Download An Introduction to Flexibility and Functional

An Introduction to Flexibility and Functional Movement
by Shaun Fulton
The goal of this material is to establish the basis for lifelong functional fitness and longterm flexibility through corrective exercise, as it relates to long term flexibility training,
and fundamental pattern reeducation. This class will focus on fundamental movement
pattern training as it relates to functional fitness and improvements to motor competency
and increases in flexibility.
STAC 125 - Flexibility and Functional Fitness
Physical Fitness, Flexibility, and Functional Fitness
Physical fitness, flexibility, and functional movement are terms widely used by many, too few
individuals properly understand what these terms mean and what how they inter-relate.
Physical Fitness
Physical fitness has been defined as “the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and
alertness, without undue fatigue and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and to
meet unforeseen emergencies” [4]. Physical fitness can also be subdivided into components:
“cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, body composition, and
flexibility” [4]. Each of these components are essential for maintaining a body that can move
without problems when called upon. It is important that when physical fitness is discussed that
all of the components are taken into consideration and not individually in isolation. Isolation will
result in an imbalanced understanding and body.
Flexibility
There are a vast array of definitions of what flexibility is:

“Flexibility is the ability to move muscles and joints through their full ranges of motion”
[1]
o “Static flexibility relates to range of motion (ROM) about a joint with no
emphasis on speed during stretching…”
o “Ballistic flexibility is usually associated with bobbing, bouncing, rebounding,
and rhythmic motion. In ballistic stretching, momentum of a moving body or limb
is used to increase the ROM forcibly. Consequently, the risk of injury is greater”
o “Dynamic or functional flexibility refers to the ability to use a range of joint
movement in the performance of a physical activity at either normal or rapid
speed…Dynamic or functional flexibility directly corresponds to the specificity of
the stretching process as it relates to the activity. Dynamic…flexibility has the
highest correlation to sport achievement”
o “Active flexibility refers to a ROM accomplished by the voluntary use of one’s
muscles without assistance”
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o “Research has proven that flexibility does not exist as a general characteristic but
is specific to a particular joint and joint action”

“Flexibility is the ability to move a joint or a series of joints through a ROM” [10]
o “Relative flexibility considers the comparative mobility at adjacent joints”

“The degree of movement that occurs at a joint is called the range of motion
(ROM)…Flexibility is a measure of ROM and has static and dynamic components” [2]
o “Static flexibility is the range of possible movement about a joint”
o “Dynamic flexibility refers to the available ROM during active movements and
therefore requires voluntary muscular actions.”
o “Dynamic ROM is generally greater than static ROM”

“Flexibility is range of motion around a joint” [3]
Flexibility, for this class will be defined as having sufficient ability to take a joint, or series of
joints, through its appropriate ranges of motion, devoid of pain. The key here is through an
appropriate range of motion. There is an appropriate range of motion for each joint and series of
joints and having too much (hypermobility) or too little (hypomobility) range of motion can
create problems for the individual such as pain, injury, disorders, etc…[8, 13].The problem with
most definitions of flexibility is that, taken alone, everyone should be able to perform the splits
since each joint along the way has enough range of motion. However, this is rarely the case.
This class will go beyond the typical stretching session, one joint at a time, and to reeducate the body and mind to function the way it was intended. To quote Mark Verstegen, “We
want to improve the long-term mobility and flexibility of muscles. Rather than have them stretch
and go back to where they were…” [25]. It has been known since the 1940’s that if you simply
stretch a muscle without strengthening the opposite muscle group the muscle will return to its
original length [7]. If a muscle is “tight” there is a reason for this and needs to be corrected. This
is the foundation for corrective exercise: creating balance in an unbalanced individual which can
result in better posture and less pain. In short, there is a better way than traditional stretching.
Functional Fitness
Functional fitness, according to the Mayo Clinic, allows you to “train your muscles to
work together and prepare them for daily tasks by simulating common movements you might do
at home, at work or in sports” [23]. WebMD defines functional exercise as “building a body
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capable of doing real-life activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a certain amount of
weight in an idealized posture created by a gym machine. ‘Conventional weight training isolates
muscle groups, but it doesn't teach the muscle groups you're isolating to work with others,’ says
Greg Roskopf, MS, a biomechanics consultant with a company called Muscle Activation
Techniques who has worked with athletes from the Denver Broncos, the Denver Nuggets, and
the Utah Jazz. ‘The key to functional exercise is integration. It's about teaching all the muscles to
work together rather than isolating them to work independently.’ ” [22].
What functional fitness isn’t:
Functional training has received a bad reputation over the past 10 years due to some less than
stellar coaches implementing half conceived training programs to “improve function”. Many of
these are focuses on stability training on unstable surfaces. This is not functional exercise
training and often creates an increased risk for injury by performing exercises that are bizarre in
the name of functional (i.e. squatting on an exercise ball under load), loss of strength, balance,
power, muscle mass, and muscles activation [20].
What functional fitness is:
“Functional exercises tend to be multi-joint, multi-muscle exercises. This type of training,
properly applied, can make everyday activities easier, reduce your risk of injury and improve
your quality of life. Functional exercise training may be especially beneficial as part of a
comprehensive program for older adults to improve balance, agility and muscle strength, and
reduce the risk of falls” [23].
The purpose of this class is then to apply the principles of functional fitness to re-establish motor
patterns and create balance and symmetry. A byproduct of this will be an increase in flexibility.
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Types of Stretching
There are several ways in which one can elongate muscles and connective tissue relative
to stretching. Each has been shown to increase range of motion for the joint being addressed. The
main types of stretching, with their associated definitions are as follows.

