RBT Resistance Band Training

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 46510 [post_author] => 4170 [post_date] => 2021-03-03 21:34:45 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-03-03 21:34:45 [post_content] => Is rotation dangerous?    Are exercises like the one shown below an injury hazard?    Barbell Hanging Rotations - YouTube    Let me ask you something, do you play golf? Or tennis? Pickleball? Softball? Basketball? Hockey? Baseball? Football?    Do you do yard work? Or garden? Carry things? Shovel?    If so, your body is going to rotate. It happens. It is one of the 3 primary planes of movement that we must have proficiency in.    When we look at our core structurally, we will see that 87.5% of the musculature is directed horizontally or diagonally (as opposed to vertically) (1). This would tell us that the human body, specifically the core, is built in a manner to allow for rotation.    Now, in no way am I prescribing that exercise shown above. It is extremely advanced and would need to be correct given your context. However, if you look at that and call it dangerous, check out the video of tiger woods swinging a golf club below, and let’s ask the question, using the same logic, is this dangerous?   Tiger Woods Slow Mo Driver Swing | TaylorMade Golf - YouTube   Our body’s are built to move and explore. As part of that, they are built to rotate (and also resist rotation - but that’s a topic for another day), and unless we train it, utilize it and perfect it, we will lose that ability. Further, if we wish to complete athletic movements that challenge us in a rotational manner, like golf, we need to expose our body’s to those movement patterns prior to completing them in the more stressful manner of sport.    What actually is rotation?    When looking at the joint level, we see that certain bodily segments were created to drive rotation: the hips, spine and shoulders primarily. Smaller joints like the wrists and ankles also create rotation, but do so in a more isolated manner. Being able to obtain adequate levels of rotation at the individual joint level is a prerequisite before we can look more holistically. For example, lacking lead hip internal rotation in the golf swing has been shown to increase the amount of torque (and subsequent injury risk) placed on the lower back (2,3,4). Let’s solve the mobility issue locally, by increasing our lead hip internal rotation, and then we can translate that into our holistic movement.    Looking through a holistic lens, we build bodily rotation by connecting our various joint rotations. Re-watch that video of Tiger and notice a few things:  1.) His hips create rotation via internal and external rotation 2.) His upper body creates rotation via thoracic spine rotation, building hip and shoulder separation 3.) His shoulders create rotation via retraction, elevation and external rotation   All of these items combine to create Tiger's elite levels of holistic rotation, and guess what? Your movement system does the same thing (maybe to a slightly less degree).   All rotational movement is loaded in a similar manner (whether its golfing, playing softball, raking leaves, shoveling snow...). Knowing this, let’s continue to expose our body’s to rotation so that they are equipped to handle it, and thrive with it.   Would a boxer ever not train a punching movement?    Would a football kicker ever not practice kicking?    Then why should a human being not train for rotation?   Rotation may be the missing key that unlocks your movement in a newfound way.  . . . Here’s 5 exercises you can do with bands that will help boost your rotation in a low impact, low risk manner: 

1. High plank band pull-a-part rotations 
2. ½ Kneeling band pull-a-part rotations
3. In-line banded wood chops 
4. Banded reverse lunge with rotation 
5. Banded mountain climbers - knee to opposite elbow.

  Let's go low!   [carter_signature]   Sources 

1. Santana, J.C. 2000. Functional Training: Breaking the Bonds of Traditionalism (Companion Guide). Boca Raton, FL: Optimum Performance Systems.
2. Nic Saraceni, Kevin Kemp-Smith, Peter O’Sullivan, and Amity Campbell (2018). The Relationship Between Lead Hip Rotation and Low Back Pain in Golfers– A Pilot Investigation. International Journal of Golf Science, 2017, 6, 130 -141
3. Vad VB, Bhat AL, Basrai D, Gebeh A, Aspergren DD, Andrews JR. Low back pain in professional golfers: the role of associated hip and low back range-of-motion deficits. Am J Sports Med. 2004;32(2):494-497. doi:10.1177/0363546503261729
4. Murray, E., Birley, E., Twycross-Lewis, R., & Morrissey, D. (2009). The relationship between hip rotation range of movement and low back pain prevalence in amateur golfers: an observational study. Physical Therapy in Sport, 10(4), 131-135.

