Source
Synopsis
- Stand next to a chair (or table) and place your hands on the chair. Arch and lower your back.
Lesson Outline
- Reference Move: Stand up and move as if to touch your toes. See how far down you can comfortably go.
- Stand next to a chair (or table) and place your hands on the chair. Hands under shoulders. Feet under hips. Softly bend your knees. Paying close attention to how the weight is distributed.
- With knees slightly bent, lengthen your legs. What direction does your lower back move?
- As you do the movement, lift and lower your “tail” — arching and rounding your back.
- Include your head in the movement
- As you lift your tail, soften lower abdomen (as close to pubic bone as possible).
- Differentiate your eyes, eyes go in the opposite direction of your head
- Repeat reference move and see if there is a difference
Related ATMs
- Amherst 1980 Week 3 Demonstration
Resources
Share Your Insights (ideas, principles, strategies, experiences, …)
- Add your thoughts about the lesson here.
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- Differing viewpoints are welcome and desired!
Jeff Haller Leads a discussion by asking “How does this ATM Work.” Some of the points from the discussion:
- Reciprocal inhibition “describes the process of muscles on one side of a joint relaxing to accommodate contraction on the other side of that joint. Joints are controlled by two opposing sets of muscles, extensors and flexors, which must work in synchrony for smooth movement” (see Wikipedia). As you straighten your leg, you contract your quadriceps. As the quadriceps contract, the hamstring will naturally lengthen via reciprocal inhibition.
- Pliable Hamstrings: The longest hamstrings goes from the sitz bone to below the knee. As you arch your back and lower your stomach, the distance from the sitz bones to the knee gets longer and shorter. Thus this motion, naturally lengthens and shortens the hamstrings. Since the motion is being done in a gentle (not pulling, no stretching) way, the effect is that hamstrings becomes from pliable.
- Counter Balance and Keeping your center of mass over your base (feet): If you begin the movement by keeping your legs straight moving your head out in front of you, then your center of mass will be out in front of you. What keeps you from falling down? All the muscles in the back need to contract so that your head doesn’t hit the ground. It is difficult to have the hamstrings both contracting to keep you upright and lengthening to let your hands touch the floor. However, if you bend your knees, bring your butt back as your head lowers, then your center of mass stays over your feet. Your hamstring don’t have to contract as you lower your head and thus can more easily lengthen.
- Differentiation of Eyes and Head: Always a good thing
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