Static Stretching – “is a method of stretching in which the muscles and connective tissue
being stretched are held in a stationary position at their greatest possible length for some
period” [9]

Ballistic Stretching – “uses quick movements that impose a rapid change in the length of
muscle or connective tissue” [9]

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching – “These techniques seek to
capitalize on the use of the neurophysiologic concept of stretch activation. PNF stretching
techniques use a contract-relax (CR) sequence, an agonist contraction (AC), or a contractrelax-agonist contraction (CRAC) sequence” [9]

Dynamic Stretching – “is a type of flexibility exercise where the limb is repeatedly taken
through a ROM actively by the participant” [9]
Stretching has been shown to acutely increase flexibility; however is has not been consistently
demonstrated in research to chronically adapt the flexibility of an individual [9].
What is important to note, is that it has been demonstrated that weight training increases
flexibility just as effective as stretching techniques [12]. It has also been shown that foam rolling
is just as effective, if not more, at creating increasing in flexibility as well as the benefits the
individual gets from the massage therapy. The key to understanding the need for stretching is
that there is a reason a particular muscle group is “tight”. Typically, a muscle is tight due to
muscular imbalance or altered reciprocal inhibition. Stretching merely takes a muscle, or group
of muscles, through a range of motion attempting to increase that range. This can attenuate the
muscles length, but does not address the reason for the tightness. Hence, the need for muscle reeducation and movement pattern training to keep the body balanced and incongruence with how
it was designed. Therefore, this class will not spend much time on stretch training in the
traditional sense as it is not as effective in long term attenuation of relative/global flexibility.
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The Janda Approach
Vladimir Janda was a Czech nuerologist, clinician, and researcher, who as a child
suffered from polio. Through his own experiences and work as a researcher/clinician, Dr. Janda
found that the effects of aging and polio were similar to one another. Both of these conditions,
aging and polio, affect the muscular system by either weakening or tightening.
Janda described all movers in the body as either tonic or phasic in nature. Tonic muscles
are desribed as being much older in our neurodevelopmental sequence and are dominant. Futher,
tonic muscles are typically used to ilicit flexion and are prone to tightness. Phasic muscles, on
the other hand, are described as being younger phylogenetically and work as postural stabilizers.
They are also primarily used as extenders and are prone to weakness or inhibition [18]. Below
is a list on tonic and phasic muscles (the ones in bold are the important ones to memorize):
Tonic Muscles
Suboccipitals
Pectorals (major and minor)
Upper Trapezius
SCM
Scalenes
Latissimus Dorsi
Upper-extremity flexors and supinators
Biceps
Masitcators
Phasic Muscles
Middle and Lower Trapezius
Rhomboids
Serratus Anterior
Deep Cervical Flexors
Scalenes
Quadratus Lumborum
Thoracolumbar paraspinals
Piriformis
Hip Flexors (Iliosposas and Rectus Femoris)
Hamstrings
TFL-IT band
Short hip adductors
Triceps surae
Tibialis posterior
Rectus Abdominus
Transverse Abdominus
Gluteus Maximus
Gluteus Medius/Minimus
Vastus Medialis/Lateralis (Quads as knee extensors)
Tibialis Anterior
Peroneals
Upper-extremity extensors and supinators
Triceps
Digastricus
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Even though Janda classified muscles in this system, he acknowledged that no muscle is
purely one or the other. When these classified muscles begin to demonstrate their properties, it
can lead to pain and/or dysfunction. The causes of pain can be due to acute trauma that results in
an abnormal movement pattern, muscles imbalances, lifestyle contributions (stress, fatigue, lack
of movement/variety of movement, or biomechanical mechanisms [18].
Dan John, an international lecturer and world reknown strength and conditioning coach,
spoke on Janda’s work as this: stretch what’s tightening and strengthen what’s weakening. If we
simpley stretch the muscle that is tight, without reeducating the muscle that is weak, there will be
no long term change for that muscle: there is a reason that muscle was tight in the first place.
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The Joint-by-joint approach by Gray Cook
