Injury Prevention and The Importance Of Contractile Strength

When Mike Boyle Speaks We Should All Listen!

Not long ago, I was listening to a conversation with Mike Boyle on his "Strength Coach Podcast" episode 32:

http://strengthcoachpodcast.typepad.com/the_strength_coach_podcas/2009/03/episode-32--strength-coach-podcast.html.

For those who don't know Mike Boyle let me list some of his accomplishments:

• He is the owner of "Mike Boyle's Strength and Conditioning" (MBSC) which is one of the top athletic training facilities in the world.

• He founded "Strength Coach.Com", the undisputed top forum in the field which attracts world class strength and conditioning coaches, physical therapists and personal trainers as contributers.

• He is an internationally recognized speaker as well as author in the field.

• As if that isn't enough, Mike is also the Head Strength and Conditioning coach for the 2009 National Champion Boston University Terriers hockey team.

In this particular discussion, he was speaking about the importance of strength related to the success of the B.U. hockey team. However he was not stressing its importance in terms of how it would enhance performance skills but rather it's impact first and foremost on injury reduction.

Less injured players means having greater roster depth which enabled them to have their best athletes available on the ice deep into the post season.

The strength he was referring to in particular was the development of high levels of contractile strength. This type of muscular strength helps maintain the integrity of the joints enabling them to withstand the punishment of constant high speed impact!

Do You Need Contractile Strength?

Most people reading this blog post may be thinking, “But I am not an athlete so what does this have to do with me?”

Well even for non-athletes, having a good amount of contractile strength can help make one more resilient to the demands of daily life and the unpredictable circumstances you may encounter on any given day. It may be the difference between sustaining a significant injury or walking away relatively unscathed.

Dogs, Rabbits and Contractile Strength?

A great example of how contractile strength can protect one’s joints has been made clear to me several times when I’ve been out walking my golden retriever.

                         My Dog During One Of Our Walks

We walk almost every evening before dusk. At that time there are always lots of rabbits visible around the community where I live happily munching on the grass.

There have been several occasions where my head has been turned and my dog decided to take off suddenly in his determined but futile attempt to chase one of these bunnies.

When this occurs I usually have a split second between feeling the sudden tug on the leash and stopping him in his tracks.

He’s a fairly large, powerful dog and he creates quite a lot of force when he decides "it's go time!" That force is not only placed right into my shoulder capsule but down through my torso and ultimately into my legs and feet.

There is no doubt in my mind that if I didn’t have good contractile strength from my core outward, I would have sustained several injuries by now because of that very sweet but "rabbit crazy" pooch.

Ground Based Training

A good deal of the training I do is "ground based". This means that I may work with resistance tubing or cable apparatus from a standing position. So the training actually builds strength in an integrated manner from my feet upwards. The muscles have learned to fire in an optimal pattern from this standing position as opposed to sitting on a machine or lying on a bench.

 Certainly for pure contractile strength around certain joints those other types of training can be useful, but for more "functional" strength it is very important to spend some time doing ground based training.

Bumps, Groceries and Gardening?

The above scenario with my dog is just one situation where having this integrated contractile strength can prevent injury. There are many other scenarios where having this type of strength can help you stay safe.

For example, people commonly encounter situations where someone may bump into them unexpectedly. Having good strength in one's hips, legs and core (as well as balance), can mean the difference between having a potentially harmful fall and merely being thrown temporarily off kilter.

Not only can this type of strength prevent injury in terms of an unexpected force being placed on your body, but it can help you be more capable of handling the various physical stresses of daily life, from carrying a child or groceries, to weeding in your garden or playing recreational sports.

So please don't ignore the importance of contractile strength and ground based strength training in your fitness programs,  it can really make you less vulnerable to injury as well as help you function better in every activity!


Note: I just wanted to clarify that when I'm referring to core strength, this refers to muscles from the hips to the shoulders that surround the front and back of the body. I am not speaking specifically about the abdominals (or doing exercises like crunches or any spinal flexion in fact).

Rather along with the ground based training which utilizes the core as a stabilizer during pushing and pulling movements, I also do specific core work using various types of stabilization exercises such as plank variations, Bird-Dogs and various exercises that create resistance against rotation.

Scott Fishkind Time4You Fitness

Please contact me at http://www.time4youfitness.com/