Flexibility: Keeping What You Earned
Posted by EasyFlexibility Team on
A large part of EasyFlexibility is keeping what you earned. Nothing is more frustrating than to go through a warm up and stretching session and see results, only to start from square one next time. For this reason we focus on retention of flexibility, just as much as its development.
Instructors taking EF certifications often come across two (at first glance) similar looking concepts. Both of them are part of retention side. Some of those techniques can be:
- Movement and Habituation
- Strength
Real quick for newbies
To retain the flexibility one has developed as the result of Zaichik Stretching techniques, we can use either Strength or Movement exercises in the newly developed ranges.
Strength Exercises are divided into 3 parts
Extended Length Conditioning: Same muscle groups as were stretched Antagonist Short Length Conditioning: Opposite muscles to the ones stretched Peripheral Conditioning: Not agonists and not antagonists
Movement and Habituation Techniques on the other hand are more flexible and don't have to focus on a specific group of muscles, but they can.
Cossack Squats
The gray area between the two techniques is the topic of today's article. An example that I use is Cossack Squats.
- Performed with body only or with additional resistance they are strength exercises.
- Performed without much resistance and for many repetitions they can become movement exercises.
While they don't look like any specific split, they do develop the joint position and muscles used in a Side Split.
To remove the resistance, the movement is performed laterally, without coming up. At the same time holding on to an object allows the arm to take some pressure and lighten the load of the lower body.
Quick Note
The Retention techniques are effective, when there is something to retain. Zaichik Stretching exercises should proceed the retention techniques.
Click Here to Learn More About our Extended Length Conditioning for Lower Body Program!
© ElasticSteel Corp., EasyFlexibility, Paul Zaichik, et. El., 2022. No part of the materials available through ElasticSteel.com, EasyFlexiiblity.com, site may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of Paul Zaichik EasyFlexibility.com, Elasticsteel.com.. Any other reproduction in any form without the permission of Paul Zaichik EasyFlexibility.com, Elasticsteel.com is prohibited. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Paul Zaichik, EasyFlexibility.com, Elasticsteel.com.
Quick Note
The Retention techniques are effective, when there is something to retain. Zaichik Stretching exercises should proceed the retention techniques.
You might also like...
Want to be flexible? Sometimes you need to go beyond stretching the muscle
Suspended Split Progression
The Symbiosis of Strength and Flexibility
"I try the stretch. BUT... I feel it in the WRONG Place", Please help!
Flexibility vs Pliability