[post_title] => Rethinking Rotation [post_excerpt] => Is rotation dangerous? Are exercises like the one shown below an injury hazard?  Let me ask you something, do you play golf? Or tennis? Pickleball? Softball? Basketball? Hockey? Baseball? Football? Do you do yard work? Or garden? Carry things? Shovel? If so, your body is going to rotate. It happens. It is one of the 3 primary planes of movement that we must have proficiency in.  [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => rethinking-rotation [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2021-03-24 18:25:17 [post_modified_gmt] => 2021-03-24 18:25:17 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://resistancebandtraining.com/?p=46510 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ID: 46510Array ( [0] => 1824 )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 46508 [post_author] => 4170 [post_date] => 2021-03-03 21:34:22 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-03-03 21:34:22 [post_content] => The golf swing is fueled by both rotation and anti-rotation, although these two items directly oppose one another. A successful golf swing has both, to many differing degrees. In the end, an interdependence needs to be built between the two, in order to produce your most successful swing possible.   What is rotation?   The definition of rotation is, “the action of rotating around an axis or center.” Understanding this and applying it to the human body we will notice that nearly all joints work via rotation. Flexing the forearm via the bicep initiates rotation around the elbow (the axis point). The same goes for the hamstring and quadricep muscles with axis points of the knee and hip. Rotation is everywhere within our body.   Now take a step back and let’s look at rotation in a holistic manner. If we wish to build high levels of holistic rotation, we need to obtain the ability to dissociate (separate) our hips and shoulders.   Try this once: Stand up, pretend your feet are screwed into the floor. Try rotating as far as you can clockwise with your hips and shoulders staying in line with (stacked on top of) one another. Now, try again but let your shoulders separate from your hips, further rotating our upper half clockwise.   How much further could you get when you separated your hips and shoulders?   Hopefully a lot.   This is holistic rotation and it represents one of the major fuel sources of the golf swing.   At the top of the backswing, the most effective golfers create what is called the X-Factor (and the subsequent X-Factor Stretch). The X-Factor represents the amount of hip and shoulder separation we achieve at the top of the golf swing. The more separation we can obtain, the greater the loading mechanism of our swing.   Think of it like snapping a rubber band. If you limit the magnitude of pull on the rubber band, the snap won’t be nearly as aggressive as compared to if you max-out the pullback.   Load to explode!   And research agrees. Studies have shown that driving distance is correlated with the amount of hip and shoulder separation golfers can achieve (1).   Check out the image below showcasing Rory’s holistic rotation (5):   There are 3 potential explanations as to why the larger loading mechanism creates a more powerful subsequent downswing:  1.) The greater load we place on muscles, when rapid enough, the greater stretch shortening cycle (SSC) we can elicit. The SSC is the human body’s way of creating massive amounts of power. When we load a muscle in a rapid manner, elastic energy is stored in the musculotendinous unit and our stretch reflex is activated. As we unload, both of these items lead to enhanced power output of the contracting muscle. Therefore, if we load the proper muscles during the backswing, and do so in a manner large enough and rapid enough, we can elicit higher levels of SSC activity and create a more powerful downswing (2). 2.) By creating a larger hip and shoulder separation, we can potentially achieve higher levels of muscle cross-bridge formation (3). Within the muscle, small filaments are responsible for linking together and pulling on one another to elicit contractions. The more linkages created, based on the muscle's length : tension relationship, the more forceful the contraction will be. By creating a bigger separation, we may be capable of forming more links, and therefore a more forceful downswing. 3.) A bigger separation means more time spent during the downswing - even if it is milliseconds. The summation of speed principle states that as we move through the downswing, the kinetic chain passes on forces in a manner that leads to compounding angular velocities. Essentially, the golf club is accelerating during the downswing, and therefore if we can make it a split-second longer, via greater rotation, we will achieve greater angular velocity as that acceleration window is expanded (2).   The impact each of these three mechanisms has on rotational power development is unclear and research has shown potential for all of them to be a leading differentiator, however, what is clear is that they all stem from the same underlying factor - rotation.   What is anti-rotation?   Anti-rotation is the ability to resist rotation.   From a bodily perspective, anti-rotation represents the ability to limit core rotation when an external force is applied that would normally elicit rotation. For example, let’s look at a kneeling pallof press, pictured below: As I extend my arms in front of me, the band creates a larger amount of torque (force * lever arm). If I were to lose tension in my core and let the force of the band win, my upper half would rotate counterclockwise. The band would pull me into rotation. However, by eliciting an anti-rotational contraction in my core, I can resist the rotational force.   Anti-rotation removes or limits hip and shoulder separation - the exact thing we were trying to achieve above.   Let’s look at the golf swing…   As discussed above, the transition and the downswing is initiated via rotational power (separation). However, after it has been initiated and accelerated, there needs to be segmental deceleration (anti-rotation) in more proximal bodily segments in order to develop tension and pass force through the kinetic chain.   Essentially, during the downswing, inertia becomes the external rotational force that our body attempts to halt via anti-rotational forces and tension.   Breaking the body up into segments, the hips and lower body initiate the downswing, the torso, shoulders, arms and club then follows. The summation of speed principle tells us that each bodily segment, moving from proximal to distal, will utilize the angular velocity and rotational force created at the previous segment, and compound upon it in order to develop a higher angular velocity. This then gets passed to the next segment, and so on, until it is maximized at the clubhead. In order for force and velocity to be passed to the next bodily segment, there needs to be a degree of deceleration, often created by the development of tension, and here’s why…   Pretend you are trying to pull a tire. You have 3 pulling mechanisms: A rubber band, a rope and a metal rod.   The rubber band requires you to remove all elasticity in order to develop tension, and then the tire will begin to move.   The rope, although there is no elasticity, still requires you to make it taut prior to tension being developed and pulling the tire.   The metal rod already has tension built into the system and you can begin pulling the tire immediately. The metal rod has the highest levels of tension and therefore transfers force best of the three.   Our body isn’t very different. In order to transfer force through our kinetic chain, we need to build muscular tension. In terms of the golf swing, proximal tension is developed via anti-rotational forces.   Check out the swing sequences below from a 2008 study by Cheetham et al (4): Notice the following:   First, the hips (pelvis) have the lowest max angular velocity of all the bodily segments, as it is the most proximal. The thorax (you can think about this as the torso) has the next lowest. Then the lead arm, and eventually angular velocity is maximized at the club. As we move from proximal to distal bodily segments, the angular velocity compounds and grows at a greater rate.   Second, I want you to notice how the next bodily segment does not maximize its angular velocity until the prior segment begins the process of deceleration. Oftentimes, deceleration is synonymous with tension development. For example, our thorax can’t develop it’s max angular velocity until our pelvis begins to decelerate (create tension). The lead arm isn’t maximized until our thorax begins to develop tension, etc. A professional (far left graph) will do this very effectively, leading to high clubhead speeds. Amateurs (middle and far right graph) struggle with this timing which may lead to a more inefficient swing - notice how their lead arm tends to maximize before their thorax.   Lastly, notice the extremely large jump the professional's angular velocity takes from the lead arm to the club. This is due to a more effective kinetic chain, passing force and velocity from one segment to the next in an efficient manner, which allows the compounding effect to be greater. Less force gets dissipated in the swing. The amateur's bodily angular velocities (pelvis, thorax and lead arm) aren’t much different than the pros, in terms of magnitude, but the jump from lead arm to club angular velocity is much lower due to inefficiency.   So, how does this all apply to anti-rotation?   Force and velocity get passed from one segment to the next, in part, via anti-rotational forces. Even though our body is rotating and accelerating into the downswing, a level of anti-rotational forces are created in order to pass force and maximize angular velocity at the clubhead.   Navigating the Grey Area   The big question we need to answer is how do we find the balance between these two very opposing subjects?   How can we maximize both?   First and foremost, as I tell everybody, the best way to train the golf swing is to play golf - seems obvious right? If you find you have an inefficient golf swing (cough, cough - guilty), step 1 is to practice.  Go to the range, go play 18, or find a golf coach that understands the intricacies of the golf swing.   Then, once we have an efficient golf swing, we can look at physical training as a mechanism to compound upon our swing and create a faster, healthier, and more powerful athlete.   ***Now, obviously we can improve both our golf swing and our physical abilities at the same time. However, in terms of priorities, perfecting the golf swing is #1.***   From a training perspective, the balancing act of rotation and anti-rotation will differ tremendously based on the context of your swing and golf game.   For an athlete with proper rotational abilities, we can begin to emphasize tension development and anti-rotation amongst rotational movement.   For an athlete without proper rotational abilities, the first step is to help them reach greater levels of rotation. Power in the golf swing begins with rotation, and it ends with anti-rotation. While both are necessary, anti-rotation is useless without proper rotational abilities first.   The interdependence built between rotation and anti-rotation will differ for every golfer. Some swings will place a higher emphasis on one over the other, however both will always be present. It is about finding the ideal interdependence that fits your athletic profile, your swing, your game, and your context.   Moral of the story:   Train both.   Golf more.   Hit bombs. . . . Let's go low. [carter_signature]   Sources  