Gray Cook, a physical therapist, author,
and certified strength and conditioning coach,
discusses movement in a terms of mobility and
stability. “Mobility is a broader concept [(than
flexibility: the ability to elongate a muscle)] and
involves the muscle and joint. Mobility is also
more inclusive when describing freedom of
movement… stability is the ability to control force
or movement. In most cases, stability is a precursor
to strength” [6]. These concepts, mobility and
stability, are then applied to the body as a whole, or more specifically, to each major joint
structure. Cook determined that each joint has a function as related to the joints in proximity to
itself: mobility or stability. Below is a list of the joint-by-joint approach with its needs:
Joint
Ankle
Knee
Hip
Lumbar Spine
Thoracic Spine
Scapula
Gleno-humeral
Primary Needs
Mobility
Stability
Mobility
Stability
Mobility
Stability
Mobility
The purpose of this list is to aid the practitioner in assessing the needs for each client. It is
also important to understand dysfunction. In the body, if one of these joint’s needs is reversed the
rest of the kinetic chain can be compromised and dysfunction becomes the result. For example, if
the hips become stable and movement is needed, the low back will become the place for
movement leading to an unstable joint and ultimately pain. This joint-by-joint approach is
important to understand for its relationship to movement patterns and how movement is learned
and should be performed.
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Movement Patterns and Functional Movement
Contrary to popular belief you cannot confuse a muscle; muscles can only do one thing:
PULL! That’s it, they pull. Muscles can be classified in the following ways of how they interact
in the system of the body: agonist, antagonist, etc… For the purposes of class we will label
muscles as either flexors or extenders. In the early 1970’s a researcher by the name of Dr.
Richard Schmidt began to publish literature on motor control/learning in humans, more
specifically how we as humans learn to move. Schmidt developed the most widely held construct
on human movement: schema theory. A schema is a set of rules that constitute a mental labeling
system. For example, you see a four legged fury animal with a wagging tail and someone tells
you that this is a dog, you now have a general schema for what a dog is. Schema learning works
by first choosing a generalized motor program, or GMP, and then adding the context specific
parameters that are needed to perform the task at that time [19]. A GMP is a general
classification for movements that hold a unique set of characteristics between trials [19]. From
the GMP movement is refined and new motor programs/schema are created for each desired
groupings of movement. It is these GMP that are the basis for all human movement. There have
been many strength and conditioning coaches and researchers that have taken these GMP
principles and have labeled them for movement classifications: Dan John, Mark Verstegen,
Alwyn Cosgrove, Paul Chek, Gray Cook, Mike Boyle, Dr. Stuart McGill, etc… These
classifications are as follows:

Push - A push can be defined as the ability of the upper body to exert force away from
the body. An example would be bench press. The GMP is pushing, the refined schema
would then be a barbell bench press.

Pull – A pull can be defined as the ability of the upper body to exert force toward the
body. An example of this would be a bent over row. The GMP is pulling, the refined
schema would then be the bent over row.

Squat – A squat can be defined as maximal hip and maximal knee flexion or the ability of
the lower body to exert force vertically pushing away from the ground. Some also
classify this as a lower body push. An example of this would be the barbell back squat.
The GMP is squatting, the refined schema would then be the barbell squat.
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STAC 125 - Flexibility and Functional Fitness

Hinge – A hinge can be defined as maximal hip with minimal knee flexion or the ability
of the lower body to exert force pulling the load off of the ground. Some also classify this
as a lower body pull. An example of this would be a deadlift. The GMP is hinging/ lower
body pulling, the refined schema would be the deadlift.

Rotation/Anti-Rotation – A rotational movement would be considered a twist, throw,
etc… An anti-rotational movement would be resisting that movement. An example of an
ant-rotational movement would be a one arm dumbbell bench press; the body wants to
rotate due to the load, but the body must resist the rotation.

