If you have been around StrongFirst, you know that “fast and loose” exercises are a key component of our curricula. As we say, “Strong first, relaxed second.”
Tension and relaxation are the two sides of the performance coin. Tension is strength and power. Relaxation is speed, endurance, and flexibility. Most sports demand both. Which is why Russians, from grade schoolers in a phys. ed. class to elite forces and Olympic athletes, practice special dynamic relaxation exercises—we call them “fast and loose” drills—in every athletic practice.
These exercises go back to the pre-World War II Soviet Union and involve shaking of limbs and muscles to relax the latter. The latest proof of their effectiveness is a study co-authored by Professor Emeritus Stuart McGill, Voluntary Muscle Relaxation Can Mitigate Fatigue and Improve Countermovement Jump Performance.
The subjects performed 10 all-out standing vertical jumps (“countermovement jumps”), one rep every 30sec. Under the control conditions they stood still between the jumps. Under the experimental conditions they “shook their legs attempting to allow their thigh muscles to oscillate freely and wobble side to side.”
This simple and easy technique increased the jump heights by 3.87%.
In addition, those subjects who rapidly fatigued as the jumps progressed under the normal conditions, minimized the power drop-off under the “fast and loose” conditions.
If you are serious about athletic performance and longevity, Prof. McGill’s book Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance is a must-read. It is packed with game changing techniques for strength, power, and resilience. |
| | | To learn state of the art Russian muscle relaxation exercises, “fast and loose” and beyond, come to the Second Wind seminar. |
| | SECOND WIND with Pavel Paris, France, July 12-13
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