1. Cheetham, P.J., Martin, P.E., Mottram, R.E., and St Laurent, B.F. The importance of stretching the "XFactor" in the downswing of golf: The "X-Factor Stretch." In P.R. Thomas (Ed.), Optimising performance in golf (pp. 192-199). Brisbane, Australia: Australian Academic Press. ISBN 1 875378 37 5. 2001.
2. Hume, Patria & Keogh, Justin & Reid, Duncan. (2005). The Role of Biomechanics in Maximising Distance and Accuracy of Golf Shots. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.). 35. 429-49. 10.2165/00007256-200535050-00005.
3. Read, Paul J.1; Lloyd, Rhodri S.2; De Ste Croix, Mark1; Oliver, Jon L.2 Relationships Between Field-Based Measures of Strength and Power and Golf Club Head Speed, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: October 2013 - Volume 27 - Issue 10 - p 2708-2713. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318280ca00
4. Cheetham, P. J., Rose, G. A., Hinrichs, R. N., Neal, R. J., Mottram, R. E., Hurrion, P. D. and Vint, P. F. 2008. “Comparison of kinematic sequence parameters between amateur and professional golfers”. In Science and Golf V: Proceedings of the World Scientific Congress of Golf, Edited by: Crews, D. and Lutz, R. 30–36. Mesa, AZ: Energy in Motion.
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3YksJdejog

  [post_title] => Rotation vs. Anti-Rotation: Best friends or worst enemies? [post_excerpt] => The golf swing is fueled by both rotation and anti-rotation, although these two items directly oppose one another. A successful golf swing has both, to many differing degrees. In the end, an interdependence needs to be built between the two, in order to produce your most successful swing possible. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => rotation-vs-anti-rotation-best-friends-or-worst-enemies [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2021-03-24 18:24:55 [post_modified_gmt] => 2021-03-24 18:24:55 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://resistancebandtraining.com/?p=46508 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ID: 46508Array ( [0] => 1824 )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 46506 [post_author] => 4170 [post_date] => 2021-03-03 21:33:54 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-03-03 21:33:54 [post_content] => Rotation is everywhere.    Sure, we can look at the major athletic movements that incorporate rotation: Golf, Baseball, Tennis.    But, it’s found in more than just those three.    A basketball player is playing defense, gets beat, and is forced to open his hips and run with the ball handler - Rotation.    A football wide receiver is running a 12 yard comeback. He starts to breakdown at the 9 yard mark, puts a foot in the ground at 12 yards, turns his hips towards the side line, where the ball hits him in stride - Rotation.   A volleyball player approaching a spike. It may seem that jumping and swinging is found permanently in the sagittal plane of motion, however, many elite jumpers, volleyball players included, will generate additional power via internal rotation of the femurs, increasing the stretch on the glutes and vastus lateralis - Rotation.    Now, while every athlete is different, the goal of this article is to outline the foundational aspects of building rotational power.    What allows Rory McIlroy to maintain a 118 mph clubhead speed?    Or Bryson DeChambeau’s 125 mph?   What is Mike Trout doing to produce an exit velocity of 95+ mph?   First, let’s dive into some physics…   The Physics   Newton's Second Law states that Force is the product of (Mass * Acceleration). Said another way, a body accelerates when acted upon by net external force.    For example, let’s say you attach a rope to a heavy sled. When you attempt to pull, the sled does not go anywhere. In this case, the external net force acting on the sled is 0. Your pulling force is equal to that of the frictional force acting in the opposite direction, and therefore, the object (in this case, the sled) does not move.    Now, your partner comes over to assist you in pulling the sled and it starts to move. You have created a pulling force that is larger than the frictional force opposing you, leading to the sled accelerating in the direction you are pulling it.    But, why does this matter for rotation?   The movement of the object being hit through the use of rotation (Golf ball, baseball, tennis ball, etc.), will be determined by the magnitude of the applied force (Mass * Acceleration). The larger the net force we can apply to the ball, the greater the change in momentum the ball will experience.    Lots of net force, lots of dingers.    The second principle of physics we need to understand is the Law of Momentum Conservation. According to this law, momentum, which underpins motion, will remain constant at all times within the system.    Relating it back to a golf example, all of the momentum we create within the golf club via internal bodily forces, will transmit into the golf ball at impact. Said another way, no momentum or energy is lost at impact. Because of this, the initial velocity of the golf ball (VBALL) at impact will be equal to the velocity of the clubhead (VCH), multiplied by the ratio of the mass of the clubhead (MCH) to the mass of the ball(MBALL) (5).   

