INLINE Lengthened Resistance Training™ with Josh Kirk
You will often hear that certain types of training creates long lean muscles. Soon afterwards an offended weightlifter may declare “you cannot make muscles longer!”. Soon the conversation descends into muscle builder vs. Pilates / Yoga types clamoring for positions on who is correct. In part one of this blog I hope to reach a peace by using a broadened vision of what muscle length really means to the body. In part 2 I will address the word “lean”, discuss fat vs. girth, and the aesthetic appeal of balance.
It is true that the potential length of any muscle is finite. A muscle will only stretch so far before tearing. You are limited as to the distance your bones can move away from each other.
However, there are many shorter lengths your muscles can assume. Your muscle length at any moment determines how far one bone is away from another. The sum of all your muscle lengths and bone to bone distances results in your posture. Your standing posture at rest defines your actual muscle lengths, not your potential lengths.
When you assume a shortened posture many of your potential muscle lengths are also reduced. Simply put; you slouch, your bones move together, and your muscles are shorter than they otherwise could be.
The longer you stay in an abridged posture the stiffer your muscles become and your potential for muscle length and upright posture is decreased. If you develop muscle girth while living with daily poor posture, the effect is enhanced.
Necks get lost in upper backs, knees flex too much or hyper-extend backwards, shoulders roll in and chests collapse, rib cages fall and stomachs pooch. The results of overly short or slack muscles are reflected in the human postural imbalances all around you. Unfortunately, these imbalances are rarely taken into account by many fitness programs.
If you train for muscle balance, emphasize strength in a lengthened position, and maintain optimal posture your muscles will exist in a longer state. It is correct to say that the full potential length of the muscle is unchanged by training. But we exist not at our potential, only varying degrees of it. Thus, what you see is what you get.
Among other training modes, INLINE Lengthened Resistance Training ™ and Pilates have optimal muscle length, strength, and posture at the core of their purpose. They will help you unravel your individual muscle and posture potential.
The post The Truth About Lengthened Muscles : Part 1 appeared first on INLINE Fitness.
