Better Results in Resistance Stretching – Less is More

As an athlete or competitor the concept of less is more doesn’t even appear on our radar. When it comes to removing tension or pain from the body all DCT Practitioners are well versed in the concept of less resistance equals better results in resistance stretching.  When you get two people together, and resistance is involved, invariably, it becomes a contest of who can push harder. DCT as it relates to resistance stretching is not about generating force, it is about isolating and understanding how to create muscle activation. When your partner or practitioner pushes too hard in any movement they are going to recruit other muscles or reposition their body to create more force/leverage as opposed to recruiting the target muscle. That brings us to another topic for a different discussion but force does not equal strength.

If you want better results in resistance stretching, know that you can’t cheat the system. The human body is incredible at cheating the system. That’s why after injuries or repetitive motion the body develops compensation patterns that allow the person to move albeit in a dysfunctional way. The way we keep a person from developing compensation patterns is by allowing that person’s weaker muscle or tissue to work first. When you start with the exercise reps, the concentric recruitment needs to stay slow and smooth. This does two things for you. One, it’s going to allow you to recognize if they’re compensating and two, it allows you to repair the injured/weaker tissue.

For instance, in the sidelying glute stretch, your hips are at 90, and your knees are at 90. If I go nice and light and I’m asking them to push straight up and out to the side.  Invariably, a compensation pattern will show up. They will likely pull the knee closer to their chest, which is them trying to cheat with their hip flexor and TFL.  Or they will turn their knee in and try and push from their hamstring instead of their glute. I don’t have to do anything other than giving them light resistance to see the cheat happen. By providing a softer contact point, you can then coach them and say, “Oh, No, see how your knee is pulling toward you. Let’s bring it back down and let yourself feel weak.  Push from your knee into my hand and move straight sideways.”

You have to reinforce this principle of not cheating to get better results in resistance stretching.  It’s okay that the muscle is going to feel weak, we’re going for the burn. Find the burn by using less resistance. What you will find happening is, it will take fewer repetitions. It’ll be far easier on your body because you won’t have to do as many reps. The person is going to feel the burn exactly where you want them to right away.

Think of this slower process as coaxing the muscle out. Once you begin lightly, feel free to add a little resistance.  Make sure to keep the burn in the muscle belly or fascial line. Too much resistance and the burn disappears, pushing your joints or ligaments and causes more problems than benefits. Remember, almost always less resistance creates better results in resistance stretching.