2012
Dynamic Warm-up for
EXPLOSIVE Performance
...continued
proposes, the “inability to generate forces after (static)
stretching results from a lack of neural activation.”3 In
addition, other researchers point to the well-supported
theory that explosive athletic movements are compromised from static stretching because of a loss of elastic
energy in the muscle.4 In laymen terms, this is similar to
a rubber band being stretched for a prolonged period
of time and thus losing its elastic “springy” properties.
Other studies also illustrate this theory by proving that
static stretching before a vertical jump decreases maximal
height achieved5 and force production.6
If gymnasts lose their abilities to use the elastic properties of the muscle, they are not able to be as explosive
as they can be. Of course, this is
an obvious problem considering
gymnasts have to produce extremely high levels of power regardless
of what event they are engaged
in. The sport-specific demands of
gymnastics dictates that a warm-up
must “crank-up” the nervous system
instead of shutting it down.
In conclusion, based on the
above information we know that
optimal warm-up strategies should
include components that raise body
temperature and take the muscles
through a healthy range of motion
without negating the advantages of having a nervous system that
is sensitive and ready to promote
explosive movement. Dynamic
mobility work performed before a
practice or meet accomplishes this
requirement. Greater neural activity that can generate
greater muscle stiffness may explain the enhanced force
production and speed performance following dynamic
stretching.7 The dynamic warm-up can be used to its
greatest potential by ensuring the athlete is always moving
the joints through a healthy range of motion to elicit not
only joint mobility where necessary but also to give the
body proprioceptive awareness by forcing certain joints
to fulfill their roles as stabilizers of the body. It should
be noted that these should be non-fatiguing dynamic
movements that do not exhaust a gymnast before the
meet or practice session starts. Also, a dynamic warm-up
should utilize movements that occur in different vectors
and planes of motion.
After a practice or meet, it
is very appropriate to utilize the
benefits of static stretching and/
or PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular
facilitation)
stretching.
Flexibility and mobility are without
a doubt among the paramount
requirements of the sport and utilizing these methods of stretching
after you do gymnastics is in the
best interest of these athletes.
Please take time to view our
videos sent to USA Gymnastics
on dynamic warm-up strategies.
These videos will give you ideas on
how you can take your warm-ups
to the next level to put yourself in a
position to succeed.
To see a video of Dynamic Stretching go to http://usagym.org/healthknowledge
Exerc Sports. 3:273 – 279, 2001.
5
J Strength Cond Res. The impact of different warm-up protocols on vertical jump performance in male collegiate athletes. 2008 Jan; 22(1):226-9.
6
J Sports Med Phys Fitness. Effects of running, static stretching and practice jumps on explosive force production and jumping performance. 2003 Mar; 43(1):21-7.
7
Fletcher, I.M., and B. Jones. The effect of different warm-up stretch protocols on 20 meter sprint performance in trained rugby union players. J Strength Cond Res. 18:885 – 888, 2004.
St. Vincent Hospital and St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis, Indiana are official service providers to USA Gymnastics Call 317-415-5747 or visit sportsperformance.stvincent.org
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