VBALL = VCH * ( MCH / MBALL )

  The Law of Conservation of Momentum can also be applied when discussing transmitting forces throughout the body and into the club head - but we will dive into this later.   So, I’ll ask it again, why does this matter?    We need to understand the underlying mechanisms of movement and athletic success in rotational sports, in order to understand how we should train it.    Check out the visual below that does an awesome job at breaking down all the principles and underlying characteristics that impact rotational success and clubhead speed generation in the golf swing. Knowing the physics, and seeing this image, we can more clearly understand the trainable aspects of rotational success (highlighted in yellow): 

1. Create high levels of force. The more force we can create and transfer into the golf ball, the more momentum we can generate within it - Newton’s Second Law. 
2. The more velocity we can create within the clubhead (or bat, or tennis racket), the more velocity we can transfer into the golf ball (or baseball, or tennis ball) at impact, increasing the subsequent distance and momentum of the ball - Law of Conservation of Momentum. 

  Boom. Now let’s train it.    General Force Production    Rotational sports like golf, tennis, and baseball make use of extremely forceful movements. While being forceful, they are also fast. When we combine force with velocity, we arrive at power. However, that being said, strength (synonymous with force production, for purposes of this article) has been shown to be a determining variable when it comes to the creation of power as well as overall athletic success.    A 2016 literature review concluded the following:   

Greater muscular strength can enhance the force-time characteristics (e.g., RFD and external mechanical power) of an individual that can then translate to their athletic performance. Muscular strength is strongly correlated to superior jumping, sprinting, COD, and sport-specific performance (1).

  Further, when we look at research surrounding the golf swing we see that one differentiating factor in the elite players is their ability to generate large amounts of ground reaction forces during their swing (2,3).    Strength training can also offer other benefits outside of its contributions to force production, and subsequent power development, including: 

• Tissue integrity 
• Tension production 
• Tendon health
• Joint health
• Increased mobility 
• Core strength 

  The list goes on and on…    For our purposes, we simply need to understand that if the goal is to develop maximal rotational power, general force production abilities (strength) are a necessary foundational piece.    However, we similarly need to understand that strength training has a threshold, and it is a relative metric. There comes a point where the benefits achieved from strength training do not produce the same value that other mechanisms will produce. If an athlete already possesses the ability to produce large amounts of force, it is time we begin the process of expressing that force in a manner more specific to the rotational power shown in the batters box or on the tee box.    Expression of Power   As I mentioned earlier, almost all rotational movements in sport include the element of time, that is, there isn’t much of it. Even in golf, while you have as much time as you need to set up your shot, the actual swing is rapid, fast twitched, and, in many ways, reactive (just like baseball, or tennis, or hockey, or any other movement you find in the transverse plane)   

Power = [( Force * Displacement ) / Time]

Power = [ Force * Velocity ]

  Our body creates power in many different ways, one being the stretch shortening cycle (SSC). Other ways include high levels of concentric rate of force development. Check out the side bar below for a deep dive into the SSC and it’s potential contributions to rotational power.

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The stretch shortening cycle is the body’s way of utilizing our muscles' elasticity to produce huge amounts of power. There are two schools of thought here.    Mechanical Model   When our muscles are stretched, we store elastic energy in the musculotendinous. This elastic energy is then released when we reverse our movement and contract (shorten) our muscles - producing power.    Neurophysiological Model    When our muscles are stretched, proprioceptors in our muscle called muscle spindles are activated and send a signal to our central nervous system (CNS). Once received, this signal is bounced back to the muscle via neural pathways and tells the muscle to contract rapidly - producing power.    For example, say I am attempting to dunk a basketball. As I take my final step, my body naturally dips into a small squat in order to load my muscles. This loading mechanism places muscles under stretch, elongating them, and then, under the mechanical model, storing elastic energy in the musculotendinous unit. Under the neurophysiological model, this loading would trigger the activation of the proprioceptors within the muscle, sending a signal to the CNS. As I reverse my movement in the upwards direction, my muscles shorten and contract. Under the mechanical model, elastic energy is released in order to generate huge amounts of power. Under the neurophysiological model, the signal sent to the CNS is redirected, sent back to my muscle, telling it to contract rapidly.    It is unclear the exact level of significance the stretch shortening cycle has on clubhead speed and rotational power as a whole. Some research has shown correlations between concentric-only power movements and clubhead speed. This would indicate, along with the fact it takes about 290 milliseconds to complete the downswing, that the SSC may not be the largest contributor to clubhead speed (6). Under this assumption, the large amounts of force produced in the downswing would be created by enhanced cross bridge formation or increased time for angular acceleration. However, other research has shown that a larger, and more rapid, stretch placed on the muscles during the backswing will result in a more powerful subsequent downswing. This would insinuate that a degree of stretch-shortening is taking place (5).    In the end, while the exact level of significance the SSC has on the golf swing is unclear, the importance of power development and being able to showcase large amounts of force in rapid amounts of time is not arguable. If our goal is clubhead speed, we need to find a way to generate large amounts of force in a very short amount of time, and the SSC is one potential way our body will do so. 

