Stretch to Win 2nd Edition

241 Pages·2017·36.42 MB·English

by  Ann Frederick

Second Edition
Stretch
to Win
Ann Frederick
Chris Frederick
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Frederick, Ann, 1961- author. | Frederick, Chris, 1958- author.
Title: Stretch to win / Ann Frederick, Christopher Frederick.
Description: Second edition. | Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, [2017] |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016053879 (print) | LCCN 2016053484 (ebook) | ISBN
9781492515876 (print) | ISBN 9781492551546 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Stretching exercises.
Classification: LCC RA781.63 .F74 2017 (ebook) | LCC RA781.63 (print) | DDC
613.7/182--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016053879
ISBN: 978-1-4925-1587-6 (print)
Copyright © 2017, 2006 by Ann Frederick and Christopher Frederick
All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or
by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography,
photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the
written permission of the publisher.
This publication is written and published to provide accurate and authoritative information relevant to the
subject matter presented. It is published and sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are
not engaged in rendering legal, medical, or other professional services by reason of their authorship or
publication of this work. If medical or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent pro-
fessional person should be sought.
The web addresses cited in this text were current as of February 2017, unless otherwise noted.
Notice: Permission to reproduce the following material is granted to instructors and agencies who have pur-
chased Stretch To Win, Second Edition : pp. 95-99. The reproduction of other parts of this book is expressly
forbidden by the above copyright notice. Persons or agencies who have not purchased Stretch to Win, Sec-
ond Edition may not reproduce any material.
Acquisitions Editor: Michelle Maloney; Developmental Editor: Laura Pulliam; Managing Editor: Ann
C. Gindes; Indexer: Laurel Plotzke; Cover Designer: Keith Blomberg; Photograph (cover): petesaloutos/
iStock/Getty Images; Photographs (interior): © Human Kinetics; Visual Production Assistant: Joyce
Brumfield; Photo Production Manager: Jason Allen; Senior Art Manager: Kelly Hendren; Illustrator:
Bruce Hogarth; Illustrations: © Ann Frederick and Christopher Frederick (pages 26-29, 31-34, 84, 85, 96,
and 97); all other illustrations © Human Kinetics, unless otherwise noted; Printer: Sheridan Books
We thank the Stretch to Win Institute in Tempe, Arizona, for assistance in providing the location for the
photo shoot for this book.
Human Kinetics books are available at special discounts for bulk purchase. Special editions or book ex-
cerpts can also be created to specification. For details, contact the Special Sales Manager at Human Kinetics.
Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper in this book is certified under a sustainable forestry program.
Human Kinetics
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please visit our website: www.HumanKinetics.com
E6654
We dedicate this book to all those who seek more understanding
about the human body, particularly how to assess and improve
mobility for functional performance in sports, fitness, and life. It
is also dedicated to those who have not been able to find optimal
solutions for their pain or dysfunction and are willing to give this
book a chance to provide relief and a lifelong strategy for success.
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction xi
1 Ten Principles for Optimal Flexibility 1
✧✧ Follow the 10 principles to form a foundation for your
flexibility program
✧✧ Achieve flexibility using a multilayered approach
2 Anatomy and Physiology of Flexibility 15
✧✧ Learn what fascia is and how it factors into the flexibility
of your body
✧✧ Locate tight or restricted areas in your body using fascia
mobility nets
3 Flexibility Training 39
✧✧ Enhance athleticism and fitness with fascia mobility
training
✧✧ Adjust parameters of a stretch for different needs and
results
✧✧ Understand the types of stretching and how they affect
your flexibility
4 Flexibility for Sport Performance 57
✧✧ Learn how flexibility can affect athletic performance
✧✧ Use the performance pyramid to guide flexibility training
for your sport
iv
5 Flexibility Assessment 67
✧✧ Locate the source of your pain, soreness, weakness,
or discomfort and find solutions
✧✧ Create a flexibility program specific to your needs
6 Stretches for Fundamental Mobility 101
✧✧ Learn how to improve your everyday flexibility
7 Dynamic Stretches for Sports 147
✧✧ Prepare for and recover from sports activity using
flexibility
8 Assisted Stretching 173
✧✧ Stretch with a coach or a therapist to solve mobility
problems and to improve athletic performance
Glossary 213
References 218
Index 219
About the Authors 224
v
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Acknowledgments
The journey that led to the development of our technique was in progress
more than 40 years, and it will continue for as long as we practice and teach;
therefore, there are many people to thank. This book would not have been
possible without my beloved husband, Chris. He was instrumental in the entire
creative process, and he has been my true partner. We have spent countless
hours working together on the book, side by side on our dueling laptops,
without a single disagreement. Although I spent many years studying the
science of flexibility and stretching people before we met in 1998, his inspi-
ration, guidance, support, vision, and love transformed my work and helped
it evolve into what is today.
I especially want to thank my parents for having always been there for
me, believing in me, and supporting all my dreams and endeavors. My mom
taught me that I could become anything I desired as long as I kept my feet
planted firmly on the earth and my spirit reaching for the heavens. My father
advised me to find a special niche, become the very best at it, and never stop
improving. I know they were proud of what I created and they smile down
on me knowing I am living my dream.
Numerous influences have culminated in the beliefs Chris and I share about
stretching and flexibility as a means of tapping into human potential, begin-
ning with our mutual backgrounds in dance and movement. I began dance
training at the age of 4, and Chris began dancing at the age of 10. I extend
my thanks to the many dance teachers and students I have had the pleasure
of working with over the past 40 years for providing endless inspiration as to
all the possibilities that exist in movement and flexibility.
