ACTIVITY PREP
Purpose:
  • Increase heart rate
  • Increase blood flow to active muscle groups
  • Decrease antagonistic inhibition and increase motor neuron excitability
  • Increase coordination and body awareness
  • Increase active flexibility
  • Decrease the chance for muscular imbalances
  • Decrease chance for injury
Functional Foundation
Current research demonstrates that static stretching prior to activity decreases motor unit recruitment, motor unit synchronization, and rate of force production. This would be contraindicated prior to initiating dynamic functional activities. Active flexibility and controlled dynamic flexibility decrease antagonistic inhibition and increase motor neuron excitability. It is more appropriate to perform a dynamic functional warm-up prior to activity and then perform static stretching for a warm-down post activity.

The importance of control of center of gravity cannot be emphasized enough. To change direction quickly in a controlled manner, you must have the functional strength to lower center of gravity. Many young athletes are not aware of the importance of the hip musculature and the role it plays in activities. The external rotators and frontal plane stabilizers also play a major role in prevention of acute and chronic injury by helping to control pronation of the lower extremities.
CORE STRENGTHENING
Purpose
  • Increase overall strength
  • Decrease chance for acute injury
  • Decrease chance for chronic injury
  • Increase body awareness
  • Increase transfer of power
  • Increased stabilization
  • Increased mobility
Functional Foundation
Most athletes train their core stabilizers inadequately compared to other muscle groups. When performing these exercises incorrectly or at a level that is too advanced, you expose the athlete to injury. Research has shown that decreased firing of the transverse abdominus, internal oblique, multifidus, and deep erector spinae leads to chronic low back pain. Performing core exercises without proper muscle contraction does not allow for proper muscle length tension relationships and leads to inefficient neuromuscular control in the kinetic chain. We must focus on the body’s ability to stabilize and transmit forces produced through the lower extremities.
NEUROMUSCULAR STABILIZATION (BALANCE)
Purpose
  • Increased stabilization
  • Increase proprioception
  • Increased dynamic balance
  • Increase neuromuscular coordination
  • Decrease chance injury (acute and/or chronic)
Functional Foundation
Neuromuscular efficiency enables the body’s neuromuscular systems to synergistically produce force, reduce force, and dynamically stabilize the entire kinetic chain in all three planes of motion. Neuromuscular efficiency enables a person to maintain their balance during functional movement patterns whether competing on the field of play or participating in day-to-day activity. Balance is the highly integrated and dynamic process that involves the interaction of multiple neurological pathways. It makes it possible for the body to maintain its center of gravity over its base of support. Balance is a component of all movement whether strength, speed, skill, or flexibility dominates the movement in question.

Proprioception is the cumulative neural input to the central nervous system from all mechanoreceptors that sense position and limb movement. Position sense is largely mediated through the muscular mechanoreceptors and structural integrity and joint position sense is mediated through the articular mechanoreceptors.

DYNAMIC NEUROMUSCULAR BALANCE
Purpose
  • Increase mobility
  • Increased stabilization
  • Increased neuromuscular efficiency
  • Decreased chance of injury(Over use injury, acute injury, overcompensation ailments)
Functional Foundation
Defined as the training designed to create movement symmetry between right and left sides of body to promote a balance of mobility and stability with the body.
MOBILITY & STABILITY
Purpose
  • Increase joint range of motion (dynamic flexibility)
  • Increase joint stabilization
  • Increase mobility
  • Increased balance
  • Increase neuromuscular effeciency
  • Increase control of force and torque
  • Decrease chance of injury
Functional Foundation
Mobility (level of muscle tightness or joint stiffness) and Stability (level of strength, coordination, or control) most coexist to create efficient movement in the human body. While strength can be defined as the ability to produce force or movement, stability is the ability to control force or movement. In some cases, stability is a precursor to strength. In movement patterns the first muscles to contract are stabilizers and the second are the movers. Mobility and stability training should precede strength and endurance and strength and endurance should precede power, speed, and agility.

The term Mobility represents much more than simple muscular flexibility. It includes the way multiple body segments, such as the hips, pelvis, and trunk region, in functional situations. Mobility represents muscle flexibility, joint range of motion, and multisegmental interaction of the body parts in functional positions and movement patterns.

The term Stability isn’t a representation of strength. It is more a representation of body control through strength coordination, balance, and efficiency of movement. Stability can be divided into static and dynamic categories. Static stability is the maintenance of posture and balance. Dynamic stability is the production and control of movement and includes: Mobility, Strength, Coordination, Local muscular endurance, and cardiovascular fitness. Stability cannot be optimal if mobility and flexibility are not optimal. Strength is only one component of dynamic stability. To create efficient movement, all five components must work together.

Proximal stability (control) must precede distal mobility (movement). This means that the athlete must train the muscles of the core and trunk adequately before focusing on the extremities.

RESISTANCE TRAINING
Purpose
  • Increased mobility
  • Increased stabilization
  • Increased muscle size
  • Increased bone density
  • Increased tendon tensile strength
  • Increased joint range of motion
  • Increase overall strength
  • Increased transfer of power
  • Increase neuromuscular control
  • Increased biomechanical efficiency
Functional Foundation
Strength and endurance should be thought of as work. Force times distance equals work, and the goal is to produce the greatest amount of work with the least amount of effort. Strength is the ability to produce work. It is usually thought of as work intensity and volume over a short period of time. Effective resistance training can produce hypertrophy, or muscle growth.