Loaded Carry – The ability to carry load for distance or time is an important component
for movement. Carrying rocks, logs, animals, children are all essential for growth and
development of humans. It is also a valuable training tool that works the entire body. An
example of this would be a farmers’ walk.

Ground work – Ground work encompasses any movement that requires one to have
integrity with the environment around them. The last classification is an important one
during maturation and during aging. When children are born they explore the world
around them by rolling, rocking, crawling, etc… These movements are important both to
develop the muscular system but also the nervous system. It is also important for older
adults to be able to get to and from the ground as falls are one of the greatest predictors
for mortality rates in America. These type of movements have been shown to decrease
the effects of learning disabilities, stroke victims, and autism as well as helping
individuals move and feel better. Ground work also consists of using the upper
extremities to create movement like monkey bars or climbing a rope. Examples of ground
work are: Turkish get-ups, brachiating, crawling, etc…
It is important to note that each of the main movement patterns (push, pull, squat, hinge,
rotational/anti-rotational, loaded carries) can all be performed both bilaterally and unilaterally.
One of the main reasons to utilize unilateral training is due to the phenomenon of bilateral
deficient. Bilateral deficient is, in essence, a reduced capacity of a two limbed activity when
compared to a combined one arm activity [11]. This is mostly seen in activities a standing
position. An example of this is an over-head press. If an individual can press with each arm 100
pounds, they typically cannot press 200 pounds with both arms at the same time. Dan John
explained it this way: “If you are pressing, you have two legs, one back, and two arms. The
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limiting factor is how much your back can handle. That is why you can press more each arm
combined at a time than you can both at the same time.” Performing both unilateral and bilateral
exercises also challenges the body in different ways and provides opportunity for better form
depending on the needs of the individual. Both should be utilized in a balanced program.
This class will facilitate mobility in the joints that need to be mobile, stabilize the ones that
should be stable, stretch what’s tightening, strengthen what’s weakening, and train the
fundamental human movement patterns (GMPs).
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Training the Core [16, 17]
There are many myths, half-truths, and full lies about proper core training. Dr. Stuart
McGill is the world expert in low back disorders, this section is a brief synthesis of his material
found on his website www.backfitpro.com and his books/articles. This section will attempt to
give a brief understanding of what the research demonstrates, as well as safe practices for
increasing core strength and endurance.
The core, for our purposes, can be defined as everything from the shoulders to the knees
in 3600 . The main purpose of the rectus abdominus is to resist hyper-extension, not to crunch.
Flexion, repetitive and loaded, may result in disc herniation or prolapse and pain. This is
something to avoid and yet walk into most gyms and you will find many individuals performing
crunches, which is a mechanism of injury! There is a difference between flexion movement and
flexion moment. Flexion movement is the act of moving the spine forward. Flexion moment
occurs by the core having to create enough strength to resist that movement. Both are healthy to
perform, especially unloaded, however repeated and cumulative flexion movement results in
trauma that leads to injury. This occurs by each cycle of flexion on the spine straining the layers
of collagen in the spinal discs resulting delamination. Each individual is different in the amount
of load and cycles to cause injury. However, the greater the load and cycles the faster a disc
bulge will occur. It is this cumulative and compounding effect that many misunderstand and lash
out against the science of proper core training.
Here are some examples of poor core exercise selections and their effects on the body:
Exercise
Effect
Back Extension
6000 N of compressive force
Bent Leg Sit Up
3350 N of compressive force
Straight Leg Sit Up
3506 N of compressive force
Hanging Bent Leg Raise
3313 N of compressive force
Curl up on ball
4000 N of compressive force
Prone Superman
4300 N of compressive force
*It must be noted that the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has placed a cap
on movement load for individuals at 3400N per cycle.
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Most people with low back pain lack sufficient core muscle endurance and not strength.
Recently Childs et al. performed a study comparing sit-ups versus core stabilization exercises in
training as an exercise intervention to improve the sit-up test in the military. It was found that
those only performing sit-ups at the beginning and end of the 16 week study for testing while
performing the core stabilization exercises had the highest re-test numbers when compared to the
group who practiced sit-ups for the duration of the study [5]. This speaks to the value of flexion
moment training versus movement training.
Core training should focus on flexion moment endurance training. The four key goals for
creating proper core function are: to create proximal stiffness and stability for distal athleticism,
to create a guy wire system to facilitate successful load bearing, stiffness eliminates micromovements in the joints that lead to pain and tissue degeneration, and to build body armor.
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STAC 125 - Flexibility and Functional Fitness
Self-Myofascial Release
Self-Myofascial Release (SMFR) is a method of massage therapy that individuals can
perform alone or with the aid of a partner. This is why many refer to it as the “poor man’s
massage”. The most widely used item for SMFR is a foam roller: a 36” long 6” in diameter piece
of hard foam, or pvc pipe covered in a thin layer of foam and clothe. Other items that are used
for SMFR are: The Stick, Tiger Tails, lacrosse ball, golf ball, softball, baseball, etc… The
purpose/goal of SMFR is to correct muscle imbalances, alleviate muscle soreness, relieve joint
stress, improve neuromuscular efficiency, improve range of motion, and restores proper balance
to soft tissue [14]. The SMFR technique involves small movements back and forth over a SMFR
tool beginning at one end of the area and going to the other. This applies pressure to the
treatment area, which then provides a stretch to the tissue and generates friction. This friction
heats the tissue up which results in fibrous adhesion break up and a restoration of soft-tissue
extensibility [15]. Foam rolling has been demonstrated to increase flexibility without decreasing
contractile properties or performance ability [15, 24]. Typically, individuals should practice
SMFR prior and post exercise, it can also be done throughout the day as needed.
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STAC 125 - Flexibility and Functional Fitness
Warm-Ups
Imagine, for a moment, that each muscle in your body is a rubber band. Now consider what
happens to a rubber band when it is cold outside and it is put on stretch. The band will snap! This
is the reason that prior to exercise we should attempt to increase the blood flow and temperature
of the muscles to prevent the bands from breaking. There are two main ways of increasing
core/body temperature: active and passive. Active warmups are most easily seen in sport where
the components include: increase in pulse rate, dynamic flexibility drills, muscle activation drills,
etc… Whereas a passive warmup would include things like steam room, hot shower, sauna,
etc… In this class we will be following an active warmup prescription.
An active warmup should include the following components:

