Add the Flower for Some Power!
By Brian Justin, MKin, CEP,CSCS, CES, PES, CSE (4 levels completed), SEC- 1
Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Anyone who lifts weights knows the importance of a well-built chest to add to that superhero buffed look! However, if we consider our modern work and home environments where many of us are stuck behind computers making our shoulders rotate inwards alongside obtaining a Quasimodo thoracic spine (well maybe not that bad!), this then places our pectoral muscles in a shortened position. This is not ideal if you want to attain a PR on your bench press or similar exercises. Research shows that when a muscle is at ideal resting length it can maximize muscular contraction. If a muscle is in an overly shortened or lengthened state it can negatively impact contractility. The diagram below illustrates this.
Tension in muscles is due to the forces generated by many cross-bridge formations between actin (thin filaments of muscle) and myosin (thick filaments of muscle) in a sarcomere (the functional contractile unit of muscle). At number 1 there is too much overlap at rest of the thick and thin filaments of the sarcomere due to the muscle being overly contracted. At number 3 and 4 there is very little interaction between actin and myosin and therefore a diminished ability to make cross-bridges as the muscle is too lengthened. Number 2 represents the ideal length for the sarcomere to make the optimal number of cross-bridges and therefore tension. If our shoulders are slumped forward then we have muscles that are not going to support our lifting goals due to the inability to make optimal numbers of cross-bridges. Enter in: The Flower!
The Flower is an excellent somatic exercise to help restore ideal length to our pectorals. It utilizes pandiculation which is a technique used in Hanna Somatics. This technique involves contracting a muscle so that it is tighter than its currently tight resting posture. Thereafter, it is lengthened at the speed of a yawn resulting in more length and reduced resting tension. Lastly, a period of relaxation occurs and this allows our brain to process the new information to gain control of the muscle. This is then repeated 4-6 times with the result being decreased tension and a more lengthened muscle. This happens all without stretching! Stretching has been shown to decrease strength potential so this is a plus!! Prior to doing the Flower exercise it is important to learn Arch and Flatten, as it forms a major component of the Flower exercise. Please see the link below to learn this exercise from Somatics legend Martha Peterson.
Thereafter click on the link below to learn the Flower Exercise.
The Flower exercise can be placed in your warm up routine to prepare the muscles for lifting and can even be used in-between sets to help relax the muscle for another great set thereafter. It can also be a part of your cooldown to restore resting length after you lift. If you add the Flower, prepare for the power and strength that follows. Don’t let the name fool you!!