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By making use of fast and forceful movements, we can increase our body’s ability to express force in a powerful and rapid manner. Training modalities such as plyometrics, ballistic training, sprinting, velocity based training, etc. can all be utilized to increase our body’s power output (so can strength training, up to a point).    A few of my favorite for rotational athletes: 

• Medicine Ball Rotational Scoop Throws (and all of the variations)
• Lateral Bounds 
• Sprinting + Curved Sprints 
• Unilateral jumps and bounds 
• Banded Starts

  Building Dissociation    Have you ever watched a rotational movement in slow motion - it’s jaw dropping.    It is the most beautiful movement in sport.    Check out this slow mo of Tiger Woods’ swing. There are three massive takeaways from this video: 

1. Notice how big his shoulder turn is during the backswing. 
2. To go along with #1, notice how his hips don't rotate as much as his shoulders during the backswing. 
3. Watch how significantly his hips lead the downswing and are always in front of his torso, arms, and the club. 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSKxfqYOuCs    We could watch a baseball swing and maintain those same takeaways, the only difference is there’s a much more limited backswing as the athlete begins the movement in a pre-loaded position. 

1. Shoulder turn away is still very prominent. 
2. Hips don’t rotate as much as the shoulders (although there is still a degree of hip turn to initiate and increase the angular displacement). 
3. Hips lead the movement. 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKeiaJ3a_aM    What these takeaways are showing us is the prominence of the X-Factor Stretch as a loading mechanism for rotational movements.     In order to load a jump, we squat down, placing a stretch on our quads, glutes, calves, etc. which will all subsequently contract and launch us into the air.    Rotationally, while it still is about placing a load on a muscle to build the stretch, and redirecting that stretch into a contraction, the mechanism of doing so is very different due to the fact that we don’t have gravity to help us load and we need to create rotation. The way rotational athletes create this stretch is by #1 and #2 discussed above. By turning the shoulders to a greater degree than the hips, we elongate the front side latissimus dorsi, obliques, and upper back, as well as the trailing side pec major. A slight hip hinge and trailing side internal rotation places the glutes in a loaded position, and frontside hip external rotation stretches the leading adductors.    Once stretched in the back swing, these muscles proceed to be contracted rapidly during the downswing, creating the rotational power we need.   This loading mechanism has been called the X-Factor Stretch in research and has been shown to be a leading differentiating factor between elite and ameteur golfers (4). The exact reason for this differentiating factor is unclear and has been given three potential causes: 

1. A larger stretch creates a bigger loading mechanism, and therefore a more powerful subsequent downswing via the stretch shortening cycle. 
2. A larger stretch potentially enhances the neuromuscular systems length:tension relationships,  allowing for increased crossbridge formation to occur, creating higher levels of force production.
3. A larger stretch increases the angular displacement of the swing, allowing for increased time to utilize compounding angular velocities (summation of speed principle), and the efficiency of our kinetic chain, to develop high levels of clubhead speed.

  In the end, a greater load (bigger stretch and/or loaded faster), leads to greater angular velocity and power.    The last piece of building dissociation involves discussing the Summation of Speed principle - check out the image below (7).  What this shows us is how the most proximal bodily segment reaches peak angular velocity first (hips). From there, as we move distally, angular velocity is compounded upon (thorax, arms) until it eventually peaks at the club, maximizing clubhead speed.  This is the summation of speed principle. Check out the video of Justin Thomas below. Notice:

1. The hips initiate the downswing.
2. The clubhead lags behind the hips, torso and arms until it catches up at impact via fast hands. 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shk6obgJMsE    The way a golfer attempts to sequence the downswing, and efficiently transfer forces throughout the kinetic chain plays a huge role in being able to maximize clubhead speed. Notice in the graph how each segment begins decelerating before the next most distal segment maximizes velocity. This deceleration is synonymous with increasing tension, and force transfer. Efficient energy transfer can be established through total body movements that help build appropriate sequencing and also through simply perfecting your golf swing.    Reminder - based on the two physics principles discussed above, the angular velocity of the clubhead is a massive contributor to distance.    The image below is from a 2008 research study that looked at the kinematics of the golf swing (7). What they noted is that pro golfers transfer forces much more efficiency through proper sequencing, which leads to much higher clubhead speeds and subsequent distance. Notice on the pro graph below, all of the lines increase speed together, compound upon one another, and almost parallel one another. The hips reach their maximal angular velocity first, followed by the thorax, then the lead arm, and then the club. All of the bodily segments accelerate in an orderly and sequential fashion moving from proximal to distal. The most proximal segment (hips) breaks off first and begins the deceleration process of developing tension. The torso and lead arm subsequently follow in this deceleration process in order to build tension for the more distal segments to pivot around and maximize velocity at impact.    Now look at both amateur graphs, the angular velocities at the different bodily segments are much more unorganized and chaotic. Further, the lead arm reaches its peak angular velocity prior to the hips and thorax which tells us that the sequencing is off, and because of this, the subsequent increase in clubhead speed is not as significant as the pro graph - which leads me to the last piece I want to point out. Notice how the amateur’s bodily angular velocities aren’t that much lower than the pro’s. However, due to improper sequencing, the compounding effect is much more insignificant, leading to the smaller jump between bodily segment velocities and the club velocity.    Practice.    The last, and most important, discussion to have surrounding rotational power - go play your sport.    The best way to build rotational power in a manner that is most applicable to your sport, is to play it.    Go take BP.    Go to the driving range.    By doing so, we can work on the efficiency of our rotational abilities as well as the muscles most responsible for our specific form of rotation. No amount of weight room training can make up for poor technique or abilities in the sport you play.    If you have a terrible golf swing, lifting weights for 2 hours a day isn’t going to make you better.    But…    We can complement our rotational sport with training, when we approach it correctly.    We can build an athletic foundation.    We can improve weaknesses, and solidify strengths.    We can teach our body how to sequence more efficiently.    We can connect our bodily system to function at a higher level.  . . . We can empower growth.  [carter_signature] Sources