Strength and Power are often used synonymously. However, they have two different qualities. Strength is the ability to generate force, lift, or move resistance. Power is how fast you lift or move that resistance. One of the major purposes of strength training is to transfer strength adaptations to power. Although strength and power compliment one another, strength training does not optimized power or vise versa. It’s important to blend strength and power to maximize functional athletic performance.

ABSORPTION & DECELERATION
Purpose
  • Increase use of hips
  • Decrease chance of injury
  • Increase dynamic balance
  • Increase proprioception
  • Increase neuromuscular efficiency
Functional Foundation
The ability for the body to recognize situations and react accordingly will enable us to reduce the amount of self-inflicted injuries. The compression of the articular receptors facilitates reflex joint stabilization. Optimum landing mechanics and postural alignment facilitate optimum neuromuscular efficiency. There is a direct relationship between the ability to decelerate and stabilize and the ability to produce multidirectional power.
PLYOMETRICS
Purpose
  • Increase use of hips
  • Decrease chance for injury
  • Increase dynamic balance
  • Increase proprioception
  • Increase neuromuscular efficiency
  • Increase transfer of power
  • Decrease amortization phase
  • Increase power
  • Increase speed of movement in all planes
  • Increase efficiency of movement in all planes
  • Increase body awareness
  • Increase coordination
Functional Foundation:
The ability for the body to recognize situations and react accordingly will enable us to reduce the amount of self-inflicted injuries. The compression of the articular receptors facilitates reflex joint stabilization. Optimum landing mechanics and postural alignment facilitate optimum neuromuscular efficiency. There is a direct relationship between the ability to decelerate and stabilize and the ability to produce multidirectional power.

Most athletes train their core stabilizers inadequately compared to other muscle groups. When performing these exercises incorrectly or at a level that is too advanced, you expose the athlete to injury. Research has shown that decreased firing of the transverse abdominus, internal oblique, multifidus, and deep erector spinae leads to chronic low back pain. Performing core exercises without proper muscle contraction does not allow for proper muscle length tension relationships and leads to inefficient neuromuscular control in the kinetic chain. We must focus on the body’s ability to stabilize and transmit forces produced through the lower extremities.

Plyometric training uses the elastic and proprioceptive properties of a muscle to generate maximum force production. (Think athletic movement). Plyometric training stimulates the body’s mechanoreceptors to facilitate a increase in muscle recruitment over a minimal amount of time. Muscle spindles and golgi tendon organs provide the proprioceptive basis for Plyometric training, thus the focus should be on speed of contraction and amplitude of movement. If we are to train the muscles to contract at maximum speeds utilizing the potential energy created by an eccentric contraction, we must first teach the athlete efficient methods to practice the drills. A major focus is placed on technique, for if technique is not proper we defeat the purpose of this type of training.
SPEED, AGILITY, QUICKNESS, & REACTION (SAQR)
Purpose
  • Increase stride efficiency
  • Decrease wasted movement
  • Increase speed
  • Increase first step quickness
  • Decrease time to top speed
Functional Foundation
Current research demonstrates that specificity of training better promotes carry over to the actual task to be performed. Thus, the more similar the exercise to the actual task, skill, or movement the better the chance for transference.

Transfer of learning has also been shown to be enhanced by varying the conditions in which the task is performed (different planes, multi-sensory, multidimensional). We are attempting to correct bad habits and replace them with functional efficient motions. This requires repetition on a massive scale. These motions must become subconscious in order to be useful for the athlete. We are also teaching speed for team sports vs. sprinting events which is very different in that it requires deceleration, stabilization, and acceleration in multiple planes.

In order to sprint efficiently and to incorporate all muscle groups required in sprinting, the body must attain a proper posture and maintain it through all phases of the sprint. The main elements of this posture relates to the position of the hips relative to the torso and shin angle relative to back angle. In order to access the power producing muscles we must first establish proper length tension relationships by reinforcing good posture and proper mechanics. Virtually all sports require acceleration in more that one direction. We must train the athlete in a manner that will help them to recognize situations and react accordingly and efficiently.

The definition of lateral speed and agility is the ability to recognize and react to the proper stimulus, start quickly, move in the correct direction, change direction if necessary and stop quickly to make the play. The process starts with recognition to the stimulus which may be auditory, visual, or kinesthetic or a combination of the three. The stimulus “cues” the athlete that something familiar is going to happen. If we can train the athletes pick up the stimulus and react in a balanced, explosive fashion this will enable them to expend less energy and have a higher level of success.

RESTORATION
Purpose
  • AIS improves oxygenation of nutrition of myofascial structures promoting growth and repair.
  • AIS stimulates the circulation and drainage of lymph, which helps eliminate metabolic waste.
  • AIS improves flexibility and health of muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
  • AIS breaks down the friction and “gluing” among fascial sheathes.
  • AIS separates fibrosis and breaks down adhesions that may result from trauma or inflammation.
  • AIS realigns collagen fibers.
  • AIS reduces muscle spasm.
  • AIS reduces the risk of muscle strain and tear.
Functional Foundation
The efficiency, precision and freedom with which the athlete is able to move will help regulate athletic performance. Efficiency is dependent upon training and conditioning. Facilitated stretching allows for more intense training. Restrictions from pain, spasms, and tension inhibit freedom of movement. Without freedom of movement, precision is adversely affected. The Mattes Method with Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) reduces many of these restrictions.