Flexibility practical / 1RM

The ability to move a joint through a complete range of motion


Why do we lose flexibility:

Muscle tension, not using joint as much, example sedentary individuals will be less flexible

age: Breakdown overtime of the elastic contractile components of the muscle, people lose stretch, fat deposits in the muscle

injury: overtime injuries can damage flexibility

  • ex: neck injury, domino effect of the body trying to correct postural components, posture can affect flexibility. Shoulders rotate anteriortly, head dips forwards

  • activity of daily living will impact flexibility

  • mental health, psychosocial aspects as well


Flexibility training:

  • static flexibility:

    • the total range a joint or muscle can achieve, not focusing on speed or movement —> moving into a stretch and holding the stretch

  • dynamic flexibility:

    • the range of motion a joint or muscle can achieve in motion, in a sporting context

  • functional flexibility:

    • speed athletes: full ROM at speed = increase the ability to perform movement

    • Strength / power athletes: efficient and powerful, static and dynamic positions

    • endurance athletes: repetitively produce ROM


methods for measuring flexibility:

  • goniometer:

    • precise

    • easy to use

    • specific to interests

    • cheap


  • positional measurement:

    • sit and stretch (hamstrings)

    • functional tests: gorilla position

    • prisoners wall squat


Range of movement exercise: within the limits of tissues, maintenance of current levels

stretching exercise: takes soft tissues structures beyond their available length or range, increases ROM

  • unassisted: static stretching, dynamic/ballistic (bouncing) stretching, isometric stretching

    • static stretching: held below point of bind (where is starts to get tight), longer than 10 seconds

    • bounding, not recommended for populations as it requires the ability for someone to be able to do the movement itself

  • assisted, passive (someone moving your body into a psition), PNF

    • proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation

      • manipulation of the neural system to improve performance, improves tolerance to stretch


Neuroscience: golgi tendon organs (GTO), found in tendons, they are contraction sensitive mechanoreceptors, they sense force and contractions, they sense when you lift something.

  • afferent neuron, the tendon will deform when you pick something up, and

  1. golgi tendon organs in the tendon

    1. inhibitory in nature = if the body believes it is damaging, it inhibits the agonist (muscle that is trying to pick it up), it excites the antagonist, tells the opposite muscle to contract

  2. muscle stretch receptors: muscle spindles (afferent/sensing fibres) found above tendons

    1. spiral threads, intrafusal fibres: sense stretch and the speed at which the stretch/lengthening occurs.


Stretch reflex:

myotatic reflex: stretches his quad and tells the brain to contract it

  • stretch sensed by M-Spindles

  • afferent signal to spinal cord:

    • SC sensory neurons transmit signal: motor neurons and intraneurons

    • tells quads to contract and hamstrings to relax

  • Motor neurons send effent impulses to agonist to contract

  • interneurones block motor neurons signalling antagonist

muscle spindles overstretching


Autogenic inhibition:

  • contraction of the muscle

    • activates the GTOs


proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation:

post isometric relaxation and reciprocal inhibition —> switching the other one off

  • manipulation of the two mechanisms allows improvements in flexibility

  • if someone tears their hamstring, it is better to do reciprocal inhibition rather than isometric relaxation.


Why is flexibility beneficial:

  • improve flexibility:

    • relaxation

    • cramp

    • soreness

    • injury prevention

    • posture/quality of life

    • sports performance


  • acute static stretching prior to performance: decreases strength performance, some studies show that it doesn’t

  • acute dynamic stretching and power: in a vertical jump test, static impaired vertical jump performance as it elongates the fibres rather than excites them and dynamic is improved the jump

  • acute dynamic stretching and speed: dynamic can improve 20 m sprint performance, 3 sets of dynamic stretching makes sprint time worse as it can induce fatigue like symptoms

  • chronic static stretching: long term prior to performance —> improves power, speed, strength, flexibility, improving more muscle fibres and increasing elastic components will do all of this. Some studies showed that speed and power are not bettered as there is no recoil with the muscle.

  • increased flexibility = decreased running economy

    • in endurance runners, more flexible sit and reach scores showed worse running economy.





Flexibility tests:

  1. Straight leg raise:

    1. passive test

    2. Start in supine position and lift leg as much as it can while mainting it staright, then do the other leg

  2. FABER test

    1. passive test

    2. suppine position, one hand on pelvis, other on knee, figure 4 position but one leg is straight

  3. Modified thomas test

    1. active test

    2. participant sits on the edge of the bed, flex one leg as much as possible, chin to chest and roll back

      1. if the hip isnt able to fully extend when lying down, there is hip flexor tightness

      2. if the knee isnt able to flex to 90 degrees there is quadricept tightness and if the knee drifts to the side then there is alteral thigh tightness




1 RM practical:

In your group, 1 person (with no contra-indications e.g., injury) will perform the IMTP.

1)        Complete the initial warm-up

2)        Set the bar position

3)        Complete the specific warm-up (connect lifting straps, set correct posture): Perform 3x5s IMTP warm-up efforts @ 50%, 70%, and 90% of self-selected max effort, with 1 minute rest in between each rep. Cue the participant to maintain a neutral spine and to ‘push’ their feet into the force plates during the efforts

4)        Weighing period - Ask the participant to stand tall on the force plates and stay still, press record, record for 3s, press stop (trial 1)

5)        Set participant for the max effort (i.e., connect the lifting straps, adopt correct posture)

6)        Cue the participant again to maintain a neutral spine and to ‘push’ their feet into the force plates during the test

7)        Inform the participant this will be a max effort IMTP lasting 3s. Press record, instruct the participant to go. Record for 3s then press stop (trial 2). Non-participants to provide encouragement throughout the test



8)        Direct participant to release the lifting straps and step off the force plates

1)        Why is it suggested to use lifting straps in a maximum effort IMTP?

2)        Why should the participant stand still during the weighing period?

3)        What is the difference between a ballistic and a ramp contraction in the IMTP?

4)        What should we consider in terms of footwear when performing an IMTP?

5)        What is the difference between ‘peak force’ and ‘net peak force’ in an IMTP and why would we calculate both?

6)        Why would we calculate an individual’s N/Kg in the IMTP?

7)        What should we consider in terms of an individual’s suitability for performing a maximal IMTP?