1. Suchomel, Timothy & Nimphius, Sophia & Stone, Michael. (2016). The Importance of Muscular Strength in Athletic Performance. Sports Medicine. 46. 10.1007/s40279-016-0486-0. 
2. Kawashima K, Meshizuka T, Takaeshita S. A kinematic analysis of foot force exerted on the soles during the golf swing among skilled and unskilled golfers. In: Farrally MR, Cochran AJ editors. Science and golf III. Proceedings of the 1998 World Scientific Congress; 1998 Jul 20-24; St Andrews. Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 1999: 40-5
3.  Wallace ES, Graham D, Bleakley EW. Foot-to-ground pressure patterns during the golf drive: a case study involving a low handicap player and a high handicap player. In: Cochran AJ editor. Science and golf I. Proceedings of the First World Scientific Congress of Golf; 1990 Jul 9-13; St Andrews London: E & FN Spon, 1990: 25-9
4. Cheetham, P.J., Martin, P.E., Mottram, R.E., and St Laurent, B.F. The importance of stretching the "XFactor" in the downswing of golf: The "X-Factor Stretch." In P.R. Thomas (Ed.), Optimising performance in golf (pp. 192-199). Brisbane, Australia: Australian Academic Press. ISBN 1 875378 37 5. 2001. 
5. Hume, Patria & Keogh, Justin & Reid, Duncan. (2005). The Role of Biomechanics in Maximising Distance and Accuracy of Golf Shots. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.). 35. 429-49. 10.2165/00007256-200535050-00005. 
6. Read, Paul J.1; Lloyd, Rhodri S.2; De Ste Croix, Mark1; Oliver, Jon L.2 Relationships Between Field-Based Measures of Strength and Power and Golf Club Head Speed, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: October 2013 - Volume 27 - Issue 10 - p 2708-2713. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318280ca00 
7. Cheetham, P. J., Rose, G. A., Hinrichs, R. N., Neal, R. J., Mottram, R. E., Hurrion, P. D. and Vint, P. F. 2008. “Comparison of kinematic sequence parameters between amateur and professional golfers”. In Science and Golf V: Proceedings of the World Scientific Congress of Golf, Edited by: Crews, D. and Lutz, R. 30–36. Mesa, AZ: Energy in Motion.  

  [post_title] => Rotational Power: An in-depth look into how we can build more of it [post_excerpt] => Rotation is everywhere.  Sure, we can look at the major athletic movements that incorporate rotation: Golf, Baseball, Tennis.  But, it’s found in more than just those three.  [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => rotational-power-an-in-depth-look-into-how-we-can-build-more-of-it [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2021-03-24 18:24:39 [post_modified_gmt] => 2021-03-24 18:24:39 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://resistancebandtraining.com/?p=46506 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ID: 46506Array ( [0] => 1824 )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 46504 [post_author] => 4170 [post_date] => 2021-03-03 21:33:23 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-03-03 21:33:23 [post_content] => When we open the history books, there is a common trait seen amongst all successful people, civilizations, and complex systems - they adapt. During the times of hunters and gatherers, the humans who adapted were the ones that lived. If a hunter lacked the skill of hunting, they were forced to adapt in order to become successful… or else.    Lucky for them, adaptation may be the strongest, most productive quality of complex systems.  We can look at adaptation through both a short term and long term lens.    In the short-term, we adapt to the dynamic environment we find ourselves within. For midwesterners like me, 45 degrees in Spring feels much different than 45 degrees in Fall. Maxing out your car speakers to Kenny Chesney sounds a lot quieter after the 6th song, as compared to the first.    In the long-term, we adapt to our environment based upon the stressors we absorb. For example, Darwin’s theory of natural selection states that species evolve (adapt) over time in subtle ways in order to introduce functional advantages. Cactus developed needles to protect from predators. Giraffes necks grew in order to reach the leaves on the acacia trees. Peppered moths have altered their external appearance from light to dark in order to blend in with our pollution filled air better.   

In fact, the most interesting aspect of evolution is that it only works because of its antifragility; it is in love with stressors, randomness, uncertainty and disorder - while individual organisms are relatively fragile, the gene pool takes advantage of shocks to enhance its fitness (7). 

  Did you know, over 75% of the world is lactose intolerant (1)?    After infancy, the majority of the world’s population stops producing the enzyme lactase, which is responsible for breaking down lactose, the carbohydrate found in dairy products. It is believed that somewhere in the last 10,000 years, as livestock became more popular, along with their milk production, humans began developing the enzyme lactase (and maintaining it) in order to properly digest this new, caloric dense food source.    Prior to creating this adaptation, humans had to ferment the products that were being produced by the livestock, which removed upwards of 50% of the caloric density of the food. During times of famine, the individuals that could consume these additional calories were much better suited to survive.    Humans adapt in order to mold to the environment they find themselves within.    Let’s look at another form of adaptation… vaccinations (I know, topical).    Vaccines create active immunity of a harmful agent, by injecting a small dosage of that harmful agent into our body - a pretty wild concept if you ask me. Once injected, our body becomes sensitized to that harmful agent, exposing and stimulating B-Lymphocytes to prepare them for future instances of the harmful agent.    By exposing the body to a small stress, we can create an adaptation to protect it from larger stresses in the future. Incredible.    Let’s relate this to sport.    Looking through the short-term lens, a sporting environment represents a constantly changing, dynamic problem that is in need of solving by the athletes and coaches. The teams that can most successfully mold (adapt) to the environment, will be able to solve the problem it presents most efficiently - and therefore win the game.   

Once the opposition starts reacting to and trying to thwart the game plan, the coach must make adaptations and corrections that improve the team's ability to reach its objectives and win the game in the conditions in which it finds itself (2).

  Individual athletes need to adapt to the sporting environment that each individual play presents. A basketball player driving to the basket will have to adjust her finish around the rim, based on the defenders attempts to stop her. A running back needs to adapt his movement to create space based upon how his teammates open running lanes and defenders actively try to close them.   

