Flexibility For Martial Arts & Fitness: Your Ultimate Stretching and Warm-Up Guide!

Cover Page
Cover
Flexibility For Martial Arts and Fitness
What Can You Get From This Book?
Ready for More Flexibility?
How You Can Perform Stronger and Faster Through Flexibility
Getting the Best ‘Bang-For-Buck’ From Your Stretching
I. The Science Of Stretching Simplified
What is Flexibility? (And why should I bother?)
Forms of Flexibility
Why am I So Inflexible Right Now?
Stretching Doesn’t Work … The Way You Think
The Flexibility Myth (The Science of Stretching)
Myotatic Reflex – Nature’s Flexibility Barrier
Golgi Tendon Reflex - Your Ally in Stretching
The Power of Isometric Stretching
Forms of Stretching
Ballistic Stretches
Dynamic Stretches
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)
II. Improving Your Stretching Success
When do I Stretch as Part of My Training?
How Often Should I Stretch?
The Most Common Stretching Mistake
The ‘Rocking’ Trick for Faster Flexibility
Stretching Mistake 2: No Pain No Gain
Understanding the Pain Scale
Faster Muscle Recovery
Why You Should Be Stretching Opposing Muscle Groups
Working with a Partner vs. Going it Alone
III. Warm-Ups Made Easy
Stretching vs. Warming Up: Why You Need To Know The Difference
Foolproof Warm-Ups using SAID
IV. Dynamic Mobility
How to Extend the Reach of Your Strikes and Blocks
How to Perform Dynamic Mobility Circles
Don’t Forget to Work Your Wrists and Ankles (Why and How)
Ankle Mobility Exercises
Wrist Mobility Exercises
V. The Stretches
Starting the Stretches
WARM-UPS
JOINT ROTATIONS
DYNAMIC STRETCHES
STATIC AND ISOMETRIC STRETCHES
How to Stretch the Full Body (Routines)
VI. Taking It Further
How to Make Stretching a Regular Habit
Crafting Your Stretching Routine
Test Your Progress with Measured Kicks
The ‘Trick’ to Long-Term Flexibility
Cheat Sheet: Your Stretching Simplified
Thank You For Reading
Prefer to Watch as You Learn?
Copyright
Contents