Increases the core temperature / increase the pulse [21, 26]

Activates the nervous system [26]

Lengthens, strengthens, stabilizes, and balances muscles [26]
o Mobilize the muscles and dynamic stretch and movement based-flexibility[21]

Prepares you for more challenging movements [21, 26]

Muscle re-education

Movement pattern re-education
For most individuals the emphasis for muscle re-education should be focused on the things we sit
on constantly, our glutes, and what has been named and renamed over the past forty or so years,
our core which consists of everything from our shoulders to our knees and in all 3600 . In this
class the warm-up will generally consist of the following:
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WARM-UPS
Movement
Load
Reasoning
Crocodile breathing
x5
Re-establish diaphragmatic breathing
Rolling
x3ea
Enhance core stability, rotational function,
and overall function of the upper and lower
extremities
Rocking w/head nod
2x5
Aide in finding proper squat mechanics and
CNS reset
Crawling
2x5
Shoulder health, improve core functioning,
restoration of movement
Six point t-spine rotation
x5ea
Improve thoracic mobility
Prone Batwings
x5 10 sec
Strength rhomboids
Shoulder taps
x10ea
Core strength
Rolling TGU
x5ea
Connecting the core
Glute bridges
x10
Strength glutes
World's greatest stretch
x3ea
Stretch hip flexors, hamstrings, thoracic
mobility
Inch Worm
x5
Shoulder and Core strength, hamstring
stretch
Windmill
3x5
Hip and thoracic mobility
SL RDL
x5ea
Hip mobility
Goblet squat
3x5
Patterning of squat
Marching Suitcase Carry
3x5ea
Movement restoration and stabilization of
core
Bulgarian goat bag swings
3x5
Patterning of hinge
Add halos or kb arm-bars on days where pressing is utilized
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Recommended Reading
Author
Dan John
Title
Intervention: Course Corrections for the Athlete and Coach
Never Let Go
Fat Loss Happens on Monday
Mike Boyle
Functional Training for Sports
Advances in Functional Training
Gray Cook
Athletic Body in Balance
Movement
Mark Verstegen
Core Performance (series)
Every Day is Game Day
Stuart McGill
Low Back Disorders
Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance
Allan Collins
The Complete Guide to Functional Training
Tim Anderson and Geoff Nupert
Original Strength
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STAC 125 - Flexibility and Functional Fitness
Basic Anatomy
Muscles to know:
http://health-and-fitness- it- is.com/muscular-anatomy-physiology
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STAC 125 - Flexibility and Functional Fitness
Basic Anatomy
Bones to know:
http://www.tutorvista.com/science/diagram-of- internal-organs
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STAC 125 - Flexibility and Functional Fitness
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