The critical word, adaptive. To sustain success, each unit - and I include coaches in this as well - needs to be able and allowed to adapt (2).

  Looking through the long-term lens, athletic development requires periods of stress and novel stimuli, paired with periods of recovery, in order to promote adaptations. If an athlete wishes to gain strength, they must stress the body through lifting. If an athlete wishes to improve speed, they must stress the body by sprinting at max velocity. If an athlete wishes to improve mobility, they must stress the body in new ranges of motion.    The body will adapt to the stresses and stimuli it is given.    In the end, humans, and more specifically athletes, need to be adaptive in order to better fit the present and future dynamic environments that they find themselves within. Lucky for us, our body’s are created to do so.    The General Adaptation Syndrome   Hans Selye, famous Endocrinologist and Scientist, first coined the term General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) to discuss the way in which living creatures respond to stress.  Selye breaks down the body’s adaptation mechanisms into 3 phases (modern scientists have added a fourth): 

1. Alarm Reaction Phase 
2. Resistance Phase 
3. Supercompensation Phase (added by modern ‘experts’, not Selye)
4. Exhaustion Phase

. . . 1. Alarm Reaction Phase    Within the initial phase, a new stress or stimulus (basically synonymous for our purposes) is presented to the body. This new stress is going to cause an initial decrease in biological processes and performance.    Looking at this phase through a strength and conditioning example, a stress could be the loading mechanism placed on the body. It also could be a new movement that challenges our motor control and central nervous system.    Let’s look at muscle growth…    The initial phase of muscle growth is microdamage. In order to grow new, more resilient (and larger) muscles, we actually need to break down our current muscles, to allow them to grow back bigger.   

When skeletal muscle is subject to an overload stimulus, it causes perturbations in the myofibers and the extracellular matrix. This sets off a chain of myogenic events that ultimately leads to an increase in the size and amounts of myofibrillar contractile proteins actin and myosin, and the total number of sarcomeres in parallel (3). 

  In order to elicit adaptation, there needs to be an initial stressor causing damage to the system that is greater than a given threshold.   2. Resistance Phase    The resistance phase represents where adaptation occurs in the cycle. Stress causes a decrease, but the system will recover and adapt to levels higher than those previously established before the stimulus.    Look at vaccines… We inject ourselves with a small dosage of poison (stress) and become subsequently stronger and more resilient (adaptation).    Look at muscle growth… We cause microdamage at the muscular level through training (stress), in order to subsequently grow those muscles (adaptation).    Look at learning… We are presented new information (stress), initially confused, but subsequently grow by learning the material (adaptation).    In fact, let's dive deeper into learning…    A 2009 study by Kornell and Metcalfe tested sixth graders in their ability to learn vocabulary terms. During practice sessions, terms were presented in either condition 1 or condition 2. In condition 1, the term and the definition were given simultaneously, providing immediate feedback. For example,    A temporary stop in action or speech: Pause.    In condition 2, definitions were provided without the term associated with it. After being presented the definition, the student was forced to type in a guess regarding the matching term, and only after doing so were they provided feedback regarding the correct answer. For example,    To make or become better: ________   ***Delayed feedback until the student has generated a potential answer***   Improve.    The results showed that by providing immediate feedback (presenting both the definition and the term immediately) the student was much less likely to learn the term, as compared to the delayed feedback condition. Researchers concluded that this was, in part, due to putting in additional effort and struggle while coming up with a guess in condition 2. Forcing the student to generate an answer, even if that answer was incorrect, led to heightened levels of learning.    Stress led to struggle, which was necessary to promote heightened learning. Adaptation.   3. Supercompensation Phase.     Although not specifically a part of Selye’s initial GAS, many experts have begun including a phase in between (2.) Resistance and (4.) Exhaustion, and they are calling it the Supercompensation Phase.    In this phase, we reach and maintain the new level of performance, above and beyond our initial level prior to the stimulus.    On a trip to Yellowstone National Park last year I had the opportunity to learn about a strategy employed by firefighters to improve the ecosystem and safety of forests called controlled burns. Essentially, firefighters set forests on fire in a controlled manner in order to do 2 things: 

1. Manage future larger forest fires by removing highly flammable material.
2. Increase the overall health and performance of the ecosystem. 

  After the initial stressor (the controlled burn), the forest will lose performance. Trees will be burnt, wildlife will lose habitats, and the food supply will decrease. However, with time, the forest will grow back bigger and stronger, the wildlife will flourish and the ecosystem will thrive. The forest will reach its supercompensation phase.    The human body is no different. Whether the stress is a foreign substance through a vaccine or a barbell with 450 lbs on it, an initial stress will lead to a certain decrease in performance, but after we allow adaptation to take place, we will be stronger, healthier, and more robust. We will reach our supercompensation phase.    4. Exhaustion Phase   It would be inappropriate if we didn’t bring up the fact that, yes, it is possible to overstress. If proper recovery is not instituted in between bouts of stress, or an overpowering stimulus is applied, we reach what Selye calls the exhaustion phase.    Back in my day (he said like an old man about to relive his glory days), I would landscape in my time off of school. One task I remember enjoying was trimming the Boxwood Shrubs (and cutting grass, but we’ll save that example for another day). Every spring we had to cut back these 24-26 inch bushes to about 12-15 inches off the ground.    But why?    Why are we tearing them down?    Should we not be lifting them up? Giving them nutrients? Helping them grow?   By cutting back the shrubs, oxygen and sunlight have the opportunity to get deeper into the plants, leading to larger subsequent growth. The plants will rejuvenate thicker, denser, and are revitalized more fully than before.    However, I learned quickly, if you cut it back too far the plant will struggle to rejuvenate and grow back to its fullest potential. Oops. Overstress can lead to damage - the exhaustion phase.    While we need to be careful not to overstress ourselves and our athletes, I would argue that it is much tougher to overstress the human body than many believe it to be. Complex systems, like the human body, were created to be adaptable… They have proven this time and time again.   Allow them to adapt by applying stress.  . . . We are Antifragile   In his book, Antifragile, Nassim Nicholas Taleb discusses how systems, organizations, economies, and our overall world, adapt to the stresses placed upon them. Further, he argues that stress is needed in our world in order for us to grow and flourish.   

