Understanding Muscle Activation: Part 1
Today we have another great piece from Chris Kelly on muscle activation. Many think we’ve let the pendulum swing too far when it comes to “turning on” our muscles before we work out, while others swear by better results with muscle activation techniques.
I think Chris hits the nail on the head with his efficient method of “waking up” sleepy areas without wasting too much time. Check it out:
When time is tight, there’s nothing quite like a “bang for your buck” exercise that satisfies several needs at once. One trap many people (especially trainers) fall into is overdoing activation work.
Performed to engage or “wake up” stabilizer muscles (e.g., glutes, scapular retractors and deep core muscles) prior to larger movements, activation work generally comes in the form of several remedial exercises performed for these areas during the warm-up.
When I first heard about this concept, I initially wondered where it would fit in my workout. Do we have to perform mobility drills first to honor the joint-by-joint approach, or can we use a time-efficient sequence of drills like glute bridges, prone YTWs, etc. on the floor before moving to standing positions?
The order of exercises caused some disagreement in our gym, but what has become clear is that whatever we do for our warm-ups must be time-efficient while still getting people red-faced and ready to train – much like a good argument! The main issue I have with most activation sequences is that they require frequently changing position. This approach wastes time and can make instruction (and attention) difficult. A typical sequence may look something like this:
Hip extensors: Glute bridge (Supine)
Hip abductors: Clams (Side-lying)
Scapular retractors: Floor YTWs (Prone)
Lateral core: Side plank (Side-lying)
Anterior Core: Plank (Prone)
While we may only perform one brief set of each drill, constantly changing position along with technique instruction can easily burn up to five minutes of time. A better solution would be to find the most beneficial anatomical position and drills which can be applied to multiple functions. Alas, the plank/bird-dog matrix was born.
Though we typically view plank and bird-dog exercises as a means of training “core stability” (what exactly does this mean nowadays anyway??), the prone position is also fantastic for teaching proper breathing and spinal position, along with improving mobility and activation of the hips and shoulders (assuming you don’t have any wrist or shoulder limitations). And because prone is a weight-bearing position, the other major benefit is the ability to integrate arm and leg movements.
What I like most about our warm-up progression is that it follows a logical developmental sequence: Supported to unsupported. While some people may breeze through the sequence in a few weeks, others may spend months in one posture or another just learning to execute the movements properly. The key is whether or not they can maintain balance and deep breathing.
When you can breathe and move with seemingly little effort, the time has come to move to the next step. Our three-step progression can cut unnecessary minutes from your warm-up while still allowing you to reach new levels of function.
And to see those progressions, be sure to check back next week for Part II!
Filed under: exercise instruction, exercise programs, workout tips
