Inadequate flexibility restricts the range of techniques available to a climber and increases the risk of injury. The degree of flexibility is determined by: Flexibility Training
Inadequate flexibility restricts the range of techniques available to a climber and increases the risk of injury. The degree of flexibility is determined by:
Limit of joint's range of movement
Pliability of tendons and ligaments
Elasticity of the muscles responsible for moving the joint
The first factor is anatomically fixed, the second cannot be influenced by training, but the third can be affected to a considerable degree by the right exercises.
The stretching method is tried and tested way of improving flexibility. It is based on the fact that a muscle that is stretched too much is forced to contract by its protective reflex, thus preventing it from being stretched. In order to bypass this reflex mechanism, the muscle to be stretched is contracted isometrically (for between 8 to 10 seconds), then relaxed (for about 1 second) and finally placed in the position that causes stretching pain and held there (for about 20 seconds).
Stretching is also good after any training, giving particularly attention to any muscle feeling pumped up. This helps reduce shortening of the muscle, and alleviate muscle soreness. This procedure can also be used the next day if soreness persists.
In order to achieve any improvement at all in flexibility, you must a flexibility training session at least three times per week. However, only with daily practice will you achieve optimal results.
It is of course possible to make mistakes in flexibility training: jerky or sweeping expansive movements (e.g. leg swings), can lead to very minor injuries (so-called micro-traumas) that may developed later into more serious injuries, or even permanent damage.
This is why all exercises should be performed slowly and, as far as possible, passively, and why the insertion and origin of muscle should not be moved too far apart once the point is reached at which stretching pain sets in.
However, a slight twinge in the muscle is not an indication of over-extension; on the contrary, it is essential if any improvement in flexibility is to be achieved. But if you feel an unpleasant pain at the insertion, then the muscle has already been stretched beyond its maximum limit and there is a risk of injury.