Just as spending a month in bed leads to muscle atrophy, complex systems are weakened, even killed, when deprived of stressors (7). 

  Humans were created to be adaptable. By limiting the stress placed upon ourselves from a physical, psychological, and intellectual standpoint we treat ourselves as fragile beings - which we are not.    Fragile - Easily broken or damaged (5).  Antifragile - “… beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shock and stays the same; the antifragile gets better” (7).    Taleb argues that by avoiding small volatility, you are unsuccessfully preparing yourself for when randomness and chaos (large volatility) presents itself. Small mistakes are crucial to the growth of systems - and humans.    Think back to our forest fire example earlier… If firefighters choose not to enact the controlled burns, once a forest fire erupts, it will be much more devastating.    Think back to vaccines… If we don’t insert a small dosage of the harmful agent, once the harmful agent presents itself, we will be much worse off.    Let’s look at athletes… If an athlete hasn’t been exposed to a certain position, velocity, or intensity prior to gameday, once the chaos of the game presents itself, the fragility of the system will too.   

So, alas, we humans are afraid of the second type of variability and naively fragilize systems - or prevent their antifragility - by protecting them. In other words, a point worth repeating every time it is applied, this avoidance of small mistakes makes the large ones more severe (7). 

  Let’s build antifragility in our athletes. Let’s let them fail. Let’s give them stress. Let’s allow them to adapt.    We need to pull them down (to a degree) to lift them up.  We need to provide subtle stressors, so when the large stressor of gameday presents itself, they are prepared.  We need to cut them back, in order to allow them to grow.  We need to give them a mountain, in order for them to climb it.    There are many parallels between Taleb’s definition and description of antifragility, and Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome.    Both require stress.  Both lead to adaptation.  Both create growth.  Both gain from disorder.  . . . . . And so do you.   [carter_signature]   Sources 

1. Bulhões AC, Goldani HA, Oliveira FS, Matte US, Mazzuca RB, Silveira TR. Correlation between lactose absorption and the C/T-13910 and G/A-22018 mutations of the lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LCT) gene in adult-type hypolactasia. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2007 Nov;40(11):1441-6. doi: 10.1590/s0100-879x2007001100004. PMID: 17934640.
2. Connolly, F., White, P. and Harbaugh, J., 2017. Game Changer. Las Vegas, NV: Victory Belt Publishing, Inc.
3. Schoenfeld, Brad. (2010). The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research / National Strength & Conditioning Association. 24. 2857-72. 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3. 
4. Metcalfe, J., Kornell, N. & Finn, B. Delayed versus immediate feedback in children’s and adults’ vocabulary learning. Memory & Cognition 37, 1077–1087 (2009). https://doi.org/10.3758/MC.37.8.1077
5. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fragile
6. Taleb, N., 2012. Antifragile.
7. SELYE H. Stress and the general adaptation syndrome. Br Med J. 1950 Jun 17;1(4667):1383-92. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.4667.1383. PMID: 15426759; PMCID: PMC2038162.

[post_title] => Adaptation and Antifragility [post_excerpt] => When we open the history books, there is a common trait seen amongst all successful people, civilizations, and complex systems - they adapt. During the times of hunters and gatherers, the humans who adapted were the ones that lived. If a hunter lacked the skill of hunting, they were forced to adapt in order to become successful… or else.  Lucky for them, adaptation may be the strongest, most productive quality of complex systems.  [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => adaptation-and-antifragility [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2021-03-24 18:24:23 [post_modified_gmt] => 2021-03-24 18:24:23 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://resistancebandtraining.com/?p=46504 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ID: 46504Array ( [0] => 1824 )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 46498 [post_author] => 4170 [post_date] => 2021-02-23 20:46:55 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-02-23 20:46:55 [post_content] =>

Our mission is to empower your health and performance in the pursuit of greater golfing success and longevity.

  Our aspirations extend far beyond golf, but never are decisions made without the game in mind.    Your golf success is at the forefront of our goals and we are here to carry your bag on 100% of your journey (metaphorically), but first you must understand…    High level golf performance and longevity is created both on and off the course.   It is not dependent on the price tag of your clubs or the size of your driver.    It’s not dependent on the ball you play or the weather conditions.   It’s not dependent on the shoes you wear, or even, and this might surprise you, your lucky ball marker.   Your golf success starts with you.    Not your golf coach.   Not your playing partner that gives way too many tips.    Not even us.   It starts with you.    You have the power to improve your game.    We are here to help. We are here to guide. We are here for you.   But, after all is said and done, when you feel better, move better, and play better, know that it wasn’t because of us… it was because you decided to empower yourself.    Change takes time. Adaptations take time. Golf success takes time.    Consistency is the most important attribute to take your game to the next level.    This program, and these manuals, are just a stepping stone on your path to peak performance and longevity.    Your lowest round is out there, and we want to be there when you find it.    Be patient, be consistent, and be ready… to go low.   [carter_signature] [post_title] => Welcome to RBT Golf Training [post_excerpt] => Our mission is to empower your health and performance in the pursuit of greater golfing success and longevity. Our aspirations extend far beyond golf, but never are decisions made without the game in mind.  Your golf success is at the forefront of our goals and we are here to carry your bag on 100% of your journey (metaphorically), but first you must understand…  [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => welcome-to-rbt-golf-training [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2021-03-24 18:24:10 [post_modified_gmt] => 2021-03-24 18:24:10 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://resistancebandtraining.com/?p=46498 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ID: 46498Array ( [0] => 1824 )