What is "Muscle Activation Technique"? An Interview with Scott Kroculick
What is it that you do to help
players improve their game?
We start
with the very, very basics. In
fact, at The Neuromuscular Training Institute we don't even try to evaluate
your swing. Sometimes you
have to take step backward to advance a step forward.
Using a bio-mechanically based system called Muscle Activation Techniques (M.A.T.) we focus on
the body's ability to balance and produce force.
Using muscle tightness as an indicator, we assess for the
"why". Why is the
body tight in this position, how does it limit mobility.
In the case of golfers, how does it limit their play? How does it affect
their levels of soreness after a game?
It's frustrating to play with a sore back.
One must assume that the muscle is tight for a reason; the body is
trying to protect itself.
Do you focus on stretching?
Quite the
contrary, we focus on muscle weakness.
The second part of our assessment is looking for muscle weakness that
may be contributing to the tightness.
The muscles surrounding a joint may be "tight" due to the fact
the muscles that are supposed to be doing the job are weak.
More correctly, they are neurologically inhibited.
They can't fire when they are asked to fire.
Other muscles "tighten up" to prevent unbalanced movement or
they have simply tightened up due to overuse.
Can massage help?
Massage
is certainly beneficial in relaxing muscle tissue, but these muscles are tight
for a reason. We must find
that reason. M.A.T. is good
for locating the cause of the problem rather than just treating the symptoms. It could be considered unethical
to remove this tightness without offering some type of stability to the joint. Remember, muscles around the
joint are already weak. Relaxing tight, protective tissues would only lead to
more instability and more imbalance.
Stretching would have the same effect.
Some compensation is taking place and we must discover the cause to get
the body functionally completely and ready to learn new skills.
It sounds like a vicious cycle,
how do you treat it differently?
By
restoring muscular control we can eliminate tightness and level the field of
play. This frees up range
of motion and control of that range of motion.
It's one thing to be flexible, but quite another to have no control of
that flexibility. Mobility
is nothing without stability.
So, you are able to increase
strength?
We are
actually enhancing the nervous system by "reminding" it to take
control over all the muscles. The
body is miraculous in that it will find an efficient way to get the job done,
but this can be at the expense of performance.
By restoring neural control (proprioception) using either a precise,
palpation technique or with graded intensity isometric exercise we are actually
able to increase strength. A
better description is tapping into strength that wasn't previously available.
How does this enhance the game?
More
motor control + less tightness + more power (from all of the muscles working) =
a better game. Now the body
is ready to learn, compensation patterns have been removed and full power has
been restored. It can be
compared to getting your car tuned-up while getting the alignment done. You wouldn't go into a race with
a car out-of-whack. Neither
should you practice a new skill when not physically prepared.
Only after this is it appropriate to spend money on lessons, 3-D
computer analysis and everything else.
With all of the golf technology changes in the last 30 years, golfer's
handicaps haven't really changed that much.
Neither have the final scores at the Masters.
You would think there would be huge improvements.
The answer lies in preparing the body for the game.
Is there more to it?
Obviously,
it takes a few sessions to discover everything and the client may require
maintenance visits to keep things active.
Generally, an active person can go home with exercise sheets and
maintain muscle balance on their own.
They have to be careful that they aren't overstretching as part of their
warm-up, this can reduce muscle power.
In fact, we can test a warm-up routine to see if it is affecting muscle
strength. If everything is
working right, there should be no need to stretch anyway.
Proper muscle control would not allow compensatory tightness.
That makes total sense, thanks for your time.
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Scott
Kroculick MSEd, RKT, CSCS, MAT Certified Specialist has over 20 years
of experience in the Health and Fitness fields. He has worked as a Fitness
Consultant, Program Director, Strength Coach, Cardiac Rehab Specialist,
Registered Kinesiotherapist and Certified Personal Trainer. He has
completed the requirements to become a MAT
Certified Specialist and will soon be pursuing the Resistance
Training Specialist Mastery certification. He is no stranger to advanced
education and has written and published over 20 innovative training
articles. For more info, about Scott and the The Neuromuscular Training Institute, go to www.nmti.org
The articles at GolfFitnessProducts.net
are for informational purposes only and are not intended to substitute
for direct examination and exercise prescription by the appropriate
health professional. It is strongly recommended that you do not
perform any exercise program without the consent of your personal
physician.
