Now that I have your attention, the title of this article is not a joke.
I have been feeling tightness in my elbows from my recent work with rigorous hand balancing, two examples of which are the hand lever extension and side crow pictured below.
Initial Thoughts
My initial intuition was that it was related to the Superficial Back Line and that it then jumped stations to/from the Deep Back Arm Line, activated when my arms were overhead (see Thomas Myers' Anatomy Trains). I suspected that the rotation would stimulate shoulder release due to the occipital fibers of the trap linking with the anterior deltoid.
 |
 |
Anatomy Trains
Anatomy Trains, by Thomas Myers LMT, is written and presented in a style that allows this new information on the myofascial system to be easily absorbed by a wide range of readers: from the interested student, athlete or client to the most experienced therapist. Using the metaphor of railway or train lines, Myers explains how patterns of strain communicate through the myofascial 'webbing', contributing to postural compensation and movement stability.
|
|
|
Because the trap-deltoid line convergence passes down to the lateral humeral epicondyle, I thought that the "screwing" press up might provide the proximal mobility to release the distal tension of that chain.
My initial reason for exploring this Downward facing arm screw was to compensate for the sustained heavy wrist extension of my hand balancing and levering. Because the Deep Back Arm Line connects the wrist to the shoulder and occipital at the lateral epicondyle (common extensor tendon), I assumed that the rotary action would release the entire chain.
I can only 'get at' this chain of residual tension when I'm forward flexing at the hip as well as bending at the elbows. In other words, I felt this tension chain acutely during the downward dog variations in CST, such as the downward facing pelvic tilts, circles and infinities.
|
|
What Is CST?
Circular Strength TrainingTM comprises Three Dimensional StrengthTM (tri-planar movements) which develop rotary and angular/diagonal strength to assist the prime movers. Athletes need Circular Strength TrainingTM in order to develop these motor recruitment patterns so that they are both strong and functional. Otherwise, their performance suffers greatly and injury likelihood significantly increases.
|
|
|
Sewing Poses
I wanted to get to the source of this deep as well as superficial tension chain, which appears to run under my feet, up my calves and hams, over my pelvis to my lower back, up my erectors, over my shoulders and around my elbows to my wrists, and even to the ends of my fingers (the Superficial Back Line and the Deep Front Arm Line).
When I finally did release it, it was like melting a glacier. It happened instantly once I found the correct movement, and it resulted in an incredibly visible release in my restricted range of motion.
To access this residual tension that wrapped my elbows and wrists, I sewed together the downward facing dog and the dolphin pose with the 'Screwing Press-up' (AKA "Screw-up") component from CST. I gave this the name:
Downward Facing Arm Screw
Here's the downward facing dog, and next to it the dolphin:
The Screwing Press-up took the chain around my heels, lengthened it over my bent hip, lengthened it again around my bent elbows, and then added a rotary action which finally released the residual tension. It's a great new Body-FlowTM kinetic chain, one that will become a staple at releasing elbow tension!
Since the DBAL attaches at the traps' axial insertions on the occipital ridge, I'm also working on position-specific neck circles and infinities (in the Downward Facing Arm Screw demonstrated below) after working on the basic variation. I'll be using this frequently in the upcoming months as my cycles increase in intensity.
Alone... Together,
CLUBBELL® is a registered trademark of RMAX.tv Productions, and "Clubbells" word and "Circular Strength Training" phrase are trademarks of RMAX.tv Productions.
#
Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!
Visitor Reviews Of This Article!
Read Visitor Reviews - Write Your Own Review
Back To Coach Sonnon's Main Page
Back To The Articles Main Page.
Related Articles
Stretching Exercises
Warming Up To A Great Workout!
Stretch & Grow!
Click To Enlarge.