Special thanks to Tim McClellan and Rich Wenner, who introduced me to
the world of strength and conditioning at Arizona State University in 1995.
They gave me a chance to develop my techniques into a functional flexibility
that transferred to the field for athletes. This opened the door to my being
chosen as the flexibility specialist for the 1996 U.S. men’s Olympic wrestling
team. The experience of working with athletes of this caliber set the benchmark
for the role that sport-specific flexibility can have in athletic success.
I must thank my many clients over the nearly 20 years I ran my clinic for
believing and trusting in my work. By sharing their lives and providing feed-
back, they have participated in the development and growth of my vision.
They have taught me a great deal about the many differences and similarities
in the human body and about its unlimited potential.
vii
viii Acknowledgments
A very special thank-you to my athletes for the time, trust, and devotion they
have invested in me over the years. They have truly inspired me to continue
improving the methods of stretching to help them reach their performance,
prevent injuries, and achieve health and fitness goals. It has been an honor
and a privilege to be a small part of their careers.
Last, but most important, is a heartfelt thank-you that I lovingly send out
to all our students and our teaching teams in the United States and Canada.
We have closed our clinic since writing the first edition of this book; we are
now dedicating our time to teaching and writing. My present focus is how to
best educate and inspire our students, teachers, and readers. The people who
bring us joy and fulfillment are those whose lives have been influenced by our
work, both professionally and personally. I feel truly blessed to have touched
so many lives and to have those people touch and change so many more.
—Ann Frederick
First, I would like to thank my wife. This book is a product of and a testament
to the joy that comes when we have the opportunity to create something
together. I will never forget the first time I got on Ann’s table and, through her
stretching techniques, experienced the magical sensation of pain and tension
melting away; this is the feeling shared by her clients every day. She is a master
teacher and a divine inspiration, and I thank her for personally training me
in her original philosophy and system of stretching and for sharing with me
all the things that drive her passion in this field.
Thanks to my parents for encouraging me to follow my heart in all my
endeavors, even when the path I chose was not exactly what they had in mind
for me. A very special thank-you to the first teacher and person who made a
significant impact in my life, Sifu Sat Chuen Hon, for helping me create a solid
spiritual and physical foundation. Special thanks to Dr. Mei-Hsiu Chan for
her guidance in teaching me deeper levels of life experience through profound
healing and training of the body and mind.
I am truly grateful for all the dance teachers who freely gave of themselves
when teaching their passion and joy of movement to me: Wilhelm Burmann,
David Howard, Melissa Haydn, Gloria Fokine, and Robert Blankshine. Thanks
to Romana Kryzanowska and Kathy Grant for introducing me to Pilates and
to Juliu Horvath for training me in his system of Gyrokinesis before it was
known by any name.
I want to thank my mentor and guide in manual therapy, Marika Molnar,
PT, LAc, and founder of the famed Westside Dance Physical Therapy practice
in New York City. Without her inspiration, I would not be the kind of manual
physical therapist that I am proud to be today. Liz Henry, PT, and Katie Keller,
PT, were also wonderful guides on that journey. I am also thankful for the
inspiration of the many creative collaborators who frequented that magical
place, among them Jean Claude West, Ken Endelman (founder of Balanced
Body), and Brent Anderson (founder of Polestar Pilates).
—Chris Frederick
Acknowledgments ix
There are many others who contributed to the creation of this book. A very
special thanks to Michael J. Alter, whose first book in 1988, The Science of
Stretching, provided scientific validation of an emerging field of flexibility
science. Michael laid the groundwork and inspiration for others to follow,
and we hope that we do his work some justice. He was kind enough to share
his valuable time and knowledge by reviewing our first-edition manuscript,
sending research, and discussing the future of flexibility science. Thanks also
to Wayne Phillips, PhD, our dear friend and colleague, who was instrumental
in the pursuit of research in the field, and to James Oschman, PhD, who was
inspirational in his brilliant work relating to energy medicine and the won-
ders of the fascial system. Special thanks to our friend, colleague, and mentor,
Thomas Myers, who gave us a new perspective on how to see and experience
the body. After spending 12 weeks training with him in Maine, and being
exposed to the tremendous volume of work covered in his book Anatomy
Trains, we can truly say that we “changed our bodies about our minds.”
To all the students who have trained in our technique, thank you for your
trust, time, passion, and commitment. You motivate us to be our very best and
to continue evolving. We learn so much from you every time we teach, and
we are eternally grateful for your constant faith and never-ending inspiration.
Thanks also to our models—Jon Lempke, Emily Grout, and Christine
Sijera—for donating their time and talent. Avery special thanks to Bertrand
Berry, who is always a joy to work with and is one of our all-time favorite
athletes. We thought it only appropriate to have one of our (now retired)
NFL players be the model for the assisted stretches on the table in chapter 8.
We would like to thank all the fine folks at Human Kinetics who have made
this second edition possible, particularly Michelle Maloney, Acquisitions
Editor, Laura Pulliam, Developmental Editor, and Ann Gindes, Managing
Editor. They were a pleasure to work with and were extremely helpful and
understanding throughout the entire writing process.
We thank photographer Neil Bernstein both for his outstanding work and
for his amazing ability to understand what we wanted to convey. Thanks so
much to Bruce Hogarth, our artist, for helping us interpret our new concepts
of depicting the fascial nets. We also thank all those we don’t know by name
who had a part in helping this book come to fruition.
Finally, we’d like to thank the readers of the first edition of this book
who e-mailed us with amazing testimonials of how this book eliminated
chronic pain, radically improved mobility, and optimized fitness and athletic
performance!
—Ann and Chris Frederick