Training Tip #6

Training Tip #6 Respect the nervous system!

The nervous system is the last frontier in strength training and athletic development. By changing our focus from training to muscles to training the nervous system we will see our results skyrocket! Here are some practical examples of how we can work with the nervous system.

Lifting weights: Ideally we should perform the concentric portion of all lifts as fast as possible. What this does is to take advantage of what is known in neurology as the size principle. This principle states that motor units (which control our muscle fibers) are recruited in an orderly fashion from our smallest to our largest. Our largest motor units control our fast twitch IIB muscle fibers, which have the most potential for growth and strength development.  These are the muscle fibers that are used by sprinters, gymnasts and all other strength athletes. When we lift a load at sub-maximal speed or one that is too light, we do not have a need to recruit the fast twitch muscle fibers. We need to find a balance between a fast enough speed and a heavy load. This principle is espoused in the writings of Chad Waterbury, Eric Cressey, Christian Thibadeau and many others.

Mobility – By mobilizing our joints we mobilize our nervous system. This improves recruitment of all muscles surrounding the joints. By doing this, we send messages back to the brain that tell the brain that the joint is more stable which will allow the muscles to relax. This is the principle behind Z Health, Scott Sonnon’s work and many others.

Stretching – By syncing our stretching with breathing, we can utilize the nervous system to increase flexibility. If we go deeper into the stretch on an exhale while nasal breathing we stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the rest and digest nervous system. This allows for better recovery and an increased stretch in the muscle. This is the approach used by Ann and Chris Frederick in their book Stretch to Win.

Soft tissue regeneration: Have you ever seen a trigger point is a piece of steak? I haven’t yet. This is because the nervous system controls our muscular system. Buy training our nervous system to effectively recruit our muscles in the right sequences, we can eliminate trigger points in a much less painful manner.

So there are 4 ways the nervous system can be used to improve performance. Over the next few weeks I will discuss some more methods to improve our nervous system, using nutrition and some other therapies.